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Feb 7, 2006
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Dana White - Pre Pubesent Schoolyard Bully
By Jenna Jameson

"Dana White’s insistance of my lack of brain power smacks of 18th century
beliefs that women (all women) are inferior to the male species.
Ignoring a persons achievements or simply their IQ due to the fact they
have a vagina instead of a penis, explains Danas simplicity. He has a a
track record in every conversation, if he needs to describe someone who
he feels threatened by, or weakened by... he lashes out in the manner of
a 12 year old, by accusing the other of unintelligence. I for one, would
enjoy seeing data that backs up his hasty words. In my experience anyone
that reverts to this type of defense is simply insecure about
themselves, and tend to try to shift the glaring light of truth away
from his profane grammatically incorrect rantings. The most interesting
story here, is the silence by the UFC. How do they sit back, silent, and
allow their "figure head" to endanger the worth of their empire?
Business must be tended to with a level head, or it usually self
implodes. We all are starting to witness the Dana White propaganda
wheels being set in motion with every new self agrandizing Dana
interview. When are the Fertitas going to step to the plate and put a sock in Dana’s hate spewing mouth? It seems to be depreciating their
companies worth with every syllable. It is plainly obvious that it isn’t
just a coincidence that so many champions have chosen to test the waters
beyond the UFC trainwreck. Their defection to greener pastures is no
longer just a money issue, but more of a continued lack of disrespect on
Dana’s part. It troubles me that this could be the downfall of such a
ground breaking monumental company, all due to one mans over abundance
of testosterone. In closing, maybe the UFC should mandate steroid
testing to company presidents, then maybe the company could continue its
massive dominance... with a soft hand."
"""GAZZY'S REBUTTAL BLOG ABOUT JENNA JAMESON ON MYSPACE:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ogID=369889429 -- (WWW.MYSPACE.COM/GAZZYPARMAN)
My opinion of Jenna Jameson's rant about Dana White

I usually don't comment on nastiness on MySpace, but I couldn't ignore Jenna Jameson's ramblings any longer. Her latest blog trying to talk on behalf of Tito for the hundredth time... will not go unnoticed...

so here it goes...

Jenna Jameson – Post Porn MMA Groupie By Gazzy Parman

Jenna, your "insistance"? I think you mean "insistence" with an "e", not an "a"... Unless you mean you are instantly insisting on his insistence and got confused. Anyways, you insist that when Dana White dismisses you for your lack of brain power and, in your words:

"""""it smacks of 18th century beliefs that women (all women) are inferior to the male species."""""

Well considering that both men and women belong to the same species, I'm not really sure what your point is here. However, you do go on to debate that:

"""""Ignoring a persons achievements or simply their IQ due to the fact they have a vagina instead of a penis, explains Danas simplicity."""""

Now Jenna, dear... have you lost sight of what you were talking about already? Neither Dana nor anyone for that matter has ignored your achievements. Your achievements are quite demonstrative or dare I say cavernous in their entirety, but that is not the issue at hand. It is the issue of intelligence that we are debating and sadly the intimate knowledge pertaining to the underside of Randy West's nut sack does not apply as an applicable form of intelligence in the real world.

"""""He has a a track record in every conversation, if he needs to describe someone who he feels threatened by, or weakened by... he lashes out in the manner of a 12 year old, by accusing the other of unintelligence. I for one, would enjoy seeing data that backs up his hasty words. In my experience anyone that reverts to this type of defense is simply insecure about themselves, and tend to try to shift the glaring light of truth away from his profane grammatically incorrect rantings."""""

Are you seriously trying to play the "grammar card" in the middle of your massively incoherent jumble fuck of a blog? Forget the fact you couldn't even spell "pubescent" correctly in the opening title of your blog or the several other simple spelling errors, typos, and inaccuracies that gave me a headache, while trying to decipher your crybaby "Oh no, my boyfriend is no longer going be anything once he's booted from the UFC" diatribe. I suggest you familiarize yourself with this wild invention Microsoft came up with a few years ago called "spell check" and then perhaps your rants (not "rantings", as you like to say) might have some merit.

"""""The most interesting story here, is the silence by the UFC. How do they sit back, silent, and allow their "figure head" to endanger the worth of their empire?"""""

Actually, Dana White is a part owner of Zuffa, LLC, which is the parent company of the UFC. Moreover, he is their president and the only reason you have even heard of the UFC or Tito Ortiz. While you were busy giving hand jobs at Crazy Horse Too and getting fucked on film for cash, Dana was busy saving Mixed Martial Arts with the Fertitta brothers at the turn of the century. They saved the sport, helped get it regulated by the NJACB in 2000, and then turned it into the fastest growing sport on the planet. They created a new weight class (205), which allowed Tito Ortiz to garner any type of success, when he couldn't cut it against fighters like Frank Shamrock. They even brought MMA to the mainstream masses on network television in the form of "The Ultimate Fighter", which happens to be the medium in which you first heard of Tito Ortiz while he was a coach on TUF 3. Fucking some guy that fights and who coaches fighters on some hit TV show was your way to get out of the porn business and to crossover into the mainstream.

The part you fail to realize is that Dana has made Tito. He used to be Tito's manager, back when upstart fight wear companies were even hesitant about sponsoring some big-headed, bleached-haired, loud mouth with less than dynamic fighting skills. Dana brought him back in to the UFC fold after Tito was crying about wrecking his car and a failed movie career. Dana gave him a coaching gig on TUF 3. Dana gave him two quick paydays against a washed up Ken Shamrock in a main event PPV card and a main event SpikeTV card. Dana even gave Tito a chance to have a boxing match with him on SpikeTV, but Tito backed out. I guess Tito didn't want to get spanked by his daddy in both the verbal and physical sense of the word.

"""""Business must be tended to with a level head, or it usually self implodes. We all are starting to witness the Dana White propaganda wheels being set in motion with every new self agrandizing Dana interview. When are the Fertitas going to step to the plate and put a sock in Dana's hate spewing mouth? It seems to be depreciating their companies worth with every syllable. It is plainly obvious that it isn't just a coincidence that so many champions have chosen to test the waters beyond the UFC trainwreck. Their defection to greener pastures is no longer just a money issue, but more of a continued lack of disrespect on Dana's part. It troubles me that this could be the downfall of such a ground breaking monumental company, all due to one mans over abundance of testosterone. In closing, maybe the UFC should mandate steroid testing to company presidents, then maybe the company could continue its massive dominance... with a soft hand."""""

Instead of trying to salvage your diminutive attempt on slamming Dana White via MySpace by using big words like "self-aggrandizing", I'd suggest first learning how to spell the word and then learning what it actually means. If there is any fighter in the world that fits the description of "self-aggrandizing" it would be Tito Ortiz. He has tried to make himself appear greater than he is throughout his career. All while calling out 185-pounders like Lee Murray at UFC 46 and dodging better fighters like Chuck Liddell, as long as he could, until he was forced to fight. In closing, I'd suggest ordering "Hooked on Phonics" and let the grown-ups speak here. Dana and Tito have known each other longer than you have known how to catch a load on your face without smearing your make-up. Dana and Tito are more than capable of either working out their differences or going their own way without you trying to fish for headlines by desperately whoring for mainstream attention in a world you know nothing about. Perhaps if you spent the last 10+ years of your life training, competing, or doing something somewhat remotely involved with these guys or this sport like I have, your opinion might matter here.

and that's all I have to say about that. =)""""
 
Feb 7, 2006
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L.C. Davis on the Comeback Trail

For L.C. Davis, dealing with the first loss of his career was hard enough. The fact that it came on live TV in a fight for the IFL featherweight title, that didn’t help.

“It bothered me for a little while,” Davis admits now. “But I got back into training and tried to move past it. I realized that I made some mistakes. Every fighter makes mistakes. You can’t dwell on it, you just have to move forward.”

Moving forward is exactly what Davis will try and do on April 4 at New Jersey’s Izod Center, when he takes on American Top Team fighter Rafael Dias. The only problem for him is that he’ll be taking on a fighter with many similarities to Fabiano, and he’ll have to avoid making the same mistakes.

One of those mistakes, according to Davis, was getting too caught up in the hype about Fabiano’s ground game.

Since he knew that the submissions specialist was looking to get him to the mat, he based his chances for success on an ability to stay on his feet. It made him too cautious, he says now, and it prevented him from taking the fight to his opponent, as he has done for most of his career.

“With the Wagnney fight I got so caught up in keeping it on the feet. I was thinking so much about him that I didn’t fight my fight. I’m a wrestler. I take people down and ground and pound them. That’s how I got where I am.”

American Top Team’s Dias is another Brazilian import with a top-notch submissions game, as he showed in his IFL debut last month with a first-round submission victory over Santino DeFranco.

Dias put on a ground fighting clinic in that fight, much like Fabiano has done in the past. His quick transitions and ability to dictate the pace and direction of the fight made him seem almost like a carbon copy of the featherweight champ. The similarities between the two are not lost on Davis.

“He’s a lot like Wagnney. He’s a black belt in jiu-jitsu. I know he comes from a good camp in American Top Team. It’s a similar fight, but I don’t think his wrestling or striking is as good as Wagnney’s.

“I know he’s never been stopped. All his losses come from decisions, so I’m guessing he’s pretty tough. I think it’s going to be a war, and I’m training for that.”

For Davis, the importance of this fight is obvious. It’s his first time back in the ring since suffering his first defeat, and the big question is how he’ll respond to the challenge mentally. Many fighters have had their illusions of invincibility crushed after such a loss, and they come back more tentative and less confident.

Davis is determined not to let that happen, and vows to come out looking more polished thanks to the learning experience of his loss to Fabiano.

“I learned that I need to be more patient. In the Wagnney fight I kind of rushed out there and fought like an amateur. I want to fight more like a seasoned veteran. It’s just a matter of getting more experience and relaxing in there.”

Overcoming the defeat and coming back against a fighter very much like the one he just faced is no small task for any fighter.

For Davis, the opportunity to put any lingering doubts to rest might be just what he needs.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Boston to Host "TUF8" Tryouts April 10

The UFC and Spike TV will host an open tryout for the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" on April 10 in Boston, Spike TV today announced.

And though UFC.com originally put out the call for lightweights and heavyweights, the eighth season will now apparently feature lightweights and light heavyweights.

The open tryouts takes place at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, which is located at 390 Dalton St. in Boston.

The event begins at 9 a.m. ET, but aspiring cast members are encouraged to arrive early. Show producers are looking for lightweights (146-155 lbs.) and light heavyweights (186-205 lbs.) who are 21 years of age or older.

Overseeing the tryouts will be UFC president Dana White, "TUF" Executive Producer Craig Piligian, and Spike TV Senior Vice President of Sports and Specials Brian J. Diamond.

Attendance at the open tryouts isn't mandatory. Fighters can apply for the show at UFC.com or SpikeTV.com through the typical application process.

"The Ultimate Fighter 8" will likely debut in August or September on Spike TV. The UFC has made no official announcements regarding the show's coaches or format.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC 83 Jonathan Goulet interview prior to Kuniyoshi Hironaka fight

MMAC: Hey Jonathan, thanks for taking the time out of your training for us over here at MMACanada.net – how is everything?

Jonathan Goulet: Thanks to you to take the time to ask me how is everything - everything is good for me, the training is going well and I'm really excited to fight at the Bell Centre.

MMAC: You were recently in Brazil – how was that experience?

Jonathan Goulet: I went in Brazil for four weeks to train in BJJ. I was training almost everyday and ok I was going to the beach everyday and I explored a little bit of the city. That was beautiful and for sure I'll go there again this year. The Gracie Barra Team at Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janiero is where I improved a lot on my ground game.

MMAC: Let’s get straight to it – you are fighting Hironaka at UFC 83 in Montreal, Quebec – what does fighting in front of a hometown crowd of 21 000 strong and proud Canadian fans in the UFC’s first ever Canadian show mean to you?

Jonathan Goulet: That mean a lot for me, I'm proud to be in the card even if I'm the very first fight of the night. That is going to be an historical moment and wow just to fight in front of the biggest crowd ever I can't wait.

MMAC: What do you think of your opponent Hironaka – how do you see the fight unfolding?

Jonathan Goulet: I really respect him, he fought some good opponent like Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch and Nick Diaz. He did great, he's a tough opponent that is going to be a hard fight but I swear it is going to be exciting to watch. My goal is for sure to win that fight but also to force Zuffa to put my fight on TV – I really want to be broadcast.

MMAC: You are definitely a veteran in the world of MMA yet you’re relatively young at 28 – you’ve been in the UFC and have had some success and you’ve had to build upon the successes you’ve had in the some of the smaller organizations to get back to the big stage of the UFC. Tell us what it means to you to fight outside of the UFC and is your goal always to be fighting back in the UFC?

Jonathan Goulet: Sure my goal was to keep fighting in the UFC because both of my feet are in the octagon. When I was fighting outside of the UFC that was only to keep working on my mental block and I've been able to work on that. I want to work so I will train and fight as well as I can.

MMAC: When you called out Mike Swick, who was eventually replaced by Hazelett at UFN 11 – was that your intention, to use that situation as an advantage to get back on the UFC’s radar?

Jonathan Goulet: No at that moment I had a contract for the UFC – what I did was only to put a kind of story in that fight.

MMAC: What is your current contract situation like with the UFC?

Jonathan Goulet: I have 4 fights with them, my first one is going to be on April 19th. I talked to the UFC after my last fight and I ask them to fight more often. So I will stay busy like I'm used to.

MMAC: Your new manager is Ken Pavia, how is this relationship working out for you?

Jonathan Goulet: I don't think it didn't start well but I think it is more because of my limited English, he worked well in being able to make me sign the new contract. The money is way better and for the sponsorship – it always depending on my win but for my next fight I have nothing bad to say.

MMAC: Those who know The Road Warrior, know that you are as dedicated and as hard working a fighter as they come – where does your drive and ambition come from?

Jonathan Goulet: I don't want to build houses again, lol. I have so many poor years behind me and not that much years in front of me to being able to plan my retirement. I pass through so many bad things and I always keep the faith in myself. One day all that work will pay and I hope that day will come soon.

MMAC: When you are not fighting, or not training, what keeps you busy?

Jonathan Goulet: Damn I'm always in the gym, but when I'm not fighting I'm giving private lessons to amateur fighters. I like to travel so after that fight I will go somewhere near a beach to relax but like I wrote, I'm always in the gym so I'll find a place near an MMA training center.

MMAC: You obviously have some great people supporting you – is there anyone you’d like to thank at this point of your career?

Jonathan Goulet: Yes, I would like to give a special thanks to mmafightshop.ca, Jonathan Chaimberg (my strength coach) there are so great with me just because of them I will be able to win my fights and spend some good times with my daughter. I also want to thanks my brothers who live in Montreal, I don't really like to sleep on a couch but I need it to train everyday at the Tristar gym. I'm living to far to being able to drive it every day.

MMAC: I’m going to try out my French skills with you - Merci beaucoup Jonathan, nous souhaitons que vous tout le meilleur et Canada vous soutient. I think the French made sense…we are all looking forward to seeing you in Montreal – all the best to you from MMACanada.net.

Jonathan Goulet: Thank you very much for your time.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MMACanada Catches Up With Canadian/Indian MMA Star "Black Mamba"

MMAC: MMacanada.net is here with Kultar Gill, also known as "Black Mamba", Thanks Kultar for doing this Interview . How are you today?

Black Mamba: Everything is going splendid. Just got back from Japan on Sunday with a lot of good memories. Met many high calibre fighters and quite frankly they were all nice guys and nobody seemed to have a chip on their shoulders.

MMAC: So why are you known as Black Mamba?

Black Mamba: Black Mamba is my fighting character in Japan K-1. Black Mamba represents my fighting style and my physic. It was chosen for me after I won the K-1 tryouts in Las Vegas due to my style being fast and explosive and I have a long frame.
When I was younger and fighting muay thai I was 6 feet and 140 pounds in grade 10. They use to call me chopsticks and when I started knocking opponents out I was switched to “diamond chopsticks”. It’s pretty funny.

MMAC: Haha, I totally agree! So Kultar, for the Canadian fans who don't know you, how did you get involved in mixed martial arts and who were some of the guys you looked up to watching the sport?

Black Mamba: I always wanted to be a ninja and learn the “dim mak” and use that training to be a secret assassin. I started practicing kung-fu but wasn’t interested in doing forms and patterns. After not being able to grasp the concept of different types of animal fighting in kung fu my dreams of being an assassin were over. Then in grade 8 I saw this crazy sport of Muay Thai were two fighters stood toe-to-toe and beat the crap out of each other. I started practicing Muay Thai and by grade 10 I was fighting around the world against full grown men. I’m not going to lie to you but I was so scared when I fought these guys with beards and chest hair that I use to sweat bullets every time I fought. I was so scarred, but I kept on coming back for more and more and winning. Then eventually after taking sometime off from Muay Thai I started doing MMA for fun, and here I am today. I’m a fan of every fighter that steps in the ring or octagon especially the fighters that try to finish fights and are exciting.

MMAC: Your last fight was at Dream 1 where you lost a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri, what are your thoughts on your performance that night and how much motivation did that loss give you?

Black Mamba: I thought I was fighting a K-1 dreams match not an Abu Dhabi tournament, LOL. Well I guess I should have gone for more submissions. Kawajiri was a strong opponent. Coming into the match I thought Kawajiri would stand with me for a bit, as he is known for having hard hands and good striking. I am trying to work a lot on my ju-jitsu as this is the only way these guys are beating me. I will be back and stronger than before. KAWAJIRI WON THE MATCH BUT I WON THE FIGHT. My motivation is still strong to fight after my last lose. I have had some major injuries for the last couple of years that have finally healed with the operation. I want to go into every fight and make it exciting as possible.

MMAC: Dream 1 is the new organization in Japan, what did that mean to you as a Canadian/Indian fighter to be part of the first ever event?

Black Mamba: I am honored to be fighting amongst the top lightweights in the world. As you know I live in Canada and I represent India where I spent my early years. I will be back in dreams sooner than later. Right now I have to catch up on all the days I took off work to compete for this tournament. I think the Dreams promotion will big as it is run by a lot of ex-pride staff. Get ready for 60,000 spectator events.

MMAC: So what your saying is we can expect Black Mamba back in the ring fighting for Dream?

Black Mamba: I’ll be back in dreams for sure. I’ll fight where ever and when ever, I just don’t care who I fight as long as I can fight. Hopefully I can fight a striker soon, that would be awesome.

MMAC: A little off topic now, but you work full time as a Correctional Officer. How has that come in between your work and training?

Black Mamba: We all have to make choices in life. I can be a full time fighter and live off my fight purses. But taking in perspective of getting injured before a fight and having fights cancelled on you doesn’t make to much financial sense for my family. The risks and the rewards don’t equal out. So I work a full time job to support my family and do a little bit of overtime to support my fight expenses. I’m not doing to bad for training 3 times a week. Call me a crazy but I just really enjoy fighting. In the gym Rajan Kajan Johnson, Blake Fredricktion, P. Lalonde, Bibi, pele and many more have fights rather than sparring matches, of course with pads but we go full out, it’s awesome.

MMAC: Kalib Starns will be fighting for the first UFC in Canada against Nate Quarry, how do you think he will do in that fight?

Black Mamba: Kalib is now with American top team so I don’t really know how his training is going and what his fight strategy is. Nate quarry is a warrior and a hard fight for anybody. I am really looking forward to that event as it is the first UFC in my own backyard.

MMAC: Would Black Mamba ever be interested in fighting for any other organizations?

Black Mamba: I am interested in fighting any where as long as I can fight. Right now I just came of the fight in Dreams and in a week or so I’ll see what my manager has in line. I would one day like to fight in North America again so my friends and family can come watch without traveling half way across the world. There are many excellent events in North America with powerful lightweights.

MMAC: On behalf of mmacanada.net I'd like to congratulate you on receiving your purple belt in BJJ by Bibiano Fernandez and good luck in your next fight.

Black Mamba: Thank you very much. I hope to be in the ring very soon. I would like to thank all my supporters for the encouragement. Revolution Fight Team and also ww.Ikk-b.com vitamins, www.mysportdoctor.com and Sumas mountain chiropractor for fixing my injures.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Gary Shaw Eyes UFC Talent

According to the Dayton Daily News, EliteXC President Gary Shaw is counting on his first prime time CBS event, airing in May, to net potential blockbuster talent from the UFC in the near future. If the event is a success look for this possibility to become a reality.
"This is the single biggest thing that I think will ever happen to any fighter or to MMA — to have the ability to be seen by over 100 million eyeballs," Show told the Dayton Daily News.

If the May event reaches just a small percentage of that number it will shatter anything the UFC has done up to this point in terms of viewership. It will also offer MMA stars a tantalizing alternative to the UFC due to that fact that most fighters make their "real" money in endorsements and sponsorships which are directly fueled by exposure. And once signed Gary Shaw believes fighters will stay with his organization because of the way they do business.

"Nobody has ever left us because we treat every fighter, whether they have a belt or don't, like a champion that they are," Shaw said. "So if you fight for EliteXC, believe me, you get treated like a royal prince."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MMA's First Openly Gay Athlete: Shad Smith

The following is provided courtesy of the New York Times, it depicts a portion of the courageous story of MMA's first active openly gay fighter:
But most of Smith's childhood fights took place outside the ring, on the streets and at his instigation. He used to wear his hair in a mohawk as a tribute to the professional tag-team wrestlers the Road Warriors and prowl the neighborhood looking for fights. "I was just mad-dogging everyone" -- staring them down -- "until somebody said something, and then I'd put my hands up and start fighting." He said he had 46 counts of assault and battery as a juvenile. "And that's 46 counts posted on me. Can you imagine how many there actually were?"

I asked Smith why he spent so much of his youth looking for trouble. I expected some sort of clichéd, though possibly true, explanation -- a difficult childhood or a Napoleon complex. What I didn't expect him to say was, "You know, bro, the sexual-preference thing."

Smith is gay, and I know of no other professional fighter who is openly so. "I was always scared that my mom and dad would find out and wouldn't like me, and my brothers wouldn't like me," he said. "I was petrified, because I didn't want anyone to find out. And I would try to be the toughest person around. That way, no one would suspect, no one would ever say it, no one would think it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/magazine/23martial-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Tibau, Miller and Bruno Added to UFC 86

Gleison Tibau (15-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Cole Miller (13-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and UFC newcomer Steve Bruno (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have all been added to the UFC 86 fight card, the Florida-based American Top Team announced today.

Additionally, the ATT web posting confirmed a previous MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) report that "The Ultimate Fighter 6" stand-out Ben Saunders (5-0-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will also compete at the event.

UFC 86 takes place July 5 in Las Vegas -- most likely at the Mandalay Bay Events Center or the MGM Grand Garden Arena. UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin, who serve as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 7," meet in the night's main event.

No opponents were named for the four ATT fighters.

Tibau, a 25-year-old welterweight, pieced together three straight UFC victories (and four wins overall) before a loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC 81 last month. Prior to the unanimous-decision defeat, Tibau had defeated Jason Dent, Jeff Cox and Terry Etim in UFC matches.

Miller, one of "The Ultimate Fighter 5's" top prospects, defeated Andy Wang at the show's live finale before a unanimous-decision victory over Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 11. However, the 23-year-old lightweight's four-fight win streak came to a halt at UFC Fight Night 12 when Miller suffered a second-round TKO to Jeremy Stephens.

Bruno, 26, has recently competed for Spirit MC in South Korea, where he recently won the organization's middleweight title. Bruno had been scheduled to fight Chad Reiner at UFC Fight Night 10 this past summer, but he had to pull out of the bout with an injury.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Free Fedor? Rumor mill puts ProElite at front of Emelianenko negotiations

After all the talk about what it would cost to sign Fedor Emelianenko - who may or may not defect from M-1 Global (depending on who you believe), it would be ironic that a rumored deal with ProElite would potentially put him on network television for free.

Yet that’s exactly what’s being reported over at NOKAUT.com. Here’s a snip:

A reliable source has confirmed ProElite, Inc. has offered Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) a four-fight, 18-month contract. The contract calls for Emelianenko’s first two fights in the promotion to broadcast on American television network CBS as a part of the recently inked deal between ProElite and the TV giant. The final two fights would air on pay-per-view and share proceeds with Emelianenko. There’s no indication whether or not Emelianenko will accept ProElite’s offer…A request for confirmation or comment from Jeremy Lappen, ProElite Head of Fight Operations, has been ignored.

ProElite — the parent company of EliteXC — recently announced a multi-year deal with CBS to broadcast four LIVE two-hour EliteXC events annually on Saturday nights. Former streetfighter and breakout star Kimbo Slice will headline the debut show titled “Saturday Night Fights” on May 31.

A move to secure Emelianenko - who is admittedly sour on the UFC after their previous negotiations - comes at a perfect time and could turn a landmark deal with network television into a potential blockbuster.

Though it’s still just a rumor at this stage, it’s definitely an idea with merit.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida UFC 86 fight slated for July

Patrick Cote (12-4) and Ricardo Almeida (9-2) are penciled in to hook ‘em up in a middleweight tilt at UFC 86 on Saturday, July 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to FightNetwork.com.

“The Predator” has won his last three bouts after dropping his first four contests with the promotion. He’s looked impressive in his last two outings, taking out Drew McFedries and Kendall Grove with strikes.

However, Cote will be fortunate if he can keep this fight upright. That’s because Almeida is a very talented Brazilian jiu-jitsu player under Renzo Gracie.

Almeida, in fact, returned to competition for the first time in almost four years to submit Rob Yundt with a guillotine choke just minutes into their scrap at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” back in February.

It definitely has to be a concern for the Canadian — he has lost via submission to Travis Lutter and Joe Doerksen in the past.

Here’s what he had to say:


“I’m a purple belt in jiu-jitsu, but I’m close to having my brown belt. I’ve worked a lot on my wrestling and my jiu-jitsu the last two years, so I’m ready to roll with anybody. I can’t wait to show my skills on the ground.”

Nice idea, Patrick. But I think there’s a time and place for everything … not so sure if the timing is right to show your skills against a guy like “Cachorrao.”

Either way this is a nice match up that will be televised on the pay-per-view (PPV) portion of the card, and it will more than likely have contender-type implications going forward in the 185-pound category.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Corey Hill vs. Justin Buchholz UFC 86 fight in the works

Lightweights Corey Hill (2-0) and Justin Buchholz (7-2) are in talks to clash at UFC 86 on July 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the rumors section over at MMAWeekly.com.

Hill — the lanky and likable contestant from season five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) — most recently stopped Joe Veres via technical knockout in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 12 back in January. The 6′ 4″ Miletich-trained fighter will look to make it two in a row agains the Alaskan native.

Buchholz began his career with the Alaska Fight Championships and eventually migrated to warmer surroundings in Hawaii. He was on a nice four-fight win streak before meeting up with Matt Wiman in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 12 — he was choked out in less than three minutes.

He’ll definitely have his hands full with Hill — he’s a freak to be be competing at 155 pounds and be so tall.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and number one contender, Forrest Griffin, will headline the UFC 86 pay-per-view (PPV) event that also features a slew of American Top Team fighters.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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American Top Team MMA to be on display at UFC 86 in July

At least four American Top Team-trained fighters will compete on the UFC 86 card slated for July 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to a Web site posting from the South Florida-based mixed martial arts training camp.

Gleison Tibau (15-5), Cole Miller (13-3), Steve Bruno (11-3) and Ben Saunders (5-0-2) were all named in the report; however, opponents for each were not disclosed at this time.

Tibau just lost to Tyson Griffin at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” back in February; Miller was pounded out by Jeremy Stephens via technical knockout at UFC Fight Night 12 in January; Bruno will make his Octagon debut at lightweight; and Saunders outpointed Dan Barrera on all three judges scorecards at the TUF 6 Finale in December 2007.

UFC 86 will feature the fight between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and number one contender, Forrest Griffin.

More updates to follow soon.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Shields vs. Fickett Title Fight Canceled

Jake Shields will have to wait a little longer to fight for the EliteXC welterweight title.

ProElite.com is reporting that a bout between Shields and fellow title hopeful Drew Fickett, who were scheduled to meet at Saturday's Strikeforce/EliteXC co-promotion, has been scratched due to a back injury suffered by Shields.

The fight has been "canceled," and there's no word if a replacement will be sought to fight Fickett.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has left messages with both fighters' camps for comment.

The bout was one of three title fights originally planned for Saturday's event, which takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Strikeforce world middleweight champ Frank Shamrock meets Cung Le in the night's main event, and Strikeforce world lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez meets Gabe Lemley in a televised event.

The event airs on Showtime.

EliteXC, which launched in December 2006, has only two champions to date: middleweight title-holder Robbie Lawler (who won the title from Murilo "Ninja" Rua) and lightweight champ KJ Noons. Shields vs. Fickett had been regarded as one of the organization's highest-profile title fights.

Shields (20-4-1), who signed a long-term deal with EliteXC back in November, made no mention of any back problems in Monday's MMAjunkie.com interview.

In fact, he was counting on his 10th straight victory.

"I'm just going to fight," he said. "If we stand, I can beat him. If it goes to the ground, I can pass his guard and pound him out or submit him."

Fickett (32-5), a former UFC fighter who's 31-1 outside the organization, was set to make his EliteXC de
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Ken Shamrock Responds to Steroid Allegations

Last week Strikeforce world middleweight champion Frank Shamrock accused his adoptive brother, Ken Shamrock, of being a longtime user of steroids. Today, Ken issued a statement to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) to counter the claims, saying they are "absolutely false."

Ken also countered Frank's claims that the MMA industry has largely turned a blind eye to the issue of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, specifically pointing to new year-round testing procedures put in place by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The following statement was issued by Ken, a UFC hall-of-famer and 15-year veteran of MMA:



During a recent interview with MMA Madness, Frank Shamrock stated that I have used steroids "my whole life." In making such a reckless and irresponsible statement, Frank has attacked my character. As such, I unfortunately find it necessary to respond to his allegations. I'm not sure what his motives were, but Frank's allegations are absolutely false.

During the interview, Frank also comments on the percentage of fighters that are allegedly using steroids, promoters that supposedly don't care about their fighters unless they win, and the industry's drug testing policies, or lack thereof. I would like to set the record straight.

Our sport has policies in place to deter steroid use and to weed out the guys that, as my brother says, "...are taking shortcuts to gain fame." I have been subjected to mandatory steroid testing countless times, and I have never tested positive for steroids, nor have I ever refused a test. Furthermore, my experience has always been that the promoters and fighters willingly comply with the drug testing mandated by the various athletic commissions.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has always administered steroid and drug testing for licensed fighters. Recently, in an effort to further strengthen steroid testing policies, the NSAC implemented short-notice drug testing for MMA fighters. Fighters are now required to test at fixed times during the year, and are also randomly tested. Commissions in other states have similar policies in place. These policies clearly work as fighters occasionally do test positive and the penalties are significant.

For Frank to state that a majority of fighters use steroids and that the promoters do not care, or that they somehow condone the use of steroids, is unbelievably irresponsible. It tarnishes the image of every fighter and promoter in this industry. The comments Frank made about me and about the industry itself are based purely on his personal opinion, not on facts.

Frank should acknowledge that his comments were without merit and irresponsible, and apologize for the disparaging remarks he has made towards the fighters, promoters, and to the various athletic commissions who regulate MMA
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Anderson Silva: "Don King [has] contacted the UFC to do the promotion of this fight

By Tim Ngo | March 25, 2008

In a story that has gained a lot of steam over the past couple of weeks courtesy of MMAWeekly, Roy Jones Jr. and Anderson Silva now has boxing promoter Don King jumping into the fray according to Tatame. Anderson Silva was quoted as saying, “Don King [has] contacted the UFC to do the promotion of this fight”.
Everybody including Anderson Silva is in agreement of having the bout under boxing rules, and allowing the fight to be at the weight class of Roy Jones Jr.’s choice. Don King is one of the biggest boxing promoters of all-time, so if anyone can get this fight put together it would be him.

If you didn’t know, Jones has a history of talking a big game only to let money be the deciding factor of him backing out of a fight. He’s done it with Bernard Hopkins in the past, but I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that with this fight as it could be the biggest payday that Jones can get at this point of his career.

The only thing standing in the way obviously would be Dana White’s reluctance to want to co-promote or work with other companies after PRIDE’s debacle.

White has always admitted that he’s a big fan of boxing, and was actually in attendance for the Kelly Pavlik/Jermaine Taylor II fight last month. I for one am extremely curious as to whether Dana White would help out boxing, or would he rather let it die so that his UFC can continue to grow past boxing
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Cuban: HDNet to Carry Angle-Couture Match

Mark Cuban, owner of HDNet and the growing HDNet Fights brand, says the all-high-definition cable station will broadcast a Randy Couture vs. Kurt Angle submission grappling match if the bout comes to fruition.

Cuban confirmed the broadcast plans in a recent interview with fightticker.com, a new site operated by our friend Pramit Mohapatra.

Angle recently talked about the potential match during a segment on TAGG Radio, a recap of which can be found here on MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

According to the Olympic gold medalist and current professional-wrestling performer, the match will be Angle's first in Rico Chiapparelli's Professional Submission League. Couture, the UFC's estranged heavyweight champion, has previously competed in the organization, battling Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza to a draw.

The date of the Angle-Couture fight has not yet been determined, but Angle believes it will take place in late summer or early fall.

"They are trying to make it happen and it will be on HDNet," Cuban said.

HDNet Fights, which has hosted two of its own shows to date, has also presented live and tape-delayed fights for a number of other organizations, including Strikeforce, the International Fight League, Hardcore Fighting Championships, Matt Lindland's SportFight and others. They've also hosted specialty programming, such as an Xtreme Couture smoker with Randy's wife, Kim Couture.

As Cuban told fightticker.com, that type of co-promotion is simply a way to grow the sport.

"Having all that entrepreneurial energy is great for MMA," Cuban said
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Hardcore Championship Fighting Sold

With Saturday's "Crow's Nest" card approaching, Hardcore Championship Fighting CEO Keith Crawford told Sherdog.com that his organization has been purchased.

The new owner, whom Crawford declined to identify, will soon be broadcasting HCF events on a digital channel available to North America and parts of Europe, he said.

The official announcement, including the name of the buyer, will be made at a news conference to be held between this weekend's event in Gatineau, Quebec, and the May 10 card in Calgary.

"This announcement is the culmination of 10 years of hard work in combative sports, and I couldn't be more excited," Crawford said. "What it's going to do, I feel, is to put us right at number two with everybody else. Obviously the UFC is number one, and I believe that Elite XC, Strikeforce and ourselves are going to be number two when we make the announcement as to who has purchased us."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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GRICE TAKES OFF TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE

Coming off of a Fight of the Night performance over Jason Black at UFC 77, big things were expected from Oklahoma fighter Matt Grice, but the lightweight has been absent from the Octagon since that bout last October.

MMAWeekly.com caught up with Grice who is currently at home training at the Oklahoma City Police Academy for the start of a career to help him provide for his wife and young daughter.

“Since my fight with Jason Black, I found out I got accepted in the Oklahoma City Police Academy,” he said, “which is something I wanted to do for a long time. And since I had my daughter it kind of sped that process up, to get something set in stone, a career going to where if something did happen to me where I got hurt, or something happened with my fighting career, I had a steady income that I could still provide for my family.”

Grice explains that his option to work for the police department ultimately will not interfere with his fight career as the Ultimate Fighting Championship has left an open door for the lightweight to come back as soon as he’s ready.

“I talked to Joe Silva and (UFC) about it, and I was kind of nervous about telling them because the UFC, they’ve got so much talent in the 155-pound division that I thought they’d just be like ‘alright you go and do that and we’ll talk to you down the road,’ but they were really cool about everything,” he stated. “I guess (what) they did is my contract just stays where it’s at. I had one fight left on my contract and whenever I get out of the academy and get off my probation then I will go and pick up my next fight.”

With all the negativity aimed at organizations for fighter treatment, Grice couldn’t be happier for what the UFC did to allow him to pursue his second career.

“Joe Silva, he told me, ‘I respect that. I understand. We can’t fault you for wanting to better yourself and provide for your family,” said Grice. “You hear everybody say ‘the UFC treats their guys like crap. They do this, they do that.’ I’ve never had anything but good experiences with them. Every time that I’ve ever fought for them, you need anything, they’re there for you.”

As far as his fight career, Grice promises as soon as his training is done he will be back at another kind of training to get him ready to focus on his fight career.

“It wasn’t just a job or a sport. It’s a passion I have to fight. I love it,” Grice stated. “I’m itching to get back in there and fight, I can’t wait.”
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Report: Yves Edwards vs. K.J. Noons postponed until June 14

The Fight Network is reporting today that an EliteXC lightweight title fight between Yves Edwards and K.J. Noons has been postponed to June 14th:

Yves Edwards will have to wait a little longer for his shot at K.J. Noons and the EliteXC lightweight championship. On a three-fighting winning streak, the rejuvenated Edwards will challenge Noons for the 160-pound belt on Saturday, June 14 – not April 26 as previously planned – in Hawaii.

“I had started training for it,” Edwards said. “A few weeks ago, they told us it was postponed.”

FiveOuncesofPain.com has learned that not only has this bout been moved from April 26th to June 14th, but that the April 26th show in Hawaii has been canceled altogether.

MMA Weekly is also reporting in their rumors section that Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva may be scheduled to compete on the June 14th show in Hawaii as well.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Burkman in Works for TUF7 Finale

UFC welterweight Dustin Hazelett (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC), fresh off an impressive but unsuccessful fight with Josh Koscheck, will fight "The Ultimate Fighter 2" stand-out Josh Burkman (9-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale.

Sources close to both fighters tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the fight has been accepted and will be made official soon.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale, which reportedly will feature a main event between Diego Sanchez and Luigi Fioravanti, takes place June 21 at The Palms Las Vegas. The event airs on Spike TV.

Hazelett, a 21-year-old Team Jorge Gurgel fighter, won the first round during a UFC 82 fight with Koscheck earlier this month. Hazelett nearly choked out his opponent and stunned Koscheck with a few well-laced strikes. However, Koshceck ultimately cracked the youngster with a head kick and finished it via strikes in the second round.

The loss snapped Hazelett's three-fight win streak (all in the UFC) and was just his second loss in his past nine fights.

He'll now take on Burkman, who last competed at UFC Fight Night 13, where he lost a close majority decision to Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 13. With a loss to Karo Parisyan at UFC 71, he's lost two of his past three fights.

Burkman had begun his UFC career by winning four of five fights with the loss coming to top contender Jon Fitch. Although once regarded as one of the division's most exciting fighters, thanks to remarkable slams, the 27-year-old hasn't finished a fight since a first-round submission of Drew Fickett more than two years ago.