MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Marcus Davis vs. Mike Swick Signed for UFC 85

A UFC 85 fight between surging welterweight Marcus Davis (14-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and former middleweight contender Mike Swick (11-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has been signed and now appears official.

Joe Cavallaro, who represents Davis, confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that they've signed a bout agreement for the fight. Additionally, Swick today confirmed on MySpace that he has also signed on for the fight.

UFC 85 takes place June 7 at the O2 Arena in London, England. Chuck Liddell meets Rashad Evans in the night's main event.

Rumors of the Davis-Swick fight first popped up in February.

Davis, a former professional boxer who's transformed his overall game since appearing on "The Ultimate Fighter 2," will go for his 12th straight victory, including his seventh straight win in the UFC. Although blessed with quick hand speed, Davis has finished six of his past 11 victories via submission. He currently splits training time between his own gym in Maine, Team Irish Mixed Martial Arts, and Jorge Gurgel's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu center near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Swick, who emerged as a middleweight contender after appearing on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," recently dropped to 170 pounds and scored a majority-decision win over Josh Burkman in his debut as a welterweight.

Swick said he was unhappy with the lackluster UFC Fight Night 12 performance -- as were the booing fans who watched the fight.

"I didn't do what I should have in my last fight, and even though it was a win, I took it as a (loss)," Swick wrote. "I can't wait till June 7 to bring back my old self, who goes out there and gives the fans a fight to tell their friends about."

 

[King Spadez]

UFC 83

Main Card Bouts:
-Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
-Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter
-Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes
-Michael Bisping vs. Charles McCarthy
-Mac Danzig vs. Mark Bocek

Preliminary Bouts:
-Jason MacDonald vs. Joe Doerksen
-Alan Belcher vs. Jason Day
-Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia
-Sam Stout vs. Rich Clementi
-Cain Velasquez vs. Brad Morris
-Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Jonathan Goulet

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 83

Main Card Bouts:
-Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
-Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter
-Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes
-Michael Bisping vs. Charles McCarthy
-Mac Danzig vs. Mark Bocek

Preliminary Bouts:
-Jason MacDonald vs. Joe Doerksen
-Alan Belcher vs. Jason Day
-Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia
-Sam Stout vs. Rich Clementi
-Cain Velasquez vs. Brad Morris
-Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Jonathan Goulet

UFC 83

Main Card Bouts:
-Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
-Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter
-Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes
-Michael Bisping vs. Charles McCarthy
-Mac Danzig vs. Mark Bocek

Preliminary Bouts:
-Jason MacDonald vs. Joe Doerksen
-Alan Belcher vs. Jason Day
-Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia
-Sam Stout vs. Rich Clementi
-Cain Velasquez vs. Brad Morris
-Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Jonathan Goulet

 

[Shogun Locc]

NO. 1 RANKED TAMURA LOSES SHOOTO TITLE

Hideki Kadowaki, in a close decision, upset No. 1 ranked featherweight Akitoshi Tamura at Friday’s Shooto Back to Our Roots 8 event in Tokyo. The final tallies had one judge scoring the bout a draw (30-30), while the other two judges gave the nod to Kadowaki (30-28 and 30-29). The win earned Kadowaki the Shooto lightweight (143-pound) title.

In a battle for the Shooto featherweight (132-pound) championship, Masakatsu Ueda scored a unanimous decision over Koetsu Okazaki (30-27 on all three scorecards). In remaining undefeated and capturing the vacant featherweight title, Ueda handed Okazaki the first defeat of his career.

Currently ranked No. 6 in the world at featherweight, Hatsu Hioki increased his winning streak to three straight with a majority decision victory over Baret Yoshida.

As part of Shooto’s 2008 Lightweight Rookie Tournament, Hiroshige Tanaka knocked out Kenichiro Marui three minutes into the first round.

-Hideki Kadowaki def. Akitoshi Tamura by Majority Decision, R3
-Masakatsu Ueda def. Koetsu Okazaki by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Hatsu Hioki def. Baret Yoshida by TKO (Strikes) at 4:51, R1
-Mamoru Yamaguchi def. Masaki Sugawara by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Tetsu Suzuki def. Hiroyuki Tanaka by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Hiroshi Nakamura def. Tenkei Fujimaya by Majority Decision, R2
-Hiroshige Tanaka def. Kenichiro Marui by KO at 3:01, R1

 

[Shogun Locc]

Official WEC 33 Salaries

Brian Stann picked up the biggest victory at Wednesday's "WEC: Marshall vs. Stann" event, but Chael Sonnen got the biggest check, earning an official reported salary of $34,000.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today acquired from the Nevada State Athletic Commission the list of official salaries for all 20 fighters.

Wednesday's event, which featured Stann's win over former WEC light heavyweight champion Doug Marshall, took place at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and aired live on VERSUS.

Sonnen, who was originally slated to face Paulo Filho in the main event, instead defeated late replacement Bryan Baker in his bout. Filho pulled out of the fight to deal with personal issues.

The total reported payroll for WEC 33 was $213,000.

The individual results included:

Brian Stann ($18,000) def. Doug Marshall ($10,000)
Chael Sonnen ($34,000) def. Bryan Baker ($5,000)
Marcus Hicks ($10,000) def. Ed Ratcliff ($7,000)
Steve Cantwell ($8,000) def. Tim McKenzie ($6,000)
Hiromitsu Miura ($8,000) def. Blas Avena ($6,O00)
Brock Larson ($24,000) def. John Alessio ($15,000)
Richard Crunkilton Jr. ($20,000) def. Sergio Gomez ($4,000)
Alex Serdyukov ($12,000) def. Ryan Stonitsch ($3,000)
Chris Manuel ($3,000) vs. Kenji Osawa ($5,000)

Logan Clark ($12,000) def. J. Scott Harper ($3,000)
All of the night's winning fighters earned 50 percent of their pay to "show" and an additional 50 percent as "win bonuses." For example, Sonnen earned a guaranteed $17,000 for the fight plus an additional $17,000 for his victory.

In the case of the Manuel vs. Osawa fight, no win bonus was awarded because the final result was a split draw. NSAC executive director Keith Kizer today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that neither fighter is awarded a win bonus, as specified in the bout agreements, in the case of draws.

Now, the usual disclaimer: the figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income. In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the NSAC and do not represent the total amounts earned by each fighter.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Leonard Garcia Faces Distribution and Possession Charges

WEC fighter Leonard Garcia, who was arrested earlier this week for his alleged involvement in a major cocaine trafficking ring in Texas, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and other substantive counts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

News of the bust was first reported by KCBD NewsChannel 11 in Lubbock, Texas (see our initial report).

Garcia was arrested Tuesday evening in Lubbock and remains in custody. He and the rest of the defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court today at 3 p.m. CT.

Garcia was one of 13 individuals targeted for charges stemming from five federal indictments. The alleged drug-trafficking ring operated from El Paso to Lubbock, according to law-enforcement officials.

The execution of seven search warrants this week netted nearly two kilograms of cocaine, drug trafficking paraphernalia, firearms, U.S. currency, financial records and vehicles, according to the the U.S. Department of Justice.

The bust was was part of a four-year major, multi-agency investigation that included the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Lubbock Police Department; the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office; the Tahoka Police Department; and the Lynn County Sheriff's Office.

Garcia, a Ring of Fire vet, made his UFC debut as a lightweight in April 2007. After three fights in the organization, he dropped to featherweight and joined the UFC's sister promotion, the WEC, where he earned a 91-second TKO of Hiroyuki Takaya in February. The victory pushed his career MMA record to 11-3.

WEC officials have made no formal statement regarding Garcia's arrest. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) contacted the organization for comment and is awaiting a response.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Tito Ortiz Reality Show "Anytown Beatdown" To Pilot On G4

James Hibberd from The Hollywood Reporter sent along the following:

Tito Ortiz lays 'Beatdown' on G4
By James Hibberd

March 26, 2008

Tito Ortiz (Getty Images photo)
UPDATED 12:55 p.m. PT, March 27, 2008

Consider Tito Ortiz rehired.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship title-holder might have been terminated by Donald Trump, but he's been tapped by G4 to create a reality show.

Ortiz is developing "Anytown Beatdown," a UFC-style series where friends and rivals resolve their differences by fighting in the octagon. Ortiz will train the participants in mixed-martial arts fighting, then let them duke it out.

The show has been ordered to pilot on G4, which declined comment

 

[Shogun Locc]

Georges St. Pierre on Matt Serra UFC 83 fight (Video)

videolink: http://mmamania.com/2008/03/28/georges-st-pierre-on-matt-serra-ufc-83-fight-video/

 

[Shogun Locc]

Team Bomb sqaud to join IFL

Team Bomb Squad, a team comprised of some of the top MMA fighters in the Northeastern corridor of the United States, will make its formal IFL debut on May 16 at the Mogehan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, team manager Gary Marino revealed exclusively to FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com).

The team, which will be coached by Ryan Ciotoli, will face Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight Center during the IFL’s May event. Mike Massenzio will represent Team Bomb Squad in a middleweight bout while John Howard will compete in a welterweight fight. The third spot on the team, which will be a lightweight slot, has not yet been determined.

Two Team Bomb Squad affiliate fighters will also be appearing on next Friday’s IFL show at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Brendan Barrett will be fighting Alex Schoenauer while Nate Lamotte will take on Chris Horodecki.

 

[Shogun Locc]

John Alessio talks about his knee DQ against Brock Larson

I'm thinking fight and react fast, I jumped to my feet as he was coming up at same time, I was just faster then him, and I threw the knee a little early, oops! But if Brock was any kind of a man he would have continued and fought me like one, he took the easy way out! I hope for a rematch, I hope Brock wants one also, but after he acted like a bitch who knows. I feel like Brock robbed me of my potential win bonus, the knee was accidental but Brock took the easy way out of this fight period!! Everyone will probably jump on me and talk shit but this is how I feel and that’s it!

 

[midwest314]

hey shogun did you post the dream payouts? if so jus tell me ill search but jus wondered if it was posted and was curious of the figures... also has anything been figured out with JZ and Aoki?

 

[Shogun Locc]

hey shogun did you post the dream payouts? if so jus tell me ill search but jus wondered if it was posted and was curious of the figures... also has anything been figured out with JZ and Aoki?

to tell you the true I could not find the DREAM fighter payouts. I am not sure but there might be a rematch between Jz and Aoki in the second round of the lightweight grand prix. But who knows.

 

[midwest314]

to tell you the true I could not find the DREAM fighter payouts. I am not sure but there might be a rematch between Jz and Aoki in the second round of the lightweight grand prix. But who knows.

thnx for the info my friend.. hope JZ goes on if Aoki doesnt want the rematch

 

[Shogun Locc]

thnx for the info my friend.. hope JZ goes on if Aoki doesnt want the rematch

I will try to find the Dream 1 fighter payouts and no problem man. I hope they rematch or let JZ advance to the second round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shamrock-Le Official

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 28 -- It took three tries befre Frank Shamrock (Pictures) made 185 pounds to guarantee his Strikeforce middleweight title defense Saturday against Cung Le (Pictures).

A pounder over in his first attempt, Shamrock needed to drop another quarter pound after disrobing. Less than 15 minutes later, Shamrock nailed the weight.

Le, meanwhile, had no trouble, coming in a fit 183 pounds.

The former sparring partners headline a co-promoted Strikeforce/EliteXC card (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET/PT) at the HP Pavilion that was scrambled in recent days because of injuries and licensing issues with the California State Athletic Commission.

After Jake Shields (Pictures) and Nick Diaz (Pictures) were forced off the card, their respective opponents, Drew Fickett (Pictures) and Jae Suk Lim (Pictures), agreed to fight.

Set at a catch-weight of 172 pounds, Lim had no problem making weight. Fickett, however, seemed bothered as he came in three pounds over the limit, thus jeopardizing the EliteXC welterweight No. 1 contender bout. An hour later, the Arizonan shed four pounds, making the fight official. The winner will fight Shields June 14 in Honolulu for the vacant belt.

Frank Shamrock (Pictures) (185) vs. Cung Le (Pictures) (183)
Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) (154.5) vs. Gabe Lemley (Pictures) (153)
Drew Fickett (Pictures) (171) vs. Jae Suk Lim (170) - 172 catch-weight
Mike Kyle (Pictures) (225) vs. Wayne Cole (Pictures) (209)
Joey Villasenor (Pictures) (185) vs. Ryan Jensen (Pictures) (186)
Marlon Sims (Pictures) (162.5) vs. Billy Evangelista (Pictures) (160.5)
Luke Stewart (Pictures) (171) vs. Tiki Ghosn (Pictures) (170)
Anthony Figueroa (Pictures) (133) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (136)
Jesse Jones (173.5) vs. Jesse Gillespie (180) - 176 catch-weight

 

[Shogun Locc]

M-1 Global Changes Name To Adrenaline

The following is provided courtesy of M-1 Global:
NEW YORK -- Executives at M-1 Global announced today they have started a
new promotion called Adrenaline MMA and will begin promoting major events
in the U.S. beginning in June.

Adrenaline will replace M-1 Global in the U.S. immediately. Monte Cox is the President and CEO of Adrenaline MMA. Bob Clark is the COO and Brian Patton is VP responsible for sponsorships and endorsements.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Newly Formed "Adrenaline" Promotion Signs Tim Sylvia

The following is provided courtesy of an Adrenaline press release:
NEW YORK -- Adrenaline MMA announced today that heavyweight stars Tim
Sylvia and Ben Rothwell have signed multi-fight contracts with the
newly-formed promotion.

Sylvia (24-4) is a former 2-time UFC heavyweight champion, while Rothwell
(31-5) was undefeated in the IFL for the champion Quad Cities Silverbacks.

Sylvia, 6-foot-8 and 265 pounds, has fought 13 times in the UFC and
defeated top performers like Jeff Monson, Andre Arlovski (twice), Brandon
Vera, Ricco Rodriguez and Assuerio Silva.

"Adrenaline is a new promotion, but it allows fighters to fight for other
organizations... that's huge," Sylvia said. "I've got 3 to 4 years left
and want to fight as much as possible, so this is the perfect choice for
me at this time."

Rothwell, 6-5 and 265, has won 13 straight bouts, including all 9 of his
IFL fights.

"Adrenaline will give me the chance to take things to the next level,"
Rothwell said. "I'm ready to see how I fare against the best heavyweights
in the world."

Sylvia and Rothwell both train at Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf,
Iowa.

 

[Shogun Locc]

LUKE STEWART TO STEP UP AT STRIKEFORCE

Heading into Saturday night’s Strikeforce and EliteXC co-promoted event in San Jose, Calif., Gracie Jiu-Jitsu product Luke Stewart has been on a tear.

Since making his debut in mid-2006, Stewart has won all five of his fights, looking every bit a dominant fighter by finishing off every single opponent, and only once going out of the first round.

In order to poise himself to make a run at the Strikeforce welterweight title, Stewart takes a step up in competition Saturday night as he squares off against Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Tiki Ghosn in what could be one of the evening’s most explosive fights.

“Everything’s going well,” commented Stewart of his preparations for his first match of the year.

“I had a few months there to just train and improve all aspects of my game. I’m just feeling really healthy, in good shape and I’m excited to fight again.”

Even though he is still relatively new to the sport, Stewart shows veteran tendencies, such as continuously working on evolving his game, even with all the success he has had.

“There’s always room for improvement and I’m always looking to get better,” he stated. “I feel like I need to improve every aspect of my game, especially my stand-up and my wrestling, but the past few months I’ve been working on that, so I’m feeling confident.

“It’s kind of nice to go into a fight and not be in a rush to get it to the ground. I’ve got some great training partners and it gives me confidence knowing I can go in there and bang with them. So I can go in the cage and pretty much hang with everybody. That’s a whole other level of confidence going into a fight.”

Ghosn, a veteran fighter that has faced more than his share of top-level talent and adversity, will test that confidence level.

“I definitely respect Tiki,” commented Stewart. “He has a lot of experience and has been in the game for a while, so I’m excited to test myself further and show what I can do.

“I think our styles will make for an exciting fight. I don’t see a boring grinder. I think there’s going to be a lot of exchanges in position, and you can expect action on the feet and on the ground. I think it’s going to be fun to watch.”

Saturday’s show at the HP Pavilion looks to be the biggest event in the history of Strikeforce as it features two of the area’s premier fighters in Cung Le and Frank Shamrock locking horns.

According to Stewart, he’s looking forward to being part of such a big card and showcasing his skills in front of what promises to be a highly energized crowd, both live in San Jose and on Showtime.

“I’m just really excited to fight. I can’t wait to touch gloves, and I’m excited to be fighting in San Jose and the Bay Area, and to have all my friends and fans there watching. It just gives me that energy to go out there and explode,” stated Stewart.

“It means everything to me. It’s all I think about. I eat, sleep and live fighting, and I’m putting everything I can into this sport, my training. I have nothing but confidence going in.”

Should Luke continue his winning ways Saturday night, he hopes to use the momentum he’s built up to work his way towards a title shot in 2008.

“I’d like to have that belt around my waist and beat the top contenders,” exclaimed Stewart. “That’s my goal, to be Strikeforce champion, and have some more tough fights, beat some top-level guys and get more respect in the MMA community.

“Every fight is a stepping stone, and hopefully this will be one to raise me to the top.”

On a night where every fight has the potential to be explosive, young standout Luke Stewart looks to use his showdown with veteran Tiki Ghosn to continue his trek towards title contention and beyond.

“Thanks to all my fans and friends for supporting me; all the guys I train with, my coaches; and my girlfriend,” closed out Stewart. “Thanks to my sponsors On The Mat, Show Your Role, MMA Pro Gear Fight Shop, and everyone else that’s sponsoring me for this fight too.

“Everybody come out, it’s going to be a great event. Every fight’s going to be tough, going to be hard and fun to watch. It’s going to be the best event of the year, I’m thinking. I’m looking to put on a good show and put on some fireworks, so come out.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Filho Home, Back in the Gym Soon


Paulo Filho (Pictures) responded well to treatment at a rehabilitation clinic and is ready to return to training, the WEC middleweight champion's manager, Jorge Guimarães, told Sherdog.com.

Filho is home in Niterói, Brazil. Doctors said the fact that he sought help and was determined to recover aided his quick improvement.

"The doctor has released Paulão from the rehabilitation center, and Monday he returns to train," Guimarães said. "Paulão is already running, making a diet, a set diet and from 102 kilograms he has already dropped to 95 kilograms. He is leading a normal life, is well motivated. About his return, the WEC will decide the ideal date, but he will be ready when they call."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ribeiro Preparing for WEC Debut

Scheduled to debut June 1 in the WEC, Will Ribeiro (Pictures) has been training hard. The fighter does not know whom he will face, but he believes it will be a tough battle.

"I am very ready for this fight," Ribeiro said. "I do not know who I will fight. I think it should be an American, but no matter who it is, I know that I will train much. This will be the fight of my life. I will give the maximum. I ask that God give me health to train and do what I know."

Ribeiro trains at the Nogueira brothers' training center and with Nova União under André Pederneiras.

"I am training for everything," he said. "I'm always training with Minotauro's team, and twice a week I train MMA at Nova União, which has improved my game much."