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Feb 7, 2006
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Gono updated his blog

Akihiro Gono updated his condition in his blog.

I concentrate my attention on my next fight; therefore, I have no time to go to my English Class for past 2 weeks. As a result of an intensive training, I'm getting back the sense of my movement. Regarding to my defense on the ground, Kikuta said, "You have good defense now and nobody won't be able to finish me on the ground. I'm glad to hear that from him, who is a great Jujitsu fighter, and I got over from my nervousness about my condition; such as if I could be ready for my fight. His word encouraged me to train harder. I took a break from training today because my body was tired from hard trainings. I cannot get sick again now by pushing myself too hard. I learned from my past and decided to take a day off.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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DreamFighters.com Exclusive Interview with Joe Riggs

DreamFighters.com: Joe thanks for talking to me on behalf of DreamFighters.com.
Joe Riggs: No Problem. Glad to do it.

DreamFighters.com: Your fight on September 20th against Misaki will be your last in the Middleweight division. Do you feel Misaki is a good match for your last Middleweight bout?
Joe Riggs: Yes, I definitely think its a good match. Its a winnable style for me.

DreamFighters.com: I heard that you are currently training out of Ken Shamrocks Lions Den Scottsdale, how is that going and who are you training with to prepare for this fight?
Joe Riggs: Its going really well. The Lions Den is a great training facility. Im training with Billy Rush, Jeremy Horn, Edwin Dewees, Demarcus Johnson and pro boxers at my boxing gym. Ken Shamrock will be flying in to help me prepare as well.

DreamFighters.com: What is a typical day of training for you?
Joe Riggs: I get up at 6:00 am and run five miles. Im at the gym from 8:00 � 11:00 for conditioning and grappling, then come back at again at 2:00 for kickboxing, wrestling etc.

DreamFighters.com: You were once asked what weight class you were most comfortable in, you said Middleweight. I walk around at 210 so getting down to 185 is easy for me. What are your thoughts on this now and what was the basis of your decision to fight once again at 170?
Joe Riggs: Over the years my body has adapted to the lower weight, so it makes sense for me now. I want to jump right in and test myself against the best in the Welterweight division to put myself back into title contention. Im going to make things happen. I see myself right in the mix at the top.

DreamFighters.com: Is there anyone in particular that you would like to face in the Welterweight division?
Joe Riggs: George St. Pierre

DreamFighters.com: Your contract with Strikeforce is up soon, you expressed interest in fighting for the UFC again. If you dont fight for the UFC what other organization are you interested in fighting for?
Joe Riggs: If I dont fight for the UFC I would definitely consider staying with Strikeforce, they are really good to me. No matter who I go with, I want to get some big wins to carry over to my next contract.

DreamFighters.com: What did you think of the Fedors 36 second win over Tim Sylvia?
Joe Riggs: Tim is a better fighter than that. He is a great fighter. Fedor was on that night and Tim wasnt.

DreamFighters.com: In your opinion what was the best bout of the night at Affliction Banned?
Joe Riggs: Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell

DreamFighters.com: You have undoubtedly realized many of your MMA fight career aspirations; becoming All-American twice, winning championships across multiple weight divisions and fighting for the UFC. So tell me, what is next for you?
Joe Riggs: At this point in my career I want to fight bigger fights and re-establish myself. I plan to get back up there in the top 10 and Ill do it as a Welterweight. My ultimate goal is to win a major world title. Id also like to fight in the UFC again.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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JOE LAUZON: "I'M NOT GOING TO LET ANY FIGHT SLIP BY"
link: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content3310.html?PHPSESSID=28af063dd7eaeacd78d7381765e7949d
In a relatively short period, 24-year-old Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon has gone from computer geek to starring on The Ultimate Fighter 5 television reality show, upsetting a former world mixed-martial-arts champ, and then headlining UFC Fight Night 13. Not too shabby for the nerd-looking but fearless fighting lightweight contender who has a Bachelor's degree in computer networking from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston.
 
May 17, 2004
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Rampage Jackson: “I’ve lost respect for Forrest Griffin as a man.”

Fighters Only Magazine got an interview with the previously hidden and now re-emerging Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

He discussed many things including a possible fight with Wanderlei Silva, his bout against Forrest Griffin at UFC 86 and the fact that he lost respect for Griffin for fully believing he won their fight and not talking about an immediate rematch:

Jackson says that he has “lost a lot of respect” for Griffin in the wake of the fight, largely because the new champion has not been talking of a rematch despite winning the belt in controversial fashion.

“After the fight, I said ‘I’ve got to give you a lot of respect, because you hurt my leg and you had a good game plan’,” he explains.

“But now, I don’t respect him as a man. Because if it was me, I would have said, ‘I have to give him a rematch right away, to remove all doubt’.

“I’m a man and when you fight it’s all about honour. I’m not angry at him or anything, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve lost respect for him as a man.”

Rampage earlier states that he believes he won their previous fight and was being sarcastic when he said he got his ass kicked in his post-fight interview.

There might have been some doubt in the fight’s outcome with people falling on either side but almost no one could call it a bad decision. Perhaps a rematch is in order and maybe this is Quinton’s way of getting it. Either way I’ll leave it up to you to decide if he was actually being sarcastic in his interview.
rampage needs to focus on preparing for shogun and forget about that fight.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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The Psychology of Fighting

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures)’s recent hit-and-run encounter with the law reminded fans that training and competing are only two-thirds of the mixed martial arts equation. Jackson was arrested just 10 days after he relinquished his 205-pound title in a unanimous decision defeat to Forrest Griffin (Pictures) at UFC 86. The 30-year-old has since been charged with two felonies and could spend up to three years in jail.

“He was kind of bummed about the [Griffin fight],” said friend and one-time World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight titleholder “Razor” Rob McCullough (Pictures). “He hadn’t slept. That alone will make someone act a little weird.”

Disappointment often leads to self blame, as fighters become overwhelmed by the feeling they have let down trainers, training partners, family, friends and fans. It anchors their perceived professional and personal failures.

“You can’t be embarrassed to be a warrior,” McCullough said, reflecting on his own high-profile loss to Jamie Varner (Pictures) earlier this year. “Win or lose.”

All celebrities walk a tightrope in the public eye, and professional athletes are no different. MMA fighters are slowly entering mainstream circles and some, like Jackson, have even started earning their Hollywood stripes. With greater fame comes the risk of greater falls.

Blood and guts

When the UFC’s top two welterweights, champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) and Jon Fitch (Pictures), tangled at UFC 87, physicality was on graphic display. The mental toughness of both men held the fight together.

Fitch, known as a “grinder,” expected to take to the champion like a pickaxe, break him mentally and expose a perceived weakness in the French-Canadian that had been brought to the forefront in his monumental upset loss to Matt Serra (Pictures) in 2007. Instead, “Rush” beat the challenger’s eye shut under purple and red swelling. Still, he could not break Fitch mentally.

“Jon, this is what I was talking to you about Jon!” yelled Fitch’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Dave Camarillo, between the first and second rounds. “The sacrifice -- you gotta keep pushing buddy. This is what we were talking about.”

As cutman Leon Tabbs worked on his face, Fitch heeded the words of his trainers. That, in part, carried him through the next four rounds.

“Hey!” screamed cornerman “Crazy” Bob Cook (Pictures). “I want no f--king kicking, alright? I want g--damn head movement, and I want you to get after him, OK?”

“You gotta push Jon. Let’s do it,” added Camarillo.

One man challenged Fitch; the other encouraged. The manner in which the two revered American Kickboxing Academy trainers approached Fitch revealed the balancing act that exists between teacher and student in MMA. All stages of competition can be damaging -- the training, the fight itself and the aftermath. For a fighter of Fitch’s caliber, defeat can be a difficult pill to swallow.

“If [American Kickboxing Academy is] going to take a loss, I’d rather do it early in someone’s career before they’re in the TV spotlight and all that,” Cook said. “It’s easier to recover from and forget about at that point. Obviously, every fight is the most important fight of your career.”

Agony of defeat

Depression, lack of desire to return to training and dishing out culpability are common reactions to defeat. Emotions are wide ranging, as competitors try to make peace with not being good enough on a given night.

“I turn the lights off, and I [sit in the bedroom alone],” Joe Riggs (Pictures) said. “In this sport, the highs are so high and the lows are so low. Both of them fall on you. When you’re high, there’s no one to pat on the back but you. When you’re low, there’s no one to blame but yourself.”

Riggs has experienced every rough spot in the sport. He feels like a vagabond, bouncing between 170 and 185 pounds. While doing so presents him with more opportunities, the constant shift in body composition has become an emotional drain.

“Every training camp you’re trying to push yourself a little past that level,” said Riggs, whose problems with painkillers have been well documented. He missed weight at UFC 56, squandering what was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance to challenge Matt Hughes (Pictures) for the welterweight title. He has taken fights injured and had bouts cancelled on multiple occasions. He has even been denied his license.

While every mixed martial artist has his or her motives, Riggs echoes one universal theme. Family is his driving force.

“My whole reason for waking up in the morning is taking care of my family, and this is my means to do it,” Riggs said. “It’s pretty much the whole thing I think about getting ready for a fight.”

Fighters ready themselves mentally for months to step into combat for mere minutes. Before success can be achieved or failure suffered, the mind realizes the body has no refuge in a fight, despite extended preparation.

“In sports such as MMA, where the athletes are consistently exposed to real physical danger, it triggers the mind to be in a fight or flight response,” said Jennifer Moilanen, owner of Ultimate Performance Consulting, a sports psychology firm in Orinda, Calif. “So that then makes the mind want to try many strategies to avoid that danger in the future.”

Mental blocks come in the form of racing thoughts, lack of self-confidence, diminished focus, self sabotage, fear, panic and anxiety, according to Moilanen. The fight begins before the first punch is thrown. Increased heart rate, nausea, shakes, sweating, shortness of breath and vomiting are common, as well. These physical manifestations are proof that the mind can undermine the body.

Fighters, however, learn to control their mental tics, as they repeat the process leading up to a fight over and over again throughout their careers. Once a fighter enters the cage or ring, a different clash ensues. This is where a fighter’s heart, fortitude or mental strength -- or lack thereof -- shines through.

Answering adversity

Competitors have a myriad of ways with which to end an MMA match, all of which have psychological components. Being finished, whether by submission or by knockout, can damage a fighter physically and mentally.

A knockout can serve as a sudden, unexpected trip where time seems to skip a beat. “One loss, one shot,” said Jens Pulver (Pictures), who has carved out an MMA legacy through his knockout-or-be-knocked-out style. Recovering from such a quick and decisive defeat can make one gunshy, as a fighter’s flight response moves to the forefront.

A submission, on the other hand, is the realization by the mind that it’s better to admit defeat than absorb further damage.

Bas Rutten (Pictures) claims his last loss -- a submission defeat to Ken Shamrock (Pictures) in 1995 -- was physically painful but emotionally harmless. The reason? He had identified his weakness through adversity.

“I had no ground, no submission experience,” Rutten said.

Moilanen backs up Rutten’s admission, claiming fighters “need to process versus suppress they’re mistakes, their knockouts, their losses” in order to recover and improve.

Refusing to acknowledge a loss can work to a fighter’s detriment, as the trauma suffered can spill into future bouts. Not dealing with adversity may even leave a fighter ill-prepared in a sport that demands every last detail be accounted for.

“It’s just as important to have a mental strategic plan as it is to have a physical strategic plan,” Moilanen said.

Outside distractions

When competitors underperform in the UFC, “Octagon jitters” are often cited, a reference to fighters who were unable to handle the dynamics of fighting on the biggest stage. While a one-fight-at-a-time mentality is employed by most, each confrontation brings about its own set of unique challenges.

“I think a lot of fighters have [personal troubles], and I think that is a lot of times why you see guys not at their best,” said former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock (Pictures), who knows how much outside distractions can affect training. He spends much of his time before a fight purging himself of negative energy.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Frank Trigg (Pictures) sees fighting as a struggle within oneself.

“The battle is still within me being able to do what I think I should be doing during that fight with this particular competition,” Trigg said. Like Shamrock, he believes “whether it’s a title fight or not, to me it’s always a big deal.”

Whatever troubles a fighter has before, during or after a fight will likely be exposed at some point.

“You can’t mask it,” said UFC and International Fight League veteran Benji Radach (Pictures). “You just got to eliminate everything -- all your weaknesses -- and go in there like you go into every fight and go in there to win. Go in there to take them out.”

In some cases, the fight-by-fight approach enables fighters to keep their perspective, even when championships or their future with an organization is at stake. Trigg, however, recalls the additional pressure he felt when he took on St. Pierre after succumbing to Hughes for a second time in 2005.


“If I lose this fight, I won’t be able to compete anymore,” he thought. “That’s a big deal.”

Trigg has not fought in the UFC since.

‘Be water my friend’

Doubt is perhaps the strongest emotion involved in a fighter’s psychological rollercoaster, which is why training for mixed martial arts is so rigorous.

In almost masochistic fashion, fighters force themselves into horrible positions to achieve a comfort level in the heat of battle. They often prepare by taking on fresh combatants consecutively during training. At Reality Self Defense in Bridgewater, Mass., they call it “shark tank” training. At American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., they call it “in the s--t” training. Some gyms simply call it “rounds.”

Fighting seems a cyclical venture.

“Mentally, [a fight] washes a loss away,” Riggs said.

McCullough echoes his sentiments. The only way to overcome the pain of defeat is to “jump on the horse and start riding again.” To erase loss, a fighter must face the possibility of another.

The psychology behind fighting is complex. Moilanen asserts the most important mental element for mixed martial artists is control, an ability to stay the mind when the body is ready to break.

“[Fitch’s] mind was in the fight,” Cook said. “Every time in between rounds I was thinking, ‘This might be the last round.’ And then I’d get in there, and he was actually encouraging me.”

Fitch’s mental resilience mirrors a famous philosophy. Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee’s outlook proposed the mind -- even in its open and formless state -- determined outcomes.

“Water can flow, or it can crash; be water my friend,” Lee famously told Pierre Berton during a 1971 interview. The divergent paths suggested by the jeet kune do founder left fighters with two choices: succeed or fail.

Physical punishment is inherent in the sport of mixed martial arts. Fighters, however, identify with the sacrifice, perseverance and honor at the core of martial arts rather than the brutality and bloodlust skeptics charge them with cherishing.

Fighter psychology, in its simplest terms, is the mind persisting when the body refuses. Think about Nick Diaz (Pictures) pulling off an impossible gogoplata choke against Takanori Gomi (Pictures) despite suffering a broken orbital bone. Consider Hughes carrying Trigg across the Octagon and driving him into the canvas despite being stricken by inadvertent low blow moments earlier.

Pulver, a man who has suffered his fair share of physical pain -- including Gomi’s left hook, B.J. Penn (Pictures)’s vice-like rear naked choke and Urijah Faber (Pictures)’s razor-sharp elbows -- knows the mind conquers all.

“I was born to be a fighter. I’ve been fighting since I was old enough to stand up,” said the former UFC lightweight champion, whose childhood was laced with physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father. “I can’t be broken in any aspect. I don’t have nothing else, you know? I’ve got nowhere else to go. I got nothing else to do. That’s what keeps me unbreakable.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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EDDIE ALVAREZ, "I'M GOING TO GET MY DAY"

Eddie Alvarez entered the Dream 2008 Lightweight Grand Prix as a dark horse to win the star-studded tournament. After defeating Andre Amade, Joachim Hansen and Tatsuya Kawajiri, he earned his spot in the finals, but had to withdraw due to cut suffered in the semi-final bout.

The spectators that filled the Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan on July 21 witnessed a “Fight of the Year” candidate when Alvarez and Kawajiri slugged it out for seven and a half minutes to determine who would advance to the finals to take on favorite Shinya Aoki, who had defeated Caol Uno in the previous fight on the card.

"Once we felt each other’s power, and we hit each other, it just became mayhem," the Philadelphia fighter told MMAWeekly.com about the match with Kawajiri.

Alvarez received a cut under his right eye early in the fight, and the action was stopped to check the laceration at a time when Alvarez seemingly had Kawajiri hurt and fatigued. Asked about the decision to check the cut at that time, he replied, "The only thing I thought was they were trying to give Kawajiri time to get his breath back.

"It was part of my gameplan going in. He's 30 years old. I'm 24. My conditioning compared to most of the fighters out there, that's where I win fights," stated the Top 5 ranked lightweight. "I'm able to attack and keep coming. That's a big advantage of mine and they were taking that away from me by giving him his breath back.

"I kept arguing with the referee while I was in the corner, saying, 'I'm okay. I'm okay.' Let me back out," he added. "I don't know if that was more about them checking a cut or giving him some air."

Fifty seconds later, the fight resumed. And almost immediately Kawajiri stunned Alvarez with a punch that sent him to the canvas, swaying the momentum of the fight. Alvarez soon found himself mounted, but was able to scramble to his feet where he'd eventually knock his opponent down and finish him on the ground with strikes.

In a tournament format where you compete more than once in the same night, victory celebrations are short lived and the focus quickly shifts to resting, re-hydrating and preparing for the next fight. Alvarez did just that.

"I went to the back, I iced up, everything that we had practiced for the last six weeks before that night. I went through these trials plenty of times, so I did it just like I did it in practice," explained Alvarez. "I went to the back. I started icing up, massaging. I took my reload that I had. It's like carbohydrates and protein. I felt great. Within like 15 or 20 minutes, I felt fully recovered. I was icing up and all we had to do was keep that eye open.

"The doctors were checking it and everything seemed positive. Every time they came back to check it they seemed pretty positive, so I was pretty excited to be able to finish this up. Finally they sent in like seven different doctors. They all checked me. I passed all of their tests. They asked me how many fingers do I have up and whatnot. I passed everything as far as I was concerned."

"Then, they all got in a big huddle. I was like, 'what the hell is going on here? Can someone interpret, or let me know what's going on?'" continued the lightweight contender. "Finally the matchmaker came to me and was like, they think if you go back out and get hit you're going to go blind. They may even be concerned about you going blind right now, like before you even go out there. On the side of the white part of my eye, there was a blood bubble coming off of my eye, like protruding off of my eyeball. They were concerned about that busting and me having vision problems."

"I understand keeping my safety in mind, but I asked the guy, 'is it anything 100,000 dollars can't fix?' I wanted that money, man. He looked at me and said, 'seriously, I can't let you go back out there.' I just started crying like a girl. I couldn't deal with it. I worked so hard," added the disappointed fighter.

Alvarez tries to stay positive when looking back at the situation and was satisfied with his performance. "I'm not disappointed in anything that I did that night," stated the former Bodog welterweight titleholder. "The only thing I'm mad about and upset about is that I didn't get the big check that I wanted... I could have used that money. I seriously could have used that money. Other than that, I'm not disappointed about anything I did. Everything that was in my control I worked hard for, I controlled.

"The situation sucked because everything that I could control that night, like my performance and getting the knockout and everything, I was happy with. I controlled everything that I was able to, but it was just something that was beyond my control that I'm not used to."

Joachim Hansen replaced Alvarez in the finals and defeated Aoki to win the Grand Prix. With the disappointment behind him, Alvarez looks to the future. "I could have used the money, yes. But I'm still the only undefeated fighter in that tournament and I'm happy with that," he reflected. "My money will come. I'm going to get my day."
 
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MMAWEEKLY WORLD MMA RANKINGS UPDATED

The latest MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings were released on Wednesday, August 27. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters from all across the world in each of the six most widely accepted weight classes.

Taken into consideration are a fighter's performance in addition to his win-loss record, head-to-head and common opponents, difficulty of opponents, and numerous other factors in what is the most comprehensive rankings system in the sport.

Fighters who are currently serving drug-related suspensions are not eligible for Top 10 consideration until they have fought one time after the completion of their suspension.

Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration. It has now been 12 months since embattled Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Randy Couture has competed. He is subsequently ineligible until such time as he returns to competition.

Also of note, Masakazu Imanari has moved out of the featherweight division and begun competing in the 135-pound bantamweight division. He thus relinquishes his eligibility in the featherweight division.

Below are the current MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date as of August 27.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

3. Josh Barnett

4. Andrei Arlovski

5. Tim Sylvia

6. Fabricio Werdum

7. Gabriel Gonzaga

8. Mirko &#8220;Cro Cop&#8221; Filipovic

9. Aleksander Emelianenko

10. Sergei Kharitonov

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)

#1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Forrest Griffin

2. Quinton Jackson

3. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

4. Chuck Liddell

5. Lyoto Machida

6. Wanderlei Silva

7. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

9. Keith Jardine

10. Thiago Silva

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)

#1 Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva

2. Paulo Filho

3. Rich Franklin

4. Robbie Lawler

5. Matt Lindland

6. Kazuo Misaki

7. Yushin Okami

8. Nathan Marquardt

9. Dan Henderson

10. Yoshihiro Akiyama

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

#1 Welterweight Fighter in the World: Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch

3. Thiago Alves

4. Josh Koscheck

5. Jake Shields

6. Matt Hughes

7. Matt Serra

8. Diego Sanchez

9. Carlos Condit

10. Karo Parisyan

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (160-pound limit)

#1 Lightweight Fighter in the World: B.J. Penn

2. Takanori Gomi

3. Eddie Alvarez

4. Shinya Aoki

5. Joachim Hansen

6. Tatsuya Kawajiri

7. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante

8. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro

9. Mitsuhiro Ishida

10. Josh Thomson

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pounds and under)

#1 Featherweight Fighter in the World: Urijah Faber

2. Akitoshi Tamura

3. Hideki Kadowaki

4. Hatsu Hioki

5. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

6. Mike Brown

7. Jeff Curran

8. Rafael Assuncao

9. Wagnney Fabiano

10. Antonio Carvalho
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Tyson Griffin not considering rematch with WEC champion Urijah Faber


by John Morgan



Despite recent rumors to the contrary, UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is not considering a move to 145 pounds to take on WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (21-1 MMA, 6-0 WEC).

In fact, while a guest on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Griffin said the cut wouldn't even possible

"I'm 180 pounds right now," Griffin said. "There's no way I'm making 145 pounds. Ever. I don't see that happening."

Faber is currently riding a 13-fight win streak. That streak started after Faber's lone career loss -- a Gladiator Challenge bout with Griffin. However that 2005 contest was held at Griffin's natural weight of 155 pounds.

While fans and media continue to speculate over who could possibly provide a challenge for the dominant "California Kid," Griffin said not to include him in the discussion.

"There's no truth to me moving anywhere," Griffin said. "I've never heard that from anybody. I do not plan on moving in weight class or organization. I'm happy with where I'm at."

Instead, Griffin will continue to focus on his astounding run in the UFC's talent-rich lightweight division.

After a controversial decision loss to Frankie Edgar in February 2007, Griffin has won four straight against some of the sport's best in Clay Guida, Thiago Tavares, Gleison Tibau and Marcus Aurelio. Now the 24-year-old will face former lightweight champion Sean Sherk at October's UFC 90 event.

"They just get tougher and tougher," Griffin said of his opponents. "I definitely don't get a break in competition.

"At the same time, that's what keeps me motivated to train harder and harder. If you have easy fights, it's kind of hard to push yourself. The more you get challenged, the more you challenge yourself in the gym."

Griffin, who faced Faber in just his third career bout -- as well as notable Duane "Bang" Ludwig in his seventh -- isn't complaining about the constant high-level of competition. In fact, the Las Vegas resident wouldn't have it any other way.

"I just think it comes down to the way I am and the way I compete, even before I was part of the UFC," Griffin said. "And as soon as I became a part of [the UFC], I made sure my manager told them straight up and down I want to fight stiff competition. The more challenges I have the better
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Tyson Griffin not considering rematch with WEC champion Urijah Faber


by John Morgan



Despite recent rumors to the contrary, UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is not considering a move to 145 pounds to take on WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (21-1 MMA, 6-0 WEC).

In fact, while a guest on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Griffin said the cut wouldn't even possible

"I'm 180 pounds right now," Griffin said. "There's no way I'm making 145 pounds. Ever. I don't see that happening."

Faber is currently riding a 13-fight win streak. That streak started after Faber's lone career loss -- a Gladiator Challenge bout with Griffin. However that 2005 contest was held at Griffin's natural weight of 155 pounds.

While fans and media continue to speculate over who could possibly provide a challenge for the dominant "California Kid," Griffin said not to include him in the discussion.

"There's no truth to me moving anywhere," Griffin said. "I've never heard that from anybody. I do not plan on moving in weight class or organization. I'm happy with where I'm at."

Instead, Griffin will continue to focus on his astounding run in the UFC's talent-rich lightweight division.

After a controversial decision loss to Frankie Edgar in February 2007, Griffin has won four straight against some of the sport's best in Clay Guida, Thiago Tavares, Gleison Tibau and Marcus Aurelio. Now the 24-year-old will face former lightweight champion Sean Sherk at October's UFC 90 event.

"They just get tougher and tougher," Griffin said of his opponents. "I definitely don't get a break in competition.

"At the same time, that's what keeps me motivated to train harder and harder. If you have easy fights, it's kind of hard to push yourself. The more you get challenged, the more you challenge yourself in the gym."

Griffin, who faced Faber in just his third career bout -- as well as notable Duane "Bang" Ludwig in his seventh -- isn't complaining about the constant high-level of competition. In fact, the Las Vegas resident wouldn't have it any other way.

"I just think it comes down to the way I am and the way I compete, even before I was part of the UFC," Griffin said. "And as soon as I became a part of [the UFC], I made sure my manager told them straight up and down I want to fight stiff competition. The more challenges I have the better
 
Jul 24, 2005
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With win over Pulver, Garcia could fight WEC champ Faber -- in Mexico

WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia (11-3) is prepping for his Sept. 10 fight with Jens Pulver (22-9-1) -- and a potential title fight with WEC title-holder Urijah Faber (21-1).

Gracia discussed the possibility of the championship bout while a guest on Monday's edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

According to Garcia, WEC officials have essentially promised him the title shot if he beats Pulver -- and they've already scheduled both Garcia and Faber for a public-relations stop south of the border just a week after their upcoming fights.

So, could the WEC be headed to Mexico for a Faber vs. Garcia fight?

"They're flying me out six days after the (Pulver) fight to Mexico City to do a press conference and to make a huge announcement," Garcia said. "As I understand it, both Urijah and I are going. ... I think both of us just need to hold up our ends of the bargain on Sept. 10.

"So yeah, you essentially hit the nail on the head."

For the Garcia-Faber fight to happen, though, Faber also has to take care of business on Sept. 10. The longtime champ faces Mike Brown (17-4) in the night's main event.

If the stars align, though, and both fighters win, Faber and Garcia could be the first headliners ever to represent Zuffa LLC in Mexico, which UFC and WEC officials have targeted as a definite destination for future expansion.

Garcia, though, knows he has a tough fight with Pulver, and that's why he thinks a victory earns him a shot at the belt.

"If I can do to Pulver what I have planned and what we think I'm going to do, which is finish him, we're going to turn back and say, 'Hey, we finished him in less than three rounds, and Urijah didn't finish him in five,'" Garcia said.

Regardless, Garcia said fans should expect fireworks.

"Styles make fights," he said. "(We) have styles that work well for the fans. I don't think Jens knows how to back away. I don't know how to go in reverse. It's going to be one of those fights that is beautiful on paper, and it's going to be one fans don't want to miss."

Garcia will fight for the first time since making his WEC debut in February at WEC 32. There, Garcia picked up a quick, 91-second TKO of Hiroyuki Takaya.

However, soon after the win, the former UFC fighter was arrested for alleged involvement in a Texas-based drug ring. Garcia, who continually maintained he was the victim of guilt by association, was recently cleared of all pending federal charges. In an interview with MMAjunkie.com soon after the charges were dropped, Garcia said he hung around with the wrong person three years ago and suffered the consequences.

"Growing up, I was always taught that if you don't put your hand in the cookie jar, you don't get in trouble," Garcia said. "But, the legal system is a little different. If you're too close to the cookie jar, something can go wrong, and that's what happened in my case.

"I had a bunch of friends that were taking different avenues in life. I fought for a living during those years, and you really don't have anybody to hang out with besides other fighters because they do the same thing you do. But in my situation in Texas, there weren't really any MMA schools, so the people I hung out with really don't go to work. They never went to work. You know -- I m mean, all I would tell people is that it's one of those things you have to go through. I told people a million times to watch who they hang out with. My parents always told me that.

"It had to happen to me for me to see what could actually happen."

Now, clear of the charges and with his career back on track, Garcia can see the silver lining to the situation.

"It made my family get a lot closer," he said. "My little brothers, they think I'm like a superhero. 'Yeah, that's my brother.' Everywhere they go, they tell people about me and stuff like that. It was just terrible for my family, but they were always supportive. They didn't let me get down on myself."

He said the WEC provided the same type of support.

"The WEC had my back the whole time," Garcia said. "They said they would give me a big fight as soon as I come back."

As it turns out, it may be two big fights
 
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Tyson Griffin not considering rematch with WEC champion Urijah Faber


by John Morgan



Despite recent rumors to the contrary, UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (12-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is not considering a move to 145 pounds to take on WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (21-1 MMA, 6-0 WEC).

In fact, while a guest on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Griffin said the cut wouldn't even possible

"I'm 180 pounds right now," Griffin said. "There's no way I'm making 145 pounds. Ever. I don't see that happening."

Faber is currently riding a 13-fight win streak. That streak started after Faber's lone career loss -- a Gladiator Challenge bout with Griffin. However that 2005 contest was held at Griffin's natural weight of 155 pounds.

While fans and media continue to speculate over who could possibly provide a challenge for the dominant "California Kid," Griffin said not to include him in the discussion.

"There's no truth to me moving anywhere," Griffin said. "I've never heard that from anybody. I do not plan on moving in weight class or organization. I'm happy with where I'm at."

Instead, Griffin will continue to focus on his astounding run in the UFC's talent-rich lightweight division.

After a controversial decision loss to Frankie Edgar in February 2007, Griffin has won four straight against some of the sport's best in Clay Guida, Thiago Tavares, Gleison Tibau and Marcus Aurelio. Now the 24-year-old will face former lightweight champion Sean Sherk at October's UFC 90 event.

"They just get tougher and tougher," Griffin said of his opponents. "I definitely don't get a break in competition.

"At the same time, that's what keeps me motivated to train harder and harder. If you have easy fights, it's kind of hard to push yourself. The more you get challenged, the more you challenge yourself in the gym."

Griffin, who faced Faber in just his third career bout -- as well as notable Duane "Bang" Ludwig in his seventh -- isn't complaining about the constant high-level of competition. In fact, the Las Vegas resident wouldn't have it any other way.

"I just think it comes down to the way I am and the way I compete, even before I was part of the UFC," Griffin said. "And as soon as I became a part of [the UFC], I made sure my manager told them straight up and down I want to fight stiff competition. The more challenges I have the better
double post
 
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Brett Rogers directs anger at Ken Shamrock and "Kimbo," not EliteXC

Despite being skipped over for a much-desired fight with fellow undefeated heavyweight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (3-0), Brett Rogers (8-0) has no ill will toward EliteXC.

In fact, all his anger is now directed at Kimbo and his recently announced opponent, UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock (26-13-2).

Although Rogers has declined interview requests from MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), his camp today issued a statement through fiveouncesofpain.com -- one in which he calls Kimbo "more myth [than] Sasquatch, Chupacabra and a [expletive] unicorn combined" and Shamrock "103 years" old and a "Jurassic MMA" fighter.

Back in May, after both fighters emerged victorious during EliteXC's first CBS-televised show, Kimbo and Rogers had a brief skirmish in the post-fight press conference. Rogers said he wasn't impressed by Kimbo's third-round TKO victory over James Thompson and called it "garbage."

After entering the conference rom, Slice confronted Rogers, but then-EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw separated the fighters before the matter escalated, and order was quickly restored.

However, despite promises from multiple EliteXC officials that a Kimbo-Rogers fight would eventually happen, the organization booked Kimbo-Shamrock for its Oct. 4 CBS card and Rogers for its Nov. 8 event on Showtime. (As MMAjunkie.com's Steve Sievert recently reported, EliteXC likely delayed the Kimbo-Rogers fight so the bout could instead appear on the organization's pay-per-view debut in 2009.)

"As for EliteXC -- this is our home," Rogers said in the statement. "We are excited to be part of EliteXC, CBS and Showtime. We are proud to be part of one of fastest-growing and best backed promotions in the world. We are proud to be part of a show that treats their fighters with love and respect and is not afraid to let their fighters compete outside the boundaries. ... I know a lot of people want to dog on EliteXC, but these same people would have an MMA world where no more then a dozen guys were making a living wage. People who think the real world should run just like it does on their PlayStation. But this is a complicated, difficult business for every side of the equation. For the fighters, promoters and everyone else involved. As a camp we have to negotiate, posture, bully, push, plead to get our share of the love. But at the end of the day we are EliteXC."

However, his tune changed when discussing Shamrock, whom he felt butted into the situation, and Slice, whom he accuses of ducking the fight.

From the statement:



As for Oct 4th; that was our spot. Shamrock with his name and giant ego butted in line to get a slice of Kevin. At 103 years of age Ken usurped our rightful place against the YouTube champ. Our sincerest hope is that Ken whips Kimbo and then we can finally euthanize the "World's Most Dangerous Man" and relegate him to some MMA dinosaur exhibit. Maybe taxidermy him and (Dan) Severn and place them on a rotating pedestal where they can endless circle each other.

If Ken proves to be more sham [than] rock and Fergi beats him, then the Slice hype grows even greater. Dude is already more myth [than] Sasquatch, Chupacabra and a [expletive] unicorn combined. Kevin is the black Yeti.

Caught between a Shamrock and a hard place, Kevin has chosen the old over the new; the past over the future. But Fergi ... the hard place is coming. By putting us off, making us wait will only make matters worse. There is nothing business about it anymore. Kimbo made it a point to go frontin' to our boys at Big Black. But that street thug B.S. might work well with the fan bois and the Internet dorks who think your street cred means something; but Son ... Brett comes from Cabrini Green; the worst 12 blocks of America. compared to that your street is Sesame Street. So you can say it is very personal between Brett and Fergi. So go ahead and make us wait while you fight Tank (Abbott) and Shamrock. Hell, why not fight (Keith) Hackney, Harold Howard, Fred Ettish and the rest of Jurassic MMA? And while your shuckin' and duckin' we will be hustlin' and muscilin' and when the bell finally tolls the only real question left is: do you wake up looking at canvas or arena lights?
 
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Kang to Re-Sign with Spirit MC

Denis Kang (Pictures) set out from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia Monday on a twelve-hour flight to South Korea, where he&#8217;ll defend his Spirit MC middleweight title against Jae Young Kim (Pictures) this weekend. Kang has dropped his last two bouts, first from a shocking knockout punch from Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) at K-1 Hero&#8217;s last October, and then to a slick triangle choke applied by Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) in the opening round of the Dream 2 Middleweight Grand Prix in April.

Needless to say, Kang has a reason to be eager.

&#8220;All the hard work is done; the only thing left to do is kick his ass,&#8221; said Kang. &#8220;I know my last two fights weren&#8217;t what anybody expected, but I think for awhile I was just kind of lagging in training and lost my concentration. I don&#8217;t know what to call it, you know? I wasn&#8217;t depressed or anything like that, it&#8217;s just the focus of my motivation was misplaced. I wasn&#8217;t training like I am now to try to improve myself and be the best &#8211;- I was just going through the motions basically.&#8221;

This ennui could have come from the Kang&#8217;s separation from his American Top Team comrades in Florida due to visa issues. Kang told Sherdog.com that he expects his P1 visa, also known as an &#8220;Athlete&#8217;s Visa,&#8221; to arrive soon, and that he&#8217;ll then head back south for training.

In the meantime, Kang found an alternate solution by traveling to Montreal, where he spent several months in a world-class training camp with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Pictures), Patrick Cote (Pictures), David Loiseau (Pictures), Roger Huerta (Pictures), Gustavo Machado (Pictures) and Nathan Marquardt (Pictures). Kang called the camp simply, &#8220;Awesome.&#8221;

The 30-year-old fighter was also introduced to strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg, whom Kang credits with his recent improvement.

&#8220;I love working with him and I really notice the difference with his training with my explosiveness and overall endurance,&#8221; said Kang.

Kang and opponent Kim are no strangers to each other. They already fought each other twice, with Kang emerging victorious on both occasions with a combined time of 2:16, so this should be a good chance to get in a morale-boosting win.

On the final fight of his current contract, Kang said he is on the verge of re-signing a new one- to two-year contract with Korea&#8217;s most successful MMA promotion. The Korean-born French-Canadian has enormous popularity in his native country, which is starting to spill over into his second home of Canada.

Following his Spirit MC bout, Kang is scheduled to fight Marvin Eastman (Pictures) at Raw Combat on Oct. 25 in Calgary, Alberta &#8211;- the first time he&#8217;ll be competing on home soil since he defeated Chris Peak in 2003.
 
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QUINTON JACKSON LIKELY TO FIGHT AT UFC 91

Despite being currently entangled in the legal system, Quinton Jackson is forging on with his mixed martial arts career.

After losing the title at UFC 86 via a unanimous, but controversial, judges decision, Jackson will likely grace the UFC&#8217;s first Northwestern card in Portland, Ore. at UFC 91. No opponent has been named for the embattled former champ, but speculation has named Mauricio &#8220;Shogun&#8221; Rua as a possible draw. Jackson badly lost to Rua in his latter days with the Pride Fighting Championships, falling to strikes in the first round of their 2005 fight. The news comes from a report by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports after speaking with UFC president Dana White.

Jackson on Tuesday was charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors by the Orange County District Attorney&#8217;s office for a July 15 hit-and-run incident on the streets of Costa Mesa. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison. A felony charge related to a female victim of the incident never materialized.

Holli Griggs was a passenger in one of the cars that Jackson sideswiped. Griggs was 16 weeks pregnant with a boy when she miscarried two weeks after the incident. Orange County DA spokeswoman Farrah Emami told MMAWeekly.com that a subsequent investigation of the miscarriage did not implicate Jackson.

&#8220;We reviewed all the medical records and spoke with the victim&#8217;s physician, and the evidence showed that the loss of the fetus was not related to or a result of the crash caused by the defendant.&#8221;

In comments made to Iole, White said he chose to use Jackson in the midst of his legal woes because his intentions weren&#8217;t malicious. &#8220;If he was doing drugs, if he had been drunk, if he had gone out there and done what he did because he was pissed off at someone, that would be a completely different story. But he was ill. And in this company, we support our friends and anyone who works for us when they&#8217;re ill and have problems. He was ill, the incident occurred, and now he&#8217;s fine.&#8221;

At the UFC 87 pre-fight press conference in Minneapolis, White told reporters that Jackson suffered from &#8220;delirium&#8221; brought on by days fueled solely by energy drinks and no sleep or food. Jackson made a brief appearance at the event, and in a video blog released by White around UFC 87, but has yet to open up to media about the event and its aftermath.

Jackson&#8217;s formal arraignment is on Thursday, when his lawyers will post a $25,000 bond to keep him a free man.
 
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&#8216;Xande&#8217; discusses MMA debut

A reigning absolute champion in both the jiu-jitsu world championships as well as Abu Dhabi submission wrestling, Alexandre &#8220;Xande&#8221; Ribeiro said he has been focusing on his MMA debut at the Sept. 28 Sengoku event but also acknowledged lingering ambitions in the jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling worlds.

&#8220;As you know, I just got my second absolute world title, and for sure I still want a third,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It's my goal to fight in the world championships and in Abu Dhabi, and I can still do so. Jiu-jitsu is my sport, and I'm still very active. After I achieve all that, I can focus on Sengoku and help grow this organization along with my career.&#8221;

Though Xande&#8217;s brother Saulo had met with limited success in MMA in the past, there appears to be no better time for a high-level jiu-jitsu player like Xande to step into MMA given the recent accomplishments of other high-profile jiu-jitsu fighters such as Demian Maia (Pictures), Ronaldo &#8220;Jacare&#8221; Souza, Roger Gracie (Pictures) and Rousimar &#8220;Toquinho&#8221; Palhares.

&#8220;My brother has always mentored me and driven me in the right direction,&#8221; he said of brother Saul Ribeiro. &#8220;I think a lot of jiu-jitsu fighters just go to MMA &#8216;just because&#8217; -- without any real reason for it. My reason is that I'm involved and I want to see where my jiu-jitsu is going and be able to represent my art in MMA. I don&#8217;t feel any pressure because I feel that right now is the right time and the right opportunity. I&#8217;m going to come here, make a statement and keep up this lineage. I wish to go undefeated.&#8221;

The task at hand for both Ribeiro&#8217;s camp and World Victory Road is finding a proper opponent for Xande.

&#8220;We have ideas of who we want to face Xande, but when we showed him our list of candidates, Xande said that he would like to face a younger, stronger fighter, so we are still discussing who it will be,&#8221; said Kokuho.

One possible opponent mentioned at the news conference was Roger Gracie, a fellow high-level jiu-jitsu player also under Sengoku contract and someone that Ribeiro has a history with in the competitive grappling world. Other names mentioned were Sengoku&#8217;s heavyweight star Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) and Josh Barnett (Pictures).

Despite prior statements that he intends to compete at middleweight, Ribeiro did not shy away from commenting on Barnett, who, as the self-proclaimed MMA representative of catch wrestling, has made some incendiary remarks toward Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

&#8220;Well, he who has a mouth can say whatever he wants to say. I think Mr. Barnett believes in whatever art he believes in. I believe in jiu-jitsu 100 percent. We'll see -- you never know what's in our futures,&#8221; calmly remarked Ribeiro. &#8220;He can say whatever he wants to say. I think he's a great fighter, but I think Roger can beat him and I can beat him. For sure, someone from jiu-jitsu will go after him and show him the true art.&#8221;
 
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‘Xande’ discusses MMA debut

A reigning absolute champion in both the jiu-jitsu world championships as well as Abu Dhabi submission wrestling, Alexandre “Xande” Ribeiro said he has been focusing on his MMA debut at the Sept. 28 Sengoku event but also acknowledged lingering ambitions in the jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling worlds.

“As you know, I just got my second absolute world title, and for sure I still want a third,” he said. “It's my goal to fight in the world championships and in Abu Dhabi, and I can still do so. Jiu-jitsu is my sport, and I'm still very active. After I achieve all that, I can focus on Sengoku and help grow this organization along with my career.”

Though Xande’s brother Saulo had met with limited success in MMA in the past, there appears to be no better time for a high-level jiu-jitsu player like Xande to step into MMA given the recent accomplishments of other high-profile jiu-jitsu fighters such as Demian Maia (Pictures), Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Roger Gracie (Pictures) and Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares.

“My brother has always mentored me and driven me in the right direction,” he said of brother Saul Ribeiro. “I think a lot of jiu-jitsu fighters just go to MMA ‘just because’ -- without any real reason for it. My reason is that I'm involved and I want to see where my jiu-jitsu is going and be able to represent my art in MMA. I don’t feel any pressure because I feel that right now is the right time and the right opportunity. I’m going to come here, make a statement and keep up this lineage. I wish to go undefeated.”

The task at hand for both Ribeiro’s camp and World Victory Road is finding a proper opponent for Xande.

“We have ideas of who we want to face Xande, but when we showed him our list of candidates, Xande said that he would like to face a younger, stronger fighter, so we are still discussing who it will be,” said Kokuho.

One possible opponent mentioned at the news conference was Roger Gracie, a fellow high-level jiu-jitsu player also under Sengoku contract and someone that Ribeiro has a history with in the competitive grappling world. Other names mentioned were Sengoku’s heavyweight star Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) and Josh Barnett (Pictures).

Despite prior statements that he intends to compete at middleweight, Ribeiro did not shy away from commenting on Barnett, who, as the self-proclaimed MMA representative of catch wrestling, has made some incendiary remarks toward Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“Well, he who has a mouth can say whatever he wants to say. I think Mr. Barnett believes in whatever art he believes in. I believe in jiu-jitsu 100 percent. We'll see -- you never know what's in our futures,” calmly remarked Ribeiro. “He can say whatever he wants to say. I think he's a great fighter, but I think Roger can beat him and I can beat him. For sure, someone from jiu-jitsu will go after him and show him the true art.”
 
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Akihiro Gono will send English fans home in tears after he beats Dan Hardy at UFC 89

&#8220;I am sorry for Dan Hardy&#8217;s fans, because I think the English are cool people, but I will be sending them home in tears after I beat him. This is the first UFC which has been shown in Japan for a while and I don&#8217;t want to let the Japanese fans down, like Hardy doesn&#8217;t want to let his English fans down. But beating Hardy in England will be great and I am working very hard in the gym to make that happen. To be honest I&#8217;ve never see him fight. I don&#8217;t know too much about him. I read somewhere he likes to stand and fight, has a hard left hook and is preparing for this fight in the USA. I am more experienced than he is, but he is eight years younger. I tried to get footage of his fights and it was difficult, but I know there are some on YouTube which I will be watching. I understand from reading about him he is an exciting fighter, and so I am, so this will be a great fight. My goal is to become the UFC welterweight champion of the world. I won my first UFC fight last November &#8211;- now I have to beat Hardy.&#8221;

Akihiro Gono is ready to spoil the Octagon debut of Dan Hardy &#8212; a top British welterweight
prospect &#8212; in front of his hometown fans at UFC 89: &#8220;Bisping vs. Leben&#8221; at The National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England, on October 18. Unfortunately for us fans stuck watching the event of Spike TV and other networks, the bout is slated for the under card, which means that it is not guaranteed to air on the tape-delayed telecast. That&#8217;s too bad &#8230; this should be a very exciting match up between two talented fighters who could make some big waves real soon in the crowded 170-pound division.
 
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Three of the final four speak

Mizuto Hirota (Pictures) (10-2) defied expectations by knocking out IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz (Pictures) with a superman punch in the first round of their tournament bout.

&#8220;I noticed that Schultz's guard on the left side was down, so I was thinking, 'I can maybe get in.' I tried it out, and it worked,&#8221; said Hirota, whose right hand was visibly swollen, though he added that he&#8217;ll be OK for the next round.

Praise for Hirota&#8217;s performance came from across the country as well, according to WVR&#8217;s Kokuho.

&#8220;I believe that Mr. Hirota&#8217;s popularity throughout the world will grow for defeating Ryan Schultz,&#8221; he said. &#8220;In my e-mails last night, there was a lot of appreciation for him. I think there will be many foreign fighters who will aim for him in the future, so I hope he will continue to do his best.&#8221;

Hirota&#8217;s response to the praise also answered the question as to whom he&#8217;d prefer to face in the tournament&#8217;s next round, despite the fact that it would be impossible given the current circumstances.

&#8220;All the fighters victorious in the tournament are Japanese, which I'm happy about, but I still want to fight foreigners in the next round,&#8221; said Hirota. &#8220;As Mr. Kokuho said, I feel that I could be victorious against strong fighters. However, I've never lost to foreign fighters yet, so bring it on."

Eiji Mitsuoka (Pictures), the Japanese tournament favorite, stunned prospect Rodrigo Damm (Pictures) -- a grand prix favorite as well -- on the feet before submitting the jiu-jitsu ace by rear-naked choke in the first round.

&#8220;He&#8217;s good at wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and actually really good at striking, I thought,&#8221; said Mitsuoka of Damm. &#8220;I'm glad that I could put together some good punches to counter. I was initially on bottom, but I felt that I was in control, so it was all right. I train with big guys like Yushin Okami (Pictures) and Hidetaka Monma (Pictures) all the time anyway, so I was confident in my abilities.&#8221;

Upon hearing that fans and pundits had originally tabbed him and Damm as tournament favorites, Mitsuoka replied with a smile.

&#8220;I'm so happy to hear that fans thought of me as one of the favorites,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I was initially shocked to hear it, but I'll continue to do my best to live up to it.&#8221;

The reputation isn&#8217;t undeserved, however. Mitsuoka holds wins over such fighters as UFC veteran Gleison Tibau (Pictures), Spirit MC 154-pound champion Kwang Hee Lee (Pictures) and, most notably, a recent win over Dream lightweight champion Joachim Hansen (Pictures).

His win Sunday, though, thrilled him to the point of making some vague comments about getting married soon.

&#8220;I have a girlfriend who I've been living with for four years, and I haven't spoken to her parents yet,&#8221; he said later with a laugh. &#8220;They know about 'this guy&#8217; who she's with, but they don't know who I am or my name. I was so high after the fight that I said that I wanted to marry her in the ring, so I can't go back on that now.&#8221;

Satoru Kitaoka (Pictures) made quick work of HIT Squad representative Clay French (Pictures) in their tournament bout, giving the Japanese fighter a 2-0 record in Sengoku after only 1:21 of fighting.

&#8220;God only knows,&#8221; Kitaoka replied with a smile when asked if his next fight will make it out of the first minute. &#8220;I don't usually plan on what time I'll win. I just plan on winning. If I win quick, I'm happy, but the winning is the important thing, not the time.&#8221;

He described the Achilles lock as one of his &#8220;favorites.&#8221;

&#8220;It's one of my two sure-kill techniques,&#8221; Kitaoka said. &#8220;Someone once asked me if it really works in a fight, and it actually does.&#8221;

It&#8217;s a tactic that has served Kitaoka and his training partners well in the past. Given the results garnered by Kitaoka himself, and most notably Masakazu Imanari (Pictures), foot locks have been a consistent tactic employed by the Nippon Top Team grapplers against non-Japanese opposition. However, Kitaoka&#8217;s next fight in the tourney will inevitably pit him against another Japanese fighter.

&#8220;For the past two or three years, I thought, 'Man, Japanese fighters are not winning,' thinking, 'This could be a great opportunity for me, eh?&#8217;&#8221; Kitaoka said. &#8220;After winning tonight, and all four finalists being Japanese, I think that kind of talk has been killed however. I am always beating foreign fighters. I think it's good for me now to fight Japanese fighters this time, to show my abilities to Japan.&#8221;

While the victory was impressive in its brevity, Kitaoka doesn&#8217;t appear to be dwelling on it.

&#8220;I think I was lucky that I could finish the fight without injuries,&#8221; said the Pancrase rep. &#8220;It&#8217;s just a first-round fight, though, so this victory is meaningless. I have to win the final fight in the tournament.&#8221;

Noticeable by his absence, Kazunori Yokota (Pictures) reportedly went to the hospital with an undisclosed injury just after defeating Bojan Kosednar (Pictures) by unanimous decision. In his in-ring comments after the fight, Yokota admitted to coming into the bout injured, though he did not reveal the extent or nature of his injury.

&#8220;The Yokota-Kosednar bout was the only fight in the lightweight grand prix that went to a decision,&#8221; said Kokuho. &#8220;I heard that before the fight that Mr. Yokota had been injured, however it was his obligation and responsibility to win the fight. So, I am happy that he was able to show us how strong he was mentally.&#8221;
 
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Chuck Liddell's Sponsor Gives Away the Plans

One of the worst-kept secrets in MMA is that Chuck Liddell is one win away from a title shot. If he beats Rashad Evans, he will almost surely face Forrest Griffin in a huge main event. According to his sponsors, that fight will take place in December in Las Vegas if Chuck beats Rashad:

To hype December's fight, Iceman RX is holding a sweepstakes starting on September 1 and ending on December 27 (to coincide with Liddell's appearance at UFC 92). The winner receives a special edition Chuck Liddell Iceman Rx Hummer H2.

Lyoto Machida will surely be rooting for Rashad Evans in two weeks. Even if Liddell does get the shot, Machida is probably only two wins away from a shot of his own, but he really needs a decisive win on free TV over Thiago Silva to seal the deal.

If Liddell loses, I still think he'll be fighting in Vegas, though it would likely be against someone like Shogun, Wanderlei Silva, or even Anderson Silva.