MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Ricco Rodriguez inks deal with PFC, expected to contend for title

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (34-10) has inked a three-fight deal with the California-based Palace Fighting Championship, and a shot at the organization's vacant heavyweight title appears eminent.

Sources close to the fighter alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the signing.

Rodriguez's first appearance for the PFC is currently scheduled for "PFC 13: Validation" on May 8 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

Rodriguez has been tentatively scheduled to face Ruben "Warpath" Villareal (14-14-3) on the card, while UFC veteran Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (19-14) was slated to face PFC and WEC veteran Lavar Johnson (11-3) for the organization's vacant heavyweight title.

Correira's recent six-month suspension by the California State Athletic Commission for a failed drug test at the Feb. 13 War Gods event in Fresno has necessitated a change in opponent for Johnson. While Rodriguez is expected to contend for the organization's title in short manner, it is currently unknown if the PFC will slide the former UFC champ into the proposed May 8 title bout.

Now represented by Ken Pavia of MMAagents.com, Rodriguez was last in action in a lackluster unanimous-decision loss to Jeff Monson at Mixed Fighting Alliance's debut event, "There Will Be Blood," in December 2008. The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak for the 31-year-old.

Rodriguez fought nine times in 2008 for eight different organizations.

The complete card for "PFC 13: Validation" currently includes:

* Doug Marshall vs. Jaime Jara
* Phil Collins vs. Leopoldo Serao (for vacant middleweight title)
* Carlo Prater vs. Dominique Robinson (for vacant lightweight title)
* Lavar Johnson vs. TBA (for vacant heavyweight title)
* Champ Olaf Alfonso vs. Kyle Pimental (for welterweight title)
* Ulysses Gomez vs. Pat Runez (for vacant flyweight title)
* Emily Thompson vs. Erin Toughill
* Casey Olson vs. Eddie Yagin
* Ricco Rodriguez vs. Ruben "Warpath" Villareal
* Poppies Martinez vs. Gabe Ruediger
* John Gunderson vs. Bryan Travers
* Shawn Bias vs. Marcelo Guidici
* Cole Escovedo vs. Michael McDonald

 

[Shogun Locc]

Petruzelli out, Shamrock vs. Lashley to main event at "March Badness"

With Seth Petruzelli being forced out of a scheduled bout with Doug Marshall, a heavyweight matchup between Ken Shamrock (27-13-2) and Bobby Lashley (1-0) has been promoted to MMA main-event status for the MMA/boxing hybrid event "March Badness."

The organization today issued a press release announcing the change.

"March Badness," promoted by the event's boxing headliner Roy Jones Jr. and his Square Ring Promotions company, takes place at the Pensacola Civic Center in Florida on March 21 and airs on pay per view.

In February, Shamrock submitted Ross Clifton in the main event of Wargods' "The Valentine's Eve Massacre." The win was the 45-year-old's first in his past six bouts.

Clifton was a highly criticized opponent based on his losing record and less-than-impressive, 300-plus-pound frame. "The World's Most Dangerous Man" said he's excited to be taking part in such a high-profile event.

"I've done a lot of firsts," Shamrock stated. "I was the first heavyweight champ of MMA and first foreign champ in Japan. This is the first time two champions (Jones and Shamrock) in their individual sports, at this level, will be fighting on the same card -- boxing and MMA. I think it’s the way of the future and it’s happening now.

"Lashley got things going in wrestling and then the WWE. Now he's in MMA. He's very good. I think he's 270-pounds of muscle -- quick, explosive and strong. The area he lacks, ground skills, he makes up for with his strength and ability to move on the ground.

"He can really move on his feet. This isn't a fat guy laying on his back."

While many observers have been quick to point out the danger that could accompany facing an opponent like Lashley at this point in his career, Shamrock recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he believes he's earned the right to decide who to face.

"As long as we can get in there and put on good fights, and the fans want to watch us, we should be able to do this," Shamrock said. "People shouldn't be so critical about what we do. We've done a lot for the sport. We've done a lot of fights. I've had a lot of world championship bouts. Now I'm doing it because I'm enjoying it and I'm having fun."

Former collegiate wrestling champion and WWE superstar Lashley made his professional MMA debut with a 41-second TKO win over fellow MMA rookie Joshua Franklin in December 2008. While Shamrock is no longer the feared combatant he once was, Lashley said he's still looking forward to the next test in his very young career.

"I am excited to be part of this card alongside Roy Jones, Jr. and Square Ring Promotions," Lashley said. "I am looking forward to fighting an experienced opponent like Ken Shamrock and showing the fans that Bobby Lashley is a force to be reckoned with in the heavyweight division. I am going to come out from the opening bell and show Ken Shamrock and the rest of the world that Bobby Lashley is not someone you want to mess with."

Additionally, former top UFC heavyweight contender Jeff Monson (27-8) takes on IFL heavyweight champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson (13-3).

On the boxing portion of the card, Jones (52-5), an eight-time world champion and former Olympian, takes on Omar Sheika (27-8) in a light-heavyweight contest.

 

[Shogun Locc]

A lifetime of work has prepared Shane Carwin for UFC 96 clash with Gonzaga

Mid-answer, Shane Carwin yawns.

"I was just helping a guy from my hometown, Greeley (Colo.), train for the WEC," Carwin tells MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in another of numerous fight-week interviews for the increasingly popular UFC heavyweight. "I was helping him mostly with wrestling."

It was 2005, and the former NCAA Division II All-American football player and national champion wrestler with a storied athletic history was otherwise out of competitive sports.

His entrance-to-MMA story begins with the friend, the WEC and a last-minute cancellation that put him on the card for "WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4" in October 2005, a fight he won two minutes into the first round by submission.

A few more sentences into the story, Carwin yawns again. One could forgive him, though, as it has been a tiring rise to the top.

"I'm a working man's man," Carwin said. "I've done everything I've had to do, even if it was the hard way. I'm a big believer in hard work and dedication, and I've tried to live by that."

Those attributes have helped Carwin to a 10-0 MMA record and a 2-0 mark in the UFC heading into his fight against Gabriel Gonzaga (10-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC 96 on Saturday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. It is considered Carwin's biggest challenge to date, and a victory would silence those who doubt the strength of Carwin's wins thus far.

But whether it was battling two older brothers, seeking NFL attention at a small Colorado college or beginning a professional MMA career after nine weeks of training, Carwin has rarely backed down from a struggle.

Thankfully, free chips

Carwin is the youngest of three brothers, all raised in Greeley, by a single mother who divorced the boys' alcoholic father.

"Mom always had us in sports," Carwin said. "I was in wrestling by 6 (years old), football by 8 (years old), and she never missed a game, not for any of us."

Carwin's mother worked a long-time career in a hospital accounting department, but he admits it didn't provide a lot of extras for the family. Some of the most exciting times, Carwin said with a laugh, came when an uncle employed by Frito Lay dropped off a large bag of "old stales," as he called them. The brothers greedily attacked the stash, one of the many battles Carwin fought with his older siblings.

Carwin and his brothers also spent summers on a family farm two hours from home. The boys drove tractors, branded hogs, helped with the 100 head of cattle and took assignments on the wheat farm.

While working and encouraging her sons in sports, Carwin's mother also stressed education. Carwin's oldest brother has a degree in accounting, the other a degree in wildlife biology. Carwin's educational path has included degrees in environmental technology from Western State College and mechanical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Carwin applied to the School of Mines out of high school, but he didn't have a required physics course, so he instead headed to Western State, which pleased the athletic department. In his years with the football and wrestling programs, Carwin was an all-conference linebacker three times, an All-American football player and a three-time D-II wrestling national title match participant.

But after three bulged discs outweighed an impressive workout at the 1998 NFL Combine and he won the 1999 Division II heavyweight wrestling championship, Carwin had few athletic options. He continued his education and became an engineer by trade.

Then he ran into a friend from Greeley who was preparing for a WEC fight, and Carwin's life path drastically changed.

A quick study

When Carwin's friend heard a heavyweight backed out of the WEC event for which he was preparing, he suggested Carwin fill in.

"I didn't know anything," Carwin said, "so I took it."

Carwin's opponent, though, ended up scratching, so the WEC added him to its next card, the Halloween event in 2005. He would face Carlton Jones, who had recently started his own career with a win at WEC 14.

And so, with a whole nine weeks of preparation, Carwin became a professional.

"I wouldn't suggest that for anybody," he said with a laugh.

Reality set in when Jones quickly hit Carwin with an elbow to the face. Carwin reverted to instincts, took Jones to the ground and started punching. Soon, he had the submission win and the beginning to his career.

The two-minute, 11-second debut victory remains the longest of Carwin's MMA career. Among his next nine fights (in organizations ranging from Art of War to Ring of Fire to the UFC), the longest lasted to the 1:41 mark of the first round.

In the UFC, Carwin has beaten Christian Wellisch at UFC 84 with a knockout and Neil Wain in UFC 89 with a TKO. The upcoming challenge, against Gonzaga, could be a major statement fight for Carwin, who is anxious for the opportunity.

"I'm extremely excited," Carwin said. "I've had to work my way up, I'm in my 11th fight now and finally getting this shot. I've had nothing given to me, but I've worked hard. My coaches and training partners can tell you I put the time in, and I'm ready."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Quick Quote: Kendall Grove looking to test Jason Day and himself at UFC 96

The layoff made me hungrier. I went 6-7 months without even thinking about fighting and I’m just hungry to get back in there. [Jason Day is] a Jack of all trades, he knows a little bit of everything and he’s dangerous at a little bit of everything. He’s a scrapper, I think I’m the same way, I’m a Jack of all trades — with that I think we match up pretty good. We both had long layoffs, I respect him and I’m excited to get in there with him and see what he’s got. At the end of the day no matter what happens to me whether my career goes down the tubes or I become the next middleweight champ my daughter is still gonna love me no matter who I am. I just wanna go in there, fight my heart out and make my daughter proud.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Robbie Lawler expected to headline Strikeforce’s May event

Within the last week, published reports have indicated that former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler was expected to be added to Strikeforce’s upcoming April 11 event that will air on Showtime.

Sources have revealed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com that while Lawler’s involvement with the April event was discussed, Strikeforce officials have decided to have Lawler headline its May event tentatively scheduled for Seattle against an unnamed opponent.

According to a source, Strikeforce decided not to move forward with adding Lawler to its April event because it wants both Lawler and Frank Shamrock to headline separate cards in an attempt to build to a possible matchup between the two fighters.

Five Ounces of Pain has also learned in recent days that while light heavyweight sensation Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante has committed to competing on the May show, a match against Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral has not been signed. While Feijao’s camp is believed to have consented to the fight, an agreement from Sobral’s side has not.

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Gina Carano are two other fighters that had been rumored for the May event. However, their involvement with the show remains doubtful at this time. While Strikeforce acquired the contracts of both fighters during limited asset acquistion of ProElite, new deals must be secured in order to bring Ferguson and Carano into the fold. Thus far, negotiations with the management of each fighter has not produced a new deal that would clear the way for them to compete in May.

Several undercard fights have been finalized for the May event with the San Jose-based promotion utilizing several up-and-coming fighters it acquired from ProElite. One of those fighters, Hawaiian lightweight Mike Aina, 11-6-1, is set to face undefeated 9-0 Strikeforce lightweight prospect Billy Evangelista. Aina might be best known for his close split decision loss to Nick Diaz during EliteXC’s “Uprising” event in September of 2007.

The undercard will also see two former ProElite-contracted fighters go head-to-head in a classic wrestler vs. striker matchup with Lyle Beerbohm, 9-0, set to take on Torrance Taylor, 7-5. Despite his less than stellar record, the Ohio-based Taylor is one of the most dynamic strikers in all of MMA. With wins over former UFC veterans Jason Dent, Junior Assuncao, and Luke Caudillo, Taylor will prove to be a strong test for Beerbohm.

A draft tryout finalist for the now-defunct IFL, Taylor had been slated to compete on EliteXC’s October ShoXC event in Indiana. However, Taylor, just 20 at the time, was scratched from the card as regulations at the reservation casino where the event was held dictated he was too young to enter the grounds of the venue.

Also slated for the Seattle show is a featherweight fight between ShoXC veterans Bao Quach and J.C. Pennington. Quach, 15-9-1, most recently competed in January during Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning” event. The Team Oyama fighter saw his nine fight winning streak end at the hands of L.C. Davis due to a unanimous decision loss.

Quach had been in line for a shot at former EliteXC bantamweight champion Wilson Reis before ProElite suspended operations and sold off its key assets to Strikeforce. In recent weeks, Five Ounces of Pain has confirmed that Reis’ ProElite contract was one of over 50 contracts purchased by Strikeforce. The undefeated Sao Paulo native now has exclusive contracts with both Strikeforce and the Bellator Fighting Championships.

Despite the fact that Strikeforce holds the original exclusive on Reis, he is still expected to compete in Bellator’s upcoming featherweight Grand Prix that will commence in April and will be televised on ESPN Deportes. However, Strikeforce officials are believed to be very interested in having Reis compete under its promotional banner after Reis has finished Bellator’s inaugural 12-week season.

Another Bellator fighter that Strikeforce acquired through its deal with ProElite is Eddie Alvarez. Unlike Reis, Alvarez was not exclusive to ProElite, as his primary promotional rights are owned by Monte Cox’s Adrenaline MMA promotion. Alvarez’s presence in Bellator’s upcoming lightweight Grand Prix has also been reconfirmed but Strikeforce is also expected to try and secure Alvarez’s involvement on its shows upon the completion of Bellator’s first season.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bobby Lashley discusses upcoming fight vs. Ken Shamrock in new 5 Oz. interview

There has been much speculation as to how Bobby Lashley would fare in the very real fighting world of mixed martial arts when the former NAIA wrestling champion made the announcement that he would be joining the sport in early 2008 but the former WWE superstar turned professional fighter showed the world that he is taking this MMA thing seriously when he made his professional debut a succesful one. In December of 2008 Lashley made the jump into mixed martial arts official when it took him all of :41 seconds to dispatch of Joshua Franklin at the MFA: There Will Be Blood event.

As impressive as the 260 pound powerhouse was in stopping his first opponent in less than one minute, the quick ending to the fight left many unanswered questions for Lashley from his sceptics and self admittedly, himself. In an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com, the rising heavyweight star assured that there are some questions about his fighting potential that even he would like to know the answers to. The thirty two year old Colorado native may very well get his chance to have some of those questions answered in his next bout.

Lashley will face a serious test at this early stage of his career when he takes on UFC Hall of Famer and legend of the game, Ken Shamrock. The two ares scheduled to meet at the Roy Jones promoted boxing/MMA show entitled “March Badness” that will be taking place in Pensacola, Florida on March 21st. The challenge against the seasoned and battle tested Shamrock is one that the up and coming heavyweight welcomes with open arms.

As a matter of fact, Lashley confirmed that he will be welcoming any fight against tough opposition with open arms from this point forth. He has put in the time training with one of the very best camps in the business and feels like it’s sink or swim in this game, he wants to see what he can do. Simply put, Lashley is ready for anyone.

Cory Brady for FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Were you happy or disappointed at how quickly your MMA debut with Joshua Franklin ended?

Bobby Lashley: A little bit of both. I was happy because I was able to get in there and come away unscathed. I also wanted to get in there and see how it would feel. Everything went really good and I think it was a good thing.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You were only able to test yourself for seconds on the feet in your professional debut, so you’ve had a lot more time to gauge your stand up ability while sparring down at the American Top Team. How do you normally do in your sparring sessions down at ATT?

Bobby Lashley: We’ve got a bunch of really good strikers down at ATT. I feel like I do really well with most of them. You can tell that they believe in my striking ability because when they get together for their striking sessions, most of the time they’ll give me a call, like ‘Hey Bobby, come spar with us’. If they didn’t feel confident about me being up there and sparring with them, they wouldn’t call me, so I feel really comfortable with them.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you feel like you’re experience in wrestling has made you more comfortable while standing to some degree?

Bobby Lashley: What I came up with, is if someone attacks me, and they get under my legs, I can defend after the takedown attempt. Before, in wrestling, I was always worried about reacting right when the guy came in. I would be looking to defend before he got there. Now, in MMA, I have about nineteen years of wrestling experience. If someone attacks my legs, I can defend it after they come in. So now I can be completely comfortable standing up and just straight boxing without fear.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How do you feel about facing someone as experienced and battle tested as Shamrock?

Bobby Lashley: It’s going to be an honor to fight him. He’s a tremendously experienced opponent. He’s had a lot of experience during the time he’s been fighting. I just have to know that he’s going to be coming with everything. He has a game plan.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How do you feel you match up with Shamrock?

Bobby Lashley: I think that it’s going to be a really good fight. I don’t know what his game plan is going to be, but my game plan is, I’m going to attack. I’m bigger than him and I’m stronger than him, but he’s got a ton of experience. I’m not going to go out there and just expect to finish him really fast because he’s a master of the game. He’s “The World’s Most Dangerous Man.” I’m going to go out there and just brawl, and I’m going to see if he’s ready to brawl.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are some of the problems that you feel Ken could present for you?

Bobby Lashley:I know that he’s really good with the leg locks so I’ll be looking for those. Basically I’m just going to be training to not fall into any of his traps. As far as me being able to take him down, I feel really good with my takedowns so I don’t see that being any kind of problem. As far as the stand up goes, I love standing up so I’m ready for that.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Do you have any kind of preference as to where the fight ends up?

Bobby Lashley: If he wants to stand up and brawl, we can stand up and brawl. If he want to go to the mat, I’m going to be comfortable down there as well. It’s his choosing.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What would be the absolute perfect ending for you in this bout with Shamrock?

Bobby Lashley: Well, I’d really like to stand up with him. If I could stand up with him and knock him down and knock him out, that would my my ideal way to win. Then again, I’d really like to go through the first round with him, maybe trade some blows, feel what he has and let him feel what I have, and then I want to take him down. I’d really like to work with him for a bit on the ground so people can see what I have and they won’t be wondering how well I will do if a fight goes to the mat. I want to show some people, the critics and the fans, that I can handle myself on the ground as well as on the feet. I’m not going to fall for any old submission he throws on me. Then I’d like to get the fight back on the feet and knock him out.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Has your contract with the American Fight League expired? Are you a free agent at this point?

Bobby Lashley: I’m not really a free agent. The guys at the AFL have treated me really well. They give me an opportunity to fight whenever there is a fight. I still have a couple of more months with the AFL and I really hope something pans out with them so I can end up fighting on an AFL card. A lot of different fighters like to bad mouth different organizations that pop up, but if you look at the fight scene, there’s hundreds and hundreds of guys that want to fight. Just at our gym alone, we have about sixty to seventy fighters that are always looking for a fight. Whenever a new organization pops up, I’m praying that it works out for them because there is no shortage of guys that want to fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your thoughts on Strikeforce? Would you consider fighting for them at some point down the line?

Bobby Lashleyefinitely. I would fight for Strikeforce, XFC, PFC, any of those organizations I would fight for. I’m open right now. I’m ready to fight. Anything that comes my way, I’m ready for it.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How interested are you in fighting for the UFC at some point in your career?

Bobby Lashley: I would definitely fight for the UFC. Everyone wants to make it to the UFC. That’s just the procedure in this business. It’s getting to the point now where you tell people that you’re going to fight MMA and they don’t equate MMA with fighting, the UFC is how they understand the sport. I would definitely like to make it to the UFC someday, but you have to earn your stripes. I don’t want to go over to the UFC just because of my name, I want to prove myself first. So if I get a few fights under my belt and I prove that I have what it takes to hang with the big boys, then open up the door and let me in.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your thoughts on the UFC’s two current heavyweight champions, first of all, Frank Mir?

Bobby Lashley:Frank is really tough. I like his personality. I don’t really know him personally but I kind of like his personality. He’s very, very dangerous. You saw that in his first fight with Brock Lesnar. I also think that a lot of people under estimate him. People were under estimating him until his last fight when he knocked out Nogueira and people were saying ‘Oh wait, this guy has stand up too?’. I think that Frank is a very dangerous person.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: And what about another former WWE wrestler, Brock Lesnar?

Bobby Lashley: I think Brock is great. I really do. A lot of people give Brock a hard time but Brock is making people believers. Brock is proving himself, and he’s going to continue to prove himself. It kind of sucks that it has to be that way. He’s a former professional wrestler like myself and he was blessed with a lot of opportunities and that’s probably the reason that he’s in the position that he’s in now. He’s going to keep showing people that he’s the real deal. They can keep throwing people at him as tests, but he’s going to keep taking them out.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So do you see Brock getting a little revenge in his upcoming unification bout against Frank Mir?

Bobby Lashley: I hate having to pick that fight. If I had to make a pick I would have to say that it could possibly be Brock. I mean Mir’s a big guy too, but Brock is just so big and strong. Mir is going to have a lot to work with.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Bobby Lashley: I always want to thank American Top Team. They are such a great organization and there are some absolutely fabulous people there to work with. I want to thank Champion Nutrition. They supply all of the supplements that I need to keep me going.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dana White puts Kendall Grove on notice

While speaking to the USA Today on Wednesday, UFC President Dana White had some interesting comments when it came to the topic of Kendall Grove.

Grove who was the middleweight winner of season three of The Ultimate Fighter is 1-2 in his last three fights. He won a split decision over the late Evan Tanner last June and suffered consecutive first round knockouts to Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. He will fight Canadian Jason Day this coming Saturday at UFC 96 in Ohio.

White who is never at a loss for words went on record saying, “If Kendall loses this fight, he could be the first ever TUF winner that’s no longer in the UFC.”

White would technically be incorrect, as Travis Lutter, the middleweight winner of the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter, became the first TUF winner to be released by the promotion. However, if Grove were to lose and be cut, he’d be the first “homegrown” TUF champion to have been dropped by the organization.

Either way Grove needs to not only win but put on an impressive performance as the UFC continues to try and trim the fat from its roster. Day is coming off a loss to Michael Bisping back in June of 2008 at UFC 85. That loss evened his record at 1-1 in the UFC. He had a successful debut just two months earlier at UFC 83 where he defeated Alan Belcher via first round TKO in front of his hometown Canadian fans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Frank Mir and Lesnar's coach at BJJ camp

After the successful debut in MMA, when won by submission at Tuff N 'Uff, at the USA, Robert Drysdale returned his focus to the rings, but still don’t know when will return to action. While the next commitment isn’t confirmed, the black belt takes the time to help in the preparation of Jiu-Jitsu athletes for the Pan American Championship, which happens at the end of March in the US "I’m doing a camp for the Pan here at the academy from March 16th to 26th, and will come great athletes as (Rodrigo) Comprido, André Galvão, the Mendes brothers (Rafael and Guilherme), (Bruno) Frazatto", reveled Drysdale.

With a big concentration of black-belts in Las Vegas for a camp, it wasn’t surprising that some of the best MMA fighters in the world would show up to work their ground game. "It's coming some strong guys from MMA also, as Frank Mir, Joe Stevenson, Kevin Randleman, Phil Baroni... All with kimono. Still have more people to confirm, everybody is talking about it in the city. I still didn’t talk to Forrest (Griffin), but he’ll probably come, he loves to train Jiu-Jitsu", said Robert. Interestingly, it will be side by side in the camp the black belt Rodrigo Comprido, Brock Lesnar’s coach, and Frank Mir, next opponent of the fighter at UFC (98).

 

[Shogun Locc]

Maurício Shogun Interview

The best light heavyweight fighter in the world at 2007, Maurício “Shogun” Rua had complicated moments since the end of the Pride. Facing two surgeries, the fighter debuted in the UFC with a loss to Forrest Griffin, but came back and defeated Mark Coleman by knockout, at UFC 93. Despite the performance below expectations, Shogun knows that he’ll have to prepare even stronger for Chuck Liddell, former champion, at UFC 97. In an exclusive interview to TATAME.com, the fighter spoke about the preparation, the fight against Coleman and the training with Wanderlei Silva.

How is the preparation for Chuck Liddell?
I’m training hard and very focused, thank God. I have to be well trained and focused to face him, and that is what I'm doing. I’m doing much Boxing, Wrestling, my complete training, everything that involves the MMA. Fight is fight, of course I’m making my plan of fight, but we're still building the strategy.

Wanderlei Silva has invited you to train with him for this fight... You've been to Las Vegas?
Wanderlei is a great friend. I was in Las Vegas for a week and we spoke a lot, and I just won’t go there before the fight because it is in Montreal. If (the fight) were in Las Vegas, I would stay with his team, so we could train and help each other.

He made a great fight with Liddell at the end of 2007. He gave you some tips for this fight?
We talked about this and he said that Liddell is a good fighter, hits hard, but said that, if I go there focused and with gas, I win this fight.

What did you think of your fight against Mark Coleman?

Of course I was happy with the victory, but I wasn’t happy with my performance. I can be better than I was in this fight. I wasn’t happy with my performance and I will turn this around, give the best of me in the next (against Liddell). I know my potential and I know where I can go, I wasn’t happy.

Do you think a victory against Liddell can take you closer to the belt?
I don’t think about the belt now, I only think in Liddell, he deserves respect. I just think in this fight. Surely this is a fight that will put me forward, but I don’t believe in belt yet.

Wanderlei dropped from class and will face Rich Franklin... How do you think it will be this fight?
They are two good strikers and I think Wand will be nice in this category. He will lose few weights to fight at 195lbs and will do great in this category. I think it will be a tough fight. Rich is a good striker, also Wanderlei... It will be a tough fight, but I think that Wanderlei wins.

 

[Shogun Locc]

EVANS WILL DEFEND THIS SUMMER AGAINST RAMPAGE OR MACHIDA

With UFC 96 only 2 days away, Quinton Rampage Jackson and Keith Jardine, met the press at the customary pre-fight press conference to address last minute questions about their fight and of course what will happen in the light heavyweight division after their bout is over.

UFC President Dana White announced at the press conference that UFC light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans, would be defending his title this summer against either Jackson if he is victorious against Jardine, or Lyoto Machida if Jardine wins. White was also adamant in saying that if Jardine does get the win, he will get closer to a title shot, and he will fight Evans if he's still the champion.

"Very important fight for both of these guys," White said. "Ever since Quinton's "episode" he's been back on track, looked amazing in his last fight, he wants the title back obviously. He wins this fight Saturday he gets the next title shot."

"Keith Jardine, a win for him will move him up in the ranks, he'll eventually have to fight Rashad Evans. If Rashad Evans keeps winning and he keeps winning, he says they won't but I guarantee you they will."

White stressed the importance of title fights and the opportunity that goes along with being the 205lb champion in the UFC, and he believes that when push comes to shove, Jardine and Evans will fight.

"Rashad and Keith saying they won't fight each other, la la la la la. I don't listen to it. I don't hear that (expletive)," said White. "They're going to fight each other. This isn't (expletive) baseball. You're not on a team. You've got training partners that you train with. I just said to a guy earlier, Larry Holmes was Mohammad Ali's sparring partner for years and the list goes on and on. Many friends in boxing - like guys whose kids grew up together. They have dinner together every Sunday - have fought each other. It's not about I hate you and I want to kick your ass. It's about we're two professional athletes and we want to find out who the best in the world is."

While Jardine still didn't seem to warm on the idea of fighting his teammate, Quinton Jackson expressed his feelings on the subject and offered to help his opponent out on Saturday night.

"I feel bad for Jardine right here, you know Dana said he's going to make him fight his friend," said Jackson. "I have friends I train with, I couldn't see myself fighting them. I couldn’t see myself fighting my friends I train with, I like Jardine and I like Rashad, but Dana's right this is mixed martial arts, it's a business, it's a sport."

As Jackson looked over at Jardine, he decided to keep the scenario of putting him in a fight against Evans on the back burner by beating the "Dean of Mean" in their fight.

"I'm going to try to help you out, I got your back," Jackson said to Jardine.

Jackson and Jardine will square off on Saturday night to see who exactly will take one more step towards a title shot against champion, Rashad Evans.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC HEADS TO PHILADELPHIA IN 2009

As the UFC expands their business worldwide, the sport's #1 promotion hasn't forgotten about new U.S. markets as well, and on Thursday, UFC president Dana White confirmed that they will head to Philadelphia before 2009 is over.

The state of Pennsylvania just officially ratified the rules and regulations of mixed martial arts on Feb 27 and it looks like the state will welcome the UFC this year as a way to celebrate the sport in the Keystone state.

"It's a big fight town, always has been," White said about Philadelphia on Thursday. "When you talk about Las Vegas, you talk about New York, Philadelphia is one of them too. The Blue Horizon, I saw some of the best boxing ever from the Blue Horizon in Philly. It's a big fight town."

The city has been host to many major sporting events over the years, including last year's World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, and the UFC will be a great addition to the "City of Brotherly Love."

In addition to Philadelphia, the UFC could also eventually expand to Pittsburgh, which is in the process of building a new stadium for the Penguins hockey team that is slated to open in 2010-2011.

"I'm not saying no to Pittsburgh, but we're going to Philly this year," said White.

The UFC is also hopeful that they will hold an event in New York City by the end of this year, and White said he believes other markets like Buffalo could be home to events such as the popular "Fight Night" series on Spike.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Terry Etim vs. Justin Buchholz slated for UFC 99 in June

A lightweight bout between Terry Etim (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Justin Buchholz (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), originally slated for UFC 95 but later canceled when Buchholz suffered an injury, is back on at UFC 99.

The news comes from the U.K.-based Fighters Only.

UFC 99 takes place June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. It'll be the country's first-ever UFC event.

Etim, who recently signed a new contract with the UFC, returns to competition looking for his third straight UFC win. The British fighter most recently defeated Brian Cobb, a late replacement for Buchholz, via second-round TKO at UFC 95. Prior to that victory, Etim picked up a unanimous-decision victory over UFC veteran Sam Stout.

Buchholz, meanwhile, returns from a nearly year-long layoff. After suffering a first-round submission loss to Matt Wiman at UFC Fight Night 12 in his octagon debut, the former EliteXC fighter stopped Corey Hill with a second-round submission victory at UFC 86. Buchholz has now won five of his past six fights, all via stoppage.

The Etim-Buchholz bout will likely appear on the night's preliminary card.

A source close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that UFC officials have not decided whether to air UFC 99 on pay per view or Spike TV. Cologne is six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, which could force an extremely early event time in the U.S. if UFC 99 airs on PPV.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC UK TV Partner Setanta Sports in Turmoil

The success of MMA is in large part tied to having strong television partners to provide a constant stream of programming to foster an audience. Spike was key to the break out success of the UFC in the middle of the decade. The UFC had hoped to replicate such a profitable partnership with Setanta Sports in the UK to help build the sport there, but recent news indicates that Setanta may be sailing into choppy financial waters. The Irish Times details the recent missed payments on a key deal that may indicate some trouble within the UK sports network:

DUBLIN-BASED pay TV broadcaster Setanta Sports is believed to have missed a £10 million installment payment to the Football Association in England, potentially jeopardising its rights to live FA Cup and England internationals and raising concerns about its future viability.

Pauk Kelso of The Telegraph details what is at hand with Setanta and how its partners may react.

Ifight365.com, which is headquartered in the UK, has some keen insight into how this may affect the UFC :

Speculation is rife that the satellite broadcaster could collapse in a situation that shows signs of mirroring the failure of ITV Digital several years ago.

And one scenario currently being looked at is cutting back on the number of channels currently offered to subscribed in a move that could potentially cause the UFC problems.

And while those deals may be the ones that stand out in the company accounts, the likes of the UFC and an exclusive 3-year deal with Frank Warren’s Sports Network to give a new home to boxers such as Joe Calzaghe and Enzo Maccarinelli could also be hit by the cash-strapped company.

One option is for the company as part of a cutback would be to focus on a smaller number of channels. Currently, Setanta offers customers up to twelve subscription channels. Restructuring and cost-cutting could reduce that number down to as few as two channels, with the focus being on offering as much top quality football as possible.

Obviously if that is the route Setanta choose to go down, other sports will likely be affected to some degree and in some cases, dropped completely.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DREAM.7: Fight order was announced

DREAM announced the fight order of DREAM.7. today.

DREAM.7 ~ Featherweight GP 2009 1st Round ~
Date: March 8, 2009 16:00~
Place: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama

1. Takafumi Otsuka vs Fernandes Bibiano (Featherweight GP)
2. Chase Beebe vs Joe Warren(Featherweight GP)
3. Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura vs Abel Cullum(Featherweight GP)
4. Mitsuhiro Ishida vs Nakamura Daisuke (Lightweight one match)
5. Shinya Aoki vs David Gardner (Lightweight one match)
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Ross Ebanez (Lightweight one match)
7. Yoshiro Maeda vs Micah Miller(Featherweight GP)
8. Hiroyuki Takaya vs Jong Won Kim(Featherweight GP)
9. Masakazu Imanari vs Atsushi Yamamoto(Featherweight GP)

 

[UCDgreek]

DREAM.7: Fight order was announced

DREAM announced the fight order of DREAM.7. today.

DREAM.7 ~ Featherweight GP 2009 1st Round ~
Date: March 8, 2009 16:00~
Place: Saitama Super Arena, Saitama

1. Takafumi Otsuka vs Fernandes Bibiano (Featherweight GP)
2. Chase Beebe vs Joe Warren(Featherweight GP)
3. Akiyo “Wicky” Nishiura vs Abel Cullum(Featherweight GP)
4. Mitsuhiro Ishida vs Nakamura Daisuke (Lightweight one match)
5. Shinya Aoki vs David Gardner (Lightweight one match)
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Ross Ebanez (Lightweight one match)
7. Yoshiro Maeda vs Micah Miller(Featherweight GP)
8. Hiroyuki Takaya vs Jong Won Kim(Featherweight GP)
9. Masakazu Imanari vs Atsushi Yamamoto(Featherweight GP)

cant wait. for folks with hdnet its on march 14th at 7pm.

 

[B-Buzz]

War Imanari & Aoki

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream 7: Warren Wants to ‘Eat’ Beebe’s Heart

TOKYO -- Decorated Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Warren, in advance of his professional mixed martial arts debut, had some choice words for former World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Chase Beebe during a pre-fight press conference for Dream 7 on Saturday at Hotel East 21 Tokyo.

Warren and Beebe (12-3) will square off in one of six featherweight tournament matches at Dream 7 on Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

“I’m a Greco-Roman world champ, and I’m here for one reason -- to take those belts back and put ’em in my room with the rest of ’em, so I’m excited,” Warren said. “I’ll give everything I’ve got tomorrow. It’s gonna be violent. Chase Beebe … great fighter. When I look in his eyes, I see fear. I want to rip his heart out and eat it. I’m ready for war, and I’m a warrior.”

Beebe, the one-time WEC titleholder, offered similar, albeit less provocative remarks.

“I’m going to go the full 15 minutes, so it’s going to be fireworks,” he said. “You’re going to see someone’s face get smashed; I guarantee it. You know, I got nothing but respect when I looked him in the eyes, but come tomorrow in [the ring], I’m gonna be looking at his chin.”

Akiyo Nishiura took an equally colorful but more esoteric approach towards his tournament showdown with King of the Cage featherweight champion Abel Cullum.

“I’ll paint the ring in my color,” Nishiura said. “I’m wondering what Mr. Cullum’s color will be.”

Though Dream’s in-house translation team had difficulty relaying the words from “Wicky Akiyo,” Cullum (13-2) reacted with a smile.

“I’d like to be red from [the blood] of Wicky’s body,” Cullum said.

Nishiura (9-3-1) pointed to his pink hair and frequent use of pink shorts.

“My blood is pink,” he said.

“OK, well,” Cullum said, “I guess I’ll be covered in pink then.”

Outside of indulging his Japanese opponent’s eccentricities, Cullum’s thoughts on the upcoming tournament were heartfelt and sincere and made him, in the minds of many, the representative voice of the featherweight fighters in the grand prix.

“I’m just a cowboy from a small town of 4500 people, and to be competing here in Japan in front of all these fans is just a dream come true,” he said. I cannot wait to give it [my] all for all the Japanese fans and for everyone coming out to watch us. Expect fireworks from the featherweights -- now and for a long time to come.”

Dream officials also named the Atsushi Yamamoto-Masakazu Imanari tournament match as the main event. The star pupil of Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto was in good spirits as he prepared to face Imanari (15-6-1), a man feared for his leg locks.

“Leg locks are something I’m looking forward to,” Yamamoto (12-5-1) said.

Imanari’s reply was cryptic in nature.

“Well, he looks healthy,” he said, “so I think he’ll be OK.”

A man on a mission, American Top Team’s Micah Miller was all business as he primed for his tournament bout with fellow WEC veteran Yoshiro Maeda.

“Make no mistake, I’m not here just to be here,” Miller (10-2, 1 NC) said. “I’m here to be the champion and take these belts back to American Top Team to further establish them as the best team in the world.”

Maeda (23-6-2), a brutish former King of Pancrase, seemed less concerned with the belts than with how he planned to dispatch Miller.

“While looking at his face, I thought, ‘I’ll punch his face tomorrow, kick his face tomorrow and knock him out tomorrow,’” Maeda said.

Japanese MMA prospect Takafumi Otsuka will face tournament dark horse Bibiano Fernandes in the opening bout at Dream 7. Otsuka (8-3-1) was nonchalant when talk turned to the jiu-jitsu phenom.

“This is my fourth Brazilian opponent,” he said. “I’m used to them now, so I’ll do my best to knock him out.”

According to Dream officials, all fighters were on target with their weight, with the notable exception of EliteXC veteran Ross Ebanez. The Hawaiian, scheduled to face Tatsuya Kawajiri in a non-tournament tilt, was absent from the pre-fight press conference. Dream spokesman Keiichi Sasahara claimed Ebanez (19-6, 3 NC) was working off the extra weight. The promotion’s weigh-ins are closed to the public, and Dream officials declined to reveal how much Ebanez weighed ahead of his bout.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mir-Lesnar Rematch Questionable for UFC 98

The status of a heavyweight title unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir scheduled for UFC 98 “Lesnar vs. Mir 2” on May 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas remains uncertain as of early Saturday.

The UFC could make an official announcement regarding the headlining fight’s status, if necessary, as early as Saturday night during the UFC 96 pay-per-view, Sherdog.com has learned.

FiveOuncesofPain.com was the first to report on Friday that Mir had withdrawn from the rematch due to a back injury, citing multiple unidentified sources. MMAWeekly.com later posted that the fight had been cancelled because of a knee injury Mir sustained in training.

On Friday, Bodybuilding.com did a video interview with Mir, who is attending the Arnold Classic Sports Festival and Fitness Expo in Columbus, Ohio. When asked when the bout would be happening, Mir said, “Hopefully the summertime. It was May 23, but I needed to get some scope done to my knee, so I got it done immediately last week, and it would be rushing it to try to fight that soon ‘cause I can’t train for four to six weeks.”

Mir’s manager, Dean Albrecht, did not address questions regarding the bout’s rumored postponement.

When asked about Mir’s status, Albrecht told Sherdog.com via text that, “He’s gotta nurse his knee.”

Inquiries placed with two of Lesnar’s representatives were not answered.

UFC President Dana White told Yahoo Sports on Friday that he was unaware of Mir’s injury or the fight’s cancellation.

“I don’t know anything about it, so I honestly couldn’t tell you anything about it,” White told Yahoo Sports. “I’m not too worried about it now. If that were the situation, I’d know about it. I honestly don’t know right now. I haven’t talked to Frank and I haven’t talked to Lesnar, and if that’s the situation, I’m not going to make any statements until I talk to everybody.”

Mir (12-3) became the first man to finish Brazilian legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 in December. The 29-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt showcased improved boxing skills and conditioning, as he won the UFC interim heavyweight title from Nogueira with an impressive second-round stoppage and did what Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Josh Barnett could not.

Voted Sherdog.com’s “Comeback Fighter of the Year” for 2008, Mir battled through a difficult rehabilitation following a motorcycle collision with a moving car in September 2004 that broke his femur bone.

It took nearly two years before he stepped back into the cage. A series of lackluster performances to Marcio Cruz, Dan Christison, and Brandon Vera followed. However, the 29-year-old turned his fortunes around in 2007 and has since rattled off three wins in a row, including his 90-second submission against Lesnar 13 months ago.

Lesnar (3-1) captured the heavyweight crown in just his fourth professional bout at UFC 91 in November, as he stopped hall of famer Randy Couture on second-round strikes. The former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar has won back-to-back bouts since his submission loss to Mir in his promotional debut at UFC 81 in February 2007. At 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, Lesnar has emerged as one of the sport’s most intimidating figures. Based at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, he leans on an impeccable amateur wrestling background inside the cage.

Other bouts booked for UFC 98 include a welterweight showdown between former champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, along with a lightweight tilt pairing former titleholder Sean Sherk with Frankie Edgar. The event will also likely feature the return of welterweight contender Josh Koscheck in a match with Team Quest veteran Chris Wilson.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thomson, Varner Featured on HDNet’s ‘Inside MMA’
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Thomson-Varner-Featured-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1938
On this week's HDNet "Inside MMA," Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten were joined by lightweight champions Josh Thomson and Jamie Varner. Also sitting in on the panel is writer Adam Villarreal. UFC 96 is previewed in full, including Ron Kruck's interviews with opponents Gabriel Gonzaga and Shane Carwin.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jackson Earns $385K at UFC 96

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson may have thrown everything he had at Keith Jardine, but he left the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, with $385,000 weighing him down following UFC 96 last Saturday night.

Jackson earned a tough three-round decision over Jardine, who took home $115,000 for his second loss in three fights. Those figures, provided by the Ohio Athletic Commission, also include $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonuses doled out by the promoters.

What a difference a year makes. The 30-year-old Wolfslair Academy fighter will face champion Rashad Evans next for the light heavyweight title at UFC 98 in May –- less than a year after an unstable Jackson thrust himself into the nation’s spotlight for wrecking havoc through the streets of Newport Beach, Calif., in his truck.

Heavyweight Shane Carwin swung his way into the contender’s circle with a gripping first-round knockout over Octagon vet Gabriel Gonzaga. Carwin was paid $32,000, while Gonzaga received nearly double that in defeat with $60,000.

UFC 96’s third highest bread winner was light heavyweight Brandon Vera with $60,000, though the take must have been bittersweet. Once heralded as the division’s next coming, Vera earned $200,000 for his last disclosed payroll at UFC Fight Night 14 in July 2008 with a unanimous decision win over Reese Andy. However, the athletic 31-year-old has gone 2-3 in his last five outings and signed to a much thriftier contract this time around. Vera’s opponent, Michael Patt, took home $5,000.

According to the OAS, all main card winners were tested for drugs following UFC 96, with the addition of middleweights Kendall Grove and Jason Day. Results are pending.

UFC 96 Payouts

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson -- $325,000 (including $100,000 win bonus) def. Keith Jardine -- $55,000

Shane Carwin -- $32,000 (including $16,000 win bonus) def. Gabriel Gonzaga -- $60,000

Matt Brown -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) def. Pete Sell -- $12,000

Matt Hamill -- $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus) def. Mark Munoz -- $12,000

Gray Maynard -- $20,000 (including $10,000 win bonus) def. Jim Miller -- $9,000

Tamdan McCrory -- $20,000 (including $10,000 win bonus) def. Ryan Madigan -- $3,000

Kendall Grove -- $44,000 (including $22,000 win bonus) def. Jason Day -- $5,000

Jason Brilz -- $10,000 (including $5,000 win bonus) def. Tim Boetsch -- $12,000

Brandon Vera -- $60,000 (including $30,000 win bonus) def. Michael Patt -- $5,000

Shane Nelson -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus) def. Aaron Riley -- $6,000