MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Round 5 announces Series 4 release with Henderson, Le, "Shogun" and Serra

Round 5 today announced that its Series 4 release of MMA figurines will include former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson, Strikeforce world middleweight champion Cung Le, UFC light heavyweight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and former UFC welterweight title-holder Matt Serra.

Previously announced dolls of Fedor Emelianenko and Gina Carano round out the series.

The Series 4 release is slated for a July release. Company executives expect the figurines to be available in time for UFC 100 on July 11.

"With six figurines, Series 4 will be our largest issuance to date," Round 5 CEO Damon Lau stated. "Adding four more of the biggest names in the sport – with wide fan bases – to what began as an already-stacked set is huge for Round 5 and a great opportunity for fans to quickly add to their collections."

Round 5 collectibles are available at retailers such as Toys 'R' Us, FYE, Century Martial Arts, Sunrise Records, The Treadmill Factory and Hatashita International.

Round 5 also today announced that its Round 3 release (with Andrei Arlovski, "Big" John McCarthy, Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) will be delayed approximately a month; the figurines will be in stores by late May.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, a Jason MacDonald figurine will also be released in a series later this year. UFC veterans Chris Lylte and Martin Kampmann also recently signed to have their Round 5 figurines produced, though no release dates have been determined.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Following UFC 97 win (and thanks to wife), Soszynski securely in UFC

This past weekend's UFC 97 victory over former WEC light-heavyweight champion Brian Stann proved to Krzysztof Soszynski something his wife already knew: He belongs in the UFC.

After getting a late start to his MMA career at age 25, and after some mixed results after a step up in competition midway through his career, Soszynski's confidence was shaken.

But with some encouragement from his wife and back-to-back award-winning victories in the UFC, Soszynski now know he belongs with the 205-pound division's best.

Soszynski (17-8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) entered the eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" soon after 1-3 stretch in the IFL. Soszynski was one of the most-experienced fighters on "TUF," and after a solid run, was just one victory away from the show's finale. But the performance was good enough to earn him a spot on the UFC's roster of fighters.

But on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Soszynski admitted that he almost never tried out for the show, which ultimately proved to be his launching pad.

"Being 31 and having a lot of fights under my belt, I wasn't sure (it was the right move)," Soszynski said.

But his wife demanded he fill out an application because she felt he belonged with the sport's best. So after talking directly with one of the show's producers, he sent in an audition tape and soon received an invitation to Las Vegas.

He accepted "and everything just fell into place," Soszynski said.

After a submission victory over Shane Primm in an undercard fight at the reality series' live finale, Soszynski earned a fight with Stann at UFC 97. As he did in the Primm fight, Soszynski earned a "Submission of the Night" award after forcing a tap-out via kimura.

"That's two in a row," Soszynski said of the bonus award. "That's pretty nice."

Soszynski earned $25,000 for the first bonus and $70,000 for the second.

"It was six years of a lot of crap and training and traveling and paying for hotels and stuff," Soszynski said. "I can be completely debt-free now, which is going to be a good feeling."

At 31 years old, and with the satisfaction of two marquee victories on MMA's biggest stage, Soszynski is finally comfortable with mixed martial arts and his place in it.

"I'm finally coming into my own," he said. "It's been six years of a lot of hard work and lots of ups and downs. ... My confidence level is up. Like I said, I'm really coming into my own. ... I started at 25 with absolutely no knowledge of any aspects of MMA. I feel like now, six years in, everything is just falling into place. In training everything is just flowing really nicely."

Soszynski, who's now posted five straight wins, hopes to return to action in July or August, though his next bout has not been determined.

 

[Shogun Locc]

BIG THINGS EXPECTED OF LUKE ROCKHOLD

As Strikeforce expands over the coming year, more of their young up and coming talent looks to factor into whether or not the company can sustain a level of success.

Among those pointed out by the company’s Director of Communications, Mike Afromowitz, as one of those future stars to bank upon is American Kickboxing Academy middleweight Luke Rockhold.

Having won his last three fights in a row, all for the Strikeforce promotion, within the first round, it is easy to see why this multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion has garnished the promotion’s praise.

“It’s definitely a little bit of weight on your shoulders, but you try not to let it affect what you’ve been doing your whole life,” said Rockhold of high expectations placed upon him. “I’ve been training hard, and am going to keep training hard and not try to change at all.

“As long as I go out there and perform – not focus on winning or losing – and just try to meet my potential, nobody can really step up to me if I do what I need to do.”

It’s that potential that Rockhold put on display at Strikeforce’s event earlier this month, as he dispatched well regarded Buck Meredith in just over four minutes.

“I’m happy with it ending nice and quick,” he stated. “I don’t want to show too much. I’ve got some good stand-up, but I don’t want to stray away from what I’m best at – my wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

“There’s a time and place for stand-up, but if I can take it to the ground and finish it, I’m going to. I kind of expected a Team Quest guy to have good wrestling and submission defense, but they don’t really train in jiu-jitsu as I’ve come to see.”

With the abundance of shows Strikeforce is set to put on in the coming year, we could see a lot more of Rockhold, which fits right in with his plans.

“I’m looking at fighting maybe four more times, maybe five, it just depends on what Javier (Mendez) turns up,” he commented. “We’re trying to work out when I’m going to fight next; it’s pretty busy schedule for Strikeforce with all their new fighters.

“I’m just looking at one fight at a time, and June would be ideal. I’m also looking at doing the Abu Dhabi trials at the end of May. That’s always been a dream of mine, to be at Abu Dhabi, so if I can win the trials and get in, I’d like to try that out.”

Regardless of when he fights next, Rockhold is content to continue to work his way up the ranks and take on all comers.

“I’m ready for quite a few people that I match up well with,” he said. “I have preferences and stuff, but I trust Bob (Cook) and Javier for picking my opponents, so I’m really okay with anything that comes my way right now.

“I don’t want to slow down. I’m tried of being broke and living fight to fight. I want to step it up and want to start doing things.”

With high praise from both Strikeforce officials and his coaches at AKA, it might not be long before Rockhold finds himself transitioning from up and comer to veteran star in the coming years.

"I want to give thanks to Santa Cruz Skate Shop and Surf Shop, Inspirit USA Clothing, and SCORE Clinic for keeping my body intact,” concluded Rockhold.

“Definitely for everyone out there, look out. I’m going to come up and not show any signs of stepping back, just moving forward.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Evans and Jackson Altercation At UFC Photo Shoot

While UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans might be focused on challenger Lyoto Machida, by no means has he forgotten about Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

He says the two nearly came to blows at a recent UFC photo shoot.

Some intrepid UFC staffers booked them on the same day, and things got ugly for a spell.

"I looked at him and he walked out of the room," Evans told MMAInsider. "He was like, 'that's messed up putting us together.' They tried to separate us, and the UFC walked him out in the hallway and walked me out in the hallway. And they walked me into the same hallway he was at.

"I looked at him and I was like, what, man? He was like, 'Rashad don't talk to me, man! Don't talk to me! Don't say nothin' to me! You don't know me! You don't know me!' The (expletive) I need to know you for?"

Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, and the photo shoot went on. But Evans filed it in the motivation bank for later.

Following UFC 96, the two went nose-to-nose for forty heated seconds to hype a future showdown.

Later, Jackson bowed out of a quick turnaround meeting with the champ at UFC 98, citing jaw surgery that would make him unavailable.

Many fans wrote the encounter and its aftermath off as hype, part of the business of promoting. Evans maintains it was all real.

"(My camp) was laughing about it, but I was pissed," he said. "I felt mad because I felt like he disrespected Keith a little bit. Keith tried his ass off and he had a good fight, and Rampage didn't look all that good to be acting like he killed him or something. I just didn't like that. Whenever you invest in any of your partners, and when it doesn't turn around the way you want it to turn out, it kind of hurts your feelings a little bit. And that's what happened."

Before 96, he says he got along fine with the former champ, which takes him away from all-out hatred. He's happy to face challenger Lyoto Machida on May 23rd, but looks forward to the day he can squash the recent animosity with Rampage.

"I don't dislike him, but I really want to whup his ass, you know what I'm saying?" Evans said. "I don't know where that falls. I like Quinton. He's a funny guy, and a great person, but I really want to beat his ass. Is that too much of a hypocrisy?"

 

[Shogun Locc]

BRAZILIAN UP-AND-COMERS ON THE RISE

With a stable of solid fighters on his roster, Ed Soares has secured some of the top Brazilian talent of the sport today. With Anderson Silva, the Nogueira brothers, and Paulo Filho fitting the bill, it's his young and upcoming that he believes will eventually be able to make a big impact in mixed martial arts and confidently so, becoming champions.

“One thing I feel very proud of with our agency is that I really do believe that every one of our guys has it in them to be a champion,” explained Soares.

Andre Galvao is one of those guys. Under contract with Strikeforce, the promotion's CEO, Scott Coker, “loaned” the jiu-jitsu ace to participate in the Dream Welterweight Grand Prix. He has already dispatched of 10-year veteran John Alessio inside of the first round with an armbar. Though no opponent has been named yet for the second round of his quest to become the Grand Prix champion, Galvao should prove to be a serious threat, going for his fourth win in four tries a professional, all by way of the same submission, armbar.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante is a hot prospect in the light heavyweight division. Previously having been apart of the International Fight League (IFL) and seemingly a top contender for the light heavyweight title in the now defunct EliteXC organization, he was set to make his Strikeforce debut on June 6 against former UFC contender Renato "Babalu" Sobral. However, MMAWeekly has learned that the bout has been scrapped due to family issues with Sobral. Feijao is still expected to make his debut on the June card with an as of yet named opponent. Beginning his career as a heavyweight, his lone loss has come via disqualification and he has an otherwise unblemished record of seven wins with one loss.

Possibly the biggest talk of the town when it comes to up and comers, Junior dos Santos has already made a name for himself in the heavyweight division in the UFC. Though most would argue that he can be a top contender immediately, it appears his manager may have other plans in store for the 25-year-old. “He’s a couple years away from being in that title contention. He’s only fought one time on the live pay-per-view. He’s only fought on the main card once (Fabricio Werdum, UFC 90). He’s only fought twice (in the UFC). I think that’s a conversation for down the line.”

Already making waves after his first-round knockout of perennial Top 10 fighter Fabricio Werdum and his 54 second annihilation of Stefan Struve, some speculate whether or not somewhere “down the line” if “Cigano” and “Minotauro” could ever possibly meet if the two remain on the winning end of they’re own respective fights? “The way (Junior) feels, (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) is his master. I would believe that (Junior) will wait until (Antonio) is no longer (in the UFC) and then he’ll fight for the belt, because it's kind of like asking to fight your dad.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Michael Bisping: Anderson Silva and Thales Leites should hang their heads in shame

“I think both guys should hang their heads in shame, quite honestly. Leites probably won the first two rounds but nothing happened in the fight. [Canadian fans] deserved a hell of a lot better than they got from these two. I’ve seen more aggression from my fiancé when she hits the January sales. It was very frustrating for me to be sitting on my couch seeing Anderson Silva, who keeps saying how he’s gone through the middleweight division. I would have fought harder than both of them put together, and so would a lot of other middleweights.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Affliction VP Tom Atencio to fight on June 27 undercard of Sapp vs Lashley

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio is planning a pay-per-view fight for June 27 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss. — though it won’t be for his stable of fighters at a planned Affliction III event.

Instead, the 42-year-old T-shirt mogul will be strapping on the gloves to throwdown with a yet-to-be-named opponent on the undercard of the Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp event according to MMA Fanhouse.

Here’s a snip:

“I love this sport and I am not a wannabe. I’ve fought before and I have respect for anyone who steps into the ring win, lose or draw. They’re doing something that most of the world will never do. I think (it will be contested at) 160, maybe 155. Not sure I can make 155 at 42 years old.”

Atencio (1-0) enjoyed a successful mixed martial arts debut back in January of 2005 when he outpointed David Martinez (2-3) at the ‘Total Combat 7′ event held in Tijuana, Mexico.

While a spot on Affliction’s next card would be a perfect fit, Atencio didn’t think his Affliction colleagues would have approved, despite the fact that they are ‘100 percent behind’ his decision to continue fighting.

No telling how his training camp will affect his involvement in planning Affliction’s next event, but no question UFC President Dana White is somewhere is Vegas watching very closely.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Quinton Jackson reportedly set to face winner of Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida in late 2009

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (30-7) may finally get his chance to reclaim the 205-pound strap later this summer when he takes on the winner of Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida scheduled for UFC 98 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Fighters Only Magazine.

UFC 98 had been suffering from a bit of an identity crisis early on. The May 23 event was originally headlined by Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir, who were set to collide in a heavyweight title unification bout until Mir was forced to bow out with a knee injury that required minor surgery.

Mir and Lesnar are now scheduled for fisticuffs at UFC 100 on July 11.

The main event was quickly (and awkwardly) changed to Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans during the UFC 96 broadcast on March 8. “Rampage” defeated Evans’ teammate Keith Jardine via unanimous decision and had a nice war of words with “Sugar” following the bout, but appeared lukewarm to the idea of competing just over two months after his scrap with “The Dean of Mean.”

Jackson — who would have competed three times in the span of five months — withdrew from the event shortly thereafter, citing nagging injuries and a brutal training camp for his current physical condition.

He’s apparently opted to settle for the title of number one contender with a guaranteed shot at the winner of Evans vs. Machida at either UFC 102 or 103, according to the report.

Perhaps the only downside to a potential fight with either Evans or Machida is the fact that the former champ finds both opponents “boring.”

Jackson on “Weird” Machida:

“Lyoto is a weird fighter, he’s kind of boring. I think that style works for him, the way he makes people run after him. I mean, he’s good, he’s undefeated, but he’s boring. If I was the promoter of a show I wouldn’t have guys like that fighting on my show.”

And then on “Big-mouth” Evans:

“I did the UFC a favor and fought Jardine because Rashad wouldn’t fight me; that’s why I fought Jardine, because I was supposed to fight Rashad after the fight with Wanderlei. Since Rashad got a big mouth and got in my face, you already know who I want to fight. I’m thinking it might be a boring fight, but what do I know?”

UFC 102 is scheduled for Saturday, Aug 29, 2009 from The Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon and is expected to feature former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture, locking horns with former Pride FC and UFC interim heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira.

UFC 103 — while yet to be announced — is rumored to be scheduled for September 26 in the United Kingdom. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more details as they become available.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Weapon X: Matt Hamill has something new for Brandon Vera at UFC 102

“I have a lot of things to add. I add more moves every time I fight. Every time I fight, there will always be a new move, so at UFC 102 against Brandon Vera, I’ll have a new weapon that no one has seen. The old Matt Hamill is not the new one. I can do things that are not expected.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wanderlei Silva: Disrespectful Anderson Silva ‘does not want to play with me’

“Disrespect again. Disrespect to the public and so bad for the UFC, because everybody is waiting to see a great show. If you are going to fight in the main event you have a lot of responsibility because the fans pay to see [the fights] and this [performance] is bad for the sport. Everybody needs to have serious conduct in the fights, respect the fight…. With me he does not want to play. He does not want to put down his hands because if he puts down his hands, I will beat him.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wilson Reis vs. Joe Soto set for the second round of Bellator’s featherweight Grand Prix on May 8

The second round of the Bellator Fighting Championships’ featherweight Grand Prix is set to kick off on Friday, May 8 in Texas. One of the featured bouts will pit former EliteXC bantamweight champion Wilson Reis vs. former All-American wrestler Joe Soto.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the featherweight Grand Prix semifinal matchup on Wednesday morning after speaking with a source close to Reis.

Both fighters are undefeated with Reis having improved to 7-0 and Soto moving to 5-0 during the first round of the tournament. Reis’ opening round win came on April 10 against Henry Martinez following a unanimous decision. Meanwhile, Soto upped his record to 5-0 after recording a first round TKO over Ben Greer at 3:40 of round 1 during Bellator’s inaugural event on April 3.

Reis received his black belt from Roberto Godoi at the age of 18 and has won first place titles while competing in prestigious grappling tournaments such as the Mundials and the Arizona Open. The 24-year old is currently a trainer at Jared Weiner’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United in Jenkintown, PA and holds notable wins in his MMA career over Zach Makovsky, Bryan Caraway, and Abel Cullum.

The 22-year old Soto trains under Cesar Gracie black belt David Terrell at the NorCal Fighting Alliance in Santa Rosa, Calif. All five of Soto’s victories have come via stoppages in the first round with the combined fight time of all five wins totaling just eight minutes and 43 seconds.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Melvin Manhoef training ground game

Melvin Manhoef is training BJJ under Brazilian Top Team black belt Pedro Galiza, who says that Manhoef is contractually obligated to participate in the next DREAM show (which would be DREAM.9 on May 26th). Galiza also claims that Manhoef is taking his ground game seriously now and that he's becoming very hard to hold down on the mat.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Emelianenko vs Shinya Aoki added to M-1 Challenge

Kamipro.com reported today that a special match, Fedor Emelianenko vs Shinya Aoki, was added to "DEEP M-1 Challenge 3rd Edition in Japan " on April 29. The detail will be announced shortly. Riki Fukuda canceled his fight due to injury on April 13, but his replacement hasn't announced yet.

DEEP M-1 CHALLENGE 3rd EDITION in JAPANDate: April 29 16:00~
Place Differ Ariake, Tokyo

Japan vs United Kingdom
- Luiz Andrada vs Ian Butlin
- Hidehiko Hasegawa vs Simon Phillips
- Matt Thorpe vs TBA
- Tatsuya Mizuno vs Tom Blackledge
- Yusuke Kawaguchi vs Rob Broughton

USA West vs Korea
- David Jansen vs Nam YuiChul
- Fabio Negao vs Bae Myungho
- Giva Santana vs Heo Minsuk
- Raphael Davis vs Kim Jaeyoung
- Shane De Rosario vs Lee Doo Hee

France vs Spain
- Makhtar Gueye vs Jose Luiz Aguirre
- Farouk Lakebir vs Abner Lloveras
- Christophe Dafreville vs Rayco Silva
- Christian Mpumbu vs Enoc Solves
- Soufian Elgarne vs Rogent Lloret

 

[B-Buzz]

........ are there other guys named Fedor and Aoki that I don't know about?

 

[Shogun Locc]

........ are there other guys named Fedor and Aoki that I don't know about?

it's probably a grappling match or a bs rumor

 

[B-Buzz]

Ya that's what I figured, but even in a grappling match that's a 60+ pound difference lol. I'd still watch though. Aoki by flying gogo

 

[Shogun Locc]

MELENDEZ NOT WAITING AROUND, ASKS FOR ISHIDA

When Gilbert Melendez knocked out Rodrigo Damm in Strikeforce a couple of weeks back, not only did he reassert his claim to be the No. 1 contender in the promotion's lightweight division, but he took a huge step forward in showing the same kind of dominance that had him ranked among the top three 155-pounders in the world just a short time ago.

After suffering a decision loss to current lightweight champion Josh Thomson, Melendez opened a new school in California, while getting back to his training roots alongside teammates like Jake Shields, Nick and Nate Diaz, and others. The result was Melendez absolutely dominating a quality opponent in Damm, and announcing to the world that he is back, as well as capturing the Strikeforce interim lightweight championship.

Prior to his fight in April, Melendez had been rumored as a possible candidate to exit Strikeforce after his current deal expired, but according to the California-based fighter, he plans on staying with the promotion for the foreseeable future.

"I think for the immediate future, yes, but we've got to work some things out," Melendez told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "Me and Scott Coker have communicated well, he's been a really good guy. I'm really happy with them and I think I'm going to continue my future with them, and for a couple of fights right now and see how things go."

Being able to promote his name and career has been a big part of what Melendez was searching for when speaking about promotions, but with Strikeforce now on Showtime and later this year with CBS, it's the sky's the limit for potential exposure.

"You've got to brand yourself as a person and as a fighter in the industry," he commented. "I think I've had a lot of great fights that I've fought, and I've proven a lot to the hardcore fans, and now I need the world to see me. I need the nation to see me, and give me some respect."

Originally scheduled to meet champion Josh Thomson, who was forced off the card with an injury, in a rematch from their 2008 title fight, Melendez did everything but assure himself of a title shot when the champion returns. Despite the virtual lock for the championship bout, he says he's more interested in staying busy, and has a name for whom he'd like to face next.

"I'm really trying to push to get a match with (Mitsuhiro) Ishida," Melendez said. "I don't really want to wait five or six months to fight Josh (Thomson), to fight again. I'd really like to get a rematch with Ishida, if they can pull that off and help me out, that would make me happy."

Melendez will now go back to work at his gym, while helping teammate Jake Shields prepare for his June 6 Strikeforce showdown against Robbie Lawler in St. Louis.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: WEC's Benson Henderson learned strength from 4-foot-9 mom

Benson Henderson and his pupils had just finished a red-flag practice in the Dana College wrestling room.

It is known as one of the most energy-sucking sessions in wrestling, and Henderson, the recent Dana two-time All-American and now first-year assistant coach, chatted with the Dana wrestlers as they cooled down in Blair, Neb.

Mixed martial arts was the subject. In the summer of 2006, the sport was popular among wrestlers, though Henderson – the son of a 4-foot-9 Korean native mother and a former Tae Kwon Do black belt himself – had never tried it.

"We are dog tired; we couldn't even sit up," Henderson told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Someone would say, 'Yeah, I would (fight),' then someone else would say, 'Oh c'mon, no you wouldn't.'

"So they ask me. I said, 'Yeah, I'd give it a try.' They said, 'Well, there's a place you can go tonight.'"

That was it. After suffering through a miserable freshman season that led him to cry following practices and building himself into one of the NAIA's most notable wrestlers, Henderson was about to take the first step of an MMA career that has made him a verge-of-stardom lightweight. Now 9-1, Henderson has won eight straight fights, which included his first-round victory against Shane Roller at WEC 40 earlier this month.

But things began with rather low expectations as Henderson strolled into Omaha's Sokol Auditorium South for the anyone-goes MMA fight night still in his filthy wrestling workout clothes, including the spandex shorts. The Omaha Fight Club crowd was rowdy, but Henderson was buoyed by his wrestling experience.

"I didn't even know how to punch," Henderson said. "I took the guy down, he turned around, and I just started punching. The ref stopped the fight, and the crowd was going nuts. It was such a thrill."

More thrills were coming.

Early martial arts

The story begins with Henderson's mother. The little woman met his Army father in Korea, married and moved to the U.S. After having two sons, Henderson's parents divorced, and Henderson and his brother ended up in the country's corner, moving with their mother to Washington state.

Like many sons, Henderson's belief in hard work was built and reinforced by his single mother. She owned three businesses during his childhood, two convenience stores and a clothing store, even though she couldn't completely speak English until Henderson and his brother tutored her as junior-high students.

"She worked 17-hour days from Monday through Saturday," Henderson said. "Sunday was the easy day. It was only 14 hours."

Hoping her sons would embrace their heritage, Henderson's mother enrolled them in Tae Kwon Do lessons near Henderson's 10th birthday (his brother is a year older). Within 18 months, Henderson and his brother caught up to the lifelong-training instructor's sons with their natural athleticism and flexibility. Soon, both brothers earned black belts.

But the family soon moved again, and Henderson let his martial-arts training cease. Instead, he discovered wrestling, and he took to it with a similar ease.

Recruited to Dana College in might-as-well-be-Mars Nebraska, Henderson compiled a 5-14 record while redshirting. But it wasn't the losing so much as the difficult practices that discouraged, and motivated, him.

"I literally left practice for three months straight crying," he said.

He laughed.

"I'm a crier," he said. "It is what it is."

But that next summer, in 2003, Henderson found a new dedication. He rebuilt his body and his skills, relentlessly drilling moves, and earned All-American status as a junior and a senior. Following his senior year, he thought his future might be in wrestling, so he stayed on at the school as an assistant coach.

His wrestlers soon talked him into a life-changing drive to Omaha.

A late-night transition

Henderson's decision to fully commit to MMA was made at about 9 p.m. on an otherwise random weeknight.

He had recently suffered his first loss in his third amateur fight, which was devastating for a competitor. He knew he liked the sport, and he knew he had some raw skill, and he knew he had a buddy near Denver telling him that city was a logical next step for his budding career.

Just like that, Henderson packed his car.

"I had no place to stay, and I knew one person, and he lived an hour away from Denver," Henderson said. "I'm driving around downtown (Denver), and it's 3 in the morning. I have nowhere to stay, and I'm writing down any phone number I can find for rooms to rent. I made a few calls, and I finally got so tired I pulled into a gas station and slept in my car."

Henderson hasn't rested much during his MMA career since. He found a room, a gym (Mile High Gracie Jiu Jitsu) and a mentor (John Crouch). He continued to train, fight and win.

After a single professional loss, Henderson has won eight straight and established himself as a force in the WEC. He and a few members of the Denver gym moved with Crouch to MMA LAB, a gym outside Phoenix converted to specialize in MMA.

By October 2008, Henderson was a headliner. He prepared for the Evolution MMA show in Phoenix knowing he was the hometown fighter and facing perhaps his toughest competition to date, UFC veteran Diego Saraiva.

The struggle went to a decision, and Henderson won unanimously. After learning from the 17-hour-working Korean mother and beginning his career in a sweaty pair of spandex wrestling shorts, Henderson felt he had arrived.

Now, he wants to do more.

"After that fight, all the hard work was paying off," Henderson said. "I knew this was going to be my life, fighting and training for the next 40 years. As a fighter, I will be one of the best in the world; I'm committed to it."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: UFC possibly headed to Australia for February 2010 show

The Ultimate Fighting Championship could make its first-ever trip to the nation and continent of Australia for a show in February 2010.

The report comes from Fighter's Only.

According to the report, a source from Acer Arena (formerly known as the Sydney SuperDome) in Sydney said venue officials have been contacted about a February booking.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported as early as June 2007 that the UFC was hoping to host a future show in Australia. UFC President Dana White again mentioned it as a possibility in late 2008 while citing the country's solid TV ratings for UFC events.

Acer Arena, part of Sydney Olympic Park, can accommodate more than 21,000 fans, which could help create one of the UFC's largest crowds outside of Montreal.

During this past weekend's UFC 97 event, White also mentioned France as one of the organization's upcoming stops.

The UFC will soon head to Germany (for UFC 99), which will be the seventh country to host an event. Past shows have been held in the U.S., Japan, Brazil, the U.K., Canada and Ireland.

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Jacare" Souza and "Mayhem" Miller title fight official for DREAM.9

The long-rumored DREAM middleweight title fight between Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) and Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) is now official for DREAM.9, which takes place May 26.

The organization added the bout, which will serve as the night's main event, to its official fight card today.

The middleweights will compete for a title vacated by Gegard Mousasi, who'd decided to leave the middleweight division to compete at light heavyweight.

DREAM.9 takes place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan, and airs on HDNet in North America.

Souza and Miller first met in June 2008 during the quarterfinal round of DREAM's middleweight grand prix. Souza picked up the unanimous-decision win (and went on to defeat Zelg Galesic to earn a spot in the finals, but he was knocked out by Mousasi in the championship bout).

Miller enters the championship bout after having just won the middleweight strap for the upstart Kingdom MMA organization, a reincarnation of former Hawaiian organizations promoted by T.Jay Thompson, who also founded Super Brawl and ICON Sport. Miller quickly defeated local fighter and EliteXC veteran Kala Hose with a first-round TKO.

Miller is now 4-1 in his past five fights and 10-2 in his past 12.

Souza, meanwhile, returns to competition for the first time since the loss to Mousasi in September. Prior to the loss, the Brazilian had won 10 consecutive fights.