MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Gracie back to the UFC on the prelims

Since its creation, UFC got marked by Royce Gracie, who revolutionized the world of fights presenting the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Fifteen years later, another member of Gracie family will finally get in the octagon, but this family return won’t be transmitted by the pay-per-view.

On UFC 109, that takes place on February 6, Rolles Gracie Will debut against Mostapha Al Turk, but the fight will happen on the preliminaries. With Rogério Minotouro’s injury, the black belt Demian Maia, who will face Dan Miller, was promoted to the main card. On the first edition of UFC in Abu Dhabi, to April 10, another Gracie will debut on the octagon, but the fight between Renzo and Matt Hughes will show live.

 

[007SYBORG]

“Wanderlei will always be the champion”

GLAD TO SEE THE SUPPORT WANDERLEI IS GETTING.FUCKEN AWESOME.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator Signs Canada’s ‘Next Big Thing’

Bellator Fighting Championships on Monday announced the signing of undefeated Canadian prospect Mike Ricci to an exclusive contract.

Ricci, 23, trains alongside UFC welterweight king Georges St. Pierre and middleweight contender Patrick Cote at the Tristar Gym in Montreal. A protégé of Firas Zahabi, he will compete in Bellator’s lightweight tournament as part of the fledgling promotion’s second season, which begins in April. The winner of the eight-man draw will earn a shot at reigning Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez.

Zahabi thinks Ricci has all the tools he needs to make an impact.

“It’s a long road to become the next GSP, but Ricci is the farthest along that road of anyone we’ve got,” he said in a release. “He’s still earning his stripes, so to speak, but if he continues to progress, I think he’ll be right up there with St. Pierre. He’s up for a much bigger challenge on an international stage, and Bellator gives him that chance.”

Perfect through five professional bouts, Ricci finished his first four opponents inside the TKO, XMMA and Ringside MMA promotions. He last appeared in November when he outpointed Jordan Mein en route to a unanimous decision.

“It’s very exciting for Bellator to acquire a fighter with Mike Ricci’s pedigree,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “This announcement should give everyone an idea of the kind of talent they’re going to be seeing in our lightweight tournament this spring.”

Ricci admits training alongside accomplished fighters like St. Pierre and Cote accelerated his ascent up the mixed martial arts ladder.

“What’s made me improve so much in a short period of time is helping guys like Cote and GSP in their training camps,” Ricci said. “It’s also helped my confidence. When you set a goal of being a world champion, it may seem far-fetched -- but not when you train alongside guys who’ve already achieved that.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dos Santos Picks Nogueira, Mir in Upcoming Bouts

Junior dos Santos continued to climb the UFC heavyweight ranks in early January by stopping Gilbert Yvel. The 25-year-old Brazilian had no qualms standing with the Dutch striker despite Yvel’s reputation for violence on the feet.

“The strategy was to feel out the standup because he is very good in striking but (striking) is also the basis I trust most,” dos Santos told Sherdog.com. “So I could not rule out where I'm strongest, but if things became harder, I would have taken him down to develop the ground fighting. Thank God my punch landed. My hands are very heavy.”

It was the second bout in a row where dos Santos took on a touted striker and beat him at his own game. Last September, he outstruck Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

“These guys were strikers, so no one struck with them,” dos Santos said. “Everybody tried to take them down, and that's what I changed. I tried to surprise them, and it worked.”

Following the Yvel win, dos Santos said the UFC told him to get ready for a busy year. He has already signed to fight former heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga at the March 21 “UFC on Versus 1” event.

“I'm ready for anyone,” he said. “Gonzaga is a great fighter, very tough. I will prepare again for this fight with a lot of focus and get there 100 percent.”

Dos Santos will also have his eye on the UFC heavyweight title picture, which includes some pivotal matchups in the coming months. On Feb. 20 in Australia, dos Santos’ training partner Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira takes on Cain Velasquez.

“I think that Velasquez has proved to be a very tough guy and has a lot of cardio,” dos Santos said. “He also has great wrestling, but people know that Rodrigo is different, a guy above average. Everyone could see that he was back against Couture, which for me was the best fight of all time. I'm sure this fight will be tough. I see Cain trading some blows with him, but I think Rodrigo is better at striking. I think Cain is going to try takedowns -- he’s the better wrestler -- but I believe in Rodrigo winning by submission.”

On March 27, Frank Mir will fight Shane Carwin for the interim title at UFC 111 -- another bout dos Santos will be watching closely.

“It will be a good fight, even though Rodrigo should be fighting for the interim belt,” he said. “Mir just battled it out with Brock Lesnar, and Couture also has much more of a name then Cheick Kongo (who Mir beat last), so the dispute should be Rodrigo versus Velasquez for the interim belt. But the UFC decides, and I think it will be a good fight, tough for both, and will not last until the end. Carwin has proved quite capable and is a good striker, but Mir is very complete and I bet on his victory.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Books Kongo-Buentello for Versus Debut

French kickboxer Cheick Kongo will meet the well-traveled Paul Buentello in a key heavyweight match at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo. The promotion on Monday made the matchup official.

Saddled by a two-fight losing streak, Kongo last competed in December, when he was choked unconscious by a Frank Mir guillotine choke at UFC 107. The chiseled 6-foot-4 Frenchman remains one of the heavyweight division’s most feared stand-up fighters and holds notable victories against 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Dutch striker Antoni Hardonk. Kongo had rattled off three consecutive wins before closing out 2009 with back-to-back losses to Mir and Cain Velasquez.

Buentello, 36, made his first Octagon appearance in nearly four years at UFC 107, as he dropped a majority decision to the 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve. Also known for his stand-up prowess, he has gone the distance only three times in his 38-fight career. Victories over Fedor Emelianenko protégé Kirill Sidelnikov, David “Tank” Abbott and Mike Kyle anchor his resume.

Meanwhile, Spencer Fisher will meet Duane Ludwig in a lightweight tilt that promises fireworks.

Fisher has posted three wins in four fights but finds himself on the rebound after he was struck into second-round submission by Joe Stevenson at UFC 104 in October. The 33-year-old North Carolinian owns victories against world-ranked welterweight Thiago Alves, Sam Stout and Caol Uno. Still one of the UFC’s most durable 155-pound competitors, he has been stopped only twice in 28 professional bouts.

Ludwig has not won a fight inside the UFC in almost four years. The 30-year-old submitted to a Jim Miller armbar at UFC 108 earlier this month. A potent muay Thai practitioner, Ludwig has secured more than half (10) of his 19 wins by knockout or technical knockout. Former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver and Canadian veteran Jonathan Goulet are among his victims.

A light heavyweight matchup pairing Jon Jones and Brandon Vera will headline the UFC’s debut on the Versus network, along with a heavyweight bout between Junior dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Monson Wins; Houston Alexander Loses

One-time UFC heavyweight title contender Jeff Monson defeated John Brown by split decision at the “New Year’s Revolution” show co-promoted by 5150 Combat League and Xtreme Fighting League on Saturday at the Spirit Bank Event Center in Tulsa, Okla.

The 39-year-old Monson has delivered seven wins in his last eight fights, including victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner Roy Nelson and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Sergei Kharitonov.

“New Year’s Revolution” featured a number of other high-profile UFC castaways.

Houston Alexander, victimized by Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale last month, failed to slow his fall, as he succumbed to second-round strikes from Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Joey Beltran. The end came 3:49 into round two, as a battered and bloodied Alexander surrendered his back and absorbed a barrage of fight-ending blows on the ground. Alexander, 37, has lost five of his last six bouts.

The tireless Jeremy Horn had no such trouble.

Horn, one of the sport’s ultimate journeymen, submitted Victor Moreno with a first-round guillotine choke and pressed forward towards the 100-victory plateau. The 34-year-old has secured 53 of his 84 career wins by submission.

Meanwhile, Rich Clementi outlasted World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Mike Budnik in a spirited five-round battle, as he finished the Oklahoman with a fifth-round rear-naked choke. Budnik met his end 2:10 into round five, as Clementi scored with a takedown, ultimately seized back control and cinched the submission.

Finally, Tim Boetsch coaxed a tapout from Rudy Lindsey with a standing guillotine choke 1:55 into the second round of their showdown. Boetsch has won back-to-back fights since his unanimous decision loss to Jason Brilz at UFC 96.

Tate Submits Coolbaugh at FCF 38

Strikeforce veteran Miesha Tate submitted Valerie Coolbaugh with an opening-round armbar, as she defended her FCF bantamweight championship at Freestyle Cage Fighting 38 on Saturday at the Expo Square Pavilion in Tulsa, Okla. Tate finished her foe with just 15 seconds left in round one.

The Washington-born Tate, spawned by the Victory Athletics camp, has rattled off consecutive victories since her decision loss to undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman at Strikeforce “Challengers Series 1” in May. Coolbaugh, on the other hand, has lost two in a row, both of them by submission.

Meanwhile, UFC veteran David Heath pointed himself back in the right direction. The 33-year-old Oklahoman, three months removed from a submission loss to Mike Nickels, finished Jason Freeman with a head kick 4:18 into the first round. Heath has delivered all but two of his 14 career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Not content with close UFN 20 win, Aaron Simpson already back in gym

Despite scoring a come-from-behind victory on national television, picking up a $30,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus, and improving his career mark to 7-0 (3-0 in the UFC), Aaron Simpson did little celebrating after UFC Fight Night 20 last week.

Simpson edged Tom Lawlor via split decision at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., but the Arizona Combat Sports fighter wasn't about to rest on his laurels.

In fact, as he recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), he was back in the gym just a few days after the Jan. 11 win.

"I can't take too much time off, especially after that kind of fight," said Simpson, who took the decision, 29-28, on two of the judges' cards. "It's not how I want to fight. That's not the type of fighter I want to be."

Lawlor, a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 8" who's quickly become a fan favorite thanks to goofy ring entrances and a laid-back personality, was the clear aggressor early in the fight. He battered Simpson with early power shots, and Simpson was dazed on a few occasions.

"Tom came out and had a great first round," said Simpson, a two-time Division I All-American wrestler at Arizona State. "He hit me good. He wobbled me good, and I've been wobbled in the gym before.

"Thankfully, I recovered surprisingly fast, in my opinion."

Simpson said it took a round for him to find his range and to get comfortable in the cage. And by then, Lawlor had taken a definitive lead.

"It's something I had to figure out quickly how I was going to come back from it," he said. "The problem was with him being a southpaw, and he kept catching me with uppercuts. I was dropping my lead hand, and I don't know what it was, I just felt real sluggish when I was out there. I couldn't get going."

"It just wasn't my day, especially in the first round."

While Simpson came back to make the second round close (and took the third on all three judges' cards), a lot of fans are focusing on that first round. All three judges gave it to Lawlor, 10-9, but some have wondered why it wasn't a 10-8 round.

Simpson, too, considered the possibility. But even while tabulating scores between rounds and determining what he needed to do to pull out the win, he didn't really consider the possibility of Lawlor taking a two-point lead after the first frame.

"I never thought that; I never thought that it was a 10-8," he said. "I still really don't think it was a 10-8. From what I believe, a 10-8 (requires that) you have to really drop somebody. You have to have them on the ropes, and I don't believe I was on the ropes like that where I was just out of it or saved by the bell. I just knew I needed to come back, but I knew that I lost the round."

Simpson also pointed to a quirk of the UFC's octagon that may have made the first round seem even more lopsided than it was. While feeling the sting of one of Lawlor's early punches, Simpson said he backed up against the cage. His foot was soon stuck between the canvas and fencing.

"There's almost like a little canal that goes around the cage where the fence goes into the floor," he said. "It's like a 3-inch dropoff in there. I caught my foot in there, and you'll see me like falling into the fence. That even made [the round] look worse than it was.

"That wasn't so much me being woozy as getting tripped up."

Simpson, though, is the first to admit that Lawlor packed a punch more powerful than he expected. Lawlor fought two fellow Arizona Combat Sports fighters - teammate Ryan Bader on "TUF 8" and C.B. Dollaway at UFC 100 – and neither of the Simpson teammates made particular mention of Lawlor's power.

"He stuck me; absolutely wobbled me," Simpson said. "Someone can tell you what someone does or how they feel, but until you get out there and and are actually in the middle of it, none of that really helps. ... Lawlor has power. He packs a punch."

In the mean time, Simpson is planning for a spring return - possibly as soon as March or April - thanks to major injuries incurred at UFC Fight Night 20.

"I'd like to get back in there as soon as possible," Lawlor said. "Whoever they give me, I'll take it, and we'll go from there."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rousimar Palhares meets Thomas Drwal at UFC 111 in New Jersey

The UFC's second trip to The Garden State has another fight to its lineup.

A middleweight match-up pitting submission ace Rousimar Palhares (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) against the heavy-handed Thomasz Drwal (17-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will be finalized shortly for UFC 111, sources close to the situation told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). Both fighters have agreed to the match-up and are expected to turn in bout agreements this week.

UFC 111 is set for March 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The pay-per-view event features two title fights; Georges St-Pierre attempts to defend his welterweight title a fourth time against Dan Hardy, and former heavyweight champion Frank Mir faces Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight title.

Palhares, a standout in the next generation of Brazilian Top Team fighters, saw action this past December at UFC 107, where he submitted newcomer Lucio Linhares by heel hook. It was his second consecutive victory after a lone octagon blemish against Dan Henderson at UFC 88, a fight that snapped a six-win streak.

Palhares suffered a fractured tibia this past May while in training and was forced to withdraw from a bout with Alessio Sakara at UFC 101. Thales Leites went on to fill the slot.

A second meeting between Palhares and Sakara was scratched a second time this past December when Sakara suffered an undisclosed injury in training and couldn't fight at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale.

Drwal, meanwhile, racked up his third straight UFC victory this past September at UFC 103 when he surprised many by taking fellow striker Drew McFedries down and securing a rear naked choke. The Polish-born fighter had developed a reputation as a banger in slugfests with Thiago Silva, Ivan Serati and Mike Ciesnolevicz.

Drawl splits his fight training between his native Poland — where he runs his own MMA gym — and San Diego.

A source told MMAjunkie.com that the bout is expected to be part of UFC 111's main card, though it's position on the lineup has not been solidified.

The UFC has not been to the northeast since November 2007, when "The Ultimate Fighter" winners Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping headlined a Prudential Center.

A long-anticipated trip to Boston is also in the works for the organization, with an Aug. 29 date targeted for the 19,000-seat TD Garden arena, according to UFC president Dana White. Massachusetts signed into law a measure legalizing the sport of MMA this past November.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rich Franklin's hernia surgery successful, UFC return still targeted for spring

Former UFC middleweight champion and veteran fighter Rich Franklin underwent successful hernia surgery last week and still expects to return to the octagon this spring.

J.T. Stewart, Franklin's business manager, shared the news with the Dayton Daily News, a content partner site of MMAjunkie.com.

Franklin slotted the Jan. 12 surgery after a busy 2009 fight schedule continually forced him to postpone the procedure.

Finally with some downtime in what will be his longest layoff in approximately seven years, Franklin scheduled the surgery after getting a break in his fighting and public-appearance schedule.

"No complications, no surprises," Stewart said of the surgery. "He is fine."

The 35-year-old Franklin headlined four major UFC events over a 12-month period (September 2008 to September 2009). In a close split-decision loss to Dan Henderson in January 2009, Franklin suffered a severely scratched cornea. The next month, he underwent a procedure and was awake as a surgeon removed scar tissue from his right eyeball.

Franklin, who's also dabbled in acting and endorsement deals in recent years, recently told MMAjunkie.com he hopes to return to the cage in or around May, though UFC officials have not determined a specific date. Because his surgery was successful, the expected recovery time remains unchanged at six to eight weeks.

Franklin, who had been asked to fight Forrest Griffin at UFC 106, turned down the November fight due to a lack of training time (he also fought in September) and the pending hernia surgery. Tito Ortiz instead took the fight, though UFC officials have said a Griffin vs. Franklin fight could happen this year.

Regardless, when he does return, Franklin would like to make a final run at the title – this time at light heavyweight. But he said he's just happy giving fans fights they want to see.

"If I can make a title run, that would be awesome," Franklin said. "That would be a great Cinderella story for myself, especially for someone like me. I'm a third-string high school football player, and that's my athletic history.

"If I didn't (get another shot at the title), I would not lose any sleep over it. In between, if I'm putting on fights that fans want to see and that are exciting, that's really what the goal is because I still love to compete. I haven't lost that edge for competition."

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC confirms Torres vs. Benavidez, Pulver vs. Vazquez for WEC 47 in March

After recently announcing Miguel Torres (37-2 MMA, 5-1 WEC) and Jens Pulver (22-12 MMA, 1-4 WEC) will return at WEC 47 in March, World Extreme Cagefighting officials today confirmed their respective opponents: Joseph Benavidez (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Javier Vazquez (13-4 MMA, 0-2 WEC).

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported both of the matchups last month.

WEC 47 takes place March 6 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, with a Versus-televised headliner of WEC bantamweight champ Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz.

The event marks the WEC's debut in Ohio, which regulates more MMA shows per year than other state in the U.S.

Torres, whose legendary 17-fight win streak came to an end when Bowles took his title in August, fights for the first time since that championship loss. The defeat also snapped his five-fight win streak in the WEC and marked the first time he had ever been stopped by an opponent.

Although stopping short of confirming the plans, WEC officials recently told MMAjunkie.com that Torres could earn a title shot if he beats Benavidez.

Of course, Benavidez could also earn title consideration if he pulls off the win. The fighter, who recently rebounded from his first career loss (via decision to Cruz at WEC 42 in August) with an impressive first-round knockout of Rani Yahya at WEC 45, also owns WEC victories over Jeff Curran and Danny Martinez.

Meanwhile, Pulver, a former UFC champion, essentially announced his retirement following a June 2009 loss to Josh Grispi. It was his sixth loss in seventh fights, which came in both the UFC and WEC. And though his career looked over, WEC General Manager Reed Harris told MMAjunkie.com Radio last month that Pulver had decided to make a return to the cage.

His opponent, Vazquez, looks to rebound from a pair of recent razor-thin split-decision losses to fellow featherweights Deividas Taurosevicius and L.C. Davis. Prior to the defeats, "Showtime," who's posted nine stoppages in 13 career victories, had posted a four-fight win streak, which included a pair of wins in the now-defunct EliteXC organization.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Leonard Garcia and Diego Nunes verbally agree to WEC 47 bout

Featherweights Leonard Garcia (13-5 MMA, 3-2 WEC) and Diego Nunes (13-1 MMA, 2-1 WEC) have verbally agreed to meet at WEC 47 in March, and bout agreements should be finalized in the coming week.

Sources close to the event today confirmed the matchup with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The event takes place March 6 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The main card, including a a headliner of WEC featherweight champ Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz, airs on Versus.

Garcia, a former UFC fighter now well established in the promotion's sister company, looks to rebound from a November unanimous-decision loss to fellow contender Manny Gamburyan. Prior to the defeat, the 30-year-old went 3-1 in the WEC, which included a decision victory over Jameel Massouh and knockouts of Jens Pulver and Hiroyuki Takaya.

Nunes, meanwhile, also looks to rebound from a recent loss. In fact, his November decision defeat to L.C. Davis marked Nunes' first loss in 14 career fights. The 27-year-old opened his career with 11 consecutive wins via stoppage in Brazil, and after making his WEC debut, he posted decision wins over Cole Province and Rafael Dias to move to 13-0.

While neither fighter likely is at risk of being dropped by the WEC, a win at WEC 47 is vital for both Garcia and Nunes to get back in the title picture in the 145-pound division.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Kampmann vs. Saunders set for UFC 111 main card, two bouts official for prelims

Ultimate Fighting Championship executives today made official three additional bouts for the March 27 UFC 111 event in New Jersey, and one of them is set to air on the pay-per-view main card.

A welterweight bout of Martin Kampmann (16-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) vs. Ben Saunders (8-1-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned guaranteed TV time.

Additionally, a welterweight bout between Ricardo Funch (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Matthew Riddle (3-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), as well as a 205-pound contest between Rodney Wallace (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Jared Hamman (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), are official for the night's preliminary card.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported the three matchups, which take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Kampmann, a former middleweight contender, looks to build on the momentum of a UFC 108 win over Jacob Volkmann earlier this month. Although best known for his standup skills, Kampmann earned the win by submission, the sixth such victory of his career. Kampmann is now 3-1 in the UFC's 170-pound division; the lone came to Paul Daley back in September.

Saunders also recently rebounded from a loss. After dropping a June 2009 loss to Mike Swick, the American Top Team product responded back with a devastating knockout win over Marcus Davis at UFC 106 in November. With additional wins over Brandon Wolff, Ryan Thomas and Daniel Barrera, Saunders has now won four of his five career UFC outings.

Meanwhile, in his UFC debut, Hamman dropped a swift first-round knockout to Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 105 in November. The bout was Hamman's first since a long layoff in the wake of EliteXC's collapse, where he served a three-fight stint notable for a controversial stoppage loss to Poai Suganuma in March 2008 (which he subsequently avenged four months later).

Wallace suffered the first loss of his career when he came up short on points against former WEC champion Brian Stann at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale. The unanimous-decision loss came after he had racked up six unanimous-decision wins in just 20 months as a professional.

In welterweight action, Funch likely fights for his life in the organization at UFC 111. The Brazilian native and Massachusetts-based fighter opened his career with a 7-0 record before signing a multi-fight deal with the UFC. However, in his octagon debut at UFC 107 in December, the 29-year-old suffered a hard-fought unanimous-decision loss to Johny Henricks.

Riddle, a youngster who entered the UFC via the seventh season of "The Ultimate Fighter," has spent his entire pro career with the UFC. After a string of unanimous-decision wins (over Dante Rivera, Steve Bruno and Dan Cramer) to open his career, the 24-year-old recently suffered his first career loss with a third-round TKO defeat to Nick Osipczak at UFC 105 in November.

The latest UFC 111 card now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (for welterweight title)
* Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir (for interim heavyweight title)
* Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch*
* Martin Kampmann vs. Ben Saunders
* Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown*
* Thomas Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares*
* Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino*
* Ricardo Funch vs. Matthew Riddle
* Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

DERRICK NOBLE VS YVES EDWARDS HEADS MFC 24

An expected intense showdown between two veteran lightweights will headline the card set for MFC 24: Heat XC on Feb. 26. One time MFC lightweight title challenger Derrick “The Eraser” Noble (25-12-1) will look to get back into 155-pound championship picture when he takes on “The Texas Gunslinger” Yves Edwards (36-15-1) in a clash that will top the lineup of fights at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta.

Both fighters are known for putting an exclamation point on the fights. In his 25 victories, Nobles has 19 stoppages - nine by knockout and another 10 by submission including his somewhat surprising second-round guillotine choke win over jiu-jitsu practitioner Ariel Sexton at MFC 19.

Edwards, meanwhile, has ended 29 of his 36 wins inside the distance - 14 by knockout and 15 by submission with his most-recent verdict being a first-round TKO of Kyle Jensen.

“This year, I’ve made it clear to the fighters in our organization that I want them to be exciting, get the crowd out their seats, and end fights in style,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “Derrick and Yves are the kind of fighters that won’t sit back, they won’t lay around, and they won’t be looking to drag things out.

“Both of them know how important this fight is to their respective careers and they are both well aware what lies ahead for them with an impressive win. They won’t be hoping to win by lame decision. They both want a big, convincing victory.”

Noble is eager to put his last MFC outing behind him. The Cuba, Illinois, native couldn’t pull the trigger enough times in his encounter with Antonio McKee, resulting in McKee being awarded a five-round decision and the MFC lightweight belt.

“I expect this fight with Yves to be full of fireworks and to be completely different from my last MFC fight,” said Noble. “Putting Yves and myself in the ring together is a fight the fans are going to enjoy.

“I’m really excited about this fight. Fighting guys like Yves is what my entire career has been about. I always fight tough guys and have never turned down a fight, so as soon as I was offered the fight it took me all of 10 seconds to say yes. I’m looking to get back to the top and Yves is a good way to make that happen.

“It’s a dangerous fight for both of us. I’ve fought good strikers so I know how to deal with that. I respect Yves and what he has accomplished but come Feb. 26 I’ll be looking to take him out just like anybody else.”

Noble has won two straight since falling to McKee and holds career victories over such notables as MFC welterweight champ Pat Healy, Thiago Alves, and Jake Ellenberger.

Edwards, too, is no stranger to big-name fights as his career resume reads like a who’s who of opponents. A winner of five of his last seven fights, the Woodlands, Texas, product has beaten the likes of Hermes Franca, Rich Clementi, Pete Spratt, Thomas Denny, and Dokonjonosuke Mishima during his career. The 33-year-old has also been in against a long list of notables such as Joe Stevenson, Matt Serra, and Nate Marquardt.

The Noble-Edwards encounter highlights the MFC 24 card which includes two light heavyweight clashes pitting Dwayne Lewis against David Heath, and Nick Penner against Chris Price, along with a middleweight tussle between Tom Watson and Travis Galbraith.

MFC 24: Heat XC will air live via streaming webcast.

 

[Shogun Locc]

DIEGO SANCHEZ CONTEMPLATING RETURN TO 170?

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez has heavy things weighing on his mind.

Heavy in the sense of what weight class he will next compete in. The New Mexico native on Sunday night left a somewhat cryptic message via his Facebook page stating "going back up to 170."

When contacted by MMAWeekly.com, Jeff Clark, Sanchez's manager, indicated that there has been no official decision made at this time about what weight class he will compete in next.

Before dropping to 155 pounds for his last three fights, Sanchez had a very successful career at welterweight, earning a mark of 7-2 overall with his only losses coming at the hands of top five fighters Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.

Following a win over Luigi Fioravanti in June 2008, Sanchez officially made the move to the lightweight division where he picked up wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida. The former Greg Jackson disciple suffered his first loss at 155 pounds last month when he was stopped by current lightweight champion B.J. Penn in a title bout at UFC 107.

While no decision has been made, it's no secret that Sanchez was definitely a big lightweight fighter, thus making weight became a tougher prospect just based on size alone.

 

[Shogun Locc]

FABER WOULD LIKE MID-MAY SHOWDOWN WITH ALDO

It's likely to be the fight that headlines the first ever WEC pay-per-view, and even though former champion Urijah Faber is only days removed from his latest win, he's already breaking down his next opponent, featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Watching a DVD of all of Aldo's 18 fights, Faber believes that he can find a weakness in the game of a fighter who has looked nearly unbeatable in all of his fights in the WEC. The "California Kid" is confident he'll have the kryptonite to Aldo's Superman.

"It's going to be a close fight, but the advantage point for me is first off the speed neutralizing him, and second having an advantage in the grappling, and understanding what his weapons are," Faber explained when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio last week. "His knees and kicks are going to be one thing, and his hands, but being aware of it is going to make it easier for me."

The champion sounded confident when he entered the cage following Faber's win in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., last weekend, letting everyone know that he didn't plan on giving up the title anytime soon.

"Aldo's got the champion's mentality. I really think he believes no one's going to take his belt," Faber commented.

Urijah Faber tends to differ with Aldo on who is going to end up with the belt.

"I believe that is my belt, and that I am going to take it, and that's what great fights are," he said. "It's just basically two guys that are top dogs, two guys who are alpha males, and dedicated to their art, and looking forward to a fight."

The timing for the Faber vs. Aldo fight is still up in the air, but most believe it will be the headlining bout when the WEC debuts on pay-per-view in 2010. The former champion has a perfect timetable of his own, but leaves it up to the WEC to decide when he gets to compete again.

"I would say mid-May would probably be ideal for me," Faber commented. "Mid-May, maybe late April, that's kind of close, but I feel great. I don't really take time off. I'm ready to fight, I'm ready to get this belt, to continue to build my name, and blow up MMA and the light weight classes and the WEC."

The fight will quite possibly be the biggest in the WEC's history, and a guaranteed fan favorite when the two featherweights mix it up later this year.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gilbert Melendez: 'I think I could do better than a lot of guys do against B.J. Penn'

"B.J.'s on another level. [But] I think I could do better than a lot of guys do against B.J. A lot of guys sit back and want to last with B.J. I'd rather get knocked out in the center of the ring and go for it, than sit back and try to figure it out. If things aren't working, I'm going to charge B.J. and try to knock him out. It's better than just running away and not being able to engage."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marcus Davis set to face Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113

Marcus Davis will attempt to avoid the first three-fight losing streak of his career on May 1 when he steps into the Octagon against Jonathan Goulet in Montreal at UFC 113.

“The Irish Hand Grenade” informed fans of his plans today on his Twitter page, saying he’d signed a contract to face the French-Canadian at the upcoming event.

Davis most recently suffered the first knockout of his career in a losing effort to Ben Saunders at UFC 106 after losing a split-decision to the welterweight division’s top contender, Dan Hardy, in his previous bout.

Goulet has been out of action since December 2008 but is 22-10 as a professional and will certainly have the Canadian crowd on his side.

The card appears to be a stacked one, as it is also rumored to feature a clash between fellow 170-pounders Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck, Kimbo Slice’s return to the Octagon against Matt Mitrione as first reported by FiveOuncesofPain.com, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson settling his score with Rashad Evans, and a rematch between light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 110 Preview: Michael Bisping Blogs About Wanderlei Silva

Training for this camp is already going very well. I know Wanderlei is a legend in the sport, but styles make fights and I truly believe my style is a very bad fit for Wanderlei. With Rampage giving me the insider's perspective, I am even more confident of beating the legend at the Acer Arena in Sydney on Feb 21st.

Despite Wanderlei's legendary reputation, I am not going to be overwhelmed in this fight. I am not going to stand off and be in awe of Wanderlei. Yes, he's a big-name in mixed martial arts and is one of the most recognisable figures in the sport. Yes, he also packs plenty of power in his fists. However, the way to beat Wanderlei is to go out there and show him no respect. Rampage did exactly that and he blasted Wanderlei out of there inside a round. If you give Wanderlei too much respect, he’ll chew you up and spit you out.

I'm planning on one thing and one thing only: going out to Australia and beating Wanderlei Silva up... I'm not going out there for a holiday or to make up the numbers. This is the biggest fight of my life and I can't accept anything but victory. I know what I'm up against and I know exactly what I have to do to beat him."

I'm living, eating and sleeping Wanderlei Silva right now. Like Rampage did 13 months ago, I'm going to crush 'The Axe Murderer'...

 

[B-Buzz]

Early look at the Strikeforce Challengers 2/26 card

Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1)
Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shine Fights 3 pushed back to April, will air as televised Pay-Per-View

Although previously expected for March 3, FiveOuncesofPain.com has recently been able to learn from sources close to the situation that the third event for Shine Fight Promotions has been pushed back to an April date.

FiveOuncesofPain.com has further been able to confirm that Shine III will be slotted for a television Pay-Per-View broadcast.

Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Falaniko Vitale was recently announced by the promotion for the card, and former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga is also rumored to make his professional MMA debut against Din Thomas.

Previous Shine events have featured memorable brawls showcasing fighters such as Yves Edwards, Micah Miller, Roan Carneiro, Antonio Mendes, Brian Foster and more.