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Feb 7, 2006
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Eleven WEC 34 fighters issued medical suspensions

The California State Athletic Commission had issued medical suspensions to 11 of the 22 fighters who took part in the June 1 "WEC: Faber vs. Pulver" event.

The show, which featured WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber's unanimous-decision victory over Jens Pulver, took place at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif., and aired live on VERSUS.

A handful of hefty 180-day suspensions were issued to the fighters, including headliners Faber (hand injury) and Pulver (eye injury).

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) received the list of suspensions directly from the CSAC. The full list includes:

Alex Nogueira: 60-day suspension due to a cut; coincides with a 45-day suspension (with no contact for 30 days) due to suffering a knockout
Luis Do Santos: 45-day suspension with no contact for 30 days due to suffering a knockout
Jeremy Lang: 180-day suspension days due to a left-ankle injury; coincides with 60-day suspension for a cut and a 45-day suspension (with no contact for 30 days) due to suffering a knockout
Will Robeiro: 180-day suspension due to a right-hand injury (can be cleared early by doctor)
Rob McCullough: 60-day suspension due to a cut
Chuck Grigsby: indefinite suspension due to a head injury (must be cleared by a doctor)
Mark Munoz: 180-day suspension due to a right-hand injury
Yoshiro Maeda: 180-day suspension due to a right-eye orbital injury; coincides with 45-day suspension with no contact for 30 days due to suffering a knockout
Miguel Torres: 60-day suspension due to a cut
Jens Pulver: 180-day suspension due to a right-eye orbital injury
Urijah Faber: 180-day suspension due to a right-hand injury (can be cleared early by doctor)
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Affliction Press Release: Donald Trump to announce partnership with Affliction at June 5 press conference

Here’s a press release that was just released by Affliction to announce a press conference this Thursday, June 5 in New York involving none other than Donald Trump:

WHAT: “Affliction Banned” Press Conference

WHO: DONALD J. TRUMP
Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization

WHEN: Thursday, June 5 – 12 PM/ET

WHERE: Trump Tower, 25th Floor, 725 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022

WHY: To announce a partnership between Affliction and Donald J. Trump, who will outline his involvement with Affliction and “Affliction Banned,” the star studded mixed-martial-arts show July 19th 2008 on pay-per-view television, featuring the return of Russian combat fighting icon Fedor Emelianenko at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

“Affliction Banned” will be distributed on Pay-Per-View and air live (9 PM/ET, 6 PM/PT) on cable and satellite viewing in the USA and Canada via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewer’s Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice for a suggested retail price of $39.95. The telecast will be available in both standard and high definition television.

Tickets for “Affliction Banned,” ranging between $50.00 and $1,000.00, are on sale at the Honda Center box office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Jacare speaks on Miller

Tipped as a likely next phenomenon in the world MMA scene, Ronaldo Jacare will have yet another mountain to climb on the coming 15th, in Japan, on his way to winning the Dream middleweight GP. The two-time world absolute Jiu-Jitsu world champion (2004/05) at black belt will face Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Even though he adopts a kind of "cocky" style, Miller will bring into the ring the experience of someone with more than 25 fights on his record and who has already fought such names as Georges Saint-Pierre, Dennis Kang, Robbie Lawler and Frank Trigg.

"All my fights I fight as though they were the most important in my career. I know he has fought a lot of top guys and beat most of them. I'm happy to have this adversary. I think being cocky has its value, but I think it's ridiculous to disrespect a fighter. Disrespect a guy who is there to help him grow, regardless of him being better or worse," declared Jacare when referring to the provocations his future opponent did to his opponent in the first stage of the GP, Katsuyori Shibata.

The Brazilian, who has been summarily submitting his opponents in his last seven fights, can be found in Los Angeles, where he has been preparing for the bout. "I'm training to fight well, regardless of my adversary. I came here to Los Angeles to deal with my Japanese visa, which I haven't yet settled, so I've had to adapt to training here," said the black belt to GRACIEMAG.com.

On his expectations for the fight, the always confident Jaca seemed to have the answer on the tip of his tongue. "He's good on the ground. I think he'll try to use what weapons he has and will surely use his good ground game to try and beat me. I know it could be a tough fight, as I also know it could be a quick one. He is an experienced guy, but he's nuts. If he tries any crazy stuff on me it won't go past five minutes."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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WEC 35 FEATURES THREE TITLE BOUTS IN AUGUST

LAS VEGAS – The World Extreme Cagefighting® organization announced that three world titles will be on the line when WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion “All American” Brian Stann, and WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner all return to action at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday, August 3.

One of the best 170-pound fighters on the planet, Carlos Condit will defend his title after dominating his last three opponents in the WEC cage. Following his first round submission win over Carlos Prater in February, Condit is eager to get back to work.

The Albuquerque native’s take no prisoners style has propelled him to the top of the rankings in the MMA world, and he looks to continue on his march to greatness this summer. In order to do that he will have to get past Tokyo , Japan ’s Hiromitsu Miura. Miura’s last outing in the WEC Cage was a KO victory over Blas Avena in March, and he will be bringing his power and world-class skills with him to Las Vegas as he looks to take Condit’s crown.

A Captain of the United States Marine Corps who was awarded the Silver Star for his bravery in battle during the Iraq War, Brian "All-American" Stann has made a significant impact in and out of the WEC cage. Inside of it, the 27-year old Pennsylvanian captured the WEC Light Heavyweight Title in March with an impressive first round TKO victory over Doug “The Rhino” Marshall . Stann will look to hold onto his newly crowned title when he returns to the cage against Steve Cantwell.

Las Vegas ’ Cantwell (5-1) isn’t just in search of a title on August 3rd, but he is after redemption after a 2007 defeat to Stann. Winner of bouts over Justin McElfresh and Tim McKenzie that lasted just a combined three minutes, Cantwell has worked his way back to the top of the 205-pound weight class and he is coming to take the belt on August 3.

Jamie Varner announced his arrival on the world stage in February when he captured the lightweight title with a hard fought KO victory over veteran “Razor” Rob McCullough in February. Now Varner looks to show the MMA world that he is a legitimate champion in the 155 lb. division and he is eager to prove that he has what it takes to be on top of the MMA food chain, he will have his hands full when he takes on Marcus Hicks.

Hicks has tore through his last three opponents in the WEC, defeating all three by submission. Will he keep his spotless record intact on August 3rd? He will have to walk through fire against Varner to do so.

The WEC is expected to announce more bouts for the Aug. 3 fight card in the near future.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MASVIDAL TO FIGHT DAMM AT SENGOKU 3

Jorge Masvidal, considered by many as one of the top up and coming lightweights in the world, will return to action on June 8 as a part of the latest World Victory Road: Sengoku card in Japan. He will face Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Rodrigo Damm.

The announcement was made on Monday by Sengoku and confirmed on Tuesday by representatives of Masvidal’s training camp, American Top Team.

Masvidal has gained a top reputation in the lightweight division over the past few years picking up wins over fighters such as Yves Edwards, Joe Lauzon, and Steve Berger.

He most recently competed for the Strikeforce promotion, defeating Ryan Healy by unanimous decision in February 2008. Masvidal was still under contract to the Bodog Fight promotion until the organization met its demise earlier this year.

His opponent, Rodrigo Damm, was also a Bodog veteran, having fought for the promotion three times himself, going 3-0 in the process. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and multiple-time wrestling champion in Brazil.

Damm’s last fight was a win over Johil De Oliveira in October of 2007.

Sengoku 3 will also feature fights between Kazuo Misaki and Logan Clark, Nick Thompson and Michael Costa, and several other bouts on the company’s third event since its inception.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MIR'S COACHES REVEALED FOR ULTIMATE FIGHTER 8

The Ultimate Fighter 8 features former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir and current interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as the head coaches. Two of Mir’s assistant coaches have been revealed according to a report on Tatame.com. Rafael Alejarra will serve as strength and conditioning coach, while multiple time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Robert Drysdale will take on the role, of course, of jiu-jitsu coach.

In an interview with Tatame, Alejarra stated that the show is already in production and that he will assist Mir in getting his team ready, as the former champion asked him for assistance during the season.

Alejarra has served as conditioning coach most prominently of late to former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva, instituting his now famous “snorkel” training to help cardio and breathing during fights.

He also revealed Drysdale as the jiu-jitsu coach in the interview, but stated that because of his longtime relationship with Nogueira, the opposing coach on the show, that he would not train Mir personally for his fight against the champion.

The eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter will feature lightweights and light heavyweights and is expected to debut in September.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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JENS PULVER TALKS WEC 34 LOSS TO URIJAH FABER

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Jens Pulver lost a hard-fought, five-round war with World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Urijah Faber Sunday night. Pulver spoke with MMAWeekly.com about the loss and his fighting future.

"It was tough. That fight, it hurt," said Pulver. "It was tough. I remember looking up and going, Jesus, this is only the third round. It felt like seven."

Known for his punching power and striking ability, Pulver found himself on the losing end of the stand-up exchanges. "I just kept hanging in there no matter what he brought, what he's got, keep hanging," commented the WEC featherweight contender. "I'm always one punch away from turning this thing around, and I just stayed in there trying to fight, and that was all I had.

"I felt like I had him hurting and slowing down at moments, but I wasn't getting the combinations off. I wasn't getting in there and getting snap. I couldn't catch him more-or-less."

Already putting the loss behind him, Pulver looks to the future. "I definitely want a few more fights. That's the best I've felt physically," said the 33-year-old fighter. "I don't think anybody has seen me stop shots like that with a great wrestler especially in a long time. I'm excited and really looking forward to going in there and fighting again."

Asked if he wanted to fight anyone in particular, Pulver responded, "I'll fight whoever they put in front of me. It's whoever. I don't make that choice."

Pulver plans to take the summer off from competition, but expects to be back in action later in the year.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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MMAWEEKLY WORLD MMA RANKINGS UPDATED

The latest MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings were released on Wednesday, June 4. This system ranks the Top 10 MMA fighters from all across the world in each of the six most widely accepted weight classes.

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

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

Fighters must also have competed within the past 12 months in order to be eligible for Top 10 consideration.

Below are the current MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings, which are up-to-date as of June 4.

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

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (over 205 pounds)

#1 Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Fedor Emelianenko

2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

3. Randy Couture

4. Josh Barnett

5. Tim Sylvia

6. Andrei Arlovski

7. Fabricio Werdum

8. Gabriel Gonzaga

9. Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic

10. Aleksander Emelianenko

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

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205-pound limit)

#1 Light Heavyweight Fighter in the World: Quinton Jackson

2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

3. Chuck Liddell

4. Lyoto Machida

5. Wanderlei Silva

6. Forrest Griffin

7. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

9. Keith Jardine

10. Thiago Silva

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

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185-pound limit)

#1 Middleweight Fighter in the World: Anderson Silva

2. Paulo Filho

3. Rich Franklin

4. Robbie Lawler

5. Nathan Marquardt

6. Kazuo Misaki

7. Yushin Okami

8. Dan Henderson

9. Gegard Mousasi

10. Denis Kang

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

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170-pound limit)

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

2. Jon Fitch

3. Matt Hughes

4. Josh Koscheck

5. Matt Serra

6. Jake Shields

7. Diego Sanchez

8. Carlos Condit

9. Thiago Alves

10. Karo Parisyan

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

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (160-pound limit)

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

2. Takanori Gomi

3. Shinya Aoki

4. Tatsuya Kawajiri

5. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante

6. Gilbert Melendez

7. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro

8. Mitsuhiro Ishida

9. Joe Stevenson

10. Sean Sherk

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

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145 pounds and under)

#1 Featherweight Fighter in the World: Urijah Faber

2. Akitoshi Tamura

3. Antonio Carvalho

4. Hideki Kadowaki

5. Hatsu Hioki

6. "Lion" Takeshi Inoue

7. Masakazu Imanari

8. Mike Brown

9. Jeff Curran

10. Rafael Assuncao
 
Jul 24, 2005
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The Moment of ‘Truth'

June 4, 2008
by Jason Probst



He seemed too good to be true.

With his first four UFC bouts totaling just more than eight and a half minutes combined, Brandon Vera (Pictures)'s emergence as a top heavyweight in 2005-06 made fans take notice. He could punch and kick with wicked effect, and he was a top-notch technician in all phases of the grappling game. A technical gem of sorts, with an engaging smile and easygoing charisma to boot.

He had pedigrees galore -- extensive training with world-class wrestlers, sublime submissions and explosive athleticism that left fans double-taking when he stopped foes. Like the savage head kick that dispatched Justin Eilers (Pictures) or the wicked-quick guillotine he used to tap out Assuerio Silva (Pictures).

But facing former heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia (Pictures) last October, "The Truth" had a dose of hard luck that mushroomed, both in and out of the cage, sending him away with his first loss and managerial problems that sidelined him for several months.

Sylvia was supposed to be the acid test to see if Vera was ready for a title shot. Instead, Vera broke his thumb with the first punch of the bout, then struggled en route to a three-round decision loss.

"I broke my left thumb with the first punch I threw, got three screws in two places," Vera said. "I thought it was dislocated at first, and I was trying to put it back in, but that didn't work."

The two spent much of the fight clinched on the cage, with Vera giving up 6 inches and 40 pounds to the 6-foot-8, 265-pound Sylvia. With his injured hand, he was unable implement his game plan, and like many of Sylvia's opponents, found himself smothered by the gargantuan ex-champ.

"I only had one arm to push him forward with, instead of two, which you need," Vera said. "He was the biggest guy in the division. I'm definitely not nervous about fighting anybody ever again."

It wasn't a blowout by any means, but the fireworks he'd shown in previous efforts were absent.

"I've seen the tape a few times. Maybe I could strike more. We did get off the jab and combos, but it hurt to jab," he said. "I don't know what I could've done more. I look at it and say, ‘Kick more, you retard!'"

Suddenly, Vera looked human -- injured thumb and all. Then he had a fallout with his manager at the time, with both parties settling in arbitration. He didn't get fights due to his legal entanglements, and, with the lackluster showing against Sylvia, was one step away from appearing on the back of a milk carton, as far as fans were concerned.

The exile ends Saturday.

Facing Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) at UFC 85 in London, Vera has the chance to get back on track and revitalize a career that was stuck in limbo.

Werdum, a world-champion submission grappler, is one of the few MMA heavyweights who might be able to best Vera on the ground.

"It's a little different," Vera said. "Trying to do jiu-jitsu, that would be a stupid choice. I will do MMA jiu-jitsu and punch him. No pretty, technical setups. I won't go heads up with Werdum. I don't know if my jiu-jitsu is superior or worse, but obviously, it's his strong point."

Eric Del Fierro, Vera's standup coach, said that while they haven't been tweaking too much of his charge's training regimen -- which consists of flying back and forth between Chula Vista, Calif., and Virginia to train with ground instructor Lloyd Irvin -- there are some minor changes for Werdum.

"Brandon's assets are the same. He's a strong kicker and moves like a light heavyweight, real good footwork," Del Fierro said. "We worked on his power and speed for this fight. He's aggressive and comes in to finish. The only thing we've [changed] is working on different stances, lowering his center of gravity."

Keeping the bout on the feet would definitely be to Vera's advantage. Werdum has beaten Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) twice, looking impressive on both occasions, but he found himself befuddled and stymied in a decision loss to Andrei Arlovski (Pictures), whose takedown defense and striking left the Brazilian largely unable to engage.

Arlovski didn't press the issue, content to take a snoozer decision. Given the same circumstances, history indicates Vera will try and close the show. Yet with a record of 10-3-1, Werdum has faced impressive competition and has never been stopped.

It's the kind of challenge Vera relishes. With five fights left on his UFC contract, he is back in the mix and a big win could make up for the lost time he spent dealing with his legal issues and the loss to Sylvia.

Heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pictures) will take on ex-champ Frank Mir (Pictures) in December -- Vera dispatched Mir in 69 seconds in November 2006 -- so there's no reason to think a strong showing against Werdum wouldn't put his name on the short list of potential challengers. But he wants to earn it, to get back to the delicious position of being the guy on everybody's lips -- the heir apparent to the heavyweight belt.

"It all depends on how I look," Vera said of a possible title shot should he win. "Werdum is ranked five or six in the world. He's for sure the best fighter I've fought in my career to date. I'm sure I'm the most well-rounded heavyweight. If I squeak out a decision, I won't ask for one; but if I beat him soundly, [maybe]."

And a showdown with Nogueira -- a living legend among hardcore fans for his gutsy battles in Pride before he joined the UFC -- would be the ultimate gut check. Nogueira is as tough as any fighter in the game, with the kind of blood-soaked resilience and heart you can't teach. You can spike him on his head (Bob Sapp (Pictures)), batter him with relentless ground and pound (Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures)) or send him staggering with crushing blows (Tim Sylvia), but he recovers and keeps battling.

Nogueira took the vacant UFC belt from Sylvia after Randy Couture (Pictures)'s split with the organization earlier this year. The bout was a roughneck encounter that saw Sylvia put heavy leather on the Brazilian for two taxing rounds, before he was taken down and submitted in a dramatic reversal of fortunes.

"Honestly, Tim Sylvia summed it up best. He was whipping Nog's ass the first 10 minutes, then all of a sudden Nogueira wins. Nog's a soldier," Vera said. "He's the guy that would jump on a grenade in war and then put his guts back together and go shoot them up. You really have to fight Nog, fight to finish him, but fight smart. His MMA jiu-jitsu is so well rounded and so good. It's hard to do."

Vera-Werdum offers up some stylistic similarities, as Vera will be facing a world-class submission stylist. The fight could offer up a preview of how he might fare against the champion, or it could be a tough setback should Vera have another night like the loss against Sylvia.

Stay tuned.

"The Truth" will out.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Kampmann's Comeback Starts in London

June 4, 2008
by Tim Leidecke

He was one step away from a shot at Anderson Silva and the UFC middleweight title when disaster struck.

Martin Kampmann (Pictures) blew out his knee, and for the 16 months since his injury, he has waited on the sidelines and watched fighters like Michael Bisping (Pictures) and Yushin Okami (Pictures) pass him in the rankings. Now the 26-year-old Dane finds himself in the back of the line again.

At the same time, "Hitman" is happy just to return to the Octagon.

"I've been rehabbing my knee for quite a while, then getting back into training slowly one step at a time," Kampmann told Sherdog.com. "For the last couple of months, I've been back here in Vegas, training pretty hard for my fight."

His return bout takes place Saturday in London against fellow striker Jorge Rivera (Pictures). On British soil Rivera is 4-1, with his lone defeat coming at the hands of Anderson Silva. He also recently ruined Kendall Grove (Pictures)'s comeback fight by knocking him out in a mere 80 seconds.

"I wasn't happy about him beating Kendall because he's a friend and a training partner of mine," Kampmann said. "His record doesn't bother me, though. It doesn't matter if we fight in the U.K. or the U.S. -- the result is still going to be the same."

Even after more than a year on the shelf, Kampmann remains optimistic for his middleweight encounter with Rivera.

"Jorge is a tough guy but seems to be a little inconsistent," he said. "Sometimes he doesn't look that good, and other times he's a beast, so I'm preparing for the worst. I'm ready to take the fight anywhere it goes. I'll trade with him or I'll go to the mat with him -- either way I'm sure I can beat him. My knee is completely healed up, and I'm ready to fight."

London will be the closest to home Kampmann has fought in two and a half years. Obviously the likeable fighter from Aarhus, Denmark, is hoping for support from his countrymen.

"I expect a lot of people from back home to be coming over now that it's a lot closer than usually," he said. "That's going to be cool. I have friends and fans from the U.K., too, so I'm sure there's going to be good support for my fight."

Xtreme Couture, the camp where Kampmann prepares when he is in the United States, has recently added some excellent new trainers and sparring partners. Kampmann, who holds the rank of "captain" at the Las Vegas gym, meaning that he is one of the main instructors, is full of praise for his new teammates.

"Shawn Tompkins (Pictures) has been there for a while now, and he's got a great insight in the stand-up game," he said. "Ronaldo Jacaré and Robert Drysdale have come in more recently, and obviously they have a lot of skills. I have learned a lot from both of them. I also had the pleasure of cornering Jacaré for his last fight, and he looked great. I think he will win the [Dream middleweight] tourney."

By training with world-class teammates like the aforementioned trio, Kampmann, who started out as a pure kickboxer six years ago, has added some new assets to his already well-rounded game.

"You don't really improve anything by sitting on the couch," he said. "So for the first six months after injuring my knee, I didn't have the chance to do much. But after that, I've been trying to improve all aspects of my game. I worked a lot on my wrestling lately; I feel it has gotten better."

In no way overlooking the tough-as-nails Rivera, Kampmann hasn't lost sight of his ultimate goal in the UFC: a title fight against Anderson Silva.

"He's a tough guy, really bad ass," Kampmann said. "I enjoy watching him fight. Everybody can be beaten though, and that includes him, too."

Kampmann, who is 3-0 in the UFC and 15-2 overall, could get a chance to prove that point in a future title bout. To resume his march down the road to Silva, however, he must first go through Rivera.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Carano, Conviction, and Heavyweight Hypocrisy

June 4, 2008
by Jordan Breen

There is a world of red-blooded male mixed martial arts fans who would love to date Gina Carano (Pictures). The rationale is obvious: Carano is extra-easy on the oculars and almost any hardcore fan can attest to wishing his own main squeeze was a little more into the sport, if not a fighter herself.

And how nice it must be to have a girl who doesn't care at all about her weight.

Snarkiness aside, in spite of an actual fight card which produced more than a handful of hot topics and discussion points -- as well as a great performance from Carano herself -- my mind has yet to fully drift from yet another weigh-in debacle. The fact that such an event was swept under the rug indicated some kind of insignificance. Carano missing weight again wasn't just a story because nothing else interesting happened on Friday; it's an ongoing issue fight fans should be taking umbrage with.

Her undoubtedly impressive performance against Kaitlin Young (Pictures) this past Saturday night pushed her career mark to 6-0. For four of those six fights, Carano came in overweight. Against Julie Kedzie (Pictures) and Tonya Evinger (Pictures), Carano was a fraction of a pound over the one-pound allowance for 140-pound contests. Overweight, yes, but out of line? Debatable. However, this cannot make up for four and four-and-a-half pounds overweight Carano entered her bouts with Rosi Sexton and Young, respectively.

Together, these fights form a pattern of unprofessionalism which certainly wouldn't be tolerated for any other female, let alone a male fighter. Yet, it is a pattern masked by promoters eager to revamp fights at spur-of-the-moment catch weights and a fan base fortifying ideas of illegitimacy for females in the sport.

This is not a wholesale conviction of "Conviction." Despite her weighty indiscretions, Carano is a clearly talented fighter and her high profile has developed the sphere of female MMA. But when Carano revealed that she struggled to make weight because of an abbreviated training camp caused by filming the second season of American Gladiators, she may be closing in on a forced ultimatum: film or fight.

Carano has the talent to be something special, but if she wishes to use MMA as a platform to other pursuits, that's fine. However, making weight is an essential benchmark of professionalism that all fighters should be forced to meet. Contracted weights are not intended to be merely recommendations. Regardless of how much someone is over, their opponent was still forced to make weight, enduring the toll of meeting professional expectations. The process of the weight cut is often every bit as crucial to the unfolding bout as what happens in the cage. To allow certain prized individuals leeway in that struggle affords them an unsportsmanlike advantage.

Some have opined that bringing Carano up to 145 pounds would limit opportunities to fight natural 135-pounders, and with a dearth of heavier-weight female talent, would give MMA's most magnetic female a lack of notable opponent. While there certainly not the talent lurking above 135 as there is below that side of scales, Carano does not exactly fight an iron woman's schedule. Meanwhile, Marloes Coenen (Pictures) just destroyed another overmatched female in Holland this past weekend, looking for legitimate fights. A gritty Jen Case (Pictures) and the gamebred Cristiane Cyborg, both Pro Elite signees, would likely have no problem taking on the promotion's poster girl as featherweights. And that's without suggesting that Carano go a little further up the scale to meet the likes of her fellow American Gladiator Erin Toughill (Pictures), who has lamented the lack of female competitors to face her.

However, what really makes the situation all the more objectionable is Gary Shaw's hypocritical history when it comes to scale battles.

"If (Jose Luis) Castillo doesn't want to fight at 135 pounds, then be man enough and say we can't make the weight. I promise you, this will not happen again," said Shaw after Castillo waffled the late Diego Corrales in their September 2005 rematch. When Castillo failed to make weight for their proposed June 2006 rubber match, Shaw refused to let his man step into the ring.

"[Diego Corrales] is not going to put his life at risk," said Shaw after the fight was cancelled. Castillo weighed in at 139.5 pounds, four-and-a-half pounds over the 135-pound limit. Not terribly unlike the four-and-a-half pounds overweight that Carano came in at for her bout with Young.

MMA fans were outraged when Travis Lutter (Pictures) missed weight for his proposed UFC title bout Anderson Silva. The fact that Lutter would be cast as Grendel for the rest of his career while Carano escapes scot-free implicitly enforces the idea that male MMA is of an inherently greater value than its female counterpart. The light-hearted reception of Carano's actions would seem to indicate that much of MMA's fan base feels that female MMA has no legitimacy in the first place.

Those fans acknowledging female MMA as worthwhile cannot tolerate this kind of complacency in the future. Silence and tolerance only affirm the idea that female MMA isn't worth the time, the effort, or the outrage that characterize our reactions to the same irresponsibility from male fighters.

Her future on the scale will determine whether or not "Conviction" is a misnomer for Gina Carano. That same future will let us know whether Elite XC, Gary Shaw or MMA fans have any conviction of their own.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Thiago Alves on the brink of a breakthrough

by Steve Sievert on Jun 04, 2008 at 9:55 am ET
Thiago Alves has been here before, on the cusp of breaking through in the UFC's congested welterweight division.

Alves had won four of five fights in the UFC and closed 2006 with back-to-back victories in less than three months. A solid unanimous-decision performance against John Alessio and a second-round KO over Tony DeSouza showed that the 23-year-old heavy-handed Brazilian was a fighter on the rise.

Then, a positive drug test sent him to the sidelines.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Alves for eight months after he failed a drug test following the DeSouza fight. The American Top Team fighter tested positive for the diuretic, Spironolactone, which can be used to cut water weight before a bout.

Eight months of inactivity can be an eternity in the rapidly changing world of MMA, and it can leave a fighter still light on signature victories on the back end of the contender line. However, Alves was fortunate. The UFC, realizing his package of skills and aggressive style can make big fights, stuck with the "Pitbull," and Alves has made the most of his second chance.

Three straight victories since being reinstated, including a wild slugfest TKO over Chris Lytle at UFC 78 and the biggest win of his career – a TKO against Karo Parisyan back in April – have landed Alves, now 24, in the main event of UFC 85 Saturday against Matt Hughes at London's O2 Arena.

"I hope he's in the best shape of his life because I'm ready," said Alves, who took the fight on short notice after the second planned main event of Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans was scrapped due to Liddell's hamstring injury. "I've been wanting this fight for a long, long time. It's a big opportunity for me."

A victory over the former two-time welterweight champion Hughes is the type of game-changing fight that can catapult a fighter to stardom – and a title shot. Under ideal circumstances, Alves would have had more time to prepare for the biggest bout of his life, but he says the quick turnaround from the April fight has not been a factor.

"I had five weeks; that's plenty of time," said Alves (14-3 overall and 7-2 in the UFC), who emerged from the bout against Parisyan relatively unscathed. "I was good shape already, so I think it's perfect timing."

Like many of his fellow American Top Team training mates, Alves holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but his roots in MMA are planted in Muay Thai. He would much rather trade shots than work for a submission. He will have a big edge over Hughes in the standup game, and an effective fight plan will employ his sharp leg kicks to deter Hughes from shooting in for takedowns.

"I'm going to try to knock Matt Hughes out," Alves said. "I don't know how I'm going to knock him out, but I'm going to knock him out. I'm a better striker."

Hughes, in turn, will have a decisive wrestling advantage over Alves and, essentially, the fight boils down to Alves' ability to defend the takedown and keep the fight vertical.

While the motivation for Alves is clear – it's not every bout that you have a chance to defeat a hall-of-fame caliber fighter – the future is already defined for Hughes. Win or lose in London, the 34-year-old has been promised his grudge match against Matt Serra later this year.

Hughes (42-6 overall and 15-4 in the UFC) hasn't produced an impressive victory since beating B.J. Penn in 2006, and his most recent performances suggest the downside of his stellar career is here. But a win over an emerging talent like Alves, coupled with a victory over Serra, and it's likely the veteran will get one more crack at the title before he steps into retirement.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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SOKOUDJOU: &quot;IF HE'S FOUGHT BETTER FIGHTERS, I SHOULD BE A NICE TUNE-UP&quot;

By Percy Crawford | June 04, 2008

The war of words has been heating up between UFC light heavyweight contenders Thierry "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. After his win over Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 84, Sokoudjou made it clear that he still had his sights set on Rua, a fight that he's wanted ever since his impressive back-to-back, first-round knockouts of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona at PRIDE 33 and PRIDE 34 last year. In a recent interview, Sokoudjou would tell FightHype.com, "I would love to fight that guy. I've tried to fight him ever since I fought in PRIDE and he's been ducking me. Shogun has been ducking me since the PRIDE days." read more


http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2771.html?PHPSESSID=697f6e00942c0995f5ddb330c8481ca4
 
Jul 24, 2005
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NJAC is making things worse for themselves

After the EliteXC event on Saturday, the New Jersey Athletic Board went into damage control mode, with mouthpiece Nick Lembo, doctor Sherry Wulkan, and ref Dan Miragliotta making the rounds to sell the fact that they were 100% perfect and justified in all their actions. The problem is: each of them have told a few white lies which drag down the legitimacy of everything else they say.

First let’s look at Dan Miragliotta, who claimed James Thompson pushed him because Thompson thought he was still fighting Kimbo. This is about the most insulting lie of the bunch because it’s so blatantly untrue. Anybody watching the event saw Thompson stop fighting and then REACT to Miragliotta waving off the fight.



Next, let’s look at doctor Sherry Wulkan, who claims that both Scott Smith and Kaitlin Young thanked her in their locker rooms for stopping the fights. While we’re still waiting to hear from Smith (who sure looked super happy that the fight was stopped at the time), Kaitlin Young has responded:

Also, the doc that checked me out right after the round okayed me. The commission came over to my corner, with Dr. Sherry ???? in tow, and then the fight was ended. Things I said afterward have been twisted, but I definitely did not want to stop fighting yet and I did not thank anyone for the stoppage.

Here’s the deal: I’m not against the majority of the decisions that were made last Saturday. The NJAC knew they were on CBS being watched by millions and they took extra steps to make sure nothing would happen to damage their reputation or the reputation of the sport. But by being dishonest and trying to twist the fighters’ words and actions to justify their decisions, it just makes them look like they’re trying to cover up incompetence.

Honestly, they should have just come out and said “Of course the fighters don’t agree, the fighters are fucking idiots. Kaitlin Young would have gone out and had her face split open hardcore. Scott Smith was willing to fight with one eye. And of course Thompson was angry with the stoppage. He lost. Fighters are simply too involved at the time to make reasonable assessments of their situation, and that’s why athletic commissions exist: to do it for them.”

This isn’t the first time the NJAC has responded to a fighter’s accusations with a version that makes them seem less like assholes. Before I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but now … not so much
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Thin cage padding may have caused Sammy Vasquez’s death

While a 100% definite answer has proven elusive, it looks like inadequate padding against the cage posts may be the culprit in Sammy Vaquez’ death last October:

“We are looking into the padding on the posts,” Parham told the committee. “There are no specifications on the post padding…The padding on the post only [requires] an ‘adequate’ [amount].”

Committee member Dr. Ivan Melendez concurred with fellow official Dr. Walter Lee’s opinion that the post in question was “the definitive culprit,” but vowed to remain objective with his interpretations.

“You have to take all things into consideration. He [Vasquez] did have head blows; he did hit his head on the mat; and he did hit his head on the post,” remarked Dr. Lee. “I can’t sit here and say that [Vasquez’s head striking the post] did it. I think it may have been a summation of the events that took place during the match.”

From Vasquez’s autopsy report, Dr. Melendez referenced the subdural hemorrhaging and the blunt force trauma Vasquez died of. He concluded that there was no way of definitively determining which blow received was the one that caused the fatal damage.

Parham later told Sherdog.com that the padding of cage posts would be explored in depth given Vasquez’s noticeable reaction after hitting his head in the first round. This would include a mandatory minimum amount of padding instituted. Current state law allows for TDLR to modify rules at their own discretion. Legal matters concerning the regulatory body, however, must be addressed through Texas’ state legislature, which convenes once every other year.
 
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Former Pro Wrestler Rodney Mack to make MMA Debut

Posted by Larry Csonka on 06.04.2008

Another one crosses over into MMA…

Rodney Begnaud, better known as professional wrestler Rodney Mack will be making his MMA debut on Saturday night in Lafayette, LA at the Blackham Coliseum.

Credit: Wrestlingobserver.com
 
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Brett Rogers Calls Out Kimbo Slice Via Open Letter

Finally we got to go BIG and face serious competition in Elite XC in Texas. The main event on that show was Kimbo Slice vs Bo Cantrall. Bo is a sub .500 fighter who was on a 4 fight losing streak when he got the call to come to Elite. On that show Brett faced Ralph Kelly who a decent up and comer with a good amateur record. Brett had a tougher opponent but got less money and a on the Under Card.
Next stop Miami where Kimbo is again the main event and blown up huge. His opponent; the venerable Tank Abbot. I believe the last time Tank won a democrat was in the White House and gas was $1.50 a gallon. Brett took on Pride veteran James Thompson for way less money and way down on the card. Brett puts him away in the 1st half of the 1st round.
CBS show. Kimbo gets the same James Thompson Brett had just KO&#8217;d. James coming in losing 3 of his last 4 and his last two straight by KO. Brett gets the opening spot against Jon Murphy. Murphy a 9-2 fighter with great Jujitsu who had impressively KO&#8217;d Dave Huckabee. Again the tougher fight for less money. 3 times running &#8211; tougher guys for less money. Not a great pattern!
This letter would not be complete without mentioning the other forgotten man in all this, Antonio &#8220;Big Foot&#8221; Silva. Antonio is a certified, absolute all around warrior. He is one of the very best heavyweight fighters in the world. We have a world of respect for Antonio and ATT and would consider it a tremendous honor to compete with him. If it was a fight for the title; if was billed as the fight between the two best fighters in Elite; we would be overjoyed. However it does not seem right that Brett and Antonio should be fighting just to see who gets to be the number 2 man behind Kimbo.
I&#8217;m willing to bet that Antonio feels the same way. As true warriors we want to fight the best and right now everything; judging by the money, the publicity and the billboards; that is Kimbo. Has Kimbo earned that spot? We are not convinced. So we are calling Kimbo out. If this is a challenge he does not feel ready to accept; that is cool. That we can understand. But it is somewhat unreasonable to ask everyone to play second fiddle &#8211; to fight tougher opponents for less money while another fighter makes bank on the also rans. Brett has fought three very tough heavy weights with legitimate skills. The result in every one of those fights was a first round KO. No decisions, no controversy just straight up cart them off wins. Yet every interview and every place he goes he hears Kimbo this, Kimbo that. Hell, if we were not asking to fight Kimbo, Gary would be ashamed of us and would be wondering what type of wimps he had fighting for him. If Kimbo is the badest man on the planet; then lets do this thing. All due respect&#8230;step up or step aside.