MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Sakuraba Steals Show in Tokyo
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1641
TOKYO -- With a suit and tie, Speedos down below and goggles on his head, Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) stole the spotlight during the Dream 4 press conference Saturday at the East 21 Hotel in Toyo-cho. He was one of several fighters promoting the quarterfinal round of Sunday's middleweight grand prix.

However, the "Gracie Hunter" was not the only one with aquatic style. His opponent, Melvin Manhoef (Pictures), wore a flashy black sharkskin suit

"I am losing my spirit because Mr. Manhoef looks very strong-- I need help. Help me!" Sakuraba said, before explaining his own attire. "It took a long time to put this on because it is very small and tight but this actually gives me focus and this swimwear gives me a different energy. Everyone says it will help with my speed."

Manhoef was respectful of the Japanese legend but promised a strong and aggressive fight and stated that he was brought into Dream to "f--k everybody up."

While Jason "Mayhem" Miller clowned for the Japanese audience, flashing his trademark "peace sign," his opponent, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, was less than impressed.

"He is a joke," the multi-time grappling world champion said.

Zelg Galestic and Taiei Kin (Pictures) looked completely thrilled with the idea of their rematch. Both fighters grinned from ear-to-ear, bouncing in place during the photo opportunities.

Dream Event Producer Keiichi Sasahara was optimistic for the show's fourth event.

"For the first Dream and second Dream we had some excuses and maybe some mistakes but this is the fourth time so we have to make sure it will be perfect," he said. This will "prove that Dream is a great [event].

"The second round is totally different from the first round. All of the fighters are very tough and every single fight is going to be a very severe and difficult fight. All of the fighters understand what the crowd wants to see and I'm confident that all of the fighters will put up a great performance."

Sasahara said matchups for the lightweight tournament will be announced tomorrow.

All fighters made weight without incident.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Manhoef Excited to Face Sakuraba
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1643
Sherdog.com's Tony Loiseleur sat down with Dutch middleweight Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) to discuss his bout with Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) on Sunday.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Hawaii is no big adventure for "Pee Wee" Herman

Two weeks after EliteXC showcased a rapper, fireworks, female dancers with questionable day jobs and a heavily bearded street brawler in its CBS debut, the organization returns to the airwaves on Showtime tonight with its next card, entitled "Return of the King."

And if the strutting and stripping of a sequin-robed "New York Bad Ass" wasn't quite up your alley, then this weekend's EliteXC just may have the guy for you: heavyweight Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (10-0).

Herman spoke with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on the eve of his bout with Ron Waterman, which is scheduled to be the night's first televised fight.

"It's pretty nice," Herman said of the Honolulu, Hawaii location for the event. "Got a little sun-burned yesterday. I went out and swam in the ocean for a few hours. It was fun. Got pretty burnt."

At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Herman possesses both heavy hands and a painfully obvious nickname. And of his 10 professional bouts to date, only his most recent fight made it out of the first round. In fact only two have gone longer than two minutes.

And now, just 18 months into his budding MMA career, Herman will be making his second appearance in a Showtime-televised card. But don't expect the Indiana native to be intimidated by the big lights of a nationally televised broadcast.

"It's alright, I guess," Herman said of the opportunity. "I don't really know what to say. ... (I feel) about the same. A fight's just another fight."

If the 23-year old seems to break the mold of today's typical MMA fighter, consider the training camp that Herman utilizes as his source of inspiration.

"Well, I haven't had a car in like, four years, so I can't really go anywhere," Herman said. "I just work out at my house. I don't know, convenient, I guess. I bought some weights online, and I've got a speed bag. I like to run. ... Like a week or two ago, I couple of my friends sparred with me. Other than that, that was about it."

And if Herman doesn't already remind you of an already bygone era in the rapidly advancing sport of MMA, perhaps his cerebral approach to the game will inspire visions of a slimmer, less-vodka-filled David "Tank" Abbott. "Pee Wee" described in detail his game plan for Waterman.

"Um, I don't really know," Herman said. "I don't really come up with a game plan anyways. I just kind of walk out and see what happens."

That is not to say that Herman does not take his fighting seriously. Ten straight victories against any level of competition prove a fighter has earned his place in the cage. For Herman experience has just taught him to approach the bout with a flexible mindset.

"My first fight I ever had, I came up with a game plan," Herman explained. "I went out there, and none of it actually happened. I was just like, 'Eh, whatever.' From then on I just scrapped the whole game plan. Now I just kind of walk out. ... Half the time I don't even know what I'm doing. I just make it up as I go along."

So if you're unimpressed by the pageantry of EliteXC's prior events, if you're turned off by the WWE-style entrances, and if you're tired of the over-hyped, manufactured drama that exists between today's MMA fighters, then perhaps it's time for you to jump on the "Pee Wee" bandwagon tonight. Heck, even he doesn't know what you might see.

"He's probably the toughest guy I've fought so far," Herman said. "I don't really know how we match up. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. ... I don't know what I'm going to do with anything, really. So it should be interesting in just that aspect."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Swick ready for all welterweights, including Fitch and Koscheck

After controlling the bulk of the action en route to a comfortable unanimous decision victory over fellow welterweight Marcus Davis, Mike Swick (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) says he has now adjusted to fighting at 170 pounds.

In just his second fight in the division since dropping from middleweight, Swick appeared to be a completely different fighter than the "Quick" that grinded out an admittedly less-than-stellar victory over Josh Burkman in January.

Swick discussed the bout, what made the difference in his performance, and potential future challenges while a recent guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"It was great," Swick said of the victory. "It was a tough fight with a tough guy, and I'm happy with the win."

Swick was also happy with the state of his body before the fight. After coming into the fight with Burkman drained and withered, the 28-year-old said he came in much larger and energetic for this bout.

"It was a night-and-day-different training camp than (for the fight with) Burkman," Swick explained. "I trained hard for Burkman, but I had no energy. I had no carbs. I was starving myself. It was rough. This one I got to eat. ... I was 15 pounds over when I got to England, and I shed the rest. I came in really big. I felt good. It was a good cut, and I think I'm getting a lot better adjusting to this weight class."

Now with a better understanding of what it takes to prepare himself for a fight at 170 pounds, Swick feels certain he made the right decision to drop down a division and compete as a welterweight.

"It's the right weight class for me," Swick said. "It's just a matter of getting experienced and getting adjusted to it. I felt a lot better this go-round than I did when I fought with Burkman. I definitely think it's the right weight class. ... I was just too small for middleweight. And now, trying to make it to the top echelon, it's tough when the guys are that much bigger than you. And there are still welterweights bigger than me as well, but it's just a little better for me to fight in this division."

Despite the size issue Swick faced at middleweight, many have questioned the native Texan's decision to move to welterweight considering he trains at American Kickboxing Academy with two of the division's top fighters, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. And though the three have publicly vowed not to fight each other, Swick contends that those fights could happen provided the stakes demanded it.

"I want to fight the top guys," Swick said. "As far as [Koscheck] and Fitch and me, we'd fight if it came down to being the best in the world -- if it came down to being the No. 1 contender and the champion. Other than that, there's so many other fights we can make. The division is stacked. ...There's plenty of fights to go around. I don't think it's going to be an issue for a while."

As for what's next, Swick said he is unsure. And while Swick does admit a small desire to finally book the long-discussed rematch against the man who handed him his first defeat, Chris Leben, Swick does not feel it is a priority any longer.

"[The fight with Leben] is not an issue anymore," Swick said. "I used to get all upset about it and let it bother me. I don't even think about it anymore. I felt like I had something to prove for so long, and now I'm like, 'If it happens, that would be great. If not, it isn't a big deal.' We were supposed to fight [at a UFC Fight Night back in September]. It didn't pan out. ... I'm not going to sit here and stress out and try to worry about it constantly."

While that fight may not happen, the UFC welterweight division is full of potential challenging match-ups for Swick, and the possibilities for his next bout are many. But now riding a two-fight win streak in a new division, the immediate plan for "Quick" is a simple one.

"I'm just going to try and work my way up, do good in the division, and win fights."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jacaré already thinks in fight against Sakuraba

Ronaldo Jacaré moral is rising after the good victory at Dream 2, after submit Ian Murphy at first round with a rear necked choke and tomorrow (15), when will be hold the second edition of the middleweight GP at Dream 4, maybe Jacaré could become stronger if he obtains a victory over Jason Miller. For this, Jacaré is confident and wants the win from any way. "The guy is an excellent athlete, is very good and has already won many strong fighters. His numbers (21 wins and 5 losses) can show what he is and I am happy to fight against a opponent like that", commented Jacaré that wants to defeat the North American to face the Japanese Sazushi Sakuraba.

"I want a lot to fight against Sakuraba, because he fights well against BJJ fighters and I wanted to fight with a fighter with that level", said the athlete who, asked if he can submit the Japanese myth, he replied: "Look ... I can (laugh)", said the two times BJJ World champion that also commented the victory of his teammate at Xtreme Couture at the UFC, the compatriot Wanderlei Silva. "He's gorgeous, he helped me a lot and I am very happy", said Jaca.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Dream Fighters Weight in results

MW: Kazushi Sakuraba (83.6 kg) vs. Melvin Manhoef (84 kg)
MW: Ronaldo Jacare (83.9 kg) vs. Jason Miller (84 kg)
MW: Kin Taiei (84 kg) vs. Zelg Galesic (83.8 kg)
MW: Yoon Dong Sik (83.9 kg) vs. Gegard Mousasi (83.8 kg)
FW: Hideo Tokoro (62.9 kg) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (62.6 kg)
HW: Gadzhiev Alavutdin (89.5 kg) vs. Ralek Gracie (96 kg)
HW: Alistair Overeem (108.8 kg) vs. Lee Tae Hyun (126.7 kg)
LW: Shinya Aoki (69.7 kg) vs. Katsuhiko Nagata (69.8 kg)

 

[Shogun Locc]

Wanderlei Silva Interview

Wanderlei Silva had an interview with a Japanese MMA magazine, Kamipro.

- Congratulation! You could finally win in the UFC.
Arigato.
- You defeated Keith Jardine. Tell me what you think.
I'm very happy. I could have an ideal fight like I always had in Japan. Wanderlei Silva is back!
- I had an interview with you before the fight. You told me you shaved your hair to remember your performance in Japan.
Yes. I'm glad I shaved because I could win. I knew my fans in the US expected to see the fights I had in Japan. I shaved and remembered my fighting style I had in Japan, a wild Wanderlei.
- You had lost 3 times in row, Chuck Liddell in the UFC, Dan Henderson and Mirko Crocop in PRIDE.
I had so much pressure in last 3 months. I couldn't lose this fight no matter what. I wondered if I couldn't win forever. This is the way fighters feel even if they had many victories in their past. Fighters are always facing their fear and anxiety everyday. To overcome from these, I train very hard and get confidence. I'm sure fighters are required to have a stable physical and mental condition to win.
- You had both, so you could win?
It's hard to say, my condition was perfect. I moved well and had good punches in the standing position. In addition, my teammates researched about my opponent thoroughly and made an effective game plan for me. That's why I could win.- Where do you fight in the US?
I go a couple of different gyms. I mainly go to Xtreme Couture for striking trainings and Jujitsu. I do a physical training at MMA conditioning.
- I have never heard of MMA Conditioning.
Many fighters train there. Kazuhiro Nakamura asked me a location and told him recently. I sometimes fly to Florida and Brazil. I'm very blessed with a training environment.
- Your last fight must be an unforgettable.
Yes. I'm very happy now. That fight was the best in last 2 years. Probably I can count that as one of 5 best bouts in my life. I remember who I was and got a confidence.
- In Japan, Sakuraba will face a competitive fighter in June.
Don't worry. He is a great champion and will defeat his opponent as he did in the past, if he trained hard. He always believes in himself even when he has hard time. He knows that he can come back, so he trains hard like me. Otherwise, he won't come to Brazil and train with us.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Video: Royce Gracie on ‘Inside MMA’
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1644
On this week's HDNet "Inside MMA," Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice were joined by Royce Gracie (Pictures), Monte Cox and "Mr. International" Shonie Carter (Pictures).

 

[Shogun Locc]

‘Jacare’ Beats Miller; Manhoef Stops Sakuraba

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- More than 14,000 fans gathered Sunday at Yokohama Arena to see whether Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) would sink or swim against Melvin Manhoef (Pictures) and also to take in the second round of the Dream middleweight grand prix.

Sakuraba had stated prefight that he was worried about the matchup and even joked about not showing up. That sentiment was not without cause. He took a brutal pounding from the Dutch powerhouse, eating a high kick and then ground-and-pound until Yuji Shimada had seen enough at 5:12 in the first stanza.

The bout went on longer than required -- as usual with Sakuraba's fights. He had taken a large number of hammerfists while lying completely flat on his back, doing nothing to defend himself, before the stoppage came.

Manhoef was respectful in victory but looked toward the future.

"I think they could have stopped the fight a few times," he said. "I had knocked him out with a kick and then a punch on the ground before I knocked him out again. He was my hero and still is my hero. He's a legend. If you want to be a legend, you have to beat the legend."

In the prefight package, this was called "The Final Chapter" for Sakuraba. The Japanese fighter did not speak to the audience after the fight and rushed out of the ring holding his arm. He was taken to the hospital, though it is not clear yet whether his arm or his collarbone is injured. Manhoef believed the potential injury was a result of a blocked high kick.

Whether this was a retirement bout for Sakuraba is also unclear at this stage. Although certainly not an ideal way to end a career, retirement would be timely.

Dubbed by Dream as "Crazy MMA" and "The Fighting Circus," Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Jason "Mayhem" Miller delivered excitement on the ground as promised, although the action was mostly one-sided.

If escapes counted for anything, Miller might find himself the victor. He narrowly avoided submission after submission from Jacare, including two heel hooks that were fully locked and rotated. Miller responded true to his character by giving a thumbs up and smiling to the cameras, but he was positionally dominated on the ground and only managed to mount a reasonable offense while on his feet.

With one minute to go in the final round, Miller cost himself a chance at winning by attempting to jump to a guillotine choke against one of the best grapplers in the world. Jacare easily avoided it and closed out the fight in the mount to get the unanimous decision.

Although Jacare put together a fairly dominant win, it was clear that he is a grappler first and foremost and not an all-around MMA fighter yet. His striking looked telegraphed and forced, and every shot from Miller knocked him off balance.

"I could do much better," Jacare said. "Technically and mentally, I have to improve. I was happy that people liked my fight. But like I said, I feel I could improve myself."

Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) out-worked Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures) in the first match of the middleweight tournament, taking advantage of Yoon's bandaged knee. Mousasi delivered inside and outside low kicks to the durable Korean and landed knees at will while Yoon was attempting a standing kimura.

Mousasi danced with the devil at one point. He attempted to kimura the judoka, but Yoon quickly escaped and Mousasi then found himself in danger of tapping to the "Dongbar." Mousasi was lucky on this occasion, escaping after his arm was fully extended just before the end of the first.

In the second Mousasi survived an uppercut to get to Yoon's back and lock in a body triangle. He spent the remainder of the fight playing bongos on Yoon's head.

All three judges saw the fight for Mousasi, who cemented his position as one of the favorites in the tournament. After the fight, Mousasi again said that he really wants to fight Manhoef in the next round.

After a freak cut from a high kick stopped their first bout, Zelg Galesic (Pictures) and Taiei Kin (Pictures) were keen to get a definitive resolution in their rematch. Unfortunately it was not to be, as Kin again suffered another freak injury and Galesic will advance to the next round.

Kin was posting out to defend a takedown from Galesic when the pair fell with all of their weight on the arm, popping it at the elbow at 1:05 in the first. Perhaps no one with a broken arm has ever smiled so much as Kin, who was grinning from ear to ear as Galesic offered him yet another rematch when the tournament is finished.

With the win Galesic joined Melvin Manhoef (Pictures), Jacare and Gegard Mousasi (Pictures) to fill out the middleweight grand prix field for August.

It's hard to say what is happening with Shinya Aoki (Pictures)'s stock in Dream. He went from being main event material in Dream 1 to being relegated to the opening bout of the night for his two most recent fights. Yet in both bouts, he put on stellar performances, showing that he has arguably the slickest submissions to date.

After taking down Olympic silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata (Pictures) with a trip, Aoki moved to mount. He tried for a guillotine and a head-arm triangle, then slipped his shin across the throat of Nagata to secure a gogoplata from mount at the 5:12 mark of the first round. That's right -- a gogoplata from the mount.

The matchups for the next round of the Dream lightweight tournament were determined during the intermission with a random ballot. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures) didn't get the match he wanted against Caol Uno (Pictures) but instead got Eddie Alvarez (Pictures). Uno was matched with Aoki.

It's hard to know what to expect when Alistair Overeem (Pictures) steps into the ring, but he delivered Sunday. Overeem quickly dispatched of Tae Hyun Lee (Pictures) with a brutal left-right hook combination and finished him off with a knee to the already unconscious ssirium superstar at 36 seconds in the first.

It may have been lucky that the finish came quickly. Overeem had injured his leg in the prefight warm-up and hit the same spot again with his second kick of the fight, sending him hopping back in pain.

As rumored, "The Demolition Man" called out Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic after the fight.

"Alistair Overeem (Pictures) has come to Dream," he said, "and I will be the champion and I want Cro Cop!"

Hideo Tokoro (Pictures) and Darren Uyenoyama (Pictures) put on the finest display of MMA that Dream has seen to date. They fought a back-and-forth match at breakneck speed. The two stood toe to toe multiple times during the fight and, at times, both looked to be on the brink of defeat before turning it around with a comeback. On the ground it was very much the same, with both fighters attempting everything from armbars and omoplatas to toeholds and kneebars without securing a finish.

The knees from Tokoro were the difference between the pair. He dropped Uyenoyama twice with a knee to the head and later to the body. A valiant effort from the inexperienced Uyenoyama wasn't enough, and Tokoro came away with the hard-fought unanimous decision.

Ralek Gracie (Pictures) was switched from a mindboggling grappling match with Cro Cop to a dangerous match with the extremely heavy-handed Gadhiev Alavutdin at the last minute. Still, despite Gracie's obvious lack of striking and takedowns, he managed to secure the submission.

Gracie's heritage was clear when he employed the "Royce Gracie (Pictures) Stomp." Still, he got the stocky Russian to the ground after a couple of failed attempts and quickly passed to mount before applying an armbar from a crossface at 3:02 of the first. For some reason Alavutdin contested the stoppage even though he clearly tapped.

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto entered the ring Sunday wearing a pair of glasses that a grandmother might wear and announced his intentions to move to the featherweight class. He will fight Joseph Benavidez (Pictures) next.

Yoshihiro Akiyama (Pictures) was also confirmed for Dream 5.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Russow Stops Guida in Adrenaline Premiere

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Chicago police officer and Pride veteran Mike Russow put the clamps on Jason Guida (Pictures) on Saturday with a guillotine choke at 2:13 of the first round in Adrenaline MMA's first offering.

Before an estimated crowd of 2,500 at the Sears Center Arena, the two local fighters, backed by raucous partisans, traded shots before Russow took Guida to the mat with a single-leg takedown. Guida immediately made his way back to his feet but was quickly taken back to the mat. His next attempt to rise off the mat led to the fight-ending submission.

As Guida posted, Russow locked up a guillotine choke and began to squeeze, forcing Guida to tap out.

In other fights, Terry Martin (Pictures) landed right hand after right hand in his bout with Daiju Takase (Pictures). Unfortunately for Martin, Takase landed kick after kick to his groin. Midway through the second frame, referee Rob Hinds had seen enough and called the bout after Takase landed his third kick to Martin's groin. The stoppage came at 3:35 of the second round.

After being floored with a left hook, Forrest Petz (Pictures) seemed to be within seconds of having his bout with fellow UFC veteran Brian Gassaway (Pictures) stopped in the first round. However, utilizing his experience, Petz was able to shimmy and grapple to the end of the round. That perseverance paid off as Petz found himself on the winning end of a unanimous decision after taking the final two rounds on all three judges' scorecards. Sherdog.com scored the bout 29-28 for Gassaway, giving him the first and second periods.

IFL veteran Bart Palaszewski (Pictures) looked as if he might be on his way to a fourth-straight defeat when Jeff Cox (Pictures) buckled him with a right cross. But Jeff Curran (Pictures)'s pupil survived the early knockdown to reach the second round. In the second, Palaszewski finished a combination with a right-round kick to the head and left Cox prone on the mat. Referee Herb Dean (Pictures) called a halt to the bout at 3:07 of the second frame.

With an almost 20-pound weight advantage, former IFL standout Rory Markham (Pictures) had an easy time with Jay Ellis (Pictures). After dodging Ellis' aerial attack to start the fight, Markham took control on the ground, locking up a weak triangle choke that forced the tap nonetheless at 1:57 of the opening round.

In other action:

Clay French (Pictures) def. Jameel Massouh (Pictures) by submission (rear-naked choke) 3:18 R2
Joe Jordan (Pictures) def. Ryan Williams (Pictures) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Mike Stumpf (Pictures) def. Dom O'Grady by TKO (referee stoppage) 3:52 R2
Tom Belt (Pictures) def. Marcus Levesseur by TKO (referee stoppage) 4:10 R1
Herc Hayes def. Kerry Schall (Pictures) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Aaron Rosa (Pictures) def. Ron Fields (Pictures) by TKO (referee stoppage) :34 R2
Hector Urbina (Pictures) def. Dave Kleczkowski by TKO (referee stoppage) 1:19 R2
Louis Taylor (Pictures) def. Adam Maciejewski (Pictures) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Joe Pearson (Pictures) def. John Hosman (Pictures) by submission (triangle choke) 1:42 R1

 

[Shogun Locc]

Lawler-Smith 2 Set for CBS Broadcast

EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler (Pictures) will defend his title against Scott Smith for a second time, when the brawlers meet at CBS's second installment of "Saturday Night Fights" on July 26.

Sacramento, Calif. native Smith confirmed the anticipated rematch during Saturday night's telecast of EliteXC "Return of the King" on Showtime. A venue for the event was not announced.

The youthful pair's three-round tug-of-war highlighted CBS's May 31 broadcast of EliteXC "Primetime," which became the most watched live event in the sport's history with 4.9 million viewers.

Scheduled for five rounds, the championship bout was stopped in the third round and ruled a "no contest" after Smith took an unintentional finger to his eye and told physicians he could not see. Each fighter had earned one round a piece on the scorecards.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cole Arrested for Rape

IFL veteran Devin Cole (Pictures) was arrested by the Medford, Oregon police department at 7:40 a.m. Saturday. Cole, 31, was charged with first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual penetration and is being held on $5,000,000 bail at the Jackson County Jail.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound fighter competed for the IFL's Portland Wolfpack and Seattle Tiger Sharks, going 2-4. After leaving Team Quest in Portland, Cole moved back to Southern Oregon. In May, he beat Vince Lucero (Pictures) by technical knockout at the Palace Fighting Championship in Lemoore, Calif. Prior to his mixed martial arts career, Cole was an All-American wrestler at Southern Oregon University.

Attempts to reach a representative for Cole were unsuccessful.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Noons Stops Edwards to Retain EliteXC Title

HONOLULU -- Furious action before and after the final bell marked the main event Saturday at EliteXC "Return of the King." Karl James Noons (Pictures) retained his 160-pound title in exciting fashion, needing just 48 seconds to stop Yves Edwards (Pictures) in front of a supportive crowd of over 4,200 fans inside the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena.

After the opening bell, the two lightweights stormed to the center of the cage and exchanged blows. Edwards was the first to connect, nailing Noons with an uppercut and a right hand.

"He caught me with a great shot," Noons said. "He came forward and I think he tried to finish the fight. But I wasn't hurt."

The champion kept his composure and landed a counter of his own: a right hand that put Edwards on his back.

Noons immediately let loose with a vicious barrage of punches and then began a series of elbows that forced referee Mario Yamasaki to step in and stop the fight.

Unfortunately, the action didn't stop there.

After Noons' victory, Nick Diaz (Pictures) -- victorious earlier in the night -- entered the ring to promote a rematch with Noons. Then, Diaz and younger brother Nate, a UFC fighter, began taunting Noons' corner and family. Carl Noons, KJ's father and a former boxer, did not take kindly to the treatment.

"We were just enjoying the moment," Carl Noons said. "I heard Nick in the left-hand corner trying to push into the interview and try to diss."

The scene quickly escalated from mere cursing and inappropriate hand gestures to a full-on brawl in the cage.

"I retorted back that, you know, that's un-cool and back and forth, and next thing I know [Nate Diaz] throws a bottle at me after throwing his middle fingers," the senior Noons said. "And then pushing from them came and then I just chased him on the ring, hit him, and then I came back in and grabbed Nick."

Diaz declined to comment on the incident.

Security and staff rushed the cage to intervene and the Diaz brothers' were escorted out of the arena as they displayed their patented hand gestures: double middle fingers raised defiantly in the air.

"Bottom line is, major disrespect. [It was] the last thing I ever thought would happen, you know, after my son winning a great fight," Noons said. "Bottom line is, on record, those Diaz brothers are just punks from Stockton and they've got no respect. They're just punks, and I hope we don't see them out tonight."

Earlier on the card, Diaz fought someone in his own weight class, though he couldn't actually make the weight requirement and settled at a catch-weight of 168 pounds.

Coming in over nine pounds over the EliteXC 160-pound limit, Diaz took on the well-rounded Mushin Corbbrey.

After a closely contested, but ultimately uneventful first two rounds, Diaz threw Corbbrey to the mat with a body lock and went to work on a submission. The Cesar Gracie (Pictures) black belt fished for a kimura before transitioning into an armbar.

Corbbrey escaped, but Diaz took top position in the scramble and punched his way to the mount, where he rained down blows until referee Chris West called a halt to the contest at 3:59 of the third.

In other bouts, Murilo "Ninja" Rua continued his move towards another title shot with a dominating victory over controversial Tony Bonello (Pictures).

Bonello let his aggressive intentions known before the bell even rang, getting in Rua's face during the staredown and spitting some choice four-letter words towards the former champion.

The Australian came out swinging and landed a few good shots before clinching up with "Ninja." Bonello pulled guard and attempted an armbar, but Rua easily avoided the submission. On the ground, Rua moved from side control to mount seemingly at will, all the while continuously bouncing Bonello's head off the canvas with elbows.

Rua eventually moved to knee-on-belly, where he landed a number of vicious right hands before referee Mario Yamasaki stepped in at 3:16 of the first round.

Heavyweight Dave Herman (Pictures) kept his undefeated record intact, scoring a technical knockout over Ron Waterman (Pictures). Waterman scored the early takedown and had side control, but Herman was able to regain guard and eventually get back to his feet. Once there, the surprisingly acrobatic heavyweight landed a flying roundhouse kick to Waterman's face. Waterman again shot in for a takedown, but was stopped along the fence.

Herman, now 11-0, landed a number of elbows that appeared to hurt Waterman as he worked for the takedown. Herman took the opportunity to step to the outside and land a knee to Waterman's body and then pounded away until the referee stopped the bout at 2:19 of the first.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante was impressive in his light heavyweight tilt, dropping opponent Wayne Cole (Pictures) to the canvas with a well-placed knee from the clinch before finishing him off with punches at 2:47 of the opening frame.

In the local-dominant after-card, Icon Sport middleweight champion Ross "Kala Kolohe" Hose showed he had some work to do yet in improving his game, getting choked out by late replacement Robert "Bubba" McDaniels in the first round.

McDaniels shot in early for the takedown and Hose sprawled, ending up in half guard. The more grappling-savvy McDaniels swept to the outside and took the Hawaiian's back.

"He went for one rear-naked choke, I was defending that one and he slipped the other one across and that one was pretty deep," Hose said.

Unable to escape, Hose was forced to tap out at 41 seconds of the first round.

But not all was lost for Icon Sport title-holders, as bantamweight ace Mark "The Shark" Oshiro was victorious in his bout, catching Chris Willems in a triangle choke. Willems attempted to slam his way out, but Oshiro held tight, pulling his foot down to lock on the choke and force Willems to tap at 2:12 of round one.

After splitting decision victories in 2005, Mike Aina (Pictures) and Kaleo Kwan (Pictures) battled to another hard-fought decision.

Aina controlled the pace of the first two rounds, scoring takedowns and controlling from the top. Kwan finally found his momentum in the third round, landing punches to a tired Aina who tried to move away with his hands at his waist. Kwan scored again with a body kick and spinning backfist as time ran out.

It was an impressive final round for Kwan, but it was not enough to win him the fight. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 for Aina.

PJ Dean (Pictures) and Dean Lista (Pictures) battled for 15 minutes. Each fighter had their moments of glory and Dean was looking to take control of the fight when he had a point deducted for hitting his opponent below the belt.

The point deduction would cost him the victory, as the judges' scorecards called the bout a draw.

Coming off an impressive knockout over Tyson Nam (Pictures) in his Icon debut, Russell Doane (Pictures) blasted out Dwayne Haney (Pictures) with punches and elbows from the mount at 2:46 of round one.

In the evening's opening bout, Carl Barton made quick work of Kepa Madeiros, pounding out his opponent from a top-side crucifix at 55 seconds of the first frame.

Maui heavyweight Lolohea Mahe (Pictures) was left without an opponent when Chris Barnard dropped out of the fight due to an alleged illness one half hour before it was supposed to take place. Mahe is expected to compete at the August 2 Icon Sport event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Noons on Big Win in Hawaii
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1645
Sherdog.com caught up with Karl James Noons (Pictures) after his impressive stoppage of Yves Edwards (Pictures) Saturday in Hawaii.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Video: Noons Sr. Talks Altercation with Diaz Brothers
videolink:http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1646
Sherdog.com's James Meinhardt spoke with Karl Noons Sr. after his altercation with Nate and Nick Diaz (Pictures) inside the cage following his son's technical knockout of Yves Edwards (Pictures) on Saturday.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Adrenaline stumbles out of the gate

When launching Adrenaline MMA, Monte Cox spoke of his plan to model the promotion on the Bay Area power Strikeforce. One of the key components of success mentioned by Monte was a strong showing at the gate, but judging by the early numbers the promotion seems to still have a ways to go to measure up to Scott Coker's creation from a business perspective.

MMAJunkie's Steve Sievert reports attendance of around 2,000 while Sherdog is a little more generous with an estimate of 2,500. Either number represents a weak gate for such a large metro area. Cox commented to MMAJunkie:

"I talked to other promoters in music and other things, and everything seems to be down right now," he said. "Last time I did a show here, we had people driving 100 to a 150 miles. We didn't get that tonight. It's hard. A 150 now is costing you 70 bucks, and I think people factor that in. Plus, the Quad Cities, where we normally draw really well from, is flooded. We just didn't have a lot of things go our way."
With no big stars on the card the payroll was likely on the low side, but with that level of attendance I doubt the card was profitable. While the show had several local fighters on the card, the show lacked a mainstream name or charismatic fighter to break through to a larger audience. Strikeforce has been lucky in that respect in that they have two charismatic guys in Cung Le and Frank Shamrock that both have strong local ties from which to draw strong crowds. Next week's card being head lined by Gilbert Melendez should be an interesting test of how well Strikeforce can draw without either of their big two on the card.

The September card being put on by Adrenaline will face much more pressure at the gate. On that card will be Adrenaline's two big ticket signings, Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell. Rothwell is set to make $200,000 for his Adrenaline fights and one has to believe that Sylvia is making somewhere slightly north of that, so right there you are looking at a half a million on payroll. If you are going to bring in half way decent names to face these two, you are looking at probably another 100 grand and then you have to fill out the undercard as well. Adrenaline will have to have a close to capacity crowd to break even with those kind of salaries being thrown around.

 

[Shogun Locc]

5Oz. Interview: EliteXC welterweight prospect Matt Makowski addresses controversial bout vs. Nick Serra

Matt Makowski is one of the most down-to-Earth, humble 21-year olds you’ll ever meet. He’s the type of person who allows his actions to speak louder than words. As such, it was a little surprising to hear Makowski speak out during a recent interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com regarding his recent fight vs. Nick Serra that took place during the undercard for “EliteXC: Primetime.” However, the frustration is more than justifiable. The EliteXC welterweight prospect expressed his disappointment that more people seem to be talking about Serra’s performance during their bout on May 31 as opposed to the dominant effort turned in by Makowski.

During the fight, Makowski broke Serra down with an onslaught of kicks to various regions of his body. A battered and bruised Serra ran out of steam and jumped guard towards the beginning of the second round. The problem was, he whiffed completely and was left sitting on the mat. He was told to get up and was warned about such a tactic. In spite of the warning, Serra jumped guard a second time soon after and missed again. This time referee Kevin Mulhall took a point away from Serra and told him he needed to get up or else the fight was going to be stopped. An exhausted Serra refused to answer Mulhall’s call and the fight was halted at 3:57 of round 2.

The win improved the recent college graduate’s record to a perfect 3-0. With his star on the rise, 5 Oz. recently caught up with Makowski for an interview.

Sam Caplan: You’re coming off a tremendous win during the undercard of EliteXC: Primetime. While it wasn’t on CBS, it was broadcast on the Internet. I know that CBSSports.com drew 30,000 unique visitors and I’m sure ProElite.com also recorded several thousand unique viewers too. Combine that with the video on demand, and a lot of people were able to see you fight. From your perspective, have you experienced an increase in notoriety?

Matt Makowski: As of right now, not really. From what I’ve seen on the Internet, most of the talk has been about Nick and his performance in the fight rather than what happened with me and what I did. Immediately after though, there were a lot of people coming up to me to congratulate me.

Sam Caplan: Your performance vs. Nick Serra was outstanding. Yet it seems a lot of people are spending more energy talking about Serra’s antics as opposed to how well you performed. I guess it’s safe to assume you agree with that assessment. How did you feel with how he performed during the second round of that fight?

Matt Makowski: I had a lot of respect for Nick going into the fight and I still have respect for him, however, I don’t know if he was just doing his whole monkey gimmick with his arms down. The reason why he dropped was because his leg hurt, not so much because he was giving up. It was pretty much a submission. You wouldn’t think less of someone for tapping out to a choke or an armlock or something. And the same thing kind of applies here; Nick just couldn’t get up from the leg kicks.

Sam Caplan: The Serra name is well respected in MMA. I hate to put you on the spot, but did his refusal to continue cause you to lose respect for him?

Matt Makowski: I know his arms were down and all, but if you keep kicking anyone in the right spot… I hit him multiple times in the same spot and that will do it to anybody. That’s why I was throwing them, so that he would eventually not be able to keep putting weight on his leg and be able to stand up.

Sam Caplan: Did you get a chance to speak with him after the fight?

Matt Makowski: After the fight was all said and done, he came up to me and gave me a hug but he really didn’t say a word. I just think he’s a quiet guy because we didn’t exchange words at all.

Sam Caplan: Serra showed up for the fight and only weighed 167 lbs. There was a rumor two weeks out before the fight that his camp was claiming the fight was at 160 lbs., which prompted some to believe they were looking for a way out. Did you hear any of those rumors?

Matt Makowski: I did, and we kind of thought the same thing. We found it odd; pretty much all of his fights have been at 170 or higher and the fact that his camp was asking for the fight at 160 when it was in the contract that it was at 170, we were a little curious about that.

Sam Caplan: You perhaps had the best entrance of the night, coming out dressed as one of the Road Warriors. What inspired you to put a little extra into your entrance?

Matt Makowski: I usually do entrances like that, so it wasn’t necessarily a counter to his entrance even though there was a lot of talk about that. A lot of people were egging me on and saying “You’ve got to do better than him!” and stuff. I’ve done wrestling-themed entrances before and to enter as the Road Warriors, I just thought it was an awesome idea. I thought it would give me a real cool look out there as I walked to the cage down the runway.

Sam Caplan: In the past I’ve seen you come out dressed as the Ultimate Warrior. There were no ropes for you to shake, so you shook the cage instead. And my wife trains at Philly MMA sometimes and she says there are times that while you’re training you put on pro wrestling videos.Obviously we know that you’re a Ultimate Warrior fan and a Road Warrior fan, but who were your other favorite wrestlers growing up?

Matt Makowski: I was a big Bret Hart fan as well as the Undertaker. It was just when I was younger, I used to watch WWE occasionally. I was just really into the whole showmanship of the sport and the entertainment value and things like that. So I pattern some of my MMA entrances around that as a way to pay homage to those athletes.

Sam Caplan: Do you still watch wrestling?

Matt Makowski: No, I don’t. Well, occasionally I will click on just to see just to kind of see how it is nowadays but I felt it kind of fell off in the ’90’s and it’s become a whole different thing.

Sam Caplan: When people think of top fight camps on the national scene, they think AKA, ATT, MFS, and Greg Jackson’s. However, Daddis Fight Camps is starting to make a name for itself. Can you tell us about the fighters you currently train with?

Matt Makowski: The trainers, Brad Daddis and Rigel Balsamico, we’ve got a lot of guys coming up like myself, Wilson Reis, Aaron Meisner — who was on “The Ultimate Fighter,” and Jon Murphy. We’ve also got a bunch of guys who are coming up through the amateurs that are just about ready to go pro. We’re trying to put Daddis Fight Camps on the map here in Philadelphia.

Sam Caplan: I’ve heard a rumor that you were an offensive lineman in high school, which struck me as odd because you fight at 170 lbs. Is that true?

Matt Makowski: Yes. A few years ago in high school I was probably walking around just under 200 lbs. So I was one of the quicker linemen; I was a center. It ended up working for me and the team.

Sam Caplan: So you were a 200 lbs. center. Who were you blocking for?

Matt Makowski: (Laughs) I graduated with Chad Henne, who was just recently drafted by the Miami Dolphins. I played football with him for three years at Wilson High School in Berks County.

Sam Caplan: Have you reached out and tried to contact him?

Matt Makowski: I haven’t. I would love to catch up with Chad sometime. I am really happy and excited that I can say I’ve accomplished my dream of being a professional athlete. Football was maybe first on the list but it didn’t work out, but I love MMA too so I’m still living my dream.

Sam Caplan: The Serra win was big for your career. You’re now 2-0 in EliteXC and you are still undefeated overall. What would you like to see happen next for you in your career?

Matt Makowski: I just want to fight more. Things are going pretty fast here. I’m fighting in a big organization like EliteXC and there’s pros and cons to that, where some guys might pad their record a little bit — maybe not necessarily on purpose but they might accumulate 5-6 wins before they even get to a top organization. And they have the benefit of the experience that comes with all those fights. As for myself, I don’t have six fights but I’m in a big organization. So I’m getting the exposure but I’m going to have to start fighting some higher-level guys right now with only three fights and being in EliteXC.

Sam Caplan: Is there anyone at 170 in EliteXC right now that you’d like to face?

Matt Makowski: No one in particular. I just want to keep fighting and keep climbing the ladder. The ultimate goal is definitely a title shot but that’s way down the road. I just want to take it one fight at a time and fight anyone they put in front of me.

Sam Caplan: If EliteXC approached you and your camp and offered you a chance to fight a Drew Fickett or a Jake Shields, at this stage of your career would you take the opportunity?

Matt Makowski: That’s a tough question right now. I would think I’d have to talk to my camp about it. I would consider it, for sure. I don’t feel that I am that far behind those guys as far as MMA skills go. But it might not be the best decision at this point in my career.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gesias talk about his recovery

The defeat at a GP could leave an athlete down, but for Gesias Cavalcante it had a positive side. The two fights he made against Shinya Aoki at lightweight Dream GP, being eliminated in the second one, forced Gesias to find a little time to take care of his body, punished after a long bouts sequence since the K-1, and do a knee surgery. "I had this surgery two weeks ago and doing physiotherapy. The recovery is been fast, now I have a new knee. The defeat has not changed in any way, indeed changed for better. I am having a time to recover myself from injuries and giving my body a rest", told the Brazilian, which has a forecast for his back. "I hope to be back in the end of the year or, if there isn’t any event, in the next year", said the ATT athlete.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ricardo Almeida: "His way or my way I don’t see this fight going three rounds".

MMAyou.com got to catch up Ricardo Almeida as he gets ready to face Patrick “The Predator” Cote at UFC 85 on July 5th in Las Vegas. Check out what Cote has to say about his upcoming opponent Patrick Cote, a possible match-up with Anderson Silva, the UFC 185lb division, and much more.

MMAyou.com: First, how are you doing?

Almeida: I am doing very well. I have back been training full time for a while now. My body keeps getting stronger, I guess I am not that old, yet! Training is going great, I belong to a great team and I believe once again they will get me where I need to be in order to win on July 5th.

MMAyou.com: You’re set to face Patrick Cote next, please give us your thoughts on this fight.

Almeida: It is a classic grappler versus striker matchup. I think it is no secret I want to get him down and he wants to keep it on the feet. Cote is very aggressive as I also try to be. His way or my way I don’t see this fight going three rounds.

MMAyou.com: Your facing a good striker in Patrick Cote and another one in Anderson Silva should you beat Cote. Who have you been working with to get your standup ready for your fights?

Almeida: I have been working on my boxing for a while now. Don't expect me to all of a sudden start knocking people out but I have been sparring with some pro boxers and actually feel even more comfortable on my feet. To me the stand up game is like playing roulette but I can always rely on my Jiu Jitsu. You will see me looking to take the fight to the ground almost one hundred of the time.

MMAyou.com: Many people, myself included, feel you would be one of the biggest, if not the biggest threat to Anderson Silva due to your impressive ground game. If you were to fight Anderson how do you see this fight going down?

Almeida: Thank you for the compliment but there are other tremendous fighters in the middleweight division in the UFC. We have Dan and Rich although they already had their shot. Then Bisping and the Brazilian contingent in Maia, Palhares and Leites. Any of these guys will have a great fight with Anderson Silva. Just to clarify I have not heard anything about a possible title shot. Regardless it would be disrespectful toward Patrick Cote to start talking about a possible Anderson Silva match. If I win in July we’ll come back to this one.

MMAyou.com: You’ve had a very successful career as a fighter. What attributes would you say a person needs to succeed at MMA?

Almeida: I believe in two attributes that are indispensable, unless you are a freak like GSP or BJ Penn and even those guys look like they have plenty of both; they are indomitable spirit and guidance.
I have always had determination but under Renzo’s guidance it has become a burning desire for perfection. Perfection of character, perfection of technique and perfection as a human being. Even though I know I will never be perfect, the pursuit will get me closer than if I just assume I am good enough.

MMAyou.com: You were trained by a great fighter and coach in Renzo Gracie. What was it like to train under Renzo?

Almeida: To have met Renzo has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. He has been my mentor inside and outside the ring.

Renzo doesn’t really care about the outcome of a match but he demands a non quitting spirit. With Renzo in my corner I am more afraid of quitting than losing any match I am ever in. If you go into his Academy in NY, the only picture he has hanged is from his match with Sakuraba. That was his most devastating loss because it happened in the closing moments of a fight in which in my opinion he was winning the decision. He had his arm dislocated and never tapped. I believe it is one of the most proud moments he carries of himself in the ring even though it took a loss for it to happen.

MMAyou.com: Is there anyone you would like to face?

Almeida: In the beginning of 2008 many fans were complaining that the middleweight was a week division in the UFC. I predict that by this year’s end we will have set things up for a stellar 2009. There are so many tough guys. I just want to keep winning in order fight the top guys in the division. I came back to fight for the title, that is still my goal. But if I lose before then I just see so many great match ups in the future. I am training harder than ever. I am more excited than ever about fighting. I am looking forward to what is coming ahead.

MMAyou.com: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers?

Almeida: MMA is fun with a remote control in one hand and a beer in the other but it is even more fun when you are training. You don’t need to fight competitively to have a great time learning to do what UFC fighters do and more importantly you will get in the best shape of your life.

Hope to see you on the mats soon, if not, on Pay-Per-View July 5th for sure. Tune In.

For more information on Ricardo Almeida please visit www.ricardoalmeida.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Josh Burkman – A Wandering Spirit begins to Settle Down – But Not Too

Tentative’ is a word you would never associate with Josh Burkman. Whether it’s his aggressive style in the Octagon, his approach to training, or to life for that matter, once the Utah native gets something in his head, he’s off Related News to do it,consequences be damned.
Of course when you’re a free spirit like that, it can lead to complications, such as losses in the last 13 months to Karo Parisyan and Mike Swick, but when it’s all said and done, Burkman knows that he wouldn’t change a thing.

“I embrace change; I’m not scared of it,” said the 28-year old ‘People’s Warrior.’ “When I get comfortable I just want to change things up, challenge myself, and test myself. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to travel around, grab a backpack and go from place to place my whole life, but I really enjoy doing that right now. I enjoy going and training with fighters in different places and seeing how they live. When I went up to Oregon I became good friends with Chris Leben, Ed Herman, and all those guys up there, and we’re still good friends. Then I went back to Utah for a while, and then went and trained with Tito Ortiz and became good friends with Kendall Grove and Joe Stevenson. These are good fighters who are all trying to do their thing, and for me, a lot of them are good at jiu-jitsu or wrestling or boxing, and I’m constantly trying to develop that American Whu-Hit-U style – it’s that style of no style, just taking a little bit from everybody and using what works best for me.”

Currently, Burkman has put down stakes in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he trains with the fighters at the Xtreme Couture Gym and where he will fight this Saturday night at The Palms against Dustin Hazelett. He’s adapted well to life in the desert, though he admits with a laugh, “I don’t get any easy rounds when I show up to a new place.”

That’s a good thing, as it keeps him on his toes and keeps him pushing towards his eventual goal of winning a welterweight championship. It also keeps him grounded. Burkman is not one of those fighters that say ‘hey, I’m a finished product and I can take on anybody in the world right now and beat them.’ Instead, Burkman admits that while he has done some good things while building a 6-3 UFC record, he is far from where he needs to be to truly test the elite at 170 pounds.

“Sometimes I think I’m on the right track,” he said. “I don’t make things easy on myself; I never have my whole life. When I was first in the UFC I would take a month and a half and I’d get ready for my fight. But after my fight I would take a month and a half and ruin everything that I just worked for. (Laughs) I would be partying and traveling and drinking and stuff like that. So I’m proud of myself that I’m still here, but also, I look back and say that there were a lot of changes I could have made that would have probably helped me to not slip up like I did. Now that I’m older I realize that I have to take care of my body, and after my fights I’m not going out and partying my ass off. After my last fight, I went home and a couple days later I was back in the gym.”

That last fight, against Swick in January, was disappointing to all involved. For Swick and Burkman, neither left the Octagon after three rounds feeling that they had shown their best stuff; for the fans, it was a tactical battle but not a particularly exciting one. Add in the close decision win for Swick that many fans didn’t agree with, and you’ve got a forgettable night. What Burkman did take away from it though was that he’s got a pretty devoted fanbase behind him, win or lose, and he’s going to do whatever he can do to deliver for them this weekend.

“I got a lot of feedback from my last fight – more so than from any of my fights – and it was crazy to me how my fans really had my back,” said Burkman. “I got hundreds of emails saying ‘you are the People’s Warrior, we know you won the fight,’ and it was cool. I’ve got the best fans in the world, so if they feel like I got screwed, then that means they got screwed too, so they want to see me get back in there and show them what I can do. I’m even more anxious and more excited for this fight just because of the way the last one went. I’m looking forward to going back in there and really trying to upgrade on this performance. Plus, I need to go out there and do something because I feel like my fans didn’t get what they deserved last time, so I need to make it exciting for them.”

Another positive from the January 23rd bout was Burkman’s auctioning off of his fight-worn shorts and shirt to raise money for ‘The Shade Tree’, a shelter for homeless and abused women and children in Vegas. It’s the side of Burkman and many other UFC fighters that few see.

“I’m very grateful for where I’m at and the things that I have, and a lot of that (fight-worn items) is gonna be put away and stacked in drawers,” he said. “So I know that I’m very blessed, and the more that I can give back, people will see that and they’ll start to do it. It’s that whole ‘pay it forward’ philosophy. I’m been through a lot of hard stuff in my life and for some reason I’ve had to teach myself all my own lessons, so if I can give back and help out other people, especially little kids, I’ll try to help out as many people around me as I can. We’ve got to do what we can do to make things better, because obviously for a lot of people, things aren’t that good right now.”

Things are looking up for Burkman though, as he’s survived in the world’s toughest MMA proving ground for close to three years, and is just a few wins away from being in the title picture. It’s an improbable and amazing story in a lot of ways, considering his initial exposure to the sport in 2002.

At the time, Burkman has finished off an All-American season as a running back for Dixie State where he rushed for over 1,400 yards and 13 touchdowns. A scholarship to attend and play for the University of Utah was on the table, but on a whim, the former high school wrestler called up a local promoter, the Ultimate Combat Experience, and asked to fight in one of their upcoming shows.