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Jul 24, 2005
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Chuck Liddell Ponders Future, Still Wants To Regain Title

Chuck "Iceman" Liddell made an appearance at the post fight press conference lastnight following his loss to Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 88: Breakthrough in Atlanta, GA, and although beaten and broken, Liddell made no indication that he planned on retirning anytime soon,

"I'll take a little time after this fight but I've always said that I would decide when to retire in the training room not after a fight" the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion told reporters.

The former champ was promised a title shot with a win over Evans that led some to believe that the "Iceman" may be overlooking The Ultimate Fighter 2 heavyweight winner. That title shot has now been awarded to Evans, with a showdown between him and the champ, Forrest Griffin, likely for December 27th.

Liddell, who holds a 21-6 record with 16 of those wins coming inside the UFC's Octagon (a record) has lost three out of his past four fights, two of them by knockout. He still has the title on his mind but with this loss it could be a long road back to the title for Liddell,

"Yeah, it is still my goal to get back to the title but it is just going to take a little longer now so we'll see."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Anderson: “Paulo Filho is the best middleweight”

Pointed for many as the best pound for pound MMA fighters, Anderson Silva has no doubts on pointing his favorite athlete in his own division. “Paulão (Paulo Filho) is no comments, he’s complete. I think he’s absolute in this division, there’s nobody to beat him. In my opinion, he’s the best middleweight”, said Anderson, that doesn’t think about unifying the WEC and UFC belts in a fight against Filho.



“I would never fight with Paulão. We almost train together, we’re always helping each other and (Josuel) Distak is our coach. There’s no chance to happen. People can complain, scream, whatever, but it won’t happen”, said the UFC middleweight champion.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Anderson: “Paulo Filho is the best middleweight”

Pointed for many as the best pound for pound MMA fighters, Anderson Silva has no doubts on pointing his favorite athlete in his own division. “Paulão (Paulo Filho) is no comments, he’s complete. I think he’s absolute in this division, there’s nobody to beat him. In my opinion, he’s the best middleweight”, said Anderson, that doesn’t think about unifying the WEC and UFC belts in a fight against Filho.



“I would never fight with Paulão. We almost train together, we’re always helping each other and (Josuel) Distak is our coach. There’s no chance to happen. People can complain, scream, whatever, but it won’t happen”, said the UFC middleweight champion.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Evans, MacDonald, Pellegrino and Tavares earn $60K UFC 88 bonuses

Rashad Evans, Jason MacDonald, Kurt Pellegrino and Thiago Tavares each earned $60,000 "fight night" bonuses for their performances at UFC 88.

UFC 88 took place Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta and aired live on pay per view. The bonus amounts were equal to last month's awards issued at UFC 87.

The UFC announced the bonuses at the UFC 88 post-fight press conference and were confirmed by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

There was a large selection of knockouts for UFC brass to consider when picking the best of the night. But despite outstanding performances by Nate Marquardt and Tim Boetsch, no knockout was quite as devastating or meant quite as much as Evans' dismantling of Chuck Liddell. UFC officials agreed, and Evans took home the bonus in addition to his new-found position in the UFC's light-heavyweight division.

Pellegrino and Tavares shared Fight of the Night honors for their rousing lightweight contest. In the back-and-forth affair, both fighters showed flashes of brilliance. In the end it was Pellegrino that was able to earn the unanimous decision.

MacDonald erased the frustration of a UFC 87 loss to Damian Maia by securing the victory over a newly trim Jason Lambert. A late replacement for fellow Canadian Jason Day, MacDonald secured the evening's sole submission and the hefty bonus by default.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Matt Serra calls for one last push as New York inches closer to sanctioning MMA

On July 25, the New York State Assembly Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development Committee got one step closer to finally legalizing the sport of MMA in “The Empire State” when Governor David Paterson appointed Melvina Lathan as chairperson of the New York State Athletic Commission.

Lathan has an accomplished background in boxing, having judged 235 professional boxing matches, including 82 title fights.

While many boxing professionals (and purists) are quick to denounce the sport of mixed martial arts, Lathan isn’t one of them.

From Lathan’s interview with the Newark Star Ledger:

“I believe that at some point (MMA) will have to be sanctioned in New York. Obviously, I can’t say as much as I would like to say because it really happens through the legislative process here, and I don’t want to say anything that will hinder its progress. But I feel positive because it is a fast-growing sport and one of the most popular sports. It is an intense sport, it is a difficult sport, but it is so different from boxing. I believe that there is room for the two sports, but you can’t compare them. A lot of people are afraid of what they don’t know. If they were more educated about sport … it would be easier for them to accept it.”

Lathan is set to assume duties at the beginning of 2009, when current chairperson Ron Scott Stevens finishes his five-year term.

While it’s refreshing to hear her enthusiastic approach, she does recognize that most New York lawmakers suffer from an education deficit. To help rally the cause, the UFC is leading the charge with some of its more popular NY-based fighters to help spread the word.

Enter former UFC welterweight champion Matt “The Terror” Serra.

Alongside disciples Pete “Drago” Sell and George Sotiropolous, Serra came to the UFC 88: “Breakthrough” viewing party last night at Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in New York City to help further the cause.

From Serra:

“I’m a New Yorker, so of course nothing would make me happier than fighting in my home state. I like going to Vegas as much as the next guy, but its crazy to think that some antiquated law is keeping us out of a place like Madison Square Garden. You know the kind of money [Manhattan] could make with a UFC pay-per-view? Look what they did at the Target Center. We got some passionate fans here and we would blow the roof off this place.”

Serra has been one of the driving forces behind MMAfacts.com — a Web site the UFC recently set up to help legalize the sport of MMA. Part of the movement is to get MMA fans to visit the site and send an INTELLIGENT and COHERENT email to your local legislator calling for action.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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RICH FRANKLIN TALKS UFC 88 WIN & WEIGHT CLASS

It wasn’t an easy job, but former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin got it done, stopping former training partner Matt Hamill with a liver kick in the final round of their UFC 88 fight in Atlanta. The onslaught of takedowns Franklin and many pundits expected never came, and as the fight wore on, his kicks made sure of that. His lone stay on the mat was short lived.



“I just put myself in the mindset that if I ended up on my back I was comfortable there anyway, it didn’t matter to me,” he said. “I assumed that he would probably have several shot attempts that I just wouldn’t be able to defend, because he’s such high caliber wrestler.



“I always do a good job with my guard, or at least try to keep moving and work my way back to my feet if I’m going to be on bottom. Because the last thing I want to do is sit there and take some punishment.”



Franklin had not fought in the light heavyweight division for three years. In preparation, he ramped up his food intake and watched his body slowly change. It had a hard time remembering what being heavier felt like. It took him time and protein powder to get in the groove.



“Once I got into camp, training for Matt (Hume), doing two-a-days, the weight just started to drop off me a little bit,” he said. “I think I peaked out at 214, and then leveled out around 210.”



It’s a cut he’ll be happy make in the future, though. Franklin squeezed every bit of water possible out of his body to make the middleweight class. Often at weigh-ins, he looked sunken in and miserable—not a guy you’d want to be around come fight day.



“To be honest, the weight cutting is way better for me at 205 than it is at185. It’s a much more enjoyable week—you can ask my camp,” he said with a smile.



After the fight, Franklin expressed relief that he had not done too much damage to his friend. He took the fight only when he learned Hamill had accepted, and even then, it was bittersweet to take a victory by hurting a friend.



“I’m just glad that neither one of us was laying on the canvas unconscious or something like that,” Franklin said. “The fight kind of unfolded the way it did, we came to the press conference and were in the medical room getting stitches at the same time—mine worse than his. I’m glad that I won, I can’t deny that, but Matt’s a friend, and that’s the bitterness of the victory.”



Franklin now faces a quandary. Should he continue to blaze a trail in the light heavyweight division, or go back to middleweight? He has made his name in the division, but a roadblock exists to title glory—that of Anderson Silva. He says the UFC doesn’t want to see a third match-up between the two, and Franklin is a cut above all but arguably a few of his 185-pound stable mates. For now, he will travel at the whim of the UFC and the fans.



“I’ll talk to (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) after this, whether I’m staying at 205,” he said. “Perhaps they want me to stay at 205, perhaps they are in a position where they say let’s just do this fight, or this fight, because they’re exciting fights and the fans want to see them. Bouncing back and forth between 185 and 205 is actually do-able because at some point in time, if I was going to stay in this division, I would have to really put my mind at continuing to put on weight.”



A quick look at the 205 division reveals a fight with history for Franklin, that of Lyoto Machida. In 2003, before Franklin’s era as a UFC mainstay, Machida handed him his first loss at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye in Japan. Franklin says he’s not in a rush to delve into the past unless he’s called to do so.



“I said the same thing about Silva after the first loss. If that was something that was good for the UFC and good for the fans, I’d be interested,” he finished. “But I’m not the guy that’s like ‘Machida beat me, I need to avenge that loss.’ I’m not having good luck with those southpaws from Chute Box anyway, so we’ll see what happens.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Ishida Heads To Playboy Mansion For Scrap With Former NCAA Wrestling Stud

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Top-ranked lightweight (155 lb. limit) mixed martial arts (MMA) gun, Mitsuhiro “The Endless Fighter” Ishida (16-4-1), will make his way from the battlegrounds of Japan for the first time in his seven-year professional career to face former NCAA Division I wrestling stud and rising Team AKA star, Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (5-2), in the cage at Strikeforce’s mega-event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA on Saturday, September 20th.

Since jumping off to a shaky 2-2 start while fighting at 170 lbs, Wilcox has reset his game plan and reeled off three consecutive victories, including his August 30th conquest of “The Ultimate Fighter” season five cast member, Gabe Ruediger, at a lighter, more comfortable weight.

The 29-year-old native of Cincinnati, Ohio credits the sudden turnaround to his recently formed alliance with San Jose’s Team AKA, the home of Wilcox’s Edinboro University of Pennsylvania wrestling brother, Josh Koscheck.

“I love the way they train. They have that grind that I’m used to from wrestling in college so I feel at home here,” said Wilcox, who became the first true freshman in Edinboro history to win the NCAA national qualifying tournament.

“My college coach always said if you want to be a champ, you have to surround yourself with champs so I went out to AKA and haven’t lost since.”

During his collegiate career, the high-spirited Wilcox was turned on to amateur and, later, on to professional bodybuilding, a stint that helped mold him into the monstrous physical specimen that he is today.

“I’ve always been into one on one competition so MMA was perfect for me. I saw Koscheck fighting on TV one day and I said ‘This is what I want to do.”

Of his recent, three-round unanimous decision over Ruediger, Wilcox feels his opponent took him lightly.

“He thought I was going to be a feeder from him, just a muscle head or something like that. I went there and showed him what I’m all about I rocked him like four times and he pretty much had nothing for me.”

Also 29 years of age and a wrestling phenom known for his exceptional endurance, Ishida infiltrated the top echelon of 155 lb. competitors by conquering numerous other top contenders in Japan’s leading MMA organizations, including the now defunct Pride Fighting Championship as well as Shooto and Dream.

Ishida sent a shockwave through the world of MMA on New Year’s Eve last year when he outfoxed then Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion, “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez, for two, five-minute rounds and handed Melendez the first defeat of his career by way of unanimous judges’ decision at Saitama, Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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UFC - Fight Night 15 - Card Update

Event Name: UFC - Fight Night 15
Event Date: 09/17/2008
Event Location: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Nebraska

Nathan Diaz vs. Josh Neer
Clayton Guida vs. Mac Danzig
Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer
Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher
Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley
Wilson Gouveia vs. Ryan Jensen
Alessio Sakara vs. Joe Vedepo
Brad Morris vs. Jason Brilz
Andrew McFedries vs. Mike Massenzio
Rob Kimmons vs. Dan Miller
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Report: EliteXC On FSN To Air 9PM Tonight

According to Sharon Robb of the Sun Sentinel, tonight will be the debut of the the EliteXC On FSN show:

Fox Sports Network will televise four Elite XC mixed martial arts specials this month and October. The four one-hour cards, scheduled for Sundays at 9 p.m. beginning today, will showcase many elite fighters including Kimbo Slice, who fights Oct. 4 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise; Frank Shamrock; K.J. Noons; and Phil Baroni.

The telecasts will feature vintage bouts of other MMA stars including Anderson Silva and Faber from earlier in their careers when they fought in Pro Elite-owned King of the Cage and Cage Rage events. …

If the story is true, EliteXC and FSN have done a poor job of marketing, a seeming trend. A simple press release isn’t that difficult to alert the MMA media to the show.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Couture, Kimbo and Shamrock featured on 'Inside MMA'
videolink: http://sherdog.com/videos/recent/Couture-Kimbo-and-Shamrock-featured-on-Inside-MMA-1755
On this week's HDNet "Inside MMA," Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice are joined by Randy Couture (Pictures), Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (Pictures) and Ken Shamrock (Pictures). Other guests include actor Jason Miller (Pictures), Matt Horwich (Pictures) and actor Michael Jai White.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Deafening silence for upcoming Elite XC & Affliction shows

If you didn’t follow MMA 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you would have no clue that two ‘big’ MMA shows are coming up in October. If you were the typical, casual North American fan that surfs the Internet only for a few minutes and watches a lot of television, you would have no idea that Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock is coming up next month. You would have no idea about Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett, either.

Remember the good old days when Affliction bombarded us with massive amounts of PR for their debut show, which was labeled as the greatest heavyweight card in the history of MMA? Those days sure feel like years, not months ago.

What happened?

Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock is about as easy of a match-up as you could possibly promote on paper. Two dynamic personalities, two interesting stories in the world of MMA, and yet if you believe the anecdotal evidence online, there is little or no heat right now in South Florida for this upcoming fight. How could this possibly be? Then, throw in the x-factor of the Miami Hurricanes playing Florida State at Dolphins Stadium that same night, and you have a potentially very bad situation on your hands as far as Elite XC drawing a major paid crowd to see a match-up that should automatically sell out the arena they are running in.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett is a match-up featuring two very talented heavyweights, both of whom have charisma and can cut a promo. They also can fight pretty damn well. Yet, it’s the match-up that absolutely is drawing yawns from both casual and hardcore MMA fans. I almost believe that if DREAM or another Japanese promotion was pushing this fight that the hardcore fans would be paying more attention to it than they are now with the fight being booked by Affliction. If Arlovski vs. Barnett can generate 50,000 PPV buys, then Affliction will be very fortunate to get out of their October 11th date at the Thomas & Mack Center without losing their ass financially. Unfortunately, like Elite XC’s upcoming South Florida event, it seems that Affliction has not found any traction with their Las Vegas event.

There is a lot at stake for both companies with their October events. You don’t want to say it’s a make-or-break situation, but the reality is that it is for both organizations. If Affliction can build some momentum off of their July event, then they could set the table for events in 2009. If Elite XC can do well both at the gate and with a TV rating on CBS, they could keep their television deal in tact with CBS and keep running more shows. However, it appears that both shows are on a negative course in terms of the overall business picture. I hate writing this because I want to see strong competition against UFC in the MMA marketplace, but you have to call a spade a spade here. Both Affliction and Elite XC are not getting the job done right now, in my opinion, with their upcoming October shows.

It’s not just a lack of recognition for both organizations. It’s a lack of energy. It’s a lack of vitality, aggression, and nose-to-the-grindstone carnival barking-style marketing. Where’s the fighting spirit?

Neither promotion has released a full fight card for their big events and we are approximately one month away from the time that these shows are scheduled to take place. Unacceptable.

Interestingly enough, there is a big question surrounding both promotions in regards to their lead play-by-play announcers. Since both Jay Glazer (Affliction/Fox Sports) & Gus Johnson (EXC/CBS Sports) work on Sundays for NFL coverage, it’s doubtful that either man will be available to work the October MMA shows. As good as Mauro Ranallo is as a play-by-play man in MMA, Johnson provides the casual sports fan with a real oomph as far as credibility goes for the EXC broadcasts. Glazer handled his business relatively well (alongside Frank Trigg) for the Affliction debut show on PPV.

There is a large enthusiasm gap right now amongst insiders, fighters, managers, and fans in the MMA business for both mega-events in October. Silence, this time around, is not golden
 
Jul 24, 2005
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UFC 88 notes: KO causes chain reaction

UFC 88 notes: KO causes chain reaction
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports
Sep 7, 3:39 am EDT

Buzz Up PrintMore From Dave MeltzerTeacher vs. student as Franklin faces Hamill Sep 5, 2008 Henderson wants to get back on track Sep 2, 2008
ATLANTA – Rashad Evans’ overhand right to the jaw of Chuck Liddell on Saturday night will not only wind up on the UFC’s all-time highlight reel, but it landed Evans the next light heavyweight title shot.

“Me, Lorenzo and Joe Silva decided tonight that Rashad would get the next shot,” said UFC president Dana White at the news conference after UFC 88 at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

The current plan is for the first championship match in history that involves two winners of the “Ultimate Fighter.” Season one winner and current champion Forrest Griffin defends against Evans (12-0-1), the season two winner, tentatively Dec. 27 in Las Vegas as part of a double headliner along with the Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir match for the interim heavyweight championship.



“I’m very happy I’m getting the title match,” said Evans, who moments earlier had talked about being willing to be patient about getting a shot. “I’m still living in the moment (of beating Chuck Liddell). I haven’t put any thought into it.”

Evans’ second-round KO punch may have been the most expensive blow in UFC history, and that’s got nothing to do with the $60,000 bonus Evans got for the best knockout of the night.

Had Liddell beaten Evans, which he was a heavy favorite to do, a match between Griffin, one of the company’s most popular fighters, and Liddell, its most popular fighter, would have been one of the company’s biggest pay-per-view events in its history.

While few will question the notion Evans has earned a shot, given that he’s unbeaten and knocked out the long-time former champ, the difference between the two fights is several hundred thousand buys, which translates into millions of dollars.

While not confirmed, former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is close to finalizing a deal for his first match since losing the title to Griffin on July 5, and his subsequent arrest in a well publicized police chase, against Wanderlei Silva. It will be on one of the shows before the end of the year and the winner would likely be next in line in the company’s marquee division. Silva holds two wins over Jackson during Silva’s five-and-a-half year run as PRIDE light heavyweight champion.

Rich Franklin, the former middleweight champion, officially became the newest major name to enter the light heavyweight title hunt. In a case of irony, years back, Franklin (26-3), whose only career losses have been two to current middleweight champ Anderson Silva and one to undefeated light heavyweight contender Lyoto Machida, trained heavily with his opponent Saturday night, Matt Hamill, in takedown defense.

Hamill, a two-time Division III national champion wrestler, who at the time was not thinking of a career in MMA, unfortunately, taught him too well. Franklin was able to soften Hamill up early with kicks to his front leg and the body before winning via third-round TKO, and between that and his takedown defense being strong, most of the fight was standing.

“Rich Franklin’s a world class striker,” Hamill said. “I have to do everything I can just to keep up with him.”


Hamill reopened a cut that Franklin suffered in training and had taken stitches in near the right eye. The cut was deep enough that even though Franklin was controlling the fight, there was a chance he was going to lose due to it being deep.

During the second round, the doctor was called to look at the cut.

By the end of the night, Franklin looked like he had been in a war, with swelling and bruising around both his eyes. While looking worse for wear, he still did most of the damage in the fight, and put Hamill down for good at 0:39 of the third round after a liver kick.

“If I stay at 205 pounds, I have to work on putting on more weight,” said Franklin. “I probably fought at about 210. I need to put on a couple of more pounds before my next fight.”

Franklin joins a division that also includes Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who one year ago was considered by many as the best in the world at the weight. Since that time, he was upset by Griffin and has gone down with two knee operations and hasn’t fought since last September. He is also expected to return before the end of the year.

Another major contenders fight, Lyoto Machida vs. Thiago Silva, is off the books at UFC 89. Machida and Silva are the two major contenders besides Evans with unbeaten records.

The fight was scheduled for Oct. 18, in Birmingham, England. At this point it appears Machida will be off the show and face a different major contender likely before the end of the year.

Dan Henderson (23-7), the last PRIDE champion in the 205-pound division, looks to be remaining at middleweight after scoring a unanimous decision win over Rousimar Palhares.

Palhares (17-3), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu wiz, saw his constant takedown attempts stuffed on almost every occasion by Henderson’s Olympic-level wrestling.

“I haven’t had a win in the octagon in almost ten years,” said Henderson, who started fighting in Japan in RINGS and Pride, two companies that use a ring, from 1999 to early 2007. “I don’t want to wait that long again.”

Henderson took a cautious approach against an opponent who was a major risk for him, because he posed a real threat on the ground, but didn’t have a big name.

“This opponent was as tough as anybody I’ve faced,” said Henderson. “I wanted to keep it on my feet. Normally I’m more aggressive, so I apologize about that. Nobody knows who he is, but he’s damn dangerous.”
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Matt Serra: "I want to retire Matt Hughes"

by MMAjunkie.com Staff It was well past 10 p.m. in Huntington, N.Y., when

Matt Serra closed and locked the doors to the Serra Jiu-Jitsu Academy, a joint venture owned and operated with his brother and fellow JJ black belt, Nick.

He said hello to a Suffolk County police officer patrolling the lot, climbed into his vehicle, fitted and adjusted the obligatory headset, and drove southwest to his Massapequa home.

Yeah, it was late, but Serra was wired enough you'd think he downed 10 tall ones from Starbucks. When you have as much going on as him, your world is nonstop 25/8, too.

Matt and Nick run two schools, the other in East Meadow, N.Y., and have grand plans to open a third. Matt hasn't spent much time on the mat following his April 19 TKO loss to Georges St. Pierre, a rematch of when his first-round victory shocked everyone associated with the UFC and beyond. He left that second bout with St. Pierre not with the welterweight title he took from the celebrated French Canadian a year earlier, but an injury to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow.

While the injury healed, Serra focused on grooming his student body to be champions and is working on a new agreement for what he called a lengthy contract with the UFC. Out of the gym, Serra's goals are bigger. His wife, Ann, is three months pregnant. Last month, he traveled to Minneapolis for UFC 87 and signed autographs at the Mall of America. Nobody asked him about his schools, his contract, hometown hero Brock Lesnar or even fatherhood. The public cared about one thing, as does Serra: when will Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes become a reality?

Fate interfered with a prior date at UFC 79 when Serra suffered a herniated disc in his lower back while demonstrating a move to a student. Talks are moving to finalize a bout for early next year, which would provide enough time for Serra's elbow to fully heal, and for Hughes to overcome a partially torn PCL and a completely torn MCL in his left knee, which he suffered in his most recent fight, a TKO loss to Thiago Alves.

Serra winning the welterweight title was a dream. Fighting Hughes is his destiny. If he beats Hughes, the two will forge into one.

"Everybody wants this fight to happen, from the fans to the organization to myself to Matt Hughes to Matt Hughes' wife," Serra told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I truly believe in my heart this is going down. When it does, this will be a great fight. I'm putting my heart and soul into training to fight this guy. People love rivalries, especially if it's legit."

You know their history. Incensed with Hughes' proclivity to annoy beyond the point of good-natured ribbing, Serra's dislike for his opposing coach during "The Ultimate Fighter 6" simmered past 212 degrees and created a score that had to be settled in one place, the octagon. Serra's words accelerated to five miles a minute over the mere prospect of this fight, a Renzo Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert with underrated striking ability against a nine-time welterweight champion and future UFC hall of famer.

Those words weren't minced either. Forget strength vs. strength. Ignore the tale of the tape. There's not just heat; there's unmitigated hatred.

"You're going to pay me to fight this jerk? Are you kidding me?" said Serra, voice rising. "You're paying me this amount of money to punch this guy in the face?"

Look at it this way: If you're a Yankees fan, you hate the Red Sox, and vice versa. Nobody sits on the fence with Serra vs. Hughes. If you love Serra, you hate Hughes, and vice versa. You're not pulling for both in a fight neither can afford to lose. Hughes (41-7) is off two straight losses, turns 35 in October and said after the Alves fight, he has one more in him, and that's against Serra.

Serra, 34, is only 9-5, but that's deceiving. He went the distance in losses to B.J. Penn, Karo Parisyan and Din Thomas (split), and he was just nine seconds from a decision with Shonie Carter before he was KO'd with a spinning back fist. He needed a split-decision win over Chris Lytle to win "The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback" that earned Serra the Rocky Balboa-like title shot against GSP. That adversity gained through strength made him a cult hero.

It's easy to dismiss Serra's first win over GSP as a fluke, easier to forget that he knocked down Parisyan at UFC 53. Yet, he's the likely underdog versus Hughes not because he's Matt Serra, but because his opponent is Matt Hughes. And the last thing Hughes wants is to end his career with three straight defeats, the last to someone with whom he shares a hate-hate relationship.

"I love being the underdog," Serra said. "I fit that role real nicely. I don't need any extra motivation for this fight. I genuinely do not like him, and I know feels the same about me.

"I'm expecting a very dangerous Matt Hughes who wants to go out on a high note. I'm not going to let him."

It's a fight Serra knows he cannot lose. It's a vendetta that's too damn important, and time will tell if Serra's skill set perfectly matches his dedication and desire. Then again, Serra KO's conventional wisdom when he shocked St. Pierre, pounding the champion's ribs and midsection before finishing him with crushing combinations to the head. And believe it or not, Serra, the first American to be awarded a black belt under Gracie's tutelage, says his jiu-jitsu has yet to reach its peak.

"I think I'm a bad matchup for Matt Hughes," Serra said. "I think he's a one-trick pony, and he's not good at that one trick. If people think that he's putting me to the mat like GSP did, he's not one-third as explosive as GSP. He's not putting me down like that. If he does, I have way better jiu-jitsu than I've shown in my last fight. There's so much stuff, and I want to show that if he does put me down."

Fighting so consumes Serra's life that it's the only thing he's known and still does.

"Tell me who won the last Super Bowl and I have no idea," Serra admitted shortly before the native Long Islander was reminded that the Giants pulled a Serra-GSP-like upset in Super Bowl XLII.

Even if Serra defeats Hughes and makes his point, there are no plans on riding off into the sunset. His allure to fight is that strong. It's mightier than creating the next champion, equally hip with becoming an action figure ("I'm going to be a freakin' action figure. That's going to be the coolest thing in the world," Serra said). And almost as powerful as becoming a first-time father.

"Whenever it gets to the point where it's not fun for me and I'm not enjoying it, then maybe I'll think about retiring," Serra said. "As long as there are fights that excite me, I'll be fighting, man."

Forgive Serra if he has tunnel vision. There's a blood feud that must be completed, and should he be successful, he won't just defeat Hughes. He'll crush him mentally and spiritually, and for Serra it'll be worth more than welterweight gold.

"The only thing I want to retire is Matt Hughes," Serra said. "I plan on retiring him."
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Liddell Addresses Retirement Talk

ATLANTA -- Chuck Liddell, a man once thought to be nearly invincible, was forced to address the subject of retirement at the post-fight press conference for UFC 88 “Breakthrough” on Saturday at Philips Arena. So goes the plight of a 38-year-old one-punch knockout victim.

Liddell (21-6), on the backend of his decorated career, has dropped three of his last four bouts, the latest a brutal KO loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88. Evans landed a lethal overhand right in the second round that stunned the crowd and left Liddell limp and unconscious. After he lay motionless in the center of the cage for several moments, questions arose about his future in a sport some feel has passed him by.

“I’ll definitely take a little time,” said Liddell, who turns 39 in three months. “I always said I’ll decide if I want to retire in the training room, not after a fight. I’m fine. I got caught. What do you want me to say?”

Never in his career had Liddell been finished so brutally. Still, the California native has designs on one day regaining the light heavyweight championship he once held for more than two years. His loss to Evans likely cost him an immediate shot at reigning 205-pound kingpin Forrest Griffin.

“It’s still my goal to get back in there [and win the title],” Liddell said, “but, obviously, it’s going to take a little bit longer.”
 
Jul 24, 2005
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With Griffin vs. Liddell scrapped, UFC must now focus on Couture vs. Lesnar

by Steve Sievert on Sep 08, 2008 at 10:35 am ET

With one devastating punch, Rashad Evans not only knocked out Chuck Liddell at UFC 88, he also KO'd one of the biggest fights in the promotion's 16-year history.

A Liddell victory over Evans would have set up an instant classic between "The Ultimate Fighter" teacher and student, former champion vs. current titleholder, and the UFC's past poster boy against its current superstar. Liddell vs. Forrest Griffin would have been a year-end blockbuster and could have drawn a pay-per-view number to rival that of the Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz match-up in December of 2006.

Instead, fans will get Evans vs. Griffin, though the exact date of the match has yet to be confirmed. It's an intriguing fight between two former "TUF" winners, but it's a bout that, from a marketing perspective, isn't even in the same cage as Liddell against Griffin.

With Liddell vs. Griffin scuttled, there will be even more media and fan attention paid to the UFC 91 match-up between Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar on Nov. 15, and the UFC is going to need every bit of it. UFC President Dana White has stated that he believes the fight between the former wrestlers will draw between 1 million and 1.5 million PPV buys, and he has the market research to support the claim.

While the Couture-Lesnar fight presents a myriad storylines to drive fan interest, 1.5 million buys has to be seen as a stretch goal and some pre-fight hype on the UFC's part.

For Liddell-Ortiz at UFC 66, the UFC had the benefit of the bitter feud between the two fighters and a rematch scenario, not to mention the subplot of White being a former manager of both and the no-love-lost relationship between White and Ortiz. That fight had all the ingredients to produce a record-setting PPV buy, and it delivered with 1.05 million.

The UFC has just two months to build up Couture vs. Lesnar. Granted, the marketing landscape sets up well. Between now and Nov. 15, the UFC has three shows (UFC Fight Night 15 and UFCs 89 and 90) to use to promote the fight, and the eighth season of "TUF" begins Sept. 17. The UFC will need to saturate the weekly "TUF" episodes with UFC 91 promos and hope that the series, which has seen its ratings dip recently, attracts new fans and not just the usual hardcore MMA crowd.

Both Couture and Lesnar have proved to be solid, but not sensational, PPV draws. "The Natural's" high-water mark was his comeback fight in March of 2007 against Tim Sylvia. UFC 68 generated 540,000 buys.

With Lesnar pushed hard for UFC 81 back in February of this year, the show did 650,000 purchases.

With those two shows as benchmarks, it's hard to make a case for UFC 91 being able to crack the seven-digit threshold. The UFC is a marketing juggernaut, and not having the distraction of fans looking ahead to a potential Liddell-Griffin bout in December helps the UFC 91 cause. However, even with that, more than 1 million buys seems like a very high bar to set.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Trainers Behind Evans, Liddell Talk KO

Chuck Liddell has built his highlight reel by knocking out grapplers. On Saturday at UFC 88, though, he was the one knocked out when a perfectly timed overhand right from Rashad Evans left the former UFC light heavyweight champion on the ground unconscious.

“Well, we lead the fight with a groin kick because that’s usually the best way to get your [opponent’s] hands down to open up the overhand right,” joked Evans’ trainer, Greg Jackson, before offering his real assessment of the UFC 88 main event.

“It was a great fight. Rashad showed that he’s got punching power, that he’s maturing as a fighter. He’s got patience. He can set up a game plan and execute it.”

John Hackleman, who was in the opposite corner, was less enthusiastic.

“The first round went OK. [Liddell] wasn’t as crisp as I wanted. He wasn’t keeping his left hand up as much as I wanted,” said the founder of The Pit.

“When he came to the corner, I told him he won that round, but he needed to keep his hand up more, jab more. And second round, he got caught. I don’t know what to tell you. There’s really not much to it. He got caught.”

Hackleman implored Liddell to jab, circle, keep the left hand up, throw inside leg kicks, wait for the opening and let “bombs” fly when the opening came. He believes that Evans’ evasiveness may have frustrated his fighter in the first round. In fact, Hackleman had insisted that Liddell take his time and not get overzealous.

“If it’s going to be a boring fight, you’ll beat him,” Hackleman told Liddell between the first and second rounds.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico-based Jackson Submission Fighting camp was fleshing out one of its famous game plans. The first round, said Jackson, was about getting Liddell’s timing down.

“Rashad, did you get it?” Jackson asked in the corner between rounds. “Did you get his timing?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Evans answered.

“Are you sure you got his timing?”

“Yeah,” Evans answered again.

“Go get him.”

The knockout came less than two minutes later.

“What that was is figuring out how [Liddell] punched, when he punched. It didn’t matter if [Evans] won or lost that [first] round because he was establishing his opponent’s timing so he can get around it … where you put a strike in between two strikes, in between his jab and his uppercut.

“Rashad was able to land that right hand because Chuck brings his left hand low. So [the first round] was Rashad kind of figuring it out, getting him frustrated, making him come into him. A lot actually happened in that round even though it looked like we lost it. We were actually getting ready to win the war.”

Evans was instructed to begin landing strikes in the second. Just hit him -- take over the fight. Jackson understood the way to beat Liddell’s equal-part power wrestling and striking was to avoid wrestling all together. Don’t chase him. Fight his fight but not on his terms.

“The big overhand right was always going to be there, especially after Chuck’s jab because Chuck drops his left low,” said Jackson, who added that the overhand was not his idea.

“Mike Winkeljohn, who is my instructor, is the one who called the overhand right,” Jackson said. “He’s a phenomenal, phenomenal striking coach. He really said the whole time, ‘He’s going to put him down with his overhand right. His overhand right is going to be the ticket.’ So he really saw that punch early.”

Having Keith Jardine -- another Jackson-trained fighter who holds a victory over Liddell -- in his camp and in his corner was a massive source of confidence for Evans, Jackson said.

“It was really important, as much for Rashad’s psychology, knowing that he trains everyday with a guy that had beaten Chuck. It was huge to help his nerves and keep him calm,” said Jackson. “Chuck Liddell is an amazing, amazing fighter. In a lot of ways, it was a very similar game plan even though I lied and said to everybody it wouldn’t be.”

Liddell’s trainer had expected Evans to be timid and unwilling to stand and trade. In fact, Liddell was prepared to take down “The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner if the fight dragged on. In Hackleman’s estimation, “The Iceman,” who has dropped three out of his last four fights, is upset but knows such a loss is simply part of the fight game.

“You can prepare all year-round but, you know, when you’re in there fighting -- it’s easy for us to talk about it outside -- but when you’re in that cage, s--t happens,” Hackleman said.

“You want to attack when you should be more conservative, and sometimes you should be more conservative when you’re attacking. When you’re in there with everything on the line, under a microscope, in front of 15,000 people screaming, someone trying to knock your head off, s--t happens.”

The UFC megastar spent fight night in the hospital for safety precautions at the behest of UFC President Dana White, said Hackleman, but now he is in Cancun, Mexico, enjoying a weeklong break.

When he returns, his trainer of 17 years plans to sit down and discuss the future with him. Liddell had been expected to return to action in December if he defeated Evans.

“It’s definitely an option,” said Hackleman, who added that the 38-year-old Liddell has had no inclination of retirement. “Maybe he wants to jump right back on the horse. Maybe he wants to take some time off. Whatever he wants to do, I’m behind him on it.”

For Liddell, one of the sport’s greatest and most popular fighters, the UFC 88 main event may have signaled that he is approaching the tail end of his career. For Evans, the fight suggested that the talented mixed martial artist may have even greater things to come.

“I think we’re ready to fight Forrest [Griffin],” Jackson said. “I think Forrest is an amazing fighter. He’s a great guy and a phenomenal athlete, and it’ll be a real challenge and honor to coach against him and we’ll see what happens.”
 
Feb 7, 2006
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5 Oz. Exclusive: Rosa to face Petruzelli at EliteXC’s Oct. 4 show

Light heavyweight competitor Aaron Rosa will be the opponent for former season two veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter” Seth Petruzelli during the non-televised undercard of EliteXC’s upcoming show on Oct. 4 at the Bank Atlantic Arena in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com confirmed the news with Rosa via e-mail over the weekend.

Rosa began his career with a 10-0 record before suffering the first loss of his career after being submitted in the second round by Jared Hamman during as ShoXC event in October of 2007. Facing Jaime Fletcher on short notice during another ShoXC event this past March, Rosa dropped his second his second consecutive fight when he was declared the loser via unanimous decision.

He returned to his winning ways during Adrenaline MMA’s first-ever show this past June, where he TKO’d Ron Fields at 0:34 of round 2.

Petruzelli is 9-4 and is a veteran of two UFC fights, both defeats. In his UFC debut he lost a unanimous decision to Matt Hamill in October of 2006 during the live Spike TV special that featured Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock. He would return to the Octagon in April of 2007 at UFC Fight Night 9, where he was submitted by Wilson Gouveia at 0:39 of round 2.

EliteXC’s Oct. 4 event will be broadcast on CBS and will feature Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock, Jake Shields defending his EliteXC welterweight title vs. Paul Daley, Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold-Gavin, and Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach.

Joining Rosa vs. Petruzelli during the non-televised undercard will be bouts between Mike Aina vs. Edson Berto and Cris Cyborg vs. Yoko Takahashi.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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Shogun wants Evans in December

Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua says he would like his next fight to be against either Rashad Evans or Rich Franklin.

Speaking exclusively to Fighters Only on Saturday night, he also revealed that he expects to return to the Octagon in December.

Evans upset the bookmakers on Saturday by knocking Chuck Liddell out, which drew admiration from the Brazilian fighter.

“Rashad fought the perfect fight, he obviously studied Chuck and worked hard on his game plan,” he said. “He may be undefeated but everyone is there to be beaten and I would like to be the first one to do it.”

Regarding a gameplan for Evans, he said: “I train every aspect of MMA to the utmost, so whichever way the fight went I would be fully prepared and would expect to win.”

He also expressed a desire to fight former middleweight champion Rich Franklin, who moved up to the light-heavyweight division to beat Matt Hamill on Saturday.

Shogun was recently declared fit to fight after recovering from a knee injury sustained in his fight with current UFC light-heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin last year.
 
Feb 7, 2006
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More From LA Times On Apparel: SoCal Brands

The LA Times had another story on MMA apparel and the focus was on brands headquartered in the SoCal area. The main thrust of the article was the vast new product offerings we will be seeing in the next six months or so. Some Highlights from the article:

TapouT looks to be going full steam ahead with their licensing efforts, with their name being attached to an ever expanding line of items:

By November, fight fans will be able to buy three styles of footwear slathered in Tapout’s batwing-style logo, as well as chain-link-emblazoned bedding, beds, backpacks and baby clothes. Fans and competitors alike shouldn’t take their eyes off this Quiksilver of fight club culture. Tapout holds roughly 75% percent of the MMA-apparel market share

The Article gives a nice breakdown of the product mix over at Affliction, and details their varying revenue streams from their product lines. I’ll admit I didn’t realize they were so diversified in their offerings:

Tom Atencio, a former MMA fighter and vice president of Affliction Clothing, bristles at pigeon-holing it as a fight brand, stressing that only 20% to 25% of sales at the Seal Beach company come from MMA-related merchandise, with the rest from men’s and women’s denim, eyewear, shirts, footwear and accessories sold at stores such as Metropark, the Buckle and Nordstrom.

One More Round looks to be going down market, with the introduction of a lower-priced shirt. It remains to be seen if this will affect their brand identity. A brand like Affliction is identified with more high-end pricing, so such low end fare would tend to hurt their brand. It should be interesting to see if One More Round can successfully play both ends of the market without hurting the cash cow high end brands:

Now, after success selling hazy, charcoal gray, $66 screen-printed Ts and black, brass-button $119 wovens with copper foiling and appliques at Nordstrom’s Brass Rail and other places, One More Round is taking the fight in the other direction — to Tapout territory — with the launch of a lower-priced line called OMR by One More Round, with Ts starting at $20. “We’ve established ourselves at the boutique level, and now we’re trying to reach that core MMA customer that can’t necessarily afford a $39 T-shirt,” Baltutis says. The line hits stores in mid-November.

Tito Otiz’s Punishment is another brand that is looking to diversify their product line:

Punishment Athletics—Tito Ortiz, who held the Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight title, is founder, chief executive and de facto drill sergeant of Punishment….

Last week his Huntington Beach company unveiled its first foray into button-front woven shirts, and Ortiz says future seasons will build toward an entire Punishment wardrobe, including neckwear and denim.