MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Report: "Rampage" Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva could happen at UFC 93

A UFC light-heavyweight fight between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (28-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) -- which will be a third career meeting between the two fighters -- may not happen at UFC 91 as originally thought.

In fact, the fight may not happen at all in 2008.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports discussed the bout in his latest reader mailbag feature. He said that it's a "very fluid situation" but that a reliable source told him the most likely date for the fight is now Jan. 31 on the UFC 93 SuperBowl weekend card.

UFC 93 is currently expected to feature a mega-fight between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, Jackson had recently begun a fight camp with his new team at the U.K.-based Wolfslair in anticipation of a Nov. 15 UFC 91 fight date. (MMAjunkie.com was unable to confirm the new fight date with the team.)

However, given Jackson's legal situation, the later date would make sense.

Jackson, who faces two felony (and four misdemeanor) charges stemming from a July hit-and-run and subsequent police chase in California, has not fought since the bizarre incident and his recent split with longtime trainer and friend Juanito Ibarra. A few months before the arrest, Jackson lost his UFC light-heavyweight title to Forrest Griffin via close unanimous decision.

Jackson, who recently pleaded not guilty to the charges, is currently scheduled for a Nov. 3 court date -- two weeks before UFC 91 -- at which time he'll learn whether or not the matter will go to trial.

Silva has not fought since May, and a January fight date would give him more than eight months between fights.

He most recently picked up his first UFC win in nine years when he defeated Keith Jardine in quick and brutal fashion at UFC 84. He needed just 36 seconds for the knockout victory.

Silva owns two previous victories over Jackson -- one in 2003 and again in 2004, with both coming via knockout.

 

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Submission specialist Nate Loughran targeted for Dec. 10 return to UFC

Undefeated UFC rookie Nate Loughran (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will look to keep his perfect record intact when he returns Dec. 10 at the Spike TV-televised "UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops" event.

A source close to the fighter today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Loughran has been promised a slot on the fight card and that an opponent could be determined shortly.

The upcoming event takes place at the Fort Bragg military installation in North Carolina.

The California-based Loughran, who is part of the Nor Cal Fighting Alliance, made his octagon debut on July 19 at the UFC's "UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin" event. The UFC scrambled to produce a fight card to rival Affliction Entertainment's debut show, and numerous newcomers were given a shot to shine on MMA's biggest stage.

Loughran, 28, made the most of his opportunity and defeated fellow middleweight newcomer Johnny Rees with a first-round triangle-choke submission. It was Loughran's eighth submission victory in nine career wins (the other victory came via TKO in his second pro fight).

The Gladiators Challenge veteran and former Palace Fighting Championship middleweight title-holder wrestled two years at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he was a two-time All-American. Loughran also owns a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt under teacher and former UFC fighter David Terrell.

 

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Evan Tanner ‘Into the Desert’ final blog entry found

“It’s Tuesday night. Tomorrow I go out into the desert. It has taken over a month to get all the gear together. The preparation for this adventure took far longer than I had expected. I’ve never done this before, so I took my time reading books, studying the land, and researching gear. A few weeks of solitude in the deep desert, and then back to civilization, and back to training.”

 

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EliteXC signs Russian middleweight Alexander Shlemenko

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has learned that EliteXC has signed 2005 World Pankration champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko to a multi-fight contract.

Sources have indicated that he will make his EliteXC debut during the promotion’s Oct. 10 ShoXC event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana

Shlemenko, rated as one of the top middleweights in Russia, is 21-3 and has competed for notable promotions such as M-1 in Russia, BodogFIGHT in Vancouver, and Jungle Fight in Brazil.

His most highly-publicized win in front of U.S. audiences took place during the television taping for the final season of BodogFIGHT last year. Facing Scott Henze in August of 2007, Shlemenko needed just 57 seconds into the fight to win via knockout.

He has also been involved in notable losses while competing in Brazil. At Jungle Fight 5 in November of 2005, Shlemenko suffered a decision loss against Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons.

Shlemenko returned at Jungle Fight 6 in April of 2006 where he lost to DREAM middleweight Grand Prix finalist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at 2:10 of round 1 after submitting to an arm triangle.

He would fight on a World Free Fight Challenge card in September of 2006 in a rematch against Landi-Jons, but ended up losing another decision.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Could the Proposed $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout be the Event that Finally Slows the UFC Machine?

Mike had a great article on Monday in regards to how the impact of high ticket prices and a steady stream of shows is "bleeding Vegas dry." But it isn't just Vegas residents with aching pocketbooks.

We all know that the economy is in bad shape and if you've followed the news at all in the last week you know that the American taxpayers are very close to taking on a lot of added financial responsibility as we creep closer and closer to a 700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout. Getting beyond the politics of the matter and down to what matters to this site, what does this mean for the UFC?

With the current state of the economy we heard a lot of talk about how luxuries are the first to go from Joe Taxpayer's budget. Yet despite a housing crisis and severe devaluation of the dollar the UFC continues to pull solid live gates and do big PPV numbers. But, as taxpayers are given additional financial strain eventually something has to give. If things get worse eventually the entertainment dollars just won't be there and $50 monthly pay-per-view shows are just going to be too much for more and more people.

What would this mean for the UFC? I assume that it would mean a stronger focus on getting their shows on network television where advertising revenue would somewhat offset the money they would then be failing to make off of PPV buys. This could potentially turn a negetive situation for fans into a huge positive with more free cards, and would also allow the UFC to build up hype for broadcasts of a select few "elite events" on PPV (a Couture/Lesnar level event for example). $50 every three or four months is much less painful to the bank accounts of Americans struggling to get by than $200 in that same timeframe.

Then again, we've seen the UFC and major networks go 'round the carousel more than once with no substantial results. If the stubbornness of the UFC to give up some degree of their production leads to an inability to get on a network bigger than Spike and a continued expectation of fans to pour money into pay-per-view then it could turn out that the biggest threat to the UFC empire was never Elite XC or Affliction, it was the badly damaged United States economy.

 

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UFC Fort Bragg "Fight for the Troops" Event Not Yet Approved by U.S. Army

According to military sources speaking exclusively to BloodyElbow.com, the Department of the Army has not yet approved the Ultimate Fighting Championship event titled, "Fight for the Troops" set to take place in Fort Bragg, NC on December 10th. It is not clear whether official command at Fort Bragg has approved the event either.

UFC President Dana White said on live national television during the broadcast of UFC Fight Night 15 that the event would take place at Fort Bragg and would send proceeds to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The UFC has staged an event on a military base. On December 13th, 2006 the UFC held UFC Fight Night 7 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

The extent to which the negotiations have taken place or if/whether there are any stumbling blocks is not yet known. However, it seems premature of the UFC to announce this event and the location without having finalized contractual plans to host the event on military grounds. The event page for "Fight for the Troops" on UFC.com does not list Fort Bragg or any other venue as hosting the event.

UPDATE: A Spike TV press release further states the event will be at Fort Bragg without the Department of the Army actually agreeing to the deal.

I'm not suggesting the event won't go off. It probably will, but it's very poor form to announce it when military officials are stating the deal is not done.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Cro Cop Comments On Not Being Able To Continue

Following his disqualification win over Alistair Overeem at DREAM.6, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic commented on the stoppage of the fight:

"I'm angry it ended this way, it seemed as if he was the dominant one, however i wasn't in trouble for a second and was waiting for my opportunities. I prepared very well because i thought the match could last a while. I thought i would knock him down in the end"

The fight was stop after Overeem kneed Cro Cop in the nuts twice (three times but the ref seen two) and was unable to continue. The ringside doctor felt as though it would not be safe for the former Pride Grand Prix winner to continue.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Colossus backs Al-Turk for UFC success

James Thompson is backing former Cage Rage champion Mustapha Al-Turk to make a big impact in the UFC heavyweight division.

Thompson, a fellow Cage Rage veteran, believes Al-Turk will surprise MMA fans in the US that may not have seen him fight before.

“I always like to see nice people who work hard get chances, and that’s what you've got with Mustapha,” he told Fighters Only earlier.

“He is a really quality person and fighter who has worked really hard and is now going to turn plenty of heads."

Thompson’s last fight was a highly controversial loss to streetfighter turned mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice earlier this year.

Whilst he was vocally upset about the stoppage at the time, he is now focussed on getting back into action.

“I’m hoping to get out there in November for EliteXC, or fight back in Japan near the end of the year,” he revealed.

“I’m just staying in shape at moment while we see how everything pans out.”

 

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DREAM GP champion Gegard Mousasi appearing at M-1 Challenge

Gegard Mousasi will join Aleksander Emelianenko as a guest of honour at M-1 Challenge in Nottingham this weekend.

Mousasi entered the Saitama Super Arena on Tuesday for the Dream 6: Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final show.

He defeated both the feared Dutch Muay Thai fighter Melvein Manhoef and the BJJ expert Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza to win the Grand Prix Title Belt.

A spokesman for Warrior Promotions, which is working with M-1 to promote this weekend’s show, said the company were pleased to have Mousasi as a guest.

“We are delighted to have Gegard attending the show after such a fantastic performance this week in Japan,” he said.

“His appearance as a guest only adds more kudos to this international event and we are very pleased to see him back in Nottingham, where he won the Cage Warriors middleweight world title back in 2006.”

M-1 Challenge takes place at the Harvey Hadden Centre in Nottingham, UK on Saturday and will feature ten bouts between international teams.

Among the teams competing are Russia’s Red Devils – home to Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko – plus a team from the USA.

 

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Arlovski-Nelson Tapped for CBS

At least two fighters will not sit on the sidelines following the postponement of Affliction’s Oct. 4 “Day of Reckoning” event in Las Vegas.

Former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski (13-5) and IFL kingpin Roy Nelson (13-2) have been offered a heavyweight bout at EliteXC “Heat” Oct. 4 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The event will be aired live on CBS.

Arlovski’s management team would not comment Wednesday on the proposed bout, while Nelson’s attorney, Rod Donohoo, also refrained from remarks. However, Sherdog.com has learned from separate sources that both fighters have agreed in principle to the match and that contracts have been issued for review.

The last-minute addition will be presented as an Affiction-EliteXC co-promoted fight, and adds a quite a punch to an already anticipated roster featuring a showdown between former Internet brawler Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock. Female sensation Gina Carano is also on board to take on Kelly Kobald-Gavin in a 140-pound bout.

 

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McDaniel vs. Shlemenko matchup completes Oct. 10 ShoXC lineup

Recently signed standout Russian middleweight Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko’s first opponent during EliteXC’s Oct. 10 ShoXC event at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana will be Texas-based middleweight Bubba McDaniel.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the matchup after contacting McDaniel via text message.

Shlemenko, the 2005 World Pankration champion is 21-3 while McDaniel is 11-4. The matchup should make for an interesting blend of styles as Shlemenko is known for his standup skills while McDaniel is very capable on the ground.

It was McDaniel’s submission ability that allowed him to tap ICON Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose at 0:41 of round 1 in a non-title encounter during EliteXC’s “Return of the King” undercard on June 14 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The addition of the Shlemenko vs. McDaniel match now completes the five-bout SHOWTIME telecast that will be headlined by heavyweights Dave Herman (11-0) vs. TUF 2 veteran Kerry Schall (21-10), Polish sensation Mamed Khalidov vs. TUF 8 veteran Jason Guida in a light heavyweight attractive, welterweights Anthony Lapsley vs. Mike Stumpf, and Lyle Beerbohm vs. Rafaello Olivera.

Non-televised bouts include welterweights Hector Urbina vs. Tiawan Howard and featherweights (150 lbs.) Torrance Taylor vs. former UFC veteran Jeff Cox.

 

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Tim Credeur to return on Dec 10th at UFC Fight for the Troops

The Ultimate Fighter 7 contestant Tim Creduer will make his return to the octagon on December 10th at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops”, the event is expected to take place at Fort Bragg in North Carolina

A source close to the fighter today spoke with Fiveouncesofpain.com and confirmed Creduer’s return at the event against undefeated Nate Loughran.

Both fighters made their UFC debuts on July 19th at UFC Fight Night 14. Credeur defeated fellow TUF 7 cast mate Cale Yarbrough via TKO in the first round, while Loughran had a successful outing by submitting Johnny Rees .

“UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops” will benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which pays tribute and supports the families of fallen soldiers. The event was announced before the main event between Nate Diaz and Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 15 in Omaha, Neb.

 

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VP says EliteXC going mainstream with Oct. 4 Arlovski vs. Nelson fight

"EliteXC: Heat," which airs live Oct. 4 on CBS from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., got a major dose of a starpower today with the addition of an Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Roy Nelson (13-2) heavyweight fight.

With the recent postponement of its Oct. 11 "Day of Reckoning" card, Affliction Entertainment agreed to loan the fighters to EliteXC for the nationally televised event.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the marquee match-up further proves that EliteXC is going after the mainstream audiences and its biggest competitor, the UFC.

"Oct. 4 is a huge event for mixed martial arts," Shaw said. "With this card and this line-up, we hit the mainstream, we hit the hardcore (fans), and we hit (UFC President) Dana White hard."

In addition to Arlovski (a former UFC heavyweight champion) vs. Nelson (the reigning IFL title-holder), the "EliteXC: Heat" televised main card features Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken Shamrock, an EliteXC welterweight title fight between champ Jake Shields and Paul Daley, top female fighter Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold-Gavin, and Benji Radach vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua.

Shaw said no fights were dropped from the broadcast to make room for the Arlovski-Nelson bout.

Additionally, he said the idea to add the Affliction fight came less than two weeks ago.

"We're always talking to everybody," Shaw said. "About 10 days ago, [the Arlovski-Nelson fight] became something that we thought was real and that could be done. It was the right place at the right time.

"We're always looking to put the best fights on. It continues with the motto of what EliteXC has always said; we will let our fighters fight anywhere in the world, and we will work with anybody in the world. We've worked with FEG (DREAM), we've worked with Strikeforce, and now we will successfully work with Affliction."

(Coincidentally, in his Monday "Fight Biz" column, MMAjunkie.com's Steve Sievert argued that a merger between EliteXC and Affliction would be the best bet for the future of both organizations.)

Arlovski, formerly one of the UFC's most popular fighters, left the organization earlier this year after failing to reach a new deal with the promotion. He then extended his win streak to four straight with a third-round knockout of a tough Ben Rothwell at Affliction's debut show in July. He was then slated to fight Fedor Emelianenko at the Oct. 11 Affliction event. However, after a hand injury forced him out of the fight, Emelianenko was replaced by Josh Barnett.

With a recently formed partnership with Golden Boy Productions, Affliction then decided to postpone the event until January.

Nelson, meanwhile, is also signed to Affliction and was scheduled to fight Paul Buentello at that recently postponed event. During his current five-fight win streak, "Big Country" defeated Antonio Jaoude for the IFL heavyweight title and made two successful title defenses before the IFL's eventual demise earlier this year.

He'll now face arguably the toughest test of his career.

Shaw said that the fight announcement is bound to shock MMA fans. But, that's all part of the plan to garner the event some last-minute publicity.

"People said, 'Where are we? Why are we not being promoted?'" Shaw said. "I hope people are shocked by what they hear today because they need to understand that EliteXC, we're here and aren't going anywhere. We are here for the fans."

 

[Shogun Locc]

TEAM QUEST FIGHTER IN FOR GRACIE AT SENGOKU 5

Travis Wiuff confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that his new opponent for the upcoming Sengoku 5 event in Tokyo this weekend will be recent Team Quest (Murrieta) acquisition Muhammad “Mo” Lawal.

Lawal has an impressive freestyle amateur wrestling background, with accolades including the 2002 NCAA Division II National Championship, and First Place finishes at the 2006 U.S. Open and 2007 Pan-American Games.

Most recently the native Coloradan finished second at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, just missing out on an opportunity to compete in recent Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

This will be Mo’s first MMA bout, as he joins Team Quest (Gresham) lightweight Ryan “The Lion” Schultz on the card.

Wiuff – a veteran of over 60 MMA bouts – will be making his second trip to Sengoku after knocking out Japanese “Iron Head” Kazuyuki Fujita at the promotion’s third event this past June.

 

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FORMER IFL STAR LC DAVIS SIGNS WITH AFFLICTION

LC Davis is one of the best unsigned featherweight prospects today and has been in negotiations with World Extreme Cagefighting and Affliction. Davis confirmed exclusively to MMAWeekly.com that he has signed a contract with Affliction. The IFL veteran agreed to a non-exclusive three-fight deal that will span a one-year period.

“I decided to go with Affliction mainly for three reasons,” explained Davis. “First, they offered a non-exclusive contract that would allow me to stay active and allow me to jump on big opportunities that may arise. Second, they offered me a one-year deal and weren’t trying to lock me in forever like some other companies. Last, the money was way better. I feel Affliction is making the right steps to become a great promotion.”

Davis left a full-time job to pursue his dream. The Kansas City resident wanted to take his career to the next level and made the decision to move to Bettendorf, Iowa, home to Miletich Fighting Systems.

“I doubted myself and doubted if it was something that I wanted to do,” revealed Davis. “All of my family and friends believed in me and told me that ‘if you want something, go get it.’ They all talked me into going after my dream so I did it.”

Davis’ hard work and training almost came to fruition when he faced International Fight League featherweight champion Wagnney Fabiano Santos late last year. Unfortunately, his title shot was cut short when he succumbed to an armbar from the Brazilian. The setback was a learning experience for Davis, who suffered the first professional loss of his career.

Since his defeat to Fabiano, Davis rebounded with an impressive knockout victory over Rafael Dias in his final IFL appearance. He became a free agent following the organization’s demise this year. Davis has been staying busy with training and plans on taking a few fights in smaller organizations to stay sharp.

ConQuest Fighting Championship, an upstart organization, recently signed Davis to headline its inaugural show this Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. The Miletich fighter is scheduled to take on Josh Bernal in the main event. Pat Miletich, Josh Neer and Jeff Perez will be on hand to corner Davis.

“My training for this fight went great. I was able to pretty much stay injury free and I’m in really good shape. Having the long layoff allowed me to focus on my technique so I've definitely made some improvements; my goal from the start was to improve with every fight.”

Josh Bernal is a Team K2L fighter who cross-trains with American Top Team and is undefeated after six professional matches.

“I think he's a young, hungry up-and-coming fighter, but he's not on my level yet. I plan on showing him that Sept. 27,” commented Davis.

LC Davis is expected to make his debut with Affliction at their second show in Anaheim, Calif. on Jan. 17.

“You can expect to see me on an Affliction card early next year. Thanks for all the love and support. Stay tuned because 2009 will be a big year for LC Davis.”

 

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‘Bigfoot’ sets audience to prove his innocence

After revealing with exclusivity to TATAME.com that the second drug test with Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva came negative, proving that he didn’t use bondenone for his fight against Justin Eilers, at EliteXC, his manager, Alex Davis, said that his lawyer is preparing an audience with the Athletic Comission for October 8th, at California. “We did a second exam and it came negative, and if he had used boldenone it couldn’t have a negative result, because this substance stays in your body for at least 12 months”, says Alex.
“Our lawyer is one of the best of the America and he asked for an audience with Athletic Comission, and we’ll show them the evidences”, told Davis, revealing that the producer of the supplement that Silva uses admitted that it can give a false-positive result for boldenone. “They admit that it can give a false-positive on the exam, the same thing that happened with Alexandre Pequeno (after his fight at WEC against Jose Aldo)”, guarantees Davis.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Gilbert Melendez planning to return in 2008

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has had a difficult year. He lost two of his three fights - one to Mitsuhiro Ishida and another to Josh Thomson. Those were the first two losses of his MMA career.

Now, Melendez is preparing to get back in the cage in the not-so-distant future.

“You’ll see me before the end of the year,” said Melendez, “I have a lot to improve in the meantime so you’ll see a much better fighter the next time out.”

At only 26, it is not far-fetched to believe that Melendez will quickly get back into the rankings as one of the best lightweights in the world. He hopes that will happen with his current organization although he stopped short of guaranteeing it.

“I have one fight left with Strikeforce, and I like them a lot,” Melendez said, “Maybe they’ll be in my future, but we’ll have to see.”

One thing Melendez is sure of though is that he wants revenge in his next fight.

“I want to get in there with both Thomson and Ishida. They both beat me with good strategies so now I’m going watch them so I can beat them up next time.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Angry Jorge Masvidal seeks to erase defeat at Sengoku 5

A controversial loss can sometimes become a motivating factor for a fighter.

Such is the case with Jorge Masvidal (13-3), who will aim to erase the frustration of a June loss to Rodrigo Damm. He returns this weekend at World Victory Road's fifth "Sengoku" event.

While a guest on a recent episode of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Masvidal explained how that controversial loss has impacted his career.

"A lot of angry training, man," Masvidal said of his recent camp. "I'm still mad about my last fight. A lot of angry training."

In that "Sengoku: Third Battle" affair, Masvidal suffered a flash knockdown. Alhough stunned, Masvidal looked to be retaining guard on his opponent. Unfortunately for "Gamebred," the referee felt differently and halted the contest despite Masvidal being clearly awake.

The loss to Damm was Masvidal's first defeat in eight bouts. He will now try to return to winning ways in this weekend's meeting with former IFL stand-out Ryan Schultz.

"I've been an angry individual -- just getting ready, a lot of sprints," Masvidal said. "I changed it up just a little, my conditioning routine, so I feel in great shape right now. (I'm) just going to be able to push the pace the whole time and break this guys face."

Despite the recent questionable stoppage, the American Top team fighter isn't overly disappointed, nor does he feel any pressure sometimes associated with coming off of a loss.

"It wasn't a loss," Masvidal said of the bout with Damm. "That was a robbery."

Instead of sulking about the situation, Masvidal has taken the opposite route and used the incident as a driving force to spur him on.

"(I was) just a bit upset about it," Masvidal said. "I watch that tape whenever I don’t feel like running. I watch that tape, put on the sauna suit and start running. I am ready to kick Schultz's ass or anybody's ass."

Prior to the loss to Damm, Masvidal was often discussed as a potential opponent for Japanese lightweight star Takanori Gomi. Masvidal was also in the running for a shot at the Strikeforce lightweight title.

The loss to Damm ended Masvidal's recent momentum and has left a bad taste in the mouth of the Miami native.

"It definitely cost me a shot at whatever I was working toward," Masvidal admitted. "Nobody wants someone who just lost fighting for their organization for a title belt."

After the June loss, apologetic Sengoku officials shared their disappointment with the stoppage with Masvidal. While unimpressed by their condolences, Masvidal was encouraged by the promise of what a win over Schultz could bring.

"The promoters of Sengoku also understood they where in the wrong," Masvidal explained. "The referee himself came up and apologized to me, so something obviously was wrong there.

"(But) his apology didn’t mean [expletive] to me. I would rather it be taken off my record. But [Sengoku officials] told if I keep working there, they will give me a shot at Gomi."

Masvidal also discussed the perils of traveling to Japan, as well as the difficulty in obtaining sponsorships when fighting overseas. To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

 

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EliteXC, Affliction collaboration could be prelude to Fedor vs. Kimbo Slice

As a single fight, Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy Nelson on next month's EliteXC "Saturday Night Fights" show on CBS doesn't do a whole lot for me.

If the "Pitbull" version of Arlovski who battered and stopped Ben Rothwell inside three rounds back in July shows up against Nelson, the bout could be over in a hurry, with Arlovski getting his hand raised and the scene shifting quickly to the next bout on the card.

It's what this fight means for the future of EliteXC and Affliction that has me counting the days to Oct. 4. Affliction's willingness to sublease Arlovski and Nelson puts fans a step closer to seeing, perhaps, the biggest fight to be made in mixed martial arts today – Fedor Emelianenko against Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.

At first blush such a match-up might seem laughable – the world's consensus No. 1 heavyweight versus a guy who's fought in MMA three times against opposition with a combined record of 33 wins and 34 losses – but tell me you haven't thought about it. I'm sure Affliction and EliteXC have. And, getting Arlovski and Nelson into the EliteXC mix on CBS is a move that demonstrates that both organizations are willing to back up the talk about their desire to work with other promotions to make big fights.

Few fights would be bigger than Fedor vs. Slice.

Randy Couture's recent reconciliation with the UFC put speculation about a potential Couture-Emelianenko fight back on the front burner. However, with EliteXC and Affliction forging a partnership, which could even lead to a merger down the road, it becomes more likely that both organizations would work together to keep the UFC from making a buck off of a Couture-Emelianenko fight. Matching Emelianenko and Slice is the best way for EliteXC and Affliction to generate interest in their respective promotions, rack up hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view buys, and kick sand in the face of the UFC.

There is certainly plenty of work to be done to turn Emelianenko into a fighting brand in the States. He's fought here only twice and has little recognition beyond the hardcore MMA fan base. Slice, on the other hand, is as mainstream a fighter as there is in MMA. On paper, the fight might be a skills mismatch, but it's a marketer's dream and would be huge.

After the UFC was unable to come to contract terms with Emelianenko last year, UFC President Dana White started publicly bashing the once-beaten Russian, criticizing the quality of his opponents and saying he wasn't even a top five heavyweight. While money has a way of helping a fighter forget about that type of criticism, I would think Emelianenko and his camp would find great satisfaction from still being able to land a huge payday without having to go through White and the UFC to get it. EliteXC and Slice would deliver such a windfall.

EliteXC and Affliction need to do something dramatic to break the UFC's stranglehold on the MMA market. Collaborating on a national stage on CBS is an intriguing first step, but there's another fight out there that has a whole lot more potential.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MANAGEMENT CONFIRMS UFC HEAVYWEIGHT'S INJURY

Following the news on Monday that Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Cain Velasquez had been forced out of a proposed fight due to a knee injury, MMAWeekly.com has received an official update on his condition.

Representatives from Zinkin Entertainment, Velasquez’s management team, informed MMAWeekly.com that the former Arizona State wrestler recently injured his knee in training and required arthroscopic knee surgery.

The injury was nothing severe, but with rehab and training it will keep the fighter sidelined for the next few weeks at the least.

According to the report, Velasquez should be back in action by “February at the latest. We are just waiting to see how rehab goes right now.”

As previously reported, the original opponent for Velasquez, Mustapha Al-Turk, will now face Cheick Kongo on Dec. 27 as a part of UFC 92 in Las Vegas.