MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

Fight Path: After three Afghanistan deployments, Damien Stelly focused on Friday's Bellator fight

There's one family in particular that Damien Stelly sees regularly around Georgia's Fort Benning that gives him pause. The family's son was a member of Stelly's U.S. Army squad and was killed on a deployment to Afghanistan.

"It really hurts to see that," Stelly told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "What do you say to them? It just shows what's at stake here versus fighting in MMA."

The difference is stark. In the Army, Stelly is a staff sergeant who serves as an instructor in hand-to-hand combat after making three deployments to Afghanistan. As a former star high school wrestler and Golden Gloves champion boxer, Stelly is uniquely qualified to teach his fellow soldiers how to defend themselves or attack in the most personal way possible.

In MMA, Stelly is a 10-2 middleweight who has won five consecutive fights using both the sturdy backbone formed during Army training and fighting skills gained from both the backyard wrestling as a teenager and martial-arts training mixed into Army tactics.

The active duty soldier will face his next MMA step on Friday in a middleweight tournament semifinal fight at Bellator Fighting Championships. While Stelly is focused on the fight against tournament favorite Hector Lombard (19-2-1) in Monroe, La., he understands that life can provide bigger challenges than an opponent in the cage.

Still, the Army Ranger realizes that he is also representing the Armed Forces and that his success could be connected to his training.

"It's a good thing having a soldier who is still active duty fight between deployments," Stelly said. "The most important thing is being a soldier, leading your guys and making sure they get home alive. On the other hand, the MMA is good experience, and it shows what soldiers can do."

A chance at wrestling

A big fan of professional wrestling growing up in a small town near Lafayette, La., Stelly got his first fighting experience in backyard simulations of the big events that sometimes weren't so simulated.

"The first time I ever got choked out was in the backyard wrestling thing," Stelly said. "A guy caught me a sleeper hold, like a rear-naked choke. At the time it seemed kind of crazy, but it's just another day when you're training now."

Stelly soon joined the high school's wrestling team and built himself into a 215-pound Louisiana state champion as a senior. Beyond high school, though, Stelly didn't foresee a big future in wrestling.

That's why the Army recruiter's pitch sounded so sweet. When Stelly met with the recruiter, he talked of the Army's World Class Athlete Program — or WCAT — which allows accepted soldiers to devote their time to training for national and international competitions. It all sounded sweet to Stelly, so he left his Louisiana town after his 2000 high school graduation.

After about three months of WCAT, a rib injury caused Stelly to rejoin his unit. He caught another break, though, that helped his MMA career.

In 2004, the Army increased its commitment to hand-to-hand combat training, and Stelly's history with wrestling, boxing and other forms of fighting made him a strong candidate to be an instructor. Between deployments, Stelly has trained soldiers to be tougher fighters, and many have noticed the difference.

"Before, it was just a lot of techniques from martial arts thrown together," Stelly said of the close-range Army training. "It wasn't integrated enough. Now, with the popularity of MMA, guys can see a lot of real fighting and realistic training. The training base is jiu jitsu and wrestling, some submission grappling.

"The guys who go through our courses say, 'I really feel like a fighter now.'"

But no one knew that the instructor would soon become one of Bellator's most popular fighters.

Not life and death

Stelly, who also has a Georgia Golden Gloves championship on his resume, took his first amateur MMA fight in 2002. It was a major struggle in Atlanta that he won via decision, and the experience showed how different and difficult an MMA path can be.

After splitting his first two professional fights in the spring and summer of 2004, Stelly gained traction by winning four straight, including victories in the first two Art of War shows in 2007. Then, in September 2007, came a defining fight against Luis Arthur Cane at AOW 3.

At the time, Cane was a 7-0 success at 205 pounds and on the verge of signing with the UFC, which he joined immediately following the fight against Stelly and where he has earned a 3-1 record.

"He caught me with some knees and really showed me the way a bigger guy can move," Stelly said.

Along with confidence in going up against one of the best (despite the knockout loss), did Stelly take anything else from the fight?

"I realized," Stelly laughed, "that I needed to be fighting at 185."

The weight change has been a success. Since the Cane fight, Stelly is 5-0 in a variety of organizations, including Bellator, where he's two wins away from a $100,000 tournament bonus and the organization's first-ever middleweight title.

The Bellator break led Stelly to a unanimous decision win against Alex Andrade in April to set up Friday's semifinal, the 13th fight for the 27-year-old.

With time to train when not instructing the Army's fighters, Stelly understands his MMA career is a gift when compared to what others — friends and fellow soldiers — have lost.

"I want to show the guys that I believe what I'm teaching them," Stelly said. "Being a fighter makes me a better teacher, and I hope that means I'm helping to make better soldiers."

 

[Shogun Locc]

TREVOR PRANGLEY ON FIVE-ROUND TITLE WAR

Former UFC middleweight contender Trevor Prangley wanted to prove he is still a viable commodity in the MMA world.

So, with a noticeable chip on his shoulder, he headed up to Canada’s MFC to challenge for the promotion’s 205-pound title against Emanuel Newton and ended up in what became a five-round war, ultimately claiming the title via unanimous decision.

Returning to his adopted home in Idaho, the native South American Prangley spoke to MMAWeekly.com about his title win and what’s next.

“He was a tough a game opponent; it was a five-round battle,” admitted Prangley. “I was hoping to finish it, I always try to finish it, but I felt really bad the first couple of rounds.

“I had a good warm-up and all, but I just couldn’t get it going the first couple of rounds. By the third round I started to get it going, but by then the pace of the fight had already been set.”

After a lethargic start, his veteran striking skills kept Newton at bay, even after Prangley injured his foot early on and exacerbated as the fight came to a close.

“On the final head kick I thought I broke it,” said the new MFC champion. “I just caught him with the toes and about an in inch back and it twisted the whole leg back.

“For two days I couldn’t walk, but its feeling better now, so I don’t think I’ll need to get it checked out.”

Even surviving his early problems and coming away with the win and belt, Prangley still feels he could improve.

“I’m never really satisfied with my performance,” he stated. “I always believe I could have done better. He was a tough opponent, we put a lot of damage on each other and neither of us was going to quit or go anywhere.

“Everybody I spoke to pretty much liked the fight and I didn’t hear too many complaints, but I just look at myself and see someone who strives to reach my full potential and I just don’t think that fight shows it.”

With his recent victory in the MFC, Prangley has amassed three wins in a row and is looking to continue to prove to people he’s still very much in the game.

“I’m obviously going to have to defend the title one time to legitimize it, and then we’ll see from there,” he said.

“I want to let people know I’m still out there, still willing to bang and brawl, and defunct the whole ‘lay and pray’ label people try to attach to me. I’m out there to fight, I’m out there to please the crowd and I’m hoping this will set the stage for bigger and better things.”

Adding a second title to his resume (having taken the now-defunct BodogFight middleweight belt in 2007), Prangley appears to be in the midst of one more run and continue to prove his critics wrong.

“I want to thank everybody for the opportunity, all the guys up here in Idaho for training with me, and my sponsors: Tapout, Gamma-O and Full Tilt Poker,” he concluded. “I want to thank God for giving me the capabilities to do this and keeping me safe out there and during training.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce: Arlovski vs. Rogers winner not guaranteed a shot at heavyweight champ Overeem

Much of the build-up surrounding the "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" heavyweight co-feature between Andrei Arlovski and Brett Rogers has focused on the possible title shot implications.

But on a recent media call promoting the June 6 event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz said a win for either fighter didn't guarantee an appointment with title holder Alistair Overeem.

"There are a lot moving parts there depending on the winner," Afromowitz said. "It's definitely a possibility, but there are a lot of moving parts."

While Arlovski, a former UFC champion, is certainly favored in the contest, his contract status with Affliction may prove to be a significant hurdle.

"We can't really go into dialogue about [Arlovski's contract] right now," Afromowitz said. "Andrei is a great fighter, and we're looking forward to having him fight on this card – and hopefully we’ll see about the future."

When pressed on the circumstances that brought Arlovski to Strikeforce, Afromowitz declined to elaborate.

"I’d say it was more of a mutual opportunity," Afromowitz said. "I'll leave it at that. The opportunity came about and it just worked out for both of us."

Rogers is firmly under contract for Strikeforce, and his shot at the title would seem to be a bit more secure should things play out in "The Grim's" favor on June 6. But Afromowitz would not guarantee that possibility.

"We'd have to revisit where Andrei is at if he wins. If Brett wins and he’s healthy, it’s definitely a possibility. Right now, we’re focused on this fight and we’ll see what happens. But either fighter skill-wise could easily challenger Alistair for the title.

"We'd have to revisit where Andrei is at if he wins," Afromowitz said. "If Brett wins and he's healthy, it’s definitely a possibility.

"Right now, we're focused on this fight, and we'll see what happens. But either fighter skill-wise could easily challenger Alistair for the title."

Both Strikeforce and Overeem have faced recent criticism as the Dutchman has yet to defend the title since claiming the belt in November 2007.

Strikeforce had planned for Overeem to put step into the cage with Rogers at the event, but an infection in "Demolition Man's" hand, discovered after a bar fight in Holland, forced the champion off of the card.

Rogers has proved less-than-sympathetic to Overeem's plight.

"I thought I was fighting [Overeem], but I got this [bout with Arlovski] about three weeks ago," Rogers said. "It's cool because, the way I see it, it's actually going to be a better fight than the one with Overeem would have been.

"I was putting in some time for Overeem. Then he wanted to act like a fool. He’s a pro fighter and he wanted to act like a fool. That's on him. I'm moving onto bigger and better. I’m getting this fight. I'll knock Arlovski out and hopefully move on to somebody better."

Afromowitz admitted the situation was "unfortunate."

"The injury [Overeem] sustained was unfortunate," Afromowitz said. "It was some kind of infection in his hand. He was in New York a few weeks ago promoting the fight, and all of a sudden that happened.

"It’s unfortunate; we were looking forward to having him return."

Despite the setback, Afromowitz believes Overeem should be ready for action by August. While confident, Afromoqitz said the organization would be open to making alternative plans if needed.

"We're expecting Alistair to return by the end of the summer, or mid-summer, so it's really not an issue at this point," Afromowitz said. "But we can revisit that if something comes up again or he is unable to defend his title by late August.

"As of right now, we are planning his return and he's 100 percent confident that he'll be back in time."

 

[Shogun Locc]

JUNE 19: BEERBOHM VS LUDWIG & HALLMAN VS MARKS

A welterweight match-up between Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm and Duane “Bang” Ludwig is set for the second installment of Strikeforce Challenger Series June 19 in Kent, Wash.

MMAWeekly’s blog, MMAInsider, initially reported that Ludwig was likely to fight Dennis Hallman at the Pacific Northwest event, but the fight did not come to fruition, according to sources close to the fight.

Hallman (40-12-2) will instead take on Cedric Marks (26-18) on the main card.

The undefeated Beerbohm last fought in January, where he racked up his tenth victory in a TKO victory over Jorge Sarat. He trains out of Sik Jitsu in Spokane, Wash., and is a Strikeforce veteran.

Ludwig, a Strikeforce regular, last appeared for the promotion in November, where he decisioned the always tough Yves Edwards. It was his second consecutive win since a cut forced the stoppage of a showdown with Takanori Gomi at Sengoku’s inaugural show. He is 18-8 as a professional.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Fedor Emelianenko vs Josh Barnett can be one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history

“I consider Josh as one of the truly best in MMA, I think he is really in his prime right now. Just like when I fought Cro Cop, he was in his prime as well. At that time it was one of the most anticipated fights in MMA history (and) my fight with Josh can be that as well…. Every opponent is a danger for me and Barnett has a great ground game. He is capable of adjusting his gameplan any minute in the fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Scott Smith on Nick Diaz: “I’m definitely anticipating a knockout”

July may traditionally be known as the Summer month most-associated with fireworks but this June could give the Fourth a run for its money when it comes to explosive action thanks to next week’s Strikeforce event.

The recently re-energized promotion’s card is headlined by a clash between Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields while also highlighted by former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski doing his best to deliver knockout specialist Brett Rogers’ first loss, scrappers Nick Diaz and Scott Smith testing each others’ chins, Phil Baroni attempting to continue his success at welterweight in a battle that’s turned personal against Joe Riggs, and Kevin Randleman making his Strikeforce debut against Mike Whitehead.

One of the participants of a bout guaranteed to keep fans on the edge of their seats come June 6, Smith recently expressed his thoughts on the upcoming skirmish during a conference call with media.

“I’ve been real fortunate the past year to be given great opponents to put on exciting fights. This is just one of those fights. Nick is a top pound-for-pound fighter in the world in my eyes. He is the kind of fighters I want. I don’t want to fight a C-class fighter. I’m going to use everything I got beat him,” said an excited Smith. The man who has earned his nickname “Hands of Steel” for his ether-laced fists and all-out approach to striking made no allusions as to his approach against the always-tough Diaz or how he felt the fight might go. “I plan on keeping this fight standing. I think he is going to try to take me apart. He’s a more technical fighter than I am. He’s going to want to take this fight to the ground. His best chance of winning is getting it to the ground. I’m going to use my sprawl and brawl technique. I think people don’t give (Diaz) enough credit. He has a lot more power than what it seems. He just does a good job of picking people apart and setting up the power punches. I’m definitely not underestimating his power at all. I’ve definitely had to change up a few things in my technique to train for Nick. If he’s smart he’s going to try to get it to the ground. That’s where he has the advantage. But I think he’s going to go out there and bang with me. I’m ready for everything. I just have to worry about what I do best and control the fight and not wait for him. If I wait for him, he’s going to pick me apart.”

Talk turned to Smith’s last opponent, Benji Radach, who is planning to file an appeal with the California State Athletic Commission based on what he felt was an incorrect ruling by officials. Expressing disappointment in the move, Smith went on to say, “I think it’s pretty unfortunate and kind of taking away from what was such a great fight. Win or lose, it was a great fight for both of us. He looked great until he got caught in the end. I think he’s kind of taking away from that. I don’t think anything is going to happen with this appeal. He is just trying to reassure a rematch down the road. That fight was such a great fight; we need a rematch no matter what. That’s kind of unfortunate though.

“With the appeal saying he wasn’t knocked out, and I hit him with an illegal strike to the back of the head. Yes I did, but not intentionally. If a guy is lying on the ground face down and able to get hit in the back of the head then the fight should be stopped. If he’s lying face down not even able to see a blow coming then the fight needs to be stopped. I dropped him and I knew he was hurt obviously. I went in for the kill and I didn’t know he was knocked out with his face down and I unfortunately accidentally hit him in the back of the head,” Smith continued.

Back on the subject of Diaz, Smith didn’t shy away from offering fans a prediction on the bout’s outcome. “I’m definitely anticipating a knockout. I’ll be going for it in the first round. Whether it is in the first, second, or third…it doesn’t matter to me…(just) as long as the fight doesn’t go the distance.” He went on to make it clear his supporters shouldn’t expect anything different in his next fight or anytime soon, reassuring them “(Changing styles) is something I think about a little. But the way I see it, I fight the way I fight because I have fun doing it. I don’t think I would have fun going in there and having a three-round snore fest. I had a terrible fight against Patrick Cote that went the distance. After that fight, I promised myself I’d never fight like that again and leave it all out there. If it gets to the point that my body can’t handle it anymore then it’s just time to get out of the game. I’m not going to sit there and try to change my style of fighting to try to prolong my career.”

In closing, the hard-hitting Californian gave his opinion on the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship’s current limbo due to title-holder Cung Le’s non-ring interests and made a promise to fans of Mixed Martial Arts. “(Le) is a champion. I know he’s busy and he has things going on. But we’ve got to do something. Maybe get (a fight for) an interim belt. We can’t just sit around and wait forever, especially after this card. There’s going to be some guys deserving of that title. He’s definitely the champion, he’s unbeaten, and hopefully I’ll be the champ someday to test myself against him.

(Strikeforce has) been giving me absolutely great fights. Like I said, June 6th will be the biggest MMA card of the year so tune in to SHOWTIME and watch it. I promise to put on an exciting fight.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shane Carwin Signs With Extreme Sports Marketing, MMAAdNet

TEMPE, Ariz. – May 28, 2009 – Exosphere, also known as Extreme Sports Marketing, Inc., (Pink Sheets: EXSA), a sports marketing and holding company focused on one of the fastest growing sports today, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — today announced that Shane Carwin, one of the top ten Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight fighters in the world, has signed an agreement to endorse and exclusively represent Extreme Sports Marketing’s MMA Advertising Network (www.MMAAdNet.com) as its spokesman.

Carwin is ranked eighth in the world, and is undefeated as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. He is a contender for the UFC Heavyweight Title. The announcement of the expanded relationship comes just two weeks after Carwin, through his website, www.shane-carwin.com, was named as an affiliate of MMAAdnet.

“Shane’s decision to become not only an affiliate, but an endorser of the MMA Advertising Network, is an outstanding opportunity to help us in growing our network,” said Extreme Sports Marketing CEO Jason Genet. “The initial relationship as spokesman is for a 12 month period, and we hope it will extend long beyond that.”

“I have a lot of faith in Jason’s vision of MMA, and how we as fighters can capitalize on our efforts,” said Shane Carwin. “I am proud to support the MMA Advertising Network, and I will promote the service through my channels and do whatever I can to help the MMA Advertising Network to grow its business.”

“In addition to spokesman duties, the endorsement agreement includes advertising in and around Shane’s upcoming bouts,” Genet explained. “His website will also include tie-ins to the MMA Advertising Network Affiliate Marketing program, making Shane available to its Publishers for exclusive and breaking news stories and more.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Semifinalists Lombard, Stelly, Cabezas and Hess make weight at Bellator's Week 9 show

Hector Lombard, Damien Stelly, Yosmany Cabezas and Jared Hess have all made weight for their 185-pound tournament semifinal bouts at Friday's Bellator Fighting Championships Week 9 event.

The weigh-ins took place today at the Bayou Room in the Monroe Civic Center, and Friday's show will be held at the Monroe Civic Center Arena.

Not every fighter made weight without issue. In fact, middleweight Christian Fulgrum didn't even make it on the scale at the proceedings.

Bellator's official announcement listed Fulgrum as a "no show," though no additional information was given regarding the organization's intentions with the Lousiana native's non-tournament bout with Alex Andrade.

Middleweight Isidro Gonzlaez also missed weight, registering 187 pounds – one pound over the allowed 186-pound limit of the division.

Each semifinal winner will receive $50,000. A win at the tournament's finales over the next three weeks will earn the featherweight, welterweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight winners Bellator's first-ever tournament titles and an additional $100,000.

Friday's event will air via one-day tape delay on ESPN Deportes.

The full weigh-in results included:

* 185 lbs. tourney semifinal: Yosmany Cabezas (184) vs. Jared Hess (185)
* 185 lbs. tourney semifinal: Hector Lombard (184) vs. Damien Stelly (184)
* 185 lbs. non-tourney: Isidro Gonzlaez (187) vs. Nick Ring (184)
* 145 lbs. non-tourney: Shad Lierley (145) vs. Nate Murdock (145)
* 185 lbs. non-tourney: Alex Andrade (184) vs. Christian Fulgrum*
* 265 lbs. non-tourney: Shawn Jordan (254) vs. Jayme McKinney (260)
* 175 lbs. non-tourney: Dan Keenan (172) vs. Chad Leonhardt (174)
* 155 lbs. non-tourney: Mike Braswell (154) vs. Chas Skelly (155)

* - Fulgrum was listed as a "no show" in Bellator's official announcement of weigh-in results.

 

[Shogun Locc]

ART OF WAR 12 SHOWCASES HOMEGROWN TALENT

The Art of War held its 12th edition this past weekend in Beijing, China. The promotion is working towards building itself up as the next big fight promotion in Asia, eyeing the void left by Pride that has been battled over by Dream and Sengoku in Japan.

While the fight card packed a strong international flavor, highlighted by the showcasing of several of China's top fighters, the crowd in attendance was just as notable. Littered among those in attendance were several fighters, managers, media personalities, and others, invited to witness the growth of the sport – and more specifically the Art of War – in China.

Art of War 12 was made possible by the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. His Highness was unable to attend, but his wife and son were present to host the evening, bringing with them an envoy of more than 300 guests from the U.A.E.

The main event of the evening showcased China's top star. Wu Hao Tian wasted no time wrestling his Japanese opponent, Yutaka Kobayashi, to the mat. Kobayashi made an attempt at securing Tian's leg for a submission, but was unsuccessful. He was then summarily trounced with punches and hammerfists until referee John McCarthy called a halt to the bout little more than a minute and half into the opening round.

Also highlighting the card was a heavyweight bout (superheavyweight as definied by Art of War weight classes) pitting Rolles Gracie against Russian fighter Baga Agaev. A 20-pound weight advantage didn't hurt as Gracie easily forced Agaev to the canvas and worked position until he was able to secured a fight-ending rear naked choke.

The bout was only the second of Gracie's career, though he dominated Agaev, who has nearly 20 bouts to his credit. Rolles had Renzo Gracie in his corner, was presented the winner's trophy by Rickson Gracie, and also had Royce and Royler Gracie in attendance to cheer him on.

Being based in China, Art of War is a showcase for the nation's top fighters. Aside from Tian in the headliner, Dai Shuang Hai and Ning Guang You also gave solid representations of fighter development in the country.

Hai, entering the ring decked in traditional Mongolian costume, fought to a hard earned draw with Japanese fighter Atsuhiro Tsuboi. Though Hai likely would have won on the scorecards had there been any, Art of War bouts consist of one 10-minute and one five-minute round with any bout going the distance considered a draw. There are no judges.

You took Sirojid din Izakbaev down early and softened him up with a solid ground and pound attack until finally submitting him with a rear naked choke midway through round one.

A strong candidate for fight of the night, American Shawn David and Ole Laursen of Denmark fought a back and forth affair for three and a half minutes. Although David had gotten in his fair share of solid blows, at that point, Laursen became the one to land the knockout punch.

Art of War 12 "Invincible" Full Results:
May 23, 2009 in Beijing, China

-Wu Hao Tian def. Yutaka Kobayashi by TKO (Strikes) at 1:39, R1
-Rolles Gracie def. Baga Agaev by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 5:09, R1
-Dai Shuang Hai vs. Atsuhiro Tsuboi was Ruled a Draw
-Fransino Tirta def. Malik Arash by TKO (Cut Stoppage) at 5:58, R1
-Ning Guang You def. Sirojiddin Izakbaev by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:51, R1
-Ole Laursen def. Shawn David by KO at 3:39, R1
-Kanechika Koji def. Kelvin Fitial by Submission (Armbar) at 1:27, R2
-Marko Huusansaari def. Xue Guo Bin by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:06, R1
-Chris Bostick def. Kim Ho Jin by Submission (Arm Triangle) at 2:42, R1
-Wang Sai def. Kim Whi Gyu by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:59, R1
-Justin Holdaas def. Lee Hyeung Seok by TKO (Strikes) at 7:22, R1
-Yao Qiang def. Nemat Bobomukhamedov by TKO (Strikes) at 1:47, R1

 

[Shogun Locc]

PHIL CARDELLA VS. ED RATCLIFF IN WEC AUGUST 9

A lightweight match has been added to the upcoming WEC card in Las Vegas on August 9th as Relson Gracie black belt, Phil Cardella, returns to action to face the always tough, Ed "9mm" Ratcliff.

Cardella confirmed the bout to MMAWeekly Radio on Thursday during a taped interview for the show.

"I've got the WEC August 9th in Las Vegas against Ed "9mm" Ratcliff," Cardella said. "Tough dude, real tricky stand-up, he's unorthodox and wild, and explosive, has good wrestling and pretty good submission defense, good ground and pound. He's a very exciting and explosive fighter. I look forward to fighting him."

While his record for the WEC reads 0-1, Cardella was a winner in the minds of many fans and critics after his fight against Danny Castillo ended a split decision. Since that time Cardella competed in the Shark Fights promotion, winning his bout in under a minute by armbar in the first round.

His opponent, Ed Ratcliff, will look to return to action for the first time since March 2008 when he lost the first fight of his professional career to former top lightweight contender, Marcus Hicks.

Since that time Ratcliff has been scheduled to fight twice, but he fell victim to injury prior to either bout taking place. Hoping the injury bug is behind him, Ratcliff will look to get back on track in August when he faces Cardella.

There has been no official word from the WEC about the televised portion of the card, but the main event for the show will pit bantamweight king, Miguel Torres, against top contender, Brian Bowles, for the 135lb title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UNSURE OF NEXT MOVE, SERRA REFLECTS ON UFC 98

Although the disappointment showed on his face, Matt Serra kept his UFC 98 fight with Matt Hughes in perspective on Saturday night.

"I knew it was close. I knew I won the first. I felt I lost the second, and I thought I squeezed out the third, personally. It was close, so what are you going to do?" he assessed at the UFC 98 post-fight press conference.

Hughes had the same perspective on the fight as Serra, only differing in his vantage point, saying, "I thought I had it. I'm sure Matt (Serra) thought the same thing. I thought I lost the first round and won the second two. The second round, I thought the majority was definitely on my side. I thought the third round was maybe a little closer, but I still thought it was mine."

"I wanted the 'W,' you know?" Serra reflected, still appreciating the performance the two former UFC welterweight champions put on. "But I felt it was a fun fight. I think a lot of people feel that way. It got fight of the night. I couldn't have really stunk."

Despite the animosity between the two going into the fight, Serra gave credit to Hughes. "I knew I really had him hurt in the beginning. I had him right there. I felt I had it. And he's tough. He hung in there.

"I tried to stay on him, but to his credit, he hung in there. It's one of those things. I mean, a well-placed shot might have ended it. I tried. I didn't back off. I tried to stay on him, and at the same time, he got a hold of me. He weathered it, so to his credit."

And just as Hughes, 35, gets bombarded with questions about retirement, so does Serra. But at 34 years of age, he, like Hughes, doesn't have an answer yet to that age-old question of what's next.

"As far as where I go from here, let me just absorb this, spend some time with my family," he opined, the longing for his family deeply entrenched in his facial expression. "I just had a three-month-old and I had her at my in-laws for the last month. I took this fight real seriously. I'm just gonna chill a little bit and weigh out my options."

 

[Shogun Locc]

New Korean MMA org Fighting Mixed Combative

The new Korean MMA event which was revealed a few weeks ago have changed their name from Fighter Mania Championship to Fighting Mixed Combative. They have also revealed that their first event will be on August 15th. On July 4th there will also be an Amateur event called DREADS by the company behind FMC (Fighter Mania Company) and the fighters who do good there could get a spot on FMC 2 in September.

The subtitle for FMC 1 is “Imjin Waeran” which is the Korean name of the Japanese invasions of Korea during 1592-1598. The name probably indicates that there will be a decent amount of Japan vs. Korea fights on the card.

The participation of fighters such as Aleksander Emelianenko, Choi Mu Bae, and Blagoi Ivanov was once again reaffirmed.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bang Seung Hwan Returns

The new stand-up organization in Korea called Moosin have added some new fights to their first event on June 7th. SENGOKU veteran Bang Seung Hwan will return to take on K-1 veteran Kim Se Ki, who has a victory over Virgil Kalakoda in his resumé.

Another SENGOKU fighter in A Sol Kwon will also make his return on the card, taking on youngster Min Seok Kwon. Also announced is a fight between Butterbean and Spirit MC veteran Jae Young Kim.

Moosin 1
Date: June 7th, 2009
Place: South Korea

9. SHW: Butterbean vs. Jae Young Kim
8. WW: A Sol Kwon vs. Min Seok Kwon
7. MW: Sheikh “More Names” Althani vs. Han Chung
6. WW: Najib Himmich vs. Oh Du Seok
5. WW: Jae Sun Lee vs. Koji Takagi
4. WW: Bang Seung Hwan vs. Kim Se Ki
3. SHW: Lee Chang Seob vs. Tamghroute Nourdine
2. LW: Masanori Mori vs. Kim Dong Hyun
1. WW: Kim Il Kwon vs. Choi Du Ho

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ref Stands by Bradley-Nover Call

Veteran referee Yves Lavigne has no qualms with his decision to stop a lightweight bout between Kyle Bradley and Phillipe Nover last Saturday at UFC 98 in Las Vegas.

Lavigne made a split-second decision to intervene after Nover, the runner-up of season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter,” face-planted the canvas from his knees after “Bradley gave him a good shot on the side of the head.” Lavigne said Nover’s body language told him the fighter was “out.”

However, Bradley continued to press forward on Nover, who recovered instantaneously and flipped to his back to prepare for the oncoming onslaught.

Replays of the sequence showed Lavigne release Bradley and take one step away from the fighters, before re-engaging between them to wave off the bout. The entire fight lasted 63 seconds.

“It was the toughest one to call, because you don’t see the face of the guy receiving the punch,” Lavigne told Sherdog.com Wednesday. “You have to look with the body, so basically, I based my judgment on Mr. Nover’s reaction. When he went face-first in the mat with his arms behind him, I decided to stop the fight.”

It’s the few seconds after, however, when Nover recovered with no obvious signs of trauma and Lavigne appeared to briefly retreat in reaction to it, that has caused criticism.

Lavigne, who’s officiated combat sports since 1992 and for the UFC since 2006, said his actions were far from indecisive. Lavigne said he re-aligned his position to avoid an incoming upkick from Nover, as well as achieve a better vantage point to stop an unresponsive Bradley.

“I know it looks bad. I know some people on the Internet said I re-start[ed] that fight,” said Lavigne. “I never re-start[ed] that fight. I didn’t want to receive a kick in the face and get knocked out. When the fighter doesn’t really comply, what am I supposed to do? I think the step back was the best way in order to stop the fight.”

Lavigne, 47, faced similar scrutiny at UFC 96 in March, when the Canadian official prolonged a middleweight bashing between Matt Brown and Pete Sell. Lavigne later told The Canadian Press that he let Sell “take a beating for nothing.”

However, the referee was assured of his decision Saturday.

“I don’t think both of them are in the same category,” said Lavigne. “One of them, I made a judgment call and the other one, I made a huge mistake, which I acknowledged. [Nover] bounced back quick, yes, however my decision was already made at that point.”

Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer supported Lavigne’s actions in an email to Sherdog.com on Wednesday. There has been no indication that Nover will try to appeal the referee’s decision.

The Canadian referee said he’s reviewed his performance and will adjust accordingly for his next assignment.

“I would choose a stronger angle when stopping the fight,” said Lavigne, who recalls facing a similar dilemma when is hips were too parallel to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as the referee struggled to pry him off a comatose Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 last December. “I’d also do some weight-training.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC's Jose Aldo and DREAM's Joe Warren make their names with recent performances

A year ago, there were few lighter-weight class names known to anyone beyond the most ardent mixed martial arts fans.

But between this week's DREAM event and next week's big WEC card, two names should be on the tip of everyone's tongue in discussing future premier lighter-weight matches.

Jose Aldo Jr. is a 22-year-old Brazilian who is part of the new breed of mixed martial arts fighter. He started training specific to the sport as a teenager and has been fighting as a professional since the age of 17.

Joe Warren is a 32-year-old American, a wrestler since childhood who has trained specifically in MMA for only seven months. In almost record time, he made himself a major player on the international scene by winning a split decision over Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto on Tuesday in Yokohama, Japan.

For the past few years, fans of lighter weight fighters had talked about a dream matchup pitting Urijah Faber, the featherweight champion of World Extreme Cagefighting, and Yamamoto, Japan's most popular fighter, a natural bantamweight who had been almost unbeatable in regularly beating men two weight classes above him.

Now, there are a wide variety of potential top matches to determine who is the true No. 1 lighter-weight fighter in the world, with Warren and Aldo hoping to add their names to talks that involve Faber, Yamamoto, WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown and WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Angel Torres.

Aldo (14-1) faces Cub Swanson (13-2) on June 7 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., in a match that likely will determine the next WEC featherweight title challenger, as the victor could end up facing the winner of Brown's title defense against Faber in that night's main event.

If Aldo is to win, the only thing that would keep him from being the next contender is himself, as he has talked about wanting to move to bantamweight and face Torres.

Aldo has scored four straight knockouts or TKO's due to strikes since debuting in the WEC one year ago. His matches have been Muay Thai striking clinics. Aldo has good length for a featherweight, and uses both his hands and feet with equal power and accuracy. A huge fan of Mike Tyson, Aldo has nine knockouts in his career.

What may be the scariest part of his game is the part he hasn't shown. His reputation is that he's actually better on the ground than he is standing. The combination of his standing game and his ground prowess has made it difficult for WEC matchmaker Sean Shelby to find him opponents, while also making Aldo the most feared fighter in the division.

In fact, Aldo easily could have been in the championship mix already. But WEC officials wanted him to get more exposure to the U.S. television audience this year in an effort to show people just how real a title contender he will be by the time he's in the cage battling for the title. This would allow a potential Aldo title match to be promoted on the same level as the Faber-Brown fight.

"If it was my decision, I'd say that I deserve a title shot," Aldo said.

But first comes Swanson.

"My impression of Cub Swanson is that he is a great athlete who goes on the attack," Also said. "But a win over him would be another step on the way to achieving my goal."

Aldo's camp earlier this year expressed interest in Torres, noting Aldo would have no problems making the 135-pound bantamweight limit. There was also discussion of him trying to become a champion in two weight classes simultaneously.

Swanson, 24, was rolling toward a title shot after 11-straight wins before being shocked with an Anaconda choke by Jens Pulver in just 35 seconds in a late-2007 match. He has gotten back on track by winning his past two fights, most recently taking a decision from Hiroyuki Takaya in December.

Takaya, meanwhile, is one of three men – with Bibiano Fernandes and Hideo Tokoro – who could stand as obstacles on Joe Warren's improbable quest of winning the tournament to crown DREAM's first featherweight champion (in DREAM, the division tops out at 138.6 pounds, as opposed to 135 pounds in North America) – all this in a sport he had never competed in when the tournament started.

His placement in the tournament largely can be traced to failing his second test for marijuana in late 2007, leaving him with a two-year suspension (which was later reduced to 14 months) that eliminated the 2006 World Greco-Roman champion at 132 pounds from the 2008 Olympics.

"I would have won the Olympics," said Warren, who said he was always planning on going into MMA, but the suspension from wrestling resulted in him taking the sport up a year or so earlier than his original plan.

Warren admitted use of pot, saying it was for medicinal purposes after being diagnosed with major depression, but thought he had stopped using in enough time for it to clear his system when he was tested at the 2007 trials for a spot on the U.S. national team that would compete in the world championships that year.

While on suspension, he turned to MMA.

"I started seven months ago," said Warren, who would like to go back to wrestling for the 2012 Olympics. "I've been trying to learn how to strike."

Warren, who had trained in the past with Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland while he was in Greco-Roman wrestling, spent the last month training both with Henderson’s Team Quest South camp and Faber’s Team Alpha Male for the Yamamoto fight.

He debuted on March 8 in Saitama, Japan, beating Chase Beebe, a former WEC bantamweight champion, in the DREAM tournament’s first round.

Warren was a different fighter less than three months later when matched with Yamamoto.

Yamamoto, generally considered the best fighter in the world for his size before a recent spate of injuries, had been out of action for 17 months after suffering a dislocated elbow and, just before he was set to return, a torn ACL. It was typical Japanese-style booking where a popular fighter is pitted against a decorated star from another sport, but one who is inexperienced at MMA.

What wasn't counted on was Warren being able to walk though the low kicks while barely feeling most of the punches that had routinely knocked out men 20 pounds heavier, allowing Warren to get his takedowns and keep the pressure on.

"He mentally broke," Warren said. "When he was on the bottom, he was just stalling."

Warren scored three takedowns and got a decision in a fight that was close enough that it could have gone either way. Once, when Yamamoto was close to getting an armbar, Warren threw a hard knee to the buttocks, which caused Yamamoto to lose the hold.

"I thought I had won the decision," Warren said. "It wasn’t until I got home and saw the tape that I realized how many times I got hit."

While he doesn't yet know his semifinal opponent, he believes it will be Fernandes, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who poses completely different threats than Yamamoto. Fernandes is very dangerous on the ground, where Warren likes to put the fight.

"I'm learning something new every day," said Warren, who potentially faces a semifinal and final on the same night when the DREAM tourney resumes in September. "I improved 100 percent from the first fight to this one.

"I'm training a lot of jiu-jitsu. With Fernandes, we'll see how strong he is when I’m smashing his face."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Report: Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz set for "WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles" in August

Bantamweight standouts Joseph Benavidez (10-0 MMA, 2-0 WEC) and Dominick Cruz (13-1 MMA, 3-1 WEC) have signed on to meet at WEC 42, according to a report from FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

While not officially announced by the organization, WEC executive Reed Harris recently informed MMAjunkie.com Radio that WEC 42 will take place on Aug. 9 at the The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

A bantamweight title fight between Miguel Torres and No. 1 contender Brian Bowles will headline the event, which will be broadcast on VERSUS.

Benavidez is undefeated in three years as a professional. A training partner of Urijah Faber, Benavidez has looked impressive in back-to-back decision wins over Jeff Curran and Danny Martinez since debuting for the WEC.

Cruz's lone career loss came in his 2007 WEC debut to former featherweight champion and current No. 1 contender Faber. Cruz has since bounced back with unanimous decision wins over Ivan Lopez, Ian McCall and Charlie Valencia.

While not officially announced, the winner of the Benavidez vs. Cruz contest could easily identify the next contender for the 135-pound title.

With the addition to the card, WEC 42 now includes:

* Champ Miguel Torres vs. Brian Bowles (for WEC bantamweight title)
* Jeff Curran vs. Takeya Mizugaki*
* Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz*
* Phil Cardella vs. Ed Ratcliff*
* Fredson Paixao vs. TBA*

* - Not officially announced

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC to skip Chicago in 2009; Indianapolis, Memphis on short list of new-market targets

With the UFC's fall and winter schedule quickly filling, UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner has confirmed the organization will not be visiting Chicago in 2009.

Ratner recently informed The Northwest Indiana Times that the UFC's schedule was "pretty well done" in 2009 and did not currently include a stop in the U.S.'s third-largest city.

Ratner did say the UFC would be looking to return to Chicago in the future, but that new markets such as Indianapolis and Memphis were also a major focus.

The UFC made its first, and so far only, trip to Illinois in October 2008 for "UFC 90: Silva vs. Cote."

Held at the Allstate Arena just outside of Chicago in suburban Rosemont, Ill., UFC 90 drew a sold-out crowd of 15,359 for a $2.8 million gate, a record for the venue. Ratner told the Northwest Indiana Times that when the UFC does return to Chicago, the 20,000-plus seat United Center was a potential target.

In the meantime, with Indiana set to begin regulation of mixed martial arts on July 1, Ratner said that Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse, home to the NBA's Indiana Pacers, has become an additional potential target for the UFC to visit in 2010.

Ratner also mentioned Memphis to the Northwest Inidana Times as a new market the organization is actively pursuing, while reaffirming his commitment to assist in passing MMA legislation in New York and Massachusetts, two of just seven remaining states in the U.S. currently without regulation of the sport.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Josh Koscheck vs Frank Trigg possible for UFC 103 on Sept. 26; Matt Hughes also in the mix

Top-ranked welterweight contender, Josh Koscheck (12-4), and former number one division contender, Frank Trigg (19-6), are in talks to battle it out for 170-pound supremacy at UFC 103 on Sept. 26.

MMAmania.com learned earlier today about the likely match up; however, a venue is still unknown at this time (locations in the United Kingdom and Las Vegas are under under consideration) for the event. In addition, nine-time division kingpin, Matt Hughes, is also lurking in the shadows as a possible opponent for Koscheck … albeit on the outside.

When reached for comment, Koscheck indicated that he didn’t have a preference, saying “I’ll fight either one of those guys. Line them up back-to-back so I can beat one and then move onto the other. It’s nothing personal against them — Trigg and Hughes are both great fighters and a fight with either one of those guys would be a great show for the fans. And that is what it’s all about. I want big fights against big names, guys who will motivate me to train harder than ever before — Trigg and Hughes are those types of guys.”

“Kos” broke his toe back in April while training for his 170-pound match up with Chris Wilson at UFC 98, which would have marked his fourth fight in six months. The wrestling phenom is already back at full strength after spending the past few months on the disabled list, itching to return from the sidelines and get back to his winning ways.

Koscheck was recently upended when he walked into a Paulo Thiago uppercut at UFC 95: “Sanchez vs. Stevenson” last February. The referee jumped in to stop the action in the first round after Koscheck hit the canvas, which several onlookers, including Koscheck, felt was a premature stoppage.

He will no doubt look to exact revenge on his next opponent, which could very well be the the 37-year-old veteran welterweight who just this week signed a contract to return to the organization.

“Twinkle Toes” (19-6) — who is returning to the UFC after more than three years of fighting outside the promotion — is perhaps best known to UFC fans for his two defeats at the hands of former division champion Matt Hughes — both by rear naked choke. First at UFC 45 and then again at UFC 52.

The former University of Oklahoma wrestler attempted to rebound at UFC 54 against Georges St. Pierre, but met a similar fate at the hands of the current champ after being dominated from the opening horn.

Trigg put together a solid 7-2 run outside of Zuffa, including wins over Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Kazuo Misaki, and was last seen outpointing a very game Danny Babcock in the main event of the XCF: “Rumble in Racetown” event back on February 14.

Hughes, on the other hand, is coming off a big win over nemesis Matt Serra via unanimous decision at UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida.” He indicated after the bout that his contract status and future were up in the air, requiring a meeting with company president Dana White to map out his plans moving forward.

Retirement, however, does not appear to be an option at this time. On the contrary, Hughes indicated after the fight that he would prefer to compete closer to home, which would have to be somewhere near Illinois and certainly not overseas. Nonetheless, he’s the darkhorse in this race who could squeak in at the last minute.

 

[Shogun Locc]

MMA Quick Quote: Affliction planning fourth event for the East Coast

“Trilogy just means that this is the third. This is the third of the series … What it should indicate to people is that this is just the third event that Affliction will be promoting, and I can assure you that there will be a fourth; a fifth; and a sixth. The fourth one will most probably be on the East Coast.”

Affliction COO Michael Cohen explains to MMA Fanhouse that despite the haters, Affliction will continue to move forward with its mixed martial arts promotion, including three more shows and a stop on the East Coast that is “most probable” for 2009. Cohen and Co. have thus far managed to stage two major pay-per-view (PPV) events with mixed results since making a foray in the industry in mid 2008 and have a third event scheduled for August 1. If they can hold profitable events going forward, there is no reason to think they could be around a lot longer than many people — including UFC President Dana White — ever anticipated. They key word here however is “profitable…”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chicky-chicky-Kongo! Paul Kelly gunning for revenge, UFC greatness

“This guy, Paul Kelly, he trains so hard. He is like my family, actually, I consider him family. Paul is my family. No-one understands how hard this guy trains. He spars so hard, he fights hard with me - a heavyweight - and with Rampage. I’ve seen Rampage knock him down with a punch and him get right back up. I believe he will be a great force at lightweight, he is so strong. He always shouts “Chicky-chicky-Kongo! Chicky-chicky Kongo!” as well and I had to teach him. When he was walking in the mall I gave him a good dead-leg to walk on. Of course, Paul now says he is getting me back. He has tried to kick me in the leg many times but I don’t really feel it and it upsets him. He says he’s bringing a baseball bat to Germany to hit me in the leg after our fights. We will see.”