MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

GUNDERSON EYES QUICK RETURN AFTER FIGHT NIXED

It’s not uncommon for fights to be cancelled sometimes weeks and days ahead of their scheduled date, but what isn’t common is for a fight to be called off just hours before it is supposed to take place.

At UFC 112 this past weekend in Abu Dhabi, John Gunderson got the surprise of his life when just hours before his scheduled fight with Paul Taylor, the Brit was pulled due to an undisclosed medical condition.

“I actually found out when we were on the bus headed from the hotel to the arena,” Gunderson told MMAWeekly.com upon his return home to Las Vegas. “It was probably about two hours before the fights started, that’s when I found out.

“I was just told that he wasn’t feeling well, that he was up all night with migraines, and that the fight would be cancelled. I really didn’t ask too many questions because it was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”

The news came as a total shock to Gunderson, who says this is all new to him.

“I’ve never had a fight cancelled the day of, the day before, (let alone) two hours before the fight,” he commented.

Gunderson had hoped to use the fight to rebound off a disappointing loss to Rafaello Oliveira in his UFC debut in January.

“For me it was a huge letdown, because it was something I really wanted,” he explained. “I trained real hard and worked real hard towards this. I just wanted to go out there to the biggest stage of MMA and prove myself out there.”

Even though he is disappointed, Gunderson holds no ill will towards Taylor for not being able to fight.

“I can’t say anything bad about him,” stated Gunderson. "Paul is a warrior, and if he would have been able to fight, he would have, so obviously something was wrong.

“I hope he gets better and that we’ll meet down the road.”

All of Gunderson’s work did not go unrewarded, as the UFC made gestures to insure he’d be taken care of.

“(UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva actually said he was looking to get me on a card coming up,” said Gunderson. “The UFC treated me really good and they made it right.

“They didn’t have to pay me my show or win bonus, and they did. They took really good care of me. They’re a real good company, because I don’t know too many companies that would do that for you.”

With the possibility of a quick turnaround for his next fight, Gunderson is focused and ready to continue what he started in preparations for the Taylor fight.

“I’m going to continue to train and wait for word on who I’m going to fight next,” he stated. “I don’t care who they put me up against, I just want to go in there and prove myself.”

While his opportunity for redemption may have been delayed, Gunderson is focused and eager to return and work his way up the lightweight ladder.

“I just want to thank my camp and everyone who helped out,” he concluded. “Thanks to the UFC for taking care of me, and hopefully I’ll be getting back in there before summer.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

FABRICIO WERDUM EXPECTS TO FIGHT FEDOR

Once he signed on with Strikeforce, it seemed that Fedor Emelianenko had found a home, but lately, questions have swirled around the Russian crusher.

First he was expected to be on Strikeforce’s upcoming return to CBS. Then he was not. He was set to face Fabricio Werdum. Then he was not. He was renewing talks with the UFC. Then he was not.

Just what is going on with the world’s number one ranked heavyweight?

That’s a good question.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told MMAWeekly.com recently, "We have a date in June on hold for him, and we're hoping we work things out where he can come fight that fight."

So it seemed, at least, that Fedor’s opponent, should he finalize negotiations with Strikeforce, was set. But even that was put under a cloud of speculation after Fedor reportedly spoke with the media this past weekend, saying Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva might be another option for him.

"I have no intentions leaving M-1 Global," Fedor said at an M-1 Selection press conference last weekend, according to LowKick.com. "We have a very good partnership, so I don't see any reasons why I should break-up my current deal with that organization. My next opponent will be Fabricio Werdum. We are currently negotiating with his team, but if something goes wrong we will try to reach an agreement with Antonio Silva."

If anything were to “go wrong” it would have to be some sort of breakdown in negotiations with Strikeforce because Fabricio Werdum is expecting to fight Fedor.

“Fabricio is 1,000 percent committed to fighting Fedor,” his manager, Richard Wilner, told MMAWeekly.com on Monday. “The thought of the fight not taking place causes us great concern since Fabricio has been training for it since presented with even the possibility of fighting him.

“We are under the impression that Strikeforce and M-1 continue to negotiate regarding their contractual relationship. We have complete faith in Scott (Coker), his team, and its broadcast partners and continue to look forward to the announcement of our fight date. When Fedor is quoted as saying ‘negotiating with Fabricio’s team,’ he is presumably referring to Strikeforce. M-1 is not negotiating directly with us as there is nothing, that I’m aware of, to negotiate.”

If that weren’t cleare enough, Wilnder added, “And, just so there is no room for misunderstanding, Fabricio wants the fight with Fedor… even if it’s in (his Russian hometown of) Stary Oskol.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce Inks Licensing Deal with CLI

Strikeforce officials today announced they have inked a deal with Collective Licensing International (CLI) that will push Strikeforce as a "complete lifestyle and culture brand."

The longterm partnership will produce Strikeforce-branded footwear, apparel, accessories, equipment and other items.

Exact terms of the deal, which gives CLI the rights to license and produce all facets of Strikeforce-brand merchandise, were not disclosed.

Strikeforce, which launched in 1985 as a kickboxing promotion and added MMA to its offerings in 2006, has emerged as one of the world's top MMA organizations thanks to its current broadcast deals with CBS and Showtime, a strategic talent alliance with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, and an ever-growing roster of notable fighters.

"We're looking forward to building Strikeforce into a great consumer brand at retail," stated Bruce Pettet, CEO of CLI. "We are excited to partner with Strikeforce, where CEO Scott Coker has successfully established relationships with world-class partners like CBS, Showtime, EA Sports, Rockstar Energy Drink and Full Tilt Poker, among others."

According to today's release, "CLI will bridge the gap between core MMA athletes and worldwide consumers for the first time by bringing the Strikeforce-specific product line further into the youth consumer market with an entirely new product offering."

Thus far, Strikeforce's merchandise and equipment offerings have been minimal.

The Colorado-based CLI's other clients include the likes of Airwalk, Above The Rim, Vision Street Wear, Sims, Lamar, LTD, World Snowboarding Championships and others.

News of the licensing deal comes the same week of "Strikeforce: Nashville." The event, which includes a championship triple-header, marks Strikeforce's second show on CBS and could produce the largest network-televised MMA event in U.S. history.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Silver Star Signs Patrick Cote

Silver Star Casting Company has inked a deal with Canadian UFC middleweight Patrick Cote to design and wear a Signature Silver Star shirt for UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec on May 8th.

(IRVINE, CA) – Silver Star Casting Company inks a deal for a signature shirt with Patrick “The Predator” Cote for UFC 113 where he will be fighting Alan Belcher on the main card May 8that the Bell Centre in Montreal Canada.

Cote, a UFC middleweight, is a former TKO Light Heavyweight Champion, and now owns their middleweight championship. He is a King of the Cage Canadian Light Heavyweight Champion, and a Maximum Fighting Championships World Middleweight Champion who is fighting in the UFC as a Middleweight.

Cote’s Silver Star signature shirt features red foil and his “Predator” moniker. With unparalleled KO power and submission skills, the Canadian powerhouse’s predatory nature in the octagon is honored on his shirt with a gunsight on the front, and the Canadian flag on the reverse. The Patrick “The Predator” Cote signature UFC 113 walkout tee is available now at www.silverstarnow.com and retailers nationally and in Canada.

Payout Perspective:

Silver Star continues to sign various high profile fighters in the UFC to sponsorship agreements. You can view the full list of Silver Star sponsored fighters at MMAPayout.com’s Blue Book.

Note: it’s important to view these signings with a degree of context. While Silver Star has made a lot of noise in the last few months, it’s still well behind Tapout in terms of both sponsorship investment and sales revenue.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce 185-pound champion Jake Shields predicts an "everywhere" fight

"It's really hard to predict where this fight's going to be," Jake Shields (24-4 MMA, 2-0 SF), Strikeforce middleweight champion, says of his meeting Saturday with top-tier import Dan Henderson (25-7 MMA, 0-0 SF) at "Strikeforce: Nashville."

To most observers, the match-up is grappler vs. grappler at heart: Henderson's wrestling against Shields' jiu-jitsu wizardry. The great equalizer is Henderson's powerful right hand.

"I know Henderson's got good power but I'm not the easiest guy to hit," Shields counters.

It's a pivotal moment, nonetheless, for the Strikeforce middleweight champion, who comes into the fight with an uncertain future with the promotion (he is currently on the last fight of his contract and may not be renewed depending on the result of Saturday night).

To add to that, Henderson is the toughest fight of his career, on paper and in real time. There's pressure on both fighters to deliver an exciting fight as the main event of Strikeforce's second CBS-televised card. And early promos for the card gave Henderson a lot more camera time.

That's a lot of reasons to get wound up. Shields' solution? Act naturally.

"I want to put on a great fight," Shields said. "I want to win, of course, and I also want to put on an exciting fight. I know Henderson's a tough fight but I think stylistically it will probably be an exciting fight.

"I'm really confident right now but I'm trying not to be overconfident."

As for the takedown war many expect, the middleweight champion thinks it will be split down the middle.

"I know on paper he's a better wrestler, but a lot of times it doesn't always stack up that way when you get in the cage," Shields said.

It's his second fight as a bonafide middleweight after serving most of his career at welterweight. Months of strength and conditioning have added bulk to his frame and he's cutting ten pounds to make the 185-pound limit.

Henderson, on the other hand, is a lifelong middleweight who likes to fight at light heavyweight. Many have predicted the size to be a serious factor in the fight, though Shields' brushes that idea aside.

"If I lose, Dan's a better fighter," he said. "It has nothing to do with weight."

Shields added he might return to the welterweight class depending on how the fight goes, but he cautions fans about expecting the fight to play out by a simple breakdown of styles.

"I think people sometimes hear things and they agree to what the fight is going to be, and you never know what's going to happen out there," Shields said. "It's hard to predict what's going to happen when you get out there. He might try to take me down right away. It's hard to predict."

Whatever happens, though, it's not going to be a walk in the park.

"I think this fight is going to go everywhere," he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Mike Whitehead arrested for sexual assault, open and gross lewdness

Mixed martial arts veteran Mike Whitehead has been arrested and charged with three felonies including sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and open and gross lewdness, according to a release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department issued today.

If convicted, each charge carries a minimum of one year in prison, according to Barbara Morgan, a Public Information Officer with the LVPD.

Whitehead turned himself into the LVPD's Investigative Services Division on Wednesday. Detectives arrested him after he declined to answer questions about a sexual assault of an adult female that he was allegedly involved in this past Saturday, Morgan said.

Whitehead is currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center. His bail has not been set.

Morgan said additional charges related to a marijuana growing operation discovered at Whitehead's residence are pending. Detectives discovered at least 50 plants there while serving the fighter a search warrant on the alleged sexual assault.

The 28-year-old Whitehead (24-7 MMA, 1-1 SF) perhaps is best known to MMA fans for his appearance on "The Ultimate Fighter 2." After his disappointing performance on the show and a subsequent loss to Keith Jardine at UFC 57, the promotion released Whitehead. He then served stints with the International Fight League and Affliction Entertainment before signing with Strikeforce this past May.

After back-to-back wins, which included a unanimous-decision win over Kevin Randleman in his Strikeforce debut, White and was knocked out by Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in his most recent performance at "Strikeforce: Evolution" this past December.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker could not be reached for comment on Whitehead's case.

 

[Shogun Locc]

WEC 48's Garcia vs. Jung, Karalexis vs. Pettis air live on Spike TV prelim special

With the WEC's first pay-per-view a little more than one week away, the promotion is pulling out all the stops to guarantee a successful showing.

Today, UFC president Dana White announced that the WEC would follow suit with its sister company and air a pair of preliminary bouts on Spike TV.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since learned from sources close to the promotion that the bouts that will be featured include Leonard Garcia (13-5-1 MMA, 3-2-1 WEC) vs. Chan Sung Jung (10-1 MMA, 0-0 WEC) and Alex Karalexis (10-4 MMA, 4-2 WEC) vs. Anthony Pettis (8-1 MMA, 2-1 WEC).

The two bouts will take place during a one-hour special on Spike TV prior to the evening's main-card pay-per-view broadcast.

Garica returns quickly to action following a controversial draw with George Roop at the company's WEC 47 event in March. Garcia appeared well on his way to dropping a decision until Roop had a point deducted in the third frame for an illegal blow.

A longtime fan favorite, Garcia finds himself in desperate need of a win against a tough opponent. "Bad Boy" is just 1-2-1 in his past four contests, and the lone victory came in razor-thin split decision over Jameel Massouh, who's no longer with the WEC.

Meanwhile, Jung fights for the first time in 2010. The Korean made his MMA debut in 2007, and he opened his career with nine-straight wins. Despite a successful track record in kickboxing, Jung has also trained in Hapkido and competed in Sambo tournaments.

Jung's lone career loss came in May 2009 via unanimous decision to Masanori Kanehara at World Victory Road's Sengoku Eighth Battle. Jung bounced back with a second-round submission win over Matt Jaggers in a featherweight grand prix reserve bout at Sengoku Ninth Battle, though the Korean wasn't called on for additional duty that evening.

After dealing with injuries, Karalexis returns to the cage for the first time in a year. The Massachusetts native had been scheduled to fight Kamal Shalorus at this past November's WEC 44 event, but a broken hand forced Karalexis out of the matchup.

A three-time UFC veteran and cast member of the original season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Karalexis has earned WEC wins over Greg McIntyre, Josh Smith, Olaf Alfonso and Thomas Denny. He has also suffered a pair of losses in contests with Bart Palaszewski and Ed Ratcliff.

His opponent, Pettis, looks to build off a March victory over Danny Castillo at WEC 47 that earned him the night's "Knockout of the Night" award. Prior to that fight, Pettis made his WEC debut with a perfect 6-0 record. He made it 7-0 with a submission victory over Mike Campbell at WEC 41 but then dropped a close split-decision defeat to Palaszewski at WEC 45 for his first career loss.

An official announcement from the organization is expected later today.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Pre-sale tickets for June's "WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus" on sale today (Updated)

World Extreme Cagefighting recently announced its first-ever event in Canada, and tickets for the June 20 card go on sale today.

Just hours before the on-sale time, the organization has announced that "WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus," which takes place at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, will feature a main event between former lightweight champion Jamie Varner (16-3-2 MMA, 4-1 WEC) and fast-rising star Kamal Shalorus (6-0-1 MMA, 2-0 WEC).

Pre-sale tickets go on sale today.

Tickets for the recently announced event are available today at 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. MT local time) for members of the UFC Fight Club, the UFC's official fan club which is also now serving the WEC, at Ticketmaster.com.

Additionally, WEC.tv newsletter subscribers can purchase tickets Friday, April 16 at 2 p.m. ET, and the general public can purchase tickets on Saturday, April 17 at 2 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the near-17,000-seat venue, which will be scaled down for the event, are priced at $45, $75, $125, and $175.

Varner fights for the first time since dropping his WEC lightweight title to current champ Ben Henderson in a disappointing submission loss at January's WEC 46. The third-round defeat snapped a five-fight winning streak for Varner.

Meanwhile, Shalorus takes the fight on the strength of two-straight WEC wins. "The Prince of Persia" debuted for the organization this past November with an impressive 86-second knockout of Will Kerr then earned a hard-fought unanimous-decision win over the previously undefeated Dave Jansen and January's WEC 46.

The WEC also officially announced a trio of contests previously reported by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). L.C. Davis vs. Josh Grispi, Chris Horodecki vs. Ed Ratcliff and Mark Hominick vs. Yves Jabouin will all take place at WEC 49.

WEC 49 is Zuffa, LLC's latest foray into Canada, which has proven a hotbed for mixed martial arts in recent years. A pair of UFC cards already held in Montreal have netted record live gates for the company, and a third trip to the city is planned for May. Tickets for a June UFC event in Vancouver went on sale earlier this week, and the venue sold out in just 30 minutes, a company record.

The full WEC 49 fight card now includes:

* Kamal Shalorus vs. Jamie Varner
* L.C. Davis vs. Josh Grispi
* Chris Horodecki vs. Ed Ratcliff
* Mark Hominick vs. Yves Jabouin

 

[Shogun Locc]

"Distraught" Paul Taylor heading to doctors following UFC 112 dismissal

Paul Taylor's UFC future will be determined by the results of a full medical checkup and CT scan he plans to undergo in the next 10 days.

"[The UFC] wants it as a precaution," Paul Hennessy, Taylor's manager, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The lightweight fighter suffered what officials called a "classic migraine" the night prior to a scheduled fight with John Gunderson at UFC 112 this past Saturday and was removed from the card shortly before the event began.

He returned this week to his home in Cannock, Staffordshire, England.

A migraine is a severe headache which lasts between four and 72 hours. Its symptoms include nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and sound.

Hennessy said Taylor's migraine struck between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. the night prior to the event. Doctors initially gave him a 50-50 chance to fight, but as the day progressed, Taylor's symptoms grew worse.

"He got a fever and it became obvious that he wasn't going to fight," Hennessey said. "[UFC doctors] couldn't give him any medication ... because if they gave him medication, he wouldn't be able to fight."

By the afternoon, Taylor couldn't keep food or liquids down and had lost vision in his left eye, according to Hennessy. At 3:30 p.m., Marc Ratner, UFC vice president of regulatory affairs, made the decision to remove him from the card. A former executive director with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Rather oversees and regulates UFC events held in locations without formal athletic commissions.

Amid concerns of dehydration, doctors wanted Taylor to go to an area hospital to receive IV fluids. Taylor declined the trip and stayed in his hotel room, where he remained bedridden until Sunday. He did not see the event.

"Distraught," Hennessy said of Taylor's reaction to the removal. "He was almost in tears, apart from the pain and everything else. He didn't want to let anyone down. Paul's a fighter and he really wanted to get in the octagon."

The UFC paid Taylor his show purse.

Taylor (10-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) most recently dropped a unanimous decision to John Hathaway at UFC 105 in November. And with four losses in six fights, he would have been in a must-win situation.

Hennessy said the UFC is happy to have Taylor back when he is cleared to fight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Rob Emerson, Brad Blackburn and Fabricio Camoes released by UFC

Add three more fighters to the list of those recently released from the UFC.

On the heels of news that welterweight Jason High (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was let go from the promotion after one loss, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has been informed that the contracts of fighters Rob Emerson, Brad Blackburn and Fabricio Camoes have also been cut short.

Sources close to the promotion confirmed the releases late Wednesday night.

Lightweight Emerson (9-9 MMA, 3-3 UFC) served as a cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter 5" and was eliminated in the first round of the tournament-based reality show.

He got off to an unusual start in his professional octagon career when his fight with Gray Maynard at the show's finale was ruled a no contest when "The Bully" knocked himself unconscious just as "The Saint" submitted to a rib injury during the fight.

Emerson rebounded from the odd result with back-to-back wins over Keita Nakamura and Manny Gamburyan. But after a 1-3 stretch that included two consecutive losses to Kurt Pellegrino and Rafael Dos Anjos and a loss to Nik Lentz in his most recent performance at UFC Fight Night 21, Emerson ran out of chances.

Welterweight Blackburn (15-11 MMA, 3-2 UFC) found his way to the UFC as a standout of the now-defunct International Fight League and immediately announced his presence with three consecutive octagon victories, including one over respected veteran Ryo Chonan.

Along the way, Blackburn suffered from injuries to his neck and shoulder.

He returned to action in January but fell short against Amir Sadollah at UFC Fight Night 20, then lost to Damarques Johnson at UFC 112 this past Saturday.

Out of the three latest cuts, lightweight Camoes got the least amount of cage time.

Camoes (10-5-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC), a San Diego resident from Curitiba, Brazil, earned his UFC contract with a seven-fight win streak that included a win over UFC veteran Sam Morgan. In his octagon debut, he fought Caol Uno to a draw in which he had one point deducted for an illegal blow.

The Brazilian looked for redemption against Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 111 but fell prey to a rear-naked choke in the fight's second round.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Chael Sonnen doubts champ Anderson Silva will sign to fight at UFC 117

Chael Sonnen is optimistic he'll get to fight middleweight champion Anderson Silva. But he also says he's a bit worried that it won't happen.

"I don't know if Anderson's going to accept," Sonnen told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmmajunkie.com).

UFC president Dana White on Wednesday told Jim Rome that Silva and Sonnen will face off in what would be the champions's seventh consecutive title defense. But there's a twist: after another lackluster fight against Demian Maia this past Saturday, Silva (26-4 MMA, 11-0 UFC) must deliver excitement or risk being cut from the organization.

Sonnen (24-10 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is happy to bait the champ – again – if it gets him the fight.

"The best I've seen, [Silva is] a man of his word," Sonnen said of the proposed matchup. "If I hear that he agreed, I'll feel a lot better."

The middleweight champion is clearly on the ropes after the Maia fight, which served as the main event of UFC 112. Silva spent the first two rounds dancing around the cage and the last three in a near-constant backward shuffle.

In now trademark fashion, Sonnen said it's nothing new for Silva.

"[Silva is] really good, he's really effective, and he's as unpleasing to watch as grass growing," Sonnen said. "That's why they called me to get rid of this cancer of the company."

Silva's camp declined to comment on the fight's possibility when contacted today by MMAjunkie.com.

Sonnen claims he's called out the middleweight champion for four years to no avail.

"Nobody has challenged Anderson Silva," Sonnen said. "Not one human being, not one interview. Go to what the kids call 'Google,' and prove me wrong. Show me one athlete in any weight class that's challenged this guy except me."

The West Linn, Ore., resident won a middleweight contender spot in February with a win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 109. He really perked up ears, though, when he went after Silva in the press and polarized fans with his no-nonsense talk.

"He won't even acknowledge the challenge," Sonnen said of the champion, who also holds a UFC record for most octagon wins with 11. "He just overlooks it like it's not happening. The first and only time he's ever acknowledged the challenge is on Feb. 7, 12 hours after I became the number one contender, he put out a press release stating seven different reasons he didn't think he should have to fight me."

White told Rome that Sonnen's wrestling-based style is the perfect antidote to the lackluster performances that ensue when Silva is paired with jiu-jitsu stylists.

Sonnen said it's more than that.

"What's different about me is that I acknowledge Anderson Silva's going to hit me and kick me," he said. "I acknowledge it's going to hurt a lot. But I don't care. I don't care if he hurts me. I'll go to the hospital later that night. But in that 25-minute period, he's going to be in a fight."

He said Silva's dance is just a ploy to get opponents to engage, and a ploy he's happy to follow.

"If he does it to me, it's going to work," Sonnen said. "It's going to make me angry, and I'm going to come after him. If he wants to throw those punches, by God throw them. But I'm going to walk straight through them."

A year ago, Sonnen was struggling to gain traction in the UFC after a unsuccessful run in the promotion between 2005 and 2006, but that position has changed with his recent performances.

If the fight materializes, Sonnen will work with his usual training partners at Team Quest as well as Xtreme Couture grappling coach Neil Melanson, who helped him prepare for Marquardt at UFC 109.

"He's one of those guys, you meet them very rarely but when you meet them, you hold onto them like a precious metal," Sonnen said. "He offered to help me. I don't have a lot of friends in this sport – he's one of them."

Meanwhile, Sonnen continues to campaign for the Oregon House of Representatives and is currently in a fundraising cycle. He remains no-nonsense about the biggest opportunity of his career.

"I guarantee you between now and Aug. 7, I'll get hurt," Sonnen said. "I'll get sick. I'm sure I'll get a staph infection that seems to be the new wave throughout MMA – oh, I have a staph infection, wah. When my music hits those speakers on Aug. 7, I will make that walk.

"That's a tremendous difference between me and the prima donnas who like to see their names on posters but are not real fighters."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ben Askren, Ryan Thomas lead way as fighters hit the scale for Bellator 14

The 16 fighters slated for tonight's Bellator Fighting Championships 14 event, including headliners Ben Askren (3-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and Ryan Thomas (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC), who meet in the first round of the promotion's season-two welterweight tournament, hit the scales for the show.

The weigh-ins took place Wednesday at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, which also hosts tonight's event.

The event airs live on FOX Sports Net (or on a few hours' delay if preempted by local sports programming), and highlights packages air Saturday on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

A two-time UFC veteran, Thomas used the evening's pre-event press conference to throw a few verbal jabs at his opponent.

"Ben is a great wrestler, but this isn't a wrestling match," Thomas said. "So we're gonna find out if he's a real fighter or if he should just stick to wrestling."

A former collegiate national wrestling champion and a 2008 Olympian, Askren said he's just fine with the transition to mixed martial arts.

"The last person who talked about my wrestling got put to sleep," Askren said.

Bellator Fighting Championships 14 also includes the final two opening-round bouts of the promotion's lightweight tournament, as well as a featherweight tournament first-round bout between Shad Lierley and Wilson Reis.

The full weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD

* Ben Askren (170.5) vs. Ryan Thomas (170.5) - welterweight tourney first round
* Shad Lierley (144.5) vs. Wilson Reis (145.5) - featherweight tourney first round
* Pat Curran (155.5) vs. Mike Ricci (155.5) - lightweight tourney first round
* Toby Imada (155.5) vs. James Krause (155.5) - lightweight tourney first round

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Jeff Curran (141) vs. Bryan Goldsby (141)
* Felice Herrig (117) vs. Jessica Rakoczy (121)
* Jonatas Novaes (156) vs. Daniel Straus (154)
* Louis Taylor (185.5) vs. Ryan Sturdy (186)*

* - Sturdy weighed 188.5 pounds on his first attempt

 

[Shogun Locc]

BADER SIDELINED 6 WEEKS AFTER HAND SURGERY

"Ultimate Fighter" season 8 winner Ryan Bader will be sidelined for the next 6 weeks with no contact after undergoing surgery on his right hand to repair a torn tendon.

The news comes courtesy of Bader's manager, David Martin, who spoke with MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday after rumors surfaced about a fight for the Arizona based competitor.

"He had a torn tendon in his right hand, on the middle finger," said Martin. "He has six weeks of no contact with the hand, and then after that he'll be ready when Joe Silva calls."

In his last fight out, Bader knocked out fellow "Ultimate Fighter" alum Keith Jardine in the third round of their fight in Australia at UFC 110.

The fighter underwent successful surgery last week, and still has a cast on his hand from the operation, and will not be able to do any kind of sparring or training for at least a month and a half.

Rumors had surfaced that Bader was going to return on the July 3rd card in Las Vegas, but according to his manager a late summer return is much more likely because of the extended time away from training due to the injury.

MMAWeekly.com will have more information on Bader's recovery and return to fighting when it becomes available.

 

[Shogun Locc]

GILBERT MELENDEZ VERSION 2.0 READY FOR AOKI

Losing could be the single greatest motivator to improve for any fighter in the sport of MMA.

Dropping fights to Mitsuhiro Ishida and Josh Thomson was just such a wakeup for Gilbert Melendez. He decided right then and there that if he wanted to be a successful MMA fighter he had to stop treating it as a hobby, and train to win like a champion.

The results have shown for the California fighter, winning his last three bouts while avenging both of his losses. Now he's ready for a dream match-up with Japanese submission specialist Shinya Aoki on Saturday night in Nashville, Tenn.

Melendez believes that what fans are seeing out of him now is the best fighter he's ever been and Aoki could be in for some trouble when the two meet on Saturday night.

"I'm committed that this is my career now. I'm a mixed martial artist. This is what's going to put food on my table. This is going to take care of my girl, my unborn baby. This is what I'm going to do for the rest of my career," said Melendez when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio recently.

"I'm focused, and with all that focus comes structure, and hard work and all that stuff. I think it's fair to say I'm a new man; I'm a new fighter."

Immediately after his last fight with Thomson ended, Melendez was quick to call for a fight with Aoki, who also happens to be the Dream lightweight champion. While his hopes were high on the fight happening, the reality was it's never been easy to bring a Japanese champion to America to fight in a different organization.

"It's one of those things where I didn't think it was going to happen. In my heart I wanted it to happen, I believed it was possible, it just didn’t seem like the biggest star in Japan would be coming to America to fight me, but it's happening and I'm very excited," Melendez said.

Aoki's last fight before the match-up with Melendez was made landed him in some hot water with media around the world. In a fight against Mizuto Hirota on New Year's Eve, Aoki snapped the fighter's arm when he refused to tap out and then proceeded to celebrate the move by flipping off his opponent and dancing around the ring.

While Melendez believes that sending Aoki to America may be his punishment, he reserves judgment because he knows the intensity of any given situation in the ring or cage.

"The guy should have tapped first of all. That's just part of the sport. We sign on the dotted line, I know what the possible consequences are of stepping in the cage," said Melendez. "I may get knocked out, I may get put to sleep, I may get my arm broken, I know what the rules are, I know I can tap, so it's the other dude's fault."

Watching that fight along with virtually every other Shinya Aoki fight, it's clear that he always has a singular goal in mind. Get the fight to the ground and submit his opponent.

It's rare that such a seemingly one-dimensional fighter could be so successful in MMA, but Aoki is just that kind of rarity. With wins over a slew of top lightweights, Aoki has proven that if you go to the ground with him, you may find yourself tapping out just seconds later.

"I've never fought anyone in the cage that has that game plan, but I have a really good team, and I believe the Diaz brothers can simulate a lot of stuff on the ground, and something Jake (Shields) likes to do is he likes to bring it to the ground as well. I think Jake has a way better stand-up game than Shinya, but Jake is a guy who likes to bring it to the ground a lot as well," said Melendez.

As the hours fade away and the bout in Nashville grows closer, Melendez believes that every fan in attendance, and every fan watching the fight on CBS that night, will be in for a show. He'll be as ready as he's ever been.

"I can't guarantee victory, but I guarantee I'll be ready to fight every single time I go out there from here on out."

 

[Shogun Locc]

BJ PENN RELEASES BOOK, HEADS OUT ON PR TOUR

Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn is one of the most enigmatic characters in the history of mixed martial arts.

He entered the sport as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy, but transformed into one of the most successful fighters fans have ever seen. He captured both the UFC lightweight and welterweight titles. Penn moved on to explore fighting at various weights, even going up as high as heavyweight to fight Lyoto Machida in Japan. He returned to the UFC, regaining the lightweight title and becoming the most dominant 155-pound champion ever in the promotion.

Though he recently lost a controversial decision and his title belt to Frankie Edgar, Penn is in the midst of trying to secure a rematch.

While talks are underway, he has left the comfortable confines of his home in Hawaii to venture out on a press junket in support of his new autobiography, “Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just An Accessory,” which he wrote with author David Weintraub.

The book is Penn’s answer to fans and critics alike, “explaining what led a scrappy teenager from the rough streets of Hilo, Hawaii, onto the biggest stage in all of mixed martial arts.”

He’ll be at the Barnes & Nobel in Henderson, Nev., on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. PT to meet fans and sign copies of his book. For more dates and locations, check out BJPenn.com.

 

[Shogun Locc]

RAFAELLO OLIVEIRA RELEASED FROM UFC

After a 1-2 record in the UFC, with a loss in his most recent fight to Andre Winner, Brazilian Rafaello "Tractor" Oliveira has been released from the promotion.

The news was confirmed by Oliveira's trainer and manager Mike Constantino on Thursday to MMAWeekly.com.

A strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background and a very solid record brought Oliveira to the UFC in late 2009. During his time with the promotion he dropped decisions to Nic Lentz and the afore mentioned Andre Winner, while picking up a win over John Gunderson in January.

Oliveira has a gym of his own in Tennessee, but has been training primarily out of the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey along with UFC fighters Jim and Dan Miller.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Brazilian press: Anderson “under crossfire”

The newspaper “O Globo”, from Brazil, published an article about the polemic fight between the Brazilians Anderson Silva and Demian Maia. The article, titled “Champion under crossfire”, pointed the dissatisfaction with the UCF’s president, Dana White, towards the antics of Anderson, and highlighted to the polemic Dana White’s comments. “I’ve never been more embarrassed, it was a disaster. Anderson is pretty talented, but if you’re talented, be like Mike Tyson and beat your opponent in two minutes instead of playing with an idiot for five rounds. It was the most terrible thing I’ve ever seen”, highlighted “O Globo”, citing the hard words from the UFC president to his middleweight.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Marlon Sandro: “I want to go to the US”

Marlon Sandro came from the slums to became one of the bests featherweights of the world on MMA. An idol on Japan, where we became champion for the first time on Pancrase, the Nova União product will fight for the Sengoku title in June, but is already thinking about packing to the USA.

“I still have three fights in my contract and, fulfilling my obligations, I want to go to America. It’s really nice to fight in Japan, I don’t want to stop fighting there, but is the US that is the show business, is where they invest a lot of money”, revealed the fighter, dreaming with better scholarships in US. “I want to go to America, where people get a lot of money with sponsorship”.

In an exclusive piece, published by TATAME Magazine in April, Marlon told he wouldn’t like to fight on WEC, event that his teammate, José Aldo, is the champion on his category, but careful thinks about his future career on rings.

“I’ve already fought abroad, but I’m not in a hurry. I don’t want to run me over and I can’t give my back to the event that put me inside the fight’s world. They’re my priority but I keep thinking about my future”, said Marlon, who told about his difficulties to get in the fight’s world, when he had to divide a hard shift of trainings with a lifeguard job, the life in the slums and a lot more.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Thales Leites on Silva-Maia bout

Exactly a year ago, Thales Leites won a chance to dispute the UFC belt against Anderson Silva, but what happened in UFC 97 surprised the fan all over the world. Anderson did not attack as he uses to, Thales couldn’t impose his game and the duel ended up in the judge’s decision, a new thing for Anderson on the UFC.

On this year’s April, the history has repeated itself. Again against the black belt, Demian Maia, the UFC champ let the fight to be decided by the judges, but Anderson’s posture caused polemic. Fired from UFC months after the duel with the “Spider”, Thales Leites talked to TATAME and commented the fight between Anderson and Demian.

“I think that the difference between my fight and Demian’s is that he got frustrated in the beginning but then he got confident in the end. With me was the opposite, I froze when it was getting to the end”, said the Nova União fighter. “Independently of what happened to me, I think that Demian went there to fight, and so did Anderson... There are things that are complicated to judge”.

In a 25 minutes fight, Anderson and Demian exchanged accusations inside the octagon. The champion complained about the lack of action of his opponent, who screamed against the “jokes”. “Fight against Anderson is not easy, he’s a really unusual guy, changes a lot and do things you won’t believe, but Demian tried”, commented Thales.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Champ Kanehara meets Sandro at Sengoku 13, Blanco and Izumi also added

World Victory Road's Sengoku Raiden Championships 13 event is starting to take shape, and the organization today announced that featherweight title-holder Masanori Kanehara (16-7-5 MMA, 4-1 SRC) will meet top challenger Marlon Sandro (16-1 MMA, 4-1 SRC).

Maximo "Maxi" Blanco (5-2-1 MMA, 3-1 SRC) and Hiroshi Izumi (1-1 MMA, 1-1 SRC) were also announced for separate bouts at the event.

Sengoku Raiden Championships 13 takes place June 20 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

The event airs in the U.S. on HDNet.

Kanehara ascended to the title in controversial fashion after dropping an August 2009 unanimous decision to Hatsu Hioki in Sengoku's featherweight grand prix. When Hioki was unable to continue due to injury, Kanehara returned later that evening and earned a split-decision victory over Michihiro Omigawa.

Despite the odd path to the title, Kanehara did earn a unanimous decision over superstar Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto on New Year's Eve.

Meanwhile, Sandro enters the bout with a streak of three first-round knockout wins in his past four outings. The total time of the contests is just 3:01 and includes a nine-second knockout in his most recent outing.

Sandro's lone career loss came in a hotly contested split-decision result to Omigawa.

Blanco enters the event on the strength of a three-fight win streak. The Venezuelan wrestler started his career just 2-2-1, but he has since earned three wins by knockout or TKO.

Izumi, a 2004 Olympic silver-medalist judoka, earned a unanimous decision over Katsuyori Shibata in his most recent outing. The 28-year-old made his mixed martial debut for Sengoku this past September and suffered a first-round TKO to Antz Nansen.