MMA News Thread
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
http://mmajunkie.com/news/20049/eri...lsen-not-happening-at-strikeforce-houston.mma
Yeah it's off.........The thing right now with women's MMA is there are not that many women so they try to put them all in about 2 weight classes and if they have trouble making that weight there is not much of an option. If Erin were to move up in weight she would have little to no opponents.
I really want to see Erin Vs Cyborg but Erin wants a warm up fight first because it has been a year since she has fought but this is like the 3rd fight of hers that has got called off.
Yeah it's off.........The thing right now with women's MMA is there are not that many women so they try to put them all in about 2 weight classes and if they have trouble making that weight there is not much of an option. If Erin were to move up in weight she would have little to no opponents.
I really want to see Erin Vs Cyborg but Erin wants a warm up fight first because it has been a year since she has fought but this is like the 3rd fight of hers that has got called off.
Top 10 Undefeated European Prospects
On June 25, 2009, Sherdog featured a story on the Top Ten Euro Prospects. Many fighters spotlighted there have since moved on to fight inside more prominent promotions. Alan Omer and Gunnar Nelson made names for themselves in the upstart British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. Magomed Shikshavekov and Karl Amoussou were signed by Strikeforce. Paul Sass and Alexander Gustafsson have joined the ranks of the UFC.
Now comes the next wave -- 10 European mixed martial artists who have yet to taste defeat as professionals. They, too, seem destined for greener pastures.
10. Ajlin Ahmic (5-0) -- Age: 25 / Country: Croatia
With an ongoing drought in talent in the heavyweight division, the demands on a fighter in MMA’s highest weight class are fewer. Still, Croatian judo champion Ahmic remains appealing due to his agility and versatility inside the ring. Although still in the early stages of his career, the Ultimate Fight Club Gladiator rep raised more than a few eyebrows when he stopped 30-plus-fight veteran Sasa Lazic in less than a minute during his latest outing.
9. Jimi Manuwa (8-0) -- Age: 30 / Country: England
Manuwa, an American-born, United Kingdom-raised light heavyweight, has come out of nowhere to rise to the top of the domestic rankings within the last two years. The “Poster Boy,” from London, has finished all eight of his fights inside two rounds, seven by knockout and one by guillotine choke. Although he has yet to face his first real test inside the ring, he has made remarkable progress in a short amount of time. Upcoming fights against Przemyslaw Mysiala and Valentino Petrescu will decide whether or not the Ultimate Challenge MMA promotion can hang onto its light heavyweight champion.
8. David Aranda (5-0) -- Age: 33 / Country: Spain
A late bloomer, MMA Barcelona’s Aranda did not have his first professional fight until the age of 32. Alternating between Almogavers, Spain’s only substantial promotion, and the Finland-based Cage, Aranda has rocketed up the European bantamweight rankings. A model student of Nova Uniao export Yan Cabral, his coming out party came in a first-round submission of highly regarded Finnish prospect Mathias Klockars. The victory, which came in Klockars’ homeland, earned Aranda the Cage bantamweight championship.
7. Lukasz Sajewski (8-0) -- Age: 19 / Country: Poland
A year ago, hype surrounded then 17-year-old Polish grappling prodigy Marcin Held. The Bastion Tychy fighter extended his undefeated streak to eight before falling prey to Sajewski. He stole Held’s thunder by shutting down his dangerous submission game and controlling the fight from top position en route to a unanimous decision. Sajewski, the 2008 Angels of Fire lightweight tournament champion, also holds a second-round submission over the well-rounded Lukasz Bugara.
6. Rumen Dimitrov (8-0-2) -- Age: 28 / Country: Bulgaria
The 2009 European and World Combat Sambo champion at 180 pounds, Dimitrov serves as the head of the Combat Sambo Club in Sofia, Bulgaria. The team also features his twin brother, Rosen, bantamweight Kostadin Tabakov and Sengoku veteran Blagoi Ivanov. Dimitrov has competed exclusively in his home country, and nine of his 10 professional fights have taken place in his hometown. As his background may suggest, Dimitrov has incredible upper-body throws and a tight top game with dangerous submissions. He does not mind the good old-fashioned punch to the face, either.
5. Papy Abedi (7-0) -- Age: 31 / Country: Sweden
Abedi, a judo black belt, could be described as the Swedish version of Kevin Randleman. Similar to the former UFC heavyweight champion, “Makambo” has his strengths on the ground but has proven more than willing to let his hands fly, as well. Known to gas quickly at the beginning of his career, Abedi has put stamina issues behind him and reeled off three consecutive technical knockouts in the last 18 months. A training partner of UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson, Abedi, according to many Scandinavian insiders, may get his shot soon.
4. Valentino Petrescu (8-0) -- Age: 29 / Country: Romania
Look up “loyalty” in the dictionary, and one might find Petrescu’s image depicted next to it. The Romanian-born UK resident has spent his entire eight-fight career inside the cage of his home promotion -- Ultimate Warrior Challenge. However, the UWC has not sugar-coated the light heavyweight’s path. Petrescu has already faced two formidable opponents: Lithuanian kickboxer Arunas Andriuskevicus and Polish submission specialist Przemyslaw Mysiala. “Battista” has gone the distance only once.
3. Pascal Krauss (9-0) -- Age: 23 / Country: Germany
A German junior boxing champion and national Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, Krauss has emerged as the top-ranked welterweight in Germany. He also wrestles for RKG Freiburg in the Oberliga Sudbaden. Most recently, “Panzer” succeeded Dan Hardy as the welterweight titleholder in the tradition-rich Cage Warriors Fighting Championships promotion, as he put together a dominant performance over fellow unbeaten prospect John Quinn.
2. Joseph Duffy (7-0) -- Age: 22 / Country: Ireland
Born in Ireland, Duffy moved to Wales as a toddler. His success can be directly linked to the training and teaching of Heath Gait at Falcon Martial Arts. Originally a tae kwon do stylist turned kickboxer, Duffy picked up jiu-jitsu and no-gi grappling under Gait. Making his professional debut at the age of 18, the lightweight can call upon a successful amateur career, with more than 30 bouts. Rumors persist that Duffy will be part of the cast for the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
1. Alexander Sarnavskiy (10-0) -- Age: 21 / Country: Russia
Russia has more than 140 million inhabitants and easily 15-20 million martial artists, yet only Fedor Emelianenko managed to reach the pinnacle of MMA. RusFighters Sport Club hopes to rewrite history. The St. Petersburg outfit has already produced 2010 Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko, and Sarnavskiy looks like its next diamond in the rough. Like Shlemenko, the “Tiger” prefers to keep the fight standing but has shown himself to be well-versed on the ground. The 21-year-old holds significant wins over Maratbek Kalabekov and Karen Grigoryan.
On June 25, 2009, Sherdog featured a story on the Top Ten Euro Prospects. Many fighters spotlighted there have since moved on to fight inside more prominent promotions. Alan Omer and Gunnar Nelson made names for themselves in the upstart British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. Magomed Shikshavekov and Karl Amoussou were signed by Strikeforce. Paul Sass and Alexander Gustafsson have joined the ranks of the UFC.
Now comes the next wave -- 10 European mixed martial artists who have yet to taste defeat as professionals. They, too, seem destined for greener pastures.
10. Ajlin Ahmic (5-0) -- Age: 25 / Country: Croatia
With an ongoing drought in talent in the heavyweight division, the demands on a fighter in MMA’s highest weight class are fewer. Still, Croatian judo champion Ahmic remains appealing due to his agility and versatility inside the ring. Although still in the early stages of his career, the Ultimate Fight Club Gladiator rep raised more than a few eyebrows when he stopped 30-plus-fight veteran Sasa Lazic in less than a minute during his latest outing.
9. Jimi Manuwa (8-0) -- Age: 30 / Country: England
Manuwa, an American-born, United Kingdom-raised light heavyweight, has come out of nowhere to rise to the top of the domestic rankings within the last two years. The “Poster Boy,” from London, has finished all eight of his fights inside two rounds, seven by knockout and one by guillotine choke. Although he has yet to face his first real test inside the ring, he has made remarkable progress in a short amount of time. Upcoming fights against Przemyslaw Mysiala and Valentino Petrescu will decide whether or not the Ultimate Challenge MMA promotion can hang onto its light heavyweight champion.
8. David Aranda (5-0) -- Age: 33 / Country: Spain
A late bloomer, MMA Barcelona’s Aranda did not have his first professional fight until the age of 32. Alternating between Almogavers, Spain’s only substantial promotion, and the Finland-based Cage, Aranda has rocketed up the European bantamweight rankings. A model student of Nova Uniao export Yan Cabral, his coming out party came in a first-round submission of highly regarded Finnish prospect Mathias Klockars. The victory, which came in Klockars’ homeland, earned Aranda the Cage bantamweight championship.
7. Lukasz Sajewski (8-0) -- Age: 19 / Country: Poland
A year ago, hype surrounded then 17-year-old Polish grappling prodigy Marcin Held. The Bastion Tychy fighter extended his undefeated streak to eight before falling prey to Sajewski. He stole Held’s thunder by shutting down his dangerous submission game and controlling the fight from top position en route to a unanimous decision. Sajewski, the 2008 Angels of Fire lightweight tournament champion, also holds a second-round submission over the well-rounded Lukasz Bugara.
6. Rumen Dimitrov (8-0-2) -- Age: 28 / Country: Bulgaria
The 2009 European and World Combat Sambo champion at 180 pounds, Dimitrov serves as the head of the Combat Sambo Club in Sofia, Bulgaria. The team also features his twin brother, Rosen, bantamweight Kostadin Tabakov and Sengoku veteran Blagoi Ivanov. Dimitrov has competed exclusively in his home country, and nine of his 10 professional fights have taken place in his hometown. As his background may suggest, Dimitrov has incredible upper-body throws and a tight top game with dangerous submissions. He does not mind the good old-fashioned punch to the face, either.
5. Papy Abedi (7-0) -- Age: 31 / Country: Sweden
Abedi, a judo black belt, could be described as the Swedish version of Kevin Randleman. Similar to the former UFC heavyweight champion, “Makambo” has his strengths on the ground but has proven more than willing to let his hands fly, as well. Known to gas quickly at the beginning of his career, Abedi has put stamina issues behind him and reeled off three consecutive technical knockouts in the last 18 months. A training partner of UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson, Abedi, according to many Scandinavian insiders, may get his shot soon.
4. Valentino Petrescu (8-0) -- Age: 29 / Country: Romania
Look up “loyalty” in the dictionary, and one might find Petrescu’s image depicted next to it. The Romanian-born UK resident has spent his entire eight-fight career inside the cage of his home promotion -- Ultimate Warrior Challenge. However, the UWC has not sugar-coated the light heavyweight’s path. Petrescu has already faced two formidable opponents: Lithuanian kickboxer Arunas Andriuskevicus and Polish submission specialist Przemyslaw Mysiala. “Battista” has gone the distance only once.
3. Pascal Krauss (9-0) -- Age: 23 / Country: Germany
A German junior boxing champion and national Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, Krauss has emerged as the top-ranked welterweight in Germany. He also wrestles for RKG Freiburg in the Oberliga Sudbaden. Most recently, “Panzer” succeeded Dan Hardy as the welterweight titleholder in the tradition-rich Cage Warriors Fighting Championships promotion, as he put together a dominant performance over fellow unbeaten prospect John Quinn.
2. Joseph Duffy (7-0) -- Age: 22 / Country: Ireland
Born in Ireland, Duffy moved to Wales as a toddler. His success can be directly linked to the training and teaching of Heath Gait at Falcon Martial Arts. Originally a tae kwon do stylist turned kickboxer, Duffy picked up jiu-jitsu and no-gi grappling under Gait. Making his professional debut at the age of 18, the lightweight can call upon a successful amateur career, with more than 30 bouts. Rumors persist that Duffy will be part of the cast for the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
1. Alexander Sarnavskiy (10-0) -- Age: 21 / Country: Russia
Russia has more than 140 million inhabitants and easily 15-20 million martial artists, yet only Fedor Emelianenko managed to reach the pinnacle of MMA. RusFighters Sport Club hopes to rewrite history. The St. Petersburg outfit has already produced 2010 Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko, and Sarnavskiy looks like its next diamond in the rough. Like Shlemenko, the “Tiger” prefers to keep the fight standing but has shown himself to be well-versed on the ground. The 21-year-old holds significant wins over Maratbek Kalabekov and Karen Grigoryan.
Bellator announces Jose Vega as fifth participant in bantamweight tournament
With the start of Bellator Fighting Championships' third season now just three weeks away, company officials have announced Jose Vega (8-3 MMA, 1-0 BFC) as the fifth fighter in the upcoming eight-man bantamweight tournament.
Vega earned his way into the tournament with his stunning 39-second finish of Jarrod Card in a non-tournament bout in June.
"Jose showed everyone in MMA what he's capable with his highlight-reel knockout at Bellator 22," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in today's release.
Vega is actually just 2-3 in his past five contests, but Rebney believes the fighter's inclusion in the tournament is a perfect indicator of Bellator's overall goal.
"Part of the beauty of Bellator is that a fighter like Jose can come out of virtual obscurity to make a name for himself and will keep fighting for us as long as he keeps winning," Rebney stated. "Jose definitely has the tools to go far in our bantamweight tournament, and I look forward to watching him compete come August."
Born in Miami, Vega and his eight siblings have been fighting since childhood.
"My dad used to wrap our hands with towels and electric tape – all of us kids – and he would have us fight each other in the middle of the living room with everyone watching," Vega stated in today's release. "When my dad was growing up, he used to get beat up a lot by two twins in his neighborhood. Every day after school they would wait for him and beat him up. He didn't want that to happen to us, so he made sure that we knew how to defend ourselves."
Vega enjoyed one year of collegiate wrestling and made his professional MMA debut in 2002. Despite his mixed results in recent contests, the Team Grindhouse fighter believes he's currently at the top of his game.
"I'm more complete now than I've ever been before,” Vega stated. "Up until right before my most recent win over Jarrod Card, I had been training myself by watching fight tapes and instructionals. Now I finally have someone watching over me telling me if what I'm doing is right or wrong.
"I wanted to be a part of this tournament as soon as I heard about it. I wanted to be a part of Bellator. Bellator is coming up fast and I feel like I'm coming up fast too. They gave me this shot and all I want to do is grow with them."
The 5-foot-6 Vega joins other confirmed participants Travis Reddinger, Danny Tims, Ulysses Gomez and Nik Mamalis.
The matchup in Bellator's bantamweight tournament have yet to be announced.
With the start of Bellator Fighting Championships' third season now just three weeks away, company officials have announced Jose Vega (8-3 MMA, 1-0 BFC) as the fifth fighter in the upcoming eight-man bantamweight tournament.
Vega earned his way into the tournament with his stunning 39-second finish of Jarrod Card in a non-tournament bout in June.
"Jose showed everyone in MMA what he's capable with his highlight-reel knockout at Bellator 22," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated in today's release.
Vega is actually just 2-3 in his past five contests, but Rebney believes the fighter's inclusion in the tournament is a perfect indicator of Bellator's overall goal.
"Part of the beauty of Bellator is that a fighter like Jose can come out of virtual obscurity to make a name for himself and will keep fighting for us as long as he keeps winning," Rebney stated. "Jose definitely has the tools to go far in our bantamweight tournament, and I look forward to watching him compete come August."
Born in Miami, Vega and his eight siblings have been fighting since childhood.
"My dad used to wrap our hands with towels and electric tape – all of us kids – and he would have us fight each other in the middle of the living room with everyone watching," Vega stated in today's release. "When my dad was growing up, he used to get beat up a lot by two twins in his neighborhood. Every day after school they would wait for him and beat him up. He didn't want that to happen to us, so he made sure that we knew how to defend ourselves."
Vega enjoyed one year of collegiate wrestling and made his professional MMA debut in 2002. Despite his mixed results in recent contests, the Team Grindhouse fighter believes he's currently at the top of his game.
"I'm more complete now than I've ever been before,” Vega stated. "Up until right before my most recent win over Jarrod Card, I had been training myself by watching fight tapes and instructionals. Now I finally have someone watching over me telling me if what I'm doing is right or wrong.
"I wanted to be a part of this tournament as soon as I heard about it. I wanted to be a part of Bellator. Bellator is coming up fast and I feel like I'm coming up fast too. They gave me this shot and all I want to do is grow with them."
The 5-foot-6 Vega joins other confirmed participants Travis Reddinger, Danny Tims, Ulysses Gomez and Nik Mamalis.
The matchup in Bellator's bantamweight tournament have yet to be announced.
Carina Damm's position in Strikeforce tourney in doubt; officials say replacement waiting
Strikeforce's upcoming four-woman 135-pound tournament is in danger of losing a competitor, but company officials insist there's still a chance the field will remain intact.
With a little more than two weeks remaining until the tourney, which takes place at Strikeforce Challengers 10, Brazilian veteran Carina Damm (15-3 MMA, 0-0 SF) has yet to secure a work visa needed for entry to the U.S.
Damm's troubles were first reported by MMARising.com, and Strikeforce officials confirmed the news late Wednesday night.
Strikeforce Challengers 10 takes place Aug. 13 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., and airs live on Showtime. A 182-pound catchweight bout between veteran Joe Riggs and Louis Taylor headlines the event.
"As has been speculated on various websites, Brazilian Carina Damm is having difficulty obtaining the necessary visa to travel to the U.S. for her participation in the Strikeforce Challengers event on Friday, Aug. 13, where Damm is slated to compete in the women's welterweight (135 pound) tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.," Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed in the release.
MMARising.com's report indicated that Strikeforce officials may to be blame for the snafu, though Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told the website the promotion was not necessarily at fault.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was unable to reach Coker for comment on Wednesday.
For now, Afromowitz says the company is still hoping Damm will join Hitomi Akano, Maiju Kujala and Miesha Tate in the single-night bracket. If not, Strikeforce officials have a replacement opponent at the ready.
"Strikeforce is working diligently to help Carina secure a visa in time to make the trip for next month's event," Afromowitz stated. "In the event that she is unable to acquire a visa, however, we have identified a qualified replacement for the tournament and will release her name if Carina is officially forced to withdraw from the event. This prospective replacement has been in training camp for several weeks and is prepared to take on the task at hand."
Damm, the sister of Strikeforce and BodogFIGHT veteran Rodrigo Damm, most recently fought in February at Jungle Fight 17, where she stopped Aline Serio by first-round TKO. She has not lost a fight since December 2006, when she was submitted by Rosi Sexton during her own stint in the now-defunct BodogFIGHT promotion. Only five of her 18 bouts have gone the distance.
The tournament crowns a contender to the women's 135-pound title currently held by Sarah Kaufman, who next defends her belt against Marloes Coenen at a future Strikeforce event.
Strikeforce's upcoming four-woman 135-pound tournament is in danger of losing a competitor, but company officials insist there's still a chance the field will remain intact.
With a little more than two weeks remaining until the tourney, which takes place at Strikeforce Challengers 10, Brazilian veteran Carina Damm (15-3 MMA, 0-0 SF) has yet to secure a work visa needed for entry to the U.S.
Damm's troubles were first reported by MMARising.com, and Strikeforce officials confirmed the news late Wednesday night.
Strikeforce Challengers 10 takes place Aug. 13 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., and airs live on Showtime. A 182-pound catchweight bout between veteran Joe Riggs and Louis Taylor headlines the event.
"As has been speculated on various websites, Brazilian Carina Damm is having difficulty obtaining the necessary visa to travel to the U.S. for her participation in the Strikeforce Challengers event on Friday, Aug. 13, where Damm is slated to compete in the women's welterweight (135 pound) tournament in Phoenix, Ariz.," Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz confirmed in the release.
MMARising.com's report indicated that Strikeforce officials may to be blame for the snafu, though Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told the website the promotion was not necessarily at fault.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) was unable to reach Coker for comment on Wednesday.
For now, Afromowitz says the company is still hoping Damm will join Hitomi Akano, Maiju Kujala and Miesha Tate in the single-night bracket. If not, Strikeforce officials have a replacement opponent at the ready.
"Strikeforce is working diligently to help Carina secure a visa in time to make the trip for next month's event," Afromowitz stated. "In the event that she is unable to acquire a visa, however, we have identified a qualified replacement for the tournament and will release her name if Carina is officially forced to withdraw from the event. This prospective replacement has been in training camp for several weeks and is prepared to take on the task at hand."
Damm, the sister of Strikeforce and BodogFIGHT veteran Rodrigo Damm, most recently fought in February at Jungle Fight 17, where she stopped Aline Serio by first-round TKO. She has not lost a fight since December 2006, when she was submitted by Rosi Sexton during her own stint in the now-defunct BodogFIGHT promotion. Only five of her 18 bouts have gone the distance.
The tournament crowns a contender to the women's 135-pound title currently held by Sarah Kaufman, who next defends her belt against Marloes Coenen at a future Strikeforce event.
With stakes high for both, Rick Story expects dangerous Dustin Hazelett at UFC 117
Before he even thought about fighting in the UFC, Rick Story (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) watched Dustin Hazelett (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) pull off crazy submissions inside the octagon and thought, "Man, that guy's tough."
But Story is fighting Hazelett in a little over a week, so it's time to get down to business. He believes the stakes are high for both. He wants to be a main-card regular, and Hazelett is fighting to keep his UFC job.
"He's fighting to stay in, pretty much," Story told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The two meet on the preliminary card of UFC 117 next Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
The 25-year-old Story is a little edgier than usual approaching fight time. He's on a win streak, but he's unsatisfied with the way it's been built. He couldn't finish opponents Jesse Lennox and Nick Osipczak and wound up winning back-to-back split decisions at UFC Fight Night 20 and UFC 112.
Like most fighters, he chases the adrenaline that knockouts and submissions bring and felt robbed when scorecards got involved. The last thing he wants to do is leave it in the hands of judges.
It's almost a sin (amen, says the UFC).
"I'll say it myself: it's kind of [expletive] going out and winning a split decision or a close fight," Story said.
The Vancouver, Wash., resident just invested in a spacious new gym along with coach and business partner Pat White and hunkered down with private coaches in boxing and jiu-jitsu. While his work ethic had gotten him through many sticking points, he often felt deprived of one-on-one instruction. He slowed things down with the new help and took the time to analyze exactly what he'd been doing.
"I've had the opportunity to ask the questions that I need to sharpen up my game," Story said of his camp for Hazelett.
The Northwest fighter is not one to quit when he's not getting results. After going 0-17 in his freshman year of wrestling at Pacific Lutheran University, he transferred to Southern Oregon University and worked his way to a 32-7 record in his senior year.
Now, Story feels ready to take Hazelett out.
"I always want to finish fights," he said. "I'm just going to be spinning my wheels if I keep getting decisions.
"I don't want to get picked as the guy who lays and prays, and just goes out and hugs guys."
Story thinks Hazelett is on the same page. It would be perfectly reasonable to expect the Kentucky native to take the fight to the ground after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Paul Daley, but Story doesn't expect their meeting to be conservative or hinge on who has the best takedown defense.
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that plays it safe," Story said. "He goes for crazy stuff. I fully believe that he's going to be there to fight. He's going to try and make a demonstration and prove that he belongs in the UFC."
Story says Hazelett's UFC future could be in jeopardy with another loss, and that makes for a great fight. After all, Story fought for his job against Brian Foster at UFC 103 and won $130,000 in bonuses for "Fight of the Night" and "Submission of the Night" after he choked the H.I.T. Squad fighter out from guard with an arm triangle. It was a highly unusual position to earn a finish, and it won him accolades all around.
If Hazelett's job is on the table, it means he'll bring it.
"Listening to one of his other interviews, he mentioned it, and it's on his mind," Story said. "The UFC's cutting people left and right. If you lose two in a row, people are getting cut."
And Story's own career is not set, even with a win. No TV spots are guaranteed. It all depends on how he wins.
"If it's a split decision, it will bump me up a little bit," he said. "If I knock him out, it will put me up a lot further. If it's a fight that looks like it could go either way, it probably won't move me up."
You can see why Story is amped. Hazelett has a good name, and a win can take Story to the next level – not to mention, he gets a chance to chase that adrenaline he loves so much.
Next Saturday, he'll find out if Hazelett is as tough as he looks on TV.
"I'm just happy to fight," Story said. "If I'm fighting someone who's bringing the heat, I want to fire back."
Before he even thought about fighting in the UFC, Rick Story (10-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) watched Dustin Hazelett (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) pull off crazy submissions inside the octagon and thought, "Man, that guy's tough."
But Story is fighting Hazelett in a little over a week, so it's time to get down to business. He believes the stakes are high for both. He wants to be a main-card regular, and Hazelett is fighting to keep his UFC job.
"He's fighting to stay in, pretty much," Story told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The two meet on the preliminary card of UFC 117 next Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
The 25-year-old Story is a little edgier than usual approaching fight time. He's on a win streak, but he's unsatisfied with the way it's been built. He couldn't finish opponents Jesse Lennox and Nick Osipczak and wound up winning back-to-back split decisions at UFC Fight Night 20 and UFC 112.
Like most fighters, he chases the adrenaline that knockouts and submissions bring and felt robbed when scorecards got involved. The last thing he wants to do is leave it in the hands of judges.
It's almost a sin (amen, says the UFC).
"I'll say it myself: it's kind of [expletive] going out and winning a split decision or a close fight," Story said.
The Vancouver, Wash., resident just invested in a spacious new gym along with coach and business partner Pat White and hunkered down with private coaches in boxing and jiu-jitsu. While his work ethic had gotten him through many sticking points, he often felt deprived of one-on-one instruction. He slowed things down with the new help and took the time to analyze exactly what he'd been doing.
"I've had the opportunity to ask the questions that I need to sharpen up my game," Story said of his camp for Hazelett.
The Northwest fighter is not one to quit when he's not getting results. After going 0-17 in his freshman year of wrestling at Pacific Lutheran University, he transferred to Southern Oregon University and worked his way to a 32-7 record in his senior year.
Now, Story feels ready to take Hazelett out.
"I always want to finish fights," he said. "I'm just going to be spinning my wheels if I keep getting decisions.
"I don't want to get picked as the guy who lays and prays, and just goes out and hugs guys."
Story thinks Hazelett is on the same page. It would be perfectly reasonable to expect the Kentucky native to take the fight to the ground after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Paul Daley, but Story doesn't expect their meeting to be conservative or hinge on who has the best takedown defense.
"He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that plays it safe," Story said. "He goes for crazy stuff. I fully believe that he's going to be there to fight. He's going to try and make a demonstration and prove that he belongs in the UFC."
Story says Hazelett's UFC future could be in jeopardy with another loss, and that makes for a great fight. After all, Story fought for his job against Brian Foster at UFC 103 and won $130,000 in bonuses for "Fight of the Night" and "Submission of the Night" after he choked the H.I.T. Squad fighter out from guard with an arm triangle. It was a highly unusual position to earn a finish, and it won him accolades all around.
If Hazelett's job is on the table, it means he'll bring it.
"Listening to one of his other interviews, he mentioned it, and it's on his mind," Story said. "The UFC's cutting people left and right. If you lose two in a row, people are getting cut."
And Story's own career is not set, even with a win. No TV spots are guaranteed. It all depends on how he wins.
"If it's a split decision, it will bump me up a little bit," he said. "If I knock him out, it will put me up a lot further. If it's a fight that looks like it could go either way, it probably won't move me up."
You can see why Story is amped. Hazelett has a good name, and a win can take Story to the next level – not to mention, he gets a chance to chase that adrenaline he loves so much.
Next Saturday, he'll find out if Hazelett is as tough as he looks on TV.
"I'm just happy to fight," Story said. "If I'm fighting someone who's bringing the heat, I want to fire back."
UFC welcomes fans to next week's UFC 117 open workouts in Concord, Calif.
In keeping with a recently introduced trend in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fans will be granted access to the open workouts of six high-profile fighters competing at August's UFC 117 event.
UFC officials recently announced the event's open workout sessions are open to both media and fans.
The free event, which are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 4, from 1-3 p.m. PT (local time), take place at the UFC Gym at 1975 Diamond Blvd. in Concord, Calif.
"UFC 117: Sonnen vs. Silva" takes place next Saturday, Aug. 7, at Oracle Arena in nearby Oakland, Calif. The main card airs live on pay-per-view.
Taking part in the open workouts are headliners Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, as well as main-card fighters Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch, Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson. Three fighters will be present for each of two one-hour sessions. The fighters will take part in light workouts before meeting with press members and fans.
Dos Santos and Fitch will be featured at 1 p.m. PT, Sonnen arrives at 1:30 p.m. PT, Alves and Nelson are booked at 2 p.m. PT, and Silva closes the ceremony at 2:30 p.m. PT.
In keeping with a recently introduced trend in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fans will be granted access to the open workouts of six high-profile fighters competing at August's UFC 117 event.
UFC officials recently announced the event's open workout sessions are open to both media and fans.
The free event, which are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 4, from 1-3 p.m. PT (local time), take place at the UFC Gym at 1975 Diamond Blvd. in Concord, Calif.
"UFC 117: Sonnen vs. Silva" takes place next Saturday, Aug. 7, at Oracle Arena in nearby Oakland, Calif. The main card airs live on pay-per-view.
Taking part in the open workouts are headliners Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, as well as main-card fighters Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch, Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson. Three fighters will be present for each of two one-hour sessions. The fighters will take part in light workouts before meeting with press members and fans.
Dos Santos and Fitch will be featured at 1 p.m. PT, Sonnen arrives at 1:30 p.m. PT, Alves and Nelson are booked at 2 p.m. PT, and Silva closes the ceremony at 2:30 p.m. PT.
Ryan Couture makes professional debut at Strikeforce Challengers 10 in Arizona
The long-anticipated professional debut of Ryan Couture (0-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) is now official.
Following a successful amateur career, Couture will cash his first paycheck following an Aug. 13 bout against Rage in the Cage veteran Lucas Stark (2-4 MMA, 0-0 SF) at Strikeforce Challengers 10.
Couture, of course, is the son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and trains with his father's Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas.
Strikeforce Challengers 10 takes place Aug. 13 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., and airs on Showtime. A 182-pound catchweight bout between veteran Joe Riggs and Louis Taylor headlines the event.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker first announced the fight on Tuesday while a guest on "Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch" on the Arizona-based KDUS-AM 1060.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the matchup with Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz, who said the bout was the first of a multi-fight deal with Couture. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
A lightweight, Couture makes his pro debut at 27 years old. While his father has long been a mainstay in the MMA world, the younger Couture didn't know from day one that he would follow in his father's footsteps.
"I was 200 pounds and lazy and working at a bank," Couture told MMAjunkie.com in 2009. "I was thinking, 'What's my future?' ... I didn't have any idea this would happen."
Nevertheless, Couture has embraced the family business and has rattled off five wins via submission since making his amateur debut.
The long-anticipated professional debut of Ryan Couture (0-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) is now official.
Following a successful amateur career, Couture will cash his first paycheck following an Aug. 13 bout against Rage in the Cage veteran Lucas Stark (2-4 MMA, 0-0 SF) at Strikeforce Challengers 10.
Couture, of course, is the son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and trains with his father's Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas.
Strikeforce Challengers 10 takes place Aug. 13 at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., and airs on Showtime. A 182-pound catchweight bout between veteran Joe Riggs and Louis Taylor headlines the event.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker first announced the fight on Tuesday while a guest on "Calling All Sports with Roc and Manuch" on the Arizona-based KDUS-AM 1060.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since confirmed the matchup with Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz, who said the bout was the first of a multi-fight deal with Couture. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
A lightweight, Couture makes his pro debut at 27 years old. While his father has long been a mainstay in the MMA world, the younger Couture didn't know from day one that he would follow in his father's footsteps.
"I was 200 pounds and lazy and working at a bank," Couture told MMAjunkie.com in 2009. "I was thinking, 'What's my future?' ... I didn't have any idea this would happen."
Nevertheless, Couture has embraced the family business and has rattled off five wins via submission since making his amateur debut.
Browne vs. Kongo, Patrick vs. Wilks among four official additions to UFC 120
The UFC's return to England is quickly taking shape, and Spike TV executives today announced that four previously reported matchups for the Oct. 16 event are now official.
On the main card of UFC 120, Travis Browne faces Cheick Kongo, and Claude Patrick meets James Wilks.
Meanwhile, on the prelims, Cyrille Diabate faces Alexander Gustafsson while Steve Cantwell clashes with Stanislav Nedkov.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported all four contests.
Featuring a main event between middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama, "UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama" takes place Oct. 16 at The O2 in London, England. As previously reported, the night's main card airs in the U.S. via same-day delay on Spike TV.
Browne (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was victorious in his octagon debut when he bowled over "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran James McSweeney at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. It was the undefeated heavyweight's seventh first-round stoppage and his 10th fight since his professional debut in February 2009.
Browne currently trains at the Alliance Training Center alongside UFC veterans Brandon Vera and Joey Beltran and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. When he's not in the gym, he runs a company that trains dogs for military service.
Kongo (15-6-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) most recently faced Paul Buentello at UFC on Versus 1 in March and battered the fighter with a rarely seen attack of ground and pound. A kickboxer by trade, the French heavyweight has ended nine of his 15 wins by way of knockout, though he has worked diligently to match his grappling with his fearsome striking.
Patrick (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a Canadian-based fighter, dominated the regional fight circuit before signing with the UFC. At UFC 115, he submitted Ricardo Funch to extend his current win streak to 11 fights. Remarkably, all of his wins have come via stoppage (nine via submission and two knockout).
Patrick's lone career loss came in his second pro fight, when he suffered a decision loss to UFC vet Drew McFedries at a 2002 Canadian show.
Wilks (7-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), fighting in his home country for the second time under the UFC banner, most recently topped Peter Sobotta at UFC 115 in June. Prior to the victory, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and tae kwon do black belt submitted DaMarques Johnson for the "TUF 9" crown before suffering a TKO loss to Matt Brown at UFC 105 in Manchester.
Diabate (17-6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a French kickboxer who made his pro MMA debut more than a decade ago, recently picked up his sixth-consecutive win with a TKO of Luiz Cane. That UFC 114 bout marked the PRIDE and EliteXC's UFC debut.
Nicknamed "Snake," Diabate continues to round out his game. Earlier in his career, the 36-year-old relied heavily on his hands, and he was often stopped by submission fighters. But lately, he's submitted as many opponents as he's knocked out.
His upcoming opponent, Gustafsson (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), is a Swedish striker who opened his career with nine straight victories. Seven of them, including his octagon debut against Jared Hamman at UFC 105, came via knockout. However, in his most recent bout, the 23-year-old suffered a submission loss to highly touted Phil Davis at UFC 112.
Cantwell (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) fights for the first time in 13 months and looks to rebound from back-to-back decision losses to Luiz Cane and Brian Stann.
In May the Nevada State Athletic Commission cleared the 23-year-old fighter after an issue with his medical paperwork prevented him from being licensed to fight. As a result, he was not cleared for a bout with Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 108 and sat on the bench as his management worked to clear the hurdle. Although speculation ran rampant about the supposed medical issue, Cantwell and the NSAC never publicly confirmed the details.
Nedkov (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a Shooto and World Victory Road/Sengoku vet who recently defeated Kevin Randleman and Travis Wiuff, enters the UFC with a perfect record. The Bulgarian fighter launched his career in his native country in 2006 and has posted nine stoppage victories (five via knockout). Nedkov was scheduled to debut at UFC 117, though he was pulled from the card with a reported injury.
The UFC's return to England is quickly taking shape, and Spike TV executives today announced that four previously reported matchups for the Oct. 16 event are now official.
On the main card of UFC 120, Travis Browne faces Cheick Kongo, and Claude Patrick meets James Wilks.
Meanwhile, on the prelims, Cyrille Diabate faces Alexander Gustafsson while Steve Cantwell clashes with Stanislav Nedkov.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported all four contests.
Featuring a main event between middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama, "UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama" takes place Oct. 16 at The O2 in London, England. As previously reported, the night's main card airs in the U.S. via same-day delay on Spike TV.
Browne (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was victorious in his octagon debut when he bowled over "The Ultimate Fighter 10" veteran James McSweeney at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. It was the undefeated heavyweight's seventh first-round stoppage and his 10th fight since his professional debut in February 2009.
Browne currently trains at the Alliance Training Center alongside UFC veterans Brandon Vera and Joey Beltran and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. When he's not in the gym, he runs a company that trains dogs for military service.
Kongo (15-6-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) most recently faced Paul Buentello at UFC on Versus 1 in March and battered the fighter with a rarely seen attack of ground and pound. A kickboxer by trade, the French heavyweight has ended nine of his 15 wins by way of knockout, though he has worked diligently to match his grappling with his fearsome striking.
Patrick (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a Canadian-based fighter, dominated the regional fight circuit before signing with the UFC. At UFC 115, he submitted Ricardo Funch to extend his current win streak to 11 fights. Remarkably, all of his wins have come via stoppage (nine via submission and two knockout).
Patrick's lone career loss came in his second pro fight, when he suffered a decision loss to UFC vet Drew McFedries at a 2002 Canadian show.
Wilks (7-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC), fighting in his home country for the second time under the UFC banner, most recently topped Peter Sobotta at UFC 115 in June. Prior to the victory, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and tae kwon do black belt submitted DaMarques Johnson for the "TUF 9" crown before suffering a TKO loss to Matt Brown at UFC 105 in Manchester.
Diabate (17-6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a French kickboxer who made his pro MMA debut more than a decade ago, recently picked up his sixth-consecutive win with a TKO of Luiz Cane. That UFC 114 bout marked the PRIDE and EliteXC's UFC debut.
Nicknamed "Snake," Diabate continues to round out his game. Earlier in his career, the 36-year-old relied heavily on his hands, and he was often stopped by submission fighters. But lately, he's submitted as many opponents as he's knocked out.
His upcoming opponent, Gustafsson (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), is a Swedish striker who opened his career with nine straight victories. Seven of them, including his octagon debut against Jared Hamman at UFC 105, came via knockout. However, in his most recent bout, the 23-year-old suffered a submission loss to highly touted Phil Davis at UFC 112.
Cantwell (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) fights for the first time in 13 months and looks to rebound from back-to-back decision losses to Luiz Cane and Brian Stann.
In May the Nevada State Athletic Commission cleared the 23-year-old fighter after an issue with his medical paperwork prevented him from being licensed to fight. As a result, he was not cleared for a bout with Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC 108 and sat on the bench as his management worked to clear the hurdle. Although speculation ran rampant about the supposed medical issue, Cantwell and the NSAC never publicly confirmed the details.
Nedkov (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a Shooto and World Victory Road/Sengoku vet who recently defeated Kevin Randleman and Travis Wiuff, enters the UFC with a perfect record. The Bulgarian fighter launched his career in his native country in 2006 and has posted nine stoppage victories (five via knockout). Nedkov was scheduled to debut at UFC 117, though he was pulled from the card with a reported injury.
Despite little fanfare, 38-year-old Todd Brown promises to deliver at UFC 117
At 38 years old, UFC newcomer Todd Brown (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has a lifetime of combat sports competition under his belt. Toughman contests, amateur boxing, kickboxing – Brown has done it all.
So while the Indiana native certainly won't have youth on his side when he faces veteran slugger Tim Boetsch (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at August's UFC 117 event, Brown said he'll have something even better to rely on: a proven track record of hard work.
"In this case, my age is probably a good thing," Brown told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I've been around a long time. I've been fighting for a long time."
Adding to Brown's chances of warding off the dreaded "octagon jitters" that often cripple UFC rookies, Brown cornered his training partner, Steve Lopez, at this past year's UFC 103 event.
"I train hard, and I know that the day of (the fight), I'm going to be a little bit, 'Ooh, this is the big show,'" Brown admitted. "I was like that when I was in Stevie Lopez's corner. 'Wow, this is awesome.'
"I've kind of walked through it in the corner situation. Now I'll be doing it as a fighter, and quite frankly, one we hit each other, it's just a fight. Everything else kind of disappears."
Brown's lone career mixed martial arts loss was to one-time UFC veteran Josh Hendricks in 2007. The 5-foot-11 Brown was competing as a heavyweight at the time, but the experience encouraged him to make the switch to 205 pounds.
"[Hendricks] laid on me for three rounds, and I couldn't get that monster butt off me, so I dropped to 205 (pounds)," Brown said.
Since that time, Brown has earned seven-straight wins while toiling away on the local circuit. Now he'll finally get his chance at the big show, and Brown makes no attempt to hide his appreciation for the man he says made it happen.
"It's just kind of how the ball bounces in the Midwest," Brown said. "We're from a small town. We're not really connected. Ken Pavia has done a good job getting Stevie Lopez in and now myself, and I've got two other guys that are real quality guys. It's just when you're in the Midwest, it's hard to pop that bubble and get in the game.
"I went to some shows, and I fought some guys that I thought would get me some notoriety. None of that really matters unless you've got somebody in the trenches working for you to get you that shot. For sure, you need to have representation and somebody out there fighting that fight for you."
Brown earned his shot when Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva was forced to bow out of the fight. And while Brown has less than two weeks to prepare for the contest, he says expectations should not be lowered.
"I know I can hit the weight," Brown said. "That's not a problem. I'm in the gym all the time.
"Have I had a proper training camp? No, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to go in and fight my ass off and come out on top. That's the plan."
As with many other UFC competitors, Brown is elated for his shot at the big time. While the late notice is certainly less-than-ideal, he believes Boetsch will be faced with some uncertainty as well.
"When you are fighting in these smaller shows, a lot of times you show up and your guy doesn't show or some other guy has to take his place," Brown said. "In this game, we're kind of bred to just fight whoever is in front of us, so I don't see that it would bother him very much. In his mind he's got a guy who was contending for the world championship at one point, and now he's got me? Maybe he breathes a sigh of relief; I don't know.
"On the other hand, it's the unknown. He's got to worry about what am I doing. He doesn't know anything about me."
Truth be told, neither do most MMA fans, but Brown said he's going to hold a little back until fight night.
"Not to give too much up, but basically I think my strength is standing," Brown said. "I love to Thai box. I love to be inside and do work. I'm not much of a runner, and from what I know about him, he's not either. I'm pretty sure we're going to butt heads in the middle and see what happens.
"My submissions basically come from if we hit the floor, then I use my jits and I punch him a lot. If they give me their neck, I take it."
Of course, making it to the show is just part of the goal. Sticking around is what's important, and at 38 years old, the chances of Brown making a second run are slim. Therefore, if he ever hopes to make an impact in the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion, the time is now.
"I think we're in a situation here – and there's guys like me across the country that train hard and they have good records, and they're good guys, good fighters, and they just have to wait for that opportunity," Brown said. "If you tell me, 'Hey, you can fight in two days,' for an organization like the UFC, that's what I'm going to do.
"Bottom line is me and him are going to fight, and somebody's hand is going to get raised at the end, and that's the guy that's best on that day. I hope that's me."
At 38 years old, UFC newcomer Todd Brown (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has a lifetime of combat sports competition under his belt. Toughman contests, amateur boxing, kickboxing – Brown has done it all.
So while the Indiana native certainly won't have youth on his side when he faces veteran slugger Tim Boetsch (11-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at August's UFC 117 event, Brown said he'll have something even better to rely on: a proven track record of hard work.
"In this case, my age is probably a good thing," Brown told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I've been around a long time. I've been fighting for a long time."
Adding to Brown's chances of warding off the dreaded "octagon jitters" that often cripple UFC rookies, Brown cornered his training partner, Steve Lopez, at this past year's UFC 103 event.
"I train hard, and I know that the day of (the fight), I'm going to be a little bit, 'Ooh, this is the big show,'" Brown admitted. "I was like that when I was in Stevie Lopez's corner. 'Wow, this is awesome.'
"I've kind of walked through it in the corner situation. Now I'll be doing it as a fighter, and quite frankly, one we hit each other, it's just a fight. Everything else kind of disappears."
Brown's lone career mixed martial arts loss was to one-time UFC veteran Josh Hendricks in 2007. The 5-foot-11 Brown was competing as a heavyweight at the time, but the experience encouraged him to make the switch to 205 pounds.
"[Hendricks] laid on me for three rounds, and I couldn't get that monster butt off me, so I dropped to 205 (pounds)," Brown said.
Since that time, Brown has earned seven-straight wins while toiling away on the local circuit. Now he'll finally get his chance at the big show, and Brown makes no attempt to hide his appreciation for the man he says made it happen.
"It's just kind of how the ball bounces in the Midwest," Brown said. "We're from a small town. We're not really connected. Ken Pavia has done a good job getting Stevie Lopez in and now myself, and I've got two other guys that are real quality guys. It's just when you're in the Midwest, it's hard to pop that bubble and get in the game.
"I went to some shows, and I fought some guys that I thought would get me some notoriety. None of that really matters unless you've got somebody in the trenches working for you to get you that shot. For sure, you need to have representation and somebody out there fighting that fight for you."
Brown earned his shot when Brazilian slugger Thiago Silva was forced to bow out of the fight. And while Brown has less than two weeks to prepare for the contest, he says expectations should not be lowered.
"I know I can hit the weight," Brown said. "That's not a problem. I'm in the gym all the time.
"Have I had a proper training camp? No, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to go in and fight my ass off and come out on top. That's the plan."
As with many other UFC competitors, Brown is elated for his shot at the big time. While the late notice is certainly less-than-ideal, he believes Boetsch will be faced with some uncertainty as well.
"When you are fighting in these smaller shows, a lot of times you show up and your guy doesn't show or some other guy has to take his place," Brown said. "In this game, we're kind of bred to just fight whoever is in front of us, so I don't see that it would bother him very much. In his mind he's got a guy who was contending for the world championship at one point, and now he's got me? Maybe he breathes a sigh of relief; I don't know.
"On the other hand, it's the unknown. He's got to worry about what am I doing. He doesn't know anything about me."
Truth be told, neither do most MMA fans, but Brown said he's going to hold a little back until fight night.
"Not to give too much up, but basically I think my strength is standing," Brown said. "I love to Thai box. I love to be inside and do work. I'm not much of a runner, and from what I know about him, he's not either. I'm pretty sure we're going to butt heads in the middle and see what happens.
"My submissions basically come from if we hit the floor, then I use my jits and I punch him a lot. If they give me their neck, I take it."
Of course, making it to the show is just part of the goal. Sticking around is what's important, and at 38 years old, the chances of Brown making a second run are slim. Therefore, if he ever hopes to make an impact in the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion, the time is now.
"I think we're in a situation here – and there's guys like me across the country that train hard and they have good records, and they're good guys, good fighters, and they just have to wait for that opportunity," Brown said. "If you tell me, 'Hey, you can fight in two days,' for an organization like the UFC, that's what I'm going to do.
"Bottom line is me and him are going to fight, and somebody's hand is going to get raised at the end, and that's the guy that's best on that day. I hope that's me."
Wanderlei Silva protégé Vitor Vianna targets big-show contract with MMA Xplosion fight
Vitor Vianna (8-1-1) hasn't had a mixed-martial-arts fight in 26 months.
But just think about what he has done since: Move from his native Brazil to Las Vegas because Wanderlei Silva was once so impressed with fights he saw years ago he wanted Vianna in his camp. Become a teacher at Silva's gym. And gain a buzz that is one of the most significant for the relatively unknown fighter in Vegas.
He just hasn't been fighting, but not all by his choice.
"It's been difficult for us," said manager Rob Cardenas. "It's been ... I don't want to say people are afraid to fight him because that's not exactly true, but it's been difficult."
But now, after more than two years, a major move and significant improvement in his standup, Vianna is ready to be re-introduced to the MMA world. Vianna, 8-1-1 as an MMA pro, will face B.J. Lacy at an MMA Xplosion show on Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The 185-pound fight, both Vianna and Silva hope, will help the MMA world understand Vianna's improvement and power and boost him into gaining more fights and a shot at bigger promotions.
"I feel very different from my last fight," Vianna said. "I feel more strong, I feel more confident, and (Silva) helps me in hours of training of using your hands. It makes me feel very good."
For those who don't know Vianna, Cardenas said, the fact he has the full support from Silva should say plenty. Silva, in fact, wants to be at the fight so much he'll be coming in a wheelchair after undergoing knee surgery this past week.
"This is kind of like Vitor's coming out party, again," Cardenas said.
Finding Vitor
The decision was not hard for Silva.
When he opened his gym in Las Vegas, he was looking for skilled teachers, and he thought back to times he had visited fights back in Brazil, where Vianna got his MMA start.
"He had seen me fight, maybe three or four times," Vianna said. "He remembered me, and he asked me to come help him here."
Even though he was somewhat unknown in the U.S. at the time, Vianna had a long and varied fighting career. He started jiu-jitsu training at age 15 before gaining his black belt in 2002. Before that, he had been mainly a soccer player, but there was a gym near his home with a respected teacher, so he first tried it as a hobby and found success.
He got into Muay Thai training in Holland, but Brazilian jiu-jitsu is where he has mostly made his international mark.
Vianna estimated he has fought 300 times in BJJ, most of them in tournaments, and most of them with strong success. Despite his layoff in MMA, Vianna has never been hesitant to fight often.
"In Brazil, you can fight every weekend in a tournament," Vianna said. "You can fight six, seven, eight times in one day.
"The more you compete, you train your body, your mind and you get comfortable. That helps me a lot."
His grappling, because of his experience, was never questioned. And, he has been impressive enough to gain the attention of some of the world's best, including Silva.
But he still holds the frustration of his lone loss (which occurred because of a broken arm) and the understanding that many MMA fans might not remember his previous fights.
MMA layoff
Vianna first entered the MMA consciousness in October 2004, when he took his first fight at a Shooto Brazil show.
In the next two years, he fought nine times. He won seven of his first eight fights, with a lone draw, and entered his November 2006 matchup against a pre-UFC Thiago Silva at a Fury Fighting Championships show with plenty of momentum.
Then, a broken arm changed things.
"It was a head kick from Thiago, and Vitor blocked it," Cardenas said. "It just broke his arm."
The TKO stoppage gave him his only loss, and he has fought just once since, winning a Beast of the East fight in May 2008. That means, in 44 months, Vianna has fought one time.
But don't think he hasn't been working.
"I've been training in the gym hard," Vianna said. "I've been sparring hard, I have great training partners. Now I have the opportunity to show America who I am, and I'm ready to do it."
So what will the MMA world see from him?
"He's a great jiu-jitsu guy, obviously, but he's also become phenomenal in the standup game," Cardenas said. "He has that Wanderlei style, very aggressive. It doesn't matter where the fight goes, he can do whatever he needs to do."
Vianna has often fought at 205, but he is down to 185 for the Saturday bout, and Cardenas said he can fight comfortably at both. Either way, Vianna hopes to make a good enough impression to gain more fights and hopefully move up to a bigger promotion.
One thing is clear: For as powerful and exciting Vianna has become in the cage, he also has big-time backing from Silva and the Wand Fight Team, which is another boost. Silva, especially, is thrilled with him, Cardenas said.
"This," he said, "is his guy."
MMA Xplosion airs July 31 on TDSN.tv.
Vitor Vianna (8-1-1) hasn't had a mixed-martial-arts fight in 26 months.
But just think about what he has done since: Move from his native Brazil to Las Vegas because Wanderlei Silva was once so impressed with fights he saw years ago he wanted Vianna in his camp. Become a teacher at Silva's gym. And gain a buzz that is one of the most significant for the relatively unknown fighter in Vegas.
He just hasn't been fighting, but not all by his choice.
"It's been difficult for us," said manager Rob Cardenas. "It's been ... I don't want to say people are afraid to fight him because that's not exactly true, but it's been difficult."
But now, after more than two years, a major move and significant improvement in his standup, Vianna is ready to be re-introduced to the MMA world. Vianna, 8-1-1 as an MMA pro, will face B.J. Lacy at an MMA Xplosion show on Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The 185-pound fight, both Vianna and Silva hope, will help the MMA world understand Vianna's improvement and power and boost him into gaining more fights and a shot at bigger promotions.
"I feel very different from my last fight," Vianna said. "I feel more strong, I feel more confident, and (Silva) helps me in hours of training of using your hands. It makes me feel very good."
For those who don't know Vianna, Cardenas said, the fact he has the full support from Silva should say plenty. Silva, in fact, wants to be at the fight so much he'll be coming in a wheelchair after undergoing knee surgery this past week.
"This is kind of like Vitor's coming out party, again," Cardenas said.
Finding Vitor
The decision was not hard for Silva.
When he opened his gym in Las Vegas, he was looking for skilled teachers, and he thought back to times he had visited fights back in Brazil, where Vianna got his MMA start.
"He had seen me fight, maybe three or four times," Vianna said. "He remembered me, and he asked me to come help him here."
Even though he was somewhat unknown in the U.S. at the time, Vianna had a long and varied fighting career. He started jiu-jitsu training at age 15 before gaining his black belt in 2002. Before that, he had been mainly a soccer player, but there was a gym near his home with a respected teacher, so he first tried it as a hobby and found success.
He got into Muay Thai training in Holland, but Brazilian jiu-jitsu is where he has mostly made his international mark.
Vianna estimated he has fought 300 times in BJJ, most of them in tournaments, and most of them with strong success. Despite his layoff in MMA, Vianna has never been hesitant to fight often.
"In Brazil, you can fight every weekend in a tournament," Vianna said. "You can fight six, seven, eight times in one day.
"The more you compete, you train your body, your mind and you get comfortable. That helps me a lot."
His grappling, because of his experience, was never questioned. And, he has been impressive enough to gain the attention of some of the world's best, including Silva.
But he still holds the frustration of his lone loss (which occurred because of a broken arm) and the understanding that many MMA fans might not remember his previous fights.
MMA layoff
Vianna first entered the MMA consciousness in October 2004, when he took his first fight at a Shooto Brazil show.
In the next two years, he fought nine times. He won seven of his first eight fights, with a lone draw, and entered his November 2006 matchup against a pre-UFC Thiago Silva at a Fury Fighting Championships show with plenty of momentum.
Then, a broken arm changed things.
"It was a head kick from Thiago, and Vitor blocked it," Cardenas said. "It just broke his arm."
The TKO stoppage gave him his only loss, and he has fought just once since, winning a Beast of the East fight in May 2008. That means, in 44 months, Vianna has fought one time.
But don't think he hasn't been working.
"I've been training in the gym hard," Vianna said. "I've been sparring hard, I have great training partners. Now I have the opportunity to show America who I am, and I'm ready to do it."
So what will the MMA world see from him?
"He's a great jiu-jitsu guy, obviously, but he's also become phenomenal in the standup game," Cardenas said. "He has that Wanderlei style, very aggressive. It doesn't matter where the fight goes, he can do whatever he needs to do."
Vianna has often fought at 205, but he is down to 185 for the Saturday bout, and Cardenas said he can fight comfortably at both. Either way, Vianna hopes to make a good enough impression to gain more fights and hopefully move up to a bigger promotion.
One thing is clear: For as powerful and exciting Vianna has become in the cage, he also has big-time backing from Silva and the Wand Fight Team, which is another boost. Silva, especially, is thrilled with him, Cardenas said.
"This," he said, "is his guy."
MMA Xplosion airs July 31 on TDSN.tv.
With new training camp, same attitude, Ellenberger ready to shine at UFC on Versus 2
With a career record of 22-5, UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (22-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was doing just fine the way things were.
But in the ultra-competitive world of professional mixed martial arts, if you're not moving forward, you're about to get passed up.
With that in mind, Ellenberger took his training camp from his native Nebraska to Orange County, California, and he's looking forward to displaying the results at this weekend's UFC on Versus 2 event.
"I met Mark Munoz through a good friend of mine," Ellenberger recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I came out [to California] and trained with him for a bit, and I just got hooked from there. The training was awesome. I really found a fit, so I came out here about a month before this fight, and I've been out here just ramping up for San Diego.
"I'm actually staying with Mark at his house in Mission Viejo."
Munoz and his recently opened Reign Training Center have provided a new base for Ellenberger, but the 25-year-old said the real change is in the numerous quality training partners available for him in California.
"There's so many high-level guys that I've been training with out here," Ellenberger said. "The training has been great. I'm injury free, I feel good, and I'm in great shape.
"I'm going into this fight with a lot of confidence. I've been training with a lot of good guys: 'King Mo' (Lawal) and Mark and 'Mayhem' Miller. A lot of good guys helped me out here. I'm ready; I'm feeling good."
But Ellenberger isn't forsaking his past. Instead, he's mixing a little of what got him to the big show along with some new tips and tricks.
"My brother is actually out here with me," Ellenberger said. "Joe has been one of my coaches since I started fighting.
"I'm working with the same guys – a couple guys back from Nebraska, where I'm from – too. As far as out here, a lot of the same mindset and mentality going into this fight. Just for me, it's been great working with higher-level training partners out here that help me gameplan for this guy."
"This guy" is the always-dangerous John Howard (14-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC). "Doomsday" is currently on an impressive seven-fight win streak that includes back-to-back devastating knockout wins.
Ellenberger said he's aware of his opponent's strengths, and he's going to do his best to steer clear of them.
"We've watched all of his fights in the UFC and are just really staying away from the things that he likes to do and finding ways to beat him," Ellenberger said.
Should Ellenberger find a way to avoid the power of Howard while instilling his own will, the Nebraskan will improve to 6-1 in his past seven fights. With the lone loss coming by way of a razor-thin split decision to former WEC champion Carlos Condit, Ellenberger's stock in the welterweight division will certainly be on the rise.
It's just as the five-year veteran envisioned it while toiling away in the sport's regional circuits.
"For me, [the goal] was to get [to the UFC] when I was ready, when I could actually be a contender in the division," Ellenberger said. "I think I'm right on track right now. Two or three fights down the road, I could possibly be in that mix.
"Being patient, obviously it was a little tough with the money, not getting paid that well outside of the UFC in a lot of the smaller shows. But for me, it was just keeping that goal in the back of my head – the end result with what I'm trying to do in my career. I'm ready to go, and I'm loving it."
With a career record of 22-5, UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (22-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was doing just fine the way things were.
But in the ultra-competitive world of professional mixed martial arts, if you're not moving forward, you're about to get passed up.
With that in mind, Ellenberger took his training camp from his native Nebraska to Orange County, California, and he's looking forward to displaying the results at this weekend's UFC on Versus 2 event.
"I met Mark Munoz through a good friend of mine," Ellenberger recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "I came out [to California] and trained with him for a bit, and I just got hooked from there. The training was awesome. I really found a fit, so I came out here about a month before this fight, and I've been out here just ramping up for San Diego.
"I'm actually staying with Mark at his house in Mission Viejo."
Munoz and his recently opened Reign Training Center have provided a new base for Ellenberger, but the 25-year-old said the real change is in the numerous quality training partners available for him in California.
"There's so many high-level guys that I've been training with out here," Ellenberger said. "The training has been great. I'm injury free, I feel good, and I'm in great shape.
"I'm going into this fight with a lot of confidence. I've been training with a lot of good guys: 'King Mo' (Lawal) and Mark and 'Mayhem' Miller. A lot of good guys helped me out here. I'm ready; I'm feeling good."
But Ellenberger isn't forsaking his past. Instead, he's mixing a little of what got him to the big show along with some new tips and tricks.
"My brother is actually out here with me," Ellenberger said. "Joe has been one of my coaches since I started fighting.
"I'm working with the same guys – a couple guys back from Nebraska, where I'm from – too. As far as out here, a lot of the same mindset and mentality going into this fight. Just for me, it's been great working with higher-level training partners out here that help me gameplan for this guy."
"This guy" is the always-dangerous John Howard (14-4 MMA, 4-0 UFC). "Doomsday" is currently on an impressive seven-fight win streak that includes back-to-back devastating knockout wins.
Ellenberger said he's aware of his opponent's strengths, and he's going to do his best to steer clear of them.
"We've watched all of his fights in the UFC and are just really staying away from the things that he likes to do and finding ways to beat him," Ellenberger said.
Should Ellenberger find a way to avoid the power of Howard while instilling his own will, the Nebraskan will improve to 6-1 in his past seven fights. With the lone loss coming by way of a razor-thin split decision to former WEC champion Carlos Condit, Ellenberger's stock in the welterweight division will certainly be on the rise.
It's just as the five-year veteran envisioned it while toiling away in the sport's regional circuits.
"For me, [the goal] was to get [to the UFC] when I was ready, when I could actually be a contender in the division," Ellenberger said. "I think I'm right on track right now. Two or three fights down the road, I could possibly be in that mix.
"Being patient, obviously it was a little tough with the money, not getting paid that well outside of the UFC in a lot of the smaller shows. But for me, it was just keeping that goal in the back of my head – the end result with what I'm trying to do in my career. I'm ready to go, and I'm loving it."
SHAPING MMA: FRANK SHAMROCK'S INFLUENCE
Frank Shamrock announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition on June 26 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum, ending a mixed martial arts career that began in 1994 and left an undeniable mark on the sport.
Shamrock, in the early years, fought in the shadow of his, at the time, more famous older adoptive brother Ken, but quickly earned his own limelight through a style that revolutionized fight preparation and game planning.
Shamrock was one of the first truly hybrid fighters, combining several traditional martial arts into a new more complete style.
“When I got into it I didn’t know any different. It was a game. Fighting was like this game, like a sportsman’s game especially because I was in Pancrase. I just kept studying. To me, because I had no other martial arts experience, I had no other ideas about the sport,” Shamrock explained to MMAWeekly.com.
“It was like whatever they told me I wrote down, processed, and plugged it in. And I saw all the holes. To me it was obvious that you needed to do everything and learn everything and complete the style. I don’t know if I was ahead of the curve or if I just had a different mindset going into it. I had no expectations or understanding of what fighting was or wasn’t.”
Shamrock’s biggest mark on the sport may have been the use of cardiovascular conditioning as a weapon.
“The conditioning and ability to move really quickly for long periods of time became the crux of my style for probably seven or eight years,” said Shamrock. “It was the beginning of this new era with the UFC. And the level of athleticism now is just crazy.”
Even though he has closed the door on fighting, Shamrock is still a commentator for Strikeforce and continues to train himself and others at his gym in San Jose, Calif.
Frank Shamrock announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition on June 26 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum, ending a mixed martial arts career that began in 1994 and left an undeniable mark on the sport.
Shamrock, in the early years, fought in the shadow of his, at the time, more famous older adoptive brother Ken, but quickly earned his own limelight through a style that revolutionized fight preparation and game planning.
Shamrock was one of the first truly hybrid fighters, combining several traditional martial arts into a new more complete style.
“When I got into it I didn’t know any different. It was a game. Fighting was like this game, like a sportsman’s game especially because I was in Pancrase. I just kept studying. To me, because I had no other martial arts experience, I had no other ideas about the sport,” Shamrock explained to MMAWeekly.com.
“It was like whatever they told me I wrote down, processed, and plugged it in. And I saw all the holes. To me it was obvious that you needed to do everything and learn everything and complete the style. I don’t know if I was ahead of the curve or if I just had a different mindset going into it. I had no expectations or understanding of what fighting was or wasn’t.”
Shamrock’s biggest mark on the sport may have been the use of cardiovascular conditioning as a weapon.
“The conditioning and ability to move really quickly for long periods of time became the crux of my style for probably seven or eight years,” said Shamrock. “It was the beginning of this new era with the UFC. And the level of athleticism now is just crazy.”
Even though he has closed the door on fighting, Shamrock is still a commentator for Strikeforce and continues to train himself and others at his gym in San Jose, Calif.
JASON FRANK TURNS PRO, WANTS IN STRIKEFORCE
Jason David Frank has some pretty big plans in store for the rest of 2010, and it starts in August when the former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers star turns pro in mixed martial arts.
The 36-year-old resident of Texas will move into the professional ranks next month with a fight in Houston against Jose Vasquez.
Frank admits that it was a decision he talked over with his coach and his manager, but in the end it just felt like the time was right.
"I didn't think a lot of stuff was going to happen so fast, but I got some fights under my belt, got the movie and all that stuff, and I don't know, just training a lot with my training partners and my coach Rocky Long, and stuff like that. I just think I decided to turn pro," Frank told MMAWeekly Radio recently.
The amateur fights provided him some needed time in the cage to see how he would adapt, and with a perfect 4-0 record, he believes it was the right time to start making it count for something.
"To really make it legit, and start making it count," Frank explained about why he was turning pro. "We were going to do one more amateur, but what's the difference? Four amateur fights, five, all the same thing. Now I'm turning pro, get paid to do it, and it's not just about the money, but it's about doing it the right way."
The right way includes fighting for promoters that want him on their show, and people he believes in, while also taking a step up in competition from the amateur ranks.
Frank has also made it no secret that there is a promotion he hopes to one day call home.
"I'd love to get a Strikeforce deal. I want a Strikeforce deal. I keep talking about it all the time," said Frank. "I know my manager's talked to them briefly. It's just I want to build my record and do it the right way, and let me people know I can go more than one round."
While fighting for Strikeforce is what Frank ultimately wants, he's more than willing to earn his way there. The former television star admits that whether it takes six months or a year’s worth of fights, he's more than happy to earn a spot on the Strikeforce roster and doesn't need to be handed anything.
"I've been studying (martial arts) since I was four years old. Yeah, I did the Power Rangers show. That might make Dana (White) snicker, or someone else snicker from another organization, 'oh it's just another guy trying it out.' This is my life," Frank stated. "I live and breathe martial arts my whole entire life ever since I was four years old."
With four amateur fights all coming in the last seven months and his pro debut in August, Frank admits that if he was offered a Strikeforce deal right away, he'd like to take some time to train and ready himself for the next step in competition. He's even open to a fight against former NFL pro Herschel Walker, but promises that he's all about doing it the right way.
Jason Frank will make his professional debut on Aug. 4 at Puro Combate in Houston.
Jason David Frank has some pretty big plans in store for the rest of 2010, and it starts in August when the former Mighty Morphin Power Rangers star turns pro in mixed martial arts.
The 36-year-old resident of Texas will move into the professional ranks next month with a fight in Houston against Jose Vasquez.
Frank admits that it was a decision he talked over with his coach and his manager, but in the end it just felt like the time was right.
"I didn't think a lot of stuff was going to happen so fast, but I got some fights under my belt, got the movie and all that stuff, and I don't know, just training a lot with my training partners and my coach Rocky Long, and stuff like that. I just think I decided to turn pro," Frank told MMAWeekly Radio recently.
The amateur fights provided him some needed time in the cage to see how he would adapt, and with a perfect 4-0 record, he believes it was the right time to start making it count for something.
"To really make it legit, and start making it count," Frank explained about why he was turning pro. "We were going to do one more amateur, but what's the difference? Four amateur fights, five, all the same thing. Now I'm turning pro, get paid to do it, and it's not just about the money, but it's about doing it the right way."
The right way includes fighting for promoters that want him on their show, and people he believes in, while also taking a step up in competition from the amateur ranks.
Frank has also made it no secret that there is a promotion he hopes to one day call home.
"I'd love to get a Strikeforce deal. I want a Strikeforce deal. I keep talking about it all the time," said Frank. "I know my manager's talked to them briefly. It's just I want to build my record and do it the right way, and let me people know I can go more than one round."
While fighting for Strikeforce is what Frank ultimately wants, he's more than willing to earn his way there. The former television star admits that whether it takes six months or a year’s worth of fights, he's more than happy to earn a spot on the Strikeforce roster and doesn't need to be handed anything.
"I've been studying (martial arts) since I was four years old. Yeah, I did the Power Rangers show. That might make Dana (White) snicker, or someone else snicker from another organization, 'oh it's just another guy trying it out.' This is my life," Frank stated. "I live and breathe martial arts my whole entire life ever since I was four years old."
With four amateur fights all coming in the last seven months and his pro debut in August, Frank admits that if he was offered a Strikeforce deal right away, he'd like to take some time to train and ready himself for the next step in competition. He's even open to a fight against former NFL pro Herschel Walker, but promises that he's all about doing it the right way.
Jason Frank will make his professional debut on Aug. 4 at Puro Combate in Houston.
Shorter Dynamite!! This Year?! Three Hour Broadcast?
FEG president Tanikawa was recently interviewed by Kamipro and there he is asked about this years Dynamite!!…
* Of course it will be broadcasted.
* But having as long of a show as last time is uncertain.
* Starting from 5PM in the afternoon is not possible anymore.
* Previously the number of fights were around 17 sometimes, an event without rest, no more of that.
* If we can we’d like to start from 8 PM in the evening and have a broadcast around three hours long.
Also, the finals of this years K-1 Koshien will not take place at Dynamite!! but instead a 16-man one-night tournament in October or November.
FEG president Tanikawa was recently interviewed by Kamipro and there he is asked about this years Dynamite!!…
* Of course it will be broadcasted.
* But having as long of a show as last time is uncertain.
* Starting from 5PM in the afternoon is not possible anymore.
* Previously the number of fights were around 17 sometimes, an event without rest, no more of that.
* If we can we’d like to start from 8 PM in the evening and have a broadcast around three hours long.
Also, the finals of this years K-1 Koshien will not take place at Dynamite!! but instead a 16-man one-night tournament in October or November.
With cash infusion, DREAM targets international expansion, pay-per-view model
DREAM's American representative says the Japanese promotion's prosperity depends not only on new capital, but a plan to spend it well.
And when that happens, DREAM hopes more fans will part with their cash.
Mike Kogan, Director of FEG USA, on Friday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the lucrative new deal between DREAM's parent company, Fighting and Entertainment Group, and Shanghai-based investment bank PUJI Capital is an important step in regaining MMA's foothold in Japan and the rest of the world.
But for DREAM to thrive, Kogan said it's crucial that the company converts some of its fanbase to "a paying public."
FEG, which also heads the preeminent kickboxing promotion K-1, recently announced that PUJI will stake the fight promotion company in an aggressive worldwide expansion effort – to the tune of up to $230 million U.S. dollars, according to the investment bank.
While the shape of the expansion is not entirely clear, FEG president Sadaharu Tanikawa said the effort will begin in 2011.
Tanikawa said the expansion is a "declaration of war against the WWE and UFC," though the company plans specifically to avoid the U.S. market, where he feels they are outgunned by the pay-per-view giants. The company has not promoted a show in the mainland U.S. since August 2007 for the K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
Tanikawa admitted the company has lost a huge portion of its market share in the martial arts business and that its business model needs to change.
"From Asia, we will take the world," Tanikawa said.
Kogan, who's worked with FEG since 2006, maintains that the Japanese MMA market is bigger than the U.S. even amid an overall decline in attendance and television ratings. The problem, he said, is that FEG is not poised to capitalize on its audience.
He claims an average primetime DREAM broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) draws 11 to 12 million people, while a late-night broadcast garners around 3 million.
Kogan said the massive viewership of the primetime shows perfectly illustrates the potential for Japanese MMA to continue to thrive.
"Imagine if Strikeforce received 12 million viewers (on CBS)," Kogan said. "(CBS executive) Les Moonves would be doing cartwheels all the way down into the cage. Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz could beat the [expletive] out of the whole crew; they could have melees every other day and nobody would give a [expletive]."
But while those numbers are strong, the revenue that's generated from FEG's TV deals and event attendance are not enough to drive growth.
And without growth, the promotion fights an uphill battle in building stars who could convert some of those television watchers into pay-per-view customers. Kogan said that was an essential part of what kept PRIDE Fighting Championships afloat during the heydey of Japanese MMA – an average of 50,000 people bought the promotion's broadcasts before it was brought down in 2007 by a Yazuka scandal.
In the wake of PRIDE's collapse, several of its stars migrated to the UFC, which took away much of the casual fanbase that paved the way to stellar TV ratings (and the sponsorship dollars that came with them).
Kogan said the UFC has done well to leverage its talent into a lucrative customer base, and DREAM needs to catch up. In other words, DREAM needs to get back into the pay-per-view business.
"The (Japanese) audience was brought up watching it for free on TBS and Fuji," he said. "Well, they're not a paying public. The UFC has a hardcore fanbase that's ready to lash out $50 for whatever the [expletive] they put on TV, with at least an average of 300,000 (pay-per-view) buys. So the UFC knows that they will receive at least $15 million dollars in revenue.
"Put that in perspective with Japanese MMA. Imagine if out of those 12 million people, half a million were ready to cough up $50 each time DREAM was on?"
Kogan said the new infusion of cash could go toward developing new talent and ways to get DREAM's product to consumers in Japan and around the world – hopefully, at a premium. But he is at heart a realist and says that money alone is not the solution to DREAM's problems.
In line with Tanikawa, Kogan said FEG's goal is to get strong in Japan before it branches out in Europe and other markets.
"Just funds alone are not enough," he said. "That's one of the biggest reasons why all these MMA organizations that come out in the U.S., [such as] EliteXC, IFL and all these other places – even Bellator, I think Bellator is on their way out pretty soon – they think that you go get venture capital money, and you're like, 'OK, I've got 100 million dollars, I'm going to get all these people to fight each other and life will be good.' Obviously, as its shown, that's not true.
"The focus (for DREAM) right now is on lightweights and featherweights just because there's a bigger talent pool, especially in Japan. But realistically speaking, if you want to get big, you need big guys. That was the biggest thing that PRIDE had was the heavyweights and light heavyweights that drove the organization."
Meanwhile, DREAM.16 is set to take place Sept. 25 in Nagoya, Japan and may feature its lightweight champion Shinya Aoki as well as a light heavyweight title match between former Strikeforce and DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno.
If FEG can convince 50,000 fans to pay see that on TV, things will look a lot rosier for Japanese MMA.
more on that in this video link: http://blog.hdnetfights.com/post/862568414/world-cup-of-k-1
DREAM's American representative says the Japanese promotion's prosperity depends not only on new capital, but a plan to spend it well.
And when that happens, DREAM hopes more fans will part with their cash.
Mike Kogan, Director of FEG USA, on Friday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the lucrative new deal between DREAM's parent company, Fighting and Entertainment Group, and Shanghai-based investment bank PUJI Capital is an important step in regaining MMA's foothold in Japan and the rest of the world.
But for DREAM to thrive, Kogan said it's crucial that the company converts some of its fanbase to "a paying public."
FEG, which also heads the preeminent kickboxing promotion K-1, recently announced that PUJI will stake the fight promotion company in an aggressive worldwide expansion effort – to the tune of up to $230 million U.S. dollars, according to the investment bank.
While the shape of the expansion is not entirely clear, FEG president Sadaharu Tanikawa said the effort will begin in 2011.
Tanikawa said the expansion is a "declaration of war against the WWE and UFC," though the company plans specifically to avoid the U.S. market, where he feels they are outgunned by the pay-per-view giants. The company has not promoted a show in the mainland U.S. since August 2007 for the K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas.
Tanikawa admitted the company has lost a huge portion of its market share in the martial arts business and that its business model needs to change.
"From Asia, we will take the world," Tanikawa said.
Kogan, who's worked with FEG since 2006, maintains that the Japanese MMA market is bigger than the U.S. even amid an overall decline in attendance and television ratings. The problem, he said, is that FEG is not poised to capitalize on its audience.
He claims an average primetime DREAM broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) draws 11 to 12 million people, while a late-night broadcast garners around 3 million.
Kogan said the massive viewership of the primetime shows perfectly illustrates the potential for Japanese MMA to continue to thrive.
"Imagine if Strikeforce received 12 million viewers (on CBS)," Kogan said. "(CBS executive) Les Moonves would be doing cartwheels all the way down into the cage. Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz could beat the [expletive] out of the whole crew; they could have melees every other day and nobody would give a [expletive]."
But while those numbers are strong, the revenue that's generated from FEG's TV deals and event attendance are not enough to drive growth.
And without growth, the promotion fights an uphill battle in building stars who could convert some of those television watchers into pay-per-view customers. Kogan said that was an essential part of what kept PRIDE Fighting Championships afloat during the heydey of Japanese MMA – an average of 50,000 people bought the promotion's broadcasts before it was brought down in 2007 by a Yazuka scandal.
In the wake of PRIDE's collapse, several of its stars migrated to the UFC, which took away much of the casual fanbase that paved the way to stellar TV ratings (and the sponsorship dollars that came with them).
Kogan said the UFC has done well to leverage its talent into a lucrative customer base, and DREAM needs to catch up. In other words, DREAM needs to get back into the pay-per-view business.
"The (Japanese) audience was brought up watching it for free on TBS and Fuji," he said. "Well, they're not a paying public. The UFC has a hardcore fanbase that's ready to lash out $50 for whatever the [expletive] they put on TV, with at least an average of 300,000 (pay-per-view) buys. So the UFC knows that they will receive at least $15 million dollars in revenue.
"Put that in perspective with Japanese MMA. Imagine if out of those 12 million people, half a million were ready to cough up $50 each time DREAM was on?"
Kogan said the new infusion of cash could go toward developing new talent and ways to get DREAM's product to consumers in Japan and around the world – hopefully, at a premium. But he is at heart a realist and says that money alone is not the solution to DREAM's problems.
In line with Tanikawa, Kogan said FEG's goal is to get strong in Japan before it branches out in Europe and other markets.
"Just funds alone are not enough," he said. "That's one of the biggest reasons why all these MMA organizations that come out in the U.S., [such as] EliteXC, IFL and all these other places – even Bellator, I think Bellator is on their way out pretty soon – they think that you go get venture capital money, and you're like, 'OK, I've got 100 million dollars, I'm going to get all these people to fight each other and life will be good.' Obviously, as its shown, that's not true.
"The focus (for DREAM) right now is on lightweights and featherweights just because there's a bigger talent pool, especially in Japan. But realistically speaking, if you want to get big, you need big guys. That was the biggest thing that PRIDE had was the heavyweights and light heavyweights that drove the organization."
Meanwhile, DREAM.16 is set to take place Sept. 25 in Nagoya, Japan and may feature its lightweight champion Shinya Aoki as well as a light heavyweight title match between former Strikeforce and DREAM middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno.
If FEG can convince 50,000 fans to pay see that on TV, things will look a lot rosier for Japanese MMA.
more on that in this video link: http://blog.hdnetfights.com/post/862568414/world-cup-of-k-1
