MMA News Thread

[Shogun Locc]

UFC on Versus 3's Damacio Page doesn't plan on losing twice to Brian Bowles

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If the rematch between Damacio Page (12-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Brian Bowles (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) were a movie, it would be "Trading Places," according to Page.

It was Bowles who had nothing to lose when they fought the first time. Now, the pressure is on him, and Page is the guy who can relax.

Page thinks that will help him make a good impression in his first UFC fight, not to mention get revenge for the loss he took to the former WEC champion more than two years ago.

Page and Bowles meet this Thursday at UFC on Versus 3, which takes place at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.. The bout airs live on Versus as part of the evening's main card.

Bowles is back in the cage for the first time since Dominick Cruz took his bantamweight belt at WEC 47. He's been sidelined since with a hand injury from that bout as well as a broken foot that halted his return eight months later at WEC 52.

Page knows all too well about injury layoffs and the cage rust that follows them. The Greg Jackson pupil was forced to withdraw from two fights due to injuries and spent 13 months on the bench before returning at WEC 52. He was submitted in the third round by Demetrious Johnson.

"I'm not going to make up excuses," Page said. "He beat me; I fatigued in later rounds. I was out for a whole year; I wasn't able to train for eight months. Coming back, your body is not used to it. But I'm not taking anything away from Johnson. He beat me, and that's all there is to it."

Following the loss, Page lobbied hard for a second crack at Bowles, who submitted him in the first round with a guillotine choke at WEC 35 in August 2008. With Bowles also coming off a loss, and the WEC ceding its talent to the UFC in this past December's merger between the promotions, Page felt the timing was right to avenge his defeat.

"When we fought the first time, [Bowles] had nothing to lose," he said. "He came in as a newcomer, and he showed up and had a great run and beat some good people. Now, the [situation] has changed. Now, I'm in that position where I have nothing to lose, where it's put it all on the table or go home."

Going for broke is exactly what Page plans to do during the fight, but at the same time, he's made some changes to the way he approaches his opponents.

"My previous fights I was going out there to kill and destroy people, and not really putting a game plan together," he said. "Now, I have a game plan, and I'm out there to fully commit to it."

Still, the fighter said fans can expect to see a slugfest when they tune into Versus. Think Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots, he said.

"I don't plan on taking a step back," Page said. "I don't plan on stopping. I'm going to go out there 110 percent and be in his face because he's not going to like it."

Although the WEC's cage has given way to the octagon, Page sees no change in his mission. Regardless of a bigger spotlight, he knows he has to deliver a win to stay in the UFC.

"I look at it as any other fight because it's the same size venue," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "The venue has not changed. It's the same amount of people.

"The only thing is there's about a couple million more people watching on TV. But I can't see them, so it doesn't bother me."

And he has one thing to say for people who think Bowles already has his number.

"I've never lost to someone twice, and I don't plan on doing it," Page said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jorge Gurgel Awaits New Opponent for Strikeforce After Injury Sidelines Tyler Combs

Tyler Combs, who was set to take on Jorge Gurgel this weekend at Strikeforce: Columbus, has been forced out of the bout due to a late training injury.

Sources close to the fight confirmed Combs’ exit to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.

While no details of the injury have been reported, sources have confirmed that Strikeforce will try to find a replacement and that Gurgel will remain on the Columbus, Ohio, fight card Saturday night at the Nationwide Arena.

Gurgel comes into the fight after suffering a tough knockout loss to K.J. Noons in his last bout, and is looking to get back on the winning track.

Strikeforce has not made an official announcement about the switch, but it’s expected that replacement could be named at any time.

 

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Strikeforce confirms delay of heavyweight grand prix; Diaz vs. Daley set for April 9

The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix's second event will be delayed until early summer in order to capitalize properly on the success of its first event.

So says Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, who ended weeks of speculation about the fate of a second tournament quarterfinal event originally targeted for April 9.

Coker stated the April 9 event instead features two title fights: welterweight champ Nick Diaz (24-7 MMA, 5-0 SF) defends his title against Paul Daley (27-9-2 MMA, 2-0 SF), and lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF) defends his belt against Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2 MMA, 0-0 SF).

"The overwhelming success in New Jersey set the bar high," Coker today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in a prepared statement. "With a record pre-sale for Strikeforce tickets and a record viewership on Showtime, we've now given ourselves the proper amount of time to promote in one of the country's biggest markets."

That market is Dallas, where Strikeforce plans to hold the second quarterfinal event on June 18 at American Airlines Center. The event features two tournament bouts: Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers. Overeem's Strikeforce heavyweight belt will not be on the line.

A venue for the April 9 event has not been determined, a Strikeforce official today told MMAjunkie.com. The promotion is deciding between two separate arenas, though the venues' respective athletic commissions have approved the event.

The official could not confirm if a rumored arena, Oakland, Calif.'s Oracle Arena, is one of the venues targeted for the spring event.

Additionally, a light-heavyweight matchup between former champion Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle is expected to take place at the April 9 event. Mousasi informed MMAjunkie.com of the targeted bout this past November.

On Tuesday, a report from MMAWeekly.com stated K.J. Noons is preparing to appear on the card, though his participation could not be confirmed at the time of this writing.

A full press release on the April 9 card and tournament delay are expected for Thursday morning.

Strikeforce held its first tournament event, "Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva," this past month at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., and drew record TV ratings for broadcast partner Showtime. The Feb. 12 telecast averaged 741,000 viewers and peaked with 1.1 million viewers for a headlining bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Silva.

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Shinya Aoki and Hiroyuki Takaya Expected for April 9 Strikeforce Card, May Air Live in Japan

It appears more Japanese fighters will be appearing on the upcoming Strikeforce show on April 9 currently rumored to take place in San Diego, Calif.

Late Tuesday night, MMAWeekly.com confirmed the addition of both Shinya Aoki and Hiroyuki Takaya to the April card in Strikeforce.

While no bout agreements or even opponents have been named for them, both Aoki and Takaya have been told they will be appearing on the show.

Aoki and Takaya both fought on the year end Dynamite! show in Japan, but with much different results. Takaya defeated Dream champion Bibiano Fernandes, while Aoki was knocked unconscious in a mixed rules fight against Yuichiro Nagashima.

This will be the first fight back for both since the New Year’s Eve show.

The other additional news coming out of Aoki and Takaya being added to the Strikeforce card are rumors of TV deals being worked out to show additional fights both in the U.S. and in Japan.

According to separate sources speaking to MMAWeekly.com, the main fights on the card are currently slated to air on Showtime in the United States, but additional bouts may end up on HDNet as part of a preliminary broadcast.

Also, the fights may be carried in Japan on Sky Perfect TV, although nothing has been confirmed at the moment that a deal is in place.

 

[B-Buzz]

^ This is what MMA Supremacy from sherdog says it's gonna look like, and he's usually in the know

April 9th Card in San Diego
Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley
Melendez vs Kawajiri
Mousasi vs Kyle
Aoki vs TBA (Punk Thomson)
KJ Noons vs TBA
Takaya vs TBA

I'd like to see KJ vs JZ

 

[Shogun Locc]

^ This is what MMA Supremacy from sherdog says it's gonna look like, and he's usually in the know

April 9th Card in San Diego
Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley
Melendez vs Kawajiri
Mousasi vs Kyle
Aoki vs TBA (Punk Thomson)
KJ Noons vs TBA
Takaya vs TBA

I'd like to see KJ vs JZ

He is usually on the money MMA Supremacy
I was thinking Aoki would fight Jorge Gurgel because his opponent for this saturdays card pulled out do to injury. But the Thompson fight should be interesting. KJ vs JZ would be a good match up as well. Strikeforce needs to go and sign Maximo Blanco as he would be another exciting lightweight for them. I wonder who Takaya will fight and if they are slowy building a mens feather weight Division.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Top Prospect Derek Brunson Signs Multi-Fight Deal with Strikeforce

One of the top up and coming prospects in the sport, Derek Brunson, has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce and looks to debut this spring.

Brunson’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz confirmed the signing with MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.

With an undefeated professional record, Brunson has been brutalizing opponents in regional shows for the past year. MMAWeekly did a profile on Brunson just over a month ago and he spoke about his aspirations to make it to one of the major organizations eventually.

It appears eventually became today.

“I’m that type of guy, I don’t really feel any pressure. I want to go out there and stay undefeated,” said Brunson. “I don’t want to go out there and do things half way, if I do it, I want to be the best in whatever I do. I want to stay undefeated.”

According to his manager, Brunson will start out fighting on the Strikeforce Challengers series beginning this spring. Brunson has spent time training over the last few months with different camps including Greg Jackson’s team in New Mexico.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Coach Tells Evans He Should Be Willing to Fight Jones

Trevor Wittman has advised Rashad Evans to fight teammate Jon Jones if Jones wins the UFC light heavyweight title from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.

Evans had been scheduled to challenge Rua at the March 19 event. When Evans sprained a ligament in his knee, however, Jones filled in as his replacement.

“Mentally, I know it’s a little rough for [Evans] to see one of the guys he made a pact with to not fight go out there and take his position,” said Wittman, who is the head coach at the Grudge Training Center, a Jackson’s MMA affiliate gym where Evans has trained. “… I had the conversation with Rashad that I felt Rashad should fight Jon Jones if he wins.”

Wittman does in fact think Jones will beat Rua. He believes the 23-year-old could become one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. However, Wittman doesn’t feel Jones should have moved into Evans’ spot.

“I feel Jon Jones could have been like, ‘Hey man, I’ll tell you what. I’m going to take another fight,’” Wittman said. “And let Rashad -- he’s not at the beginning of his career. He’s at the peak and the tail end of it. Let him go fight for it.”

Regardless, now that Jones could soon be the light heavyweight champion, Wittman sees no problem with the teammates fighting each other.

“It makes for a great fight,” he said. “I think Rashad’s got the speed to do it. I think it’s just one of those things [that] makes for great media. To see two guys go out there, you’re fighting to make a legacy. You’re going out there and fighting one of your training partners: I think it’s a great thing. I think it’s great for the sport. A lot of people think we’re just brutal guys that kick each other’s ass. If we’re not in that mindset of brutality, you should be able to fight your friends, especially if there’s a world title on the line.”

In Wittman’s view, it will hurt Evans if he isn’t willing to fight Jones.

“We’re in the gym. Do we pull our punches in the gym? Heck no. We’re in here and we’re fighting every day,” Wittman said. “I can understand if there’s nothing on the line, [then] heck no. But if Rashad -- this is my key point with it -- if Rashad steps back and … says, ‘I ain’t going to fight Jon Jones,’ he’s putting his family on the line. He’s putting his career on the line. Dana White already doesn’t like him. I don’t want to say Dana White doesn’t like him but doesn’t like the decisions he’s made, so he’s going to smear that all over the Internet. It’s going to be horrible for Rashad’s career.”

Wittman doesn’t think Evans should change weight classes if Jones becomes champ either. He pointed out that teammate Shane Carwin is one division up at heavyweight and teammate Nate Marquardt is one down at middleweight.

With that said, trainer Greg Jackson has praised Evans’ handling of the situation and recently described Evans and Jones as “really, really good friends” during a Sherdog Radio Network interview.

“I know Greg feels differently about it than I do,” Wittman said. “I love Greg to death. Everybody has their own ways on how they do things, and this is just my little thought on how it should work.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bowles Wants to Avoid Brawling with Page

Brian Bowles has already beaten Damacio Page before, but he knows he has to be careful in their rematch March 3 at “UFC Live 3.”

“You see him knocking people out all the time,” Bowles (Pictured) said recently on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “He’s got heavy hands, and I tend to get out there and bang it out. That’s what I have to watch out for, is not just brawl with him and give him a chance to knock me out. I’ve got to stick to my game plan. I do plan on doing some standup. I like to mix it up, [but] I’m not going to just bang with him and give him the best chance to win.”

In their first encounter at WEC 35 in August 2008, Bowles submitted Page with a guillotine choke 3:30 into the opening round. A year later Bowles knocked out Miguel Torres to become the promotion’s bantamweight champion. However, he lost the belt to Dominick Cruz in his first defense and hasn’t fought since.

Much of the delay in returning has been due to a broken hand Bowles suffered against Cruz. Although he has broken his hands before, Bowles does not believe the injury resulted from a particular vulnerability.

“I hit him with the side of my hand where my thumb is at,” Bowles explained. “If you feel on those WEC gloves, there’s no padding right there. I hit him pretty much on top of the head with the side of my hand. It just broke my knuckle off pretty much. … If anybody punches somebody as hard as they can on the top of the head, it’s going to break their hand.”

Bowles described his hand as 100 percent after surgery and the insertion of a pin. He had been scheduled to return last November against Wagnney Fabiano, but then he broke his foot when he kicked a training partner in the elbow.

“It was real depressing,” Bowles said. “I had just come off sitting around with a broken hand and then I thought I was going to get out there -- it was one of the last WEC shows, and breaking my foot, it was depressing. It’s depressing for a fighter just to sit around on the couch and not be able to fight and watch everybody else fight on TV.”

Plenty has changed in the year since Bowles last fought. Most importantly, the WEC merged with the UFC, which means Bowles will be debuting in the Octagon against Page.

“A lot of people that watch the sport didn’t know that a lot of us guys were just the same caliber as the UFC,” Bowles said of WEC fighters. “They got all the attention and made more money. Everything was better in the UFC. It could potentially be a big life changer for me.”

Bowles will be on the big stage, but he’ll also be bouncing back from a broken hand. Some fighters in his position might be somewhat gun-shy when it comes to punching.

“I’ve worked on trying to make sure that I throw my punches right, throw good, technical punches,” he said. “It will definitely be in the back of my head, but I’m in a fight. If you’re going to break your hand, that’s the time to do it. I just have to go out there and let them loose and not worry about that type of thing.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

Sources: Gonzaga Eyes Sept. 24 Return

Gabriel Gonzaga's first fight outside of the UFC in over five years may be for the Reality Fighting heavyweight championship.

Sherdog.com confirmed Wednesday morning that Gonzaga is targeting a Sept. 24 return date for the Connecticut-based promotion against Reality Fighting heavyweight king Parker Porter. While no bout agreements have been signed, a source close to the bout informed Sherdog.com that there is significant interest on both sides, and that the championship contest will likely be put together. The to-be-named Reality Fighting event will go down at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Gonzaga (Pictured) has lost three of his last four, including recent back-to-back defeats to heavyweight contenders Junior dos Santos and Brendan Schaub in 2010. The Brazilian began his UFC career in 2005, rattling off four straight victories en route to a title shot against then-champion Randy Couture in 2007. After suffering the first defeat of his promotional career to “Captain America,” Gonzaga would go on to post a 3-4 record before being bounced by the promotion after his unanimous decision defeat to Schaub in October. A winner of 11 pro fights, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has finished each of his career victims by either knockout or submission.

Currently the Reality Fighting heavyweight champion, the twice beaten Porter last fought in December, submitting to a neck crank at Xtreme Fighting Championships 13. As a point of interest, the Underdog Brazilian jiu-jitsu representative suffered a 36-second knockout defeat to current UFC light heavyweight title contender Jon Jones in 2008. Porter holds half of his career wins by submission and has only been to a decision once in his six-fight stint as a pro.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Vet Irvin Allegedly Tests Positive for Steroids

UFC light heavyweight veteran James Irvin allegedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid following his loss to Jorge Oliveira at Tachi Palace Fights 7 in December.

Irvin allegedly tested positive for Epitrenbolone, also known as Trenbolone Metabolite. Trenbolone, taken by intramuscular injection, is a steroid typically used on livestock to increase appetite and muscle growth.

Sherdog.com confirmed news of Irvin's alleged positive test on Wednesday with California State Athletic Commission officials.

Prior to being submitted by Oliveira on Dec. 2, Irvin had lost three of four bouts, including a trifecta of fights in the UFC. Irvin began his UFC career in 2006, compiling a 3-1 record by besting the likes of Luis Artur Cane Jr. and Houston Alexander. “The Sandman” then stepped up to take on longtime middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva in 2008. After being knocked out in just 61 seconds, Irvin allegedly tested positive for banned painkillers.

The 32-year-old's final two bouts in the Octagon also resulted in defeat. Irvin made his middleweight debut for the promotion last March, suffering a TKO loss to Alessio Sakara. Moving back up to light heavyweight, the American was submitted by Croat Igor Pokrajac in the first round of their UFC Live 2 contest in August.

Since losing to Oliveira and allegedly testing positive for Epitrenbolone, Irvin has competed once in 2011, registering a no-contest on Jan. 29 after hitting his downed opponent with an illegal knee at a Gladiator Challenge event at the Elko Indian Colony Gymnasium in Elko, Nevada. Currently, the light heavyweight has a fight scheduled for March 11 against former UFC foe Houston Alexander at Shark Fights 14.

 

[Shogun Locc]

April 9 "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" set for Valley View Casino Center in San Diego

Strikeforce makes its San Diego debut on April 9.

The event, which originally was scheduled to feature the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix but instead now features a pair of title fights, takes place at the 16,000-seat Valley View Casino Center.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the venue for the Showtime-televised event, likely to be "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley," with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) overnight.

Strikeforce never previously has hosted an event in San Diego, though California has been a popular destination for the San Jose-based promotion.

As Coker told MMAjunkie.com on Tuesday, the April 9 event features a championship doubleheader: welterweight titleholder Nick Diaz (24-7 MMA, 5-0 SF) vs. Paul Daley (27-9-2 MMA, 2-0 SF) and lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2 MMA, 0-0 SF).

The second pair of opening-round matchups from the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix has been pushed back to June 18. The event, which takes place at Dallas' American Airlines Center, includes Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers. Gina Carano also is likely to return at the event.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC on Versus 3’s Roller anxious to match grappling chops with Tavares

Shane Roller is "all systems go" for his inaugural trip to the UFC.

The 31-year-old Roller (9-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is an eight-time veteran of the UFC's sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, and former top contender in the lightweight division.

A seamless post-merger transition to the big stage is something he fully expects.

"It's still the same to me," Roller recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "The only change will probably be the bigger crowd and all that. My approach is going to be the exact same."

His first assignment is Thiago Tavares (15-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) on the preliminary card at UFC on Versus 3, which takes place Thursday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Versus airs the main card, which is headlined by welterweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.

Tavares, a 26-year-old Brazilian, is currently riding a three-fight unbeaten streak. Most recently, he defeated Pat Audinwood via first-round guillotine submission at UFC 119.

"I'm looking forward to it," Roller said. "I think he's one of the better grapplers in our division. It will definitely let me know where I'm at on my grappling side. I am confident and ready and looking forward to this challenge."

Tavares has found past success against quality grapplers such as Manny Gamburyan, Michihiro Omigawa and Nik Lentz.

None, however, has carried with him the level of wrestling credentials that Roller possesses. He's a former three-time Division I All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University and comes from a camp chock-full of elite wrestlers in fellow Team Takedown members Johny Hendricks and brothers Jake and Jared Rosholt

There's a very good chance his wrestling base once again will serve as the dominant component in his game plan Thursday night in an effort to maintain control and dictate where the fight takes place.

At the same time, Roller knows he has to remain conscious of the submission offense of the jiu-jitsu black belt Tavares, who has 11 career wins by submission.

"You definitely have to be on point," Roller said. "You have to have your game sharp and ready to go and know what he's looking for and be ready."

Carelessness was partly to blame for his WEC 50 loss to Anthony Pettis, who submitted Roller by triangle choke after he dove into guard late in the third round.

Roller would like to avoid a repeat and possibly even impose a formidable submission game of his own, much like he did in recent victories over Anthony Njokuani and Jamie Varner.

"Both of us I think are really dangerous with our submissions," he said. "You mess up one time, and you might be regretting it. He makes you pay for mistakes as well as I think I do. I can get someone's back, and it's game over. It's going to be fun."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce officially announces April's "Diaz vs. Daley," grand prix event for June

The reports, the rumors and the recommendations are all over.

Strikeforce brass has officially announced its upcoming plans.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported, the California-based promotion today announced it hosts "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" on April 9 in San Diego, and the second round of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix resumes on June 18 in Dallas.

Strikeforce officials had previously tagged the April date for the renewal of the grand prix, but the company's CEO said the company needed more time to properly promote the event.

"Strikeforce is coming off a record pre-sale and impressive attendance for the kickoff of the grand prix at IZOD Center in New Jersey that also drew a record viewership on Showtime for live MMA," Scott Coker stated in an official release. "To build on the tremendous momentum from New Jersey we needed the proper time to promote an event of this magnitude, which is why we have decided to continue the tournament on June 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, a venue that has been identified as one of the premier sports and entertainment venues in the U.S."

The June event sees the final two quarterfinal matchups in Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix as the promotion's heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (34-11 MMA, 3-0 SF) faces Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1 MMA, 3-0 SF), and Josh Barnett (26-5 MMA, 0-0 SF) fights Brett Rogers (11-2 MMA, 2-2 SF).

Despite the changes, Strikeforce has not abandoned its plans to hold an event in April. Instead, the company will now hold two title fights on April 9 at San Diego's Valley View Casino Center. The event features welterweight champion Nick Diaz (24-7 MMA, 5-0 SF) defending his title against Paul Daley (27-9-2 MMA, 2-0 SF), and lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez (18-2 MMA, 8-1 SF) defends his belt against Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2 MMA, 0-0 SF).

"We are fortunate to replace the April 9 date with a tremendous world championship doubleheader featuring the eagerly awaited showdown between Nick and Paul and the sensational matchup between Gilbert and Tatsuya," Coker stated. "This is a fight everyone has been waiting for, and I'd like to thank DREAM for allowing Tatsuya to come to the U.S. to take on our lightweight world champion.”

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC On Versus 3: CB Dollaway Looks to Move From Prospect to Contender

Being called a prospect in the sport of MMA is a compliment by most standards. Being called a contender is even better.

That’s the distinction C.B. Dollaway is looking for as he steps into the cage with Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 3 on Thursday night in Louisville, Ky.

The one-time “Ultimate Fighter” finalist, who now has more fights in the UFC than he did in his entire fighting career before that show started, is ready to take that next step in his career.

“Getting the co-main event, it’s my first one, so it’s a big opportunity for me, and hopefully go out there and perform like I know I can,” Dollaway told MMAWeekly Radio recently.

Now that he has a full-time gym of his own to train at, Power MMA and Fitness in Arizona, Dollaway has found stability for the first time in a couple of years. His training has hit new heights and, while he admits he is still probably at least a year away from feeling like he’s hit his peak, Dollaway is ready to start that path on Thursday night.

The fight with Munoz will bring an interesting dichotomy to Dollaway’s preparation. He has fought a lot of good wrestlers throughout his career, and he himself is a decorated wrestler out of Arizona State, but this will be an interesting test for him against Munoz.

“He’s by far the best wrestler I’ve ever fought. He’s an NCAA champion, a few time All-American, so he’s at the top of the scale of all the guys I’ve ever fought. I’ll just fight him wherever it goes,” Dollaway stated.

“I make a game plan, but game plans go out the window as soon as you start fighting. I’ve just been working on being well rounded and wherever the fight goes I’m prepared.”

This is really the second time that Dollaway has prepared for Munoz. His teammate, Aaron Simpson, fought Munoz just last November, and of course Dollaway was a key to his preparation, mimicking Munoz and helping his friend prepare for the fight.

Dollaway looks at Munoz for a little bit of redemption in this fight. When Munoz fought Simpson, it was Munoz who came out on top. Dollaway is adamant about saying there is nothing personal in this fight, there’s still a little bit of fire inside of him to get a win back for his team.

“We’re buddies, but regardless, I want to go out and get that for my teammate,” said Dollaway. “I want to go out and get that one back for us. It doesn’t matter who it was, someone beat my teammate, I want to go and get it back for the Arizona guys.”

If that’s motivation for Dollaway, the ultimate driver for this fight is knowing that the winner will catapult into a very good place in the middleweight division. With a list of past contenders currently recovering from losses while Anderson Silva is awaiting word on his next opponent, the chances of getting closer to a title shot with a win on Thursday night looks better and better.

“It’s definitely a division where guys can make their names right now. If you step up, put together a few good fights, you could be right there. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Dollaway said.

“Winning this fight should bring good things for the future.”