MMA News Thread

[drunkaholic707]

Local feature fights added, Bellator 36 lineup now complete with eight fights

The full lineup for Bellator's return to Louisiana is now complete.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that four "local feature" fights have been added to this weekend's Bellator 36 event, and the card is now complete with eight fights.

Featuring the four quarterfinal fights of Bellator's season-four tournament, Bellator 36 takes place Saturday at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, La., and airs live on MTV2.

The "local feature" fights are scheduled for the evening's un-aired preliminary card.

The four new fights include Kelly Leo (3-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Chad Leonhardt (7-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC), Kevin Aguilar (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Matt Hunt (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC), Kelvin Hackney (11-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Josh Shockley (6-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and Booker Arthur (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Javon Duhon (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC).

With the additions, the full lineup for Bellator 36 now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Patricky Freire vs. Rob McCullough (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Toby Imada vs. Ferrid Kheder (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Carey Vanier vs. Lloyd Woodward (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Mike Chandler vs. Marcin Held (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Kelly Leo vs. Chad Leonhardt
* Kevin Aguilar vs. Matt Hunt
* Kalvin Hackney vs. Josh Shockley
* Booker Arthur vs. Javon Duhon

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator Champ Lombard Faces Doerksen March 25 in Australia

Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight titleholder Hector Lombard is slated to return to the promotion’s circular cage in May, but the American Top Team fighter will participate in some extracurricular activity in the meantime.

Australian promotion Cage Fighting Championship has announced that Lombard (Pictured) will take on UFC veteran Joe Doerksen in the main event of CFC 16, which takes place March 25 in Sydney at Luna Park’s Big Top Stadium.

Lombard is no stranger to fighting in Australia, nor for CFC. An Olympian for Cuba in the 2000 Sydney Games, the judo black belt defected to Australia from his home country in 2002. The 33-year-old has competed in over 20 MMA and kickboxing bouts in Australia and is the current CFC middleweight champion, a title he has defended six times.

Unbeaten since 2006, Lombard will enter his bout with Doerksen on an impressive 16-fight win streak. Lombard last saw action in October, when he defended his Bellator title with a five-round decision against second-season tournament winner Alexander Shlemenko. It was only the fourth bout in Lombard’s current tear to reach the judges’ scorecards.

Doerksen, 33, recently finished his latest tour of duty with the UFC. The Canadian has fought for the promotion nine times since 2004 with a record of 2-7; in 2010, losses to C.B. Dollaway and Dan Miller led to his ouster. However, Doerksen’s overall record stands at 46-14, and the Winnipeg native holds notable wins against current UFC talents Chris Leben, Riki Fukuda and Ed Herman.

Also announced for CFC 16 was a welterweight No. 1 contender bout pitting once-beaten Manuel “Chalate” Rodriguez against New Zealand standout “Hot” Rod MacSwain, with the winner receiving a shot at current CFC 170-pound champ Jesse Juarez.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Warren Draws ‘Louro’ for Non-Title Fight at Bellator 41

Joe Warren may be eying an Olympic bid at the 2012 London Games, but the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” is not putting his MMA career aside just yet.

Bellator Fighting Championships’ 145-pound titleholder will return to action against Ring of Combat featherweight champ Marcos “Louro” Galvao on April 16 in a 137-pound catchweight affair at Bellator 41, a source with knowledge of the matchup informed Sherdog.com on Tuesday. No venue has been announced for the event, which will air live on MTV2.

Warren, 34, is an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler on the international stage and won gold in the 132-pound division of the 2006 FILA Wrestling World Championships. His bid at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was cut short when he tested positive for THC at the 2007 U.S. team trials, but Warren has been vocal in his desire to take part in the 2012 games.

Since transitioning to MMA in March 2009, the former Michigan Wolverine has compiled a ledger of 6-1; his only loss came in his third fight, when he was armbarred by former Dream champ Bibiano Fernandes. Warren took decisions over Eric Marriott, Georgi Karakhanyan and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire to win Bellator’s second-season featherweight tournament in spring 2010. Last September, he disposed of Joe Soto with a stunning second-round knockout to become Bellator’s undisputed top featherweight.

A product of Rio de Janeiro’s famed Nova Uniao camp, Galvao has competed under the banners of such organizations as Shooto and World Extreme Cagefighting. The 29-year-old was released from the latter promotion in March 2009 following a brutal knockout loss at the hands of Damacio Page at WEC 39. Since returning from a 14-month layoff last May, “Louro” has won three straight, most recently besting Ryan Vaccaro in December to claim the ROC 145-pound title.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Local feature fights added, Bellator 36 lineup now complete with eight fights

The full lineup for Bellator's return to Louisiana is now complete.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the promotion that four "local feature" fights have been added to this weekend's Bellator 36 event, and the card is now complete with eight fights.

Featuring the four quarterfinal fights of Bellator's season-four tournament, Bellator 36 takes place Saturday at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, La., and airs live on MTV2.

The "local feature" fights are scheduled for the evening's un-aired preliminary card.

The four new fights include Kelly Leo (3-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Chad Leonhardt (7-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC), Kevin Aguilar (1-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Matt Hunt (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC), Kelvin Hackney (11-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Josh Shockley (6-0-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and Booker Arthur (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) vs. Javon Duhon (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC).

With the additions, the full lineup for Bellator 36 now includes:

MAIN CARD

* Patricky Freire vs. Rob McCullough (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Toby Imada vs. Ferrid Kheder (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Carey Vanier vs. Lloyd Woodward (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)
* Mike Chandler vs. Marcin Held (lightweight tourney quarterfinal)

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Kelly Leo vs. Chad Leonhardt
* Kevin Aguilar vs. Matt Hunt
* Kalvin Hackney vs. Josh Shockley
* Booker Arthur vs. Javon Duhon

 

[Shogun Locc]

Ryan Bader Calls Out Rich Franklin and Stephan Bonnar

"Tito (Ortiz) is probably not going to happen. In that interview they were asking who I thought I would fight and I said either Tito, (Rich) Franklin or (Stephan) Bonnar because those are the guys that are open. Those are the three guys who don’t have fights or that aren’t injured at this time. People blow it up like I called Tito out. I’d like to fight him but I don’t think he will."

 

[Shogun Locc]

Jorge Masvidal Ready for the Next Challenger, Could It Be K.J. Noons?

Jorge Masvidal wanted to make a statement when he signed with Strikeforce and entered their lightweight division. He took a big step forward by beating previously undefeated contender Billy Evangelista last Saturday night.

Masvidal now throws his name in the hat among a short list of potential contenders to get a shot at the winner of the upcoming fight between champion Gilbert Melendez and challenger Tatsuya Kawajiri.

“I know Billy had like 6 or 7 straight wins in Strikeforce, so he’s definitely got to be up there. If I can’t fight for the title, then the next toughest guy out there, I’d like to fight them,” Masvidal said about his place in the lightweight division.

One name that has circulated as a possible next opponent for Masvidal is former Elite XC lightweight champion K.J. Noons. While Strikeforce has yet to confirm his placement on the card, Noons has stated he expects to fight on April 9 in San Diego.

Masvidal is healthy and ready to go following his fight against Evangelista, and if Strikeforce makes the call, he’ll be happy to fight Noons in April.

“I feel good, I’ll fight K.J. right now,” Masvidal stated.

Strikeforce officials told MMAWeekly.com on Saturday that Noons could end up on the card in April, especially because of his fan following in San Diego, the primary area he trains out of. As far as Masvidal’s participation, nothing is ruled out at this point.

Masvidal is pretty much ready to fight whoever Strikeforce puts in front of him.

“I don’t got an idea, but hopefully I’ll find out soon enough,” Masvidal commented.

For now he’ll wait for the call from Strikeforce, and if he’s not already competing on the April 9 card, Masvidal will surely be watching with a new level of interest as he guns for the top lightweights in the promotion.

 

[Shogun Locc]

First Contact! Katsunori Kikuno X Shinya Aoki

Top Japanese Lightweight Katsunori Kikuno trained at Nippon Top Team for the second time on the 8th and it was the first time ever that he and Shinya Aoki made (skin) contact.

Kikuno wrote that Aoki was so strong to the point that he (Kikuno) was deeply moved.

“I believe I want to beat this fighter from the bottom of my heart.”

And just to make something clear, NTT is not an official MMA team/gym but a group of fighters from different MMA teams/gyms that sometimes get together and train (grappling). The three famous fighters of NTT are Shinya Aoki, Satoru Kitaoka, and Masakazu Imanari.

 

[Shogun Locc]

If Bisping-Sonnen Is Not Made, Bisping-Munoz Should Be

Those familiar with the above byline know the smile that will appear on this writer’s face if Michael Bisping is next paired with Chael Sonnen. The reason: it could be one of the all-time best fights in terms of pure trash talk potential.

Bisping is an eminently marketable cash cow in the U.K. and a polarizing figure, particularly after his postfight tirade at UFC 127, where he went ballistic on Jorge Rivera and spit through the cage, allegedly at Rivera’s corner. Throw in the blatantly illegal knee Bisping landed and you’ve got a heel that the public, at least stateside, is dying to see taken out.

Sonnen, awaiting sentencing March 28 after pleading guilty to money laundering in January, is expected to receive probation. He has already gone to work on Bisping in an interview with Fighters Only magazine, alleging that Bisping will be forced to fight him next.

Sonnen’s six-month suspension from the California State Athletic Commission, triggered by elevated testosterone levels due to testosterone replacement therapy, ended March 3. He will next need to deal with getting relicensed, an adventure unto itself.

If Bisping-Sonnen is not made, Bisping needs someone at an equally high level of competition. Enter Mark Munoz.

The “Filipino Wrecking Machine” was sharp and devastating in a 54-second stoppage of C.B. Dollaway at UFC Live 3. Munoz has an aggressive style, excellent wrestling and heavy hands, and he would go right after Bisping -- a strategy that the Brit’s recent opponents have been largely unable to execute.

Fans do not want to see Bisping against someone who might beat him via submission, or a stale decision. They want to see him against someone who will bring truckloads of violence. Munoz would provide that, as well as a nice test of Bisping’s ability to deal with the next level of competition -- something “The Count” is overdue for, at least in the context of his current three-fight win streak.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Paul Daley On Nick Diaz: "There’s No Way He’ll Stand Up With Me"

When did you first hear that Strikeforce wanted the Nick Diaz fight to happen as soon as April 9th?

Well it was the week of my fight when I heard a few different things but Strikeforce had announced that they were moving the heavyweight tournament around a little so we expected maybe to hear something.

Not long after I beat Shirai, my manager got the call asking about fighting Diaz on 9th April. I think when Strikeforce knew that the heavyweight tournament would have to be moved then my fight with Shirai was the one result they were waiting for.

Do you think you’ve got enough time to prepare for someone as dangerous as Nick Diaz?

Well first I wasn’t going to take it because I wanted some downtime after this training camp but my team spoke about it and we’re confident that we’ve got a good game for this fight and this is the right decision for us.

I’m going to smash him, take his belt then I can take all the time off I want.

There were situations outside of your control that contributed to the weigh in situation at BAMMA but are you confident that you can hit the 170 mark at Strikeforce?

Yeah the BAMMA situation was pretty messed up because the hotel had locked the Sauna off and that situation made it pretty impossible. In the end I only missed it by 0.4lbs and with a sauna that would have come off pretty easily.

There’s no downtime so I don’t have to do as big a cut so I’m very confident that Strikeforce won’t be a problem.

Do you honestly think that Nick Diaz will stand up with you?

There’s no way he’ll stand up with me. He might think he wants to but his coaches won’t allow it; Cesar Gracie’s a great coach and he won’t want him trading punches.

What holes do you see in Nick Diaz’s game that you can exploit?

His boxing and his lack of wrestling. I’m a better athlete than he is. He’s a really dangerous grappler but he’s got to get in close enough to make it work and I’m not going to give him the chance.

Do you ever want to fight back in the UFC or do you just want to fight?

I just want to fight against decent competition and be able to live the life of a fighter and pay my bills. The thing is there’s a lot of great fighters in different organisations and the UFC doesn’t have such a stranglehold on all the best talent.

It’s great for fighters who want to fight often against good guys and maybe don’t want to fight in the UFC.

So looking on to April 9th then. What are we going to see from Paul Daley?

I’m going to smash him within three rounds. We do have a more complex game plan than that but that’s as simple as I can break it down at the minute.

 

[$migg Cant Rap]

i like daley because he is a fan of diaz & his style of fighting/shit talking. but i wanna see daley get beat,& i will mark the fuck out if he gets dropped!!!!!

actually, i will mark the fuck out if anybody gets dropped. diaz ftw.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Strikeforce champ Henderson anticipates summer return, interested in Emelianenko

Dan Henderson says he'll give it one more go early this summer before taking time off to be with his family.

Then it's back to the gym in the fall and a possible fight at the end of the year, if all goes well.

Who's next on his list? Henderson today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that a fight with the winner of Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle is logical. But the new champ said he's also open to a future meeting with his favorite fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

"Obviously, he's still one of the top guys out there in the world, and it would be a huge challenge," Henderson said. "It would interest me to go up."

The superfight popped onto the radar almost immediately after Henderson (27-8 MMA, 2-1 SF) demolished Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante with a flurry of punches this past Saturday at "Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson" to become the promotion's new light heavyweight champion.

Henderson said that while his first priority is defending his new belt, he's open to fighting at middleweight or heavyweight if the right opportunity is presented.

Emelianenko could present just such an opportunity should Strikeforce be interested in making the superfight. The former PRIDE heavyweight champ appears to have put retirement on hold following a loss to Antonio Silva this past month in the first round of the promotion's heavyweight grand prix, and there's a possibility he may re-enter the competition as an alternate, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

It's been nine years since Henderson took a fight with a bigger man. At PRIDE 24, he was submitted by heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a rematch of a February 2000 bout which he won by decision en route to clinching the open-weight Rings King of Kings tournament.

Henderson cornered his former Team Quest teammate Matt Lindland when Lindland went up in weight in April 2007 to fight Emelianenko in the now-defunct BodogFIGHT promotion. Emelianenko won by armbar in the first round.

At this point, though, a Henderson vs. Emelianeko fight is purely speculative. If Henderson returns in June, the frontrunner to fight him is the winner of Mousasi vs. Kyle, which takes place next month in San Diego at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley."

"That would probably make the most sense," Henderson said.

The second quarterfinal event of Strikeforce's heavyweight grand prix is slated for June 18 in Dallas.

Meanwhile, "Hendo" has added another belt to his mantle.

"It's got to be right up there at the top," Henderson said of his recent accomplishment. "The most recent, which always feels the best to you. But it had a lot of added pleasure, I should say, knowing that I'm 40 and can still compete at the top level. That definitely means a lot."

 

[Shogun Locc]

 

[Shogun Locc]

Matt Lindland sued for allegedly stealing 6 marijuana plants

Ultimate fighter and former Republican political candidate Matt "The Law" Lindland is being sued for allegedly stealing six mature marijuana plants.

In a suit filed March 3 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, plaintiff Gonzalo Aldana Gamboa claims Lindland offered last year to let Gamboa grow pot under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program on Lindland's property in Eagle Creek.

According to the lawsuit, Gamboa registered the grow site with the state of Oregon and harvested six mature plants last October. Lindland helped load the plants into a U-Haul truck and told Gamboa he was moving them to his shed to dry, the lawsuit says. But when Gamboa returned a month later, Lindland would not allow him to collect his harvest, the lawsuit says.

Lindland, who lost a 2008 run for state House District 52 as the GOP nominee, has not yet responded to email and phone messages seeking comment.

The suit, filed by Portland lawyer William Macke, seeks $122,880 for the lost marijuana plants.

Gamboa's lawsuit is similar to a breach of contract claim filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court last December in which a grower is suing his business partner for $127,000 to cover his share in a medical-marijuana grow.

Under Oregon law, medical-marijuana growers can charge patients to cover the expense of growing. But growers are forbidden under the law from turning a profit. Several lawyers we interviewed questioned whether the lawsuit filed in December will hold up in court.

Macke acknowledges his client was forbidden from profiting off the pot plants. Nonetheless, Macke says his client is suing for the estimated street value of the lost weed.

"There is an economic value," Macke says. "I think it could be argued that that's what it's worth."

On determing the weed's value, Macke adds: "It may be a little bit of a long shot legally."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar Signs on With New Management

Just weeks after UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar split from manager Shari Spencer, the top 155lb fighter in the world has now signed on with new representation.

Sources have indicated to MMAWeekly.com that Edgar will now begin working with Dominance MMA headed up by Ali Abdel-Aziz, who along with Edgar’s wife Renee, will handle Edgar’s management going forward.

Abdel-Aziz manages several other prominent fighters including Renzo Gracie, Ricardo Almeida, Rafael “Sapo” Natal, as well as several Gracie fighters including Igor, Gregor and Rolles Gracie.

Edgar is a mainstay at the main Renzo Gracie academy in New York City, while also training at Ricardo Almeida’s gym in New Jersey.

It appears the UFC lightweight champion is staying close to home with his new management team, and keeping his business in the family.

Edgar returns to action this May when he defends his lightweight title for the second time against Gray Maynard after their last fight ended in a draw. Edgar will be training alongside the team at Renzo Gracie’s as he prepares for the trilogy against Maynard at UFC 130.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Khalidov-Irvin Named New KSW 15 Headliner

First it was Matt Lindland, then Thales Leites. Now, Mamed Khalidov’s opponent for March 19 has changed yet again.

The Polish middleweight standout will square off against UFC veteran James Irvin in the main event of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 15, which takes place at Towar Hall in Warsaw. The promotion officially announced the switch on Wednesday.

Khalidov’s original foe, Lindland, was forced from the matchup in February due to a hand injury sustained in training. Thereafter, the organization revealed that Leites would step in for “The Law,” but the Brazilian was soon also found to be injured. Irvin’s participation was first rumored last week following the cancelation of his Shark Fights 14 co-main event with Houston Alexander, which was scrapped after Irvin allegedly tested positive for an anabolic steroid following a December bout in California.

Irvin, 32, was released by the UFC for the second time in August after suffering consecutive losses to Anderson Silva, Alessio Sakara and Igor Pokrajac. The California-based “Sandman” served a nine-month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission between the Silva and Sakara bouts after testing positive for illegal painkillers. Irvin has won just one of his last six outings, an October knockout of Angel DeAnda under the Rebel Fights banner.

The current KSW light heavyweight champion, 30-year-old Khalidov was last seen in Tokyo on Dec. 30, when he punched out Yuki Sasaki at Sengoku Raiden Championships’ “Soul of Fight.” The Chechen-born fighter has won 18 of his last 21 bouts, losing just once since 2005. That loss came in March 2010, a five-round decision defeat at the hands of then-SRC middleweight champ Jorge Santiago, whom Khalidov had knocked out four months prior.

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 128 co-headliners Faber and Wineland open to "TUF 14" coaching slots

Bantamweights Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland say a shot at UFC champ Dominick Cruz takes priority over a coaching slot on the 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

But both agree that if the reality show leads them more quickly to contendership, they're all for going in front of the Spike TV cameras.

Before any of that happens, Faber (24-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Wineland (18-6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) face off next Saturday in a UFC 128 co-main event they expect will bring the winner a title shot.

UFC 128 takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and airs live on pay-per-view. A light-heavyweight title bout between champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Jon Jones headlines the show.

Faber and Wineland are unsure if their fight will open the door to a coaching spot opposite Cruz. The show airs later this year, and for the first time in show history, features fighters lighter than 155 pounds.

"I don't think so," Faber today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) when asked if he sees this fight as a qualifier for "TUF 14" coaching duties. "I don't know what those guys' criteria is for that, but they seem to change it up a lot, and I haven't heard anything at all. I feel like this is the shot to get a title shot, which is most important to me.

"The reality show thing would be great, but my focus is getting that belt."

The prospect of using lighter-weight fighters has been often discussed among fans since the WEC merged with the UFC. Faber, of course, has been a frontrunner in such discussions, though the former featherweight star said the scheduling of such an opportunity could be a drawback.

"I'd love to coach on the show," he said. "I think that would put me out until about December. It would be a trade-off, of course, but it's a great marketing tool, and I think it would be an awesome experience.

But again, it depends on what those guys are thinking because I have zero say in it."

Wineland, a former WEC bantamweight champ, agreed with Faber about taking a coaching slot on "TUF."

"I want what he wants, and he wants what I want," he said. "What we both want is that belt. If the 'TUF 14' coach position arises in the midst of it, so be it. I'd be happy to do it. But right now, my focus is on Urijah and then that belt."

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC's Bonnar eyeing June/July return, hoping for Franklin, Griffin, Bader or Ortiz

In the time since Stephan Bonnar scored a decision victory over Igor Pokrajac, the defeated Croatian has already fought and picked up a victory.

Bonnar, meanwhile, hasn't even been booked for a fight.

But "The American Psycho," a fan favorite and six-year UFC vet, today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he expects to return in June and July, and he's got some big names on his wish list.

"You always like a big name," said Bonnar, who's kept busy with broadcasting gigs, business ventures and some injury-recovery time since his most recent fight. "I was hinting toward someone like (Rich) Franklin or (Forrest) Griffin again ... or maybe (Ryan) Bader or even Tito Ortiz."

Admittedly, though, nothing is official.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said of his next fight.

With Griffin's recent win over Franklin – and with Bonnar's back-to-back victories – there's been some buzz for a third meeting between the two fighters. The first fight, of course, is the stuff of legend. In the live finale of "The Ultimate Fighter 1" – and in a fight UFC president Dana White calls the most important in MMA history – Griffin narrowly edged Bonnar in an epic slugfest that propelled MMA and the UFC into the mainstream. The rematch took place a year later, and Griffin reigned supreme in a bit more dominant fashion.

Bonnar wants a third meeting with Griffin. But he feels the same way about any big-name fight.

"It's a big draw," Bonnar said of his fights with Griffin. "I want to fight someone that fans want to watch. I want to be on the big stage. ... As a fighter, that's what you want."

Bonnar said his recent break from fighting has been good for him.

"I got a chance to heal," said Bonnar, who did some broadcasting work at UFC on Versus 3 this past week. "But on top of that, really, you want to develop the other parts of your life. I hate to say it, but just fighting ... and going back to the gym is kind of depressing.

"I think it's important to develop the other parts of your life."

He said a little distance and perspective is just what he needed to get fired up for a return.

"Now I'm kind of hungry to get back in there and fight again," he said.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Koch vs. Assuncao official for UFC 128, lineup set for PPV, Spike TV, Facebook

A featherweight bout between Erik Koch (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Raphael Assuncao (16-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is now official for next week's "UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones" event.

The fight, which is slated for the untelevised preliminary card, is the 12th and final addition to the card.

The event takes place March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view, and preliminary-card fights air on Spike TV and stream on Facebook.

Koch initially was slated to fight Cub Swanson at UFC on Versus 3 (and Assuncao was slated to fight Manny Gamburyan at UFC 128) before both opponents were sidelined by injuries. UFC officials then booked the Koch vs. Swanson matchup.

UFC 128 features a championship headliner between light-heavyweight titleholder Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and top prospect Jon Jones. Additionally, Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland meet in a likely No. 1 contender's bout that co-headlines the show.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, UFC 128 airs at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT). The Facebook stream begins at 8 p.m. ET at www.facebook.com/ufc, and the Spike TV "UFC Prelims" special kicks off at 9 p.m. ET. Beginning with UFC 129, the PPV start time are expected to move up to 9 p.m. ET.

The full UFC 128 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

* Champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon Jones (for light-heavyweight title)
* Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
* Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt
* Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall
* Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch
* Nick Catone vs. Dan Miller

 

[Shogun Locc]

UFC 127 drug tests come back clean

Six fighters who underwent testing for performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse tested clean following UFC 127.

UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner today e-mailed the drug-test results to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The event was overseen by the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, though the UFC independently conducted the testing.

UFC 127 took place Feb. 27 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, and aired live on pay-per-view. Headliners B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch fought to a majority draw in a welterweight bout.

The UFC tested both Penn and Fitch, as well as four others at random on the 12-fight card. The names of the fighters tested at random were not disclosed.

All tested negative for drugs of abuse (such as marijuana and cocaine), as well as anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancers.

The main event ended in disappointment after Penn took an early lead in the opening frame before Fitch charged back in the second. The two then fought a competitive fight, but it was Fitch who dominated the third round and earned a 10-8 score from two judges. Those scores resulted a majority draw.

Michael Bisping's TKO win over Jorge Rivera in the evening's co-main event was marred by an illegal – and some would say intentional – knee and a nasty post-fight scene in which he spit in the direction of Rivera's cornermen.

 

[Shogun Locc]

Bellator 36's "Razor" Rob McCullough out to impress fans in lightweight tourney

Former WEC champion "Razor" Rob McCullough went 10-1 with nine stoppage victories and a lone split-decision defeat from 2003 to 2007.

An exciting style, which saw opponents quit from everything ranging from leg kicks to broken ribs to facial swelling, was his hallmark during the streak.

So as the 33-year-old McCullough (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BFC) enters Bellator Fighting Championships' lightweight tournament and an opening-round matchup with Patricky Freire (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) at Saturday's Bellator 36 event, he again has destruction on his mind.

"To be honest with you, I like putting a stamp on my fights and finishing them, and people going, 'There's no doubt in my mind that's a new guy; he came to do business,'" McCullough recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "When I start going to decisions and stuff, that's when I start feeling like I should have finished a guy ... and something is missing from my game. But I feel like a complete fighter again."

McCullough enters the eight-man field, who all are in action at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Louisiana on Saturday's MTV2 broadcast, with three wins in his past four fights, including a pair of recent Tachi Palace Fights victories over Isaac DeJesus and UFC veteran Corey Hill.

Aside from Toby Imada, McCullough is the tournament's most experienced competitor. He's undoubtedly the biggest and most established name among the group, which includes former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Mike Chandler, top Polish prospect Marcin Held and European judo champion Ferrid Kheder.

McCullough said the fighters' abilities to control their own destiny, compete multiple times in a short timeframe, and potentially earn some solid paychecks all made the move to Bellator a logical one.

"I'm a happy guy," said McCullough, a married father of one. "When you spend most your life pursuing a sport, you want to make sure you can still get paid for it, especially when you have a family. I'm a happy guy."

McCullough said he's essentially put together a nine-month fight camp for the bout. As an instructor at HB Ultimate Training Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., he's visited other camps while bringing in fresh faces to his. As part of his teaching duties, he's also been working with local police, sheriff deputies and SWAT members on hand-to-hand combat.

He's been "adding some new things" to his game and "sharpening my edge, they may say."

Against Freire, the brother of Bellator fighter Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and a veteran of the Brazilian fight circuit, he meets a fellow well-rounded competitor known for his toughness and sometimes-violent fighting style.

McCullough, though, likes it that way.

"He's an aggressive guy," he said. "He likes to bang. It's going to make for a great fight."