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2009-07-01T09:50:00.007-04:00

Drago Steps Up

2008-05-27T22:12:00.003-04:00

Serra-Longo middleweight and UFC veteran Pete "Drago" Sell recently spent time with a high-school wrestler battling cancer. Read more about it here.

Straight from the Shark's Mouth

2008-05-21T14:52:00.008-04:00

Sean Sherk has been obstreperous in denying the steroid allegations that have plagued him since this summer, but I'm not wholly convinced that he's innocent. In fact, I'm not at all convinced.

In an interview before his UFC 73 fight with Hermes Franca, Sherk spoke about overcoming a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a year:

"There was a lot of pressure I put on myself to get back sooner. I don’t like sitting on the sidelines. I’m a fighter. I don’t want to be the guy sitting on the couch watching all these other guys fight on TV and I’m eating potato chips. I want to get in there. I want to fight and defend my belt. I want to make some money. I want to train. I’m not used to sitting on the sidelines watching my training partners’ train, which I had to do unfortunately for eight-nine weeks. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to get back in there, get back in the gym and I spent a lot of time rehabbing. I was actually back on the mat 10 weeks after the surgery, which blew my physical therapist away."

Is it me, or doesn't this seem to be more like an excuse for taking steroids, rather than a flat-out denial? Sherk needed money; he needed to get out on the mat. I understand that. What I don't understand is exactly how he dealt with that pressure, and how, coincidentally, he tested positive for steroids.

Hermes Franca, who admitted to using banned substances, made an eerily similar statement after testing positive.

Am I crazy, or just a blatant BJ Penn fan?

The Worst Farts in MMA?

2008-05-21T13:30:00.008-04:00

The following is an excerpt from the latest installment of a four-part series on IFL welterweight champ and Long Island native Jay Hieron:

"We had a lot of good times in the IFL, (Mike) Pyle and I. At one of the events we were at, the commission guys were watching us wrap our hands and everyone just started farting. Mike has the worst farts ever. Anyone who knows him knows that that is true. He should be in the Guiness Book of World Records for stinkiest farts. I’d bet my next purse that no one has worse farts. Bas had a towel over his face the whole time. It stank in that locker room. It got so bad at one point the commission guys had to leave the room. We were wrapping our hands with nobody watching. We could have put brass knuckles in our gloves. Of course we didn’t, we just wrapped our hands up right and went out and did our business."

That's amazing.

Arlovski and Patrycja Split; Game On

2008-05-21T13:03:00.010-04:00

According to my man Andrei Arlovski's MySpace page, he and the lovely Patrycja are no longer. Both list themselves as "Single," and both seem to have taken down pictures of one another.

Come to think of it, she is my type...

Happy Birthday, Andrei Arlovski!!!

2008-02-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

The big guy turns 29 today, and in tribute of one of my absolute favorites of all time, I'm wearing my Arlovski Team Pitbull t-shirt. No, I'm not kidding.

It's been an action-packed past twelve months for the former champ. He earned a decision win over the highly touted Fabricio Werdum, appeared on The Jerry Springer show, launched a series of signature LCD televisions, and left his fans (both of us) wondering where the hell he's been.

Speaking of which, it looks like Arlovski will return to the UFC cage next month at UFC 82 when he will face Jake O'Brien...as part of the undercard.

Happy Birthday, champ.

An Inside Look at Matt Hughes' "Made in America": Part III

2008-01-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

In the closing chapters, Hughes devotes a few lines (and nothing more) to his fights with Frank Trigg, BJ Penn, and Georges St-Pierre. If you’ve seen the fights, you can skip right over these pages. He also talks about doing The Ultimate Fighter, not wanting to fight his good buddy Rich Franklin, getting married, and beating up Royce Gracie. Again, if you’re up on your MMA, you’ve seen and heard it all before.

Hughes finds God and renews his faith as a Christian in the chapter appropriately named “The Sublime and the Ridiculous.” Hughes walks us through his listless spiritual quest and recreates for the reader the evolution of his faith. The conversations with Brian, a buddy from church, were not only self-serving, but also extremely predictable and at times laughable. It was as if he were writing a parable he’d later pass along.

Hughes talks about his admiration for Randy Couture, and how for a long time he wanted nothing to do with Randy after his divorce. Somehow, perhaps through the grace of God, Hughes mustered up the strength to not only say hello to Randy Couture, but to tell him that he’s ready to be Randy’s friend again. Hughes wrote: “I didn’t have to support divorce to support Randy Couture.” How very Christian of him.

As I sailed through the final pages of the book, I noticed that there’d been no mention of Hughes’ bad blood with Matt Serra. Hughes revisits the Serra-GSP fight, after which Hughes and Sean Sherk were captured on camera slapping each other on the back and laughing like schoolgirls. He describes that and nothing more. Serra’s well-articulated disdain for Hughes as a person has been almost contagious throughout the MMA world, and I expected Hughes to at least address his foul-mouthed, East-Coast antagonist, this time in print. Nope.

I’d also been hoping to read about Hughes’ departure from Miletich Fighting Systems. No such luck. In fairness, this book was probably finished by the time he left and took Robbie Lawler with him, so I’ll give him a pass. Then again, based on his cursory treatment of just about everything else in this book, I don’t see why he couldn’t have slipped in a little something.

Ultimately, Made in America falls short. The superficial recollections of boys being boys and the shallow account of Hughes’ championship journey left me unsatisfied. My biggest gripe is that there’s no real emotion in the book, especially when it comes to being a professional fighter. The stories involving Hughes and his wife, I thought, were told with such little regard that you wonder whether he had a smirk on his face when he wrote them.

I don’t know if I’ll ever really root for Matt Hughes in a fight. I don’t know that I want to. I don't think he's a bad guy; I think he's a brutal competitor who’s always looking to get dominant position on you. And it doesn’t really matter who you are.

An Inside Look at Matt Hughes' "Made in America": Part II

2008-01-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

In Part I of my look into Made in America, I talked about Chapters 1-4, which covered Hughes’ childhood and adolescence and culminated with Hughes wetting his beak in the world of MMA. For Part II, I’ll go through those chapters (5-10) in which Matt decides to train full-time with Miletich, and eventually becomes UFC welterweight champion.

After grounding-and-pounding his way through regional promotions, Matt Hughes caught the eye of Pat Miletich and Monte Cox, who subsequently became his manager. The rest, as they say, is history.

Hughes was invited to take on Akihiro Gono in Japan, and looking back on his visit to the Far East, Hughes writes: “I would have killed for just one country breakfast.” Gold.

While competing in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, Hughes, who was mistakenly put in the 205-lb. weight class, was matched up against fellow Miletich product Jeremy Horn. There was a $1,500 prize for quickest submission and another $1,500 for best throw, so Hughes and Horn devised a plan that would leave them $3,000 richer: Hughes would land a big throw early on and would then quickly choke Horn out. Unfortunately, one of Renzo Gracie’s guys walked right into a choke from Renzo himself, so Horn and Hughes only ended up splitting the $1,500 for best throw. I hope the sheik isn’t reading this.

In the finals, Hughes lost in overtime on points to a certain yellow-headed light heavyweight known as Tito Ortiz. Hughes definitely dislikes Tito. In describing Frank Trigg later on in the book, Hughes writes: “He’s just an idiot. On a scale of one to ten, he’s a Tito.”

Tim Sylvia’s name pops up for the first time, as Hughes remembers being at Ultimate Fitness in Bettendorf, IA, and seeing “the biggest doofus in my life try to enter the fight room…I had seen puppies that were less needy and excitable.” And so it begins…

Hughes later insinuated that Dennis Hallman, who twice submitted Hughes, took steroids. I’d been waiting for some Matt Hughes mudslinging, and he pulled a Jose Canseco with this one.

If there’s one thing that everyone who reads this book can agree it on, it’s that Matt Hughes loved the ladies. The following excerpt is Matt’s recollection of first seeing Brandy, a Bettendorf hard-body he later knocked up:

“I gave her the elevator eyes – checking her out from top to bottom and then back up from bottom to top. From the stomach up, she was really put together well. The boobs were fake, but not in an obvious way, and she had long, straight brown hair down to the middle of her back. She had a great complexion - not tan, but not as pasty white as me. She did have a little bit of hips on her, but here she was doing something about it.”

Matt also became amorous with Audra, Matt’s future wife and the younger sister of a close childhood friend. Matt affectionately recalled Audra as a child plopping down next to him on her family’s couch, and the next thing you know, it’s 2001 and Matt and Audra are in an on-and-off-again engagement. Luckily, they reunited once and for all when Audra asked Matt to take care of her after she got breast implants. And I quote:

“As we moved together on my bed, her stitches ripped a little bit and her blood drizzled across my chest. I lived in a world where people were bound by blood, rolling in practice rooms and cages. It was the first time I’d had that kind of bond on bedsheets. We were together again and it felt wonderful.”

According to Matt, this was the first time he’d seen her naked. I shit you not.

Remember on TUF 5 when Hughes taunted Georges St-Pierre when all the guys went out to the restaurant? He pulled the same stunt with Hayato “Mach” Sakurai before UFC 36. “I was on him the entire week like white rice on sushi,” Hughes recalls. “The Michael Jordan of Japan was still just the Mach Sakurai of America…I really feel like he shouldn’t have been against me. It really wasn’t a challenge.” Wow.

Best of all was Hughes’ recollection of Pat Miletich recounting for him the now infamous Tito
Ortiz-Lee Murray street fight in London after UFC 38. Long story short, a brawl breaks out, Lee and Tito square off, Lee connects with a five-punch combo that knocks Tito OUT and then stomps down Tito’s head a few times with his boots. Anyone who's read Sherdog forum posts has surely heard this one before.

Overall, Hughes comes across as a smug bully in this part of the book, which just about any half-interested MMA biographer could have written. Hughes offers no special insight and reiterated a lot of what long-time MMA fans already know. After 185 (or so) pages, there’s been virtually no talk of God or religious devotion, but I'm sure it's coming.

Stay tuned for Part III…

An Inside Look at Matt Hughes' "Made in America": Part I

2008-01-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

I zipped through about 200 pages yesterday in Made in America, Matt Hughes' new autobiography. Overall, the book is easy to read and pretty entertaining. In this post, I'll discuss the chapters (1-4) leading up to Hughes' foray into the MMA world.

Chapter One is "This Is Farm Life." Not just a clever name. The book kicks off with (surprise, surprise) the birth of Matt and his twin brother Mark and a Rockwellian description of life in 1970's Hillsboro, IL: friendly, simple people who wear blue jeans, work hard, and sleep with their front doors unlocked. You've heard it all before.

Matt briefly explores the dichotomy of his childhood in rural Illinois; there was the endless fun he and Mark enjoyed on and around the family farm, but there was also the family's hardship after the Federal Land Bank Association set the price for farm land. As a result, the Hughes' farm went from 1,500 acres to about 700 acres, and Hughes' father felt the pressure to keep his family and his farm afloat during these tough times.

I enjoyed reading about Matt and Mark as little kids. Naturally, the fraternal twins were very close and very competitive, but from what I've gathered, it was Matt who took competitiveness to another level. The first chapter, for example, ends with the following: "I was so bad at athletics in junior high that my brother Mark beat me." Here comes the dickhead we've been waiting to read about...

In high school, Mark made the varsity wrestling squad and lettered as a freshman. "He can't be the number one wrestler in the family," Matt thought. Matt then challenged for a varsity spot, won, and the guy he beat then moved down in weight, beat Mark, and bumped him off the varsity squad. To Matt's credit, though, he looks back on this moment with regret. Or so he says...

Matt's relationship with Mark can be summed up aptly with the following line: "That's who I root for right before and right after I punch him in the face." Take that as you will.

Did you know that Matt Hughes drove an '84 Camaro in high school? That's more of a Matt Serra car than a Matt Hughes car, no? Hughes was given the car as a gift from his maternal grandfather whose paper route Matt and Mark took over as teenagers.

If you're one of those people who vehemently dislikes Matt Hughes, read what he writes about his dad. It explains a lot.

Oh, and by the way, Mark Hughes is the man! He's a physically stronger version of Matt and has a much worse temper. The stories of Mark Hughes beating some ass were particularly entertaining.

I also got a kick out of the chapter where the Hughes boys go to college. We meet Marc Fiore (the TUF 6 Team Serra coach), a wrestling teammate who reached college without knowing how to read or write. In one heartwarming account, Matt recalls the time he, Mark, and Fiore went to visit the Hughes' Uncle Jack to help with some work around the farm. Matt and Mark taught Fiore how to properly cut off a pig's balls, and then chased him down while throwing pig testicles and dead piglets at Fiore's face. Thank God I grew up in the suburbs.

We also first hear about Frank Trigg, who's not-so-affectionately described as "the kind of guy who's mysteriously tan at Christmastime," in the same chapter. Trigg beat Mark in a wrestling match and went on to become a National Champion, but Matt wrote: "It's just too bad he never really made anything of himself." I laughed.

In college, the Hughes brothers (and Fiore) were definitely meathead pranksters. My favorite story is when Matt and Mark go to a fraternity party and have no luck picking up the ladies. Confused and bored, they fall back on Plan B: fight. Mark rummages through the frat house for food and pisses off a fraternity brother. Matt is confronted, pretends he's drunk, and then promptly lifts the fraternity brother off the ground and slams him through the window. The lights are somehow turned off amidst the ruckus, so Matt and Mark run outside and then take turns blasting frat brothers in the face as soon as they step out the door.

After college, a wrestler whom Matt knew asked Matt to help him prepare for an MMA fight. Impressed with Matt's wrestling prowess and raw athleticism, the friend got Matt booked in a couple of small shows in Chicago. After one early fight, the referee told Hughes, "I can make a champion out of you." That referee was Pat Miletich.

Stay tuned for An Inside Look at Matt Hughes' Made in America: Part II.

BJ Penn Isn't Playing Games

2008-01-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

For fans of BJ "the Prodigy" Penn, this is exactly what we want to hear:

"I'm training a lot harder. Back in the day I used to pride myself on how little I could do and get away with it; now I try to pride myself on how much I do. I try to work real hard, train as much as I can, eat healthy food, and I want to see how far I can take it.

"I guess the wakeup call was December 13, 2006, when I turned 28. I said 'what am I doing, why am I messing around? This is the biggest sport in the world, it’s gonna overtake everything, I’m at the forefront. Why am I playing games?'"

"Something just awoke inside of me where I said 'what are you doing? You can beat every one of these people. You’ve been doing it half-assed all this time and it’s time to finally step up and let’s see it.' If you can’t, you can’t, but at least you know you tried. Words can’t explain how pumped I am about fighting right now. It’s what I am, it’s who I am, and it’s what I want to be."

Wow.

Melvin Guillard Is Out of His Mind

2008-01-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview with The Baltimore Sun, lightweight cokemonkey Melvin Guillard cemented his status as my least favorite MMA fighter today. He discussed leaving the UFC to pick up some wins in smaller promotions, his indefatigable hatred of Rich "No Love" Clementi, and donations to the Melvin Negro Fund. (No, I’m not making this up.) You should definitely check this out.

In the meantime, here are some highlights from the interview:

I took his (Rich Clementi) heart before he got in the ring. He was scared to fight me before he got in the ring. And, it’s like I tell everybody – and I’m going to keep saying it – when I see him again, I’m going to fight him again. Clementi not only submitted Guillard at UFC 79 in the very first round, but he also knocked him out in a kickboxing match a few years ago. Melvin, you might want to reconsider going after Clementi. Bad things happen in threes.

Of course, everybody saw that he was the victorious one [at UFC 79] but he sits up there and says, "I’ll stand toe-to-toe with Melvin," but everybody with their own eyes saw he wasn’t ready to stand up with me. Look, kids, it’s an idiot! After all, it’s not as if Clementi was connecting with hard leg and body kicks before the fight went to the ground or anything...

But, as I’m getting up, it’s like he kicked me in the back of the neck, and it pushed me back down a little bit. So, I’m like, “What the [expletive deleted]?” And, I jump up like, “No, he did not just put his nuts on my neck.” Yes, he did just put his nuts on your neck! And then he gestured to the aforementioned nuts, waved as you were taken from the cage, and then trashed you some more. You should come over and watch it on my DVR. It was pretty funny.

The only people I have to respect and obey are my fans and my friends and family. As far as fighters go, I don’t have to respect or be friends with any of them. As far as I’m concerned, I might stand in front of them and face them one day. You don't have to respect other fighters? That bulls-eye you just put on yourself brings out the red in your eyes.

I got booed before the fight, I got booed after the fight, but I’m still one of the crowd favorites. Melvin, define favorites for us.

Yeah, I like to talk [expletive deleted] but I also back it up. I haven’t gotten my ass beat. I haven’t been in a fight yet where somebody has outclassed me or just beat me down. Every fight I’ve been in, the ones I’ve lost have been from submission or a close judges’ decision. When you really look at my record and all the losses that I have, I’ve lost to jiu-jitsu guys. Nobody is ever going to stand in front of me and beat my ass. My mom did that all my life so those days are over with. Guillard doesn’t seem to understand that 1) he does not back up his talk, 2) he has gotten his ass beat, and 3) swinging wildly at an opponent, missing, and then being overpowered and choked out less than 30 seconds (see Guillard’s fight with Joe Daddy) is a clear example of being outclassed. Someone needs to tell Melvin that this is mixed martial arts and that there’s more to it than just trading punches.

Well, I wanted to fight Roger Huerta, but they said he’s on vacation right now. So, that fight’s up in the air. Other than that, man, I don’t care. As long as they put me back in. I’d prefer to fight a few strikers for a while until I can get my jiu-jitsu game up. Because, my last two fights, they gave me mat rats -- they just wanted to hug me. I get enough hugs at home. I want to fight some people that are ready to stand up and trade punches and kind of put me to the test. Wait, wait, wait…you just bad-mouthed Clementi, a strong jiu-jitsu guy, for not standing with you, but now that you’re hoping to work your jiu-jitsu, you want a striker? And you want to fight Roger Huerta! Fucking brilliant.

Burn Baby Burn

2008-01-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview, UFC middleweight Kendall Grove offered the following statement when asked about MMA's crackdown on marijuana:

"See, marijuana is a touchy subject. I’m a rock star — I’ve been smoking weed since I was in the 6th grade, I can openly say that. But I’m also clean when I fight. I cut that shit out — I’m a professional. Don’t get me wrong, my first six fights, I fought high, I fought stoned. But when you get to this level, you have to take responsibility. It’s your job. I stop doing that stuff three months out. I just think they blew it way out of proportion. What did they say with Nick Diaz? 'Oh, him smoking weed made his pain threshold higher—'

"It’s stupid. Steroids actually make you run faster, make you stronger — it’s a performance enhancer. And weed just makes you gain weight and be lazy. "

To be honest, this does not surprise or bother me at all. Until recently, there'd been a picture of Kendall on his MySpace page of what looked a lot like him lying on a bed with a blunt in his hand. Marijuana smoke is certainly not Grove's biggest problem; not utilizing his tremendous size advantage is.

Another Reason To Love Anderson Silva

2008-01-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

UFC middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva is the man because...

1) He made me look like a genius after I predicted his first-round thrashing of the overrated Rich "Ace Ventura" Franklin at UFC 64.

2) He gets away with wearing white fur indoors.

3) He's as good a dancer as you'll find in MMA.

4) He recently donated more than $10,000 to the Ronald McDonald House. The gloves he wore when he (once again) whooped Franklin at UFC 77 were auctioned off for $7,150, and his shorts from that fight went for $3,500. The earnings of the auction will benefit children and families in need.

WEC 2008 Championship Forecast

2008-01-06T11:34:00.000-05:00

Loyal Kodiak MMA readers (I think we’re up to three now) know that I love me some WEC. Here are some title fights I'd love to watch (and that I think are likely to happen) in '08:

Paulo Filho vs. Bryan Baker: Filho didn’t look like one of the world’s best middleweights when he met Chael Sonnen at WEC 31 last month, but that didn't stop him from catching Sonnen in a fight-ending armbar. Many people believe that Filho edges out Anderson Silva as the best middleweight in the game, and with good reason. He's as good a jiu-jitsu player as there is in MMA, and he's got heavy hands. Against Filho, even the smallest mistake will cost you; just ask Sonnen.

At 6'3" Bryan "The Beast" Baker is a big middleweight who brings solid wrestling and excellent judo to the cage. And he loves to strike. He's picked up two wins in as many fights with the WEC and is poised to make a run in the WEC's wide open middleweight class. Against Jesse Forbes at WEC 30, Baker shook off some big shots, slammed Forbes, avoided damage on the ground, and ground-and-pounded his way to a TKO win. Great fight. One more win should put Baker in a position to challenge Filho for the belt.

Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver: Pulver has found a new home in the WEC's exciting featherweight class, and it seems that 145 is where the former UFC lightweight champ belongs. Lil’ Evil is 8-0 at (or below) 145 lbs., with 6 KO and 2 submission wins. At WEC 31, Pulver took on the younger, red hot Cub Swanson, and after a veritable war of words, it was Pulver who emerged victorious via Rd. 1 choke. Featherweights now have to worry about Jens’ knockout power as well as his submission skills.

Urijah Faber is one of the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighters and is coming off an absolutely dominant 2007 campaign. His athleticism, skill, and aggression are overwhelming, and he only seems to be getting better. He’s an active, dominant champion who knows that Pulver is waiting for his shot. I’d be shocked if this match doesn’t happen within the next few months.

Brian Stann vs. Doug Marshall: The undefeated Brian Stann, a U.S. Marine Infantry Officer, is clearly the top contender at 205 lbs. He fought three times last year, picking up three brutal first-round TKOs. He has tremendous power and has been honing his MMA skills with the Xtreme Couture camp. WEC fans can expect big things from him this year.

Doug “Rhino” Marshall might not have the size or brute strength of the younger Stann, but he’s as ferocious and aggressive as any WEC 205-pounder. Known as a brutal, free-swinging power puncher, Rhino returned in May after being sidelined for nine months and recorded a stunning first-round KO over Justin McElfresh. At last month’s WEC 31, Rhino took on the previously undefeated Ariel Gandulla and showed that he's more than just a big puncher. Rhino stopped the American Top Team fighter in the first round, this time with a slick arm bar. A title defense against the popular Stann seems inevitable.

Rob McCullough vs. Ed Ratcliff: “Razor” Rob has been on a tear. He’s been undefeated since ’04, and most recently, he smoked Rich Crunkilton in the first round with devastating kicks and punches at WEC 30. Before that, he punched Kit Cope into submission (smashed up Cope’s ribs), knocked out Ryan Healy and Randy Hauer, and nearly sent Olaf Alfonso’s jaw into the men’s room. Razor Rob strikes with an efficiency and a power that is unmatched by any other lightweight.

Ed “8mm” Ratcliff is a dangerous young lightweight who picked up two impressive TKO victories last year over the heavy-handed Alex Karalexis and the previously undefeated Johnny Sampaio. Ratcliff is a decorated martial artist who cut his teeth in MMA as part of Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den. The explosive young Ratcliff is undefeated (6-0) and has shown that he loves to strike. Ratcliff vs. Razor Rob would be striker vs. striker. No complaints here.

Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres/Charlie Valencia: Beebe, the reigning bantamweight champion, is a tough, nasty little bastard with great wrestling and grappling skills. In March, he dominated Eddie Wineland en route to the 135-lb. title. Six months later, Beebe took on challenger Rani Yahya (who dropped down from 145 lbs.) in what turned out to be an exciting grappling match. Yahya worked furiously in the first round to submit the resilient Beebe, who weathered the storm, outworked Yahya, and punished him for the remainder of the fight to retain his championship.

I know that Torres (18-1) only has one win in the WEC, but damn did he look good. The 26-year-old Chicago native had a huge fan base at WEC 30, where he choked out Jeff Bedard midway through the first round. He made a seamless transition from an armbar attempt to a triangle choke that finished Bedard. Very slick. Torres seems to be the total package and is expected by many to make a run at the belt in '08.

Charlie Valencia is a great wrestler with a crushing right hand. Remember, it was that right hand that caught a very game Antonio Banuelos and dropped him, and it was also the right hand that rocked Ian McCall at WEC 31. Valencia lost to Brian Bowles in June but rebounded with the dominant win over McCall. Valencia pulled out all the stops against McCall: precision and power punching, punishing slams, and a lightning fast guillotine choke. Valencia has the skills, athleticism, and experience, and one more quality win should make him a top bantamweight contender.

Carlos Condit vs. Brock Larson: Again? Yup. Condit is far and away the best welterweight in the WEC and can beat you on his feet or on the ground. I'm impressed with his skills every time I see him fight. Guys like Blas Avena and John Alessio have fought well recently, but I still think that Larson is better than them. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old Condit has the striking, wrestling, and submission skills that should keep him at the top of the WEC's 170-lb. division for a long time.

Urijah Faber: Kodiak MMA 2007 Fighter of the Year

2008-01-05T16:44:00.000-05:00

I had been leaning towards Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as Fighter of the Year, and I now see that I wouldn’t have been alone in choosing the 205-lb. king for this distinction. He beat down Marvin Eastman (as expected) before knocking out Chuck Liddell in the first round of their May 26 light heavyweight championship fight. A few months later, Rampage outfought Pride 185 and 205-lb. champion Dan Henderson and picked up the decision win in his first title defense. Not a bad looking 3-0.

Of all the UFC’s big-name acquisitions in ‘07, it was Rampage – not Cro Cop, Shogun, or Nogueira – who wound up wearing championship gold. Furthermore, he climbed his way to the top of the sport's deepest, most talented division and is without question the UFC’s most entertaining, magnetic champion.

But Fighter of the Year? Let's look at a few things...

WEC Is Ready for Its Close-up

2007 was the year that many fans finally realized that there is, in fact, some great MMA outside the UFC. The IFL team championships and inaugural Grand Prix Finals delivered some great fights, and EliteXC has proven to be no joke. Trumping them both, however, was the rejuvenated WEC.

In 2007, WEC put together 7 shows, all of which featured at least one championship fight. What I loved most about WEC over the past year was how it consistently delivered exciting championship action, thanks in large part to its belt holders: the tough-as-nails bantamweight Chase Beebe, lightweight knockout artist “Razor” Rob McCullough, the exceptionally well-rounded welterweight Carlos Condit, world-renowned middleweight Paulo Filho, and the heavy-handed light heavyweight Doug “Rhino” Marshall.

But the WEC's crowned jewel is their fair-haired poster boy and a star of the MSNBC Warrior Nation series, featherweight champion Urijah Faber.

Innovation and Domination

Without a heavyweight class, the WEC has managed to make a real name for itself in ’07 with its bantamweight and featherweight divisions, and Faber is without a doubt the “little guy” who’s been drawing the big attention.

Faber, who’s actually small for a featherweight, defended his belt four times last year and submitted all four opponents; three of his four wins didn’t didn't take him past the first round. Most impressive (for me, at least) was how Faber managed to completely overwhelm and outclass the opposition with skill, athleticism, and aggression. He outwrestled the wrestlers, outstruck the strikers, and seemed at times to have barely broken a sweat.

In January, Faber faced Miletich Fighting Systems product Joe Pearson and battered him into submission. Two months later, Faber crushed the previously undefeated power puncher Dominick Cruz with a vicious guillotine from the mount. It was business as usual for the "California Kid."

In June, Faber took on the also previously undefeated Chance Farrar, an NAIA National Wrestling Champion and a fighter whom many thought had the striking and wrestling tools to dethrone the seemingly invincible Faber. Wrong. Early on, Faber landed a big right, worked his way out of a subsequent Farrar takedown, slammed Farrar, took his back, and sunk in the rear naked choke. Their match was a treat for fans of technical grappling, but in the end, Urijah was just too much.

Last month at WEC 31, Faber took on his toughest WEC opponent to date: Jeff “The Big Frog” Curran. Curran worked furiously for an early submission, but to no avail. Instead, Faber passed Curran’s guard with ease and punished him with devastating elbows. In the second round, Faber landed a jumping knee (the likes of which I’ve never seen) to a bloodied and battered Curran and choked out the Gracie blackbelt. Curran, a UFC and Pride veteran, never really had a chance.

To recap Faber’s 2007: four title fights, four dominant submission wins. He attacked with knees and slams from positions and angles never before seen, and he obeyed the number one rule of showmanship: he left us wanting more.

Au Naturale

The dark cloud over MMA in 2007 was the issue of banned substances. In reality, it's been a problem for years, but 2007 was a banner year for positive drug tests. Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, Phil Baroni, and the legendary Royce Gracie are some of the high-profile stars who submitted soiled samples. It was ugly. I remember reading a Sherdog forum thread after Gracie's steroid disaster in which fight fans were weighing in on how to know if any fighters were actually clean.

Well I know of one guy who's definitely clean: Urijah Faber. Like just about all fighters, Faber follows a healthy diet and is devoted to keeping his body in peak physical condition. What sets him apart, however, is that he embraces holistic living and natural cures. That means no immunization shots, no conventional medicines, and no work-out supplements of any form. Faber told Fight! magazine that instead of protein pills or dietary supplements, he prefers "wheat grass, juice, bee pollen, (and) raw apple cider with vinegar."

In 2007, Urijah Faber's work in side the cage upheld everything good about MMA, and his efforts outside of the cage defied the sport's ugliest reality.

The Total Package

Yeah, guys like Rampage and Anderson Silva may have beaten tougher (or at least better-known) competition than Faber did in '07, but neither single-handedly thrust his division into the spotlight, and neither was as valuable to the UFC as Faber has been to the WEC.

Plus, the Fighter of the Year honor (which is slowly becoming MMA's MVP Award) takes into consideration more than just what goes down in the cage. After all, what else could possibly explain Chuck Liddell being named Fighter of the Year in 2006 over Cro Cop?

Looking back on 2007, no champion had been as active and as dominant as Faber, and no fighter consistently brought to the cage the combination of skill, conditioning, and furious aggression that Urijah Faber did. The pressure was on Faber to deliver as the face of WEC, and he delivered every time. It was due in large part to Faber's mesmerising fighting style and immediate likability that the WEC has become one of MMA's most promising, electrifying promotions.

Luke Cummo: Peace in the World; War in the Octagon

2008-01-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

"Now I just had my first child three months ago. I feel like every time I step into the Octagon I am fighting for his future. Not only that, but the future of this planet that is in danger. Human beings are digging the grave of themselves and the Earth with their teeth. The rainforests are being chopped down to plant soy crops. That's like removing portions of someone's lungs.

"Anyone who stands across the cage from me is in direct opposition to my cause. He's fighting for some supplement company or some clothing company, while I’m fighting for you, the reader, and everyone else out there. Most importantly, I'm fighting for our children, and their children, that they may live in abundance in this wonderful place."

- an excerpt from Luke Cummo's MMAWeekly article

UFC's Top 10 Fighters for 2007

2008-01-04T16:45:00.001-05:00

The good folks over at UFC.com have been counting backwards from 10 quite a bit these days, and their latest endeavor is the top ten fighters of 2007. In reality, they list the ten fighters who've had the best year, but thay can call it what they want.

10) Kenny Florian/Marcus Davis (tie)

9) Matt Serra

8) Roger Huerta

7) Jon Fitch

6) Forrest Griffin

5) Georges St-Pierre

4) Frankie Edgar

3) Randy Couture

2) Anderson Silva

1) Quinton Jackson

Uhh...where's BJ Penn. I don't care what list we're making, BJ needs to be on it. That's the rule.

And I'm very glad to see my boy Frankie Edgar high on the list, especially ahead of Huerta.

I'm also glad to see Kenny Florian crack the top 10. He fought 3 times in five months and has become one of the lightweight division's most dangerous. Then again, if we're talking improvement, Luke Cummo is also much improved, but not necessarily worthy of being on this list. Check out his TKO wins in '07 over Josh Haynes and Crocota. Nasty.

Where's Joe Daddy? He choked the shit out of Melvin Guillard in about 30 seconds and dominated Kurt Pellegrino in earning himself a shot againt BJ Penn for the interim 155-lb. belt. He's probably #11.

I’m Definitely Buying Matt Hughes’ Autobiography

2008-01-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

Ben Fowlkes, a fellow FiveOuncesofPain.com contributor, has penned a new piece about coming to terms with the fact that despite Matt Hughes’ ostensible douchebaggery, he will be buying himself a copy of Matt Hughes’ new autobiography, Made in America.

“You see, I want to read Hughes’ book, but I don’t want to give him any money for it. It’s not because I’m cheap, either. It’s more because I don’t want Hughes to have any more of my money, especially not for a book I’d mostly be reading in order to revel in my dislike for him,” Ben writes. Fair enough.

But I don’t care. Matt Hughes doesn't need to be Atticus Finch for me to buy his book.

I don’t care that Hughes is an asshole. I can be an asshole. My neighbor is an asshole. Some of my best friends are assholes. If Matt Hughes truly is the self-righteous prig that we see, hear, and read about, then so what? He’s a regular guy, straight off the farm, who might be a bit…bristly. I’ve seen and heard fighters do and say far worse than Matt Hughes, but it seems that the cool thing to do these days is to hate on Matt Hughes.

I don't care that Hughes was rude to Tim Sylvia and made him cry (or whatever the story is). And since when did MMA fans come to the aid of big Timmy? The way I see it, Tim asked, Hughes answered. It made me laugh.

I don’t care that Matt Hughes cites Scripture or that he’s borderline imperialistic in spreading his faith. I, for one, am not a person of great (or even decent) religious devotion, but I’ve seen how living a life of faith brings peace and inspires acts of kindness. Is Hughes a hypocrite for not practicing what he preaches? Probably. Then again, is anyone really looking to Matt Hughes for spiritual or moral guidance? Didn't think so.

I also don’t care about whether Hughes is a crappy coach. Only two of his eight guys won preliminary fights this season on TUF…the same two who outlasted all of Serra’s guys and reached the finals. If Hughes is a crappy coach, then Pretty Boy Floyd is a pathetic ballroom dancer, and Todd Bridges is a poor excuse for a figure skater. Reality TV is a beautiful thing.

What I do care about is that Matt Hughes has given MMA some of its most dramatic and most historic moments inside the cage. Under the sport's brightest lights, Hughes has dismantled the likes of BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre, Royce Gracie, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Carlos Newton, and “Mach” Sakurai. That’s what I care about, and that's what I hope to read more about.

Hughes spent years trading punches and laughs with one of the sport's most legendary fight camps. And then he left! What was the aftermath? How did Pat Miletich take it when Hughes told him? What did the rest of the Miletich guys think of Hughes leaving and taking Robbie Lawler with him? That’s the type of stuff I’m dying to hear about. There's much more I want to see in his book, but I think you get my point.

What I liked most about Jens Pulver’s autobiography was how Jens walked the reader through his life and career, tracing over the good and the bad. I get a better sense of who Jens is as a fighter and as a person, and I'm looking forward to taking a similar journey with Matt Hughes. Maybe I'll like him more, maybe less. That's not really important.

Say what you will about Matt Hughes and the way he comes across in his book. The odds are that you’re probably right on the money, and that this book may very well serve to reinforce the negativity surrounding his character. But so what? No matter what we say about Hughes, he's a country boy, and country boys can survive.

Mike Goldberg is Still the Greatest

2008-01-03T20:38:00.000-05:00

Faithful readers of this blog (both of you) know that the only thing I enjoy more than the action in the cage is the artful discourse offered up by Mike Goldberg. The shallow knowledge base, the limited command of his own native language, the irregular cadence of his speech...there's just one Goldie, kids.

Here are some gems from Saturday's UFC 79. Keep in mind that the following were said with complete seriousness and great conviction:

"Harley DAVID-son...the only motorcycles worthy of being in the octagon!" -- Never have I seen a motorcycle in the octagon. Ever.

"Catches a quick jab..."

(Rogan): "That was a straight left."

"Yeah, it was. Pardon me." -- I almost made pudding in my pants when I heard this one.

"For their entire lives, they've been as dangerous as any fighter alive!" -- Beautiful hyperbole.

"He (Wanderlei Silva) defines...cagefighter!" -- Even though he built his legacy in a ring...

"I spoke to John Hackelman last night, Joe, and he said that Chuck IS...ready!" -- You never spoke to Hackelman.

"David Spade...amongst the MEGA-celebrities who've come out for the UFC." -- David Spade is a little lesbian who is by no means a mega-celebrity.

Babalu Headlines Jan. 12 WCO Card

2008-01-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

Valor Fighting and Primal MMA will be co-promoting the fledgling World Cagefighting Organization’s January 12 card at the San Diego Sports Arena, and to their credit, they’ve put together card could deliver some great fights.

Fighting in the main event will be light heavyweights Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Vernon “Tiger” White. Since his ugly UFC 74 submission win over David Heath, Sobral has picked up a submission victory over Rodney Faverus at the inaugural Platinum Fighting Promotions event last month in the Philippines. White, on the other hand, is coming off of consecutive TKO losses to Mike Whitehead and Marcelo Tigre.

Also on the main card, former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez will take on Mike Kyle, who will make his return after being suspended for illegally kneeing (and then continuing an assault on) Brian Olsen at WEC 20. Ricco, who also won in December at the PFP’s Philippines event, might have his hands full with the powerful, knockout-loving Kyle.

Mark Kerr looks to pick up his second win in as many fights under the WCO banner against Rick Roufus, a legendary kickboxer who will be making his MMA debut. If you haven’t seen Roufus fight Michael McDonald, you’re missing out on two great matches.

Tickets are still available for those in - or traveling to - the San Diego and run from $23.50 to $153.50. According to MMAJunkie, WCO executives have stated that a portion of the event’s ticket sales will benefit those families devastated by the recent wildfires in the area.

Here’s the rest of the January 12th WCO “The Return” card:

Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Vernon White
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Mike Kyle
Mark Kerr vs. Rick Roufus
Jimmy Ambriz vs. Wesley “Cabbage” Correira
Joe Riggs vs. Gustavo Machado
David Loiseau vs. Leopoldo Serao
Tiki Ghosn vs. J.J. Ambrose
Virgil Zwicker vs. David Mejia
Fabio Costa vs. Carlos Fuentes
Georgi Karakahyan vs. Armando Sanchez
Tony Sylvester vs. Cain Velasquez

The Kodiak is back for '08...

GSP Replaces Serra for UFC 79

2007-11-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

That's right. Apparently, Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes III will be for an interim welterweight title. The UFC sure does love them some interim titles. Why they don't just say that GSP and Hughes, or BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson, will be fighting for top contender status I'll never know. Read more from UFC.com.

As you can see, UFC 79 is looking real good these days:

GSP-Matt Hughes

Chuck Liddell-Wanderlei Silva

Lyoto Machida - Thierry Sokoudjou

Razor Rob vs. Jamie Varner in February

2007-11-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

In early September, WEC lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough announced on the TAGG Radio show that he’d be making his next title defense against hard-hitting Massachusetts native Alex Karalexis, but it seems that the WEC has other plans for its 155-lb. king.

Instead, McCullough will be taking on former UFC lightweight Jamie “The Worm” Varner (13-2), who’s defeated Sharron Legget and Jason Gilliam in 2007.

McCullough told MMAWeekly, "I think he's a younger version of Rich (Crunkilton). I don't think his submission game is anywhere near Rich's, but he's definitely got a quick shot, and he changes levels fast. I think his gas tank is going to be questionable."

Early thoughts: Crunkilton is much more complete, dangerous fighter than Varner, so I expect another TKO win for “Razor” Rob.

Injured Matt Serra Scratched from UFC 79

2007-11-23T11:03:00.000-05:00

UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra suffered a herniated disc while training on Monday and is no longer scheduled to defend his belt against Matt Hughes at UFC 79 on December 29. Serra was quoted with the following:

"This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’ve never had a back injury before; I could hardly get off of the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I’m devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday – all I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible.”

Read more from UFC.com.

BJ Penn's Not Going Anywhere

2007-11-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

"I don’t want to do the five fights a year thing for three years and then I’m done, like all these fighters have done. I want to do one to two fights a year for the next 10 years. I want to keep my name out there for the next 10 years."

It's cool to hear that BJ is committed to a fight or two for another 10 years, but he's not exactly one of those guys who's always climbing into the cage. In fact, he's never fought more than three times a year in his professional career, and he hasn't fought more than twice a year since beating Hughes for the welterweight belt back in 2004.

But as the old show business adage professes, "Always keep them wanting more." BJ is capable of putting on as good a show as anyone in the sport, and when you consider the potential match-ups that could be made for BJ at lightweight or welterweight, we'll always be wanting more from The Prodigy.

Read UFC.com's latest interview with BJ Penn.

Fedor Confirmed for New Year’s Eve in Japan

2007-11-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

M-1 Global’s president and CEO Monte Cox confirmed yesterday that Fedor Emelianenko will fight Hong Man Choi on New Year’s Eve.

On the Russian Mix-Fight Championship website, Fedor wrote to Japanese fans the following: “I contacted M-1 Global management and received their complete support in my desire to continue the tradition of fighting in Japan on New Year's Eve."

In other words, Fedor is being rented out to fight the 7'2" Korean, who will be absolutely destroyed by the world's best fighter.

Fedor may have found a new home in M-1 Global, but the same old problems persist for the Russian heavyweight: there aren't too many people who are willing and available to fight him.

Fedor and Choi will apparently be fighting as part of a show run by the promoters of the Japanese professional wrestling organization Hustle, which has several employees who were involved in operating the once thriving, now defunct Pride Fighting Championships.

Silva vs. Hendo at UFC 82

2007-11-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Dan Henderson has apparently worked out contract issues with the UFC and will in fact make the cut down to 185 lbs. to challenge middleweight king Anderson Silva in March at UFC 82. This is good news. Early thoughts: Henderson could a nightmare on the ground for Silva, who has a definitive striking advantage. I'm excited for this fight.

UFC 78: Put It in the Books

2007-11-18T17:37:00.000-05:00

The highlight of the night was absolutely Bruce Buffer telling Ed Herman, "Yeah, you fucked him up," after knocking out Joe Doerksen. As for the fights themselves...nothing special at all.

- I expected a lot more from Frankie Edgar-Spencer Fisher fight, but Edgar had no problem taking Fisher down whenever he wanted, so it's hard to argue with what works. Edgar may not have pleased the crowd, but he scored takedown after takedown and did some damage on the ground. Fisher, on the other hand, mounted virtually zero offense for 15 minutes. Good win over a dangerous veteran for Edgar.

- Rashad Evans beat Michael Bisping, just as I expected, and I'm still not sure how one judge scored the fight for Bisping. Bisping's takedown defense was good, but Rashad took him down enough to impress the judges. Neither fighter did much damage on their feet, but Rashad seemed to have gotten the better of those exchanges in my estimation. If this fight launches Rashad to title contention, Rampage has nothing to worry about. Also likely is the possibility of Rashad fighting Tito Ortiz again. Yes, again.

- Once Joe Lauzon got Jason Reinhardt to the ground, it was lights out as expected. This was nothing more than a showcase fight for Lauzon, who wasn't really tested. It was good to see Lauzon back in action, though.

- I thought Joe Doerksen was going to pull off the submission, but Ed Herman was saved by the bell and went on to score a vicious KO in one of the better fights of the night. It's hard for me to get excited over this win because Herman is still a middle-of-the-pack middleweight who's no match for Anderson Silva (not that he's in line for a title fight).

- I thought that Houston Alexander and Thiago Silva were going to slug it out, which is why I went with Alexander, who for some reason or another decided to clinch with Silva early. he was then promptly taken down and beaten like he stole something. Silva pounded the seemingly invincible Alexander from the mount and at one point was bouncing Alexander's head off the mat with punches. I like Silva. I like his Chute-Boxe camp, I like his tattoos, and I like the way he snarled after finishing off Alexander.

- The Karo Parisyan-Ryo Chonan fight went down as expected pretty much. Karo controlled his body for 15 minutes, avoided any real damage, and took home a one-sided victory. Anyone else think Karo's ready for - and deserving of - some tougher competition?

Team Tanner Represents the Fans

2007-11-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

The following was sent out via Evan Tanner's official MySpace account:

I have been competing as a professional fighter for ten years. I was there near the beginning when the sport was small, struggling for legitimacy and acceptance. I was there when there was little pay, and little recognition, the only support coming from a small, hardcore underground fan base. We didn't fight for the money. We didn't fight for fame or glory. We were warriors fighting for the love of competion. I have been there since the beginning. I am one of those warriors.

I have watched the sport grow from those humble beginnings into the worldwide phenomenom is has become today. I am thankful the sport is finally getting the recognition it deserves, but it has lost much of it's purity along the way. It is now full of corporate sponsors looking to cash in, glamour boys looking for money and fame, so many people and groups working so many angles, all trying to get a piece, very few involved because of a true love of the sport. So many looking for the payout with no regard for pride or honor.

I don't want to play that game, using any angle to make a buck at the expense of my own self respect, begging the big companies for money, selling out to the highest bidder, stepping out to the ring looking like a walking billboard, my shirt and shorts plastered with logos of products I don't even use, insulting the intelligence of the fans with that display, wasting their time naming and thanking endless sponsors in interviews. I don't want to play that game.

Sponsorship is necessary though. I thought about the one thing besides myself, that I would be proud to represent when I step in the octagon. It's the fans. That is real. What could be more honorable, and what could I have more pride in representing than the fans that make this sport possible, and all the fans that have been there supporting me through the years?

So here it is. I'm going old school. I'm going to play by my own rules. The only sponsorship I will accept is from the fans. We are starting Team Tanner to make this vision a reality. It's a way for fans of MMA to be directly involed, to be a part of something real, and take things back to something pure. To those who become a part of it, when I step into the octagon, I will be representing you. Together we'll make this our game, and we'll play by our own rules.

I you are interested in being a part of Team Tanner, please contact Joel at teamtanner@gmail.com for more information. All members will receive an official Team Tanner T-shirt and other goodies, plus access to the Team website.

UFC Offers Couture Title Defense

2007-11-12T18:57:00.000-05:00

UFC president Dana White and a number of UFC fighters spoke with media personnel today, focusing mostly on Saturday’s UFC 78 event in Newark, NJ, but also addressing the Randy Couture situation.

Apparently, White and the UFC offered Couture a title defense fight. “We officially offered it to him and we haven't heard back yet. We should know this week. He (sent me a text message) yesterday and said he wants to sit down and talk.”

As for an interim heavyweight title, White ain’t having any of that: “No. Randy's going to make a decision one-way or the other. We're going to get together next week, I think, and talk and see where we're at.”

Read more about today’s media conference from MMAWeekly.

By the Way, the Latest EliteXC Show Sucked

2007-11-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

And I normally enjoy their product. Here are some notes:

- Bill Goldberg's gotta go. Period. I thought he did a decent job during September's "Uprising" card, but the broadcast came to a stand-still every time he opened his mouth Saturday night. Particularly awful were his post-fight interviews, which were laden with awkward pauses and his professional wrestling delivery.

- I can deal with the EliteXC dancing girls, even though at one point, a few of the girls were dancing when there was no music in the arena. But the guy dancers in the middle of the ring? Come on now...

- Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva looked good, disposing of a very sloppy Jonathan Wiezorek in Round 1. For a big fella, Silva moves well, especially on the ground.

- Jake Shields is for reals! I thought Mike Pyle would give Shields a tough fight. Nope. Pyle landed 2 solid knees early in the first round, but Shields shook them off, reversed a takedown attempt by Pyle, mounted, and then choked out Pyle via RNC in Round 1. Shields said he was pissed that this turned out not to be a title fight, and he seemed to have taken it out on Pyle.

- Nick Diaz didn't look bad in defeat. Sure, he took some big shots, but he also took some punishment early on against Mike Aina, Gomi, and just about everyone else he's faced professionally. As expected, he started out in a very tactical, methodical, almost precise manner. Unfortunately, KJ Noons did not and landed some very damaging right hands that busted up Diaz early on and eventually prompted the ringside physician to call the fight before Round 2. The best part of the evening was Diaz storming out of the cage, throwing up double middle fingers and slapping away a camera on his way to the showers.

- I'm a huge Nick Diaz fan, but hats off to KJ Noons. This guy loves to throw his hands, and he does it well. He also did a good job of stuffing Diaz's takedown attempts, which did not look particularly crisp. I look forward to more from Noons.

- Kimbo Slice didn't show me much, simply because he didn't have to. Bo Cantrell opened the fight with a spinning backfist (that didn't connect), and Kimbo repsponded with a right uppercut and a close-range right elbow. And that's all she wrote. If you ask me, Cantrell was psyched out before he even entered the cage.

- The Kleinbeck-Noke fight was also stopped as a result of a cut, but damn did Noke look good! Kleinbeck is a strong, powerful middleweight, but Noke gave him fits on the ground and seemed to be just as strong, especially from inside Kleinbeck's guard. I'd love to see these two meet again soon.

Overall, there just wasn't enough fighting for my liking; 5 matches gave us only about 18:30 of actual action. Luckily, I didn't have to pay for this card.

Tito Wants Rashad/Bisping Winner in February

2007-11-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

UFC light heavyweight Tito Ortiz held an MMA seminar for young fighters this weekend in Edmonton, and the former UFC light heavyweight champion was certainly not at a loss for words about where he stands in the UFC’s 205-lb. pecking order. Tito told the Edmonton Sun that since he lost his rematch to Chuck Liddell, he feels that the UFC no longer values him as championship material…

"When I lost to Chuck Liddell I took a step down. When I fought Rashad (Evans) I thought I won the fight. It was supposed to happen again, but it ain't happening. I looked at a thing on UFC.tv and it said the light heavyweights are Rashad vs. (Michael) Bisping* and there were others that were contenders, but my picture wasn't on it."

Maybe it’s me, but wasn’t it Tito who elected not to sign an agreement for a rematch with Evans for UFC 78?

Either way, Tito says he’s still gunning for championship glory…

"They (the UFC) are just trying to hold on and make sure the fighters don't get more powerful. I am going to work to get the right fights and that belt will be around my waist."

Ortiz announced in a recent press release that he plans to return to action early next year, and according to the Edmonton Sun article, Ortiz hopes to fight the winner of Evans vs. Bisping.

*The article cites Evans’ UFC 78 opponent as Michael Bisby, which isn't too far off phonetically, but I went ahead and made the correction.

Tanner Signs with UFC, Then Gets Robbed

2007-11-09T14:39:00.000-05:00

The UFC might be losing top middleweights in Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt, but according to a MySpace bulletin sent out by Evan Tanner, the former champion has just signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC...

"Former Middleweight Champ Back in '08

K.A.O.S. caught up with former UFC Middleweight Champ Evan Tanner who broke the news that he signed a 4 fight deal with UFC. Date, time and opponent still to be determined. Listen to interview at:http://www.kennyholland.com/ "

Another bulletin was sent out today from Evan. It doesn't give any further detail about his return to the UFC, but at least he’s been spending time at a gym...

"If whoever took my stuff reads this:I'm really disappointed. I had some things stolen out of my Land Cruiser last night while it was parked in front of the gym. The UFC had just given me a brand new workout bag full of shirts and beanies, with a personalized engraved name tag. They took that. What I'm most upset about though, is that they took all of my mma trading cards that I sign for the fans and the kids. Come on now, that's really uncool. It was all in a storage container in the back of the Cruiser. I'm not sure what else was in it. If whoever did this happens to read this, be cool, at least give my trading cards back. I need those for the fans. It would also be nice to have the name tag back. My car will be in the same place as it was last night. You can just drive by and throw the cards in the back. No questions asked. It would be nice to have everything returned, but at least give the cards back."

WEC 31 Card is No Joke

2007-11-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

World Extreme Cagefighting issued a press release today, announcing the addition of WEC middleweight champ Paulo Filho to an already exciting December 12 card that features a light heavyweight title fight, a featherweight title fight, and the WEC debut of former UFC lightweight champion Jens “Li’l Evil” Pulver.

Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran (Featherweight Title Fight)

Featherweight champ Urijah “California Kid” Faber will fight for 145-pound supremacy against a very tough, very skilled Jeff “Big Frog” Curran, who’s already handed four undefeated fighters their first loss this year. Curran has a wealth of international fighting experience that dates back nearly ten years, and he holds wins over some very tough guys (Rafael Assuncao, Krazy Horse Bennett, Wagney Fabiano). As for Faber, he’s been absolutely dominant. He’s riding an 11-fight win streak during which no opponent has made it past the second round. I’m excited to see how Curran’s fast hands and dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu game match up against Faber’s explosive speed and power. Should be a great fight.

Doug Marshall vs. Ariel Gandulla (Light Heavyweight Title Fight)

Hard-hitting, free-swinging light heavyweight champion Doug “Rhino” Marshall will make his first title defense since knocking out Justin McElfresh back in May to capture the belt. I don’t know too much about the 4-0 Gandulla, but Marshall has been inactive for a while, and I expect this fight to showcase Marshall’s tenacious punching power. Don’t be surprised by a Marshall-Brian Stann fight in the near future if Rhino gets past Gandulla.

Paulo Filho vs. TBA (Middleweight Title Fight)

Newly-crowned middleweight champ Paulo Filho captured the vacant title on September 5 at WEC 30 after viciously knocking out veteran Joe Doerksen. With an improved striking arsenal and as lethal a submission game as you’ll find, Filho is regarded by many as one of best – if not the best – in the world at 185 lbs.

Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson

Jens Pulver, the UFC’s first ever lightweight champion, is making his highly-anticipated WEC debut against Cub Swanson in what many expect to produce the next challenger for WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. These two were originally scheduled to fight on September 5 at WEC 30, but a knee injury forced Pulver out of the match.

The Miletich-trained Pulver has suffered two recent stoppages losses at 155 lbs. in the UFC (KO’d by Joe Lauzon; choked out by BJ Penn), and is looking to continue the success he’s had at (or below) 145 lbs.: 6 KOs and 1 submission win. Cub Swanson is young, athletic, and looking for a KO over the heavy-handed Pulver. Swanson is a jiu-jitsu brown belt with Muay Thai training who lost his first pro fight in 2004 and has since rattled off 11 consecutive wins. Most recently, Cub exhibited excellent submission defense, as well as fast, strong hands that fly in dangerous combinations against Micah Miller. Are Jens’ best days in the rear view mirror, or can the legend’s trademark sprawl-and-brawl stop the younger, faster Cub Swanson?

WEC has been on a roll recently, especially when it comes to delivering the title fights. And when you consider that they have no heavyweight division, a brand new middleweight champion, and a light heavyweight champ that’s been inactive for 5 months, you’ve got to tip your hat to the promotion for coming up with exciting match-ups. At September 5th’s WEC 30 Chase Beebe defended his bantamweight belt against Rani Yahya vs. Beebe, and “Razor” Rob McCullough fought Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton for the lightweight championship. August 5th’s WEC 29 featured Filho vs. Doerksen for the middleweight belt and a welterweight title fight between champion Carlos Condit and Brock Larson. These were both great cards, but WEC 31, at least on paper, looks to be the best card WEC has ever delivered.

Free Din Thomas

2007-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

This is pure gold.

In case you didn't know, Din Thomas had a recent run-in with the authorities...

Finding The Answer: An Interview with Frankie Edgar

2007-11-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

(Rob Guarino, Frankie Edgar)

On a wet, disgusting Tuesday morning in Brick, NJ, I find myself in the Rhino Fight Team training facility. The guys are already at work. There’s Steve De Angelis, the nineteen-year-old Battlecage Xtreme 145-pound champion; Shawn Forman, a promising amateur; Carl Beams, a dangerous boxer and kickboxer; Kevin Roddy, a Reality Righting and Battlecage Xtreme lightweight champion; and Chris Liguori, the Reality Fighting welterweight champion.

The man behind Rhino is Rob Guarino, a talented fighter in his own right who’s helped the Rhino Fight Team become one of the deepest, nastiest teams on the East Coast. Guarino runs a no-frills, all-business operation. There are no t-shirts for sale, no beginner classes, no belt color system, and no membership specials at the Rhino gym. Guarino’s chief concern is making sure his Rhinos keep racking up the wins. Nothing more, nothing less.

Guarino’s indefatigable commitment to building the most devastating fight team around is embodied by 26-year-old badass Frankie “The Answer” Edgar. After a decorated high-school and collegiate wrestling career, Edgar’s maiden voyage into MMA came shortly after he began training with Guarino two years ago. Rob took Edgar, Jay Coleman, and a few other Rhinos into Bronx for a “local” show in a small gymnasium. With a raucous crowd very much against him (and the rest of his team) and a much-hyped opponent in Eric Uresk across the ring, Edgar shook off a huge knee to the face early in the round, scored a vicious takedown, and pounded out a gritty first-round win. He’d gone into enemy country and gave their boy a beating. Not bad for five weeks of MMA experience.

Edgar made his pro debut shortly thereafter, earning his first win in dominating fashion over Mark Getto at Ring of Combat 9. Edgar has since been on a tear, earning dominant wins over Jay Isip, Steve Macabe, Deividas Taurosevicius, Jim Miller, Tyson Griffin, and Mark Bocek.

More impressive than Edgar’s 7-0 record is the level of competition he’s faced already in his burgeoning MMA career. Edgar wanted so badly to fight at Ring of Cage 10 that he weighed in with sneakers and sweats on to make 160 lbs. so that he could fight Macabe at welterweight; he finished Macabe in the first round with a chin choke (Guarino had just taught Edgar the move). Taurosevicius, now a rising star with the IFL’s NY Pitbulls, and Miller, the Reality Fighting featherweight champion and Cage Fury Fighting Championship lightweight champion, suffered his only career loss to Edgar. Tyson Griffin was not only undefeated, but he’d stopped world-class striker Duane “Bang” Ludwig and WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, and the UFC had trouble finding someone who’d fight him. As for Mark Bocek, a Grapplers Quest U.S. National Champion and a World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion, he had yet to lose an MMA fight. Edgar dominated them all.

Up next for Edgar is what promises to be his toughest test to date. At UFC 78 in Newark, NJ on November 17, the rising star from Toms River, NJ will step into the cage with hard-hitting veteran Spencer “The King” Fisher. I visited the Rhino headquarters recently to speak a little with Edgar about his fight with The King and his surging MMA career…

Your wrestling has transitioned particularly well to MMA in a very short amount of time, and you seem to have a slightly different look for each fight. What type of training are you doing?

I surround myself with these guys (Team Rhino) all the time. They travel with me and are always around me. For Tyson (Griffin), I trained here because it was short notice and stuff like that, but for Bocek, I concentrated on my jiu-jitsu a little more and trained out in Dallas and Philly. You’ve got to change it up to your opponent, you know? Right now for my wrestling, I’m coaching at Rutgers right now. I help out there, and I trained at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) a little bit for this one.

Talk to us about training with the AKA guys.

There was (Josh) Thomson, Dave Camarillo – he’s the jiu-jitsu guy, Jon Fitch was in a little bit, Koscheck a little bit. I got to surround myself with some pretty good guys out there.

What was the biggest benefit from working with those guys?

Just the intensity level and the fact that they’ve competed at such a high level. They’ve been there and they were able to help me with a lot of the experience they’ve gained so far in the sport.

What’s the most special thing about being a part of the Rhino Fight Team?

Just the camaraderie. We’re all local kids, all a similar type.

Before you came to Rhino, had you studied any fighting discipline other than wrestling?

It was just wrestling. And maybe a couple of bar fights.

There’s a crop of exciting young UFC lightweights right now, and of them, you’ve had the biggest wins over the toughest competition. You like it that way, don’t you?

You’re in the UFC and you’re going to fight a tough guy no matter what, so you might as well fight a name because that’s going to prepare your career that much more. You know, you don’t want to keep fighting guys you’re supposed to beat. You want to fight the guys you’re not supposed to beat. That’s how you’re going to get your name up in the rankings.

This is your third UFC fight, but you recently signed an extension, correct?

Yeah, I have three more fights now after this one.

What do you expect from Spencer Fischer at UFC 78?

I’m expecting a real tough fight, man. He never has a boring fight. I’ve seen him fight many times, and I know he’s going to bring the fight to me, so I’m not going to have to go look for a fight in that cage.

You’ve already cut your teeth in the UFC and are well on your way to being an established star at 155 lbs. in the UFC. What can fans expect to see from you at UFC 78?

They’re going to see the progression – progressing more as a fighter in experience and talent and everything all around. I want to show that I’m getting better, working hard to be the best I can be.

Has the UFC indicated at all what could be next for you if you beat Spencer Fisher at UFC 78?

Nothing. They didn’t give me anything, which is good, you know. I just want to concentrate on this one.

Is there any extra pressure fighting in front of hometown fans?

Not really. One you’re in the octagon, you kinda forget where you are. I’ve fought in Vegas and I’ve fought in Sacramento, and I could have been fighting in my backyard. It’s the same thing. This next week might be a little different being home, being bothered a little bit. I try to turn my phone off and think about just taking care of business. So I’m trying not to get too caught up in it. One I step in there, I don’t think it’ll affect me at all.

Did you request to be on the UFC 78 card in Newark, NJ?

Well, they kind of approached me about it, and I think they new I wanted to be on it.

When you step into the cage, is it an athletic competition or is it a fight?

It’s always a fight, you know what I mean. Preparing for it is an athletic competition because you worry about technique and skill. You get in there and get hit in the face, and it turns into a fight real quick.

Where do you see yourself in terms of the UFC lightweight division as a whole?

I’m still pretty new at this – only 2 ½ years in it – so, I’ll do whatever they want me to do. I think I’m nowhere near where I need to be yet, but I still think I can compete with anybody in there right now. So I think it’s kinda nice to know that I still have a lot of proving to do, and I still feel that at this level I can compete with anybody.

Let’s say I come back here and talk with you in a year. Where do you hope to be by then?

Honestly, I’d like to be right there in title contention, if not holding the title.

As a fighter and as a fan, which fighters do you particularly enjoy watching?

Chris Liguori, man (laughs)! Definitely my work-out partners. They’re in there just like you’re in there. As for the guys in the UFC, you know, you watch one guy for a little bit, and you just say “Oh yeah, I like this guy.” The whole 155-pound division is great because everyone’s ready to go. We’re non-stop fighters. St-Pierre is also great to watch, very well-rounded. Shogun is very fun to watch. And Randy Couture is just a legend, so I always enjoy his fights.

By the way, how did your nickname come to be?

(Laughs) To tell you the truth, Chris (Liguori) just gave it to me and it stuck. I was always answering back, you know.

There’s been a lot of attention over you still working as part of the family plumbing business, so let’s touch on that a little. When your fighting career is done, would you like to remain in the sport as a coach, or do you hope to take over the family business?

If everything goes as planned, I’ll be fighting for a long time. That’s what I want to do. I don’t know how long the business will even be around for me to take over, but I enjoy this sport. I enjoy working out, I enjoy helping people. I’m coaching now at Rutgers. I’ll always be involved in wrestling, and I’ll always be involved in mixed martial arts. That’s my future.

Are any of the wrestlers over at Rutgers looking to get into MMA after school?

(smiles) Yeah, I think so.

I’m going to throw out a few names to get your quick thoughts. Easy enough. Here we go:

Joe Stevenson – Tough, tough fighter; one of the toughest guys in my weight class.

BJ Penn – The best guy in my weight class.

Sean Sherk – Uhhh…another tough guy in my weight class.

That’s a very political answer about Sherk – (laughter)

Dana White – the boss.

Joe Scarola – F----- queer.

Serra vs. Hughes – Serra. I’m going with the Long Island boy.

What’s the one thing that aspiring young fighters might not understand about becoming a top-level fighter?

The commitment level that you need. I know a lot of local tough guys. The average street fight lasts 30 seconds, but you’ve got to be 100% committed to this sport. Anyone can jump in a ring and throw a couple punches and say, "I did it." But to be successful, you need 100% commitment. You’ve got to be ready to commit your whole life to this.

Before we go, I have to ask this: For UFC 78, is there an after party, and am I invited?

Yes, there is. Bliss in Clifton, NJ. You’re more than invited.

***For more on Frankie “The Answer” Edgar, check out FrankEdgar.com, MMAInstructional.com, and RhinoMMA.net.***

The UFC Lightweight Title Picture Is a Mess

2007-11-02T16:34:00.000-04:00

This is some of the stupidest shit I’ve heard in a long time.

According to a Yahoo! Sports article, UFC president Dana White said that BJ Penn and Joe “Daddy” Stevenson will fight for a lightweight belt in January at UFC 80, but Sean Sherk is going to remain the champion.

Apparently, White thinks that the way the CSAC has handled Sherk's steroids case “has been a mess,” and White isn’t ready to strip Sherk of his championship.

Instead, Penn and Stevenson will fight for the interim title at UFC 80, and the winner will face Sherk once Sherk's fate has been determined the CSAC.

To recap: BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson will fight for the interim lightweight title, and no matter who wins, Sherk still holds his belt. Brilliant.

Dear Santa,

2007-11-02T15:57:00.000-04:00

These are some bad-ass MMA action figures from a company called Round 5. "Series 1" features Rampage, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, and Matt Hughes.

I'm not sure exactly what I'd do with these, but they look cool as hell and I want them all.

These babies are set to ship mid-November, but click here if you want to pre-order. Each one is $16.99.

Birthday Punches: Cub Swanson

2007-11-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

WEC featherweight Cub Swanson turns 24 today. Swanson is riding an 11-fight win streak that dates back to 2004 and is scheduled to fight Jens Pulver on December 12.

Drago Earns Balck Belt from Serra BJJ

2007-11-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

Hats off to UFC middleweight Pete "Drago" Sell, who recently earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Matt and Nick Serra.

One thing about Drago that's puzzled me for the past few years is that despite being a strong, talented grappler, he very often shows a propensity to stand and trade (i.e. his fights against Quarry - both times - and Scott Smith), and it doesn't seem to be working out for him.

If you want to talk about a guy "getting caught," Drago is the prime example. He had Scott Smith all but knocked out, and he seemed to be getting the better of the stand-up exchanges against Nate Quarry (the second time around) before being dropped. Them's the breaks.

Click here for official promotional news from Serra BJJ.

Baroni Suspension Reduced to Six Months

2007-11-02T14:21:00.000-04:00

"It feels like a loss to me. I’m convicted of using steroids. I didn’t use steroids. I thought I took enough tests to prove I didn’t. I wanted more than anything to prove I didn’t do it. To be cleared of it. And I’m not. I’m labeled guilty."

Yes, you are. For more on this story, including Baroni using different names for his test results, click here.

Babalu Signs with Xcess Fighting

2007-11-01T15:35:00.000-04:00

Kodiak MMA favorite Renato “Babalu” Sobral has signed a non-exclusive deal with the Xcess Fighting promotion. Babalu will debut with Xcess Fighting at the company’s 12 event but neither a location nor an opponent have been specfied.

"I am undeniably the biggest 'Babalu' fan that lives. Xcess Fighting believes he has tremendous talent, and (we) are extremely proud to be able to get him back into he cage and in front of his fans so quickly," said Xcess Fighting spokesperson Bruce Bellocchi.

Since his departure from the UFC, Babalu sure hasn't been sitting idly by. Babalu has since signed with MMA agent Ken Pavia, with the Strikeforce promotion, and now with Xcess Fighting.

In a recent interview, Pavia discussed Babalu's Strikeforce plans: "He'll be fighting in San Jose. Looks like in late January. The deal is inked, but we still don't know about the opponent. We were hoping to walk into a title shot, but looks like we're going to have to get one fight in before we fight for the title."

Strikeforce is based in San Jose, so I'm curious to see what happens if Babalu loses his December Xcess Fighting match and makes his Strikeforce debut in the company's hometown after a loss in a much smaller promotion. Not that I think he'll lose, but you never know...

Click here for more on the Babalu signing from MMAJunkie.

Sherk Responds to CSAC Delay

2007-11-01T14:40:00.000-04:00

Click here for a video of UFC lightweight Sean Sherk whining about having to clear his name, about losing out on fighting opportunities and sponsorship dollars, and about how he's not so sure any more that "the facts would speak for themselves."

EliteXC Press Conference Recap: New Weight Classes, New Opponent for Kimbo

2007-11-01T14:02:00.000-04:00

EliteXC held a conference call for the media yesterday to promote their November 10 card. Here are some highlights, courtesy of Sam Caplan:

- EliteXC has made official its weight classes: 140 lbs, 150 lbs, 160 lbs (LW), 170 lbs 9 (WW), 185 lbs (MW), 186-205 lbs (LHW), 206-265 lbs (HW), and 265+ lbs (SHW).

- A broken left clavicle will keep Mike Bourke from fighting Kimbo Slice on November 10. Bo Cantrell has been signed as a replacement.

- President Gary Shaw said that he'd welcome Randy Couture with open arms into EliteXC in virtually any capacity.

- Jake Shields and Mike Pyle will not be fighting for the welterweight title. Apparently, Pyle is unhappy with EliteXC and that his fight against Shields on November 10 will be his last with the promotion.

- Shaw said that he’s trying to get Antonio "Giant" Silva cleared for the card and that Yves Edwards is also a possibility for November 10.

- Shaw said he is open to using the tournament concept, not that it’s been reinstated in California.

- Kimbo has been training hard with Bas Rutten and has put smoking, drinking, and sex on the shelf for the time being. He noted that although he used to get high before some of his street fights, he'd never do that in MMA.

- Shaw said he'd like talk to Kimbo about getting him involved in pro boxing.

- Kimbo said he'd fight Tank Abbott "anywhere."

- Shaw said that EliteXC hosted Josh Barnett as a guest during their September Hawaii show and that he definitely has interest in Barnett.

- Shields said that a match with Paul Daley would be an easy fight for him (Shields) and one that he’d finish in the first round.

Din Thomas Busted for Hosting Illegal Fights in Florida

2007-11-01T13:54:00.000-04:00

UFC veteran lightweight and American Top Team product Din Thomas was arrested Tuesday in Florida for running illegal cage fights in his local gym. Apparently, police entered Thomas’ training facility and watched 2 fighters compete in an octagon-shaped cage before a crowd of about 150.

Thomas consequently faces a felony prohibited-competitions charge and had to post a $10,000 bond to obtain his release from jail.

As far as I know, there’s been no word from the UFC regarding disciplinary actions again Thomas for his involvement in these illegal fights.

Too bad. I like the way Din-Yero fights, and he seems like a cool guy. But this smacks of the Michel Vick dog-fighting shitfest. How high-profile, local guys expect to run these illegal operations and not expect the buzz to reach the authorities is beyond my understanding.

Click here for Sherdog’s original report.

Straight Talk

2007-11-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

"I think Cung Le needs some more time and experience. I don’t think it is a good fight right now because I would just smash him and ruin his progress. Everyone is pushing for Cung because he has been very exciting so far. I think it would be a waste of money and it would crush him when I crush him. I would like to wait till 2009 for that fight. I don’t really know who is on the horizon right now. Robbie Lawler’s name has been thrown around, but I am good with whoever they decide."

- Strikeforce middleweight champ Frank Shamrock

I agree that 1) a Shamrock-Le fight would be exciting, 2) Le could definitely use some more experience, especially against better competition, before challenging Shamrock, and 3) Shamrock would smash him.

Evan Tanner looking for sponsors...

2007-10-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

...for his friend.

The following message was sent out via Evan Tanner's MySpace account yesterday:

Date: Oct 23, 2007 4:04 PM

Subject: Need sponsors for talented young fighter

Body: I'm posting this for my friend Ian. He's a very talented up and coming fighter. He could use some sponsors to help with training expenses. I expect big things from him. If any of you have any ideas, please contact him, or I can be contacted through my profile.

Here is the link to his myspace account.

http://www.myspace.com/tcobsfinest

Thanks

Evan

Wanderlei vs. Chuck

2007-10-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

It's on - for real this time - for UFC 79 on December 29.

My Evening with Fedor and M-1

2007-10-23T00:10:00.000-04:00

I showed up at the Mark Ecko headquarters in Manhattan and headed to the fifth floor, as directed. When I got there, I was notified that the Fedor press event was being held on the third floor, not the fifth. Who gave me this valuable heads-up? Mauro Ranallo himself. The man’s voice can melt chocolate.

So I ride the elevator from the fifth floor down to the third floor, and the first person I see when I get to the press conference room (other than Mauro) was Frank Trigg. Of to a good start, I told myself. I arrived about an hour ahead of time, so I strolled around, taking notice of the cool new Fedor M-1 shirts (yes, I got one), as well as some new items from the Mark Ecko line.

As I made my way around the room, I spotted ProElite/EliteXC president Gary Shaw and began chatting with him. I’m a long-time Nick Diaz fan, and anyone who embraces and appreciates Nick the way Shaw does is OK in my book. I told Gary (I called him Mr. Shaw) that I thought the November EliteXC card is looking real good, and we talked about Diaz, Jake Shields, and Kimbo Slice, of course. He also mentioned that he’s signed another big name (key word BIG) for the November card. You’ll see…

At 5:21 PM (New York time), Fedor Emelianenko entered the reception area, accompanied by several other well-dressed gentlemen and two stunningly beautiful women (whom we all later learned were the Russian interpreters for Fedor and Vadim Finkelchtein, Fedor’s manager.) Nice touch.

As expected, Fedor looked calm and almost indifferent to all the hoopla surrounding the event. He wore a navy suit, a blue shirt and a blue and black tie and looked particularly sharp. I know what you’re probably asking yourself, and yes, he still looked VERY bad-ass!

Kicking things off at the press conference was Mitchell Maxwell, the M-1 global chairman and a 34-year veteran of the entertainment business who sits on the board of Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc. (they’re the folks who bought M-1). Mitchell first thanked Fedor and Finkelchtein, without whom, he said, “We wouldn’t be here today.”

Mitchell spoke rather candidly about M-1’s objective: “to take mixed martial arts to a place where it’s respected as a sport all over the world.” Mitchell admitted M-1 is at the moment an underdog and reminded us all of other great sports underdog triumphs, such as the 1969 Mets (I’m a Mets fan, so he won me over with this one) winning the World Series, this year’s Stanford football team that beat USC, Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, and finally the 1980 US hockey team that stunned the mighty Soviet squad. “We’re here to play,” Mitchell declared.

Despite M-1’s burgeoning underdog status, Mitchell explained that M-1 endeavors to accomplish great things. How great? “Bob Gibson in September,” “Mantle in ’56,” “the ’72 Dolphins,” and “Magic Johnson every night,” he cited. Mitchell said he hopes to bring “entertainment and theatricality” to the world-class athletes of MMA, and based on the information in the press kits given out, he’s got the track record to do just that.

Later on, Mitchell said that M-1 will work to make MMA more “fan friendly.” This includes “more pomp and circumstance and theatricality” (translation: PRIDE!), fights with champion vs. champion, and an emphasis on “a respect for fighters, their well being, and their health.” So far, this guy’s saying all the right things as far as I’m concerned.

Mitchell then introduced the legendary Monte Cox, who will serve as M-1’s President and CEO. Not bad. Monte, donning a suit and tie for the occasion, started off with the following: “If you don’t think this is a big deal, look at what I’m wearing.” He said that M-1 is “looking for the best opponents” for Fedor. “We want to do something special,” he added.

Cox explained that he’d received several offers from other MMA promotions, none of which he accepted, and when M-1 approached him, the first thing he told them was “Get Fedor.” Ten weeks later, they got Fedor and Cox became president/CEO. Cox expressed what seemed to be a genuine desire “to work with other organizations,” and Maxwell and Finkelchtein made similar statements throughout the evening.

Vadim Finkelchtein spoke next (through an interpreter, of course) and didn’t have too much to say. He reminded us all that M-1 has been around since 1997 and said that it’s as big in Europe as the UFC is in the US.

And then came Fedor, the man of the hour. He expressed satisfaction with the M-1 team, whom he said “are the best at what they do.” It was then time for a little Q&A. Here are some of the highlights:

Why M-1 and not UFC?:

Fedor explained that M-1 is a “global company” that will allow its champions “to meet with different champions.” Fedor feels that M-1 will have the strongest fighters, and that M-1 fighters will be treated the “most respectful way.” Take that as you will, folks. Finkelchtein added: “We don’t think today that the UFC is a global organization.”

Fedor’s M-1 debut?:

Cox said that M-1 is looking for a TV partner, “which will let us know where and when we’ll go.” An opponent and a date for Fedor’s first fight under the new M-1 banner will be announced “soon.”

A fight with Randy Couture?:

“I’m very pleased to hear Randy spoke so higly of me,” Fedor admitted after being told that Randy said there’s nothing left to prove if he cannot fight Fedor. According to Fedor, he met Randy in Prague and that Randy expressed “warm feelings.” Fedor concluded, “Nowadays, he is the strongest fighter, and it would be an honor to fight him.”

Other M-1 fighters?:

Maxwell said that a stable of M-1 fighters will be revealed in the next few days. “Today is Fedor’s day,” he said.

Fedor’s contract?:

There's a clause in Fedor's contract that will pay the UFC champ an addition $1 million (on top of whatever else his pay day is) to fight Fedor, and the winner will receive a bonus of another $1 million.

Are there limitations in Fedor’s contract? “The short answer is ‘no’,” said Maxwell. I’d like to know the long answer, but this will have to do for now.

According to the press kit literature, “Fedor signed a two-year contract for six fights with a very attractive extension option,” said Finkelchtein. According to Maxwell, “Fedor is being paid commensurate with his status as the MMA greatest fighter.” No specific figures were published.

Did Fedor avoid fighting UFC heavyweights?:

Eddie Goldman asked this question and lives to see another day, so congratulations to him for that. A slightly grinning Fedor calmly answered, “I didn’t avoid any fighter,” and explained that PRIDE pushed for a fight between Fedor and Tim Sylvia (who was the champ at the time), but it was the UFC who rejected the fight.

M-1 and elbows, knees, and universal rules?:

Cox said that M-1 is looking for a set of unified rules, and that the current rules are PRIDE rules, which will have to change when M-1 hits US soil.

Other M-1 heavyweights?:

Finkelchtein named Aleksander Emelianenko, and he and Fedor both said that there are some very tough, talented up-and-coming-Russian fighters who are not yet known by the American fan base. Finkelchtein later told me, “In reality, there are a lot of fighters not in the UFC who are some of the best fighters in the world.”

If Fedor is #1, who’s #2?:

I was expecting Fedor to name Josh Barnett or Rodrigo Nogueira, but he surprised me with his response: “I don’t consider myself number 1. I haven’t fought lots of fighters, so I cannot claim that.” Wow!

That concluded the official part of the program, after which we were invited to speak one-on-one with Fedor, Cox, Finkelchtein, and Mitchell, and to enjoy the open bar and some food.

As soon as the Q&A portion of the evening concluded, everyone seemed to be scurrying over to the bar or to speak to the panel members. I noticed former PRIDE executive Jerry Millen standing idly by and headed his way. I told him that Pride 33 was the best card of 2007 – hands down! – and he explained that he helped put together Diaz vs. Gomi and Henderson vs. Wanderlei, despite some objection to Henderson getting a title shot before Rogerio Nogueira. We spoke some more about PRIDE and the UFC, Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell, Big Nog, Randy, and lots more.

Suffice it to say that Millen does not like Dana White at all! As for what he’s up to in the MMA world, Millen told me that he’s received plenty of offers, but that he’s waiting for the right one. My conversation with Millen could be its own post –and a VERY interesting one at that – but overall, he was quite accommodating, and I have only good things to say about him.

Next I made my way over to where Fedor and Finkelchtein were seated. First I asked them if Fedor will be competing in the World Sambo Championships. The answer was a resounding ‘yes.’ Fedor will be competing in the World Sambo Championships on November 7 in the Czek Republic and “he will be representing Russia.”

I then asked Fedor, Finkelchtein, and Cox about what whether Fedor will fight for, the M-1 heavyweight championship. All three echoed the same sentiment: nothing about weight class champions has been finalized just yet, but the emphasis seems to be on crowning a true world heavyweight champion, and not just an M-1 heavyweight champ. “He’ll fight for the world championship when he fights Randy Couture. We want to have a real, true champion of the world,” Finkelchtein said.

After that, Fedor took a picture with me and signed some stuff I brought. What a guy.

I then met Frank Trigg, whom I congratulated on his recent marriage. I asked him whether there was any truth to the “news” of him joining the WEC. “It’s all Internet hype,” he said. According to Trigg, the WEC never even made him an offer.

After that, I just kind of cruised around with my Jack Daniel’s on the rocks and got to speak with Josh Gross of Sherdog.com, IFL CEO Gareb Shamus, Ben Fowlkes of the IFL and 5 Oz of Pain, and MMA journalist Eddie Goldman. All good guys.

The end of the night came, and I didn’t really want to leave. Unfortunately, everyone else was leaving, so I grabbed my bag of complimentary goodies (a very cool Fedor M-1 t-shirt and a Fedor DVD) and rode down to the lobby with Fedor, Finkelchtein, and their lovely interpreters.

Like I said, I really didn’t want to get on the train and head home, so I kind of hung back and watched as Fedor and company waited out front for their limo to pull up. To my surprise, not one passerby noticed Fedor or seemed to know who he is! Idiots.

Maxwell joined them out front moments later, and I asked him if it was coincidence that Fedor and Finkelchtein had such attractive interpreters. “Remember,” he told me with a smile, “I come from show business.” He shook my hand, thanked me for coming out, climbed into the limo, and disappeared down 23rd Street.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I just became an M-1 fan.

Here are some photos from earlier tonight:

Me getting a laugh from Fedor and his lovely interpreter...

Me and the Fedor (yes, I am wearing a Russian Sambo t-shirt)...

Vadim Finkelchtein and his lovely interpreter...

Gorgeous George, Trigg, me...
Mauro talks with Fedor and lovely Russian interpreter...

Strikeforce Middleweight Tournament

2007-10-22T10:43:00.001-04:00

On November 16, Strikeforce will hold a one-night, four-man middleweight tournament at the HP Pavilion in San Jose featuring Falaniko Vitale, Trevor Prangley, Yuki Sasaki, and Jorge Santiago.

Rumored to have been in the tournament was Joe "Diesel" Riggs, who withdrew last week and appears to be officially out of the tournament.

Tournament fights will consist of two five-minute rounds, with an overtime round added if necessary. MMAWeekly is reporting that the winner of this tournament may earn a shot at Strikeforce middleweight champ Frank Shamrock. (I'd rather see Cung Le get a title shot, but what do I know.)

For more on the Strikeforce tournament, click here.

Arlovski Promises “Big News”

2007-10-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

The following was posted earlier this week on Andrei Arlovski’s web site:

The past months since my win over Fabricio Werdum at UFC 70 have been very productive while I am waiting for my next fight in the UFC. Time off can be positive; it offers me time to rest my body while improving my technique in Boxing, Jui-Jitsu and freestyle wrestling.

The media, my sponsors and fans have been great. I recently appeared on Jerry Springer as a guest bouncer and it was a lot of fun for everyone. Chicago's MEN'S Book did a feature on my life and living in Chicago, DUB magazine is featuring my lifestyle and cars, and just about all the online MMA sites have been positive towards my goal to become Heavyweight champion again.

I want to thank my fans for their continued support. The messages I receive through myspace.com/arlovski, in the mail and on this site helps me keep focused and are nice to read between workouts.

Keep checking back, BIG NEWS IS AROUND THE CORNER.

A. Arlovski

Last Night's 'Brawl for It All' Card Cancelled

2007-10-21T11:51:00.000-04:00

According to a Gracie Fighter post from last night, California State Athletic Commission officials cancelled No Limit Fighting's "Brawl for it All" card, which was to be held last night at the Cow Palace in San Fran. Most of fighters scheduled to appear on the main card dropped out of the event, and others failed to complete their medical clearances. Better luck next time.

Goldie Being Goldie

2007-10-21T11:26:00.001-04:00

By now, it's no surprise that when Mike Goldberg opens his mouth, the broadcast comes to a screeching halt. Goldie was as awful as ever last night, but his shining moment came during the Kalib Starnes-Alan Belcher fight:

"If the doctor says he can see your skull, THAT'S FREAKY!"

See you next month, champ.

UFC Lands Brock Lesnar

2007-10-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

"The real alpha male is here, folks!" - Joe Rogan

For more on Lesnar's credentials and the UFC, click here.

UFC 77 - Put It in the Books!

2007-10-21T09:18:00.000-04:00

A pretty good night of fights overall, unless, of course, you were rooting for the hometown favorites.

Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin: This time around, Franklin managed to actually mount some offense. He avoided the Thai clinch at times, scored a takedown, and escaped the first round...barely; with just seconds left in the opening round, Silva connected with a hard right hand that dropped Franklin, whose legs gave out from under him. That's when you kind of knew it was over.

Round 2 was virtually a carbon copy of their first fight, capped off once again by Silva ruining Franklin's night with an overwhelmingly strong clinch and a couple of very nasty knees that busted up Franklin's nose (yes, again). Silva punished Ace with about a dozen unanswered shots and left the former champion battered and defenseless next to the cage, forcing Big John to step in and call the fight. Silva's striking, once again, was too strong and too precise for Ace.

The always professional Silva seemed almost apologetic for winning the way he did in Franklin's hometown. In fact, just before Bruce Buffer officially declared Silva the winner, you could see Silva say to Franklin, "I'm sorry," before the two embraced. Nice guy.

My prediction: Silva, TKO Rd. 3

Actual result: Siva, TKO Rd. 2

Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera: Vera has all the tools to have won this fight. I knew that and his coaches knew that. Unfortunately, Vera didn't listen to them and lost the unanimous decision to a less than stellar performance by Sylvia.

In Round One, Vera immediately got inside of Sylvia's reach but didn't do any real damage from the clinch and wasn't able to get the big fella down to the ground. Vera scored a takedown about 3 minutes into the second round but again couldn't get good position for ground-n-pound or for a submission. Late in the round, Vera landed a huge knee to the head as Sylvia climbed back to his feet. Sylvia, however, still had a knee down, so referee Yves Levigne issued a warning to Vera. With just seconds left in the round, the action resumed and Vera conneted with some big-time kicks that rattled the former champion and fired up the crowd.

Vera looked tired in the third, which is when Sylvia started to let his hands go and stole the fight. Vera, who clearly doesn't like getting hit, suffered a broken left hand in the first and resorted to close-range elbows, none of which really connected.

I expected Vera to feed Sylvia a healthy dose of leg kicks and overhand rights throughout this fight- and it sounds like his coaches did also - but what do I know.

Two things about Tim Sylvia: 1) All the talk about him looking to knock guys out now that his back is healthy is all bullshit. He once again showed little urgency n going for the KO, this time against a smaller, weaker opponent with a busted hand. 2) Why is he calling out Cheick Kongo? Be gracious in victory, thank the armed forces men and women like you always do, thank the crowd, and then leave. Instead, he goes on about how Kongo has been "picking on people." Picking on people? Kongo? Stupid.

Up next for big Timmy is Big Nog for the title.

My prediction: Vera, unanimous decision

Actual result: Sylvia, unanimous decision

Jorge Gurgel vs. Alvin Robinson: Heading into this fight, I said that I'd never been impressed - not even a little bit - with Gurgel, and he did nothing last night to change my mind.

As expected, Robinson came out strong and aggressive, but after an early scramble, Gurgel wound up on top and controlled the rest of the round from side control and half-guard. Gurgel's jiu-jitsu looked strong (no surprise there), but Robinson managed to keep Gurgel from attempting any real submissions and suffered no damage otherwise.

Gurgel and Robinson traded some shots to kick off Round 2 before Robinson secured a takedown and starting pounding on a tired Gurgel. Round 3 brought more of the same - a very strong Robinson smashing away at Gurgel's mangled face.

I know Gurgel is from Cincinnati and he trains Franklin and everything else, but enough is enough already. He's had trouble stopping some of the lower-tier lightweights and proved to be no match for the powerful Kid Robinson.

My prediction: Robinson, TKO Rd. 1, 2

Actual result: Robinson, unanimous decision

Stephan Bonnar vs. Eric Schafer: Bonnar escaped a couple of choke attempts and a near kimura in the first round before getting dominant position on Schafer in the second. Bonnar seemed to have a hard time passing Schafer's guard but managed to maintain superior position and unleashed a series of furious strikes to pick up the TKO win in the second round. Despite the loss, Schafer impressed me with his relentless submission attempts.

The highlight of this fight for me was when a victorious Bonnar forgot the name of the bar/club where his after-party was held.

My prediction: Bonnar, TKO Rd. 2

Actual result: Bonnar, TKO, Rd. 2

Kalib Starnes vs. Alan Belcher: Round 1 brought plenty of action. Belcher fired off some knees, popped right back up after being taken down by Starnes, and kept attacking. Belcher smiled off some hard shots from Starnes in Round 2 and smacked him with some big elbows, one of which opened a crevasse on Starnes' head that prompted the ringside physician to wave this one off. Belcher's Muay Thai looked strong, Starnes was enjoying some success with the jab, and I would have liked to see this fight continue (not that I have a problem with the stoppage).

My prediction: Belcher, TKO Rd. 2
Actual result: Belcher, TKO, Rd. 2

Demian Maia vs. Ryan Jensen: No surprise here really. Maia got Jensen's back in the first round,worked to get his hooks in, secured the rear naked choke, and forced an overmatched Jensen to tap.

My prediction: Maia, submission, Rd. 1

Actual result: Maia, submission, Rd. 1

Other Undercard Fights:

Yushin Okami def. Jason MacDonald via unanimous decision

Josh Burkman def. Forrest Petz via split decision

Matt Grice def. Jason Black via unanimous decision

Other MMA News

2007-10-19T09:17:00.000-04:00

- Anderson Silva, despite visa-related delays, has finally landed on U.S. soil.

- Elvis "The King of Cock and Stumble" Sinosic will fill in for Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos against Paul Cahoon at Cage Rage 24 on December 1.

- BJJ stud Ricardo Almeida has signed a six-fight deal and will return to the UFC middleweight division.

- UFC president Dana White said at a press conference yesterday that the UFC will not be holding a event in Montreal.

- Joe "Diesel" Riggs has pulled himself out of Strikeforce's November 16th middleweight tournament, but says that this decision may change in the coming days.

- Former BodogFIGHT welterweight champ Eddie Alvarez is training for a potential rematch against current champ Nick Thompson on December 8.

Have You Seen This DirecTV Ad?

2007-10-19T08:47:00.001-04:00

I'll say it again: until it's confirmed by the UFC, it's all just speculation to me.

Kimbo vs. Bourke at Renegade

2007-10-19T08:10:00.000-04:00

Kimbo Slice (real name Kevin Ferguson) will make his EliteXC debut as part of the promotion's November 10 "Renegade" card against Mike Bourke (who?), Pro Elite reps are saying.

Also appearing on the "Renegade" card will be the following:
Jake Shields vs. Mike Pyle
Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons
Seth Kleinbeck vs. Kyle Noke

BJ vs. Sherk or Joe Daddy for the Title

2007-10-19T08:07:00.000-04:00

BJ Penn was most recently scheduled to fight for the UFC lightweight belt at UFC 79 on December 29, but it seems now that the UFC is looking to hold this fight sometime in early February, The Fight Network is reporting. Across the cage from BJ will be either (tainted) UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk or top contender Joe Stevenson. Joe Daddy told The Fight Network that if Sherk’s steroid-related suspension is not reduced (he appeals to the CSAC on October 31), he’ll gladly fill in for Sherk. For more on this, click here.

Mayhem Miller to Test Free Agent Waters

2007-10-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

"I like adventures. I'm the Lewis and Clark of MMA. More Lewis than Clark. Actually, whoever was tagging Sacajawea, I'm him."

- middleweight Jason "Mayhem" Miller

Babalu Returns in January

2007-10-17T17:48:00.000-04:00

In a recent interview, Ken Pavia, Babalu's agent, talked about what's next for Babalu in the Strikeforce organization:

He'll be fighting in San Jose. Looks like in late January. The deal is inked, but we still don't know about the opponent. We were hoping to walk into a title shot, but looks like we're going to have to get one fight in before we fight for the title.

Excellent news!

For more from Pavia on James Thompson, Phil Baroni, and "Razor" Rob McCullough, click here.

Vera-Sylvia Winner Gets Nog for the Title

2007-10-17T15:31:00.000-04:00

According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports:

The winner of the Brandon Vera-Tim Sylvia fight on Saturday at UFC 77 in Cincinnati will meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the vacant heavyweight title sometime early next year.

Expect Big Nog to be wearing the belt by next spring.

UFC 77 Picks

2007-10-17T14:32:00.000-04:00

I (Matt Kaplan) made my picks for this Saturday's UFC 77, which can be read over at FiveOuncesof Pain.com.

Guess who I'm going with in the main event...

Lawler to Make First Title Defense at December's "Fearless"

2007-10-15T14:38:00.000-04:00

ICON Sport reps have confirmed that middleweight champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler will defend his belt against Kala Kolohe Hose at "Fearless" on December 15, The Fight Network is reporting. Last month, Lawler looked very strong when he knocked out Murilo "Ninja" Rua to capture the EliteXC's middleweight crown, as well. As for Hose, he's riding a four-fight win streak that dates back to '05. For more on this fight, click here.

Trigg Reportedly Signs with WEC

2007-10-15T14:26:00.000-04:00

According to George Garcia, also known as Gorgeous George of the TAGG Radio program, his radio partner Frank Trigg, a former UFC welterweight contender and ICON middleweight champ, has been talking about returning to the middleweight ranks, this time under the Zuffa-owned WEC banner.

Garcia said on the MMAWeekly forum that Trigg has signed with the WEC and is scheduled to face Paulo Filho, the WEC's newly-crowned WEC middleweight champion, in a December title match.

I'm never crazy about the idea of signing a guy and having his first fight be for the title, especially when fans haven't really had an opportunity to get to know and rally behind the current champ. Come to think of it, these exact sentiments were expressed by Trigg himself on TAGG RAdio a few weeks back amidst talk of the WEC signing Chris Lytle to face welterweight champ Carlos Condit. Oh well....

Arona-Fedor Rematch in M-1?

2007-10-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

MMA-Europe.net's Vale Tudo News" is reporting the following:

Brazilian ace Ricardo Arona (13-5-0) announced that he has signed a four fight deal with Russian organization M-1. The opponent(s), due to contractual issues, weren’t revealed. Arona said that he is now focused in his debut, in December. When asked if the first fight would be with Fedor Emilianenko (26-1-0), Ricardo Arona smiled and kept his silence.

UFC 78 Card Updated

2007-10-15T14:06:00.000-04:00

In light of Hector Lombard being unable to secure his visa (why the UFC would sign a guy who wouldn't be able to make it into the U.S. still baffles me) Karo Parisyan will now be facing former Pride star Ryo Chonan in what should be an exciting a welterweight contest. Also added to the card is another exciting fight at 170 lbs. between Chris "Lights Out" Lytle and Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves, who was originally scheduled to fight Chonan.

Here's the latest:

Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans
Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
Frank Edgar vs. Spencer Fisher
Ed Herman vs. Dave Terrell

Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt
Tamdan McCrory vs. Akihiro Gono
Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo

Looks cool to me...

EliteXC Snags Kimbo Slice

2007-10-12T01:58:00.001-04:00

ProElite.com's Sam Caplan broke the news earlier that Kimbo Slice has signed with EliteXC and will make his debut for the promotion against either Tank Abbott or James "The Colossus" Thompson on November 10.

Also appearing on that card will be Nick Diaz and KJ Noons, who will fight for the lightweight (160 lbs) belt, and Jake Shields vs. Mike Pyle. Not a bad little card so far.

For more on Kimbo in EliteXC, click here.

Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons for EliteXC Title in November

2007-10-12T01:50:00.000-04:00

Nick Diaz, who just extended his deal with EliteXC by two years, will fight KJ Noons for the new EliteXC 160-pound title on the Nov. 10 event, MMAWeekly has reported.

Randy Explains His Departure from the UFC

2007-10-11T18:59:00.000-04:00

"The motivation for the decision is two-fold. I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. That's the fight I wanted and if that can't happen it doesn't make sense for me to compete with all these other guys. And then obviously that's not going to happen now. And, two, I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that I'm doing just fine with. I don't need the problems. I don't feel like I get the respect I deserve from the organization, and that's motivation No. 2 for the letter of resignation that was sent today."

WOW!!! There's more:

"I think the final straw for me was meeting with Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta, UFC co-owner) where they claimed I was the No. 2 paid athlete in the organization, which I know is a bold-faced lie. All us athletes are all pretty tightly intertwined. You hear what other guys were paid signing bonuses and what other guys were paid on the record and off the record with bonuses. I've heard Chuck's numbers. Tito's numbers. Hughes' numbers. Quinton's numbers. Cro Cop, Wanderlei. I heard what they were offering Fedor, and it's insulting."

Hot damn!

Randy Couture Leaves the UFC

2007-10-11T17:10:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not kidding.

UFC president Dana White issued the following statement, which I came across on UFC.com:

I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts. He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top. As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.

Acting? Nothing left to prove?

You'll be hearing more from me about this...

Tito: I will fight again in early 2008

2007-10-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

The following is a press release I received from Tito Ortiz's people in reference to what The Huntington Beach Bad Boy has been up to:

Right now I am totally focused on training. I have always had a reputation for being the best prepared fighter in any match I've ever entered, and I intend to maintain that reputation.
I'm currently working very closely with the UFC to plan my next fight, which you can be sure will not disappoint my fans. It looks like I will fight again in early 2008, and when I do I will be 100% prepared to crush my opponent.

During training breaks I'm busy running my active sportswear business Punishment Athletics (www.punishment.com), which has just had its most successful year, and with the two causes that I support -- our U.S. troops and children in need. I hope there will be an announcement very soon about a new effort that I'm involved with for kids that I think all of my fans will want to get behind. I'm also planning to follow-up my visit with our troops in Iraq this summer with a return trip before the end of the year.

M-1 Snags Fedor

2007-10-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

The Fight Network is reporting that Pride heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko has committed exclusively to Russian-based, American-owned M-1 Mix-Fight Championship.

M-1, which was formerly owned by Fedor's manager Vadim Finkelstein, will hold its inaugural event early in 2008 and possibly in the U.S., sources say. Naturally, Fedor will headline the card.

So now with Fedor in M-1, fans can look forward to seeing the world's greatest fighter do battle with such heavyweights as...wait, let me think...uh...

EliteXC Signs Nick Diaz

2007-10-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

Nick Diaz has signed a long-term exclusive deal with EliteXC that adds two years to his existing contract (Diaz had two fights remaining) and guarantees Diaz three to five fights in 2008 and 2009. Diaz will make his next appearance on Nov. 10 in Corpus Christi, TX against an unnamed lightweight who's already on the EliteXC roster. For more, click here.

Chuck and Wanderlei Agree on December 29 Fight

2007-10-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer is reporting that Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 79 on December 29 in Las Vegas. Until I hear the UFC confirm that this fight is a go, I'm not going to get too excited.

Big Ben, Whitehead, Gusmao Out of IFL Grand Prix

2007-10-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Top-seeded IFL heavyweight Ben Rothwell, as well as light heavyweights Mike Whitehead and Andre Gusmao, have been pulled from the IFL World Grand Prix, Sam Caplan at ProElite.com is reporting.

After the IFL was unable to secure signed commitments from each fighter for next season, Rothwell and Whitehead were pulled from the opening round of the Grand Prix, which is scheduled for November 3 in Chicago.

The IFL reportedly tried to finalize the 2008 contracts for Rothwell and Whitehead but felt that the fighters’ management (both are managed by Monte Cox) was not cooperating.

Despite not appearing in the Grand Prix, Whitehead and Rothwell are still under contract with the IFL, which has no intention of releasing these fighters is hoping to sign both fighters for next season.

Replacing Ben Rothwell will be N.Y Pitbulls heavyweight Bryan Vetell, who will fight Antoine Jaoude in the heavyweight tournament semis. In the other semifinal match Roy Nelson and Reese Andy meet.

As for Andre Gusmao, the Pitbulls light heavyweight has been forced out of action with a foot injury suffered during the IFL Team Finals. With Gusmao, Whitehead, and alternate Jamal Patterson unavailable for the tournament, Vladimir Matyushenko will fight Alex Schoenauer for the IFL light heavyweight title on Nov. 3.

IFL Releases Shamrock & Razorclaws

2007-10-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

MMAWeekly is reporting that the IFL has released the San Jose Razorclaws, as well as its coach, Frank Shamrock.

"They said they were going a different direction with their business. They're good people and they're a good company. They've got a hard road ahead of them. I'm still willing to help in any way because they treated me real good," Shamrock said.

As for his old team, Shamrock expressed little confidence in former Razorclaws finding success elsewhere within the IFL: "I think they cut everybody but Brian Foster and he's in the Grand Prix, so he's got his chance coming up. I think they're going to reassign him to a new team. He's got a couple of teams that he has the option to go to."

I'm sure the rest of the Razorclaws appreciate that vote of confidence, coach!

Shamrock also told MMAWeekly that he and New York Pitbulls coach Renzo Gracie will rematch in April, that Shamrock and his wife are expecting a baby in May, and that he will "probably fight again in (or around) September."

Pit Boss Hackleman Says Chuck vs. Wanderlei Will Happen in December

2007-10-09T15:11:00.000-04:00

John Hackleman, The Pit taskmaster and Chuck Liddell’s trainer, suggested in a recent interview that the UFC is going ahead with a December 29th fight between Chuck and Wanderlei Silva. I’ve been burned before with such promises, so I'm not buying it just yet.

Click here for the full interview. Hackleman mentions the fight at the very end.

IFL Willing to Accommodate Kurt Angle

2007-10-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

It seems that pro wrestler/MMA hopeful Kurt Angle and the IFL are putting together a deal for Kurt that "would fit his schedule in terms of balancing fighting with his professional wrestling career," MMAWeekly is reporting.

Last month, Angle told FOXSports.com that the IFL would be the best fit, considering that his TNA (Total Nonstop Action) wrestling career has him working "about 120 days a year." IFL teams compete just three times during the regular season, which might not seem like much, but considering that fighters on top teams could fight up to seven matches a year (counting play-off appearances), IFL fighters are as busy as any in all of MMA.

In addition to the IFL accommodating Angle’s wrestling demands, what Angle also likes about the IFL is the league’s team concept, says IFL commissioner Kurt Otto. "Kurt Angle really wants to come on board. He wants to learn MMA and he wants to come to the IFL specifically because of the team format because he’s used to that," Otto told MMAWeekly.

The more I think about it, the more symbiotic this whole team concept seems to be for Angle and the IFL. With virtually no professional MMA experience under his belt, training with a team of fighters and coaches seems like a great way for Angle to cut his teeth in the MMA game. What Angle lacks in experience, he makes up for in experience. As a teammate, Angle brings to the table an Olympic gold medal and two NCAA D-I championships, as well as some serious skill and athleticism. Plus, you can bet that plenty of TNA fans would tune in to the IFL to see Angle give out/be given a real-life beating. From a PR standpoint, having Angle in the IFL could be a good move.

Assuming that Angle and the IFL are meant to be, what team would get Angle? I reported recently that Portland Wolfpack coach Matt “The Law” Lindland is sitting on "some big news" about who his heavyweight will be for the 2008 season. Lindland said that he had been waiting on the mystery fighter to reach U.S. soil and get in with Team Quest, but that he feels the Wolfpack will have the top IFL heavyweight next year. Anyone know if Angle had been spending time overseas?

Either way, I remain a bit skeptical of Angle as a mixed martial artist. Angle is closing in on 40 years of age, he has a history of neck injuries, he is already has a high-profile, full-time job, and he was recently arrested in his home for DUI – not a good list of obstacles for any MMA rookie.

Straight Talk

2007-10-09T09:31:00.000-04:00

"It’s a great fight for me and someone had to step up and take on Rashad (Evans) seeing as Tito Ortiz didn’t have the balls to face him again."

- Michael Bisping on his upcoming UFC 78 fight

Lombard Out of UFC 77 Match with Karo

2007-10-08T09:27:00.000-04:00

"I'm not going to get my visa. I only have a Cuban passport, so I've been told it's impossible for me to migrate. I went to the American embassy twice and they said no to me both times," Hector Lombard said to Sherdog. A replacement (my vote goes to Hayato Sakurai) opponent who will fill in for Lombard against Karo Parisyan will be named soon.

Ask Wanderlei

2007-10-07T17:29:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! Sports is inviting fans to send in questions for Wanderlei Silva, who will answer some of them on October 16. Click here for official information.

Shields vs. Pyle at EliteXC November Event

2007-10-07T12:16:00.000-04:00

Jake Shields, fresh off his dominating performance against Renato Verissimo at last month's EliteXC Uprising event, will fight Mike Pyle on EliteXC's November 10 card.

Pyle, a WEC and IFL veteran, most recently defeated Aaron Weatherspoon in June, and based on that performance, as well as Pyle's IFL losses to Matt Horwich and Rory Markham, I have to go with Mr. Shields in this fight. Come to think of it, there aren't too many welterweights I'd pick over Shields.

For more on Shields vs. Pyle, click here.

Post-Surgery Shogun Wants the Belt

2007-10-07T11:25:00.000-04:00

UFC.com is reporting that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, just two weeks after losing to Forrest Griffin at UFC 76, is recovering from successful knee surgery to his left ACL.

Shogun's standing in the 205-lb. food chain seems to have dropped with the loss, but the Chute Boxe star still has his eyes on the UFC light heavyweight belt. In fact, post-surgery Shogun has been quoted as saying exactly what you think a fighter in his position might say: he makes no excuses for the loss, he thanks his fans, and he'll come back better than ever.

The Gospel of Frank Shamrock

2007-10-06T16:50:00.000-04:00

The latest issue of RealFighter magazine (Issue 15) features a pretty cool article on MMA legend Frank Shamrock. Shamrock once again had plenty to say and seems to always give his haters something to chew on. I happen to be a Frank Shamrock fan, but for those who are not, prepare for your panties to be bunched...

I will knock everybody out in MMA.

I don't put any resistance into fighting the takedown because I am better on the ground than anyone else.

Vitor (Belfort) is so easy to beat, and psychologically, he's so fragile. I would beat Vitor before I ever got in the ring.

I would knock him (Ken Shamrock) out. It would take a little while.

He (Anderson Silva) is a good stylist, but he has huge holes on the ground. A guy like that, you quick jab, power right him, step over, and tie him up.

Tito (Ortiz) turns and runs when he gets hit. Phil (Baroni) is a frickin man. Phil stands there and bangs it out. That's how people should fight MMA.

Cage Fury FC 6 Called Off

2007-10-05T19:11:00.000-04:00

The following message from CFFC president Felix Martinez was posted this afternoon on the official site of Cage Fury Fighting Championship:

It is with deep regret that I have to announce the cancellation of Cage Fury’s Oct. 12 event. I did everything in my power to make this show happen for the fighters and the fans. However, I could not overcome the loss of a major investor for this show who decided to pull out at the last moment. With the loss of this investor, I cannot proceed with another first-class event. It has always been my intention to provide the best combative sport entertainment that I could. I am very sorry for having to cancel this event and sincerely apologize to all the fighters, the fans, and our dedicated staff.

Headlining the event was a match between Kimbo Slice and Tank Abbott, which I was looking forward to. Other notables scheduled for the card were Ricardo Almeida, Dennis Hallman, Marcio Cruz, Chris Liguori, kickboxing icon Duke Roufus, and Derek Panza.

Hamill Gets the Hose Again

2007-10-05T09:27:00.000-04:00

The following is from MattHamill.com and is in reference to the Michael Bisping-Rashad Evans shitfest that's scheduled to headline UFC 78:

Wow! Let me just say... I am in shock. First, I get hosed by two judges in London and now the much anticipated rematch has evaporated in front of my eyes. I'm starting to feel like the deck is stacked against me. Duff, my trainer/manager told me he thought something like this would happen when he read Bisping's statement on the internet. He said it looked like Bisping was looking for a way out of the rematch. I posted a statement about my knee surgery on 9/25 so everyone would know it was minor, and I would be ready by mid December. I didn't think six weeks was that long of a wait, apparently, Bisping and the UFC did. I am so hungry to fight. I had surgery to add wrestling back to my arsenal. I fought Bisping's fight at UFC 75 and I was looking forward to fighting my fight in the rematch. I feel honored that so many people have told me I won the fight in London. It makes the decision easier for me to accept. I want to fight... I want to fight ASAP! Hopefully the UFC will schedule a fight for me soon. I would like to fight in December or January and hopefully Bisping after that... If Bisping has the guts to do it again.

Nick Diaz Chat on ProElite

2007-10-04T16:59:00.000-04:00

Nick "Reefer Madness" Diaz chatted with fans today on the ProElite.com forums. Overall, there weren't nearly as many gold nuggets as I had expected from Nick, especially since it was just him and his fans, but it was still pretty entertaining. Here are some of the more memorable replies from the man himself:

- Fighting my brother is ridiculous. I'm going to fight when I fight. I love my brother.

- I prefer smoking it (weed) or vaporizing it, because when you eat it sometimes you hallucinate.

- At 170lbs, my personal top 5 would be: Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck.

- I never said that the UFC was corrupt, but the whole sport is pretty corrupt in general. Not as much as boxing, but still very corrupt.

- People think I have an attitude and because of that they don't like me. People also don't know what's going on with the sport, and then they try to make decisions like they know. Even though we're all still learning. Even the people who fight. People can act like freaks and geeks, but when I'm the mean guy I'm doing something wrong. Everbody else is acting. What if I was too? It's all the marketing image.

- Karo was a pussy to my brother. I wonder when he's gonna fight again. Karo wouldn't have said anything to my brother if I was there.

- BJ is probably technically the best fighter in MMA...

- The heaviest puncher I've fought is Jeremy Jackson, hands down.

Jeremy Jackson hits harder than Gomi??? Wow...

Kurt Angle Busted for DUI

2007-10-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

The following is from ProElite.com:

New details have surfaced regarding TNA Champion Kurt Angle's arrest last Friday. Angle was formally charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance and Careless Driving.

According to a press release issued by the Moon Township Police Department (Allogheni County, PA), a motorist reported that a white Cadillac Escalade had just pulled out of a local bar and nearly struck their vehicle. The witness observed Angle's vehicle cross over double yellow lines and nearly hit a street sign along the road as it traveled down the highway.

The motorist gave police officers the registration information of the vehicle and a description of the driver. Police then learned the vehicle was registered to Kurt Angle, a local resident.

Police visited the home of Kurt Angle and found the white Cadillac Escalade in the driveway. Angle matched the description of the driver in question and he confirmed he had just left the bar where the witness saw him. After submitting to and failing a field sobriety test, Angle was arrested and transported to a local hospital. At the hospital, Angle failed to take a blood test.

Angle was then taken to the police station, processed and released. He will be ordered to appear before the Magistrate at a future date for a Preliminary Hearing.

Source: tmz.com

Wow! It's not too often that you hear of someone being busted for DUI when he/she isn't actually behind the wheel at the time of the arrest. Idiot.

Bisping vs. Rashad Headlines UFC 78

2007-10-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

From UFC.com:

"On Saturday, November 17th, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to New Jersey for the first time in over two years, and in the main event at Newark’s Prudential Center, two of the most decorated graduates from The Ultimate Fighter will meet, as season two winner “Sugar” Rashad Evans (15-0-1) battles season three winner Michael “The Count” Bisping (15-0) in a battle that will not only leave one of these unbeatens with a loss on his record, but it will validate the victor as the future of the light heavyweight division."

This is a bullshit fight, if you ask me. Both fighters seem content to be where they are in the UFC pecking order and haven't demonstrated the hunger that other young fighters have. Rashad was lucky to escape with a tie against Tito, and Bisping was beaten up by Matt Hammill. Any fight fan who's been paying attention knows not to give too much credence to the notion that this is a match-up of two undefeated fighters. As for the winner of this fight being "the future of the light heavyweight division," what do you expect the promoting organization to say?

Also on the UFC 78 main card will be the following:

Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva: For me, this is a much more intriguing match-up at 205 lbs than Bisping & Evans. Expect fireworks from the Nebraska blaster and the Chute Boxe product, as both have shown a propensity for stopping opponents. And as for "the future" of the division, this is the fight to watch.

Karo "The Heat" Parisyan vs. Hector Lombard: Lombard is an Olympic judo practitioner from Cuba, and Karo is Karo. Is it me, or has Karo fallen a bit from welterweight contention? While the Diego Sanzhezes, the Jon Fitches, and Josh Koschecks are given big fights against big names, Karo seems to have become an afterthought. I wonder if a stoppage win against Josh Burkman would have bode better for Karo...

David Terrell vs. Ed Herman: I like this fight. Herman's looked very strong of late and has showed off a slick submission game. Terrell, a world renowned grappler who's been away from the UFC since 2005, once battled Evan Tanner for the (vacant) middleweight belt, so I'm curious to see if he can return to top form. A healthy David Terrell could mean trouble for UFC middleweights.

Frankie Edgar vs. Spencer Fisher: Fight of the night, without a doubt. You'll see.

The undercard will feature the following:

Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory: I'm curious to see how McCrory, also known as "The Barncat," fares in the UFC.

Ryo Chonan vs. Thiago Alves: This could be gooooooood. Chonan should be dangerous at 170 lbs., and "The Pitbull" Alves is always fun to watch.

Jason Reinhardt vs. Joe Lauzon: Another showcase for Joe.

Not to Point Fingers or Anything...

2007-10-04T09:54:00.001-04:00

"Matt Serra’s been his coach for years, so you’ve got to think that came from the gym back in New York or that came from the coaching there on the reality show. So I’ve gotta say that it’s probably Matt Serra’s fault he left."

- Matt Hughes on Joe Scarola leaving the TUF 6 house.

Evan Tanner's Numbered Soldiers

2007-10-04T09:47:00.000-04:00

The following was sent out via Evan Tanner's MySpace earlier this morning:

The date is set. Who’s joining this band of rabble rousers?

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

That is the day. Something new begins.

I have set up a group here on MySpace for everyone who wants to be part of the adventure. It will be a private forum, a place where everyone can exchange ideas, and tell some stories without being harassed. Can't go in unless you're a member. Let's make this fun though. Everyone who wants to be a part of it has to sign up a MySpace account under "Soldier Number 1" Soldier Number 2" etc. I've already checked it out, they're available. If you need another email to create the new account, there is always hotmail, and yahoo. I had this idea of finding a T-Shirt sponsor that would be willing to make shirts for everyone. BELIEVE at the top and SOLDIER NO. 1,2,3 below, etc. etc. Just for fun. Wearing it would be a show of support for everyone with enough courage to join this little band of brothers and make some changes in their lives. I'll wear one for all of you when I step back in the Octagon. Who knows, just an idea.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my posting from October 1.

Where's the Pitbull?

2007-10-03T13:37:00.000-04:00

It's now been over five months since Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski defeated then top-ten heavyweight Fabricio Werdum at UFC 70. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't exciting, and as we all know (because Dana White told us), a lackluster or uninspired effort in the UFC's talent-laden heavyweight division will work against a fighter. Even if he wins.

Since sticking and moving his way past Werdum, Arlovski has barely been a blip on the radar, his name not even finding its way through the rumor mill. He'd been promoting his Pitbull Series signature Soyo LCD HDTVs, and he recently made a guest appearance on The Jerry Springer Show. But as for returning to the octagon...nothing.

Pitbull, I'm speaking directly to you now. I saw you on Springer. You seemed to be in shape, and I liked the fashionable mullet thing you had. Here's an idea: stay off of day-time TV, stop waxing your chest, grow out the beard, and start working aggressively to get back in the octagon. The Brandon Veras and the Rodrigo Nogueiras of the division are already looking at you in the rear-view mirror, so giddyup.

You and I are both handsome, hairy 28-year-olds whose families come from Minsk. You've been a favorite fighter of mine since you first came to the UFC, and I need another reason to keep explaining to people why you're one of my favorites. Don't make me look stupid.

Speaking of which, I read a release in which explained your recent Jerry Springer Show appearance: "I love Chicago and did not know Jerry Springer filmed here. When I was asked to be a special guest on the show, it sounded like it could be fun for me and my fans."

Know what else would be fun for your fans? Watching you kick the shit out of someone!

I'm sorry, Andrei. I don't mean to yell. Besides, if there's a silver lining to the inordinate amount of time that you've been without an opponent, it's that you don't seem to have any of the financial woes that (indirectly) drove Hermes Franca to steroids or that compel Butterbean to fight 5 times in seven months.

And speaking of money, I'm hearing things, specifically that you have one fight left on your contract and that you're asking for a big pay raise. I don't want to mention that 1) you're 2-2 in your last 4 UFC fights, 2) you didn't exactly set off any fireworks in your last win, and 3) the UFC can make big-time heavyweight matches without you. So I'll let someone else bring that up.

BJ Penn on UFC 79 Card

2007-10-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

And all the while I've been waiting to see whom The Prodigy would be facing in November at UFC 78.

Now it seems that between the ongoing Sean Sherk juice circus and the UFC determining a top contender at 155 - and one who'll be healthy and cleared to go - BJ will be fighting on a UFC 79 card (December 29) that also features, Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Cheick Kongo, Rodrigo Nogueira, and Wanderlei Silva.

And the odds are that I'll be away on vacation and will miss this card. Fuck me.

Choosing to be Strong

2007-10-03T08:27:00.000-04:00

Another day, another MySpace bulletin from Evan Tanner. Here's the latest:

Not a victim

October 2, 2007

6:29 pm

What I would like to do is set up a forum on my website, where those who want to be a part of this journey, can sign up and exchange ideas, and maybe help each other out a little. I would like for this forum to be private sot can't be viewed unless someone is a member. I would also like to set up a blog which allows comments. I would like to be able to tell the story of my struggles, and give everyone the chance to tell theirs. I want to set up a place where people can help each other make changes. I don't like the idea of AA, or rehab, etc. where a person is brainwashed into accepting the label of loser, that they have a disease, that it's not their fault, whatever. They carry that with them the rest of their life. I want to set up a place where someone can come, and just admit that they have some bad habits, maybe do too much of something, drinking, drugs, smoking. eating, etc. It's not a disease or a genetic defect. Some are weaker for certain vices, but we have free will, we make our own choice everyday.

I want a place where people can choose to be strong, choose to have courage to change some bad habits, and be proud of themselves the rest of their lives. The support system is important though. We are social animals and we all need friends. We need that connection and understanding. I'm willing to tell my story of my weakness, tell my story and face the embarrassment, the media articles, the ridicule. I would like to let those who are struggling know they are not alone. I’m not a victim. I take full responsibility for what I’ve done and where I am in life. I don’t feel sorry for myself, so don’t feel sorry for me either. I just thought telling my story, baring my ass to the world, might help someone, even if it’s only one.

My web designer doesn't really have the resources at the moment to get all of that set up. He's helped me out so much. I owe him a lot. He's the reason my website even exists. So for this adventure we're about to start, we're going to have to use myspace for now.

Straight Talk

2007-10-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

"I don’t like him. I’m a professional, but for me, fighting with him is not business, it’s pleasure."

- Wanderlei Silva talks about UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton Jackson

Aleks vs. Bobish in HCF 5 Main Event

2007-10-02T09:27:00.000-04:00

Former Pride star Aleksander Emelianenko was slated to face Cabbage Correira in the Hardcore Championship Fighting 5 main event on October 19, but it seems that the big Hawaiian is now out of the picture.

"We’ve lost Wesley; he’s basically gone MIA. We’ve been able to replace him with Dan Bobish, and we’re pretty excited about that," said HCF president Keith Crawford told Fight Network Radio.

For more, click here.

Babalu Finds a Home

2007-10-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

Kodiak MMA favorite Renato "Babalu" Sobral has signed with Strikeforce. It is unknown when or against whom he will make his first Strikeforce appearance. Nonetheless, expect the Bobby Southworths and Rogiero Nogueiras of the Strikeforce world to start worrying.

The Evan Tanner Saga Continues

2007-10-02T08:50:00.000-04:00

The following message was sent out via Evan Tanner's MySpace account:

October 1, 2007

10:26 pm

I am setting a date.

I have been drinking like a madman for fifteen years.

I am done with it.

I am setting a date.

It has ruined my career. It has ruined my health. I have lost the respect of my peers. I have lost my family. I have lost so many friends. I have lost the women I have loved. I have been arrested, wrecked cars, spent nights in jail, gotten in fights, gambled and drunk away hundreds of thousands of dollars, raged like a beast, talked like a fool. I lost my home, gone deep into debt, ruined my credit, and now I’m at risk of losing the last few things I own. I have destroyed my life. All because of drinking. I have made so many mistakes. I have disappointed so many who believed in me. Embarrassed so many who loved me. Almost everything bad that can be said about a man, has been said about me.

I am done with it.

I am setting a date.

There will be those of you who understand me, who will hear me. There will be those who laugh, and ridicule. I am willing to bear the weight of that if any of these words might reach anyone, might have meaning to anyone, if this vision might give hope to anyone.I choose to BelieveI will always believe there is some magic out there. I will always believe there is some magic within me. If we stop believing, our spirits die. I refuse to let my spirit die.

I choose to Believe.

I am setting a date.

I am setting a date, and on that day I will stop drinking. That will be the day I begin to be a better man. That will be the day I begin to find the best of me. That will be the day I begin to find the best of what life can be. I want to find the magic. Join me. If you want to make a change in your life, join me. If any of you want to find the best of yourself, join me. If you want to find your own magic, join me. I am going to quit drinking, get back into training, and step into the Octagon again, and when I do, it will be dedicated to all of you who have the courage to believe in the best of what you can be, all of you who have the courage to stand up with me and face your fears and weaknesses. We will stand shoulder to shoulder, an unconquerable army. BELIEVE in what you can do, and it will happen.I am setting a date.It has been said that I am done, that I will never fight again. It has been said that I have no chance of ever being a champion again. I refuse to accept that. I challenge you to believe in yourself. I challenge you to do what they say can not be done. Join this army of unconquerable souls.

I choose to believe.

I am setting a date.

Come Back, Evan!

2007-09-18T05:01:00.000-04:00

I came across a Sherdog thread that led me to this sad bit of news from Kodiak MMA favorite and former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner:

I haven't written in so long I'm not sure where to start. My stay in Oceanside has been one big misadventure. It's beautiful here. I have met some of the best people, but it is not my place for now. I've done nothing but get into trouble. I quit drinking for a while. I was doing so well. I thought I was in control of that vice. I went out with some friends and decided to have a beer. It's been downhill since. I'm drained of money. My friends are worn out with me. I've gotten tickets. I've spent thousands on the boat. I've been in fights, accidentally pushed police officers. I've met beautiful women and hurt their feelings, I sailed out on the ocean, I sank a boat, and I got into a fight with the woman who has been my best friend. She is losing faith in me. I hope we will find our peace soon.

My friend Jorge took care of me. He took time out of his work to build and engine for me, and he has a family to take care of. So much time and effort and mad scrambling, while I drank beer. The plan was to take her south to find a harbor for her. I had used up my time here. We didn't leave early enough. The swell was big. She started taking on water. The bilge pump went out. We were miles out, desparately bailing out water. We made it into Mission Bay as night fell. Being unfamiliar with the bay, and finding it diffucult to navigate in the dark, we ran aground. I stayed up all night, much of it spent down in the hold in the cold water trying to save her. I tried, but I couldn't do it. She was hurt too much. She lies there now, on her side in Mariners Cove in Mission Bay. I don't know what to do. I think I have pneumonia now. I've been staying on the couch at my friend Dan's house for the last week, too sick to take care of any business. Those in power are asking for more money than I have to pull her out, and it's a criminal offense if I don't do something with her soon. She's been there a week now. She is a classic, and I hate to have her cut up. I would sign her over to someone for free if they wanted to take here over, sails and hardware included. She is a beautiful boat.

I've been on the road for almost two years. I'm tired. I'm tired of drinking, I'm tired of living out of bags, I'm tired of not feeling home. And where is home? I imagine being in the gym again. I imagine stepping into the Octagon again, and in some strange way, those thoughts bring me comfort. That is my home. I know it's time to come home.

I have not been training at all, despite what the rumors say. I've signed no fights. I'm so far gone, living on the road, drinking myself into oblivion, that in moments of weakness, I wonder if I can make it back. It's going to be a long road. I started drinking heavily, long before fighting was even a thought in my head. There was a definite reason I began. There was a method to my madness with good purpose. I'll tell that story later.

I never wanted to be a fighter. I never dreamed of it. Those I most respected were men of peace. Despite what the general public thinks, I don't train full time or year round. I never have. Throughout my career, if you wish to call it that, I have been a heavy drinker. I've only trained for a month or two at a time when I sign a fight. Sometimes I've put down the alchohol, sometimes I haven't. I think the fights where I haven't are obvious.

I keep having this idea of what I could do, what I could be if I put put the vices aside and dedicated myself to the sport. I've been obsessed with the idea lately. It's funny. A friend told me I was doing Wing Chun in my sleep, lying there, working techniques. The next night I was throwing elbows and knees. I take it as a sign.

All that has been on my mind is getting back in the gym. As soon as I can take care of the boat, that is where I will be.

I hope so.

Lindland and Wolfpack Reload for Next Season

2007-09-18T04:38:00.000-04:00

Top middleweight and IFL Portland Wolfpack coach Matt "The Law" Lindland recently spoke to MMA Weekly and discussed a few changes the team will be undergoing:

"I released my welterweight [Mike Dolce] and my light heavyweight [Aaron Stark], purely so they could get more match-ups and experience. So right now, we’re looking to fill those spots for next year. Again, I want to make clear that I only released them so they could get more experience, they could be back with the team next year, but for right now those spots are open.

"I’ve got some big news that I just can’t release, who my heavyweight is, until we get him on American soil and into the Team Quest gym training – but look for us to have the #1 heavyweight in the IFL next year. Ryan [Schultz, lightweight] and [middleweight Matt] Horwich will be in the [individual] Grand Prix [later this year], and they’ve secured their spots with their work ethic and everything, so we’re going to have a very strong team next year."

Big news about a heavyweight that is not on U.S soil and that can presumably wipe the floor with Ben Rothwell...hmmm...Fedor in the IFL?

Stay tuned for more.