IFL Releases Shamrock & Razorclaws

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."

IFL Willing to Accommodate Kurt Angle

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.

Lindland and Wolfpack Reload for Next Season

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.

Big Ben vs. Ricco Suave at IFL Finals

Renzo Gracie has had success finding replacements this season, especially in the playoffs. Middleweight Jim Miller and my man Deividas Taurosevcius, a lightweight, came up huge against the Sabres in the August 2 semis and catapulted the Pitbulls into the IFL Finals. It seems now that Gracie may have found his biggest replacement to date.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez is set to fill in for an injured Tom Sauer and face Quad Cities Silverbacks' Ben Rothwell, who has been dominant in IFL competition, at the September 20 finals. Rodriguez certainly represents the step up in veteran competition that I (and plenty of IFL fans) have been hoping to see for Rothwell.

It's cool to see that Renzo Gracie is sticking with tradition (a Pitbulls tradition, at least) and using a local guy as a sub; Rodriquez is originally from Staten Island. Even cooler is that Ricco has been sober and training. The Fight Network reports that Ricco participated in a VH1 reality TV series called Celebrity Rehab, and he credits his recent sobriety to his involvement with the show.

For more on Ricco Rodriguez debuting in the IFL, click here.

IFL Releases Coach Tompkins

MMAWeekly is reporting that the IFL has released L.A. Anacondas coach Shawn Tompkins. It seems that IFL commissioner Kurt Otto decided that Tompkins was "spreading himself too thin" between the IFL, Team Quest, and now Xtreme Couture, and that the Anacondas were not getting the necessary coaching for success. Otto said a while back that the new IFL season would see new cities with teams and new coaches, but I never suspected that Tompkins would be out. Click here for more.

IFL Finals Matches Scheduled

It'll be the Iowa Silverbacks vs. the New York Pitbulls on September 20. Miletich Fighting Systems vs. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Should be awesome.

Lightweight - Bart Palaszewski vs. Deividas Taurosevicius

Welterweight - TBD* vs. Delson Heleno

Middleweight - Ryan McGivern vs. Fabio Leopoldo

Light heavyweight - Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Jamal Patterson

Heavyweight - Ben Rothwell vs. Bryan Vetell

* Silverbacks welterweight Rory Markham's injured left hand will keep him from competing in the finals.

These are some great matches, but the one I'm looking forward to most of all is Palaszewski vs. Taurosevicius. If you've never seen Taurosevicius fight, you'll be in for a treat.

Preliminary Bouts:

Lightweight - Ryan Schultz vs. Aaron Riley

Welterweight - Brad Blackburn vs. Travis Cox

Light heavyweight - Allan Goes vs. Chris Baten

Heavyweight - Rolles Gracie vs. Seth Petruzelli

IFL to Implement Steroid Testing in '08

IFL commissioner Kurt Otto will soon be announcing a new steroid policy that will be instituted next year.

"In '08, we are implementing a pretty cool system, that will be enforced. It's pretty cool,” Otto said. Although Otto didn't offer too many details about the program, but the commissioner did indicate the program will not be taken lightly: "It's something we're gonna be taking extremely serious. It's no fooling around. It's pretty much zero tolerance."

Click here for more coverage form MMAWeekly.com.

Morning Droppings

- GracieFighter.com has announced that lightweight Nick Diaz and welterweight Jake Shields (pictured) will both compete on the September ProElite card. Their opponents have not yet been named.

- Originally scheduled to headline the September 28 Cage Fury Fighting Championship card at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ, Tank Abbott and Kimbo Slice will now fight in the main event of the CFFC October 12 card, which will replace the September 28 event.

-The IFL has confirmed that Ian “The Machine” Freeman will become a head coach of an IFL team that will represent the UK.

- Undefeated Chute Boxe fighter Thiago Silva will fight UFC newcomer Tomasz Drwal at UFC 75 on September 8.

- Dennis Siver will face Naoyuki Kotani at UFC 75 on September 8.

- Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet has been confirmed for the September 19 UFC Fight Night 11 card.

- TUF 5 alumnus Gray Maynard will make his next octagon appearance against UFC first-timer Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11 on September 19.

IFL News

Let’s just get right down to it.

IFL Grand Prix!

The IFL will announce the lineups for a Grand Prix in each weight class next Wednesday. For each weight class, four fighters will face off tournament style, with the winners earning championship titles for their respective weight classes. The Grand Prix will take place after the IFL finals and will be decided over the course of multiple fight cards.

New Coaches, New Cities

IFL head honcho Kurt Otto said yesterday in a press conference that although the IFL has no plans on adding to its 12-team league, there may be some coaching changes, as well team relocations.

August 2 Semifinals

The semifinal coaches have named replacements for their injured fighters, and the official rosters (for now, at least) are as follows:

Iowa Silverbacks vs. L.A. Anacondas
LW: Bart Palaszewski vs. Adam Disabato (in for Chris Horodecki)
WW: Rory Markham vs. Chris Clements (in for Jay Hieron)
MW: Gerald Harris (in for Ryan McGivern) vs. Benji Radach
LHW: Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Alex Schoenauer
HW: Ben Rothwell vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

Tokyo Sabers vs. N.Y. Pitbulls
LW: Savant Young vs. Erik Owings
WW: Antonio McKee vs. Delson Heleno
MW: David Phillips (in for Kaz Hamanaka) vs. Dan Miller (in for Fabio Leopoldo)
LHW: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jamal Patterson
HW: Wayne Cole vs. Bryan Vetell

With some excellent semifinal match-ups and the upcoming Grand Prix, the IFL is doing some big things in the mixed martial arts world. If you haven't warmed up to the IFL yet, I implore you to give it a shot. I wasn't thrilled by the MMA team concept initially, but it does make for good drama at times. Most important, though, the IFL delivers excellent fights and promising young talent.

Also, if you plan on attending the IFL semis at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ, be sure to enter discount code "IFLWEBNJ" and save 30% on $40, $65, and $125 tickets. Who loves ya.

Morning Droppings

- First Horodecki, then Hieron. L.A.Anacondas welterweight and Long Island native Jay Hieron suffered an injury while training and will be sidelined for the August 2 IFL semifinals, for which he was scheduled to fight Silverbacks welterweight Rory Markham. Anacondas coach Shawn Tompkins will announce later today the replacements for both Horodecki and Hieron.

- UFC lightweight Roger Huerta will take on his third UFC newcomer in as many fights, as he is scheduled to fight Alberto Crane next month at UFC 74. Crane carries an impressive 8-0 record, with seven of those wins coming via submission.

- UFC.com is reporting that former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir will be returning to the UFC octagon for UFC 74 in a match against Antoni Hardonk.

- UFC veteran Marvin Eastman is rumored to face the hard-hitting Miletich fighter Drew McFredries in a middleweight showdown as part of the UFC 77 card, which will be headlined by a middleweight championship match between Anderson Silva and Rich Franklin.

- With Chris Leben out of the UFC Fight Night 11 match between him and Mike Swick, it looks like Jonathan Goulet will instead fight Swick. Both fighters have agreed to the fight, according to MMAWeekly. Yesterday, Goulet issued the challenge to Swick, who gladly accepted.

Morning Droppings

- Gracie fighter and TUF 5 season winner Nate Diaz will will reportedly make his next UFC appearance as part of the September 19 UFC Fight Night event against Junior Assuncao.

- The Chuck Liddell vs. Keith Jardine headlining fight for UFC 76 is now official.



- Iowa Silverbacks middleweight Ryan McGivern will not be competing in the August 2 IFL semifinals East Rutherford, NJ. McGivern will be replaced by former Portland Wolfpack fighter Gerald Harris.



- The Fight Network is reporting that Royce Gracie did not submit a written appeal to the CSAC to contest steroid use allegations after testing positive for Nandrolone Metabolite, an anabolic steroid, following his June 2 win over Kazushi Sakaraba. Gracie has instead decided to pay the fine and sit out a because he doesn't want to pay the legal fees.

Horodecki Sidelined for IFL Semis

Los Angeles Anacondas lightweight Chris Horodecki's broken hand will keep him out of the IFL semis on August 2.

“I re-broke my hand in the [Shad] Lierley fight [on June 1], and I haven’t been able to train with it. I’ll be good for September," said the undefeated 19-year-old.

Horodecki, one of the IFL's brightest stars, was scheduled to rematch Quad City Silverback Bart Palaszewski in what promised to be another exciting IFL lightweight battle.

IFL officials and Anancondas coach Shawn Tompkins are reportedly still seeking out a replacement to fight Palaszewski.

IFL Semifinal Fights Scheduled

The action goes down on August 2 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ at 7:30 (Jersey time). IFL.tv has posted the following match-ups:

L.A. Anacondas vs. Quad City Silverbacks

Chris Horodecki vs. Bart Palaszewski

Jay Hieron vs. Rory Markham

Benji Radach vs. Ryan McGivern

Alex Schoenauer vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Ben Rothwell

Tokyo Sabres vs. N.Y. Pitbulls:
Savant Young vs. Erik Owings
Antonio McKee vs. Delson Heleno
Kazuhiro Hamanaka vs. Fabio Leopoldo
Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jamal Patterson
Wayne Cole vs. Bryan Vetell

If you're not really into IFL, believe me when I tell you that there are some excellent fights listed above. And no shortage of Polish dudes.

Anyway, if you plan on attending, be sure to use discount code "IFLWEBNJ," which will get you a 30% discount on $40, $65, and $125 tickets. You're welcome.