MMA Combat - dos Santos Leaves Former Management Scratching Heads

MMA Combat - dos Santos Leaves Former Management Scratching Heads

The UFC's #1 heavyweight contender, Junior dos Santos, recently decided to part ways with his management team headed by Ed Soars and Jorge Guimaraes, but if you ask the pair about the falling out or the fighter's reasons behind the decision, the two are admittingly ignorant on the subject.

In an appearance on MMAWeekly Radio this week, Soars spoke about his former client and the journey they had undertaken together to this point in his young career.

“We’re his managers; we’re not his Dad. I still to this day don’t know really why we’re not working with him anymore. He never really gave us any reasons. Money and fame changes people, and sometimes that happens. He’s got his reasons,”

“I don’t think we could have done a better job with Junior Dos Santos than what was done. Nobody knew who he was two-and-a-half years ago, we pretty much got him in the UFC... We put him in a good fight in the beginning, believed he could beat Fabricio Werdum. He went in there and did that and (we) basically guided his career and fast tracked him to where he is today,” said Soares. “Look at where he’s at. He was on The Ultimate Fighter, which gave him a lot of popularity, and it is what it is.”

What makes the dos Santos split all the more puzzling are the mutual relationships that he and Soars share with a handful of teammates the management team still represent, and have for some time. Strong loyalty from clients such as Anderson Silva, who has posted a record year for himself with respect to endorsement opportunities, is an example of such, but Soars suggests another angle for the answers to this one.

“I almost think that’s a better question for sometime to ask him, because I still really don’t know what happened other than we’re not representing him any more.”


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MMA Combat - Diego Nunes Out for UFC 135

MMA Combat - Diego Nunes Out for UFC 135

MMA Combat - Sam Stout Withdraws from UFC 137

MMA Combat - Sam Stout Withdraws from UFC 137

MMA Combat - UFC 134 - Silva vs. Okami, Bonuses

MMA Combat - UFC 134 - Silva vs. Okami, Bonuses

August 27, 2011, UFC 134 - Silva vs. Okami went down at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event, which was the promotion's first in Brazil in 13 years, did not disappoint as the knockouts were plenty; but when the dust settled and the soccer chants subsided, three men walked away $100 000 richer when the evening's bonuses were determined.

Without a submission on the card, naturally, no bonus was awarded for submission of the night, but TUF winner Ross Pearson and Brazilian Muay Thai specialist, Edson Barboza, banked fight of the night honors after a 3 round war that saw the home-country fighter take a split decision on the judge's cards.

Also walking away with a bigger smile (if that was at all possible) was "Minotauro" Nogueira who blitzed Brendan Schaub with a devastating flurry of punches that landed the American face-first on the canvas. After more than 18 months on the shelf, recovering from multiple surgeries, Nogueira picks up knockout of the night thrilling fashion.


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MMA Combat - UFC 134 Pick Em'

MMA Combat - UFC 134 Pick Em'

MMA Combat - Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos Re-signs with Strikeforce

MMA Combat - Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos Re-signs with Strikeforce

Strikeforce women's middleweight champion, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (10-1-0) has officially re-signed with the promotion according to the fighter's official twitter account which stated earlier today:

“Contract with @StrikeForce SIGNED! Stay tuned for next fight info!”

The Brazilian Muay Thai specialist out of the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba is perhaps the biggest draw as a women's MMA competitor globally, but after prolonged inactivity and contract negotiations earlier this summer, questions loomed over the future of Santos inside the Strikeforce cage. It appears their respective issues have been resolved and we can finally look forward to seeing the champ back in action.

With eight TKOs in ten career wins, Santos has not lost since her first professional fight in 2005, running through all opponents including former champion Gina Carano, before defending her title twice against Marloes Coenen and Jan Finney in 2010.

How many fights the renewal is for has not yet been made public, but with the uncertain future of the promotion and the UFC's stance on promoting women's MMA, it's expected the number is modest in total.

MMA Combat - Bellator Extends Offer for Alvarez vs. Aoki II

MMA Combat - Bellator Extends Offer for Alvarez vs. Aoki II

MMA Combat - UFC Plans 2012 Return to Brazil

MMA Combat - UFC Plans 2012 Return to Brazil

MMA Combat - Bonnar vs. Kingsbury, Bader vs. Brilz at UFC 139

MMA Combat - Bonnar vs. Kingsbury, Bader vs. Brilz at UFC 139

MMA Combat - A Fighter at Heart? Griffin's Case

MMA Combat - A Fighter at Heart? Griffin's Case

When I had the opportunity to meet and briefly talk with Forrest Griffin early in 2006, I walked away from the encounter a bigger fan of the light heavyweight than when I first showed up to The Edge (102.1) studio in downtown Toronto, Canada. As I recall it, we were right down the road at a buddy's apartment and got wind that Griffin and Sam Stout would be there giving interviews to promote upcoming bouts and the sport itself on the back of the Ultimate Fighter's tremendous success not a year earlier.

When we showed up, there were maybe four or five other people present to take in the show live and as we stood outside on Yonge St. afterwards considering our next move, the two UFC talents came strolling out onto the sidewalk with a representative from the Fight Network and the six of us began to engage in conversation. Forrest's enthusiasm for the fight was contagious and he even joked, as he often did, that if anyone wanted to know what being a mixed martial artist was all about he'd be happy to show them later on outside the bar.

They extended an invitation our way to join them, but for reasons unknown to any of us we declined and parted ways. That was five years ago, but the landscape has shifted considerably since that time.

A mere two fights after winning the UFC light heavyweight championship, Griffin lost a bout to middleweight king, Anderson Silva, in a brutal display of speed and technical striking that sent the one-time fan favorite running distraught to his dressing room. Shortly after the event, Griffin did an interview in which he stated he did not want to be anyone's hero, seemingly unable to cope with the inevitability of disappointed fans after a loss; I can not recall the media outlet at this time, but my memory of the content is vivid.

In his latest submission of length, Griffin wrote in to Yahoo Sports discussing a number of topics, but primarily his believe that as a fighter he has plateaued in potential, does not enjoy the same escape from fighting he once did, and reiterates that his career has turned more a job than passion over the past few years.

"I’ve been in the UFC for more than six years, but I ain’t got it figured out when it comes to training and training camps. In fact, I think I’m doing everything wrong and I think for my next fight I’m gonna go somewhere for five or six weeks and see what they do. Maybe to AKA or somewhere where there are a lot of guys slightly smaller than me."

"You’d think me not having stuff figured out yet would keep it exciting. Not really. It ain’t been exciting, fresh or fun since 2008. It’s a job, it’s money, and I have a great job, I realize that. Just because it’s work doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do it. You man up and you do your job and I make a lot of money doing this, and I love money and I love the freedom and ability money gives you."

"It quit being fun when I realized I wasn’t getting better. I’m plateauing or almost getting worse sometimes. One of the essential elements to have in this is your perceived expectation of the future, and I’m a painful realist, so I realized that I’m not going to get better; this is it. It’s only gonna get worse from here on and you fight as much as you can, you fight until you don’t have it anymore, and then you fight a couple more times after that."

Despite coming off consecutive wins it seems Griffin's career has come full circle, perhaps sooner than most at just 32 years of age. It's hard to imagine that even a second victory against Rua would amount to much more than a brief period of elation and perhaps rejuvenation at this point; the man is simply losing his will to compete, or at least that's what his recent dialogue suggests, and this sport is not one that will let you down gently while attempting to do so at the highest of levels without being %100 in the game mentally. That time of reflection every fighter must under-go, at times, comes sooner than later. Is Griffin's looming on the not-so-distant horizon?


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MMA Combat - Miller Ponders Joining 145lbs Ranks

MMA Combat - Miller Ponders Joining 145lbs Ranks

UFC lightweight contender Cole "Magrinho" Miller (18-5-0) has been nothing short of a success inside the octagon since competing in season 5 of the UFC's reality series, The Ultimate Fighter. Amassing a record of 7-3 since his promotion debut in 2007, Miller has proven a finisher, stopping five of his opponents in that stretch by way of submission; the American Top Team product and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown-belt under Ricardo Liborio has however found difficulty in putting together the kind of streak of leads to title shots. Victories in his first two octagon appearances were followed by a TKO loss to Jeremy Stephens. Miller bounced back with two more wins only to see his momentum stopped by Efrain Escudero, before two more W's lead to a third disappointment when Miller was out-pointed by Matt Wiman in January of this year. Now coming off a win once more against T.J. O'Brien at UFC Live 5 - Hardy vs. Lytle, "Magrinho" is pondering a move to the 145lbs ranks he once competed in. In an interview with The Savage Dog Show on the Sherdog Radio Network, Monday, Miller had the following comments to make regarding the decision.

“That’s a major career move, moving down to that weight. I haven’t made that weight in quite some time, but I had never really fought at 155 except for one time before ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ All my fights before that were at 145, but I was smaller and I hadn’t really grown into my body and my frame yet. Now I’m a little bit bigger, but I’m still not big. I’m definitely one of the smaller lightweights weight-wise. My walkaround weight is pretty much the same as what I am on fight day, which is about 167 pounds. I know that 145 is achievable. … I always imagined being a champion at 145 pounds or 65 kilos. My original dream was to be the Shooto champion at 65 kilograms. … I feel like in the next couple of years I’ll be coming into my prime. I think that the timing’s right and it’s time for me to move down. I think that I can be a serious threat and a contender.”

With a 6'1" frame it's hard to imagine the man they call "skinny" in Portuguese dropping back down to featherweight at 27 years of age when bodies normally begin to fill-out even more so, but there's no doubt many in the division would have difficulty with his range and submission ability; others have already vacated the uber-deep lightweight division for the featherweight class, will Miller make it official and be the next?


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MMA Combat - Bellator 48 – Results

MMA Combat - Bellator 48 – Results

Saturday, August 20, 2011, Bellator Fighting Championships went live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut; the event would feature the finals for the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament with Season Two Lightweight Tournament winner Pat Curran, going toe-to-toe with Nova Uniao standout and former Sengoku RC featherweight champion, Marlon Sandro.

Early in the fight Sandro was the aggressor as many would have expected, with the younger Curran looking to counter his man with conservative, well-timed punches; but after a flurry opened up a cut on the American’s left brow, it was evident Sandro was inching ahead on the cards based on a greater output of strikes and ring generalship. The second round saw Curran stay busier, offering a greater number of combinations while forcing the clinch, but Sandro remained effective from the outside scoring points himself. Looking to close the distance as he feinted his way into the pocket, Sandro bobbed his way into a perfectly timed right head-kick that sent the Brazilian star crashing to the mat. Curran pounced with a series of hammer-fists, but it wasn’t long before the action was halted at 4:00 of the second round, making Pat Curran the Summer Series Featherweight Tournament winner of $100 000 and a shot at Bellator featherweight champion, Joe Warren.

Also fighting on the card was Bellator heavyweight champion, Cole Konrad as he took on UFC veteran Paul Buentello in a non-title bout. Eager to showcase his developments early, Konrad stood with the veteran Buentello for two complete rounds and for the most part, got the better of the action in what was a less than thrilling fight over 15 minutes. With Buentello throwing more leather in the third, Konrad went to his bread and butter, securing a takedown early in the round. Smothering from above, Konrad sat in half guard for the next three minutes delivering punches to the ribcage of his foe. With a minute remaining, the fight was reset but Buentello was unable to find the finish; Konrad scored a unanimous decision victory and remains undefeated at 8-0 in his professional career.

When Ricco Rodriguez recently signed with Bellator Fighting Championships, he seemed overwhelmed with optimism and relief. A winner of twelve straight, his confidence was high as he looked ahead to a potential Season 5 Heavyweight Tournament spot; but a determined Seth Petruzelli had other plans as he controlled the distance early, landing effective strikes both with his hands and kicks from the outside. It was clear Rodriguez was desperate to clinch after the mid-way point of the round, and as he rushed in with a wild flurry of shots, Petruzelli landed a beautiful counter right hand that put Rodriguez out cold.

Other results from the card are found below:

MAIN CARD

Pat Curran def. Marlon Sandro via KO (head kick) - Round 2, 4:00 (featherweight-tourney finale)
Champ Cole Konrad def. Paul Buentello via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) (heavyweight non-title fight)
Seth Petruzelli def. Ricco Rodriguez via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:21
Rene Nazare def. Juan Barrantes via TKO (doctor's stoppage) - Round 2, 5:00

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jeff Nader def. Dan Cramer via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 1:04
Nik Fekete def. Mark Griffin via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:12
Andrew Calandrelli def. Matt Nice via submission (keylock) - Round 1, 3:55
Ryan Quinn def. Brett Oteri via technical submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 1:48
Saul Almeida def. Tateki Matsuda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)


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MMA Combat - Zhang vs. Elkins, Poirier vs. Garza Official

MMA Combat - Zhang vs. Elkins, Poirier vs. Garza Official

Thursday, August 18, the UFC made official two bouts; the first pitting Chinese national Tiequan Zhang (13-1-0) against Darren Elkins (12-2-0) in a featherweight contest at UFC 136, the second will see Dustin Poirier (10-1-0) lock horns with Pablo Garza (11-1-0) at UFC on FOX 1, also to be contested at 145lbs.

UFC 136 is scheduled for October 8, 2011, and will take place in Houston, Texas. The card will be headlined by Gray Maynard and lightweight champion Frankie Edgar as they look to settle the score with the third installment of this fierce rivalry. "The Mongolian Wolf" Zhang representing China Top Team is the only Chinese athlete on the UFC's roster and got back in the win column in his promotion debut when he defeated Jason Reinhardt by Guillotine Choke at 48 seconds of round 1, UFC 127 - Penn vs. Fitch. Elkins also picked up a victory in his most recent outing, defeating Japanese talent Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision at UFC 131 - dos Santos vs. Carwin this past June. The wrestler holds other notable wins over Duane Ludwig, Gideon Ray, and Pat Curran and holds a record of 2-1 inside the octagon.

UFC on Fox 1 is expected to air Nov 12, and will take place in Anaheim, California. At present, Garza vs. Poirier is the only confirmed bout for the event as it was announced only hours after the promotion made official its new television deal with FOX. Poirier has rattled off three consecutive wins after suffering his first career defeat to Danny Castillo at WEC 50. A late replacement for an injured Jose Aldo at UFC 125, Poirier made his promotion debut January 1, dismantling #1 contender Josh Grispi over three rounds; most recently, the Louisiana native took a unanimous decision over Jason Young improving his record to 2-0 inside the octagon. Once defeated Pablo Garza is also 2-0 under the UFC banner, picking up back-to-back wins after getting submitted by Tiequan Zhang at WEC 51. In his last appearance at UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada, Garza brought the crown to their feet with a slick flying triangle choke win over the tough Yves Jabouin.


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MMA Combat - UFC Makes Multi-Year Deal with FOX Official

MMA Combat - UFC Makes Multi-Year Deal with FOX Official

Click the above link for details on the UFC's latest TV deal

MMA Combat - UFC Live 5 - Hardy vs. Lytle, Payroll

MMA Combat - UFC Live 5 - Hardy vs. Lytle, Payroll

UFC Live 5 - Hardy vs. Lytle went live from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 14, and featured a welterweight showdown between Team Rough House representative Dan Hardy, and Chris "Lights Out" Lytle who would make his final appearance inside the octagon Sunday night. Below you will find a list of the payouts from the event, including win bonuses and award bonuses; leading the way was Lytle himself, who walked away from the sport with a final payday of $200 000 after collecting $35 000 to show, $35 000 to win, and another $130 000 in award bonuses bringing his career total to 10 (1 KO, 3 Sub, and 6 FOTN). "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone took home the second largest purse ($109 000) with his impressive TKO victory over tough Brazilian Charles Oliveira; Cerrone's total includes $22 000 to show, $22 000 to win, and another $65 000 for picking up knockout of the night honors.

UFC Live 5 salaries:

Chris Lytle: $200,000
(Includes $35,000 win bonus, $65,000 “Fight of the Night bonus, $65,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus)

Dan Hardy: $90,000
(Includes $65,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)

Benson Henderson: $34,000
(Includes $17,000 win bonus)

Jim Miller: $35,000

Donald Cerrone: $109,000
(Includes $22,000 win bonus, $65,000 “Knockout of the Night bonus)

Charles Oliveira: $12,000

Duane Ludwig: $32,000
(Includes $16,000 win bonus)

Amir Sadollah: $20,000

Jared Hamman: $24,000
(Includes $12,000 win bonus)

C.B. Dollaway: $20,000

Joseph Benavidez: $43,000
(Includes $21,500 win bonus)

Eddie Wineland: $10,000

Ed Herman: $52,000
(Includes $26,000 win bonus)

Kyle Noke: $8,000

Ronny Markes: $16,000
(Includes $8,000 win bonus)

Karlos Vemola: $10,000

Jim Hettes: $12,000
(Includes $6,000 win bonus)

Alex Caceres: $8,000

Cole Miller: $34,000
(Includes $17,000 win bonus)

T.J. O'Brien: $6,000

Jacob Volkmann: $28,000
(Includes $14,000 win bonus)

Danny Castillo: $17,000

Edwin Figueroa: $12,000
(Includes $6,000 win bonus)

Jason Reinhardt: $6,000


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MMA Combat - Kampmann vs. Story, Rosa vs. Maldonado Confirmed

MMA Combat - Kampmann vs. Story, Rosa vs. Maldonado Confirmed

Wednesday, August 17, UFC officials announced that welterweight contenders Martin Kampmann (17-5-0) and Rick Story (13-4-0) will square off this coming November at UFC 139 - dos Santos vs. Velasquez in San Jose, California.

Danish striker Martin Kampmann, who now fights out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada, is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career when razor-close decisions failed to go his way against Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez respectively. 4-3-0 since vacating the middleweight division for the welterweight ranks, "Hitman" will be desperate to pick up a win against the powerhouse wrestler that is Story.

Rick "Horror" Story made considerable waves in the division his past May when he capped a 6-fight winning streak with a unanimous decision over one-time title challenger Thiago Alves. Riding the high from that contest, Story accepted a short notice fight against Nate Marquardt scheduled less than one month after his previous bout, but failed medicals saw Marquardt get replaced by Charlie Brenneman and "The Spaniard" made his opportunity count as he out-wrestled the hulking story en route to a unanimous decision win. Now looking to recapture some of that hype, Story will try to get back in the win column against the tough veteran in Kampmann later this year.

Also announced Wednesday, Aaron Rosa will make his return to the light heavyweight division when he battles Brazilian slugger, Fabio Maldonado at UFC Live 6 - Johnson vs. Cruz, scheduled to go down October 1 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. A veteran of both Strikeforce and Bellator FC, Rosa came up short in his UFC debut this past June, suffering a TKO defeat at the hands of Joey Beltran. Team Nogueira representative Fabio Maldonado made a successful promotion debut at UFC 120, picking up a TKO victory against TUF alumnus James McSweeney; however, a second bout against Kyle Kingsbury would lead to a controversial decision defeat, despite the considerable damage Maldonado was able to inflict throughout the contest at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, June 4.


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MMA Combat - Bellator 48 Preview and Main-Event Prediction

MMA Combat - Bellator 48 Preview and Main-Event Prediction

Saturday, August 20, 2011, Bellator Fighting Championships will go live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, for Bellator 48, featuring the finals for the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament when Nova Uniao standout Marlon Sandro (19-2-0) takes on Season 2 Lightweight Tournament winner and one-time title challenger, Pat Curran (15-4-0) for the right to face promotion champion Joe Warren for the 145lbs strap.

The main-event will showcase two of sport's premier featherweight competitors in Curran and Sandro who boast similar skill-sets with different approaches; a winner if 6 of his past 7 appearances, Curran has matured in leaps and bounds...

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MMA Combat - Gamburyan Withdraws From UFC 135

MMA Combat - Gamburyan Withdraws From UFC 135

TUF finalist and one-time WEC featherweight title challenger, Manny "The Anvil" Gamburyan (11-6-0), has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight with Nova Uniao standout, Diego Nunes (16-2-0) citing a shoulder injury via his twitter account on Monday, a familiar problem for the Judoka who dislocated his shoulder during the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 Finale in 2007.

“I’m [off] from the UFC 135 card. I hurt my shoulder and MRI is not looking good,” Gamburyan wrote. “I just wanna say sorry to [all] my friends and fans. I’ll [be] back!”

Gamburyan [30] returned to the octagon this past June for the first time since January of 2009, when back to back losses at lightweight saw him vacate the division for the featherweight ranks. At UFC Live 4, June 26, Gamburyan fought a man in a similar position in Tyson Griffin, but was handed a unanimous decision defeat in his first fight after challenging champion Jose Aldo for his 145lbs strap. A replacement for Gamburyan has not yet been announced, but with more than five weeks before the event, which takes place September 24 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, it's expected the promotion will find another opponent for the tough Brazilian.


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MMA Combat - UFC 133 - Ortiz vs. Evans, Pick 'em

MMA Combat - UFC 133 - Ortiz vs. Evans, Pick 'em

Saturday, August 6, 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will go live from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for UFC 133 - Ortiz vs. Evans featuring a light heavyweight tilt between former champions, "The Huntington Beach Badboy" Tito Ortiz (16-8-1), and "Suga" Rashad Evans (15-1-1). Below you will find our picks for the evening's main-card, one that has been riddled with injuries in the months and weeks leading up to the event, but nevertheless, promises some thrilling match-ups.

Rory MacDonald (11-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Mike Pyle (21-7-1, 4-2 UFC)
Rory MacDonald is perhaps the most exciting young talent to come out of Canada since Georges St. Pierre; possessing a quiet confidence, the Kelowna, British Columbia native who now trains out of Tristar in Montreal, Canada, has stopped ten opponents in eleven career wins. The veteran Pyle, out of Xtreme Couture, has a twelve-year experience advantage over the young gun, and finds himself on a three-fight winning streak with quality decision wins over John Hathaway and Ricardo Almeida. Despite Pyle's strong success of late I'm picking Rory MacDonald here, who will utilize his speed and advantage standing to take a unanimous decision on the judge's cards.

Jorge Rivera (19-8, 7-6 UFC) vs. Constantinos Philippou (7-2, 1 NC, 0-1 UFC)
There are no secrets when it comes to Jorge Rivera, the man simply likes to brawl. At 39 years of age, Rivera has more or less been a main-stay in the UFC since 2005, and was a winner in three straight contests before losing by TKO to England's Michael Bisping at UFC 127 in February of this year. Admittingly, I've seen much less of Philippou, who lost a hard-fought decision in his UFC debut to local favorite Nick Catone at UFC 128. A winner of seven consecutive bouts before then (1 NC), all in the Ring of Combat cage, I'm going with the younger, fresher man out of Serra-Longo Fight Team. Philippou takes a late TKO stoppage in round 3.

Dennis Hallman (50-13-2, 1 NC, 3-4 UFC) vs. Brian Ebersole (47-14-1, 1 NC, 1-0 UFC)
When first glancing at the records above, you might feel inclined to clear your eyes as these fighters have a remarkable 127 fights between them. Brian Ebersole made his octagon debut in his 62nd career bout this past February when he upset wily veteran, Chris Lytle via unanimous decision. The 30-year old out of Bradley, Illinois, has stopped 33 career opponents inside the distance and has never been knocked out in his professional career. 35-year old Dennis Hallman on the other hand made his UFC debut nearly eleven years ago defeating Matt Hughes by way of arm-bar submission at UFC 29 - Defense of the Belts. Having never been submitted himself Hallman has finished 39 opponents by that very method, and our guess is that he catches Ebersole (who has been tapped nine times) before this fight reaches the judge's cards.

Vitor Belfort (19-9, 8-5 UFC) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-3, 2 NC, 1-2 UFC)
Looking at this fight, the first thing that comes to mind is it could very well come down to a war of attrition. Akiyama at 1-2 inside the octagon, could just as easily be 0-3 with a controversial split decision over Alan Belcher. The world-class Judoka is a smooth and fluent athlete, but carries a frame that looks more suited to the welterweight ranks. Both men have power in their hands, and will look to test the waters standing early. Their submission games will likely neutralize that aspect of the fight, so take-downs may prove critical as both men have been difficult to stop in their respective careers. As the bigger, faster man with an edge in experience against top-tier competition, I expect Belfort to use more refined striking en-route to a unanimous decision or perhaps, late TKO stoppage. Akiyama's back is against the wall however, and should he find a way to frustrate Belfort's potent attack early on, he could make this a very competitive fight down the stretch when fatigue sets in.

Rashad Evans (15-1-1, 10-1-1 UFC) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-8-1, 15-8-1 UFC)
Don't expect this to be fight of the year, but what we can anticipate is for it to be every bit as competitive and hard-nosed an effort as you would expect out of these two combatants. In Tito's prime this would have been a bout for the ages, but years of competition and injury have naturally slowed the fierce competitor, forcing him to rely on other parts of his game that do not instill the same fear in opposition that his wrestling and ground and pound once did. Tito will have a size, and likely strength advantage heading into the contest as well as the confidence that comes with a recent victory inside the octagon. Evans should experience some ring-rust as he enters the cage for the first time in well over a year, but the man that Rashad was in 2007 is merely a shell of the fighter that exists today. World-class training and numerous "big time" fights has made the former champion a well-rounded, force to be reckoned with, and while he may have difficulty controlling a fresh Ortiz in the first, Evans will prove to be too quick, more diverse, and have more in the tank in the final two stanzas as he takes a unanimous decision on all judge's cards.

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MMA Combat - White Confirmes, Strikeforce Will Cut Emelianenko Following Loss

MMA Combat - White Confirmes, Strikeforce Will Cut Emelianenko Following Loss

"The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko has, or at least will be released by Strikeforce following his third consecutive defeat inside the promotion this past Saturday, July 30, when the Russian heavyweight was TKO'd by light heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson, inside the first round. UFC president Dana White confirmed prior speculation on Thursday after the UFC 133 press-conference was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Emelianenko is the fourth Strikeforce fighter to be cut by Zuffa in under a week, after the company severed ties with Golden Glory products Valentijn Overeem, former women's welterweight champion, Marloes Coenen, and former heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem.

Emelianenko (31-4-0) was considered by most onlookers to be the #1 heavyweight fighter in the world for the better part of a decade, appearing 28 times from 2001 to 2009 without a blemish on record. The former PRIDE FC heavyweight king found his way to the top of accredited ranking polls everywhere after defeating then champ, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 25. Notable wins against the likes of Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic, Tim Sylvia, and Andrei Arlovski would follow before Fabricio Werdum submitted Emelianenko for the first time in his career, June 26, 2010, catching him in a triangle choke from the bottom. Antonio Silva would be next to square off with the Russian legend in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix this past February, where the fight was stopped by a ringside physician between rounds two and three.

An official release from Strikeforce has not yet been made.

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MMA Combat - Footnotes for July in the World of MMA

MMA Combat - Footnotes for July in the World of MMA

Our footnotes for the month series is back as we look to recap the July 2011 that was across the sport of mixed martial arts. Once again, feel free to contribute any of your own memorable moments, as I am sure to miss several and look forward to reading your contributions; without further hesitation we present Footnotes for July in the World of MMA.

• Melvin Guillard continues to roll at UFC 132, knocking out another top lightweight in Shane Roller in just over 2 minutes.

• Wanderlei Silva's long awaited return to the octagon lasted all of 27 seconds, as Chris Leben connected with a series of short upper-cuts that put "The Axe Murderer" out cold, UFC 132.

• A resurgent Tito Ortiz puts a breath of life back into his career after defeating top-ten Ryan Bader via first round Guillotine Choke at UFC 132.

• UFC 132 headliners Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber battle to a five-round decision with the champion Cruz getting his redemption and evening the score at one-a-piece, taking the bout on all judges cards.

• Chael Sonnen gets an assignment after serving his indefinite suspension handed down by the CSAC. Sonnen will battle Brian Stann at UFC 136 this fall.

• Top featherweight Hatsu Hioki draws George Roop for his UFC debut, which is scheduled for UFC 137, October 29, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Andre Winner and John Howard get released by the UFC.

• A number of fighters call out former UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt as his suspension is lifted by the PSAC. Notably, Paul Daley, Hector Lombard, Ben Askren, among others.

• B.J Penn vs. Carlos Condit is made official for UFC 137 later this fall.

• Phil Davis injures his knee and is replaced by Tito Ortiz in the UFC 133 main-event versus Rashad Evans; UFC president Dana White has choice words for Lyoto Machida's camp after the Brazilian supposedly took the fight, only to demand more money later.

• Mirko CroCop will get one last kick at the can when it's announced he'll face Roy Nelson later this fall at UFC 137.

• Maynard vs. Edgar III and Aldo vs. Florian are made official for UFC 136.

• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira injures himself during training and is forced to withdraw from his UFC 133 bout against Rich Franklin; Franklin is scratched from the card.

• Hideo Tokoro becomes the 2011 Japan Bantamweight Grand Prix winner at DREAM - Fight for Japan, defeating Masakazu Imanari in the finals. Both Gegard Mousasi and Hiroyuki Takaya defend their respective promotion titles.

• Korean, Myung Ho Bae defeats New Zealand's Rodney MacSwain to become the Legend FC champion.

• Alistair Overeem exits the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and is replaced by Daniel Cormier who now faces Antonio Silva in the semi-finals.

• Chris Leben and Mark Munoz are announced as UFC 138's main-event.

• Bellator FC pulls the plug on Mike Hayes fighting Sean McCorkle at CFA-2, July 23.

• Cub Swanson becomes the first Zuffa fighter to cash in on the accident-insurance coverage, maxing out his annual limit at $50 000 after a training accident left him with multiple facial fractures.

• Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson are made official for UFC Live 6.

• Former champions Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will collide at UFC 139.

• Former UFC title contender Nate Marquardt signs with BAMMA after his suspension is lifted by the PSAC.

• Pat Curran and Marlon Sandro advance to the finals of the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight Tournament, defeating England's Ronnie Mann, and BJJ Black-belt Nazareno Malegarie respectively. Chris Horodecki defeated Chris Saunders in his Bellator debut.

• DREAM makes DREAM 17 official, Shinya Aoki will defend his lightweight title against former WEC king Rob McCullough; DREAM also announces they will change their format to three, five-minute rounds.

• Alistair Overeem's coach Martijn De Jong announces his fighter will participate in a United Glory event this October, a Netherlands-based promotion with a scheduled show in Russia.

• Lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, and 2011 LW Tournament winner, Michael Chandler, are scheduled for Bellator 54.

• Strikeforce releases heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem.

• Dan Henderson TKO's Fedor Emelianenko, July 30, at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, handing the Russian his third consecutive defeat.

• Marloes Coenen is submitted for the first time in her career when Miesha Tate taps her with an arm-triangle choke, claiming the Strikeforce 135lbs title.

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MMA Combat - Zuffa Releases Trio of Golden Glory Fighters

MMA Combat - Zuffa Releases Trio of Golden Glory Fighters

Wednesday, August 3, 2011, Golden Glory trainer and coach, Martijn De Jong, announced via his twitter account that the Dutch gym had three additional fighters released from their Zuffa contracts; the news comes on the back of Friday's report that former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair Overeem, had been cut from the roster after declaring his intention to fight for another promotion this October, after declining a fight in September with Strikeforce.

Brother Valentijn Overeem, ADCC champion John Einemo, and shockingly, former Strikeforce women's welterweight champion Marloes Coenen, have now been added to that list as suggested by De Jong.

“I am very disappointed to let you know that Marloes Coenen, John Einemo and Valentijn Overeem have been cut from Strikeforce [and the] UFC,” de Jong wrote Wednesday.

Coenen was recently featured in the co-main event at Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson, July 30, as she put her title on the line against Alpha Male's Miesha Tate. Tate forced Coenen to tap from a submission for the first time in her career when she secured an arm-in triangle choke in the fourth round of a very competitive bout, becoming the new 135lbs champion with the victory

Einemo fought only once under contract with Zuffa when he was stopped on strikes at UFC 131 in June by Dave Herman. It's also worth noting that Einemo was awared fight of the night honors (and a handsome bonus) for his showing inside the octagon that night. At 29-26-0, Valentijn Overeem put together three consecutive wins before turtling under fire when a determined Chad Griggs opened up on him, forcing the TKO stoppage at 2:08 of the first round, June 18, at Strikeforce - Overeem vs. Werdum.


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MMA Combat - UFC Headed Back to Toronto, Silva Inks Deal with Nike

MMA Combat - UFC Headed Back to Toronto, Silva Inks Deal with Nike

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is headed North again as the promotion looks to host its second show in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 10, 2011, at the Air Canada Center - home to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors franchises. The news was first reported by ESPN Tuesday who referenced Zuffa chairman and CEO, Lorenzo Fertitta as their source.

No bouts have officially been announced for the card, which will be taken in by roughly 20 000 live spectators as opposed to the 55 000+ that played witness to the promotion's first ever Ontario event, April 29 of this year at the Rogers Center.

Also making headlines, UFC middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, has locked into a sponsorship deal with Nike Apparel becoming the first Brazilian mixed martial artist to do so when the 36 year old put pen-to-paper. The partnership was revealed Tuesday by director of sports marketing - Nike Brazil, Luis Alexandre.

Silva will join Japanese talents Yoshihiro Akiyama, Caol Uno, and Kazuyuki Miyata who are also backed by the brand as "The Spider" continues to accumulate big-name sponsors with the help of 9ine Sports Marketing, a firm founded by Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo. In 2011 alone, Silva has added Burger King, Corinthians SC, and now Nike to his portfolio of partners.


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MMA Combat - Strikeforce Releases Alistair Overeem

MMA Combat - Strikeforce Releases Alistair Overeem

Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem has reportedly been released by the promotion who exercised that contractual right with one fight remaining on the fighter's contract. HDNet's Inside MMA initially broke the news Friday, July 29, but to many it will not come as a surprise with Overeem announcing Thursday his intention to fight this October for a Netherlands-based show promoted by his trainer at Golden Glory, Martin De Jong.

Undefeated in mixed martial arts competition since 2007 (a streak spanning eleven fights), Overeem has finished 33 of 35 career wins inside the distance with 14 [T]KOs and 19 submissions on record. The Dutch Striker last competed June 18, defeating Fabricio Werdum via unanimous decision and achieved new personal heights in 2010 by winning the K-1 World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

The news will surely send shock-waves through the MMA world as we await comment out of Overeem's camp. With seldom a top-ten talent outside the Zuffa banner, Overeem's intention to dip his toes in the boxing ring may not be as far fetched as once believed. Until then, he'll return to pummeling under-whelming competition inside Japanese promotions who have maintained close ties with the hulking heavyweight, or at least that's this writer's best guess.


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MMA Combat - Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson, Results

MMA Combat - Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson, Results

Strikeforce - Fedor vs. Henderson went live from the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Saturday, July 30, 2011, and featured a heavyweight contest between "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko and current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson.

Being tabbed as one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the year, if not all-time, the first round did not disappoint as the two legends swarmed each other with big power punches that threatened both men early on; finding the clinch Henderson pressed Emelianenko against the cage and the two jockeyed for position, while catching their wind for the second flurry of action that was to come.

As they separated, Emelianenko moved forward once more with an onslaught of strikes that sent "Hendo" reeling to the mat in defense; as the Russian aggressively looked for the finish, Henderson was able to catch a leg and slip out from underneath his foe before landing a devastating upper-cut that saw Emelianenko's posture go limp if only for a second. Following up with swift strikes from the top, Henderson forced the stoppage as referee Herb Dean jumped in to halt the action at 4:12 of the first round, declaring Dan Henderson the winner of this all-time classic encounter.

In the co-main event, Alpha Male representative Miesha Tate was able to win the war of attrition as both ladies had their moments throughout the four-rounds of championship action. Entering the fourth anyone's match, Tate looked the more exhausted of the two combatants until a powerful take-down drove Coenen to the mat. Setting up an arm-in triangle choke, Tate was able to advance position from one-side of the champion's body to the other in order to secure the hold; with no avenue for escape, Tate forced the tap, becoming the first woman to do so against the seasoned dutch fighter. The win crowns Miesha Tate as the new Strikeforce women's welterweight champion.

Other results from the card are round below:

1 Gabriel Salinas-Jones def. Bryan Humes via Submission (Brabo Choke) rd3 1:19
2 Derek Brunson def. Lumumba Sayers via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 4:33
3 Alexis Davis def. Julie Kedzie via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
4 Tyler Stinson def. Eduardo Pamplona via KO (Punch) rd1 0:15
5 Gesias Cavalcante def. Bobby Green via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
6 Tarec Saffiedine def. Scott Smith via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Tyron Woodley def. Paul Daley via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
8 Tim Kennedy def. Robbie Lawler via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
9 Miesha Tate def. Marloes Coenen via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd4 3:03
10 Dan Henderson def. Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (Punches) rd1 4:12


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