Friday 30 September 2011
MMA Combat - Bellator Fighting Championships, Back in Canada!
MMA Combat - Bellator Fighting Championships, Back in Canada!
Bellator officials announced Thursday that the promotion would make its return to Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario, Canada, November 12, for Bellator 57.
This past summer, July 23, Bellator made its debut North of the border when the Chicago-based promotion touched down for Bellator 47, a night that featured the semi-final pairings for Bellator's Summer Series Featherweight Tournament.
Now in Season 5, Bellator has made official two matches for the card and is rumored to be staging the finals for the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament at the event.
The first confirmed bout will see Bellator 115lbs women's champion Zoila Gurgel (11-1-0) take on dangerous Brazilian Carina Damm (17-6-0) at a catch-weight of 125lbs.
Gurgel, out of Columbus, Ohio, is a winner in six consecutive outings with five of those victories coming inside the Bellator cage. Her only loss to-date came to current Strikeforce 135lbs champion Miesha Tate in March of 2010.
Damm bounced back from a three fight losing skid that saw the Sapo Fight Team representative stopped in each case with consecutive submission wins against Antonia Deize and Sheila Santos respectively. The seven-year veteran of the sport holds eight wins by way of submission with another five coming by [T]KO.
Also competing on the card, Roger Hollett (12-3-0) out of Titans MMA in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will make his Bellator debut when he tests his aggressive style against one-time BFC veteran "Big" John Hawk (6-3-0).
Hawk, out of Independence, Ohio, has posted half (3) of his career wins by TKO and has been stopped only once in nine professional fights. He last competed under the Bellator banner September 24, defeating Allan Weickert when he failed to answer the bell to start the third round.
"The Hulk" has been to decision only twice in fifteen professional outings with seven submissions to his name. Hollett is a winner of four-straight contests, most recently defeating Martin Desilets via TKO in April of this year.
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Bellator officials announced Thursday that the promotion would make its return to Casino Rama, in Rama, Ontario, Canada, November 12, for Bellator 57.
This past summer, July 23, Bellator made its debut North of the border when the Chicago-based promotion touched down for Bellator 47, a night that featured the semi-final pairings for Bellator's Summer Series Featherweight Tournament.
Now in Season 5, Bellator has made official two matches for the card and is rumored to be staging the finals for the Season 5 Welterweight Tournament at the event.
The first confirmed bout will see Bellator 115lbs women's champion Zoila Gurgel (11-1-0) take on dangerous Brazilian Carina Damm (17-6-0) at a catch-weight of 125lbs.
Gurgel, out of Columbus, Ohio, is a winner in six consecutive outings with five of those victories coming inside the Bellator cage. Her only loss to-date came to current Strikeforce 135lbs champion Miesha Tate in March of 2010.
Damm bounced back from a three fight losing skid that saw the Sapo Fight Team representative stopped in each case with consecutive submission wins against Antonia Deize and Sheila Santos respectively. The seven-year veteran of the sport holds eight wins by way of submission with another five coming by [T]KO.
Also competing on the card, Roger Hollett (12-3-0) out of Titans MMA in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will make his Bellator debut when he tests his aggressive style against one-time BFC veteran "Big" John Hawk (6-3-0).
Hawk, out of Independence, Ohio, has posted half (3) of his career wins by TKO and has been stopped only once in nine professional fights. He last competed under the Bellator banner September 24, defeating Allan Weickert when he failed to answer the bell to start the third round.
"The Hulk" has been to decision only twice in fifteen professional outings with seven submissions to his name. Hollett is a winner of four-straight contests, most recently defeating Martin Desilets via TKO in April of this year.
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Thursday 29 September 2011
Wednesday 28 September 2011
MMA Combat - UFC 139 Adds Torres vs. Pace, McDonald vs. Eduardo
UFC officials announced Tuesday that a pair of bantamweight bouts will be added to the UFC 139 - Henderson vs. Shogun fight card, scheduled to take place November 19, 2011, live from the H-P Pavilion in San Jose, California. The event will feature a light-heavyweight showdown between former UFC 205lbs champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and former Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson.
Former WEC bantamweight King Miguel Torres (39-4-0) and Team Schulmann representative Nick Pace (6-2-0) will tow-the-line with both competitors desperate for a win after coming off recent losses to Demetrious Johnson and Ivan Menjivar respectively.
Losing his 135lbs title to powerful wrestler Brian Bowles on first round strikes in 2009, Torres was then stopped by Team Alpha Male's Joseph Benavidez to begin 2010 when the one-time title challenger caught the submission ace in a Guillotine Choke mid-way through the second round. Torres bounced back with consecutive wins, including his UFC debut when he bested Antonio Banuelos, but most recently was set back with a controversial decision loss to current #1 contender Demetrious Johnson at UFC 130.
Pace also finds himself at 1-1 since joining the UFC ranks, defeating Will Campuzano in his promotion debut before dropping a unanimous decision to veteran Canadian Ivan Menjivar at UFC 133. The New York native forfeits a considerable experience edge to his seasoned counter-part, but has never been stopped in eight professional appearances.
The second 135lbs contest will feature rising star Michael "Mayday" McDonald (13-1-0) when he brings his pressing style to table against Johnny Eduardo (25-9-0).
At just 20 years of age, McDonald boasts thirteen professional wins with seven coming by way of TKO, and has been stopped only once in his young career by veteran talent Cole Escovedo in 2009. McDonald has since compiled six consecutive wins with his most recent coming at UFC 130 where he defeated Chris Cariaso by decision.
Nova Uniao's Johnny Eduardo was riding an eleven fight winning streak coming into his UFC debut this past August where he was defeated by Raphael Assuncao on all three judge's cards at UFC 134. The 33-year old veteran Brazilian holds thirteen wins by way of submission, but on the flip side has lost seven times by the same method.
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Tuesday 27 September 2011
Monday 26 September 2011
MMA Combat - DREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough, Results
Saturday, September 24, 2011, DREAM Fight Championships went live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan for DREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough featuring a lightweight main-event pitting DREAM 155lbs champion Shinya Aoki (29-5-0) against former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough (19-8-0). Also competing on the card is one-time Strikeforce lightweight title challenger Tatsuya Kawajiri in his debut at 145lbs as he battled PRIDE FC veteran Joachim Hansen; while legendary Japanese stars Caol Uno and Kazushi Sakuraba fought Takeshi Inoue and Yan Cabral respectively.
The main-event of the evening went exactly as the "Tobikan Judan" would have scripted it; a pair of takedowns would see the submission specialist achieve the full mount twice. Looking for a top-side triangle after the first, McCullough was able to scramble out from underneath his Japanese counter-part, but a second takedown was all Aoki required as he peppered McCullough with palm strikes from above before the American gave his back to perhaps the best finisher in the game from that position. Aoki immediately secured a neck-crank and outside tapping, the former WEC lightweight champion had no escape available to him. The official end came at 4:57 of the first round.
Other results from DREAM 17 can be found below:
1 Ikuhisa Minowa def. Baru Harn via Submission (Scarf Hold Armlock) rd1 4:39
2 Rodolfo Marques def. Diniz Yusup Saadulaev via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 Masakazu Imanari def. Abel Cullum via Submission (Armbar) rd3 0:46
4 Bibiano Fernandes def. Takafumi Otsuka via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 0:41
5 Antonio Banuelos def. Hideo Tokoro via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
6 Gerald Harris def. Kazuhiro Nakamura via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
7 Satoru Kitaoka def. Willamy Freire via Decision (Split) rd3 5:00
8 Yan Cabral def. Kazushi Sakuraba via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd2 2:42
9 Takeshi Inoue def. Caol Uno via KO (Head Kick) rd1 4:18
10 Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Joachim Hansen via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) rd3 2:30
11 Shinya Aoki def. Rob McCullough via Submission (Neck Crank) rd1 4:57
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Saturday 24 September 2011
Friday 23 September 2011
MMA Combat - Dream 17, Preview and Main-Event Prediction
Saturday, September 24, 2011, DREAM Fight Championships will go live from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan forDREAM 17 - Aoki vs. McCullough featuring a lightweight main-event pitting DREAM 155lbs champion Shinya Aoki (28-5-0) against former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough (19-7-0). Also competing on the card is one-time Strikeforce lightweight title challenger Tatsuya Kawajiri in his debut at 145lbs as he battles PRIDE FC veteran Joachim Hansen; while legendary Japanese stars Caol Uno and Kazushi Sakuraba fight Takeshi Inoue and Yan Cabral respectively.
McCullough [34], once considered one of the premier 155 pounders in the sport has fallen on hard times in recent years when compared with the considerable success he enjoyed for so long. The Muay Thai specialist fighting out of Huntington Beach, California, lost his WEC title to Jamie Varner in February of 2008 - the first time "Razor had been stopped in 19 professional outings. Including that bout, McCullough has gone 4-4 over eight appearances, most recently losing to Team Nogueira standout Patricky Freire under the Bellator Fight Championships banner. Aoki on the other hand has stung together five consecutive wins - with exception given to an exhibition bout where Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima knocked the Tobikan Judan unconscious at 0:04 of the second round at Dynamite 2010. While his striking remains elementary at best, Aoki continues to be one of the best submission grapplers in the sport today and with creative clinch work he will succeed in bringing this fight where he's most comfortable, the mat, submitting McCullough in the second round to make it six straight.
Matchups:
Shinya Aoki vs. Rob McCullough
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Joachim Hansen
Caol Uno vs. Takeshi Inoue
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Yan Cabral
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Willamy Freire
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Gerald Harris
Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Baru Harn
Dream Bantamweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals
Hideo Tokoro vs. Antonio Banuelos
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Masakazu Imanari vs. Abel Cullum
Yusup Saadulaev vs. Rodolfo Marques
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MMA Combat - UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage, Pick 'Em
MMA Combat - UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage, Pick 'Em
Saturday, September 24, 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship goes live from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, for UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage featuring a light heavyweight title tilt pitting current title holder and the youngest champion in UFC history, Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0) against former 205lbs champion and PRIDE FC legend, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0). The evening's co-main event will see UFC hall-of-famer Matt Hughes (45-8-0) take on one-time title challenger Josh Koscheck (15-5-0) in the American Kickboxing Academy product's first fight back since suffering a broken orbital bone against Georges St. Pierre in December of 2010.
Below you will find our picks for the evening's main-card:
Ben Rothwell (31-7-0) vs. Mark Hunt (6-7-0)
In a battle of two heavyweight sluggers, former K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt, and former IFL heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell will collide in what is sure to be a treat for the fans; going 9-0 inside the IFL, Rothwell has had mixed results since the promotion closed its doors in 2008, posting a 2-2 record with wins over Chris Guillen and Gilbert Yvel, while being brutally TKO'd by former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and current title holder Cain Velasquez. Rothwell does have some submissions in his arsenal, but often gets sucked into a brawl when the opportunity presents itself; it would be wise if the American took this one to the ground, as six of Hunt's seven losses have come by way of submission, but a failure to do so could be detrimental. This fight will boil down to the game-plan Rothwell adopts and I believe he's going to test his merit on the feet against the proven striker, a decision that will see Hunt threaten the big-man, but only temporarily as Rothwell switches gears and looks for the takedown out of necessity. Rothwell's grappling and cardio advantage will see him latch onto a late submission, lets say kimura, second round.
Nate Diaz (13-7-0) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7-0)
Once considered among the sport's premier lightweight competitors, "The Fireball Kid" has either lost the fire to compete the highest level, or the sport has simply caught up to an aging fighter who is unlikely to surprise many opponents going forward with a stagnant arsenal of attacks. Gomi does have power in his hands, and he tends to put everything into every punch which as a result has seen him wilt in the later rounds of recent outings. Diaz on the other hand is built just like his older brother Nick; a frame built for endurance, high-level jiu jitsu, and a strong implementation of boxing will see the Stockon, CA. native take this fight into deep waters where he must know he'll hold an advantage in almost all aspects aside from wrestling. The holes in Gomi's game will be exposed again in this one, as Diaz secures a third round finish via submission in a bout that could very well steal fight of the night honors.
Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-5-1)
Riding a five-fight winning streak coming into the contest, Liverpool's Rob Broughton out of the Wolfslair Academy is a solid talent with rounded skills for a heavyweight fighter; in 15 professional wins, Broughton has posted seven [T]KOs and five submission victories but "The Bear" despite fighting professionally since 2004 is largely untested against top-tier competition and has limited 'big show' experience under his belt; the same could be argued for his counterpart, Travis Browne, except Browne comes to the table with a lot of hype behind him and I for one am buying into it. In eleven professional wins, Browne has stopped nine opponents by [T]KO and is especially agile for a heavyweight. In three UFC appearances, the Hawaii native has gone 2-0-1, fighting Cheick Kongo to a unanimous draw, and knocking out Stefan Struve most recently - two fighters with plenty of big-fight experience in their careers. The pick here is Travis Browne as he breaks Broughton down on the feet throughout the first round, before closing in for the TKO stoppage in the second frame.
Matt Hughes (45-8-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5-0)
There was a time when the tenacity Matt Hughes brought to the octagon alone won him fights, let alone his powerful wrestling base, ground and pound, and under-rated Jiu Jitsu that resulted in multiple submission wins; but father-time catches up with all of us and the former welterweight champion and UFC hall-of-famer is no exception to the rule as he faces a stiff test in AKA product, Josh Koscheck. At this point in their careers, it's unlikely Hughes will be able to out-wrestle the NCAA division I standout and speed is without question on Koscheck's side. "Kos" will also hold an edge in the standup department with quicker hands and more power within them, but Hughes was able to hang onto his title for so long because of his ability to adapt while in closely contested dog-fights, coupled with a huge heart that never said die; the Indiana native's best shot in this one lies in his submission attack, but Koscheck has proven resilient against submission grapplers losing only once by the method in his fifth professional fight in 2005 (Drew Fickett). The pick here is Josh Koscheck, as the fresher fighter will keep this fight where he feels most comfortable before turning up the heat in the later rounds when his conditioning edge should prevail. Josh Koscheck, unanimous decision.
Jon Jones (13-1-0) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8-0)
This weekend's main-event pitting the youngest champion in UFC history Jon "Bones" Jones against former 205lbs title holder, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, is one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year and for good reason. "Rampage" has long been one of the most exciting fighters in the sport with a loyal fan-base that has followed him long before his UFC days when he slamming bodies through the PRIDE FC ring. Jon Jones was able to achieve history at UFC 128 with his total destruction of "Shogun" Rua over three rounds to capture the UFC title. Dubbed as the 'future of the sport' Jones possesses physical gifts that are unmatched in the heavyweight division, let alone at 205lbs. An 84in reach is a daunting obstacle no matter how proficient the striker standing across from him; couple that with an almost unsweepable frame from the top position as his limbs provide an exceptionally wide base beneath him and you've got a formidable force at just 24 years of age today. Jackson's best chance comes with his boxing where he harbors power in both fists, but Jones is elusive on the feet, and barring a big-uppercut or hook in the early proceedings, should break down "Rampage" as the fight wears on with a more diverse striking attack and superior wrestling ability. The call here is Jon "Bones" Jones, although I'm not sure about a stoppage, the champ will do enough to sweep the judge's cards at a minimum, but could very well stop Jackson in the championship rounds.
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Saturday, September 24, 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship goes live from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, for UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage featuring a light heavyweight title tilt pitting current title holder and the youngest champion in UFC history, Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0) against former 205lbs champion and PRIDE FC legend, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0). The evening's co-main event will see UFC hall-of-famer Matt Hughes (45-8-0) take on one-time title challenger Josh Koscheck (15-5-0) in the American Kickboxing Academy product's first fight back since suffering a broken orbital bone against Georges St. Pierre in December of 2010.
Below you will find our picks for the evening's main-card:
Ben Rothwell (31-7-0) vs. Mark Hunt (6-7-0)
In a battle of two heavyweight sluggers, former K-1 World Grand Prix champion Mark Hunt, and former IFL heavyweight champion Ben Rothwell will collide in what is sure to be a treat for the fans; going 9-0 inside the IFL, Rothwell has had mixed results since the promotion closed its doors in 2008, posting a 2-2 record with wins over Chris Guillen and Gilbert Yvel, while being brutally TKO'd by former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and current title holder Cain Velasquez. Rothwell does have some submissions in his arsenal, but often gets sucked into a brawl when the opportunity presents itself; it would be wise if the American took this one to the ground, as six of Hunt's seven losses have come by way of submission, but a failure to do so could be detrimental. This fight will boil down to the game-plan Rothwell adopts and I believe he's going to test his merit on the feet against the proven striker, a decision that will see Hunt threaten the big-man, but only temporarily as Rothwell switches gears and looks for the takedown out of necessity. Rothwell's grappling and cardio advantage will see him latch onto a late submission, lets say kimura, second round.
Nate Diaz (13-7-0) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-7-0)
Once considered among the sport's premier lightweight competitors, "The Fireball Kid" has either lost the fire to compete the highest level, or the sport has simply caught up to an aging fighter who is unlikely to surprise many opponents going forward with a stagnant arsenal of attacks. Gomi does have power in his hands, and he tends to put everything into every punch which as a result has seen him wilt in the later rounds of recent outings. Diaz on the other hand is built just like his older brother Nick; a frame built for endurance, high-level jiu jitsu, and a strong implementation of boxing will see the Stockon, CA. native take this fight into deep waters where he must know he'll hold an advantage in almost all aspects aside from wrestling. The holes in Gomi's game will be exposed again in this one, as Diaz secures a third round finish via submission in a bout that could very well steal fight of the night honors.
Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs. Rob Broughton (15-5-1)
Riding a five-fight winning streak coming into the contest, Liverpool's Rob Broughton out of the Wolfslair Academy is a solid talent with rounded skills for a heavyweight fighter; in 15 professional wins, Broughton has posted seven [T]KOs and five submission victories but "The Bear" despite fighting professionally since 2004 is largely untested against top-tier competition and has limited 'big show' experience under his belt; the same could be argued for his counterpart, Travis Browne, except Browne comes to the table with a lot of hype behind him and I for one am buying into it. In eleven professional wins, Browne has stopped nine opponents by [T]KO and is especially agile for a heavyweight. In three UFC appearances, the Hawaii native has gone 2-0-1, fighting Cheick Kongo to a unanimous draw, and knocking out Stefan Struve most recently - two fighters with plenty of big-fight experience in their careers. The pick here is Travis Browne as he breaks Broughton down on the feet throughout the first round, before closing in for the TKO stoppage in the second frame.
Matt Hughes (45-8-0) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-5-0)
There was a time when the tenacity Matt Hughes brought to the octagon alone won him fights, let alone his powerful wrestling base, ground and pound, and under-rated Jiu Jitsu that resulted in multiple submission wins; but father-time catches up with all of us and the former welterweight champion and UFC hall-of-famer is no exception to the rule as he faces a stiff test in AKA product, Josh Koscheck. At this point in their careers, it's unlikely Hughes will be able to out-wrestle the NCAA division I standout and speed is without question on Koscheck's side. "Kos" will also hold an edge in the standup department with quicker hands and more power within them, but Hughes was able to hang onto his title for so long because of his ability to adapt while in closely contested dog-fights, coupled with a huge heart that never said die; the Indiana native's best shot in this one lies in his submission attack, but Koscheck has proven resilient against submission grapplers losing only once by the method in his fifth professional fight in 2005 (Drew Fickett). The pick here is Josh Koscheck, as the fresher fighter will keep this fight where he feels most comfortable before turning up the heat in the later rounds when his conditioning edge should prevail. Josh Koscheck, unanimous decision.
Jon Jones (13-1-0) vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8-0)
This weekend's main-event pitting the youngest champion in UFC history Jon "Bones" Jones against former 205lbs title holder, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, is one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year and for good reason. "Rampage" has long been one of the most exciting fighters in the sport with a loyal fan-base that has followed him long before his UFC days when he slamming bodies through the PRIDE FC ring. Jon Jones was able to achieve history at UFC 128 with his total destruction of "Shogun" Rua over three rounds to capture the UFC title. Dubbed as the 'future of the sport' Jones possesses physical gifts that are unmatched in the heavyweight division, let alone at 205lbs. An 84in reach is a daunting obstacle no matter how proficient the striker standing across from him; couple that with an almost unsweepable frame from the top position as his limbs provide an exceptionally wide base beneath him and you've got a formidable force at just 24 years of age today. Jackson's best chance comes with his boxing where he harbors power in both fists, but Jones is elusive on the feet, and barring a big-uppercut or hook in the early proceedings, should break down "Rampage" as the fight wears on with a more diverse striking attack and superior wrestling ability. The call here is Jon "Bones" Jones, although I'm not sure about a stoppage, the champ will do enough to sweep the judge's cards at a minimum, but could very well stop Jackson in the championship rounds.
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Thursday 22 September 2011
Wednesday 21 September 2011
MMA Combat - Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux On for Strikeforce, December 17
MMA Combat - Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux On for Strikeforce, December 17
Strikeforce announced Tuesday via their official twitter account that former 205lbs champion Gegard Mousasi (31-3-2) will collide with rising star and former Tennessee Volunteers linebacker, Ovince St. Preux (11-4-0) December 17, 2011.
Little else is currently known about the card or location for the event, but rumors persist that lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (19-2-0) will defend his belt that night as well when he battles #1 contender Jorge Masvidal (22-6-0).
Mousasi (26) is undefeated in his previous four outings since losing his Strikeforce belt to Muhammed "King" Lawal via unanimous decision in April of 2010. He last competed under the DREAM banner on July 16, successfully defending his promotion title against Japanese Judoka Hiroshi Izumi with a first round TKO.
St Preux (28) made his Strikeforce debut the night Mousasi lost his title to Lawal, defeating Chris Hawk via TKO to move his record to 5-4. The Knoxville MMA representative has since compiled six more wins, making it eight straight with each of the last four coming inside the Strikeforce promotion.
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Strikeforce announced Tuesday via their official twitter account that former 205lbs champion Gegard Mousasi (31-3-2) will collide with rising star and former Tennessee Volunteers linebacker, Ovince St. Preux (11-4-0) December 17, 2011.
Little else is currently known about the card or location for the event, but rumors persist that lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (19-2-0) will defend his belt that night as well when he battles #1 contender Jorge Masvidal (22-6-0).
Mousasi (26) is undefeated in his previous four outings since losing his Strikeforce belt to Muhammed "King" Lawal via unanimous decision in April of 2010. He last competed under the DREAM banner on July 16, successfully defending his promotion title against Japanese Judoka Hiroshi Izumi with a first round TKO.
St Preux (28) made his Strikeforce debut the night Mousasi lost his title to Lawal, defeating Chris Hawk via TKO to move his record to 5-4. The Knoxville MMA representative has since compiled six more wins, making it eight straight with each of the last four coming inside the Strikeforce promotion.
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Tuesday 20 September 2011
MMA Combat - Henderson Returns to UFC, Meets Shogun in November
The MMA world stood by for it and it has finally arrived; news broke today that one-time UFC middleweight title challenger and now former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson [28-8-0], will make his return to the octagon November 19, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, where he will meet former UFC 205lbs champion, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua [20-5-0] at UFC 139.
After capturing the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with an impressive third round knockout over Rafael Cavalcante, Henderson set his sights on heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko this past July when the two PRIDE FC legends put on one of the more exciting first rounds of the calendar year. Contested at heavyweight, Henderson went into the bout with a 20lbs weight deficit, but that never seems to matter for Team Quest founder as he toppled "The Last Emperor" with a devastating right uppercut that ended the Russian's night in the final minute of the first round. With a three-fight winning streak on hand, rumors of a UFC return immediately hit the press and those rumors were validated on Monday afternoon.
"Shogun" Rua last competed at UFC 134 - Silva vs. Okami which marked the promotion's long awaited return to the former light heavyweight champion's home country of Brazil. Meeting another former champion in Forrest Griffin, their second bout would go nothing like the first as Rua rolled over Griffin with a violent first round knockout in just under two minutes of action; looking to earn a rematch against the man who dethroned him in March of this year, Jon "Bones" Jones, a win over Henderson would be a bigger statement still as their are few men more decorated in the history of the sport.
Other confirmed bouts for UFC 139 include:
Vitor Belfort (No. 10 MW) vs. Cung Le
Urijah Faber (No. 3 BW) vs. Brian Bowles (No. 4 BW)
Rick Story vs. Martin Kampmann
Chris Weidman vs. Tom Lawlor
Gleison Tibau vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Monday 19 September 2011
MMA Combat - Ultimate Fight Night 25, Results
MMA Combat - Ultimate Fight Night 25, Results
Saturday, September 17, 2011, The Ultimate Fighting Championship went live from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Ultimate Fight Night 25, featuring a main-event pitting Omaha, Nebraska's Jake Ellenberger (26-5-0) against one-time welterweight title challenger Jake Shields (26-6-1).
The Cesar Gracie product - who not long ago possessed one of the more impressive undefeated streaks in the upper-echelon of the sport today - has fallen on hard times since making his highly anticipated move to the UFC ranks as he was TKO'd in violent fashion by Premier Combat Center's "Juggernaut", Jake Ellenberger.
After a few brief exchanges and a couple failed take-down attempts by Shields early on, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt opted to close the distance, looking for a tie up; but Ellenberger was quick to secure a plum-clinch and a series of knees, the second of which caught Shields flush on the jaw, would bring the former Strikeforce middleweight champion's night to an end at just 53 seconds of the very first round. A sentimental favorite with the recent passing of his father, it was the first time Shields had been stopped in over eleven years of competition.
“I can’t explain how I feel right now,” said Ellenberger. “I gotta thank my team, my coaches. I’m surrounded by amazing people.”
In other main-card action, TUF Season 11 winner Court McGee narrowly escaped with a decision victory over South Korea's Dongi Yang; while Roufusport stand-out Erik "New Breed" Koch walked away with a unanimous decision win of his own, outpointing TUF Season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins over three rounds. Canada's Jason MacDonald did not have the night he was hoping for as the submission specialist was steam-rolled by another Duke Roufus disciple in Alan Belcher.
Other results from Ultimate Fight Night 25 are found below:
1 Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
2 Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 T.J. Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf via Submission (Triangle Choke) rd1 3:52
4 Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd2 1:12
5 Ken Stone def. Donny Walker via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 2:40
6 Lance Benoist def. Matt Riddle via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
8 Vagner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd2 3:49
9 Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald via Submission (Punches) rd1 3:48
10 Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
11 Court McGee def. Dongi Yang via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
12 Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields via TKO (Knee and Punches) rd1 0:53
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Saturday, September 17, 2011, The Ultimate Fighting Championship went live from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, for Ultimate Fight Night 25, featuring a main-event pitting Omaha, Nebraska's Jake Ellenberger (26-5-0) against one-time welterweight title challenger Jake Shields (26-6-1).
The Cesar Gracie product - who not long ago possessed one of the more impressive undefeated streaks in the upper-echelon of the sport today - has fallen on hard times since making his highly anticipated move to the UFC ranks as he was TKO'd in violent fashion by Premier Combat Center's "Juggernaut", Jake Ellenberger.
After a few brief exchanges and a couple failed take-down attempts by Shields early on, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt opted to close the distance, looking for a tie up; but Ellenberger was quick to secure a plum-clinch and a series of knees, the second of which caught Shields flush on the jaw, would bring the former Strikeforce middleweight champion's night to an end at just 53 seconds of the very first round. A sentimental favorite with the recent passing of his father, it was the first time Shields had been stopped in over eleven years of competition.
“I can’t explain how I feel right now,” said Ellenberger. “I gotta thank my team, my coaches. I’m surrounded by amazing people.”
In other main-card action, TUF Season 11 winner Court McGee narrowly escaped with a decision victory over South Korea's Dongi Yang; while Roufusport stand-out Erik "New Breed" Koch walked away with a unanimous decision win of his own, outpointing TUF Season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins over three rounds. Canada's Jason MacDonald did not have the night he was hoping for as the submission specialist was steam-rolled by another Duke Roufus disciple in Alan Belcher.
Other results from Ultimate Fight Night 25 are found below:
1 Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
2 Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
3 T.J. Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf via Submission (Triangle Choke) rd1 3:52
4 Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd2 1:12
5 Ken Stone def. Donny Walker via Technical Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd1 2:40
6 Lance Benoist def. Matt Riddle via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
7 Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
8 Vagner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd2 3:49
9 Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald via Submission (Punches) rd1 3:48
10 Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
11 Court McGee def. Dongi Yang via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
12 Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields via TKO (Knee and Punches) rd1 0:53
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Thursday 15 September 2011
MMA Combat - "Bones" Jones and "Rampage" Jackson on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
UFC light heavyweights Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0) and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0) will make an appearance Monday, September 19, on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show which airs on ABC at 12am ET/PT.
The two men will discuss their upcoming main-event bout at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado, live from the Pepsi Center, where Jones will look to defend his 205lbs title against a former champion in "Rampage". Jon Jones captured the promotion championship in March of this year, handily defeating Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the Brazilian's first title defence. In fact, no 205lbs champion has defended the title more than once since Chuck Liddel's reign, seven champions ago.
Since losing the title to Forrest Griffin in 2008, Jackson has gone 4-1 inside the octagon losing only to current number one contender, "Suga" Rashad Evans in that stretch. Jackson most recently appeared at UFC 130 where he defeated tough wrestler Matt Hamill via unanimous decision.
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The two men will discuss their upcoming main-event bout at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado, live from the Pepsi Center, where Jones will look to defend his 205lbs title against a former champion in "Rampage". Jon Jones captured the promotion championship in March of this year, handily defeating Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the Brazilian's first title defence. In fact, no 205lbs champion has defended the title more than once since Chuck Liddel's reign, seven champions ago.
Since losing the title to Forrest Griffin in 2008, Jackson has gone 4-1 inside the octagon losing only to current number one contender, "Suga" Rashad Evans in that stretch. Jackson most recently appeared at UFC 130 where he defeated tough wrestler Matt Hamill via unanimous decision.
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Wednesday 14 September 2011
Diaz Goes on Offensive, Points Finger at St. Pierre
http://www.mmacombat.com/blogs/blog297-diaz-goes-offensive-points-finger-st-pierre.html
Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz spends little time apologizing to anyone, and the latest episode in the life of Stockton, California's favorite son has been no different from those previous; bounced from the UFC 137 main-event after failing to show up for a pair of press-conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas respectively, Diaz continues to point the finger at others when recalling the events of last week, including promotion champ Georges St. Pierre.
In an interview Wednesday with MMAJunkie.com, Diaz held nothing back when communicating his thoughts on what transpired a week ago today.
"I really don't appreciate this mother [expletive] sitting there at that press conference and laughing at me," Diaz said. "That's some real bitch [expletive]. He's sitting there laughing like it's funny or something. If I saw Georges on the street and called him a bitch, I bet you he wouldn't do [expletive]... It makes me mad that Georges is going to sit there and call himself a fighter, but he's not going to stand up and say something about this. He's going to let it ride. I think I would say something. I would at least have said, 'I disagree. I don't agree with canceling my fight because of some dumbass [expletive].' Instead, he sat there and said, 'He doesn't have the commitment to be a champion.' What is that? I obviously have the commitment to throw my life away. I've thrown my life away and sacrificed everything so that I can fight. I did that. I threw my life away so I could work hard and train and fight. That's commitment."
While I don't know the man personally, St. Pierre's demeanor suggests that he would have been a compliant employee in whatever profession he chose to pursue; call it upbringing or inherent inclination, the champion keeps it on an even keel and regardless of his opponent, I find it hard to imagine a scenario where St. Pierre would have protested against the employer who has given him nearly everything he has today.
In fact, some might call it commendable and fresh that he's willing to accept a fight against a teammate. While Diaz continues to fight battles in his head, usually taking place on the street, he has repeated several times in the past that he would never fight a teammate of his (with Roberts, brother Nate at times, Shields, and himself all occupying the same division) and this same trend has created stagnation in the welterweight division in the past when AKA fighters Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Swick all declared the same position years prior. MMA today has a global reach, but it remains an exclusive environment at the top of the sport and at times, logistically, these matches are unavoidable.
The champion has taken on all challengers and beaten more top-ten opponents than Diaz has shared a fight-card with his entire career and he should be grateful for the fight that was offered to him in Penn. While I remain a fan of his antics, and without question his tenacity in the cage, Dana White has never been proven more correct about a fighter, Diaz's mouth remains his most formidable foe to date.
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Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz spends little time apologizing to anyone, and the latest episode in the life of Stockton, California's favorite son has been no different from those previous; bounced from the UFC 137 main-event after failing to show up for a pair of press-conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas respectively, Diaz continues to point the finger at others when recalling the events of last week, including promotion champ Georges St. Pierre.
In an interview Wednesday with MMAJunkie.com, Diaz held nothing back when communicating his thoughts on what transpired a week ago today.
"I really don't appreciate this mother [expletive] sitting there at that press conference and laughing at me," Diaz said. "That's some real bitch [expletive]. He's sitting there laughing like it's funny or something. If I saw Georges on the street and called him a bitch, I bet you he wouldn't do [expletive]... It makes me mad that Georges is going to sit there and call himself a fighter, but he's not going to stand up and say something about this. He's going to let it ride. I think I would say something. I would at least have said, 'I disagree. I don't agree with canceling my fight because of some dumbass [expletive].' Instead, he sat there and said, 'He doesn't have the commitment to be a champion.' What is that? I obviously have the commitment to throw my life away. I've thrown my life away and sacrificed everything so that I can fight. I did that. I threw my life away so I could work hard and train and fight. That's commitment."
While I don't know the man personally, St. Pierre's demeanor suggests that he would have been a compliant employee in whatever profession he chose to pursue; call it upbringing or inherent inclination, the champion keeps it on an even keel and regardless of his opponent, I find it hard to imagine a scenario where St. Pierre would have protested against the employer who has given him nearly everything he has today.
In fact, some might call it commendable and fresh that he's willing to accept a fight against a teammate. While Diaz continues to fight battles in his head, usually taking place on the street, he has repeated several times in the past that he would never fight a teammate of his (with Roberts, brother Nate at times, Shields, and himself all occupying the same division) and this same trend has created stagnation in the welterweight division in the past when AKA fighters Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Swick all declared the same position years prior. MMA today has a global reach, but it remains an exclusive environment at the top of the sport and at times, logistically, these matches are unavoidable.
The champion has taken on all challengers and beaten more top-ten opponents than Diaz has shared a fight-card with his entire career and he should be grateful for the fight that was offered to him in Penn. While I remain a fan of his antics, and without question his tenacity in the cage, Dana White has never been proven more correct about a fighter, Diaz's mouth remains his most formidable foe to date.
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Tuesday 13 September 2011
Monday 12 September 2011
MMA Combat - Strikeforce - Kharitonov vs. Barnett, Payouts
Saturday, September 10, 2011, Strikeforce went live from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Strikeforce - Kharitonov vs. Barnett, featuring the semi-final round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Josh "Warmaster" Barnett walked away the night's top earner after submitting dangerous Russian Sergei Kharitonov, with a first round arm-in triangle choke. Kharitonov, Cormier, and Silva all walked away with six-figure payouts as well, as reported by the Ohio Athletic Commission, although Cormier's total purse was not guaranteed, but doubled after the former Olympian picked up a $50 000 win bonus for handily dispatching Brazilian giant, Antonio Silva.
The full payouts included:
Josh Barnett: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Sergei Kharitonov: $100,000
Daniel Cormier: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus)
def. Antonio Silva: $100,000
Luke Rockhold: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
def. Ronaldo Souza: $70,000
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal: $85,000 (no win bonus)
def. Roger Gracie: $80,000
Pat Healy: $17,500 (includes $5,000 win bonus)
def. Maximo Blanco: $13,000
Mike Kyle: $44,000 (includes $22,000 win bonus)
def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima: $5,000
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
def. Yoel Romero: $10,000
Jordan Mein: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos: $20,000
Alexis Davis: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
def. Amanda Nunes: $7,500
Dominique Steele: $5,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus)
def. Chris Mierzwiak: $3,000
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Saturday 10 September 2011
MMA Combat - Ortiz and Nogueira Agree to UFC 140
MMA Combat - Ortiz and Nogueira Agree to UFC 140
UFC officials have announced another addition to the UFC 140 card, scheduled to take place December 10, 2011, at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Canada, as former champion Tito "The Huntington Beach Badboy" Ortiz (16-9-1), takes on perennial top-ten contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-5-0) at 205lbs.
The two were originally scheduled to fight earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 24, but a late training injury saw Ortiz withdraw from the contest allowing powerhouse wrestler Phil Davis to fill the void on short notice. Davis picked up the unanimous decision on that night, March 26, and the loss marked the second consecutive for Nogueira, the Brazilian's first losing streak in a decade long professional career. Ortiz represents "Minotoro's" fourth consecutive opponent with a wrestling base, a discipline that has given Nogueira fits in the past, but has brought about marked improvements in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belts defensive wrestling game.
Ortiz last appeared on August 6 at UFC 133 where the former light heavyweight champion took on current number-one contender "Suga" Rashad Evans on short notice, stepping in for the injured Phil Davis as fate would have it. Evans however, was simply on another level as he battered Ortiz over two rounds of action, picking up the TKO win at 4:48 of round two. A month prior to that bout, Ortiz staved off his imminent retirement when he defeated Ryan Bader via Guillotine Choke at UFC 132 - Cruz vs. Faber 2. Both of these fierce veteran competitors will be hungry and desperate for a win this coming December, as a future fighting inside the world's largest promotion is anything but guaranteed.
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The two were originally scheduled to fight earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 24, but a late training injury saw Ortiz withdraw from the contest allowing powerhouse wrestler Phil Davis to fill the void on short notice. Davis picked up the unanimous decision on that night, March 26, and the loss marked the second consecutive for Nogueira, the Brazilian's first losing streak in a decade long professional career. Ortiz represents "Minotoro's" fourth consecutive opponent with a wrestling base, a discipline that has given Nogueira fits in the past, but has brought about marked improvements in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belts defensive wrestling game.
Ortiz last appeared on August 6 at UFC 133 where the former light heavyweight champion took on current number-one contender "Suga" Rashad Evans on short notice, stepping in for the injured Phil Davis as fate would have it. Evans however, was simply on another level as he battered Ortiz over two rounds of action, picking up the TKO win at 4:48 of round two. A month prior to that bout, Ortiz staved off his imminent retirement when he defeated Ryan Bader via Guillotine Choke at UFC 132 - Cruz vs. Faber 2. Both of these fierce veteran competitors will be hungry and desperate for a win this coming December, as a future fighting inside the world's largest promotion is anything but guaranteed.
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Friday 9 September 2011
MMA Fighters and Promotional Obligations
Wednesday, September 7, Dana White made the official announcement with Diaz absent from the Las Vegas press-conference, in place to promote UFC 140. Hours later, Diaz released a video via YouTube explaining himself, somewhat, but one thing was clear and echoed in earlier comments stemming from the Stockton, CA native's coach and confidant, Cesar Gracie; Diaz does suffer from social anxiety, and the case presents itself each and every time the fighter is forced to talk in front of a crowd or camera with interviews conducted by others around him.
This type of athlete is sheltered from that same media across other main-stream sports and organizations, such as the NFL or MLB, but fighters have so often been hungry to promote themselves and their brand in front of a grand audience that has only been discovered in recent years throughout the MMA environment. Diaz, on the other hand, is not one of those athletes - to his detriment or not as a personable fighter will often reap the benefits of larger/more sponsorship deals thrusting them further into the public eye - and the dilemma begs the question; should all fighters be subject to social and event promotion when it is not in their nature, or comfort zone, to do so?
I won't pretend that I hold the answer to this question, but upon reflection (as I too was terribly disappointed in Diaz earlier this week) I do feel that Zuffa should have an alternative process in place to promote their events without the presence of all athletes competing. Whether that be through teleconferencing or other means, social skills should not hinder a fighter's advancement in a sport where greatness is achieved through individual accomplishment.
I'll leave the debating up to you, but the topic deserves conversation.
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Thursday 8 September 2011
MMA Combat - UFC 140 Adds Nogueira vs. Mir II
UFC officials announced Wednesday the addition of a major piece to the growing UFC 140 card, which will take place December 10, 2011, at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Ontario.
In a heavyweight rematch between former champions, Brazilian legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) will take on Nevada's own, Frank Mir (15-5-0).
"Minotauro" last appeared at UFC 134 - Okami vs. Silva, which marked the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black-belt's first professional contest inside his home country. Nogueira wasted no time in bringing the fans to their feet when he knocked out Brendan Schaub in brutal fashion at just 3:09 of the first round, despite not competing for over a year and a half on the back of three major surgeries. With the victory, Nogueira improved his record to 4-2 inside the octagon and staved off his imminent retirement in the process, breathing life back into a slowly deflating career.
Mir bested Nogueira in December of 2008 at UFC 92, stopping his foe by TKO at 1:54 of the second round. The win was impressive as Mir demonstrated solid boxing technique to set-up the finish, but Nogueira maintained a staph infection had hobbled his efforts leading up to, and during the fight on December 27. Since that time, Mir has posted a 3-2 record with consecutive wins over Mirko Filipovic and Roy Nelson most recently at UFC 130 - Rampage vs. Hamill, May 28 of this year.
The UFC 140 line-up as it currently stands can be found below:
Matchups:
Frank Mir (No. 7 HW) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (No. 9 HW)
Brian Ebersole vs. Rory MacDonald
Claude Patrick vs. Rich Attonito
John Cholish vs. Mitch Clarke
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Wednesday 7 September 2011
MMA Combat - Fedor vs. Monson Agreed, Koscheck vs. Hughes Official
Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Jeff Monson (42-12-0) announced late Tuesday night via his twitter account that his next challenge will come in the form of Fedor Emelianenko (31-4-0) at an M-1 Global event, November 12, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
"Nov 12th vs Fedor in Russia M-1 confirmed... press conference on 16th in Russia," wrote "The Snowman."
Monson last appeared June 18 at Strikeforce - Overeem vs. Werdum, where the 14-year veteran of the sport battled Daniel Cormier on short notice, losing a unanimous decision over three tough rounds. Prior to that, Monson had rattled off eight consecutive victories with five coming by way of submission.
Emelianenko's last bout was under the Strikeforce banner as well, although the contest would be his first and last inside a Zuffa owned promotion as "The Last Emperor" dropped his third straight when he was knocked out by light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson inside the first round. Fedor has been stopped in each of his last three outings, and with limited top heavyweight talent outside of Zuffa's grasp, options are limited for quality opponents.
Also in the news, Dana White confirmed that AKA standout Josh Koscheck (15-5-0) will indeed get his wish to step up and face Matt Hughes (45-8-0) on short notice with the late hand injury suffered by Diego Sanchez while training.
"Diego broke his hand, so Hughes will now fight Koscheck," tweeted White on Tuesday evening.
It took less than 24 hours for the promotion to confirm the replacement, as Koscheck answered the call immediately upon hearing the news. The powerful wrestler last appeared in December of 2010 when he challenged welterweight champion, Georges St. Pierre for his 170lbs title; the night did not go Koscheck's way as he suffered a broken orbital bone early in the fight that would keep him sidelined for much of 2011.
Hughes has not competed since 2010 either, when the Hillsboro, Illinois, native was knocked out by former rival B.J. Penn in 21 seconds at UFC 123 - Rampage vs. Machida. Prior to that outing, Hughes had compiled three straight wins topping New York based Jiu Jitsu practitioners, Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie, and Ricardo Almeida respectively. Hughes had no problems accepting Koscheck as a late replacement.
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Tuesday 6 September 2011
MMA Combat - Sanchez Injured, Out of UFC 135 Line-up
MMA Combat - Sanchez Injured, Out of UFC 135 Line-up
TUF Season 1 winner and one-time lightweight title challenger, Diego Sanchez (23-4-0), has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 135 co-main event matchup against former welterweight champion Matt Hughes (45-8-0) due to a broken hand suffered while training. UFC president Dana White announced the news on Monday via his twitter account.
“Diego Sanchez broke his hand,” White wrote on Monday. “Looking for a replacement for Hughes.”
Josh Koscheck, also a participate on TUF Season 1 and a former title-challenger in his own right has apparently answered the call, but the promotion is yet to make anything official with the event less than three weeks out.
“Got a fight in 21 days, bitches,” wrote Koscheck. “Oh ya, 19 days then or something like that! Either way, it looks like I am in to fight Matt Hughes if he takes it?”
UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, and will feature a light heavyweight title bout when former champ, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0), takes on current title holder Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0).
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TUF Season 1 winner and one-time lightweight title challenger, Diego Sanchez (23-4-0), has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 135 co-main event matchup against former welterweight champion Matt Hughes (45-8-0) due to a broken hand suffered while training. UFC president Dana White announced the news on Monday via his twitter account.
“Diego Sanchez broke his hand,” White wrote on Monday. “Looking for a replacement for Hughes.”
Josh Koscheck, also a participate on TUF Season 1 and a former title-challenger in his own right has apparently answered the call, but the promotion is yet to make anything official with the event less than three weeks out.
“Got a fight in 21 days, bitches,” wrote Koscheck. “Oh ya, 19 days then or something like that! Either way, it looks like I am in to fight Matt Hughes if he takes it?”
UFC 135 - Jones vs. Rampage will take place at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, and will feature a light heavyweight title bout when former champ, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0), takes on current title holder Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0).
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MMA Combat - UFC Books 2012 Japan Return
MMA Combat - UFC Books 2012 Japan Return
Tuesday, September 6, 2011, The Ultimate Fighting Championship officially announced their intention to return to the Land of the Rising Sun on February 26, 2012. The news was delivered via a video message from UFC President Dana White during a press conference that was held at the Shinjuku Wald 9 Theater.
The event is expected to take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the venue is expected to host up to 20 000 spectators. In order to better accommodate their Western audience, preliminaries will begin at 10:00 am Japan time, with the main card taking place from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm.
Zuffa LLC Asia Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Mark Fischer, was present to address those in attendance.
"To give another idea of the scope of this event, it will literally be witnessed by millions of fans all over the world,” said Fischer. “Moreover, this event will be a boon for Japan's economy. For example, UFC 100 in Las Vegas generated more than $51 million for the local economy. In Sydney, Australia, our two events generated over $30 million for the local economy. We're pleased to bring the similarly anticipated event to Saitama and the greater Tokyo area."
"Let me also say that while UFC Japan in 2012 will be the first event for Zuffa in Asia, it certainly won't be the last. We hope to make UFC Japan an annual fixture on our calendar and we also have plans to follow-up with a series of high quality events across Asia."
The UFC has not held an event in Japan since April 14, 2000, when the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo was witness to the below card.
1 LaVerne Clark def. Koji Oishi via Decision (Majority) rd3 5:00
2 Ikuhisa Minowa def. Joe Slick via TKO (Cut) rd3 2:02
3 Ron Waterman def. Satoshi Honma via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
4 Sanae Kikuta def. Eugene Jackson via Submission (Armbar) rd1 4:38
5 Murilo Bustamante def. Yoji Anjo via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) rd2 0:31
6 Tito Ortiz def. Wanderlei Silva via Decision (Unanimous) rd5 5:00
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011, The Ultimate Fighting Championship officially announced their intention to return to the Land of the Rising Sun on February 26, 2012. The news was delivered via a video message from UFC President Dana White during a press conference that was held at the Shinjuku Wald 9 Theater.
The event is expected to take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and the venue is expected to host up to 20 000 spectators. In order to better accommodate their Western audience, preliminaries will begin at 10:00 am Japan time, with the main card taking place from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm.
Zuffa LLC Asia Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Mark Fischer, was present to address those in attendance.
"To give another idea of the scope of this event, it will literally be witnessed by millions of fans all over the world,” said Fischer. “Moreover, this event will be a boon for Japan's economy. For example, UFC 100 in Las Vegas generated more than $51 million for the local economy. In Sydney, Australia, our two events generated over $30 million for the local economy. We're pleased to bring the similarly anticipated event to Saitama and the greater Tokyo area."
"Let me also say that while UFC Japan in 2012 will be the first event for Zuffa in Asia, it certainly won't be the last. We hope to make UFC Japan an annual fixture on our calendar and we also have plans to follow-up with a series of high quality events across Asia."
The UFC has not held an event in Japan since April 14, 2000, when the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo was witness to the below card.
1 LaVerne Clark def. Koji Oishi via Decision (Majority) rd3 5:00
2 Ikuhisa Minowa def. Joe Slick via TKO (Cut) rd3 2:02
3 Ron Waterman def. Satoshi Honma via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
4 Sanae Kikuta def. Eugene Jackson via Submission (Armbar) rd1 4:38
5 Murilo Bustamante def. Yoji Anjo via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) rd2 0:31
6 Tito Ortiz def. Wanderlei Silva via Decision (Unanimous) rd5 5:00
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Friday 2 September 2011
MMA Combat - One FC - Champion vs. Champion
MMA Combat - One FC - Champion vs. Champion
One FC Champion vs. Champion will take place September 3rd, 2011 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore. It is the inaugural event for Asian promotion One Fighting Championship, and the fights are expected to be broadcast to 500 million viewers worldwide. The card includes fighters from all disciplines with notable names such as UFC veteran Phil Baroni, TUF competitor Andy Wang, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion Gregor Gracie, and a main-event pitting Korea's A Sol Kwon (17-6-0) against the Philippines' Eduard Folayang (9-1-0).
Kwon is a winner in six consecutive bouts with three knockout finishes during that stretch. The K-1, Sengoku, and Deep veteran last appeared at Deep - 54 Impact on June 24, defeating Yoshihiro Tomioka by unanimous decision; his counter-part, once-defeated "Landslide" Folayang has won four straight contests and owns five of his nine victories by way of [T]KO. Folayang last fought in October of 2010, walking away with the unanimous decision victory against Vuyisile Colossa under the Martial Combat banner.
The co-main event will see a pair of UFC veterans go toe-to-toe when "The New York Badass" Phil Baroni (14-13-0) battles Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-6-0).
The only fighter to not make weight for the event was TUF alumnus Andy Wang who came in at 163.1 lbs, 4.1 lbs over the 159 lbs catchweight weight limit agreed upon. It's expected Zorobabel Moreira will go ahead with the fight, claiming an additional 15% for himself off of Wang's purse.
Main Card:
A Sol Kwon (155 lbs) vs. Eduard Folayang (155.9 lbs)
Phil Baroni (176 lbs) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (174.8 lbs)
Mitch Chilson (145.5 lbs) vs. Eric Kelly (142.4 lbs)
Gregor Gracie (170.9 lbs) vs. Seok Mo Kim (169.7 lbs)
Andy Wang (163.1 lbs) vs. Zorobabel Moreira (158.9 lbs)*
Preliminary Card:
Radeem Rahman (125.2) vs. Susovan Ghosh (125.2 lbs)
Soo Chul Kim (135.5) vs. Leandro Issa (136.5)
Vuyisile Colossa (160.7 lbs) vs. Ma Xing Yu (155.2 lbs)
Daniel Mashamaite (136 lbs) vs. Yodsanan Sityodtong (135.1 lbs)
Soo Chul Kim (135.5) vs. Leandro Issa (136.5)
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One FC Champion vs. Champion will take place September 3rd, 2011 at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore. It is the inaugural event for Asian promotion One Fighting Championship, and the fights are expected to be broadcast to 500 million viewers worldwide. The card includes fighters from all disciplines with notable names such as UFC veteran Phil Baroni, TUF competitor Andy Wang, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion Gregor Gracie, and a main-event pitting Korea's A Sol Kwon (17-6-0) against the Philippines' Eduard Folayang (9-1-0).
Kwon is a winner in six consecutive bouts with three knockout finishes during that stretch. The K-1, Sengoku, and Deep veteran last appeared at Deep - 54 Impact on June 24, defeating Yoshihiro Tomioka by unanimous decision; his counter-part, once-defeated "Landslide" Folayang has won four straight contests and owns five of his nine victories by way of [T]KO. Folayang last fought in October of 2010, walking away with the unanimous decision victory against Vuyisile Colossa under the Martial Combat banner.
The co-main event will see a pair of UFC veterans go toe-to-toe when "The New York Badass" Phil Baroni (14-13-0) battles Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-6-0).
The only fighter to not make weight for the event was TUF alumnus Andy Wang who came in at 163.1 lbs, 4.1 lbs over the 159 lbs catchweight weight limit agreed upon. It's expected Zorobabel Moreira will go ahead with the fight, claiming an additional 15% for himself off of Wang's purse.
Main Card:
A Sol Kwon (155 lbs) vs. Eduard Folayang (155.9 lbs)
Phil Baroni (176 lbs) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (174.8 lbs)
Mitch Chilson (145.5 lbs) vs. Eric Kelly (142.4 lbs)
Gregor Gracie (170.9 lbs) vs. Seok Mo Kim (169.7 lbs)
Andy Wang (163.1 lbs) vs. Zorobabel Moreira (158.9 lbs)*
Preliminary Card:
Radeem Rahman (125.2) vs. Susovan Ghosh (125.2 lbs)
Soo Chul Kim (135.5) vs. Leandro Issa (136.5)
Vuyisile Colossa (160.7 lbs) vs. Ma Xing Yu (155.2 lbs)
Daniel Mashamaite (136 lbs) vs. Yodsanan Sityodtong (135.1 lbs)
Soo Chul Kim (135.5) vs. Leandro Issa (136.5)
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Thursday 1 September 2011
MMA Combat - Barnett: Title Would Be Nice, But Its Absence Doesn't Change Things
With Manny Gamburyan and Diego Nunes injured and hence removed from the UFC 135 card, the promotion has announced another featherweight match that will fill the void; UFC veteran and submission specialist Junior Assuncao (12-4-0) will battle promotion new-comer Eddie Yagin (15-4-1) on the evening's undercard.
Assuncao made his first stint with the UFC in 2006/2007, going 1-2 with a submission win and two submission losses. Most recently, the 30 year old out of Athens, Georgia, has compiled six-straight victories with his last three all coming by first round stoppage. Yagin, out of Alliance MMA in Honolulu, Hawaii, has won consecutive bouts and seven of his previous eight. In his most recent appearance, "The Filipino Phenom" caught Bellator veteran Joe Soto with a first round Guillotine Choke, halting the contest two minutes into the very first round.
UFC 135 will take place September 24, 2011, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado; the event will feature a light-heavyweight title showdown pitting number one contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8-0) against 24 year old champion, Jon "Bones" Jones (13-1-0). The co-main event will see UFC legend Matt Hughes go toe-to-toe with TUF Season 1 winner, Diego Sanchez.
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