MMA Combat - Hirota Makes Return Against Kikuno at Deep 55 Impact

MMA Combat - Hirota Makes Return Against Kikuno at Deep 55 Impact

A lightweight title fight will be featured at Deep "55 Impact" as top Japanese talents Mizuto Hirota (12-4-1) and Katsunori Kikuno (15-3-2) collide August 26, 2011, at Korakuen Hall in Tokya, Japan.

Kikuno is the Deep lightweight champion

Training under UFC and PRIDE veteran Tsuyoshi Kosaka, 153lbs champion Kikuno captured the Deep title in April of 2009, knocking out Koichiro Matsumoto in the finals of the Deep lightweight tournament. The Karate-based fighter has been stopped only once in twenty professional bouts when Bellator lightweight champion, Eddy Alvarez, stopped him via arm-triangle choke at DREAM 12 in October of 2009. Kikuno last appeared at DREAM - Fight for Japan, May 29, where he defeated Daisuke Nakamura via unanimous decision.

Hirota is one of the most proficient strikers in Japan today, securing more than half (8) of his victories by [T]KO. Not unlike Kikuno, Hirota has been stopped inside the distance only once in seventeen fights when DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki brutally broke his arm on December 31, 2009, via hammerlock submission. Prior to that bout Hirota was crowned the Sengoku LW champion when he TKO'd leg-lock specialist, Satoru Kitaoka, in the fourth round of their championship affair.


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MMA Combat - Dream 17 - Fight for Japan

MMA Combat - Dream 17 - Fight for Japan

May 29, 2011, the Saitama Super Arena, in Saitama, Japan hosted Dream 17 - Fight for Japan. The event featured the promotion's Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal and Semifinal match-ups, as well as a highly publicized appearance for Shinya Aoki who's opponent for the evening was uncertain until a mere 10 days ago when UFC veteran Rich Clementi took the fight on short notice.

Reports from the event, which did not air live in Japan or the United States, speak of Aoki (28-5-0) utilizing his superior grappling ability, achieving a back-mount on his opponent for nearly the duration of the first round, while peppering Clementi (40-20-1) with shots. "No Love" survived the first frame but experienced much of the same in the second when Aoki took his back once more; softening the American with blows, the Dream lightweight ace stopped Clementi at 2:32 of the second round via neck-crank.

In tournament action, Masakazu Imanari (23-8-2) and Hideo Tokoro (29-23-1) saw their way through to Bantamweight Grand Prix Finals defeating Kenji Osawa and Atsushi Yamamoto respectively in the semifinals.

Other results from the evening can be found below:

Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals
Masakazu Imanari def. Kenji Osawa via submission (Achilles lock) - Round 2, 0:58
Bantamweight Tournament Semifinals
Hideo Tokoro def. Atsushi Yamamoto via split decision

Shinya Aoki def. Rich Clementi via submission (neck crank) - Round 2, 2:17
Katsunori Kikuno def. Daisuke Nakamura via unanimous decision
Caol Uno def. Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura via unanimous decision
Takeshi Inoue def. Koichiro Matsumoto via TKO (strikes) - Round, 6:51
Joachim Hansen def. Mitsuhiro Ishida via split decision

Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Kenji Osawa def. Takafumi Otsuka via split decision
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Masakazu Imanari def. Keisuke Fujiwara via unanimous decision
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Hideo Tokoro def. Yoshiro Maeda via TKO (corner's stoppage) - Round 2, 0:43
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinals
Atsushi Yamamoto def. Yusaku Nakamura via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 8:43


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MMA Combat - St. Pierre vs. Diaz at UFC 140?

MMA Combat - St. Pierre vs. Diaz at UFC 140?

Montreal’s David Simon, host of Ringside Report Radio on ‘The Team’ 990 AM and owner/writer for www.ringsidereport.net posted yesterday on his official twitter account that not only would the UFC return to “La Belle Province” for UFC 140 – expected to take place December 10, 2011 – but that UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre (22-2-0) would likely defend his belt at the event, most probably, against Stockton, California’s favorite son, Nick Diaz (25-7-0).

“#UFC140 December 10 at the Bell Centre. Get ready #Montreal. The #UFC is coming back!!!!”

“Nick Diaz vs. GSP is a possibility for the main event of #UFC140 on December 10 in #Montreal.”

The speculation comes on the heels of a radio interview Simon conducted with UFC Director of Operations Tom Wright on Wednesday, May 18. The promotion has achieved great successes in Montreal thus far, and looks to maintain close ties with the city and market going forward.

“We know how important this market is to us and putting on great fights,” Wright said. “It’s a great venue (Bell Centre), it’s a great fan-base, it’s a great environment. The energy in that building is as good as any building in North America. We’ll always have a soft spot for Montreal.”


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Zuffa Extends Additional Medical-Insurance to All Contracted Fighters

Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta

Monday, May 9, Zuffa officials announced today - at a four-day fighter summit in Las Vegas, Nevada - that all fighters under contract with their promotions, the UFC and Strikeforce, would now be afforded accident-insurance coverage.

Formerly, only injuries sustained during a contracted fight would be covered in full by the organization, which was in compliance with requirements by the regulatory state-athletic commissions; but today's announcement ensures that all injuries, including those suffered in training, will be taken care of by the parent company.

UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta had to follow to say:

"Our athletes are some of the very best in the world, and we've committed significant financial resources to provide them with insurance that complements the gold standard we have set for event-related coverage," UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta stated in today's announcement. "We’re pleased to provide coverage that enables our athletes to seek and receive treatment for injuries sustained while preparing for bouts."

The organization's policy will now include 24-hour worldwide medical-life insurance and dental coverage with Zuffa picking up 100% of all premiums; Houston Casualty is the third party provider and a full-time claims processor will reportedly be in-house.

"As this sport continues to grow, we have been working hard to secure additional insurance coverage so that our athletes can perform at the highest levels," UFC president Dana White added. "We're proud to give our athletes access to this type of insurance."

How much the additional coverage will cost Zuffa is yet to be reported, but with 350+ athletes under contract further elaboration on the subject is expected shortly.


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Pacquiao vs. Mosley - Results

Saturday May 7, Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2) successfully defended his WBO Welterweight World Title, defeating challenger "Suger" Shane Mosley (46-7-1) via unanimous decision (119-108, 120-108, 120-107). The bout took place in front of a packed house at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be remembered – if at all – as the year's blockbuster boxing tilt that never was.

For the better part of twelve rounds Mosley backpedaled and defended, throwing only FIVE combinations throughout the fight accordingly to punch-stat numbers. A frustrated Pacquiao was gracious in the post-fight interview, determining that Mosley was simply trying to time a fight-changing counter punch, but the 39-year old Californian simply could not pull the trigger.

Considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet today, it is undetermined who the next challenger to Pacquiao’s throne may be, although Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah seem the front-runners early on.

There may have been a lack of excitement in the evening’s main-event, but the Super Bantamweight Championship was a thriller all the way. Mexican, Jorge Arce (57-6-2) blitzed young champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (19-1-1) handing the Puerto Rican his first professional defeat via 12th round TKO, becoming the new WBO super bantamweight champion.

Official results can be found below:

Main card
· Welterweight Championship Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley
Pacquiao defeated Mosley via unanimous decision (119-108, 120-108, 120-107).
· Super Bantamweight Championship bout: Jorge Arce vs. Wilfredo Vázquez, Jr.
Arce defeated Vázquez via technical knockout at 0:55 in the twelfth round.
· Super Middleweight bout: Alfonso López III vs. Kelly Pavlik
Pavlik defeated López via majority decision (95-95, 98-92, 99-91).
· Light Welterweight bout: Mike Alvarado vs. Raymond Narh
Alvarado defeated Narh via technical knockout at 3:00 in the third round.
Preliminary card
· Light Welterweight bout: José Benavidez vs. James Hope
Benavidez defeated Hope via technical knockout at 1:43 in the fifth round.
· Lightweight bout: Aris Ambríz vs. Pier Olivier Cote
Cote defeated Ambríz via technical knockout at 0:46 in the fourth round.
· Super Flyweight bout: Javier Gallo vs. Rodel Mayol
Mayol defeated Gallo via majority decision (95-95, 98-92, 98-92).
· Light Welterweight bout: Karl Dargan vs. Randy Arrellin
Dargan defeated Arrellin via unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 59-55).


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