Mixed Martial Blogist

ufc 112 ODDS

2010-04-07T19:24:00.001-04:00

Anderson Silva Vs.Demian Maia
Anderson Silva -875
Demian Maia +575
Light Heavyweights -3pm est

BJ Penn Vs. Frankie Edgar
BJ Penn -800
Frankie Edgar +500
Lightweights-3pm est

Matt Hughes Vs. Renzo Gracie
Matt Hughes -365
Renzo Gracie +285

Mark Munoz Vs. Kendall Grove
Mark Munoz -185
Kendall Grove +155

Phil Davis Vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Phil Davis -600
Alexander Gustafsson +400

Terry Etim Vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Terry Etim -175
Rafael Dos Anjos +145

Paul Taylor Vs. John Gunderson
Paul Taylor -260
John Gunderson +200

Nick Osipczak Vs. Rick Story
Nick Osipczak +115
Rick Story -145

DaMarques Johnson Vs. Brad Blackburn
DaMarques Johnson +130
Brad Blackburn -160

Paul Kelly Vs. Matt Veach
Paul Kelly +180
Matt Veach -220

Jon Madsen Vs. Mostapha Al Turk
Jon Madsen -200
Mostapha Al Turk +160

UFC 110: Want List

2010-02-15T20:07:00.008-05:00

* Middleweights: Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping
* Heavyweights: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez

* Light Heavyweights: Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman
* Heavyweights: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Ben Rothwell -

* Light Heavyweights: James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac
* Middleweights: CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
* Welterweights: Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster - Typical art-less Lytle Swingfest. I think this fight wins the Golden Gurgel Award for the Night.
* Light Heavyweights: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski - The Epitome of Do. Not. Want. Mid-Card Dross.
* Light Heavyweights: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader - No chin vs No cardio
* Lightweights: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos - Grapple, Grapple, Grapple, Grapple, Grapple

Joe Warren Looking to Stay Busy in '10 With Bellator, Dream

2010-02-15T18:45:00.004-05:00

Larry Vollmer of the Lohud Journal had a chance to sit down with featherweight contender Joe Warren. Warren mad a lot of noise on the featherweight scene last year with his involvment in the 2009 Dream Featherweight Grand Prix. Warren was able to pick up wins against the WEC veteran and former 135lb champ Chase Beebe, and follow that up with a decision win over Japanese legend Kid Yamamoto.

With the new year came a new organization for Warren, as he signed with the upstart Bellator Fighting Championship. Warren expects to kickoff his year with his first fight being April 9th, in Miami at the hard Rock for Bellator. Between his Dream and Bellator deals, Warren looks to stay extremely busy this year:

Q: How many fights do you have left in DREAM?
A: I am going to have 3 more fights this year. Which I could have more, but we signed a three fight deal. I am hoping to fight 4 times for Bellator this year also.

The 4 fights for Bellator would presumably include his sweeping his way to the tourney title at 145 and then facing off with Season 1 winner Joe Soto. With that heavy a schedule, Warren is going to need a lot of luck, insofar as injuries, as it will only take a broken hand here or bad cut cut there to throw a monkey wrench into the best laid of plans. Bellator was extremely lucky with the initial season tourneys and hopefully that will follow through to season two and Warren specifically.

Another interesting piece of info from the article centered on Warren's participation or lack there of in the End of the year card for Dream. Warren had expected to participate in the big New Year's Dynamite card for Dream but those plans got derailed by the Dream vs Sengoku concept that took place:

A: They pretty much told me I was fighting, so we were training real hard. You got to understand that in Japan, it’s pretty much entertainment. The fighting, the MMA over there is entertainment for them. So it is on prime time television and there are big numbers, lots of fans. I think what happens over there is the TV time is sold to like the major network over there and the network picks the fighters. I don’t know if DREAM has a lot of say in that. I think I was going to fight Kid [Kid Yamamoto] again, and I don’t think Kid wanted to fight me, which is probably a smart idea for him. And they pulled back and decided to do that DREAM Sengoku. That sucked. I was ready to rock and roll. Whatever. I got some training in.

The Gaijin fighters in both Sengoku and Dream seemed to be the losers in the Sengoku vs Dream scenario that played itself out. Fellow Bellator signee Dan Hornbuckle has also expressed dissatisfaction with being shuffled off the end of the year card for Sengoku, with a proposed bout with Takimoto for the Sengoku 170lb belt going by the wayside as a casualty to the inter-promotional feud concept.

In another interview, Warren also spoke with 411Mania.com about his desire to avenge his loss to Bibiano Fernandes:

Q: Is Bibiano on your radar and how badly do you want a rematch with him?

Joe Warren: It's the only thing on my radar right now. He's got the belt that I want and I'm already trying to make sure who ever wins between Hansen and him, I get that fight.

Jeffrey Harris: There seems to be some tension between the two of you, have you worked that out?

Joe Warren: He's scared of me because I'm going to beat the shit out of him and he knows it. He got lucky. He got lucky and he caught me and he taught me that a veteran like him could catch a rookie like me and I made a bad mistake. And it won't happen again. The reason he lost his shit after he beat me was because he couldn't believe he won. I was in his head. I was taunting him a little bit at the weigh-ins. I was in his head. So when he did pull that off, he couldn't believe it. He won a great tournament. I won't take anything away from him. To win a championship like that, you got to be a badass. He can take that belt. He can keep one of them. I'll take the other one.

While not elevating smacktalk to ethereal form ala Chael Sonnen, Warren is adding some spice and letting the showdown with Fernandes do a slow simmer. If Warren is able to sweep through the Bellator GP unscathed, he just may get his wish with a rematch in late summer against Fernandes. A possible roadblock could be Joachim Hansen, who will be facing off against Bibiano for the Dream FW title. Be it Hansen or Fernandes, Warren facing either fighter looks to be a great match-up.

Chan Sung Jung AKA The Korean Zombie is still learning this kickboxing thing

2010-02-15T18:26:00.002-05:00

One of the gems of the Sengoku FW GP was the introduction to the masses of Korean fighter Chan Sung Jung. Jung is better known by the moniker given to him for his ability to keep walking through his opponents assault, The Korean Zombie. Jung has been on a bit of a break from MMA, and he has taken to the opportunity to work on his kickboxing skills by participating in the Euro based Kickboxing promotion. It's Showtime.

Love the intro music him:

Zombie faced off against Muay Thai practitioner Pajonsuk in a battle of contrasting styles. The bout ended on a DQ because Zombie delivered an illegal strike on Pajonsuk. The spinning backfist, while legal in K-1, is forbidden under the rules of It's Showtime. Regardless of the DQ, I'd love to see Zombi take a few more swings at the kickboxing thing to sharpen his stand-up for his MMA game. Check out video of the fight below.

Bisping Off for Oz, Hoping to beat Jetlag, Weather Storm

2010-02-07T21:48:00.004-05:00

Michael Bisping has been doing a blog for The Telegraph leading up to his UFC 110 showdown with Wanderlei Silva in the UFC's debut Down Under. Bisping notes how arriving in Australia early will help him avoid a case of performance killing jetlag:

I believe I am getting into Australia a lot earlier than my opponent Wanderlei Silva. Wanderlei is very experienced, and has fought in Japan many times so is used to fighting in different time zones, but I think he’s making a mistake in not getting to Australia earlier than next weekend.

Jet-lag is a serious issue for any athlete. I know Aussie boxer Kostya Tszyu struggled when he did the reverse trip to fight Ricky Hatton five years ago and there have been American UFC fighters who have really suffered with the time change when they fight in the UK.

The last thing I wanted to do was fight someone as dangerous as Wanderlei Silva while at the same time fighting my own fatigue.

When fighting overseas, jetlag is always an issue but not always one that is played up in the media narrative. Bisping will need to be mentally and physically sharp if he is going to use his technical boxing to keep Silva at bay and outpoint Wanderlei. Timing and quickness will be integral elements in this gameplan and getting to Australasia two weeks early assure that the best possible Bisping will be on display.

Bisping also sees surviving Wanderlei's initial blitkrieg as key:

I think the first 60-seconds of this fight could be some of the most difficult moments of my entire career, because I can see Wanderlei storming after me right at the horn.

Silva's opening salvo against Keith Jardine is a prinme example of the frantic pace that Wanderlei can impose on his opponent that ends the fight before it really gets a chance to begin. Being able to survive the initial onslaught and dictate the pace thereafter decide whether Bsiping can defeat the pride legend.

UFC's Marines Sponsorship Plays Role in TUF 11 Season

2010-02-07T14:36:00.004-05:00

Viewers of last night's PPV as well as earlier UFC programming may have noticed the prevalence of commercial time for the Marines Corps. This new partnership will look to increase in the future, according to the Marine Corps Times, as the Corps will have a major role in the forthcoming season of The Ultimate Figher 11 featuring Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz:

Similar commercials, paid for out of the Corps’ advertising budget, will air during all 12 episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter,” a reality television series in which up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighters try to make names for themselves by battling one another in an elimination-style series of competitions. After the season finale, the lone fighter left standing wins a six-figure UFC contract that guarantees him multiple fights.

The show will air this spring on Spike TV and include one episode in which Marines, most likely MCMAP instructor-trainers from Quantico’s Martial Arts Center of Excellence, instruct the contestants and then go back to the fighters’ group house outside of Las Vegas to share “the longer Marine Corps story,” said Capt. Salvatore Nigro, the UFC partnership action officer at Recruiting Command.

Details are being worked out with the show’s producer, so it is not clear yet when the episode will air, Nigro said. Taping is expected to begin in Vegas in February, he said.

Seems like a hand in glove type situation for the two organizations, as the demographic sweet sport for the UFC also serves as the recruitment base for the Marines. The recent partnership was made possible throught the new found accpetance of the sport due to its' cleaned up image. In addition to sponsorship of TUF on Spike, there will also be ancillary content featured on the UFC.com website highlighting the Marines Corps.

UFC 109: Swick vs Thiago Thoughts

2010-02-07T08:59:00.004-05:00

The Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago fight provided a bit of clarity at welterweight and seems to have answered definitively questions that many held about the two fighters.

Thiago's victory erases any doubts that may have lingered from the Brazilian's out of the blue KO against Swick's AKA acolyte Josh Koschek. Thiago followed up his KO of Kos with a serviceable UD loss to Jon Fitch and win over Jacob Volkmann, but there was still doubt in my mind as to his bonafides. His impressive win and finish on Swick solidifies his status as an elite WW and puts him ahead of Dan Hardy in my own personal Top 10 of WW's. With the UFC WW picture having a paucity of fresh faces to feed GSP, Thiago's strong performances will at least alleviate that problem to some degree. If he avoids an Okami-like fate and gets a title shot, it will come with a better pedigree than Hardy, whose title shot owed more to timing than performance against quality opponents. Such a title shot may still be another fight away, with a fight against Kos, Daley or Alves being the plausible roadblocks on the road to GSP.

Swick's wins at WW were against a mid-tier level of competition, not providing a clear picture of his true claim to legitimacy at 170. His loss to Hardy called into question his status and Thiago's win over him closes the book at this point on his contenders status for GSP's belt. Swick's loss relegates him back down the WW picture and leaves one with the impression that his rise into Top 10 status was little more than a mirage of smoke and mirrors, a feat engineered more by matchmaking sleight of hand than performance against quality competition. Swick abdicated his middleweight status after a loss to Yushin Okami, and his back to back losses to Thaigo and Hardy leave him as a non factor at WW. Two losses to contenders and the inability to fight another two, his AKA teammates Fitch and Kos, will ice him out of the WW picture. Normally someone losing 2 in a row in the UFC would be worried about being cut, but Swick's 30 pieces of silver turn (Judas AKA-scariot?) during the AKA-Dana Videogame affair means he will have little fear of such an outcome. More likely he will be given a soft touch to build him back up. From there, where? I'm guessing a Chris Lytle, Marcus Davis type journeyman existence... stand and bang, headhunting for those KO or FOTN bonuses while neatly tucked away from title shot consideration.

New Insurance Options for MMA Fighters. Comprehensive Coverage Still Lacking

2010-02-07T07:49:00.004-05:00

The Honolulu Star Bulletin has a piece on the local implications of a change in policy at the national level for insurer AFLAC when it comes to covering extreme sports like mixed martial arts:

Last month the world's largest supplemental insurance provider expanded its accident plan to include coverage for all types of extreme sports, from sky diving to mixed martial arts.

"Ten times out of ten, if you participate in any of these sports, you're uninsurable," said Dustin Dean Deniz, Aflac district sales coordinator for Honolulu. "We're the only company that will specifically insure these types of events."

The policy is not primary medical insurance.

Aflac would assist policyholders with everyday household expenditures and lost wages. For example, Aflac would pay $250 a day for hospital confinement. Throw in another $400 a day if the policyholder is admitted into an intensive care unit.

The expansion for extreme sports has hiked up policy rates by a small margin. For an individual policy, a policy used to cost $24.10 a month, but is now $26.52. For a couple, it was $32.30, and now is $35.36.

While this is a nice change and adds options for fighters insofar as a secondary coverage, there still remains a lack of a viable, affordable primary option for the vast majority of fighters. Those on the very high end of the curve make enough to cover the large premiums required of an MMA fighter, but that only covers a small few in the upper reaches of the UFC and Strikeforce. Coverage remains a problem for most all fighters in MMA's big leagues, and nearly all toiling at the sport's lower levels.

Coverage as a function of a promotional contract seems a far fetched thing at this point. Primary medical coverage for fighters was a calling card of the IFL during their run, but was one of the first things to be shed when Jay Larkin was brought in to cut costs during the twilight of the fight league. When queried on the topic, UFC head Dana White is apoplectic in his throwing out the question "Do you know how much it would cost to cover 200 ultimate fighters?", a question surely asked for rhetorical value, because there is never a forthcoming answer from Dana that would indicate that any serious attention has been paid to the issue.

Any help or guidance from the athletic commission end of things doesn't seem especially promising either. ABC head honcho Tim Lueckenhoff offered one of the better "let them eat cake" moments since Marie Antoinette when he gave this whopper to the LVRJ on the topic of catastrophic coverage of MMA fighters injured in licensed fights:

Lueckenhoff said he thinks boxers personally should carry some insurance.

"I realize many of them are poor, but since they are professionals and this is their job, so to speak, boxers should carry other types of medical insurance as you and I do," he said.

While quite the libertarian sentiment, Lueckenhoff's stance is one divorced from the everyday reality that fighters face when it comes to injuries and insurance coverage. Coverage under a group plan nder some kind of fighter's association would be one option to bring costs for coverage into manageable realms, the willingness of fighters to form such a group has been lacking to this point. In the meantime, the medical bills keep adding up......

UFC 109: A Ronnys Torres Primer

2010-01-23T19:29:00.002-05:00

Win over Luiz Azerado

ronys torres (nova uniao) X Feijao (rauf greice)

Eliene "Pit" Silva

Loss to Clements

Bob Reilly Still Hoping To Impede MMA in NY

2010-01-10T12:38:00.003-05:00

MMA foe Bob Reilly recently spoke with the Albany Times Union and re-iterated his plans to oppose Legislation for the legalization of MMA in 2010:

Reilly is considering introducing a compromise bill that would legalize the sport while requiring it to be less violent, perhaps by making it illegal for a fighter to hit an opponent when he's down and limiting the use of elbows.

"That's just one of my strategies," said Reilly, who has received calls from mixed-martial arts opponents in several states as well as Canada and England seeking his advice on scuttling the legislation.

Reilly vowed to go to the mat if need be on the Assembly floor. "If it doesn't get taken up at conference, I'm going to lay it aside on the floor," he said.

It is interesting that Reilly speaks to the coalescing of anti-MMA forces. I have written in the past about labor union Unite Here's opposition to the UFC and how that has played out in the state of NY. Unite Here also has ties to Reilly, having contributed his campaign coffers in the past. As the UFC/MMA continues to face opposition in places like West Virginia and the Canadian province of Ontario, it would be interesting to see if similar connections can be made. Reilly clearly states that he is aiding this opposition.

While Reilly vows to take his fight to the Assembly floor, at this point his fight seems like so much pissing into the wind, to borrow a term from Jim Croce. The tide of the Assembly seems to have turned in relations to MMA, the bill for MMA taking large steps towards passage in 2009 before being derailed by an unrelated power grab that scuttled much being done at the close of the last session. The monetary arguemnet made for MMA seems to have won the day, as the quoted article intimates that a UFC Albany sellout would generate about $100,000 in county tax revenues. Contrasted against those dollars and cents terms, Reilly's moralistic argument against MMA will seem like little more than long-winded barking at the moon.

Shogun Heading to Negotiating Table This Week

2010-01-10T12:14:00.002-05:00

-While the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua has been tentatively scheduled for May, this week should be key in firming up contest. Shogun's Manager Eduardo Alonso tweeted "Should be an important next week, with some negotiations starting...". Lining up an extension on Shogun's contract will be the main point of contention. Shogun is four fights into his career and should be nearing the end of his original contract. The UFC has been more proactive in getting these extensions prior to a title shot, with the policy being mandated due to the BJ Penn abdication after his defeat of Matt Hughes. The UFC will want to have Shogun linked to a longer term contract in the event that he is able to take the title off of Machida.

Tahnoon Investment tied to Gracies Return a good thing?

2010-01-10T10:41:00.008-05:00

Prince Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi has been rumored to have made a minority investment in the UFC. The sale of a portion of the UFC gives Zuffa a cash infusion to further expand their efforts in expanding the worldwide reach of the UFC. The investment from Tahnoon also ushered in the return, it seems, of a few of his favorite Gracies. Renzo Gracie has been tabbed for a return against Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, while Rolles Gracie will face off with Mustapha Al-Turk at UFC 109. Both signing were announced prior to the news of Tahnoon's buy in but were obvious after effects of the Sheik's investment.

The Gracies are the first family of MMA and deserving of the utmost respect but the respective places in their career of Rolles and Renzo give credence to the notion that but for the Sheik's purchase they would be outside the Octagon looking in. Renzo will have been away from the MMA competition for three years when he steps back into the cage against Hughes and at 42 years old, is a bit long in the tooth to be making his Octagon debut as the kick-off to a rumored six fight deal. Rolles, on the other hand, is young in his MMA career with a 3-0 record, with his most recent fights being in another of Tahnoon's MMA dalliances, the China-based Art of War promotion that has put on events in Macau and Beijing.

Tahnoon's being a Renzo student and Rolles being involved with the ADCC and having a training base in Abu Dhabi seem to be the main impetus for their UFC inclusion, not their recent in-cage resumes. Quid Pro Quo is how deals get done but does it serve the sporting aspect of MMA? UFC Prez Dana White of all people is well aware of the hidden benefits of having billionaire friends, but having well-heeled chums shouldn't be a guiding factor on personnel decisions.

The Family Back in Galveston

2010-01-01T16:06:00.002-05:00

Rich Bergeron of Unlimited Fight News has done an excellent job of fleshing out the backstory of what was left unsaid between Lorenzo and Ms Jackson Lee:

The Maceo brothers were very well respected and treated their business customers with the utmost courtesy. They were also experts at hiding their income and their illegal activities. When the heat finally came down on the family enterprise only one bean counter, Sam “Books” Serio, would come forward while every other member of the conspiracy remained silent. Serio reported to authorities in 1951 that the enterprising family outfit took in over $3.5 million in fiscal year 1950. Three of the family’s bosses were Fertittas at the time: Frank J. Fertitta Sr., Victor J. Fertitta, and Anthony J. Fertitta. 23 indictments came down against the Maceos, Fertittas and many of their other associates this time. But there were no convictions in the long run. The Fertittas and Maceos maintained an iron grip on their illegal gaming enterprises in Galveston until long after both Sam and Rosario Maceo were in their graves. When Texas Rangers finally broke the back of the Texas mob in Galveston, it was a long abandoned Maceo family property that actually proved to be the scene of one of the biggest breaks in the case. In the summer of 1957, Sam Maceo’s Hollywood Supper Club became a slot machine storage area while Texas Rangers squatted in all the local casinos trying to dissuade customers from sticking around while they snooped around for whatever clues they could find to bring down the operation...

Robert's Google Reader List

2010-01-01T15:31:00.001-05:00

Brit WW Star Jim Wallhead Inks Multi-Fight Deal with Bellator

2009-12-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

CHICAGO, Ill. (December 21, 2009) – In yet another off-season coup, Bellator Fighting Championships announced Monday the acquisition of one of the top free-agent mixed martial artists in all of Europe, 18-5 British welterweight Jim Wallhead.

Wallhead—also known as “Judo Jim”—has won each of his last six fights and nine out of his last 11. He was recently lauded by Sherdog.com as “the top 170-pound fighter in Europe yet to be signed by a major promotion.”

With his signing, Wallhead has been invited to compete in Bellator’s upcoming eight-man welterweight tournament, which commences during Bellator’s Season 2 kickoff on April 8, 2010. Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155, and 185 lbs. with the winners of this year’s tournaments being declared No. 1 contenders to Bellator’s current roster of champions.

“Adding Jim to our welterweight division is magic for Bellator,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “As one of Europe’s top welterweights, Jim will no doubt use our April tournament on Fox Sports Net to introduce U.S. MMA fans to what European fans already know. Jim is the real deal. As a fan, I can’t wait to see Wallhead, Askren, McClintok and Hornbuckle face off.”

A native of Leicester, England, Wallhead, 25, earned his black belt in Judo at age 16 and won Britain’s under-21 Judo championship at the age of 19. He made his professional MMA debut in 2005 at the age of 21 and has since compiled wins over top MMA talents like UFC veterans Jason Tan and Steven Lynch. In his most recent fight, Wallhead won a unanimous decision against former TUF participant Che Mills in Wales.

Wallhead said that he was drawn to Bellator because of the opportunity to match up against other top welterweights and the chance to spread his notoriety to MMA fans in the U.S. via Bellator’s historic multi-tiered TV distribution alliance. Each of Bellator’s 24 fights during Seasons 2 and 3 will be distributed live in primetime on Thursday nights on FOX Sports Net and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every Saturday night, late night, on NBC. A one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m.

“I’ve been looking for a home in a big promotion for quite a while, so I’m just over the moon about signing with Bellator,” said Wallhead. “I watched the Bellator shows last year, and it’s really just a great, high-standards promotion. I’m relishing the challenge to let it all hang out, to take some risks and, hopefully, to have some success against the top competition in the world.”

Wallhead currently resides in Loughborough, England, with his wife and three-year-old daughter.

For more information, please visit Bellator.com.

FFG: MMA Memorabilia and MMA Gift Ideas

2009-12-10T15:10:00.003-05:00

GymPass:RVCA Training Center

2009-12-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

FFG on Fight Dentist Mouthguards

2009-11-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

New Fedor Interview

2009-11-25T16:50:00.001-05:00

Unite Here Local 226 talks about Station Casino Bankruptcy

2009-11-25T04:18:00.001-05:00

Press Release from Culinary Workers Union Local 226:

Report Shows Station Casinos Insiders, Not the Recession, Drove the Company into Bankruptcy: Labor Union Calls on Company Creditors to Demand Significant Equity Investment from Insiders

Las Vegas—In light of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Station Casinos, Inc., the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is calling on creditors to demand a significant equity investment by insiders, who have amassed over $1 billion from the company. According to an analysis released by the union, the company could have averted bankruptcy if not for the substantial debt it took on largely to enrich a small group of company insiders. The report examines how this debt enabled insiders to extract over a $1 billion from the company in recent years and that these insiders, not the global recession, drove the company into bankruptcy.

Station Casinos is a major employer in the Las Vegas Valley, many of whose over 13,000 employees are family members or friends of Culinary Union workers. The union’s members, as well as the larger community, are rightly concerned about the continuing uncertainty over the future of the company and its impact on Las Vegas.

“Station Casinos is a uniquely Las Vegas company that owes it success to Las Vegas locals like our members,” said D. Taylor, Culinary Workers Union Local 226 Secretary-Treasurer. “The company has a special obligation to our community. Its owner-managers have a responsibility not just to their Wall Street lenders and investors, but to their employees, customers, suppliers, and vendors right here in this community. The livelihoods of a lot of people and their families are closely tied to this company’s financial well-being. Clearly, the owner-managers and other insiders were more interested in extracting wealth from the company for themselves than ensuring its and its employees’ future. Now it’s time for them to give back.”

The report shows:

· Company insiders, led by members of the Fertitta family, nearly tripled the company’s long-term debt load between 2005 and the end of 2007 from $1.9 billion to $5.2 billion.

· Of the new debt incurred during this period, more than two-thirds was used to buy back shares and to complete a management-led buyout, both of which significantly benefited a small group of insiders.

· In 2006 and 2007, the company borrowed $990 million to buy back 14 million in outstanding shares. This was the true cost of the company’s stock compensation program over the previous years, which had been described by an independent proxy advisory firm as “the most expensive and liberal we have reviewed” and an “excessive transfer of wealth” to insiders.

· In 2007, the company took on $1.6 billion of new debt to complete a management-lead buyout. More than $660 million – or 40% – of the proceeds went to company insiders. The Fertitta family received $495 million alone as a result of the buyout.

· If the company had forgone these two non-productive transactions – the share buybacks and the buyout – it would have $2.6 billion less debt, significantly less interest expense, and could have averted bankruptcy.

· Since 2001, company insiders received more than $1 billion in executive compensation and from the buyout even as they led the company down the path toward bankruptcy. In contrast, other stakeholders in the company have had to suffer the consequences of their financial mismanagement. Not only is the company in Chapter 11 reorganization under the bankruptcy code, the company stopped matching employees’ 401(k) contributions, more than doubled PPO health care premiums for rank-and-file workers, slashed shifts and cut hours for workers, and terminated hundreds of long-time employees by replacing coffee shops with subcontracted restaurants.

The Culinary Workers Union, Local 226, an affiliate of UNITE HERE, is the largest local labor union in the gaming industry. The Culinary represents approximately 55,000 casino and resort workers on the Las Vegas Strip, in downtown Las Vegas, and in downtown Reno.

For a copy of the report please contact Ken Liu at 702-387-7001 or kliu@culinaryunion226.org.

http://www.culinaryunion226.org/

FIGHTERS ONLY MAGAZINE LAUNCHES SOUTH AFRICAN EDITION

2009-11-24T15:49:00.002-05:00

FIGHTERS ONLY MAGAZINE EXTENDS GLOBAL REACH WITH

A SOUTH AFRICAN EDITION

23rd November 2009: Fighters Only magazine is proud to announce the addition of another international imprint to its magazine portfolio. ‘Fighters Only’ South Africa will be launched on the 30th November, making a total of four international editions launched since the beginning of 2009. (US and Canadian magazines were launched in February, followed by Germany in April).

Rob Hewitt, President and CEO of Fighters Only said: “At Fighters Only we are truly
passionate about Mixed Martial Arts and have championed the sport since its early days. These international launches reflect not only the ongoing success of our magazine, but the increasing appetite for MMA around the world. We hope that by launching new international titles, we will be able to engage new fans and help support the international growth of our sport

“Fighters Only is the biggest MMA magazine in the world and carries advertising for some of the world’s largest MMA brands. The South African edition will give our advertisers an even greater reach into a new marketplace as well as help grow the profile of local companies and up-and-coming fighters from the region.”

Distribution for the newly launched Fighters Only / TapouT clothing range will follow the magazine into South Africa, with retail stockists having already placed orders.

Further international launches are currently under discussion and will be announced in due course.

For more information please contact Juliet Dawson @ JDPR

juliet.dawson@hotmail.com / 07976 836147

About the Magazine

• Fighters Only was the world’s first monthly Mixed Martial Arts and lifestyle magazine

launching in the UK in 2005.

• By 2008 the magazine was on sale in 13 countries world wide

• Dedicated US and Canadian editions were launched in February 2009 featuring

content specifically generated for the market. A German edition launched in April

2009.

• In 2008 Fighters Only launched the World Mixed Martial Arts Awards. The 2009

Awards Ceremony will be held at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and

broadcast live on Versus.

For further information about the title please contact

UK Enquires:

US & Canadian Enquiries

German Enquiries

Rob Hewitt

Gary Alexander

Oliver Copp

rob.i2media@gmail.com

g.alexander.i2media@gmail.com

oliver.copp@9live.de

FFG: UFC Magazine and Other Biz Talk

2009-11-16T20:13:00.001-05:00

UFC Fight Night” On Spike TV To Take Place At The Patriot Center In Fairfax, VA On January 11

2009-11-16T16:42:00.000-05:00

New York, NY, November 16, 2009 – “UFC Fight Night” on Spike TV heads to the suburbs of Washington D.C. on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 9:00pm ET/PT for the first ever UFC fight in Virginia with a card featuring some of the best up-and-coming lightweight fighters. Emanating from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA on the campus of George Mason University, undefeated UFC lightweight Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 NC) takes on hard-hitting Nate Diaz (11-4) in the main event with Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham in a duel of undefeated fighters in the co-feature.

The main event features a rematch of lightweight contenders Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz who first met in the Octagon on season five of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Diaz defeated Maynard on was way to being named “The Ultimate Fighter” that season.

A former teammate of Rashad Evans on the Michigan State wrestling team, Maynard currently trains with UFC legend Randy Couture in Las Vegas. Maynard is riding one of the most impressive winning streaks in the sport, defeating an impressive array of 155 lb fighters including Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, and most recently Roger Huerta this past September.

Diaz has won six of his last eight UFC fights including a win over Melvin Guillard this past September. The pride of Stockton, CA and product of the renowned Cesar Gracie Fight Team, Diaz needs a win over Maynard to continue his path toward a shot at BJ Penn’s lightweight crown.

Winner of season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the undefeated Escudero (13-0) is coming off of an impressive victory over Cole Miller at UFC 103 in September. Fighting out of Tempe, AZ, Escudero will look to use his superior grappling skills against another rising star in the division, Dunham. An Oregon native, Dunham (9-0) was victorious in his first two fights in the UFC, including most recently earning a split decision win over Marcus Aurelio at UFC 102 in August.

Donovan Craig Named President of FIGHT! Media

2009-11-16T16:26:00.001-05:00

ATLANTA, Ga. — Donovan Craig, who has served as editor-in-chief of FIGHT! Magazine since the publication’s debut in 2007, has been promoted to President of FIGHT! Media. Along with continuing his responsibilities at the magazine, Craig will now oversee FIGHT!’s overall strategy in all of its various new ventures, which include a number of film, television, and Internet projects currently in development.

“Under Donovan’s leadership as editor-in-chief, FIGHT! Magazine has redefined mixed martial arts publishing,” says Eddy Kleid, Co-President of Bluff Media, FIGHT!’s parent company. “We are confident that he will have a similar impact as the President of FIGHT! Media.”

In less than three years, Craig, a former boxer and stockbroker, has guided FIGHT! Magazine to become the most popular and influential mixed martial arts monthly in the world. Along with extensive coverage of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and other top promotions (Strikeforce, Dream, WEC), FIGHT! also has received accolades for discovering new talent, spotlighting trends, and offering both amateur and professional fighters training and nutritional advice. “Besides a top coach or a fighter, I have never met anybody who has such a handle on the art and science of mixed martial arts as Donovan Craig,” says legendary MMA trainer Greg Jackson (who trains Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, and Nate Marquardt, among many others).

Craig also has written extensively for the magazine and has traveled all over the world to chronicle the history and remarkable expansion of MMA. Along with a widely-praised three-part series on the origins of mixed martial arts in Brazil, he has written a first-person account of his own career as an amateur fighter (culminating in his first fight in Las Vegas) and traveled to a U.S. Army base in Iraq for a groundbreaking MMA event. He will continue to write regularly for FIGHT! “Donovan is a world-class journalist and the man responsible for turning FIGHT! into the best MMA magazine in the world,” says Jorge Guimaraes, Brazilian television host, Black House gym owner, and manager of UFC champions Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

About FIGHT! Media: This Atlanta-based company publishes the premier mixed martial arts publication in the world, FIGHT! Magazine, and has become renowned for its monthly comprehensive coverage of the fastest-growing sport in America. Its Web site, FIGHTMagazine.com, features online exclusive articles and blogs by some of the top names in the business, fighter rankings, and event news.

Sengoku 11 Card Reinforces Effect of Tournament Format

2009-11-02T19:44:00.007-05:00

Looking at the card for this week-end's Sengoku 11, there are a multitude of interesting matchups at various weights but some of the more interesting fights reside in the featherweight division:

SENGOKU ELEVENTH: NOVEMBER 7 ON HDNET
location: Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan

-Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1)
-Yuji Hoshino (16-7-7) vs. Marlon Sandro (14-1)
-Shigeki Osawa (3-0) vs. Ronnie Mann (16-2-1)

The tournament format to crown a FW champ has given a breadth to the division that lives on past the tournament itself. Take this card for example. Hioki seemed like a lock for tournament gold and looked well on his way until having to withdraw on the precipice of the finals. Hioki entered the tourney a Top 5 FW and his swift subs through the first three rounds of the competition did little to disavow one of that notion.

The tournament also lifted the profile of Marlon Sandro. Sandro made swift work of Matt Jaggers and Nick Denis before losing in the semifinals in a highly controversial split decision to Michihiro Omigawa, a decision seen by most as a bit of home cooking for the Japanese fighter. In spite of the loss, Sandro performance has lifted him into a spot on the door step of the Top 10, with inclusion possible with a few more impressive wins.

In the case of Omigawa, the tournament served as a re-birth for his career. Omigawa had been on a slide, going 0-3 in the the UFC at lighweight and drawing with Ishiwatari upon his return to his homeland. Entering the tourney, Omigawa would have seemed to be little more than cannon fodder, being an underdog at each step of his progression through the FW GP. Wins over LC Davis and Nam Phan gave him an against the odds appeal, and an unlikely (and somewhat undeserved) win over Sandro placed Omigawa in the finals with a shot at gold. He gave a game performance in the loss to Kanehara in the finals, but that didn't dull the resurgence in relevance of Omigawa. Omigawa's gameness in the GP make me want to watch him when he fights, something I would have thought to be impossible going into the GP.

Further still, the tournament gave glimpses of Chan Sung "The Korean Zombie" Jung and Ronnie Mann, spotlighting the two as exciting fighters to keep an eye on for the future. And lest one not forget about the winner of the FW GP, Kanehara. Kanehara sits precariously upon the throne, with fighters like Sandro and Hioki seen as the true players in Sengoku at FW, with Kanehara seen as a caretaker of the title until one or the other ascends. Will Kahehara be able to buck the conventional wisdom and hold on to his belt as he runs the gauntlet of Hioki/Sandro?

While the tourney has concluded, it has provided a back story and context that is unfolding even after the GP has passed. Even those that weren't in the tournament are able to get the rub from it. A fighter like Hoshino, if he is able to pull out a win over Sandro, will take with it a heightened cache and value, on the basis of what Sandro was able to accomplish in the GP. In a sense the FW GP is the gift that keeps on giving.

HDNet Plans for New Year's Still in Flux

2009-11-02T18:46:00.005-05:00

With the two pre-eminent Japanese MMA promotions looking to go head to head with their New Year's cards, the American television partner for both, HDNet, is still ironing out what their plans will be for covering the mixed martial arts duel.

At this time the Sengoku card is a solid go for airing on HDNet. The FEG Dyanmite K-1/Dream show is still under negotiations, and it is not clear at this time whether or not that card will be a part of HDNet's coverage. One might recall that Dynamite 2008 did not air on HDNet, and was instead offered as a on online PPV. The contractual language in regards to the Dynamite shows looks to give FEG some wiggle room as to the rights for the New Year's shows. If HDNet is able to secure a deal for Dynamite, the next issue will be which show to carry live and which to air on a tape delay basis. With HDNet using the same broadcasting crew for both shows, running head to head would seem to necessitate one the two shows being offered at a later date.

Here is a quick glance at what is scheduled so far for the two cards:

SENGOKU NEW YEAR'S EVENT: DECEMBER 31 IN TOKYO
location: Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan

-Satoshi Ishii (0-0) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (8-7-1)

DYNAMITE!! 2009: DECEMBER 31 IN JAPAN
venue: Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Dream Lightweight Championship:
-Shinya Aoki (22-4) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

Super Hulk Openweight Tournament Final:
-Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (43-30-8)

-Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2) vs. TBA
-Bob Sapp (10-6-1) vs. TBA
-Tim Sylvia (25-6) vs. TBA
-Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1) vs. TBA
-Kiyoshi Tamura (33-13-2) vs. TBA
-Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-9-2) vs. TBA
-Hideo Tokoro (23-19-1) vs. TBA
-Hong Man Choi (2-3) vs. TBA

K-1 Rules Bouts:
-Masato vs. TBA

K-1 Koshien (High School) Tournament Finals:
Final: Winner of SF 1 vs. Winner of SF 2
SF 2: Hiroya vs. Masaaki Noiri
SF 1: Katsuki Ishida vs. Shota Shimada

Fedor vs Rogers Open Workout

2009-11-01T20:14:00.001-05:00

* * * * * * * * OPEN WORKOUT ALERT * * * * * * * *

FEDOR, "MAYHEM" MILLER,

JAKE SHIELDS & MORE TO PARTICIPATE
IN OPEN WORKOUT

Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. CT

WHO: MMA Superstar & World's Universally Recognized No. 1 Heavyweight FEDOR

STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion GEGARD MOUSASI

Exciting Submission Expert JASON "MAYHEM" MILLER

World-Ranked Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt JAKE SHIELDS

Light heavyweight Judo Expert RAMEAU THIERRY SOKOUDJOU

WHAT: The athletes will participate in an open media workout on Wednesday, Nov. 4, just three days prior to the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: "Fedor vs. Rogers" event LIVE on Saturday, Nov. 7 on CBS Television Network (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) from Sears Centre Arena in Chicago.

Fedor Emelianenko, who is the world's No. 1 heavyweight with a record of 30-1, will face undefeated American powerhouse Brett "The Grim" Rogers in his first fight since Emelianenko's promotional company M-1 Global signed an agreement with STRIKEFORCE to co-promote major events headlined by Emelianenko.

Mousasi, the STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champ who is on a 13-fight win streak, will face Sokoudjou in a non-title matchup of two, hard-hitting KO artists.

Miller, a submission expert and host of MTV's smash-hit reality series Bully Beatdown, will face fellow submission specialist Jake Shields in a fight that will likely be a war on the mat.

Tickets, starting at $35, are on sale now at the Sears Centre Arena box office (www.searscentre.com ) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com ) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com ).

WHERE: POW Kickboxing

950 W. Washington Blvd

Chicago, IL 60607

312-829-7699.

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. CT.

Satire: MMA Media Having Trouble Finding Right Angle On Dana's Double-Homicide

2009-10-27T21:33:00.001-04:00

MMA Media Having Trouble Finding Right Angle On Dana's Double-Homicide

Las Vegas—More than a week after UFC President Dana White's cold-blooded killing of a pair of rival promoters, members of the MMA media admitted Tuesday that they were still trying to find the best angle for covering the gruesome crime.

"I know there's a story in there somewhere," said Yahoo columnist Kevin Iole, referring to White's execution-style slaying of Bjorn Rebney and Scott Coker on July 1st. "Right now though, it's probably best to just sit back and wait for more information to come in. After all, the only thing we know for sure is that Dana White senselessly murdered two unsuspecting MMA promoters without emotion or hesitation."

Added Iole, "It's not so cut and dried."

Since the killings took place, MMA reporters across the country have struggled to come up with an appropriate take on the ruthless crime, with some wondering whether it warrants front-page coverage, and others questioning its relevance in a fast-changing media landscape.

"What exactly is the news hook here?" asked Dann Stupp of MMAJunkie. "Is this an upbeat human-interest story about a 'day in the life' of a bloodthirsty UFC President who likes to kill the competition, literally? Or is it more of an examination of how Dana's unusual upbringing in Boston helped to shape the way he would one day viciously butcher two helpless promoters in their own home?"

"Or maybe the story is just that murder is now a viable business option," Stupp continued. "I don't know. There are a million different angles on this one."

So far, White's double-homicide has not been covered by any major MMA news outlets. The only two mentions of the heinous tragedy have been a 100-word blurb on FightOpinion and an obituary on page E7 of this week's edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

While Dana White has expressed no remorse for the grisly murders—point-blank shootings with an unregistered .38-caliber revolver—many journalists said it would be irresponsible for the press to sensationalize the story.

"There's been some debate around the office about whether we should report on this at all," BloodyElbow.com Editor Luke Thomas said while on assignment at a local jiu jitsu tournament. "It's enough of a tragedy without the press jumping in and perfunctorily pointing fingers or, worse, exploiting the violence. To wit, we need to be sensitive to the victims' families at this time. Personally, I'm for virtually anything that drives out the carnie, low rent element of MMA. If one takes the notion of becoming part of the larger sporting community and conversation seriously, cold bloodedly murdering and disposing of hobbyists MMA promoters from the mix is a must"

"I don’t think this is a “murder” or “double-homcide, per se,” said Michael Rome of Bloody Elbow. "I mean, it’s just a business move from a business seeking to maximize profit by eliminating their competition, which is their job. The motivation probably isn’t that tricky. There's nothing to see here, move along."

The MMA Weekly newsroom is reportedly still undecided on whether or not to print a recent letter received from White, in which the UFC President threatens to kill another helpless promoter every Tuesday and "fill [his] heavenly palace with slaves for the afterlife" unless the the entire mixed martial arts community ceases operation and recognizes Ultimate Fighting as the one and only true way.

"Dana White's letter presents us with a classic journalistic quandary," MMA Weekly writer Steve Maracco said. "If we print it, then we're giving him control over the kinds of stories we choose to run. It would be an acknowledgment that we somehow give the UFC special treatment."

Marocco's co-worker with MMA Weekly Tom Hamlin chimed in , "And that's just not how the press in MMA works."

With apologies to the Onion

Catching Up With Razor Rob McCullough

2009-09-06T18:43:00.002-04:00

I-lol-e

2009-08-16T21:55:00.001-04:00

Josh Koschek opens MMA Gym in Fresno

2009-08-02T10:45:00.012-04:00

Mirko Talks Comeback

2009-05-23T07:34:00.000-04:00

mirkointervju
by hutaisij

Ariel Helwani talks to Rashad Evans Prior to Machida Fight

2009-05-22T18:03:00.001-04:00

MMA Fix on The Fight Network - Episode 3

2009-05-22T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ben Fowlkes on theGood Life of an MMA Media Member

2009-05-22T17:46:00.002-04:00

Watch UFC 98 Picks From CagePotato.coms Ben Fowlkes! on RawVegas.tv

5-21-09 MMA Live

2009-05-22T17:42:00.000-04:00

5-21-09 Ultimate Talk

2009-05-22T17:41:00.000-04:00

Miguel Torres and Dana White on MMAJunkie Radio

2009-05-22T17:38:00.001-04:00

Kid Nate Takes His Rankings Seriously

2009-05-02T20:05:00.002-04:00

Nate: hey Robert
me: hi nate
Nate: why being a dick about the rankings?
not even a link?
pretty lame dude
me: just saying how i feel..if that is being a dick so be it
Nate: i don't mind the argument
but some of the phrasing was deliberately insulting
and unecessary
unless you just wanted to piss me off
me: not looking to piss you off... you are the one guy over there that i actually think a lot of
Nate: then moderate your tone
"infinite wisdom"
here's my rebuttal http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/5/1/861259/mma-rankings-the-best-approach#15101208
Sent at 8:06 AM on Saturday
me: you guys are pretty free with the criticim of of all other mma sites... i didn't tfind the ifnintie wisdom line that cutting to be honest...
Nate: well just keep in mind that we can be pretty free with our criticism of you too dude
me: feel free... i told mike if the tail wagging the dog is your thing feel free
i don't go out of my way to bury folks
like with caplan... ican't stand the guy either but i don't go out of my way to use my site as a vehicle to bury him
Nate: caplan fucked evan tanner
and is a scumbag
and i wasn't a dick to him until he was a dick to me
you're not even comparable
plus shitting on you would just give you traffic
me: cage potatoe is the only site that sends any huge amount of traffic to our site....
Nate: well i guess you can just play nice with them and fuck everybody else
i wasn't the only one that thought your piece on the rankings was deliberately insulting
and i guess its your way of thanking me for helping you out early on
Sent at 8:12 AM on Saturday
me: if you are on the receiving end you will probably feel that way... i have problems with both wamma amd the sbn stuff.... i wasn't going to bury wamma and not elborate on SBN...
Nate: there's a big difference between unethical scumbags
and a problem with our methodology
me: what i put for sbn had more to do with pre-empting the arguments you have made for it in the past
Nate: you made an appeal to authority
which is a logical fallacy
just because you admit it doesn't make it go away
me: knew you would say that and addressed in the piece
Nate: no you just said that's what you were doing
you didn't debunk the critique
did you read my rebuttal?
there are two problems with your celebrity authority angle
1) time -- they don't have it
2) conflict of interest
Sent at 8:17 AM on Saturday
Nate: and i have no problem with your critique -- its just you going out of your way to be shitty in tone and not linking back
that's the kind of crap caplan did to set me off
Sent at 8:19 AM on Saturday
Nate: well have a nice life Robert
by the way, Payout used to be a good blog
but its just mediocre since you took over
at best
not that you're not talented but its not your niche
Swift was something special
me: you feel the wya you feel..that's fine by me
Nate: that's not a feeling its a thought
me: can't say i'm gonna lose sleep over it
Nate: clearly you don't give a shit about me or what i think
and if you can't see the difference between unethical scumbags like WAMMA
me: no as i said i think you are a decent person...and still do sespitw what you have said just now... my prob isn't with you ....i just don't put much stock in your product ie the rankings
Nate: and me
that's great
and there's a way to say that without being a dick
you'
re not even answering my points
i mean what makes bas rutten or mauro ranaldo's rankings better than kelvin hunts?
kelvin puts more work into his
and doesn't have any conflicts of interest
but if you want to be a dick with me
that's fine
we both know i'm a bigger dick than you are
and i've got a bigger megaphone
much bigger
and getting bigger by the day
me: nate ...i'm never gonna get rich or famous doing what i do on payout and i'm not looking to either.... i just write what i want to write...big megaphone or small...
Nate: so why are you shitting on someone who's always been helpful to you?
i don't care about your critique of the rankings
honest discussion is what i'm all about
but when you get insulting
and violate blog etiquette by not even linking back
that pisses me off
if you see no difference between what we're doing and what wamma is doing
me: there is a difference but neither are of particular value to me... don't take that as an insult...
that is the reality of how i view both
Nate: that's fine
but you have to acknoledge that ours is a good faith effort
and theirs is an attempt to profit off mma in a dishonest fashion
Sent at 8:32 AM on Saturday
me: . my post noted that they were released but used nothing at all ffrom either content wise... whether a link was called for is questionable if i had broke down a list of voters and such that would be another thing
Nate: well that's great Robert
i used to consider you a friend
but its nice to know that was a one way street
me: you guys routinely take huge chunks of my postings, basically negating the need for a click over and in the fan posts sometimes the entire post is in it but i don't quibble about it
Nate: you could've dropped a note
me: that is why you don't drive traffic... but like i said i could care less about traffic
Nate: we try to police the fan posts
not to swipe whole posts
you could've spoken up any time
links aren't optional
if you're going to cite someone's work
particularly in an insulting way
you link
that's the netiquette
and if you're beefing over some bullshit about us quoting too much of your work
me: i didn't cite any of your work
Nate: bullshit
you fucking dissed my rankings
the whole post was about my work
and wiping your ass with it
i don't know why i'm even talking to you robert
get cancer
me: thats not very nice
Nate: no its not
and neither is your shitting on BE out of jealousy
swift found you on BE
without us you don't even have the platform you've got
you know if you had a problem with the way we were quoting your stuff you could've dropped me a note
but nursing secret resentments and then stabbing me in the back is chickenshit robert
you'll notice i'm coming straight to you with my beef
me: rome has buried my stuff as well as a multitude of your posters... i don't repsond to it or particualrly care.. it doesn't stop what i do or what i wrtie
Nate: cause i'm a man
not a chickenshit
pussy
dig?
that's what you are Robert
me: i would hope you would do the same..if you believe in your rankings more powere to you and keep on with them
Nate: you're certainly not stopping us
got to go change a diaper
looking forward to your imminent death
me: and i don't care to either.... sergio is a sharp go and you guys have a big fan in him... i'm sure the usatoday thing will go to greater heights ..more power to you... i just don't place much stock in them
Nate: there's a difference between an honest critique
and a cheap shot
and you know it
and you know i helped you
and you stab me in the back
Sent at 8:44 AM on Saturday

MMA Fix with Frank MIr

2009-04-26T22:24:00.002-04:00

Watch Frank Mir Talks About His Upcoming Fight with Brock Lesnar on RawVegas.tv

The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo 4-24-09

2009-04-25T17:29:00.004-04:00

Ultimate Talk:BJ vs GSP

2009-02-01T19:23:00.001-05:00

lj-embed>

Fedor

2009-01-26T00:08:00.002-05:00

Holiday Reading

2008-12-25T09:54:00.001-05:00

TUF 205 lb Champion Ryan Bader is taking advantage of the break after his Finale win and not needing to cut weight anymore to enjoy a little holiday food, including some cookies and fudge. He is waiting to hear from the UFC for his next match.

Jay over at GymTops.com has a good piece detailing the MMA gifts you wish you had gotten today instead of the socks, sweater, or tin of popcorn that you got instead. Those cutouts are sweet, but I'm not so sure about the Octa-bed.

The Las Vegas Review Journal details holidays past and present with UFC 92 participants Forrest Griffin and Wanderlei Silva.

UFC 92 Hype

2008-12-24T13:01:00.004-05:00

The Canadian Press profiles Brad Blackburn in the lead up to his showdown with Ryo Chonan.

The Las Vegas Sun profiles the Mir vs Nog Showdown and writer Andy Samuelson breaks down the card.

Las Vegas Weekly has three quick questions for Frank Mir.

Rashad Evans has an interview with BuddyTV.

Bisping in UFC Undisputed 2009 Video Game

2008-12-23T16:50:00.001-05:00

Courtesy of The Sun

Cage Fighter To Possibly Re-Enter The Octagon

2008-12-23T14:41:00.001-05:00

Conspicuous in their display during last night's Countdown to UFC 92 was the Cage Fighter clothing brand. Cage Fighter is the best known of the brands from MMA clothier MMA Authentics. In a well publicized falling out with MMA Authentics, Cage Fighter and its' sister brands were banned from the Octagon and any UFC related events. The dispute centered on MMA Authentics MMA Elite brand beating out the UFC for shelf space at Wal Mart. The prominent display of the brand during Countdown is the latest sign of a lessening in tensions between the UFC and the clothing brand.

Despite being banned from the Octagon, the lines of communication between the fight promotion and the clothing company have remained open. Negotiations heated up between the two in consultations in and around the TUF 8 Finale card and have been heavy since. A deal between the two seems imminent, with negotiations already being in place for several athletes to possibly wear Cage Fighter into the Ring for UFC 92, including Rampage Jackson. MMAPayout.com has also learned Cage Fighter/ MMA Authentics is trying to lock up exclusive lifestyle apparel rights for UFC. The TapouT brand would still be a cornerstone of the UFC's apparel strategy, with the co-existence of TapouT and Cage Fighter merely being a case of semantics. The terms of the possible deal are unknown, but a similar deal between the UFC and TapouT for exclusive promotional rights is rumored to involve the UFC taking profit participation points from TapouT.

Hardonk Not Fazed by Replacement Wessel

2008-12-22T16:37:00.004-05:00

The Globe and Mail of Canada has an interesting piece on Antoni Hardonk as he gets ready for his bout at this week-end's UFC 92 card. His opponent is a late substitution but Hardonk is bothered much by the prospect of not having much knowledge of his opponent:

The 32-year-old Dutchman looks to make it three wins in a row Saturday night at UFC 92 in Las Vegas, where he meets UFC newcomer Mike (The Juggernaut) Wessel on the undercard of the light-heavyweight title fight between champion Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.

Hardonk (7-4 including 3-2 in the UFC) arrived Friday in Las Vegas after some visa delays and learning that his original opponent Mark Burch had been replaced by Wessel.

“Apparently he played football,” Hardonk said. “He's a very physical guy but he just started training mixed martial arts a couple of years ago and because of his physicality, he's very successful. . . . He has a good record and now he's fighting in the UFC.”

Wessel, 31, is a six-foot 260-pounder who played defensive tackle for the San Diego Riptide of the Arena Football League. He has also served as assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Wessel trains in Little Rock along with Roli Delgado, who was on Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Wessel for his part is looking forward to the showdown and seems content to stand and bang judging from his interview with Fighters Only:

He is a very good kickboxer and has a ton of heart. He has gotten in some bad spots and fought his way out. That’s what has been most impressive to me, his heart. I think he is great at what he does and I am great at what I do. It will come down to who wants it most and makes the least amount of mistakes.

I like to stand and bang and so does he. I can go to ground and be just as comfortable so really it is all up in air. Either way its gonna be a war of two big guys - and everyone loves to watch that!

Wessel would be best served by taking the Kickboxer Hardonk to the ground and work his game from there, because a s much as he likes to bang, I'm thinking he would get banged in a stand-up scenario with Hardonk.

Norwegian Hammer Thrower At UFC 92?

2008-12-22T15:41:00.002-05:00

Neilk Davidson of The Canadian Press has a quickie profile on Dan Evensen, who will be making his UFC debut this week-end in a showdown with kick boxer Pat Barry on the undercard of The Ultimate 2008 UFC 92 card. These two come off as no namers but Davidson adds a little bit of context to the proceedings in his piece:

Norway's Dan (The Viking) Evensen's career has taken more than a few twists and turns. What's next for the 6-foot-3 250-pounder may depend on what happens Saturday night against Pat Barry on the undercard of UFC 92 (pay-per-view) in Las Vegas.

Mixed martial arts brought Evensen to the U.S. five years ago. A track-and-field enthusiast, he had represented Norway as a hammer thrower and then traveled the world as a marine engineer.

"I've always been a spontaneous guy," the 34-year-old said. "I got a restless when I was done with sport ... I missed sport and got back in. It happened to be fighting."

Losing weight was the original goal. The big man was getting even bigger. He had done kickboxing in the past and figured fighting might be a good fit.

Evensen may have a tall order in Barry. Barry is the smaller guy but is a well versed striker with more than 50 pro and amateur Muay Thai fights under his belt. I'm not liking Evensen's chances of winning this fight, but if he shows even the slight resemblance of having a pulse he could end up as filler on the UFC's Euro Cards for years to come, as actually winning or being any good isn't much of a prerequisite for the European fighters on those cards.

Frank Shamrock Interview With Brawlers TV

2008-12-22T04:27:00.001-05:00

click here for more videos like this

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MMAPlayground: UFC 92

2008-12-21T21:26:00.004-05:00

Nog -275
Okami -315
Dollaway -265

putting down 19k on with a payoff of 28k
laying off that bet by putting 19k on Massenzio at +250, paying off 47.5k....

There aren't a lot of mispriced guys on this card, like say Miller was on the Fight for the troops card or maybe a Maia against Quarry, where those guys were solid locks that should have been -200 instead of the low-100's, those are the types of guys that add tons of value to a parlay, with little risk ...... the two lower odd fioghts on this card are the Rampage and Forrest fights, and those fights are too 50-50 for me to be comfortable with......

Nog and Okami are locks in my book, with Massenzio being a good enough dog at those odds to possibly pull off an upset....Both Dollaway and Massenzio are wrestlers, with Dollaway holding a victory over Massenzio at the national junior college finals, but I think that Massenzio has maybe a little better sub game than CB,.... Massenzio looks to have no stand-up game, I think that CB should be a solid fave but not that high so laying some money here..another possible play would be the Chonan vs Blackburn Fight, Blackburn has been known to surprise with his hands on occasion based on his performance in the IFL, and Chonan has been Ko'ed by Baroni, so he is susceptible to getting caught

Massenzio Primer:

Daley Eyeing UFC Slot

2008-12-21T10:20:00.003-05:00

Despite still being tied up in the imbroglio that is the ProElite mess, Welterweight striker Paul Daley is casting an eye towards the UFC in 2009. "I'm 25 and my plan is to finally make the move. I think I'm ready for it and I know it is ready for me," Daley told This Is Nottingham. Those plans to make a UFC move may be impeded by the imminent resurrection of ProElite. The company is said to be in the final stages of a sale that would return the company to Showtime and possibly CBS

Daley recently got a won over highly regarded Welter weight John Alessio at Mark Pavelich's Maximum Fighting Championship. Daley missed weight for the fight, forfeiting part of his purse, something he attributed to a mix up on when fight day was. "It was a stupid mistake," Daly said. "I thought the fight would be on Saturday night, like they usually are. But this one was scheduled for the Friday. I walk around about 10lb over, so I had no chance." Daley's immediate plans include heading to LA for more training on his ground work as well as helping fellow countryman Dan Hardy prepare for his next UFC bout.

Askren To Debut Soon

2008-12-21T10:02:00.004-05:00

Highly decorated amateur and NCAA wrestler Ben Askren looks to make his debut soon, with his first fight coming in Columbia, Missouri where he wrestled collegiality at the University of Missouri. Sharon Robb of the Sun Sentinel reports that Askren will follow up that with a contest in February in Miami. The South Miami location is apropos as Askren is training with the Coconut Creek headquartered American Top Team. Askren is one of the more hihgly decorated wrestlers to enter the MMA game recently, as he is a two time NCAA champ, 2 time college wrestler of the year, as well as a 2008 Olympic team member. Askren seems to be taking a measured approach to learning MMA, realizing he isn't going to take over right away:

"I'm not good yet but I'm going to be," Askren said. "It's not like I am going to fight Georges St. Pierre tomorrow. I am going to start out at the bottom. I am going to start out with fights that aren't that difficult. I don't have to stay on my feet. I can take somebody down. It is going to be a learning process. I'm not going to be a great striker in two months, maybe two years.

"It's going to take time, I understand that. I know I am a beginner and I might lose here and there but so what. In a couple months I am not going to be submitted and you're not going to beat me in my wrestling. Somebody who wants to beat me better knock me out. As long as at the end of the day I am the best, that's all that matters. I am too strong a competitor to go down easy and I definitely can be the best."

Nover Looks For Future With UFC

2008-12-21T09:50:00.002-05:00

Dubbed a lightweight Anderson Silva and compared to GSP by UFC President Dana White, TUF fighter Phillipe Nover was upset in the final of the TUF Finale by Efrain Escudero. Despite the loss, Nover looks to soon sign a 2 fight deal with the UFC and returen to the Ocatogon by March, according to Newsday. Also during the time off, Filipino-American Nover will travel to the The Philippines in January to visit family as well as the large contingent of fans that he gained during his tenure on the show. Nover seems to be taking the loss well, using it as a learning experience:

"I think now after taking that loss, I'm a better fighter. I think I'm gonna come back stronger and come out more strategically," Nover said. "It just improved me as a fighter. My game plan will be a lot different now. I'm going to analyze opponents and improve my wrestling ability."

Nover has already spent time critiquing his loss to Escudero.

"I thought I overcommitted on my strikes. Unfortunately, I think I was too eager. The more he took me down, the more I wanted to hit him," Nover said. "I can't change what I did. He had a really good strategy."

Why We Fight

2008-12-13T20:32:00.001-05:00

Rampage prepares for Wandy In the UK

2008-12-03T17:57:00.001-05:00

So The Yahoo Lawyers Call Steve Cofield

2008-11-06T21:21:00.002-05:00

Couture isn't doing business with alcoholics
from MMA Experts Blog - MMA - Yahoo! Sports by Steve Cofield

Randy Couture is facing the daunting task of giving up nearly 60 pounds to Brock Lesnar on fight night at UFC 91. But after dealing for more than a year with the politics of mixed martial arts it sounds like he'll take his chances in the cage against the behemoth.

Just when Couture thought he was finished in the courtroom having buried the hatchet with Dana White and the UFC, now he may have another battle on hands with his apparel provider Affliction. The relationship soured three weeks ago when Todd Beard, one of Affliction's founders, went on Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio show and shredded Couture (AUDIO HERE):

"Randy if you're listening right now, I hope Lesnar (expletive) kills you."

Those are strange words coming from the guy whose company manufactures and markets Couture's Xtreme Couture clothing line. Beard, who sounded a bit tipsy during the interview, then went crazy suggesting that the fight was a set-up by UFC management in order to have Couture lose to Lesnar and hand over the promotion's heavyweight title to the future star.

Couture hasn't spoken much on the subject until yesterday when he came out firing at Beard:

"I'm not terribly surprised by anything he does at this point. He's been a bit of a loose cannon our entire relationship. Now he's pushed it over the line where it's not re-salvageable."

Popout

Couture went on to comment about Beard's drinking problem.

"I don't intend to do anymore business with Todd or Affliction in any way. Guys with drinking problems, is what it boils down to. I've seen it at several different professional meetings where he's ordering shots and out of control. And it's not something I want be associated with."

Couture is particularly peeved about the fact that he can't even wear his own clothing line into the cage next week. Affliction gear has been banned by the UFC since the clothing maker got into the fight promoting game. That ban was further solidified when Beard cursed out UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta during phone negotiations to bring Affliction back into the fold.

becomes

Couture lays into Affliction
from MMA Experts Blog - MMA - Yahoo! Sports by Steve Cofield

Randy Couture is facing the daunting task of giving up nearly 60 pounds to Brock Lesnar on fight night at UFC 91. But after dealing for more than a year with the politics of mixed martial arts it sounds like he'll take his chances in the cage against the behemoth.

Just when Couture thought he was finished in the courtroom having buried the hatchet with Dana White and the UFC, now he may have another battle on hands with his apparel provider Affliction. The relationship soured three weeks ago when Todd Beard, one of Affliction's founders, went on Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio show and shredded Couture (AUDIO HERE):

"Randy if you're listening right now, I hope Lesnar (expletive) kills you."

Those are strange words coming from the guy whose company manufactures and markets Couture's Xtreme Couture clothing line. Beard then went crazy suggesting that the fight was a set-up by UFC management in order to have Couture lose to Lesnar and hand over the promotion's heavyweight title to the future star.

Couture hasn't spoken much on the subject until yesterday when he came out firing at Beard:

"I'm not terribly surprised by anything he does at this point. He's been a bit of a loose cannon our entire relationship. Now he's pushed it over the line where it's not re-salvageable."

Popout
Couture is particularly peeved about the fact that he can't even wear his own clothing line into the cage next week. Affliction gear has been banned by the UFC since the clothing maker got into the fight promoting game. That ban was further solidified when Beard cursed out UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta during phone negotiations to bring Affliction back into the fold.

Epic Fail

2008-10-26T23:36:00.001-04:00

UFC Crowd

2008-10-26T11:37:00.001-04:00

MMA Newstand

2008-10-19T17:39:00.001-04:00

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/bronzelephant/UGM/GRP-0812-cover.jpg

Those Wacky Team Jackson Guys

2008-10-19T15:52:00.002-04:00

Leben vs Bisping Aftermath

2008-10-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

Leben: The Man Comes Around

2008-10-18T09:30:00.001-04:00

Patrick Cote Has The Right Attitude

2008-10-18T08:55:00.001-04:00

"I can't do much worse than anyone who's gone before."

Patrick Cote, Speaking to the Winnipeg Sun about his chances against Anderson Silva. Cote reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Dumb and Dumber:

Lloyd: What are the chances of a guy like you and a girl like me... ending up together?
Mary: Well, that's pretty difficult to say.
Lloyd: Hit me with it! I've come a long way to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance.

Big Nog on His Shot At UFC Gold

2008-10-17T15:40:00.002-04:00

"I'm very motivated. I think I have a good chance to have this belt. ... I think Randy Couture has a better chance [against Brock Lesnar]. Lesnar is a new guy. I think Couture has much more skills. Lesnar is strong. You never know."

ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA, Speaking with QuickDFW about his chances at Winning the UFC Final Four for the Heavyweight title

Iceman Denied At the Door

2008-10-17T06:17:00.003-04:00

The Iceman -- Deniedeth!?!

Posted Oct 16th 2008 2:26AM by TMZ Staff

If there's no room for Chuck Liddell inside a club, you make room -- because denying the guy and getting on the UFC fighter's bad side can't be a smart idea.

It looked like the Crown Bar doorman was about to get an ass whoopin' last night, but one of Chuck's buds held him back.

“PEE WEE” STANDS TALL YET AGAIN

2008-10-11T09:35:00.000-04:00

“PEE WEE” STANDS TALL YET AGAIN,
PUT AWAY SCHALL IN AN INDIANA MINUTE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, Oct. 10, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,

The Horseshoe Casino Outside Chicago

HAMMOND, Ind. (Oct. 11, 2008) – Promising, unbeaten heavyweight Dave “Pee Wee’’ Herman of Bloomington, Ind., improved to 12-0 with a 1:06, first-round TKO over Kerry “Meat Truck’’ Schall (21-11) of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the main event Friday on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.

Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.

Schall got Herman’s attention with a huge overhand right hand approximately a half-minute in.

But the shot only seemed to invigorate and anger Herman, who retaliated with a vengeance. He connected with a series of knees that dropped Schall and then finished off the veteran, who complained afterward about a low blow, with three punches while he was down and defenseless.

“I may have got hit, but I didn’t feel it,’’ said Herman, who improved to 3-0 for EliteXC and 2-0 on SHOWTIME. “I don’t care who I fight next but I hope it is as soon as possible. Actually, I would like to fight on the EliteXC Nov. 8 card on SHOWTIME.’’

OTHER SHOWTIME TELEVISED FIGHTS

Mamed Khalidov (18-3-1), 200½ pounds, Olsztyn, Poland, KO 2 (strikes, 4:53) over Jason Guida (17-18), 204½, Schaumburg, Ill. Noteworthy: Khalidov, making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, upped his unbeaten streak to 13 (12-0-1) … The Case of the Missing Mouthpiece: The fight was stopped at about the one-minute mark of the second round for approximately 90 seconds while not one – but two – referees circled the cage searching for Guida’s mouthpiece.

Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (14-3), 170 ½, Fort Wayne, Ind., majority decision (30-27 twice and 29-29) over game, tough Mike Stumpf (10-2), 172 ½, Crystal Lake, Ill. Noteworthy: The fight was Lapsley’s 17th in his 28-month pro career … Stumpf, making his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, had a four-fight winning streak end. Quote-worthy: “Mike was definitely one of the toughest guys I’ve fought, but I was never hurt and if I lost a round, I couldn’t tell you which one,’’ Lapsley said. “I add an ingredient each time I fight. Tonight, it was heart. I got tired but there was no quit in me.’’

Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (30-5), 184 ½, Omsk, Russia, TKO 2, over Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-5), 183 ½, Wichita Falls, Tex. McDaniel seemed to control a hard-fought, close first round, but was nailed with a flying knee to the chest in the closing second. He collapsed to the canvas, but could not make it to his feet during the break. The bell sounded for the second round, but McDaniel was still down and the fight was stopped. Noteworthy: The victory was Shlemenko’s seventh straight, all inside the distance and all in the first or second round. Quote-worthy: “The fight didn’t go exactly like I planned,’’ the winner said. “It was my first fight after a layoff and I was nervous. He was a good opponent.’’

Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (8-0), 161 ½, Spokane, Wash., TKO 1 (cuts), over Brazilian Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (5-1), Nashville, Tenn. After an exciting five minutes of non-stop action, the fight was stopped due to a severe cut over Oliveira’s left eye. Quote-worthy: “I don’t care who wins the fight between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. I will beat up either of them,’’ said Beerbohm, who was making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut in August 2007. … Said Oliveira: “I got caught, it happens to the best. This is very disappointing. It was the opportunity of my lifetime.’’

NON-TELEVISED FIGHTS

Matt Jaggers (8-4), 141, Newcastle, Ind., won a unanimous decision (30-27 and 30-26) over Orville Smith (8-1), 139, Indianapolis; Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1), 140, Schererville, Ind., submitted (rear naked choke) Jacob Hey (4-10), 141, Granite City, Ill.; Jeff Cox (11-6), 160, Cleveland, Ohio, submitted (guillotine choke) Jay Ellis (9-25), Milwaukee, Wis., at 0:22 of the first round; Tiawon Howard (6-1), 175, Cleveland, submitted (rear naked choke) Johnny Hughes (14-7), 175, Newcastle, Ind.; Josh Barnes (1-0), 269 ½. Muncie, Ind., TKO 1 (strikes, 2:22) Jeremy “Tiny’’ Norton (9-4), 363, Indianapolis; Deray Davis (3-0), 170 ½, Hammond, Ind., submitted (armbar) John Kuhner (1-1), 169 ½, Columbus, Ohio, at 3:53 of second round.

Friday’s televised fight card will be replayed next Thursday, Oct. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME TOO. It will be available ON DEMAND beginning Monday, Oct. 13.

A world championship doubleheader will highlight the EliteXC telecast Saturday, Nov. 8, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) from the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev.

Two talented, crowd-pleasing fighters at the tops of their game will be featured in one of the world title fights when “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4-1, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., defends his EliteXC middleweight belt in a rematch against Joey “Smokin' Joe’’' Villasenor (26-6) of Albuquerque, N.M.

In a sensational matchup in a second world title fight, Nick Diaz (18-7) will throw down with Eddie Alvarez (15-1) for the vacant EliteXC lightweight crown.

Wanderlei

2008-10-10T19:02:00.001-04:00

Friday ShoXC

2008-10-09T16:29:00.001-04:00

DAVE “PEE WEE’’ HERMAN VS. KELLY SCHALL

HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS

THIS FRIDAY AT THE HORSESHOE CASINO

OUTSIDE CHICAGO LIVE ON SHOWTIME

___________________________________________________________________________________

Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;

Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.

The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago.

ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.

Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.

Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.

Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.

The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.

Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.

Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.

Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.

Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.

Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.

Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.

Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.

A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.

The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.

Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.

An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.

Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.

The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.

Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.

A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.

In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.

McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.

A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.

Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.

Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.

SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.

A Vegas Vendetta Plays out In Albany

2008-10-08T19:18:00.000-04:00

Madison Square Garden stands as a mecca for the UFC, a crowning jewel of a venue to cap their efforts to have the sport accepted at the highest of levels. The UFC has sought legalize MMA in New York and put on a card on the hallowed venue for the past several years. The Garden is just beyond reach, though, as the UFC has been unsuccessful in getting the state legislature in New York to pass regulation overseeing MMA. The battle over mixed martial arts in NY has little to do with the sport, though. MMA itself is caught in the crossfire of a much larger battle that has little to do with armbars or triangle chokes.

MMA in New York: Where did It all Go Wrong
MMA Legislation efforts have been underway for several years now, but the best hope for passage seemed to come this past June. Leading into the June committee vote on MMA legislation, things were thought to be looking good. A bill had passed the Assembly unanimously last year before stalling, the bill would now head to the Tourism committee and presumably to the larger Assembly for a full vote. Things looked to be a formality. Dana White was said to be confident that the bill would pass a committee vote and there were some who believed that the big surprise being mentioned at the time by White was NY passing MMA regulation into law. Once the committee went into session, all hell seemed to break loose.Sam Caplan gave some insight to the seeming unusual happenings that took place around the time of the first committee vote on MMA legislation:

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was informed by an anonymous source earlier this afternoon that the committee for Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development of New York held a vote on Wednesday to decide whether the state should regulate Mixed Martial Arts. According to the source, the bill was voted down in overwhelming fashion. An anonymous member of a major state athletic commission confirmed the information that was provided to Five Ounces Of Pain by our initial source.

........ However, the proposal was unexpectedly voted down for reasons that are not yet clear. In a strange turn of events, it is believed that the chair of the committee, Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who introduced the proposal, ended up voting against it.

The committee decided to take a week delay and but the delay ended up being for naught. MMAWeekly reported on the ultimate tabling of the legislation for the 2008 session:

MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday learned that Bill 1-11458-A, that would effectively legalize the sport of mixed martial arts in the state of New York, will not go to a vote within the Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development committee until January of 2009.

Elizabeth Nostrand, Legislative Director for Steve Englebrecht, the bill's sponsor, said that following a botched vote on the house floor last Tuesday, in which several committee members attempted to change their votes after placing them, Englebrecht decided to delay the next vote on the bill.

"It was put on the committee's agenda, but the chair decided it would be best for purposes of clarification to give all sides an opportunity to weigh in so the best interests of the participants and the state of New York could be served," � Nostrand said.

Unite Here's Moves Go From The Shadows To The Light

WCBS shed some light on the reason passing MMA legislation has been so difficult in New York:

The sole correspondence received by the Senate Committee on Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development, which has jurisdiction over pending legislation, came from UNITE HERE, the hotel and restaurant workers' union.

Pointing to continued opposition from the American Medical Association because of "great potential injury," the union said police also are concerned about teenagers mimicking moves and staging fights.

"The potential social cost of holding MMA fighting exhibitions should be fully explored before the Legislature acts to allow such events in New York," the union wrote.

The hotel workers' union, which claims 90,000 New York members and spent $100,000 on Albany lobbyists last year while making more than $130,000 in New York political donations, mostly to the Democratic and Working Families parties, has also been trying to represent workers at Station Casinos in Las Vegas, off-strip casinos that say they can't afford union pay. Behind the UFC is Zuffa LLC, which donated $25,000 to New York's Democratic Committee last year. Brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III are behind both the station casinos and the UFC effort.

Union spokesman Eric Sharfstein declined to comment about dealings with Station Casinos and the union's opposition to mixed martial arts in New York.

The Las Vegas local of UNITE HERE, the Culinary Union Local 226, is the largest local of UNITE HERE, and the most politically potent. Locally and nationally they are a force to be reckoned with. Unite Here has chosen to use their political muscle to oppose the passage of MMA legislation in New York, the reasons for this opposition we will elaborate on later in this piece. Unite Here's efforts working against MMA legislation go back at least a couple of years. Unite Here's close ties and influence with some members of the Tourism committee, as well the full legislature at large, were key in stopping MMA legislation in its tracks. As a source intimately familiar with Unite Here's moves against MMA legislation in New York states: "(Unite Here) is probably the only thing standing in between MMA being sanctioned in NY."

Unite Here's has done several things to block MMA legislation in the state, but the letter opposing MMA has been the only concrete item that would indicate an active effort to derail legalization of the sport. Other clandestine efforts have been under way for quite some time, though.

In order to lobby on a particular subject, this must be disclosed in reports filed with the state government. Reading the 2007 filing for Unite Here one of the items the registered to lobby on is a bit unlike the others:

Subject(s) Lobbied : HEALTHY NY, BUDGET, ALBANY CONVENTION CENTER, GENERAL CASINO GAMING ISSUES, IDA REFORM, LABOR PEACE, LABOR ISSUES, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

With them able to lobby, they have been active in doing so. UFC VP Marc Ratner has said : "The Tourism Committee .... our bill did not come out of there. One of the legislators needs to be properly educated, because he said something about no referees. Some people think it is still no holds barred or no rules."� While the sentiment of educating the committee is admirable, they may be doing a game of catch up in that respect. Sources close to Unite Here indicate that their own education/miseducation efforts had been underway for some time when Ratner made those statements.

Unite Here has been doing their share of "counter-programming" the UFC's message of responsible oversight of the sport. Unite Here authored and distributed a DVD on the violence of MMA that was given to all Democratic members of the NY legislature. The DVD prominently displayed the more violent aspects of the sport, with Chuck's head-kick of Babalu being prominent in the footage. Unite Here also collected more of the gorier footage of UFC bouts to include in their "educational" DVD for legislators.

In addition to lobbying legislators, the Culinary Union engaged in a campaign to enlist sister unions in their opposition to MMA in NY State. Main targets for this campaign were teachers, nurses, and police unions. The main avenue for drumming up of support from other unions was done word of mouth. Once their support was gained, they were provided with a white paper authored by Unite Here staffers. The white paper tied together the AMA's anti-MMA position along with it's report on children's violence into a document that stood against MMA legalization. The white paper would then serve as "evidence" and used as talking points when these sister unions made their case for opposition to legal MMA fights.

While targeting the Legislature as a whole, Unite Here has been particularly adept at donating to those on the Tourism committee who hold the key to MMA legislation making it out of committee to be voted on by the larger assembly. Unite Here's 527 fund, used for political contributions, has a history of contributions to those on the Tourism committee. Campaignmoney.com shows the following contributions to some of the Democrats (or their surrogate groups) on the Tourism committee:

Brodsky: $500 in 2003, $1000 in 2004, $3400 in 2006
Del Monte $1500 in 2004, $10,000 in 2006
Fields $1000 in 2004
Gunther, $1000 in 2003
Gianaris $3500 in 2003
Hoyt $500 in 2004, $1500 in 2006
McEneny $500 in 2004, $3000 in 2006
Reilly $1500 in 2004, $4000 in 2006
O'Donnell $1000 in 2006

Of particular note are the donations to Assemblyman Bob Reilly. Reilly has shown strong opposition to the MMA as evidenced by Thomas Hausers' piece from ESPN.com. Reilly almost single-handedly brought down the June committee vote. Having been issued supporting materials from Unite Here and also being the recipient of a sizable donation from Unite Here's 527in 2006 (amounts for 2008 haven't been divulged yet), one has to ask....how much of his opposition to MMA is genuine and how much is politics? Those campaign donations have to call into question his motives.

The Roots of the Unite Here vs Fertitta Feud
The Fertitta vs Unite Here fued is a story as old as labor vs management. Las Vegas is one of the last true union towns in the country, and Unite Here is a player in the city and state (and across the US) due to this. Its the sole powerhouse in the state politically. The union was key in helping to make Nevada a competitive state for Obama in his Democratic primary by virtue of giving him their endorsement. For all the power that Unite Here has accumulated in Vegas, it still has a weakness in that it has lacked a density in the "locals" casino market in LV. Most of UH's deals involve the casinos that cater to the out of towners.

Therein lies the rub. The Fertitta's Station Casinos is THE locals player in the Vegas market and up until this point has resisted efforts to unionize their workforce. Station Casinos is the only great non-union company left in town, that is the reason this fight is taking place.

The Unite Here efforts opposing MMA legislation are but a small campaign in a long running war between the two parties. While MMA has cleaned up it's act, the war between the Fertitta's and Unite Here is still very much a no holds barred affair. Station Casinos has long been staunchly anti-union but their relations with the Unite Here took decided turn for the worse with the purchase of a union casino back in 2000

The company is the largest non-union casino employer in town. When it took over a union hotel in 2000, Station fired about 1,000 workers and required them to reapply for their jobs. According to union officials, only 150 were rehired.

"This was something new for Las Vegas," said Courtney Alexander, research director for Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 226, which represents about 50,000 workers in Las Vegas.

"Casinos are bought and sold all the time, and we had no history of mass terminations when a new owner came in. ... I think it marked a turning point in how Station was viewed as an employer in this town."

Station's Nielson said the firings have done little to affect the company's standing with its customers, or employees.

"We've said all along we are not anti-union, we are just pro-employee," he said. "If our employees believe they want to have someone involved to speak to management for them, they can. We've been here for 27 years, they've never felt the need to do that."

Since that time, Unite Here and Station have battled, both in Vegas and across the country in areas where Station manages local casino operations for others. Whether on their on or in concert with others, Unite here has made made efforts to hamstring Station at every turn Unite Here paired with the Sierra Club to amend the blueprints for Station's Red Rock Casino.

Unite Here also became an activist in rallying the shareholders of Station Casinos stock. Unite Here bought a minimal amount of stock on Station Casinos ( a little over 250 shares) in order to be able to affect the corporate governance process of Station. They made moves to amend the compensation and voting rights areas of the company . There were several instances, including these two in 2003 an 2005:

In 2003, UNITE HERE led shareholder opposition to Station Casinos' stock compensation program, citing the excessive use of stock options. In 2004, the company told investors that "we have listened to shareholders and are relying more now on restricted share awards as well as cash compensation."

(2005) The proposals by UNITE HERE--adopt simple majority voting by shareholders instead of requiring a supermajority, require annual election of directors, and let shareholders vote on the company's "poison pill" anti-takeover device--"are consistent with the proxy voting guidelines of major institutional shareholders and corporate governance organizations like the Council of Institutional Investors," said Bohner.

Station was able to shed itself of such corporate governance concerns by taking the company private in early 2007.

Conclusion
In the battles between the Unite Here group and the Fertitta's, it is hard to find anyone to root for on either side. The real peple to feel sorry for in this whole sorry episode are the MMA fans in New York state, who being to made for a labor amangement squabble that has no import on their love of the sport.

NBC Sport Fight Weekly

2008-10-07T21:14:00.000-04:00

Pee Wee, Fancy Pants, Canibal Headline Next ShoXC

2008-10-07T16:56:00.001-04:00

DAVE “PEE WEE’’ HERMAN VS. KERRY SCHALL

HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS

THIS FRIDAY AT HARRAH’S HORSESHOE CASINO

IN HAMMOND, INDIANA, LIVE ON SHOWTIME

___________________________________________________________________________________

Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;

Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.

The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at The Venue inside Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino at Hammond, Ind.

ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.

Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.

Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.

Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.

The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.

Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.

Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.

Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.

Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.

Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.

Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.

Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.

A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.

The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.

Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.

An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.

Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.

The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.

Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.

A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.

In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.

McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.

A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.

Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.

Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.

SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.

For more information on the entire card, go to http://www.elitexc.com. For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete fighter and telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.

Kalib Starnes Update

2008-10-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

A local BC paper gives the update on Kalib Starnes and what he has been up to since his loss to nate quarry. Some nice quotes in there.

He’d fought some of the most intense fights in the recent history of the sport, including one match where his forehead was split open to the bone, requiring more than 30 stitches.

None of that seemed to matter to foaming-at-the-mouth online critics who called Starnes a coward, the “running man” and worse.

“You’d think that I had knocked up Britney Spears, or strangled Paris Hilton’s pet Chihuahua,” Starnes said.

Bang Ludwig, Trigg Take Home Wins

2008-10-04T21:15:00.000-04:00

BROOMFIELD, CO— Knockout artist Duane “Bang” Ludwig (17-8) capped off an electrifying night of Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) action, scoring a first round TKO on Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-12), in their highly-anticipated rematch at Broomfield, Colorado’s Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd. Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (18-6) controlled the action against Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-9) for three consecutive rounds to notch a unanimous judges’ decision victory.

Morgan, who stopped Ludwig in 52 seconds when they faced off three years ago, took Ludwig down early in the first. Ludwig stood up shortly thereafter, though, and began to find his mark with his left hook and right hand.

A hard left hand to the body from Ludwig staggered Morgan. Ludwig followed up with a hard right hand to the head that put Morgan on his knees. Still on his feet, Ludwig blasted the downed Morgan with a left hand to the midsection.

Ludwig dropped into Morgan’s guard and began tagging Morgan with a flurry of blows. Morgan turned on to his side in an effort to escape the barrage, but Ludwig continued the heavy offensive until Morgan verbally submitted at the 2:01 mark of the first round.

Trigg, a former NCAA wrestling stud and 2000 Olympic wrestling trials finalist, showed off his stand-up combat skills, repeatedly backing Vitale into the cage and setting up flurries of elbows and right hands with a straight left hand, followed by a hard knee to the head. Vitale attempted to counter each time, but Trigg either controlled Vitale’s arms against the fence or back pedaled out of harm’s way.

In the third round, Trigg scooped his opponent up and slammed him, but was unable to make any headway on the ground.

Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (5-2) made good on her promise of an explosive fight and also made it a short night for Tyra Parker (0-2). After scoring a straight right hand that stunned Parker, Waterson backed her opponent into the corner and began unloading knees to Parker’s face while the two were clinched.

Parker escaped, but made the mistake of turning her back, which allowed Waterson to latch on and sink in a choke. With the hold firmly intact, Waterson brought Parker to the ground and produced a submission at 1:20 of the opening round.

Two-time New York State Metropolitan Boxing Champion and Muay Thai Champion, Carlos Zevallos (1-0), survived an early storm at the hands of fellow light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Andre “The Silencer” Walker (1-4) before turning the tides on Walker with a series of knee strikes in the clinch.

Zevallos took Walker to the ground and quickly transitioned from side control to mount where he rained down on Walker with punches until the referee called an end to the bout at the 4:48 mark of the opening round.

Billy Evangelista (8-0) was dropped twice in the first round by Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo (14-11) in lightweight (155 lb. limit) action, but made it to his feet after the second knockdown and launched a fearsome attack that, soon after, put Caudillo on his knees. An onslaught of punches from inside Caudillo’s guard forced “Lil’ Hulk” to turn over, allowing Evangelista to sink in a choke before the bell sounded.

Evangelista capitalized on the momentum he gained and controlled the pace of the fight in rounds two and three. Caudillo’s takedown defense was strong, but Evangelista managed to score a takedown in the third and final round and drop punches from both sides.

A slowdown in the action prompted the referee to stand the fighters up. Evangelista was awarded a unanimous judges’ decision following the close of the third round, raising his undefeated record to 8-0.

After keeping the fight standing for the majority of the first two rounds, Donnie Liles (12-5) decided to bring his welterweight (170 lb. limit) fight with Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt (18-15) to the mat, scoring two takedowns in the third. The second takedown produced dividends as Spratt gave up his back after being mounted. Liles sunk in a rear naked choke and, from his back, forced Spratt to tap at 1:59 of the round.

Tyler Toner (3-1), a 25-year-old upstart from nearby Aurora, dominated “Relentless” Ricky Johnson (0-2) with an all-out assault standing up and strong defense on the ground before finishing Johnson with a ground and pound offensive at the mark 3:44 of the second round.

Strikeforce “Payback” was televised live on HDNet.

Complete Strikeforce “Payback” Results:

Tyler Toner def. “Relentless” Ricky Johnson – TKO (Strikes) at 3:44, Round 2

Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson def. Tyra Parker – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:20, Round 1

Carlos Zevallos def. Andre “The Silencer” Walker – TKO (Strikes) at 4:48, Round 1

Billy Evangelista def. Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Donnie Liles def. Pete “The Secret” Weapon” Spratt – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:59, Round 3

Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg def. Falaniko “Niko” Vitale – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Duane “Bang” Ludwig def. Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan – TKO (Strikes) at 2:01, Round 1

Fight Night 4

2008-10-04T10:44:00.001-04:00

Kinda puts UFC 2009 Undisputed to shame....

Moments of Glory

2008-10-04T10:38:00.001-04:00

EliteXC Final Presser

2008-10-02T06:10:00.002-04:00

KIMBO, KEN SHAMROCK, GINA CARANO, JAKE SHIELDS,
PLUS FIVE OTHER FIGHTERS ON CBS ELITEXC FIGHT CARD
FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008,

BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida

“CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS’’

This Saturday, Oct. 4; Broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Nine of the 10 fighters who will compete on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS this Saturday, Oct. 4, attended Wednesday’s final press conference at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.

The third installment of CBS’s primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country" Nelson (heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights).

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

KIMBO SLICE

“Ken’s fighting in Florida, which is no place for an old man. I’m mentally prepared and ready to do it and represent the crib. It’s going to be ‘305’ (his area code) all day.

“I work all the time on being an all-around fighter. I am very competitive by nature so I train very hard and have the best coaches (Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami).

“I am going to get criticized all the time, but I enjoy MMA and try to represent the sport the best way I can. I have kids. I want to be the best kind of example I can be.

“I do not feel like I am carrying (this promotion, the sport, etc). Gina, all these fighters, we are all in this together.

“I am going to win this fight in any fashion I can. I want to annihilate him and win by knockout, but if I win it on the ground, that is all good, too.

“I come from a bare-knuckle background, so fighting with gloves is like hitting with mittens.”

KEN SHAMROCK

“Kimbo has gained a lot of notoriety, but, in my opinion, he doesn’t deserve it. Snap, crackle pop. I am going to walk across the ring, hit him on his ugly beard and break his leg.

“I love to fight, that’s what I do. I want to thank CBS and EliteXC for putting me on this card. It is going to be a great one. I really appreciate all my fans’ support throughout all the ups and downs.

“What CBS is doing is really giving back to the fans. To just be able to turn on the TV and watch is a great thing.

“Most of the talking has all been said, so I will save the rest of my talking until Saturday.’’

JAKE SHIELDS

“It’s great to be back fighting on CBS and defending my title. I’m in great shape and ready to fight. I’m on a roll and want to keep it going.

“Having CBS involved has obviously been huge for this sport. Now, people of all ages are watching where, before, maybe only the hard-core fans paid attention.

“I know a lot of people watching now that never watched or maybe didn’t pay that much attention. Fans are getting an education and a good look at what MMA is all about, and I am proud to be part of it.’’

PAUL “SEMTEX’’ DALEY

“This is a huge opportunity for me and a huge fight for the fans in the UK. At the moment, I am very relaxed. I try not to focus too much on the magnitude of this fight, or the exposure I am going to get fighting on CBS. I don’t want to get nervous.

“For me, it was always about collecting belts and fighting the best and Jake is most certainly one of the best in the world. I want to make my country proud and want to thank ProElite, EliteXC and CBS for giving me the chance. I am very excited and looking forward to Saturday.’’

GINA CARANO

“It is an honor for me to be at the dais with all these great fighters. I am looking forward to an amazing match. I would like to thank CBS and EliteXC for continuing to give us the platform to show what we can do. Having two women’s fights on this card says a lot.

“Whether you’re in the arena or watching on television, it’s going to be a great night of fights.’’

KELLY KOBOLD

“Thanks to CBS and EliteXC, I do not have to explain to everyone what I do. The exposure women’s MMA is getting has been fantastic and has opened a lot of doors for us. We are legitimate fighters. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this event. I would be very disappointed and surprised if this wasn’t the best fight of the night.’’

ANDREI ARVLOSKI

“Fighting on CBS is a very big opportunity for me and very exciting. I promise I will show a great fight.

“They are talking like the winner of my fight will face Fedor, but I have heard that kind of talk before. I have learned not to believe anything until it happens. So I will wait and see and continue to only focus on Saturday and on Roy.

“I am happy to be on a show with so many great fighters. Fans new to the sport or fans who know the sport very well are in for a great fight. I want to thank all the fans for their support.’’

MURILO “NINJA’ RUA

“I’ve trained very hard for this fight and will show the fans how much I have prepared. I have a good opponent. This could be the fight of the night.’’

BENJI RADACH

“This is an excellent matchup and style-wise should be a tough and exciting fight. Ninja is strong and big with heavy hands and comes to fight. But I feel I match up with him very well and will control the fight.

“Obviously, I am looking forward to fighting on CBS and getting the exposure that comes from fighting on CBS, and making my EliteXC debut.

“Being on CBS means even the casual fans, or sports fans unfamiliar with us, can watch. It is a tremendous deal for the fighters, fans, everybody.’’

CRIS CYBORG

“I am very happy to be fighting on this card and thank everyone involved for making it happen. I expect a hard fight. I want to win and then fight Gina. That would be a fight the fans would love to see.’’

“Karate Hottie” Ready To Explode At Strikeforce “Payback”

2008-10-01T17:59:00.001-04:00

“Karate Hottie” Ready To Explode At Strikeforce “Payback”

SAN JOSE, Calif. —To the naked eye, Michelle Waterson looks more like she should be gracing the pages of Maxim rather than beating up on opponents in caged combat. Just like the old cliché “looks can be deceiving” goes though, it turns out that the petite, 22 year old, otherwise known as the “Karate Hottie,” packs as much firepower as she does gorgeous looks.

Waterson, a former bikini model and native of Aurora, Colorado, has been throwing kicks and punches since the age of 10 when she took her first Karate class and, on Friday, she will attempt to give her hometown fans a dose of brutal theatrics when she makes her seventh professional start in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition at Broomfield Event Center.

“It’s gonna be an explosive fight,” said Waterson, who will face Tyra Parker on the 10-bout Strikeforce “Payback” card. The matchup will mark Waterson’s debut with the growing Strikeforce organization. “I heard Tyra’s really aggressive and good on the ground so it should be very exciting for the fans.”

As a contestant on the 2007 Oxygen network series, “Fight Girls,” a reality program that gave female kickboxers the opportunity to train and battle one another while living at a Las Vegas, Nevada martial arts camp, Waterson introduced herself to a national audience.

“It was a great experience,” said Waterson of the time she spent filming the show. “ It helped me become a stronger person and helped me learn how to deal with problems on my own. It also showed me that fighting is not just physical, but also mental.”

Shortly before the TV stint, Waterson, who is half American and half Thai by descent, took a trip to Thailand where she fell in love with the country’s national sport – Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).

It was the culmination of her past experiences in martial arts and her burning desire to excel at the sport of MMA that, a year and a half ago, led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has taken up residence to train under Greg Jackson, guru of one of the most finely tuned fight teams in the country.

“I needed to come here to take my career to the next level,” explained Waterson. “I’ve learned how to grapple on the ground and use my wrestling as a weapon. I’m a much more well-rounded fighter now.

Her work with Team Jackson produced dividends five weeks ago when she forced an opponent to submit from an armbar just 22 seconds into their bout. “Albuquerque has become a second home for me, and the Jackson team has become my family.”

Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com

In the main event of the 10-bout card, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10). Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.

Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.

Final EliteXC Presser Open To Public

2008-09-29T19:46:00.000-04:00

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC –

THIS WEDNESDAY, 2 P.M., BANKATLANTIC CENTER

FOR SATURDAY’S PRIMETIME

CBS ELITEXC FIGHT CARD

WHO/WHAT: The CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS fighters and those appearing
on the undercard will participate in the FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
before the big event, Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.

The third installment of CBS’s primetime MMA event will be broadcast live
on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo
Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake
Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country" Nelson
(heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo
"Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights)

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone
at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and
(561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-
6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the
event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.

WHERE: Chairman's Club at BankAtlantic Center

1 Panther Parkway; Sunrise, Fla. 33323

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008; 2 p.m. E

Masvidal vs Schultz

2008-09-29T18:59:00.002-04:00

This was a really good fight from the Sengoku card. I've followed Schultz since he was in the IFL. His chin is a little iffy, so his fights are always a matter of can he get the guy down before they hit that little button that puts him to sleep. Masvidal has been impressive from what I've seen of him. He got dropped by Rodrigo Damm, which was a shock to me.... all I had ever seen of Damm was him making short work of Black Mamba in Bodog. I figured Masivdal would be able to stay up right long enough to pop Ryan and that is what happened.

Shame they have to fight half a world away......

Wow.....

2008-09-29T18:34:00.002-04:00

The Mrs. Happen on Fedor Video.. it is the stuff of legend.. wow, that thing has over 27k hits on youtube.... I have to take a little bit of credit. I was writing for Bloodyelbow at the time and ran across that thing when it had about 600 hits or so.... i thought this vid was the most adorable thing ever, a Juno with MMA knowledge.... so i put up a link to it for shits and giggles. It got some hits then...... then sherdog got ahold of it.... it blew up.... recently Ariel Helwani at MMARated.com got ahold of it and posts her stuff on a regular basis......

The hair just keeps getting worse, though, lol.....

No.... I Will Not Die Today

2008-09-29T16:17:00.001-04:00

The Comeback Vol 1 - Sakuraba v Smirnovas by GenghisCon

Carano On Craig Ferguson

2008-09-29T14:08:00.001-04:00

Gina Carano, will be a guest on "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on CBS, Monday night (September 29th). The show airs at 12:35am PST.

Other scheduled guests are Melina Kanakaredes (of "CSI:NY") and Marg Helgenberger (from "CSI").

Gina will be promoting her upcoming EliteXC fight this Saturday, October 4th on CBS. Other fights on that card include Andrei Arlovski vs Roy Nelson and the much-anticipated Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock.

Their Words, Not Mine

2008-09-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

“We've created a fast-paced, edgy show,” he said, adding that he and White have a good insight into the young adult male demographic because “we are the two most immature 39-year-olds on the planet.”

--Lorenzo Fertitta, to Multi-Channel News

Grand Theft Title3 - San Quinton

2008-09-28T06:46:00.001-04:00

GenghisCon does his thing......

Tales From The UnderGround: Renzo

2008-09-28T06:01:00.001-04:00

From the folks at Almeida BJJ:

It was late this Friday afternoon when Ricardo Almeida picked up the phone and heard the familiar, unique, and upbeat of Renzo Gracie shout:

"Cachorrao, can you be at the Manhattan Academy by 6:00 PM?"

While 2 hours to get from Hamilton to Manhattan would normally be difficult, the thought about battling rush-hour traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike at 4:00 PM on a Friday afternoon wouldn't keep him from being there for his mentor and best friend.

"Mestre, I'll be there as fast as I can, but may I ask why I need to be there by 6?"

Firing back with his usual wit, Renzo Gracie shouted, "No, you may not! Just make your way there, I'll meet you in a little bit, my brother! You'll like the surprise!"

Looking at his always present and loyal student Tom DeBlass (who happened to have spent Friday afternoon at his house planning his training schedule with his teacher), Ricardo grinned: "Mestre Renzo is the only man alive that can get me out of my house on a Friday night, and on such short notice . . . are you coming?" Always eager to see what surprises Renzo might have up his sleeve, Tom laughed and replied, "I'm not missing out on that, I can't wait! This should be good!"

As Ricardo, his wife and Tom drove closer to Manhattan, a familiar sight greeted them: a long line of cars stretching from the Holland Tunnel, extending for miles. Worried that he would leave Renzo waiting for him at the Academy, Ricardo called to let him know he was running late. Instead, Renzo responded with, "don't worry my brother, traffic will be lighter after that bridge – I'm right behind you!" It turns out that Mestre Renzo was actually running late as well. Even with 15 years of life in the United States, Renzo still sets his watch to "brazilian time" – but somehow, he always makes it in the end!

Just as he predicted, traffic lightened up, and as he approached the Holland Tunnel's entrance, Prof. Almeida drove behind a very nice car, and after discussing some of the car's features with Coach Tom, he realized that it must be a real nice car – the driver was Renzo! But as he crossed into the Big Apple, only one thought remained in his mind: "What was Renzo's surprise?"

After finally arriving at the Academy, and greeting long time friends and Renzo Gracie's students, he made his way to his favorite corner on the mats, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to get some great training in under Renzo's watchful eye. As the class ends, Renzo in that same great mood he's always in, steps on the mats and starts to speak. The packed house knows that something special is about to happen, and begin to gather on the mats.

Renzo gets everyone's attention: "Guys, I'd like to call over one of the greatest Black Belts I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and promoting. Cachorrao, get over here!" Renzo continues: " We have been through so much together; I have cornered every one of his fights and he amazed me each time, over and over. It was amazing to watch how his skills were constantly improving, and what a strong mind he has. His fights where always a huge test, and he made me so proud each time."

After telling some heart-warming stories of when Prof. Almeida first lived with Mestre Renzo and his family upon first arriving in the U.S. in 1997, Renzo continues: "A long time ago we were in Japan for a huge event (Pride FC) and one of the fighters got hurt. They needed a last minute replacement and Ricardo said he would like to give it a try. I asked him 'are you sure you want to do this?' Ricardo told me, 'if you tell me I'm ready, I'm all over it.'"

His voice swelling with pride, Renzo continued: "I knew he could do it, so he had my blessing. Guys, it was Ricardo's 1st professional fight and the opponent was a very tough Japanese fighter, who I had fought around that time and it went to a draw. His name is Akira Shoji." The students listen on intently -- after all, who wouldn't want to gather around Renzo Gracie and hear one of his tales? And as Renzo announced, "Ricardo went out there on a couple of days notice and beat the hell out of that guy!" applause and cheers washed over the Academy.

"Another great memory I have also happened in Japan in the Pancrase event. Ricardo fought a real tough guy for the championship, a guy named Nathan Marquardt. Ricardo submitted him with our signature submission, the guillotine with the arm in. I clearly remember looking at him from his corner and screaming 'Cachorrao, go for it! Just go!'. He looked at me with that look 'do you really think I should' and I screamed even louder 'just do it, go!' He went for it and the rest is history."

Lost in the good memories, Renzo finally gets to his surprise: "Well guys, I'm sure most of you have seen the Pancrase Belt, but the fighters don't get to keep the belt! It's worth a LOT of money because it's made of pure platinum and there's a huge diamond right in the center. In fact, so many security guards were around us while Ricardo had the championship belt, I was almost suffocating! After the fight, we were walking around taking pictures with fans and having a blast, but in my mind, I was already looking for an exit sign or something so we could take off with that belt!"

Needless to say, laughs took over the large room.

As he paced the hallowed blue mats, Renzo wondered aloud, "Guys, how can they give you something you've worked so hard to get and take it away from you that same night? I knew Ricardo wasn't thrilled about that, even though he didn't mention anything. So after much dedication to this project, I was able to get my student a surprise."

With that, Renzo walked into the office at the rear of the mats, and returned with a large white box, announcing, "I am now proudly giving my student Ricardo Almeida in the name of all of us a perfect replica of his King of Pancrase Belt. Although the huge diamond is not real, this is the closest it gets to the real thing."

In fact, the belt was better than the real thing – to receive the belt directly from Mestre Renzo was a perfect way to receive the belt, and the look on Ricardo's face was priceless as his teacher put that belt around his waist. The attendees happily started applauding, cheering, hitting the mats with their hands, and an overwhelming noise washed over all in the room.

Always with some words of wisdom and encouragement, Renzo glanced at Ricardo as he was leaving the Academy, grabs his head and proudly tells him: "That's my boy... don't you think I didn't notice half of your mouthpiece hanging out of your pocket when you walked in. You always come prepared for any situation."
In fact, this was a lesson Ricardo Almeida had learned from Renzo – who knew how to fulfill an unspoken wish of one of his many students, even five years later! Thank you, Mestre Renzo. There's no way to repay all of your contributions to the sport and to people's lives. You are a true legend, a flawless mentor and a true gentleman.

American Top Teamer Steps Up To Face “The Silencer”

2008-09-27T21:10:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. —American Top Team member and two-time New York State Metropolitan Boxing Champion, Carlos Zevallos (0-0), will fill the recent void left by Pat Barry, and make his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut against Andre “The Silencer” Walker (2-3), in a light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) contest during Strikeforce “Payback” at Broomfield, Colorado’s Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd.

Like his opponent, Zevallos brings to the cage a rich history in the striking arts, winning back-to-back New York State Metropolitan Championships in 2005 and 2006. A student of Muay Thai since the age of 16, the Queens, New York native, now 29, captured the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) National Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship in 2004.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Zevallos of his upcoming MMA debut. “I’m gonna make it very far (in MMA) because I pay a lot of attention to detail. I really dissect the sport and study it to the fullest – every aspect of it. “Not only do I learn it very fast, but I get really good at it. It’s a constant never ending search for perfection that drives me to MMA.”

“My striking is a lot more advanced than the average MMA guy,” the fighter stressed. “ I take it for what it is and thank God that I have that edge over them but, at the same time, anyone can lose at any given moment so you always have to find whatever weaknesses you have and work on that.”

Zevallos’ experience in kickboxing and amateur boxing competition, which also includes three runs at the annual Golden Gloves Championships, has helped prepare him to fight in pressure situations like the one in Broomfield that pits him against a veteran of five MMA bouts.

“To this day, that holds a big part of my heart,” explained Zevallos of his efforts in the boxing ring. “I just remember things like fighting this guy in one of the tournaments and getting caught with a real nasty left hook. I felt my body starting to collapse while I was on the ropes. Right before I started going down, I remembered that my cousin and one of my best friends were in the audience and all I started feeling was their emotions in the back of my head and that woke me up. I came back and won the fight.”

Last year, Zevallos packed up his belongings and relocated to South Florida, the home of fearsome fight squad, American Top Team, to pursue a new challenge in the world’s fastest growing sport. He has since been taken under the wing of famed ATT head instructor and Carlson Gracie black belt, Ricardo Liborio.

“I had heard about (American Top Team) and seen them on TV a lot. I liked the fact that they were winning consistently and I wanted to train where the best people were training.”

Zevallos’ opponent, Walker, is a Denver native and former student of Sabaki Karate under martial arts legend, Clarence Thatch. In the late ‘90s, Walker utilized his striking skills to go on an unbeaten, 5-0 run in “Toughman” competition.

“The Sabaki helps my stand-up (skills) in MMA a lot,” explained Walker. “I’m able to swing my opponent and knock him off balance. It’s a matter of using his weight against him.”

Walker made his greatest impression in the fight world to date on August 11, 2001 when he stopped Carter Williams in the second round of their K-1 matchup at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Williams went on to capture the K-1 North America tournament championship two years later.

Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com

In the main event, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10).

Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.

Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14), who will battle Donnie Liles (11-5) in a welterweight (170 lb. limit) showdown.

Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.

WILSON REIS TAKES UNANIMOUS DECISION

2008-09-27T05:58:00.002-04:00

WILSON REIS TAKES UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER ABEL CULLUM
TO CAPTURE FIRST-EVER ELITEXC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES _____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, Sept. 26, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,

Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2008) – In an excellent, competitive matchup between skilled, determined, well-conditioned fighters, unbeaten Brazilian Wilson Reis (6-0) of Philadelphia registered a close, unanimous five-round decision over Abel Cullum (11-2) of Tucumcari, N.M., to capture the first-ever EliteXC bantamweight title Friday in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.

Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Chumash Casino Resort. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In other SHOWTIME fights, Shane Del Rosario (5-0) of Irvine, Calif., scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Carl Seumanutafa (4-1) of San Francisco, Calif.; in perhaps the fight of the night, David “Tarzan” Douglas (6-1) of Antioch, Calif., registered an upset third-round TKO (strikes) over Malaipet (3-3) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Jaime Jara (20-5) of North Highlands, Calif., earned a hard-fought split decision over previously undefeated Giva Santana (12-1) of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Eric “Bad” Apple (10-1) of Orange County, Calif., submitted (rear naked choke) Matt Makowski (3-1) of Philadelphia in the second round.

Non-televised bouts: Scott Lighty (4-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., registered a 4:15, first-round TKO (strikes) over Jamiah Williamson (3-1) of Los Angeles; Damian Douglas (3-1) of Antioch scored a 0:46, first-round submission over Joe Schilling (1-3) of Los Angeles; Steve Gable (3-0) of San Diego, Calif., won a split decision (29-28 twice and 28-29) over Josh McDonald (3-3) of San Francisco; Luke Riddering (2-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., stopped John Corstophine (1-2) of North Highlands, Calif., on strikes at 3:44 of the first; and Fernando Bettega (3-2) of Los Angeles submitted Mono Otero (3-3) of Albuquerque, N.M., with a rear naked choke a 2:27 of the opening round.

The main event fighters – both Abel and Wilson – displayed high-level grappling skills, but Reis (pronounced “H-ace’’) did enough to ground out a victory by the scores of 49-46 twice and 48-47.

“This was my dream, to win the 140-pound world title,’’ said southpaw Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt stud who improved to 4-0 since coming to EliteXC in January 2008. “This is all very exciting.’’

Cullum, who had a 10-fight winning streak snapped, appeared physically smaller and was stepping up in weight. But he gave a fantastic account of himself, landed the vast majority of the telling punches and seemed to win over the crowd in attendance.

“No one wants to lose, but he was a strong guy and tough for me to keep off,’’ said Cullum, the King of the Cage 135-pound titleholder. “I wanted to be the aggressor, but I wound up on the ground too much. I thought the referee could have stood us up a couple of times, but it didn’t happen.’’

Del Rosario mostly dominated before the fight was stopped at 1:07 of the second.

“I didn’t feel that good before the fight but once I got into the cage I was fine,’’ said Del Rosario, who was making his third consecutive appearance on ShoXC. “I thought I had him once, and he came sort of close to getting me, but overall I am very happy.’’

For sheer excitement, Douglas-Malaipet was as good as it gets. A fight that featured numerous changes in momentum exceeded all expectations until it was stopped at 2:51 or the third.

“I stuck to my game plan, never quit and came out on top,’’ Douglas said. “I have never been in a fight this hard and I am exhausted and know I will be hurting tomorrow. But getting the victory makes it all worthwhile.’’

Malaipet, a Lumpinee champ in Thailand, lost his second consecutive start. The world-class kickboxer is an extremely dangerous striker, but he lacks a ground game and it cost him again.

“I thought I would do better on the ground, but overall I am happy,’’ said Malaipet, who was cut badly below his eye. “You haven’t seen the last of me and I thank all my fans for their support.’’

In an exceptional effort, Jara outpointed Santana by the scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. The victory was the fourth in a row for Jara, who is 15-1 with one No Contest since June 2004.

“This was my hardest fight and he is definitely the toughest fighter I have faced,’’ Jara said. “I knew it was tight, but I felt I had done enough to win.

Santana is known as “The Arm Collector.” Ten of the unbeaten submission whiz’s 11 victories have come by armbar. But he did not come close to submitting Jara, who has not tapped out since November 2003.

“I am not going to complain about the decision but I felt I’d done enough to win and landed all the harder punches, especially in the third round.’’

Apple, who was making his ShoXC debut and first start since March 2007, forced the previously unbeaten Makowski to tape out at 2:04 of the second.

“I thought I was going to break his arm,’’ Apple said. “I came in thinking I was a little better than he was in all aspects of the game, and I was right. This was the perfect fight to knock the ring rust off.’’

----------------
Now playing: Nicole Atkins - Together We're Both Alone
via FoxyTunes

Vitale Fight “Just Another Day” For Trigg

2008-09-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Off the heels of his latest conquest in Japan, mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Frank Trigg (17-6) doesn’t seem too concerned about his next challenge, submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8). In fact, Trigg’s seemingly nonchalant attitude toward the 185-pound limit matchup with Hawaii’s top talent could be mistaken for brash overconfidence.

“To me, it’s just another day for me,” said Trigg, a 2000 Olympic wrestling trials finalist and former UFC welterweight championship challenger who will battle Vitale in a featured Strikeforce “Payback” MMA contest at Broomfield, Colorado’s Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd. “All of my days start to run together so I don’t have any thoughts about a particular fighter.”

When the subject of conversation turns to the state of his career, though, Trigg’s tone suddenly becomes more focused and intense. “I’ve only got a couple fights left so every fight is important to me.”

At 38, Trigg may be nearing the end of his splendid run in professional MMA. It is in the last two years, however, which he has also turned in some of his most impressive performances, to date, including back-to-back wins over Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Kazo “The Grabaka Hitman” Misaki.

Trigg attributes these recent, good fortunes to his adoption of all-time great, Randy “The Natural” Couture, as a mentor. Training at the Xtreme Couture academy in Las Vegas, Nevada has provided him with a new outlook towards competition.

“One of my biggest problems has been that I’ve been my own worst enemy,” admitted Trigg. “I let that get in the way of my fights. One thing about Xtreme Couture, especially hanging out with Randy, is he (emphasizes) doing the best you can, so it really takes the stress off of you. For him, it’s always about being fun. So, it’s kind of interesting to see how he trains and I try to mimic the style.”

While he has surely carved out a legacy in the sport that almost anyone would be proud to call his own, Trigg remains most proud of his career in amateur wrestling, which included team competition at University of Oklahoma and culminated with his outstanding showing in the Olympic trials.

“The whole thing was a great memory for me,” said Trigg. “It’s one of those things that I’ll never forget, especially at the level I took it to. I took it to a level that very few people ever get to go to. Being an amateur wrestler is something that will always be important to me. It developed who I am, what I do, and how I approach things.”

Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com

In the main event, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous defeat at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10).

Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14), who will battle Donnie Liles (11-5).

Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.

Kimbo Will Do His Magic With David Blaine Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel Tomorrow

2008-09-24T16:38:00.000-04:00

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
KIMBO ON TV THE NEXT TWO EVENINGS

EliteXC Heavyweight Sensation Will Appear On David Blaine Special Tonight;
Then Will Be a Featured Guest On “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” On Thursday

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 24, 2008) -- Incredibly popular YouTube fighting legend and undefeated mixed martial arts superstar, Kimbo Slice, will face legendary Hall Of Famer, Ken Shamrock, on Saturday, Oct. 4, on CBS at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

First, however, Kimbo, will appear on a new, two-hour primetime special, David Blaine: Dive of Death tonight and will be a special guest on the nationally televised late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” the following night, tomorrow/Thursday, Sept. 25.

Both shows air on the ABC Television Network. David Blaine: Dive of Death will be televised from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT and 11:05 p.m. CT.

Kimbo will be featured in a unique segment with Blaine in which the magician attempts to replicate the “trick” that took the life of Harry Houdini. Blaine says he chose Kimbo to participate because the exciting, hard-hitting fighter is one of the few people he fears.

So, what’s the “trick” and does Blaine succeed? Well, you’ll have to tune in and find out.

Sitting across from Kimmel, the personable, always-entertaining Kimbo will discuss, among other topics, his eagerly anticipated matchup with Shamrock, “The World’s Most Dangerous Man.’’

Kimbo-Shamrock is a featured fight on the third installment of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS on the CBS Television network. The two-hour broadcast (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) also will include fights featuring EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields against Paul Daley, women's superstar Gina Carano and MMA standouts Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Benji Radach and Kelly Kobold.

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET. The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC.

Besides Kimbo, Kimmel's guests Thursday will include actor Rob Lowe and Chef Chris Bianco.

Strikeforce on G4 Part 2

2008-09-22T20:44:00.000-04:00

Gina and Kimbo Comments

2008-09-22T18:22:00.001-04:00

KIMBO SLICE AND GINA CARANO

OPEN MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008

Legends Mixed Martial Arts Training Center, Los Angeles

There was a tremendous turnout at the Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano open media workout Wednesday at Legends Mixed Martial Arts Training Center in Los Angeles. The fighters will appear on the upcoming third installment of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, broadcast live from the BankAtlantic Center, in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 4 (9-11 p.m., ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

A major attraction, the undefeated, incredibly popular Kimbo, of Perrine, Fla., near Miami, will face legendary Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock in a featured fight on a stellar, star-studded mixed martial arts card that includes women’s superstar Gina “Conviction” Carano and MMA standouts Jake Shields, Paul Daley and Murilo “Ninja” Rua.

Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.

The BankAtlantic Center box offices are located on both the North and South sides of the main entrance. Their normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m.

The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET. The event is presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC.

Besides Kimbo-Shamrock, Shields defends his EliteXC welterweight belt against Daley, Carano collides with Kelly Kobold in a 140-pound bout and Rua, a former EliteXC middleweight belt-holder, faces Benji Radach at 185 pounds.

Cristiane “Cyborg’’ Santos meets Yoko Takahashi and Florida-based Edson Berto faces Hawaii’s Mike Aina at 170 in top undercard fights. The undercard also will feature Florida favorites Crafton Wallace and Seth Petruzelli, who will face foes to be announced. Wallace has won four straight and six of seven. Petruzelli, a former cast member of the Ultimate Fighter, has won eight of his last 10 fights.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

KIMBO SLICE:

“Once again, I’m fighting back in the crib. It feels like the backyard except, in EliteXC, we have a cage.

“I’m looking forward to beating Ken (Shamrock) and kicking his butt.

“I’ll kick his butt and let you guys take names. I’m hoping to see the best of Ken because he’ll see the best of Kimbo.

“My camp has pushed me harder than ever before. I have the endurance and I am prepared to go the distance. I doubt this fight will go the distance, but if it does, I’m ready.

“I’m like a sponge. I pick up something from everyone I work with. If something doesn’t work in the cage I will switch it up to something that does. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.

“I’ve worked on punches, takedowns, takedown defense, chokes, armbars, you name it. Anything that Shamrock tries on me, I am prepared for.

“Nothing is going to stop me once that fight starts. I’ll fight with a broken arm if the referee doesn’t stop the fight. I will be unstoppable on Oct. 4.

“I’ve envisioned anything that can happen in the cage. I’m ready for anything that can possibly go down.

“I question Ken’s ground game. He’s going to try and find a way to make me uneasy, but that’s not going to happen. I’m never uptight.

“Bas (Rutten) has done everything he can to help me. Bas and Randy (Khatami) have made me a complete and well rounded fighter.

“Everyday I train it’s a serious problem for all the heavyweight fighters out there. Everyday I get better and they should all be scared.

“LaDainian Tomlinson was a good guy to work out with. That was a lot of fun.

“EliteXC and CBS are a good thing for the sport. This is making the sport bigger and better. If it wasn’t this big, think about what you and I would be doing.

“Against (James) Thompson I learned that no matter what happens, nothing will hurt me. It’s mind over matter. Mentally, I knew I was alright. It may have looked like I was in trouble, but I was fine. It’s mind over matter.

“Nothing really scares me, except for myself. At times, I find myself unpredictable. It’s a mental struggle. A mental fight.

“I love training with Bas and Randy. I know how to control my entire game right now.”

GINA CARANO:

“I’ve got one of the toughest fights of my life coming up. I’m coming ready to fight. I’m going to give it my all.

“I’ve handled the press and won’t let it get to my head. I’m just living my life and doing my best.

“It’s been unbelievable to be at the forefront of women’s MMA. Raising the recognition of the sport has been a blessing. The fan support has been amazing. I’m standing up here because of the fans.

“There is something so pure and honest about two women fighting. The fans just love it.

“Randy and Kim, the whole Extreme Couture family, is tough. They expect the best from me and push me to my limits.

“My dad told me to stay in school because he wanted the best from me. But I think I’ve learned some of the best lessons in life from fighting. I don’t have the college degree I was going for, but I have the experiences.

“America is a strange place to be when you are a star. I wish our culture would respect people as human beings and not as objects. When you’re in the spotlight they love you, but that is very short lived.

“This training camp has been going very well. I have a lot of knowledge of what I’ve been doing right and what I’ve been doing wrong.

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight.

“EliteXC is doing great things for the sport. I’m not trying to be a promoter. I just put on a good show and hope that people watch it.

“I am a recognized female in the sport, but I don’t think that I am the face of women’s MMA. It’s just a label. I’m Gina Carano. You can label me that.

“I am a different person everyday. I may not look my best at a weigh in, but I’ll be good the next day.

“Kelly (Kobold) is well rounded and she is coming to fight. I’m glad I’m going to be tested.

“My game plan is to fight a good fight. I’ve been studying her style, how she reacts under pressure and when she gets hit, but nothing compares to when you get in there and the fight starts.

“I’m a fighter first and foremost. American Gladiators was a good experience. I’m motivated by learning experiences, not by money or fame, so it opened my mind to a lot of things.

“Everyone has their own niche in life. I just seem to gravitate towards physical violence.”

Wilson Reis going for EXC gold

2008-09-22T14:25:00.001-04:00

ELITEXC WILL INTRODUCE 140-POUND TITLE

WITH WILSON REIS FACING ABEL CULLUM

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26, AT CHUMASH CASINO RESORT

___________________________________________________________________________________

Telecast Will Include Fights Between Shane Del Rosario and Carl Seumanutafa,
Malaipet and ‘Tarzan’ Douglas, “Arm Collector’’ Santana and Jaime Jara,
Erik Apple and Matt Makowski

LIVE on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast)

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 19, 2008) – The first-ever EliteXC bantamweight (140-pound) champion will be crowned when promising, undefeated Brazilian Wilson Reis (5-0) of Philadelphia faces streaking King of The Cage titleholder Abel “The Silent Assassin’’ Cullum (11-1) of Tucumcari, N.M., in a solid matchup in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series Friday, Sept. 26, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) at the Chumash Casino Resort at Santa Ynez, Calif.

ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.

In other SHOWTIME fights, Shane Del Rosario (4-0) of Irvine, Calif., faces Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) of San Francisco, Calif., in a battle of unbeaten heavyweights; Malaipet (3-2) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., meets David “Tarzan” Douglas (5-1) of Antioch, Calif., at 150 pounds; Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana (11-0) of Laguna Niguel, Calif., takes on Jaime Jara (19-5) of North Highlands, Calif., at 185; and Matt Makowski (3-0) of Philadelphia throws down with Eric “Bad” Apple (9-1) of Irvine, at 170.

Tickets, starting at $35, are available by visiting the Chumash Casino Resort’s Club Chumash, by visiting the website at www.chumashcasino.com or by calling StarTicketsPlus at (800) 800-585-3737. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. First live fight is at 6 p.m. PT.

Non-televised bouts: Jamiah Williamson (3-0) of Los Angeles collides with Scott Lighty (3-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., at 205; Steve Gable (2-0) of San Diego battles Josh McDonald (3-3) of Antioch at 160; Mono Otero (3-2) of Albuquerque, N.M., goes against Paul Arras (4-1) of Los Angeles at 185; Luke Riddering (1-0) of San Luis Obispo opposes Devin Howard (1-1) of La Habra, Calif. at 170; and Michael Gahan of Santa Ynez engages Eric Franco of Los Angeles in a clash of debuting 160-pounders.

The championship fight – Reis vs. Cullum – is scheduled for five 5-minute rounds. All other fights on the card are scheduled for three 5-minute rounds.

Reis (pronounced “H-ace”) is a 23-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt stud who has been on a tear since coming to EliteXC in January 2008, going 3-0.

Considered one of the top competitive, young grapplers in the world, Reis earned a hard-fought unanimous three-round decision over game Bryan Caraway in his last start on July 26, 2008.

The high-energy Reis moved to the United States several years ago. Initially, he worked in construction but it was always his intention to teach and train Jiu-Jitsu in the U.S. “I’m here to fight the best and prove myself against the best,’’ said Reis, who trains and instructs at two of Philadelphia’s top MMA and BJJ Academies, Daddis Fight Camps and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United.

Reis will have a size advantage, but Cullum, despite a step up in weight, will provide a formidable challenge. He is an aggressive striker, possesses a strong background in wrestling and has displayed solid submission defense, which should bode well against Reis, who has choked out three of his five foes.

Cullum has won 10 straight – all via stoppage, nine in the first round -- while fighting for King of the Cage and the New Mexico-based Desert Extreme organization. The KOTC 135-pound belt-holder has not lost since December 2005. He holds titles in several organizations and is a five-time Desert Extreme bantamweight champion and two-time Southwest Fury titlist.

In his last outing, Cullum, who is also known as “Cowboy,’’ captured the KOTC belt with an upset fifth-round submission over big favorite Ryan Diaz on May 17, 2008.

“It’s been awesome and very exciting since (winning the belt),’’ Cullum said “Now I have an opportunity to keep it going. I’m going to fight my heart out. I don’t like decisions. I’ve only had one and it was the only loss in my career. I don’t plan on going to a decision again.

“I want to represent myself and this sport the best as I can. I’ve been the underdog in most of my fights. I like that. You don’t want to underestimate me.’’

Del Rosario, a strong prospect in not one, but two combat sports – he also is an active professional Muay Thai fighter -- is making his third consecutive appearance on ShoXC.

In his last start on March 21, 2008, he scored a 3:18, first-round TKO over Analu Brash at Chumash. Del Rosario is known for his Muay Thai skills, but he dropped Brash with a low leg kick and used some impressive ground-and-pound skills to finish the massive Brash with left hands and elbows.

On Oct. 26, 2007, Del Rosario, who trains out of No Limits MMA in Irvine, registered a 2:27, first-round submission (armbar) over Amedeo Viola.

None of Del Rosario’s MMA fights have made it past the fourth minute of the first round.

Seumanutafa won his EliteXC debut and fourth consecutive fight with an eye-opening 3:39, first-round TKO (punches) over Mike Cook in a non-televised fight on July 26, 2008. A good action scrap ended shortly after Seumanutafa fell straight onto Cook's sternum, knocking the wind out of him.

Seumanutafa followed with some bad looking shots on the ground before the referee stepped in. The winner reacted with a Maowi-warrior style celebration.

Malaipet, a Lumpinee champ in Thailand, will try and regain his winning ways after losing by first-round disqualification (illegal elbows) to Thomas “Wildman” Denny March 21, 2008, on ShoXC.

Many feel if any fighter can make the difficult transformation from world-class superstar Muay Thai kickboxer to elite status in MMA, it is Malaipet.

But so far in his brief MMA career, the popular, exciting, Malaipet, who went 160-26 in Muay Thai, according to his management, has yet to prove he can do it on the ground. If he can keep it on his feet, Malaipet is extremely dangerous. Otherwise, he is susceptible.

Malaipet has a very Thai style of movement, which he exhibited in a dominant performance en route to winning his ShoXC debut on a unanimous decision over Kaleo Kwan on Oct. 26, 2007. Malaipet was calm, relaxed, punched in combination and showcased his astounding striking skills as he decimated Kwan during a three-round standup war at Chumash.

But can Malaipet learn a ground game, so he doesn't get tossed to the mat again and, possibly, get submitted? For sure, Douglas, while lacking in overall experience, will try and find out.

A member of Cesar Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy, Douglas is making his ShoXC debut after winning his last two starts in a combined 1:26. He stopped Marlon Matias (strikes) after only 12 seconds July 26, 2008, The following Aug. 15, he worked a minute longer, winning by 1:12, first round TKO (corner stoppage) over William Jacobson. Both outings were on EliteXC non-televised undercard fights.

Douglas’ lone loss came in his pro debut to world-ranked Jeff Curran on March 5, 2005. He took a two-year break but has gone 3-0 since. This will, by far, be the sternest challenge of his career.

Santana, a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and five-time world champ, is aptly nicknamed “The Arm Collector.” Ten of the unbeaten submission specialist’s 11 victories have come by armbar, all in the first round.

In his last start, Santana submitted previously undefeated southpaw Matt “Luke Duke’’ Lucas (9-1) of Phoenix, Ariz., at 1:49 of the first round in a battle of unbeatens at 185 pounds.

“This was definitely one of my toughest fights,’’ said Santana after adding another arm to his mantle. “He was a great fighter, but I got him.’’

Jara, however, will be a tad more difficult to submit. It’s been nearly five years (November 2003) and 19 bouts since the ex-King of the Cage heavyweight and light heavy champ’s been forced to tap out.

A winner of three straight, Jara has compiled a record of 14-1 with one No Contest since June ‘04. The loss came on a close decision to Rashad Evans.

Jara is 1-1 on ShoXC. He defeated Jeremiah Metcalf on a second-round KO (punch) on July 27, 2007, and lost via second-round TKO (punches) to Seth Kleinbeck the following Aug. 25.

Both Santana, who obviously likes to use a Jiu-Jitsu attack, and Jara, who uses more of a wrestling base to transition to submissions or ground and pound, are brimming with confidence, which will make this a very competitive, entertaining matchup.

Apple, 31, who began his career with nine straight victories, has gone the distance just once in a five-year career. The talented veteran is making his ShoXC debut and first start since March 2007.

A former professional bodyboarder, bigtime BMX rider, host of action sports TV shows, including the X-Games, associate publisher of a publishing house that produced motocross, wakeboard, bodyboard and surfing periodicals, Apple is possibly the only fighter to enter MMA in order to preserve his body.

“I was thinking of something I needed to do that’s safe and fighting’s the safest thing I’ve done,’’ he said. “Compared to other sports I’ve been involved with, there’s a lot better chance of staying healthy’’

Apple, 31, started in Ruas Vale Tudo. He trains with Michael “Joker” Guymon at Joker’s Wild Fighting Academy in Lake Forest, Calif.

While Apple has built his record in a handful of West Coast organizations, winning titles along the way, the highly regarded Makowski, 21, has been making a name for himself on the East Coast.

A former high school football standout, Makowski is seeking his third consecutive victory for EliteXC in 2008. He beat Nick Serra on a second-round DQ when Serra refused to get up on May 31. By staying down, Serra denied Makowski a chance to finish him after he had been mostly picked apart.

The previous Jan. 28, Makowski showed a good ground game to go with his striking en route to registering an excellent 4:01, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Joe Schilling.

Makowski is fundamentally sound, possesses well-rounded skills and terrific cardio. The always well-prepared product of the Daddis Fight camp in Philadelphia, Makowski has yet to be severely challenged in a pro, amateur or Muay Thai fight, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

MMA TV

2008-09-21T21:16:00.000-04:00

Watch live video from MMA-TV on Justin.tv

Fantasy MMA Concept

2008-09-21T17:12:00.002-04:00

Josh Stein over at MMA Opinion has a post with an interesting concept for fantasy MMA:

Scoring Breakdown:

If your fighter is on the card: +5 points
If your fighter is in a title fight: +6 points
If your fighter wins said title fight: +2 points
If your fighter is involved in the Main Event (LAST FIGHT of the event): +3 points (regardless of win / loss)

If your fighter wins in 1st round: +10 points

- via KO: +3 point bonus
- via TKO: +2 point bonus
- via Sub: +1 point bonus

If your fighter wins in 2nd round: +8 points
If your fighter wins in 3rd round: +7 points
If your fighter wins in 4th round: +6 points
If your fighter wins in 5th round: +5 points

If your fighter wins by Unanimous Decision: +4 points
If your fighter wins by Majority Decision: +3 points
If your fighter wins by Split Decision: +2 points

If your fighter loses a fight: -4 points
If your fighter is Disqualified: -5 points
If your fighter is involved in a Draw: 0 point value

Most of the fantasys uff i have done has been over at MMAPlayground but this should be interesting concept as he talks more about it.

Dan Lauzon: I Am A Fighter

2008-09-21T13:38:00.001-04:00

Fox Fight Game on Kimbo Part 2

2008-09-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

Mike Straka living up to Fox News' reputation for excellent reporting/analysis.....

clownshoes

Strikeforce on G4

2008-09-21T12:03:00.002-04:00

Mike Afromowitz......so that's the guy I get all those e-mail press releases from.

Renzo Gracie - Legacy Trailer

2008-09-21T11:46:00.001-04:00

Jeff Monson vs Mark Kerr

2008-09-21T11:35:00.003-04:00

Vengeance Fighting Championship is putting on a card next week-end, aturday Sept 27th, with a few decent names on it and it will be streamed over the internet. The card features Jeff Monson vs Mark Kerr, along with UFC vets Conan Silveira, Carmelo Marrero, and TUF guy Cale Yarbrough. The card will be streamed at DonKing.tv.