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UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-13T05:12:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC 108: Sean Sherk vs Rafael Oliveira on tap for Jan. 2
WEC 44 weigh in results, information and details from Las Vegas, NV, on Nov. 17
UFC Quick Quote: A ‘horrified’ Shane Carwin feels bad for the 500 people stiffed by Lesnar’s illness
Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ video review and UFC 105 preview on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’
UFC 106 weigh in results, information and details from Las Vegas, NV, on Nov. 20
Quinton Jackson goes on a ‘Rampage’ in Playboy’s 20 Questions
WEC 44: Mike Brown ready for anything — even the ‘unknown’ against Jose Aldo
FieLDS Dynamite!!: Andy Souwer vs Masato (part three) booked with Georgio Petrosyan hurt
UFC 105 open workout videos for ‘Couture vs Vera’
UFC 109: Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie under consideration for Feb. 6

UFC 108: Sean Sherk vs Rafael Oliveira on tap for Jan. 2

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 08:26 PM PST

Former lightweight champion Sean Sherk (33-4-1) has been penciled in to collide with promotion sophomore Rafael Oliveira (9-2) at UFC 108, which is slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, as reported by Wisconsin Combat Sports.

A recent shoulder injury forced Sherk out of his 155-pound match-up against Gleison Tibau at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., back on Oct. 24.

At the ripe old age of 35, the "Muscle Shark" looked as though he was heading back into title contention with a unanimous decision win over Tyson Griffin at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote," demonstrating much improved striking skills.

Primarily known for his overwhelming wrestling attack, Sherk's new multidimensional approach earned him and Griffin the "Fight of the Night."

Unfortunately, he may have become too reliant on his stand-up and not his wrestling, which was a big factor is his divisional dominance for so many years. That helped Frankie Edgar outpoint him en route to a unanimous decision loss at UFC 98: "Evans vs. Machida" back in May.

Which Sherk shows up for the Oliveira fight remains to be seen.

The “Tractor” had won three straight prior to coughing up a unanimous decision to Nik Lentz in his Octagon debut at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun” just last month. Like Sherk, he is also an aggressive fighter with a strong rate of finishing fights, having stopped 75 percent of his opponents before the final bell.

Finishing the former champ won’t be easy — only two men have been able to do it in 38 attempts.

UFC 108 will produce the next heavyweight number one contender when former Interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira takes on surging prospect Cain Velasquez in a bid to determine who will face the winner of Shane Carwin vs. Brock Lesnar at some point in 2010.

As expected, former 205-pound champion, Rashad Evans, will collide with Brazilian slugger, Thiago Silva, in the co-featured fight of the night.

For more on UFC 108 click here.

WEC 44 weigh in results, information and details from Las Vegas, NV, on Nov. 17

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 07:57 PM PST

The official weigh-in event for WEC 44: "Brown vs. Aldo" is set to take place from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.

The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. PT. Doors to the event will open at 2 p.m. PT for a special autograph session featuring top WEC stars Jamie Varner, Brian Bowles and Ed Ratcliff.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the WEC 44 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

WEC 44 will feature a main event featherweight title bout between champion Mike Thomas Brown and perhaps his most difficult challenger to date in feared Brazilian striker, Jose "Junior" Aldo.

Former UFC lightweights Manny "The Pitbull" Gamburyan and Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia are also scheduled to hook 'em up in a battle of 145-pound contenders in the co-featured fight of the evening.

Check out the complete lineup for WEC 44 below:

Main event:

145 lbs.: WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) vs. Jose
"Junior" Aldo (15-1)

Main card (Televised):

145 lbs.: Manny "Pitbull" Gamburyan (9-4) vs. Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (13-4)
155 lbs.: "Razor" Rob McCullough (17-5) vs. Anthony "Showtime" Pettis (7-0)
155 lbs.: Shane Roller (6-2) vs. Danny Castillo (8-1)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

145 lbs.: L.C. Davis (14-2) vs. Diego "The Gun" Nunes (13-0)
145 lbs.: John Franchi (5-1) vs. Cub Swanson (13-3)
155 lbs.: James Krause (10-1) vs. Ricardo Lamas (6-1)
135 lbs.: Frank Gomez (7-1) vs. Seth Dikun (7-3)
155 lbs.: Alex Karalexis (10-4) vs. Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1)
135 lbs.: Antonio Banuelos (16-5) vs. Kenji Osawa (15-8-2)

For those fortunate enough to be in "Sin City" remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 2 p.m. PT for the general public.

And be sure to stick around immediately following the weigh-ins for a Q&A session with WEC headliners Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson with special guest emcee Frank Mir.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Wednesday, Nov. 18), which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on the Versus network from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort.

The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 7 p.m. ET.

It's going to be an awesome night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight WEC 44 coverage you can handle.

UFC Quick Quote: A ‘horrified’ Shane Carwin feels bad for the 500 people stiffed by Lesnar’s illness

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 07:34 PM PST

“I was just kind of horrified that (Brock Lesnar) would even get in the face of the opponent he had just beaten (at UFC 100). It was totally disrespectful to Frank, and that's the part that just started it all off. You know, one of the first things you learn when you walk into any mixed martial arts gym or dojo is respect and discipline, and especially for your opponents and your training partners. So that was the first thing that teed it off, and, you know, the flipping off of the crowd. You know, that was another thing. They can boo or whatever. You know I got booed when I was in England, heavily, and you can turn those boos into cheers with some simple comments. And then, you know, the part about getting on top of his wife and stuff. You know, that kind of horrified me, too, just because I have a ton of respect for my wife and my family, and they always come first. And, you know, I would never make remarks like that. There's a lot of people that are upset that 106 isn't happening. That was one of my immediate reactions, you know, when I found out from the media guy. He asked me what my reaction to it was. I told him my heart had sank and I told him I felt bad for all my family and friends that were planning on attending the fight. Just in this local area, from the town I am (from), there were about 500 people going.”

UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin talks to Pro MMA Radio about his disappointment for himself and his fans after his title fight with Brock Lesnar was canceled from UFC 106. The champ’s nagging illness has forced the fight into limbo once again, as a date to decide the heavyweight championship remains uncertain. Carwin has not competed since his first round knockout victory over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 back in April. If and when his fight with Brock Lesnar actually comes to fruition, will Carwin finally get his chance to show Lesnar the meaning of respect? Or will the former WWE headliner make “The Engineer” eat his own words?

Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ video review and UFC 105 preview on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 04:01 PM PST

UFC 106 weigh in results, information and details from Las Vegas, NV, on Nov. 20

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 02:48 PM PST

The official weigh-in event for UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2" is set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, November 20, 2009.

It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, as well as on several other online destinations, via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the UFC 106 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

UFC 106 features a rematch between former light heavyweight champions, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, filling the gaping main event void left by Brock Lesnar, who was forced to withdraw from his heavyweight title defense against Shane Carwin because of a serious illness.

Top welterweight contender, Josh Koscheck, will once again step up on relatively short notice to see if the hard-hitting Anthony Johnson belongs among the division's elite.

Here's the complete UFC 106 fight card:

Main event:

205 lbs.: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

Main card (Televised):

170 lbs.: Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck
205 lbs.: Luis Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
170 lbs.: Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah
170 lbs.: Dustin Hazelett vs. Karo Parisyan

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt
170 lbs.: Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann
170 lbs.: Brian Foster vs. Brock Larson
155 lbs.: Fabricio Camoes vs. Caol Uno
155 lbs.: George Sotiropoulos vs. Jason Dent

For those fortunate enough to be in "Sin City" for the promotion's return trip to the Mandalay Bay, remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 1 p.m. local time for the general public.

In addition, UFC Fight Club members will be able to attend an exclusive Q&A session with current heavyweight contender, Cain Velasquez, on that same day at 2 p.m. (check-in starts at 1 p.m.)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Nov. 21), which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET with Spike TV telecast of select prelim bouts.

It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 106 coverage you can handle.

Quinton Jackson goes on a ‘Rampage’ in Playboy’s 20 Questions

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 12:24 PM PST

The Mercurial MMA Champ Gets Swinging Mad About His Ultimate Fighter Protégés, Rude Fans, and Conversations about His Arrest Last Year

"I actually hated coaching. The job f**king sucked. And they better not ask me to do it again. It's just f**king too much," says Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in Playboy's December 20Q when asked about his role on the reality series The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights (issue on newsstands and online at www.playboydigital.com Friday, November 13). "I've got kids I didn't see, and I'd bust out crying whenever I looked at their picture. And I ain't gonna lie – the pay f**king sucked for how much work I did."

While the former wrestler and UFC champion recently announced his retirement from the octagon, Jackson's candid conversation with Playboy contributor Jason Buhrmester proves he's still got plenty of fight in him. Following are selected quotes from the interview:

On motivating his fighters: "Some guys you slap and they get motivated. Some guys you've got to tell them, 'Do you want me to change your tampon?' You've got all different types of personalities."

On the first time he punched someone in the face: "My mom said I've been fighting my whole life. But the first time I punched somebody in the face who wasn't a family member was in kindergarten. I let this kid borrow one of my Hot Wheels, and he broke it, so I decided to break my foot off in his ass. I've been in so many fights it just seems natural."

On who first gave him the nickname Rampage: "I got the nickname from my cousin when I was eight years old. I had a bad temper. When I would lose my temper my family thought it was amusing because I used to huff and hyperventilate. It was bad. … When I was around 15, I tattooed it on my arm myself."

On his role in the upcoming remake of The A-Team, the movie that caused him to quit the UFC: "I can't talk too much about it. I'm doing it now that I've finished this reality show. … I used to bond with my father watching The A-Team as a kid. My dad and I are still big fans of the show, so I am basically doing this for the childhood memories."

On growing up in Memphis: "I kind of did the street life for a bit, so I learned a lot. But you know, growing up in the streets I learned not to be like the guys I followed, which turned out to be pretty good for me. Those guys, they didn't end up doing too much. They're still living at home with their mamas."

On Kimbo Slice's chances in the UFC: "Kimbo has a lot of learning to do, but he's willing to do it. He's learned so quickly that I think he's got a bright future in the UFC if he keeps progressing."

On making the switch from wrestling to mixed martial arts: "I met one of my favorite wrestlers at a hotel when I was wrestling in the state championships. I can't say who it was, but I asked him for an autograph, and he was kind of rude to me. Then I saw him signing another kid's autograph as he was leaving, so that killed my dream of becoming a pro wrestler. I didn't want to have nothing to do with it."

On his time in Japan: "I like people watching there. They dress so funny. I just like to watch them. It's like watching a bunch of living robots."

On his arrest last year on felony hit-and-run charges: "A lady tried to sue me and say she had a miscarriage because of the accident, but the DA said it had nothing to do with the miscarriage. Anyway, that's old news."

On the hardest punch he's ever thrown: "That was in my fight last December when I knocked out Wanderlei Silva. … It was very technical. I think that was the hardest punch I've ever thrown. He was out before he hit the ground. … I connected and did everything exactly right. I just felt like butter."

On his fans: "Some people are just rude. People poke me, run up to me and say weird things. … Yesterday some guy grabbed me and spun me around. I thought it was one of my friends. He asked, 'Are you Rampage?' I told him, 'Hey, look, dude, just don't touch people, man."

To read the entire interview click here.

WEC 44: Mike Brown ready for anything — even the ‘unknown’ against Jose Aldo

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 11:30 AM PST

Props: MMA Fanhouse

Quoteworthy:

“He’s very tough, a good striker who’s been going right through people. He’s been knocking people out so quickly that it’s hard to see what his complete game is like, but his striking is good. My advantages over him are strength, punching power and wrestling. On the ground it’s kind of an unknown. I mean, he’s a black belt, but there are very different calibers of black belts. I can’t say that I wouldn’t get caught because great jiu-jitsu guys still get caught in submissions. I mean, Wagnney Fabiano just got caught in a triangle. Who would have thought that? But I can definitely say I’ve improved to the point where now I think submission grappling is my strong suit. I don’t like to make predictions, and I know the possibility of losing is always there. But I’m very confident in my abilities and I think I’m going to go out there and win the fight.”

WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Brown sounds off on his upcoming title defense against the electric Jose Aldo at WEC 44 from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. It certainly won't be an easy task because the 15-1 “Junior” has been sensational in his tenure with the WEC, stopping all five of his fights by way of (T)KO. But if anyone can do it it’s Brown — he’s been an absolute juggernaut since usurping the crown from Urijah Faber at WEC 36. Will Aldo be able to keep it upright or will Brown neutralize his stand-up with takedowns and punishing ground and pound? Predictions please, Maniacs.

FieLDS Dynamite!!: Andy Souwer vs Masato (part three) booked with Georgio Petrosyan hurt

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 11:15 AM PST

The K-1 MAX 2009 World champion, Georgio Petrosyan, has indeed been forced to withdraw from the main event of the 2009 FieLDS Dynamite!! on New Year’s Eve against Masato due to fractured right hand.

Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG) held a press conference on Thursday, November 12 to announce that Andy Souwer will replace Petrosyan in Masato’s farewell bout.

Along with the eventual winner of the K-1 MAX 2009 World Championship, Souwer has been a top candidate for Masato’s opponent since Masato announced his retirement early this year.

Fitting for the final bout of his career, two-time K-1 MAX World champion and Japanese K-1 icon, Masato seeks to avenge his previous two losses in as many bouts against the fellow two-time K-1 MAX world champion.

In their first meeting in the semi-final round of the K-1 MAX 2006 World Championship tournament, Souwer defeated Masato via decision to advance to the final against Buakaw Por Pramuk. Souwer again bested Masato — this time via corner stoppage TKO at the end of the second round — in the tournament final of the K-1 MAX 2007 World Championship.

Unlike the usual three-minute, three-round K-1 matches, Masato-Souwer will be contested as a five-rounder with three minute rounds and one extra round. The extended round length will be implemented in hope that Masato and Souwer give a proverbial 110% and a clear-cut winner emerges in the end.

Masato fought his second to last fight in July at K-1 MAX 2009 World Championship Final 8 where he defeated the world class lightweight MMA fighter, Tatsuya Kawajiri via second-round TKO. At the press conference, Masato divulged that he fought Kawajiri for a tune-up bout and actually began the preparation for the Dynamite!! appearance in April.

Souwer bested Artur Kyshenko in a close contest to enter the semi-final round of the K-1 MAX 2009 World Championship. In the semi-final round, he edged the fellow K-1 MAX fixture, Buakaw Por Pramuk by split decision after going to an extra round. In the tournament final on the same night, the battle-weary Souwer fell short against Georgio Petrosyan who dispatched Yuya Yamamoto in the first round earlier in the night.

From Sadaharu Tanikawa:

“The biggest highlight of this year’s Dynamite!! New Year’s Eve event is the retirement bout of Masato, who has been the central figure in K-1 and has spearheaded the Japanese combat sport scene throughout the 2000s. 2009 is the last year of the 2000’s and thus a sort of conclusion and assessment point. That the fighters such as Musashi, Kozo Takeda, and Hayato who have been active throughout the 2000’s announced their retirement this year is symbolic (of the end of an era). 2000 was a tumultuous year with the death of Andy Hug (K-1 legend from the ’90s) and other events, but it has already been nearly ten years since then. I hope that, with Masato’s retirement, the upcoming Dynamite!! event will mark a fresh start for the Japanese combat sport.”

From Masato:

“I think some people might remember me taking the mic and proclaiming that ‘This is my era from now on’ after defeating Mourad Sari, who was considered one of the best fighters in the world at the time, by KO in November of 2000. Nine years later, on December 31, 2009, I would like to defeat Andy Souwer by KO and announce, ‘my era, which I proclaimed began in 2000, has just come to an end.’ (Meeting Souwer in the retirement bout) is defintely a destiny. It is a narrative which ends with my defeat of Souwer. I became a champion in 2003 and since then, I have become the champion once again last year without having been able to defeat him. They are all part of the narrative — a grand story of K-1 MAX. That is why Souwer has become my final opponent and the destiny holds that the story will end with my defeating him. We will go toe to toe with each other and make it a memorable fight.”

For more on the upcoming FieLDS Dynamite!! event click here.

UFC 105 open workout videos for ‘Couture vs Vera’

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 09:31 AM PST

Props: Planet MMA

Check out more from Brandon Vera, Mike Swick and Michael Bisping after the jump.

“The Truth”

“Quick”

“The Count”

UFC 109: Matt Hughes vs Renzo Gracie under consideration for Feb. 6

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 09:20 AM PST

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (43-7) may have finally found an opponent for his 2010 return as he will reportedly welcome jiu-jitsu legend Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) to the Octagon at UFC 109 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 6, according to Heavy.com.

Hughes was adamant about making one last run in the UFC 170-pound division — though he wasn’t chomping at the bit to throw leather with up-and-coming stars like Josh Koscheck or Mike Swick, who did their best to call out the fighting farmhand.

Following his unanimous decision win over Matt Serra at UFC 98: "Evans vs. Machida," the future Hall of Famer signed a four-fight contract that will likely keep him in the Octagon for the remainder of his career.

While he may not compete long enough to satisfy all four fights, he has indicated that his only desire is to face opponents that he finds interesting, like his 2006 scrap against UFC pioneer Royce Gracie.

Maybe the win he holds over the famed Gracie grappler is what prompted Renzo to consider battling Hughes in his Octagon debut — or perhaps it was Hughes looking for revenge after Gracie submitted longtime friend and mentor Pat Miletich at IFL: “Gracie vs. Miletich” — also in 2006.

The son of Robson Gracie has competed both stateside and Internationally including eight times under the PRIDE banner, but never for the UFC. He hasn’t seen action since a second round disqualification win over Frank Shamrock at Elite XC: “Destiny” back in February 2007.

While the 42-year-old Gracie is six years Hughes’ elder, the contrast in styles could still result in an interesting match-up.

And that’s exactly what Hughes has been asking for — though it can be said that sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.

You just might get it.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on UFC 109, which has yet to be officially announced by the promotion, as it develops.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-12T05:45:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Now playing: UFC 105 pre-fight press conference LIVE for Nov. 21 event
UFC 105 video blog with Dana White (Episode two)
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 9 recap and discussion
Dan Hardy out to prove a point against Mike Swick at UFC 105 (Video)
Chad Ochocinco vs Anderson Silva in the works for UFC 108 on Jan. 2
‘Big’ John McCarthy talks UFC relationship; state of MMA officiating (Video)
Kazuo Misaki leaves Grabaka to become his own ‘Hitman’
UFC 105 odds and betting lines for ‘Couture vs Vera’ on Nov. 14
TUF 10 video preview for Episode 9: ‘Rattled’
Hand surgery sidelines Fedor Emelianenko up to six weeks

Now playing: UFC 105 pre-fight press conference LIVE for Nov. 21 event

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 05:04 AM PST

Replay courtesy of UFC.com.

UFC 105 video blog with Dana White (Episode two)

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 03:59 AM PST

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 9 recap and discussion

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 04:18 PM PST

Episode 9 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 10 gets underway and Coach Evans is trying to find a way to train his contestants to fight one another after spending the first half of the season as team mates. His solution is to have them train together but not get individualized instruction.

Justin Wren, who fights Roy Nelson in tonight’s quarterfinals bout, is uncomfortable training so close to “Big Country” when he knows he’ll soon be standing across from him inside the cage.

Matt Mitrione complains of brain pain following his win over Scott Junk. “Meathead” was putting on a performance in the van on the way home from the gym but the rest of the gang wasn’t taking the bait.

Since no one was paying any attention to him, he turns it up a notch with dry heaves and all kinds of psychosomatic symptoms that of course has Kimbo Slice beaming with the hope that Mitrione has a concussion and will be unable to fight, giving the former YouTube star a backdoor into the quarterfinals.

Coach Rampage calls Kimbo the most improved contestant which I find hard to believe since Slice gets in the confessional and talks about landing haymakers. Coach Evans isn’t sour on the idea of a Kimbo return and thinks it might add a little excitement to the remaining match-ups.

Team Rampage thinks Team Evans is cocky so they decide to go out and stick a bunch of orphaned roosters in the cars of Rashad and his coaches. Get it? “Cock” … “Cocky” … Oh that Rampage, he’s such a character.

The prank backfires because not only does Team Evans get a good laugh over the chicken fiasco, they get new rental cars to replace the ones that were defecated on by the wild birds.

Back at the house, Wes Sims asks a returning Matt Mitrione how his trip to the gynecologist was. Tee hee. Meathead responds that his brain is scrambled. Duh. We knew that already.

Commercial break shows a trailer for a movie titled “Ninja Assassin” that shows all those tired karate moves where guys are flying through the air in slow motion/Matrix-style.

Somewhere out there Sonny Chiba is changing the channel in shame.

UFC President Dana White shows up at the house unannounced to get a first hand look at the Mitrione situation. Matt assures Dana he’s good to fight and is confident the doctor will agree. Scott Junk is also on standby in case they need a last-minute replacement.

James McSweeney predicts Justin Wren will overcome the skills (and belly) of Roy Nelson and take the fight. Kimbo disagrees, probably because he doesn’t want the guy that owned him getting bounced out in the very next fight. Brendan Schaub calls for a stand-up war.

At the weigh-ins, Dana sneaks in a few more potshots at Roy Nelson then goes on to sing the praises of Justin Wren. Marcus Jones can’t pick against Wren because he’s so cute and likable. Oooookay. Wren is reading a prayer on the way to the fight. Matt Hughes would be proud.

Quarterfinal elimination fight #1: Roy Nelson (13-4) vs. Justin Wren (8-1)

Round 1: Wren charges with heavy punches but gets nothing. And again. Three times. Uh, four times. Five, but this time he lands and stuns Nelson who quickly ties him up and pushes him to the cage. They grunt and struggle for position until the referee separates them. Quick one-two by Nelson. Violent combo by Wren sends Nelson into a retreat. Wren throwing HARD. Wren eats two jabs and answers with a haymaker that grazes. More of Wren charging like a bull. Combo by Nelson. Another. Nice inside kick by Nelson. Wren charges and eats an uppercut. Wren starting to gas from all the power punches. Nelson finding his range and being elusive like a 300 lb. Lyoto Machida. Round over. Likely goes to Wren for the aggression and opening assault. Nelson landed but wasn’t busy enough.

Round 2: Nelson jabs and Wren bulldozes in. Nelson retreats and avoids any damage. Hard right lands for Wren. Another. Jab lands for Nelson. Body shot for Nelson. Wren shoots and slips but escapes a Nelson flop. Wren charges and uses the Thai plum but Nelson uppercuts his way out of it. A spent Wren can barely keep his hands up. Nice low kick by Nelson who is also gassed. Wren eats another kick. Both guys lurching about, mouths agape. A right connects for Wren. Good low kick by Nelson. Body shot by Nelson. Nice low kick by Wren. Fight has turned into a disastrous display of exhaustion and rippling cellulite. Round over. I give it to Nelson for landing more shots. Should probably be a third round but of course there isn’t.

Roy Nelson defeats Justin Wren via majority decision.

Dana White shakes his head in disgust.

Stay tuned next week as Matt Mitrione continues his woe-is-me routine, the coaches challenge features Rashad vs. Rampage in a game of beach volleyball and it’s John Madsen against Brendan Schaub in the second round of quarterfinal action.

See you in seven!

Dan Hardy out to prove a point against Mike Swick at UFC 105 (Video)

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 04:10 PM PST

Chad Ochocinco vs Anderson Silva in the works for UFC 108 on Jan. 2

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 02:55 PM PST

No, not really, but that’s the latest back-and-forth conversation between epic “Twitterer” and NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco, and UFC President Dana White:

“Dana this Ocho Cinco, I want to fight your #1 and #2 best fighters asap,exhibition to raise money for a charity of choice!!!!!! … matter of fact I want Anderson Spider Silva—please don’t ignore me or you’ll have to fight me yourself!!! Sincerely Esteban … Mr. White this a serious matter, we can help alot organazations with this fight, I have a good chance at winning against Silva … Awesome! I’m fighting Anderson Silva-I can’t wait to throw my child please combo with a kiss da baby leg kick,Silva can shut the front door! … oh I’m dead serious, this will be one that goes down in history, Ocho defeats Silva in surprising upset, it’s on!!!”

White responded:

“If you are really serious @OGOchoCinco, contact me. We’ll put a fight together for charity…. I need a Jan 2nd fight. Ocho Cinco vs Anderson Spider Silva. PS – I’m too old to fight anyone.”

Guess it’s a better idea than sending mustard to the Pittsburgh Steelers (who play at Heinze Field) this weekend … or maybe not — “The Spider” has had brilliant success with Cincinnati-based opponents in the past.

‘Big’ John McCarthy talks UFC relationship; state of MMA officiating (Video)

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 11:12 AM PST

Kazuo Misaki leaves Grabaka to become his own ‘Hitman’

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 11:11 AM PST

Kazuo “Grabaka Hitman” Misaki has become the latest to join the recent string of high-profile Japanese veterans to leave their long-time home.

Earlier this week, Misaki has officially announced his departure from the Grabaka gym where he has been affiliated since 2000 — he made his professional debut in Pancrase in May, 2001. Citing his intent to “start from scratch,” he did not unveil any detail regarding his future plan for training or fighting schedule.

Located in Nakano, Tokyo, Grabaka gym was founded by Pancrase/PRIDE veteran and former ADCC winner, Sanae Kikuta, and has produced numerous standout fighters including Misaki, Akihiro Gono, Yuki Sasaki, and Kazunori Yokota. The retired UFC/Hero’s veteran, Genki Sudo and current UFC top middleweight contender, Nate Marquardt, count themselves among the fighters who have trained at the gym at one time or another.

A former Pancrase and Pride FC star, Misaki has signed with World Victory Road in the wake of the dissolution of Pride. In January of this year, he fought the American Top Team fighter and Sengoku middleweight grand prix winner, Jorge Santiago, for the promotion’s middleweight title. After stymiing Santiago with superior striking for four rounds, Misaki succumbed to rear naked choke in the fifth round.

In July, he incurred indefinite suspension from competition by the WVR executive committee following a brush with law. According to the police report, an officer on motorcycle attempted to pull him over for talking on a cell phone while driving. Misaki proceeded to speed away, hitting the officer in the arm. He entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to three years probation, plus unspecified public service.

Misaki was allowed to compete in Sengoku 9 where he defeated the fellow Pride FC veteran, Kazuhiro Nakamura; however, he did not receive pay and the suspension nullified his title shot against Santiago. His originally scheduled payment has been donated to the Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention charity.

According to the Grabaka chief, Kikuta, Grabaka does not bind its fighters contractually. Thus, unless the fighters have signed multi-fight contracts that name them, the organizations, and the gym as stakeholders, they are free to leave on their own accord.

Grabaka is one of the unofficial WVR-affiliated gyms and WVR has yet to lift Misaki’s suspension. Last month, WVR PR Director, Takahiro Kokuho has stated that the status of Misaki’s suspension will be discussed in the next committee hearing in early December. Though nothing is finalized at the moment, Kokuho has stated that he would like to add Misaki to Sengoku’s New Year’s Eve fight card.

While Misaki’s promotional destination following the suspension by WVR remains up in air, ongoing rumors suggest that he may jump ship elsewhere: A rumor of possible showdown with Kazushi Sakuraba on FEG’s Dynamite! NYE event has been gaining buzz online. Also, having made a victorious Strikeforce debut against Joe Riggs last September, he may opt to fight in the organization again — especially given its recent momentum from network TV debut and the newly formalized alliance with DREAM.

Stay tuned to MMAmania for further news regarding Kazuo Misaki as they become available.

UFC 105 odds and betting lines for ‘Couture vs Vera’ on Nov. 14

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 10:43 AM PST

It’s time to start thinking about getting your bets in for UFC 105: "Couture vs. Vera" — we’re now less than three days away!

The Spike TV event from the MEN Arena in Manchester, England begins Saturday, Nov. 14. at 8 p.m. ET. That means, of course, that you should start to think about placing possible bets on the fight outcomes before it's too late.

UFC 105 will feature a main event between former heavyweight champion, Randy "The Natural" Couture, returning to light heavyweight to battle Brandon "The Truth" Vera. In addition, hometown favorite Michael "The Count" Bisping will take on Pride FC standout, Denis Kang, in the co-featured fight of the night.

Welterweights Mike Swick and Dan Hardy are also booked to get busy inside the Octagon to help clarify the suddenly murky 170-pound number one contender situation.

Who will advance to challenge current division champion Georges St. Pierre? You can make a lot of scratch right now if you think you know the answer.

Here are the latest UFC 105 odds (- = favorite; + = underdog):

Randy Couture	-110	BET NOW
Brandon Vera	-120	BET NOW
Denis Kang	-125	BET NOW
Michael Bisping	-105	BET NOW
Mike Swick	-210	BET NOW
Dan Hardy	+165	BET NOW
Matt Brown	-155	BET NOW
James Wilks	+125	BET NOW
Aaron Riley	-200	BET NOW
Ross Pearson	+160	BET NOW

Time to put up or shut up for all us keyboard warriors … get in on the action before it's too late.

For a little help with how to bet on UFC fights and what all the numbers mean check out this post right HERE (Disregard the UFC 85 references … all the information is still accurate and helpful.)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, Nov. 14). It's going to be an exciting evening of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 105 coverage you can handle.

To check out our complete UFC 105 event archive click here.

TUF 10 video preview for Episode 9: ‘Rattled’

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 08:55 AM PST

Hand surgery sidelines Fedor Emelianenko up to six weeks

Posted: 11 Nov 2009 08:54 AM PST

Former PRIDE and current WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) will be out of action for up to six weeks as a result of hand surgery that was required to repair a dislocated thumb suffered in his Nov. 7 fight against Brett Rogers, according to Sherdog.com.

“The Last Emperor” headlined the Strikeforce/CBS prime time debut “Fedor vs. Rogers” last Saturday night from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Emelianenko defeated “The Grim” via second round technical knockout, but not before sustaining his share of punishment from the Chicago native.

According to the report, the procedure required the Russian fighter to have pins inserted into his hand to correct the dislocation but no bone or ligament damage was revealed during the surgery.

Emelianenko had surgery on his hand once before, following his laugher over Wagner “Zuluzinho” da Conceicao Martins at PRIDE: “Shockwave 2005″ to correct a chronic ailment that had plagued him since 2003.

Despite earlier reports (and pictures of a busted up face), Emelianenko’s nose was not broken during the Rogers fight and he’s expected to resume limited training upon his return to Russia later this month.

Fedor is also expected to compete under the Strikeforce banner for a second time in early 2010.

For “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage click here.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-11T05:03:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC 106 video blog with Tito Ortiz on Forrest Griffin rematch (Episode one)
Report: Two UFC 106 prelim bouts will air LIVE on Spike TV on Nov. 21
Randy Couture video on UFC 105 fight against Brandon Vera on Nov. 14
Strikeforce ratings for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ peak with 5.46 million television viewers on CBS
UFC 108 main event between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez announced for Jan. 2
The great debate: Fedor Emelianenko and his place among the MMA elite
UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture looking to make Brandon Vera fight a ‘wrestling match’ at UFC 105
Antwain Britt planning for Dec. 19 Strikeforce debut against Scott Lighty at ‘Evolution’
Mike Swick UFC 105 video blog: ‘Day 1 in Manchester’ (Episode 2)
Dana White: Brock Lesnar would smash Fedor Emelianenko

UFC 106 video blog with Tito Ortiz on Forrest Griffin rematch (Episode one)

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 08:55 PM PST

Report: Two UFC 106 prelim bouts will air LIVE on Spike TV on Nov. 21

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 07:48 PM PST

Spike TV will once again air a portion of an upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight card on its network prior to a major pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast, according to MMAFanHouse.com.

Fans will be treated to one hour of uninterrupted mixed martial arts competition when Marcus Davis collides with Ben Saunders in a welterweight showdown and middleweights Kendall Grove and Jake Rosholt mix it up on the UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2" under card at 9 p.m. ET on Nov. 21.

Similar to UFC 103 in Sept. and then UFC 104 in Oct., which both attracted about 1.4 million viewers as the promotion began to test the idea along with its cable television partner, the UFC 106 featured prelim bouts will air commercial-free and possibly showcase additional prerecorded action if time permits.

It will, naturally, lead into the PPV telecast at 10 p.m., which will be available for purchase at $44.95.

Top welterweight contender, Josh Koscheck, will once again step up on relatively short notice to see if the hard-hitting Anthony Johnson belongs among the division’s elite.

To check out the latest UFC 106 fight card click here.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 106, beginning with the Spike TV telecast. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night.

Randy Couture video on UFC 105 fight against Brandon Vera on Nov. 14

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 04:03 PM PST

Strikeforce ratings for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ peak with 5.46 million television viewers on CBS

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 03:55 PM PST

The main event of CBS SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers reached 5.46 million viewers while drawing impressive young adult and male demographic ratings, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings from 11:00-11:15 PM on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The demographic ratings include a 3.5/10 in men 25-54, 3.3/11 in men 18-49 and 3.1/12 in men 18-34, 2.5/7 rating in adults 25-54, 2.4/8 in adults 18-49 and 2.4/09 in adults 18-34.

For the entire broadcast, CBS SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS (S) (9:00-11:24PM) averaged 4.04m viewers, winning its time period among adults 18-34 and men 18-34, and delivering ratings significantly higher than the Network’s season to date averages in the time period among young adult and male demos.

The ratings include a 1.8/06 in adults 18-49, 1.8/07 in adults 18-34, 2.6/07 in men 25-54, 2.5/08 in men 18-49 and 2.3/09 in men 18-34.

Compared to CBS’s 9:00-11:00PM season-to-date averages, CBS SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS was up +38% in adults 18-49 (from 1.3/04), +125% in adults 18-34 (from 0.8/03), +117% in men 25-54 (from 1.2/03), +178% in men 18-49 (from 0.9/03) and +283% in men 18-34 (from 0.6/02).

CBS’s SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS outrated ABC’s regionalized primetime college football in men 18-34 (2.3/09 vs. 1.9/07) and adults 18-34 (1.8/07 vs. 1.5/06) and ESPN’s Florida State vs. Clemson primetime game in men 18-34 (2.3/09 vs. 0.7/03) and adults 18-34 (1.8/07 vs. 0.5/02). CBS also topped ESPN2’s primetime Vanderbilt vs. Florida game in men 18-34 (2.3/09 vs. 1.1/04) and adults 18-34 (1.8/07 vs. 0.9/04).

The audience composition for CBS SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS was 31% adults 18-34 and the median age for the broadcast was 41.4.

For complete Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” results and coverage click here and here.

UFC 108 main event between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez announced for Jan. 2

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 03:24 PM PST

Brock Lesnar? Sick. Lyoto Machida? Hurt. Anderson Silva? Recovering. Georges St. Pierre? Rehabbing. BJ Penn? Busy.

That’s the hand the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was dealt as it prepares for its traditional blockbuster year-end pay-per-view (PPV) event, which is slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2.

So with all its champions unable to headline the card, the promotion today announced that former UFC interim heavyweight champion and mixed martial arts legend, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, would indeed face off against undefeated rising star, Cain Velasquez, in the UFC 108 main event of the evening.

But just because there is no title at stake doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot on the line.

UFC President Dana White explains the significance:

"Nogueira vs. Velasquez is a great matchup between the present and the future of the heavyweight division. Nogueira showed in the Couture fight that he still has plenty left to offer at the top level of the game, and Velasquez was devastating in his win over Ben Rothwell, so with both guys in top form, we're definitely going to see a number one contender emerge from this fight to take on the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin title fight."

UFC 108 was expected to feature a reshuffled main event between ailing heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, and number one division contender, Shane Carwin. However, Lesnar is still suffering from a serious illness, mononucleosis, which scrapped the intended main event at UFC 106 on Nov. 21.

As expected, former 205-pound champion, Rashad Evans, will collide with Brazilian slugger, Thiago Silva, in the co-featured fight of the night.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on UFC 108 as it develops and everything else.

The great debate: Fedor Emelianenko and his place among the MMA elite

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 12:04 PM PST

UFC President Dana White thinks Fedor Emelianenko is a fraud. A flabby relic from the mismanaged days of PRIDE that now hides behind the iron curtain, emerging only to fight hand-picked opponents that pose no threat to a self-proclaimed legacy.

In fact, White is so sure that the Russian heavyweight is at the bottom of the divisional rankings that he was willing to write him a blank check after Affliction MMA imploded under the weight of its own spending.

That makes sense.

Imagine how quickly the men in white coats would come to collect you if you walked onto the lot of an auto auction and told the yard barker: “I’ve got a check for five million dollars, please give me the biggest piece of shit on the lot.”

Ever since the fall of PRIDE, there have been a lot of hard feelings between the UFC and Emelianenko’s camp and I suspect a great deal of that has been “The Last Emperor’s,” ability to escape the Zuffa monopoly.

Men with White’s power and ultimately White’s greed are used to getting what they want. What do men in power want? Everything. Yet “those crazy Russians” have balked at every attempt the UFC has made to secure the WAMMA champion as their own.

And why wouldn’t they, especially when M-1 can have a monopoly of their own? As long as Emelianenko keeps winning, Vadim and the Finkelchtein Express can continue cashing in at the expense of other promotions who need an established headliner.

In the world of playground politics we call that “Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers.”

While M-1 and UFC continue to argue over who the bigger A-hole is, fans of mixed martial arts are left with one of the most heated debates in the history of this young sport.

Is the man known as “Fedor” the greatest mixed martial artist of all time?

That, like the asinine “pound-for-pound” ranking system, is impossible to prove with any sort of irrefutable evidence.

I’ve been following Emelianenko since his win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at “PRIDE: Shockwave 2004.” I expected him to lose that fight against “Big Nog,” because at the time I didn’t think anyone could overcome “Minotauro’s” incomparable balance of boxing and jiu-jitsu.

And therein lies the problem with trying to qualify the greatness of a fighter such as Emelianenko. Many pundits believe, as Dana White does, that current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar would smash the M-1 star with relative ease.

It’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

No fighter is invincible. Anderson Silva has put together a string of victories that on paper look like the work of fiction, going 11-0 since that same event in 2004 and stopping ten of those fights by (T)KO or submission.

Yet during the span of his career, “The Spider” was also submitted twice, by fighters that would never be mistaken for title contenders.

Another one of today’s top stars, Georges St. Pierre, has completely re-written the playbook on wrestling defense inside the Octagon. “Rush” seems to grow more dominant with each contest and could be one or two fights away from cleaning out the UFC 170-pound division.

But there was a time when St. Pierre was submitted by Matt Hughes and knocked out by Matt Serra just a few years later. Was the Canadian the far-and-away better fighter than “The Terror” at UFC 69? Of course, but this is what makes mixed martial arts so great.

A lot of people laud the sport for its unpredictability, but I disagree. Because of the nature of combat sports, I believe it is the margin for error — not random chance — that causes so many jaw-dropping upsets.

Randy Couture dodged an oncoming lunchbox in the second round of his fight against Brock Lesnar back at UFC 91 in November of 2008. Unfortunately the tail end of that punch clipped him on the fade-away and crumpled the elder statesman, forcing his heavyweight belt into the arms of the former WWE headliner.

Was it a bookie-busting upset? No, but it was a perfect example of how one small error can end a fight, especially in the new-look heavyweight division, where most of the upcoming fighters can bench-press a Volkswagen.

If I was asked to pick the best fighter currently competing at this present time, it would probably be Anderson Silva, for his amazing run over the past four years and the level of competition he’s faced.

Sure, he had that stinker against Thales Leites at UFC 97, but it’s difficult to fight someone who spends more time on their back than “The Huntington Beach Bad Girl.”

Now if I had to pick the best fighter of all time, my first pick has to be Fedor Emelianenko. Again, I won’t dispute that a fighter exists in the UFC that may have the tools to beat him, but I cannot ignore the body of work this fighter has compiled over the past nine years.

To go 31-1, including 27 straight, is an astounding achievement in the world of professional fighting. Is his record populated with the occasional can or overgrown freak show? Sure, but show me an elite fighter that hasn’t fought a pretender at some point in his career.

Matt Hughes, widely considered one of the most dominant welterweights of all time, crushed so many cans in his career they’ve named a wing after him at the office building of the Environmental Protection Agency.

You can’t excuse Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva for losing to lesser competition while simultaneously condemning Fedor Emelianenko for beating it.

After stopping Brett Rogers on November 7 under the Strikeforce banner, Emelianenko received heavy criticism for his performance during the fight — just as he did when he knocked out former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski at Affliction: “Day of Reckoning.”

He could be the only fighter in history to be so widely panned for a winning performance. When Travis Lutter had Anderson Silva mounted at UFC 67 and began raining down punches, “Spider’s” eventual escape and submission win were heralded as an “amazing comeback.”

Yet when Fedor escaped the mount and ground-and-pound of Brett Rogers last Saturday night, he was “exposed.”

No concessions for “The Grim” outweighing him by fifty pounds, no free pass because it was his first fight inside a cage, just a lot of finger pointing.

Great achievement is the bearer of great expectation, I suppose.

Conversely, the loyal fans of Fedor can sometimes be just as irrational. I try to remain realistic with my belief that a fighter exists who can eventually end his impressive winning streak.

The position Brock Lesnar had against Frank Mir to end their fight at UFC 100 looked about as inescapable as any position I’ve seen. Lesnar has a very good chance of beating Emelianenko — but I don’t think he’s half the fighter that Fedor is.

How does that work?

Lesnar has five professional fights. One of them is to a Korean crab cake named Min Soo Kim, who’s continued to dazzle audiences with his impressive 3-6 record.

Another two have been against the hot-and-cold Frank Mir. One of those ended in a loss. In Lesnar’s defense, he did rebound with a victory over the barely-heavyweight Randy Couture, who cashes his UFC check on the same day of the month that he cashes his social security check.

Lesnar is big, powerful and talented. But in the world of MMA, he’s proven very little. How will he respond when he’s rocked by an A-level striker? Can he escape the submission attempts of a jiu-jitsu black belt?

The one chance he had to prove that he could was at UFC 81, and he failed.

I’ve seen Fedor get rocked and I’ve seen Fedor in submission trouble. I’ve also seen him cough up a round on separate occasions. Yet no matter how precarious the situation, Fedor always finds a way to come back and win.

I can’t say that he would beat any other heavyweight out there because I don’t know that for sure. What I do know is that since getting sliced open by Tsuyoshi Kosaka at Rings: “King of Kings” way back in 2000, Emelianenko has put together one of the greatest runs through any division in all of mixed martial arts.

Some performances were astonishing, some were barely enough to get by. In both instances, he found a way to win. That to me is what the legacy of Fedor Emelianenko is all about: A fighter at the top of his game who continues to win in a sport that allows only the tiniest margin for error.

There will always be individual greatness in the sport of mixed martial arts. It’s just unfortunate that sometimes it requires you to look past your promotional allegiance to see it.

UFC Quick Quote: Randy Couture looking to make Brandon Vera fight a ‘wrestling match’ at UFC 105

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 10:33 AM PST

“Well, I definitely don’t want to stand around and allow him to establish his range and hit his rhythm. I’d like to make it as much of a wrestling match as I can. That’s what’s going to put me in the best position to win. I’ve seen Brandon fight a lot and I’m very familiar with his style, with how he uses his hands, with his motion. If you’re a fighter, you definitely have to fashion your training camp to work out the right game plan for your opponent, to be ready for the problems he poses and to make the right plan to beat him. I’ve studied the places he likes to be and where he doesn’t like to be and now it’s up to me to use that in the Octagon.”

– UFC hall-of-famer and five time champion Randy Couture talks to MMA Fanhouse about taking opponent Brandon Vera out of his game and onto the ground at UFC 105 this Saturday in Manchester. It will be the first fight at 205-pounds for “The Natural” since he retired following his 2006 loss to Chuck Liddell. If he’s successful against “The Truth,” there have been some rumblings about a shot at Lyoto Machida in 2010. Can the aging wrestler continue to defy the odds? Or will Vera’s Muay Thai send him back into retirement? Opinions please…

Antwain Britt planning for Dec. 19 Strikeforce debut against Scott Lighty at ‘Evolution’

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 09:37 AM PST

Vendetta Fighting Championship (VFC) veteran Antwain Britt (9-3) will reportedly make his Strikeforce debut opposite Scott Lighty (5-0) at “Evolution” from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 19, according to The Curtis and Kyle Show.

“The Juggernaut” competed four times this year including three under the VFC banner. In addition to compiling a respectable 3-1 record, he’s finished seven of his nine wins by (T)KO including a knockout over Antonio Mendes back in May.

Welcoming him to the promotion will be Scott Lighty, who made a successful Strikeforce debut with a TKO win over Mike Cook at the “Carano vs. Cyborg” event last August.

The win pushed the Pure Combat and ShoXC veteran to a perfect 5-0.

Strikeforce: "Evolution" is expected to feature an interesting match up of styles between Matt "The Law" Lindland and Ronald "Jacare" Souza as well as the return of former middleweight champion Cung Le against Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith.

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and Josh "The Punk" Thomson are expected to be in action as well.

For the current Strikeforce: "Evolution" fight card click here.

Mike Swick UFC 105 video blog: ‘Day 1 in Manchester’ (Episode 2)

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 07:40 AM PST

For Episode 1 click here.

Dana White: Brock Lesnar would smash Fedor Emelianenko

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 07:27 AM PST

Props: LA Times

Quoteworthy:

“CBS would be out of their mind to put that rinky-dink [Strikeforce] . . . on the air again … and without that backing, [promoters] won’t have the money to pay [Emelianenko]. The guy just got his face smashed in by Brett Rogers. Do you know what Brock or [UFC heavyweights] Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez would do to Brett Rogers? It’s time to bring [Fedor] in, to see Brock Lesnar smash his head.”

UFC President Dana White has some unkind words for the CBS broadcast of “Saturday Night Fights.” The event featured a main event of Brett Rogers taking on Fedor Emelianenko and while “The Grim” was hanging tough, ultimately fell to an overhand right from the “Last Emperor.” White was not impressed with either fighter, claiming Zuffa champ Brock Lesnar would “smash” the Russian — and also suggesting fellow heavyweights Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez would do likewise against Brett Rogers. Anyone want to take a guess at the outcome of Strikeforce putting their top three heavyweights against the three best 265-pounders the UFC has to offer?

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-10T05:12:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Programming reminder: ‘UFC Countdown’ to 105 ‘Couture vs Vera’ debuts TONIGHT (Nov. 9) on Spike TV
UFC 105 video blog with Dana White (Episode one)
Josh Barnett wins world jiu-jitsu ‘no-gi’ championship
Backstage footage from Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ (Video)
UFC 110: Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski in the works for Feb. 21
Monday morning scrap: Strikeforce and Sengoku weekend in review
Brandon Vera on fighting ‘an icon of the sport’ at UFC 105 (Video)
MMA Quick Pic: Jake Shields saved by the bell against ‘Mayhem’ Miller
UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin featured on tonight’s Pro MMA Radio
Alabama Pride: DMX gets cold feet; could be replaced by Coolio on Dec. 12

Programming reminder: ‘UFC Countdown’ to 105 ‘Couture vs Vera’ debuts TONIGHT (Nov. 9) on Spike TV

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 05:44 PM PST

Countdown to UFC 105: “Couture vs. Vera” will debut tonight (Nov. 9) at 11 p.m. ET on Spike TV to promote the upcoming event scheduled for the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena in Manchester, England, on Nov. 14.

The hour-long special presentation will provide a glimpse into the preparation and training camps of the fighters set to headline the show, including former light heavyweight champion, Randy Couture, returning to the 205-pound division to take on the hard-hitting Brandon Vera.

In addition, hometown favorite Michael "The Count" Bisping will also likely be highlighted as he prepares to take on Pride FC standout, Denis Kang, in the co-featured fight of the night, as well as welterweights Mike Swick and Dan Hardy who will clash to help clarify the suddenly murky 170-pound number one contender situation.

For those who miss tonight's "Countdown to UFC 105″ premier it will re-air on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 1 a.m. ET and then again on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. ET.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Sat., Nov. 14), which is slated to air via tape delay at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV from the MEN Arena.

To check out the complete UFC 105 fight card click here.

UFC 105 video blog with Dana White (Episode one)

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 12:08 PM PST

Josh Barnett wins world jiu-jitsu ‘no-gi’ championship

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 11:10 AM PST

This weekend, Fedor Emelianenko garnered the attention of the MMA fans across America in his Strikeforce debut on network television.

Unbeknown to many, the man whom he was slated to fight in the heavyweight dream match that evaporated in the fateful few days in July also resurfaced in victorious fashion — albeit in a far more arcane corner of the MMA fandom.

Josh Barnett took the tournament gold in the ultra heavyweight/pessadisimo (over 215 pounds) division among the blackbelts at the World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009 held at California State University in Long Beach, Calif., on Nov. 8. In the tournament final, Barnett bested Ralph Gracie pupil, Bruno Paulista.

Paulista had an impressive showing against the larger Barnett — he demonstrated nifty guardwork, locking up Barnett and threatening him with triangle choke from high guard and arm bar via knee bar feint. Despite struggling to pass Paulista’s guard, Barnett defended well against his submission attempts and kept up the pressure throughout the 10 minute contest.

In the end, Barnett received the judge’s nod.

In his own words regarding his victory at the tournament:

“I’m the 2009 No-Gi BJJ World Champion. Thanks to all for the support and to my opponents as well. Catch Wrestling lives!”

Barnett was pulled from the headlining bout against Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” after testing positive for anabolic steroid in the pre-fight drug test. The event was canceled a few days later and the promotional demise followed in the wake.

Though his return to Sengoku had been rumored, his status with the organization remains uncertain. He has been granted a second extension for an appeals hearing that he had requested after the California State Athletic Commission denied his re-licensure due to the outcome of the aforementioned drug test.

The new hearing will be held on Dec. 8.

Click here for the full result of the World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009

Stay tuned to MMAmania for further news regarding Josh Barnett.

Backstage footage from Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ (Video)

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 09:01 AM PST

Props: Bloody Elbow

UFC 110: Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof Soszynski in the works for Feb. 21

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 08:54 AM PST

Former Ultimate Fighters Stephan Bonnar (11-6) and Krzysztof Soszynski (18-9-1) are reportedly considering a light heavyweight showdown at UFC 110, tentatively scheduled for the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21 according to MMAWeekly.

Bonnar has dropped two straight inside the Octagon after returning from a catastrophic knee injury he suffered while training for a big fight against Matt Hamill in April 2008.

Because that injury came on the heels of a steroids suspension, “The American Pscho” was out of action for nearly a year and a half. He returned at UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ but the long layoff and a very gifted opponent, Jon Jones, ended any chance of a successful return last January.

He got a second chance to right the ship at UFC 100 this past July, but was once again stymied by the wrestling efforts of MMA elder statesman Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

While Bonnar’s contributions to the sport before, during and after his run on The Ultimate Fighter will probably keep him from being unemployed anytime soon, dropping three straight could be a major blow to his marketability as a fighter.

And Soszynski doesn’t want to be the guy who propels him back into the limelight.

“The Polish Experiment” went awry in his 205-pound war with Brandon Vera at UFC 102: “Couture vs. Nogueira,” though unlike Bonnar the August defeat was his first since Dec. 2007 and snapped a six-fight winning streak.

Soszynski cut his teeth under Dan Henderson in Temecula, Calif., along with training partner Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. He has a strong wrestling base, powerful strikes and solid submission skills to boot.

UFC 110 is expected to feature International superstars Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva and Yoshihiro "Sexyama" Akiyama in a hard-hitting 185-pound brawl that pits sexy vs. psycho. Free-falling heavyweight striker Mirko Cro Cop is also rumored as an opponent for former IFLer Ben Rothwell.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on this still-developing fight card.

Monday morning scrap: Strikeforce and Sengoku weekend in review

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 07:24 AM PST

Fans of mixed martial arts were once again treated to an action-packed weekend chock full of fights thanks to Strikeforce cranking out back-to-back shows as well as World Victory Road putting forth a bevy of top stars in the heat of battle for Sengoku: “Eleventh Battle.”

Strikeforce held its first CBS prime time mixed martial arts event on Saturday night (Nov. 7) from the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and lit up the Internet message boards with its “Fedor vs. Rogers” main event.

Did we see the greatest living mixed martial artist defeat a tough-as-nails heavyweight prospect? Or a bloated relic getting spoon-fed a former tire mechanic?

In addition to their heavyweight brouhaha, Jake Shields captured the promotion’s middleweight title, Gegard Mousasi won without defending his belt, and Fabricio Werdum took one step closer to an eventual showdown with “The Last Emperor.”

And Strikeforce did it all just one day after holding their “Challengers” event in Fesno, Calif., which once again saw lightweight veteran Jorge Gurgel abandon his ground game only to be outpointed on his feet — this time by Billy Evangelista.

Those MMA fans looking for some International flavor got their fill with the HDNet broadcast of Sengoku “Eleventh Battle” from Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. While much of the talk surrounded Mamed Khalidov’s upset win over Jorge Santiago, international superstars Akihiro Gono and Kevin Randleman were also in action.

In cased you missed any or all of it — or just want to keep the discussion alive — below are links to all the major storylines coming out of all three events.

Let's get to it.

Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers”

Nostradumbass predictions and preview

Weigh-in results

Results and live fight coverage

Recap and final thoughts

Preliminary CBS ratings

Sengoku: “Eleventh Battle”

Preview and predictions

Weigh-in results

Open thread and discussion

Results and recap

Strikeforce Challengers: “Evangelista vs. Gurgel”

Preview and predictions

Gurgel defiant on fight strategy

Weigh-in results

Results and live fight coverage

Recap and final thoughts

Remember that Strikeforce: “Evolution” is just around the corner — along with the all new “Sengoku Raiden Championship” on New Year's Eve for the Japanese scene. Keep it locked in right here at MMAmania.com for all the coverage you can handle.

Brandon Vera on fighting ‘an icon of the sport’ at UFC 105 (Video)

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 07:23 AM PST

MMA Quick Pic: Jake Shields saved by the bell against ‘Mayhem’ Miller

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 06:32 AM PST

Would Jake Shields have gone to sleep had he not been saved by the bell? “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage here and here.

UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin featured on tonight’s Pro MMA Radio

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 06:14 AM PST

Three time All-American wrestler and UFC heavyweight number one contender Shane Carwin will join us tonight at 9 p.m. ET on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio.

“The Engineer” will discuss the roller coaster ride he’s been on trying to nail down a date for his pending showdown with Brock Lesnar. The champ was forced to withdraw from UFC 106 after battling a lengthy illness that also led him to reject a tentative make-up date of Jan. 2 for UFC 108.

Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names.

If you're looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that's already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn't for you.

However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET for our exclusive live feed.

See you tonight at 9 p.m. ET!

Alabama Pride: DMX gets cold feet; could be replaced by Coolio on Dec. 12

Posted: 09 Nov 2009 06:11 AM PST

It looks like “X” isn’t gon’ give it to ya’ after all.

The rapper-turned-actor-turned-inmate known as DMX was scheduled to fight celebrity wannabe Eric Martinez at the upcoming “Alabama Pride” event put forth by Thunder Promotions.

The event, headlined by a “superfight” between Butterbean and the barely upright Tank Abbott, is still threatening to take place at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama, on Dec. 12.

It seems as though DMX got cold feet and submitted an addendum to his contract that called for a guaranteed outcome. That outcome would peg him as the winner no matter what transpired during the “fight.”

The “X” camp also insisted that their client is not a professional boxer but an entertainer, and that the event should (secretly) be held in good, clean fun.

Laymen have also been known to refer to that practice as “fixing fights.”

According to SixShot.com, Thunder Promotions balked at the last-minute request, prompting DMX to jump ship and allowing fellow rapper Coolio to step up and take his place.

Coolio it seems, is taking this fight very seriously. Outside of Alabama, he might be the only one.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-09T05:43:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Preliminary CBS ratings for Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ averages 3.79 million viewers
Gegard Mousasi video talks ‘failed experiment’ in Strikeforce fight against Sokoudjou
Fabricio Werdum: It’s my turn to fight Fedor
Strikeforce tickets for ‘Evolution’ at the HP Pavilion on Dec. 19 on sale soon

Preliminary CBS ratings for Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ averages 3.79 million viewers

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 09:41 PM PST

The preliminary ratings for the CBS broadcast of Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” returned an estimated 3.79 million viewers for the prime time mixed martial arts event.

The 1.7 rating share for “Saturday Night Fights” was enough to reach number one in several key demographics; however, it did fall short of the high water mark set by YouTube sensation-turned Ultimate Fighter Kimbo Slice, who reached as high as 4.8 million viewers and 3.0 rating share on Elite XC: “Prime Time” back in May 2008.

Still, Strikeforce and CBS can raise those preliminary numbers significantly. The main event of the evening, which the entire Nov. 7 card was based and marketed around, was not included in the estimate because it didn’t get underway until 11:01 p.m. and therefore was not counted.

The final numbers that include the two rounds of action from “Fedor vs. Rogers” will be available Tuesday.

Here’s a snapshot of the quarterly breakdown, courtesy of TV by the Numbers:

9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 3.50 million (#4), Adults 18-49: 1.5 (#3)
9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 3.53 million (#4), Adults 18-49: 1.6 (#2)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 4.12 million (#3), Adults 18-49: 1.9/ 6 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 4.01 million (#3), Adults 18-49: 1.8/ 6 (#1)

Considering this card was promoted exclusively around the main event between Brett Rogers and Fedor Emelianenko, it’s not unreasonable to think these numbers could spike for the main event, effectively raising the overall totals like it did for the previous CBS/MMA offering by Elite XC.

Whether or not you classify these numbers as a success or as a failure largely depends on what side of the fence you’re on, but considering the top-heavy nature of this card, I would think it falls somewhere in between those two ends of the spectrum.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for the final numbers this Tuesday (Nov. 10). In the meantime, you can get yourself up to speed on all the action from last Saturday here and here.

Gegard Mousasi video talks ‘failed experiment’ in Strikeforce fight against Sokoudjou

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 12:37 PM PST

Fabricio Werdum: It’s my turn to fight Fedor

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 12:31 PM PST

“It’s my turn now. I have a lot of respect for Fedor. He is the best in the world. I already fought (Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion) Alistair Overeem in Japan. It’s my turn to fight Fedor. I believe in my techniques and if it goes to the ground, I believe in my jiu-jitsu."

–Strikeforce heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum, who has a 2006 submission win over current Strikeforce division champion Alistair Overeem, believes his Nov. 7 win over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva earned him the right to face Fedor Emelianenko in his next bout. “Vai Cavalo,” like many MMA fans and pundits, aren’t convinced that “Demolition Man” is returning to the United States anytime soon to defend his belt and that the show must go on. But is facing “The Last Emperor,” who notched his 27th straight win by stopping Brett Rogers on CBS, biting off more than he can chew?

Strikeforce tickets for ‘Evolution’ at the HP Pavilion on Dec. 19 on sale soon

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 09:59 AM PST

Tickets for Strikeforce: "Evolution" at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, November 13 at 10 a.m. PT.

However, "Strikeforce Insiders" e-newsletter subscribers will be afforded a special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity that begins Tuesday, November 10 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Strikeforce Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

The event will mark the promotion's return to its home base of San Jose after successfully holding its first event in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” on November 7, in its prime time debut on CBS.

Confirmed for San Jose is a middleweight tilt between former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Cung Le and the always-game Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith.

Several of the promotion's other top fighters will be in action on the card as well, including a middleweight bout pitting staunch MMA veteran Matt “The Law” Lindland versus grappling guru Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Fast-rising light heavyweight prospect Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal is expected to appear as well as “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler against opponents yet to be named.

It's going to be a great night of fights. If you live in the Northern California area be sure to snag your tickets as quickly as possible.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-08T05:35:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

First look at in-game video footage of ‘EA Sports MMA’ featuring Brett Rogers vs Fedor Emelianenko
Jake Shields: Cung Le would rather vacate the title than have to fight me for it
Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ recap and final thoughts
Marloes Coenen ready for ‘Cyborg’ Santos after submitting Roxanne Modafferi (Video)
Strikeforce CBS prime time results and LIVE fight coverage for ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ tonight (Nov. 7)!
Follow MMAmania.com on Twitter!
Programming reminder: ‘UFC Main Events’ to air tonight on Spike TV
Scott Coker ‘honored’ to have Strikeforce selected as the premiere league for EA Sports MMA video game
Sengoku: ‘Eleventh Battle’ recap and final thoughts
Cain Velasquez video talks pending Nogueira fight; legacy of Fedor Emelianenko

First look at in-game video footage of ‘EA Sports MMA’ featuring Brett Rogers vs Fedor Emelianenko

Posted: 08 Nov 2009 12:44 AM PST

Will art imitate life?

Jake Shields: Cung Le would rather vacate the title than have to fight me for it

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 11:33 PM PST

“Cung Le doesn’t want to fight me. That’s why he vacated the title only to come back a month later and fight again. You’ll have to ask Cung why he won’t fight me.”

Newly crowned Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields takes at shot at Cung Le during the “Fedor vs. Rogers” post fight press conference on Nov. 7 from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Shields bested Jason “Mayhem” Miller in a five round unanimous decision victory to lay claim to the belt that Le vacated just last month. Le contends that he was not expecting to be available to to fight so soon, but his current acting gig was delayed when the movie he was filiming got pushed back a year, thus freeing him up for a return to Strikeforce against Scott Smith on Dec. 19. Is Le avoiding the ground game of Shields? Or is this just a case of inconvenient timing? Thoughts?

Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ recap and final thoughts

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 08:26 PM PST

The Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” prime time mixed martial arts event airing live on CBS from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, has come to a close.

So too, has the undefeated streak of Brett Rogers, after succumbing to a brutal right hook from Fedor Emelianenko in the early moments of round two of the main event.

It wasn’t the landslide some predicted, as “The Grim” was tougher than a two-dollar steak, even busting the Russian open with a stinging jab in the first round.

Rogers also avoided multiple submission attempts from Emelianenko by way of brute strength — and even had mount on the former PRIDE champ with some accurate bomb-dropping.

Just another day at the office for Captain WAMMA.

Emelianenko will likely face Fabricio Werdum for a chance to challenge the missing-in-action Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

Assuming the title is not vacated first.

Marloes Coenen started things off by trying to prove that her previous loss to Roxanne Modafferi was a fluke and that she was a much different, much more dangerous fighter.

Mission accomplished.

Coenen made quick work of her opponent with crisp stand-up and a painful armbar that sent Modafferi to tapsville just over a minute into the first.

Expect her to challenge current women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos sooner rather than later.

Antonio Silva came to the cage with a big foot and a big heart, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges in his unanimous decision loss to Fabricio Werdum. “Junior” was smashing his way through the first round with heavy hands and the killer instinct, but “Vai Cavalo” survived and eventually turned the tide midway through the fight.

Though both fighters appeared to be exhausted by the third frame, Werdum was the busier of the two, ending the fight in a dominant position and leaving an indellible impression on the judges.

No doubt he’ll be calling the Emelianenko camp first thing in the morning.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou says he’s from the jungle, which could explain why he has the heart of a lion. Despite being outclassed on his feet and on the ground, “The African Assassin” kept his composure and for once used his vaunted Judo skills to advance position in a fight.

Mousasi went for several takedown attempts that were reversed; however, it wasn’t enough to stop the seemingly unstoppable “Dreamcatcher.”

Turns out he didn’t need to put his championship belt on the line in this one — but rest assured there exists a crop of 205-pounders who won’t let him get away with that in the future.

But if Mousasi fights like he did in his past two fights it probably won’t matter.

What does matter to Jason Miller is putting on a show — as was obvious to anyone watching his entertaining entrance production. Hearing the pop for “Mayhem” and the roar of his “Monkeys” once again had me wondering aloud why he wasn’t promoted at all during the 360 special on Showtime.

Perhaps they knew he was going to give this one away to the slick submission skills of Jake Shields? The former Elite XC welterweight champ continued to roll through any and all challengers, though he wasn’t completely out of danger during the contest.

Miller stunned the grappling wizard with a DEEP rear naked choke in the waning seconds of the third frame. The Gracie disciple was mere seconds from napsville but the horn saved him from a shocking submission defeat.

Jake Shields is your new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

Who’s next at 185-pounds to challenge him for the gold? If Cung Le does return in December, he may eventually seek what many believe is still rightfully his.

Now that the first Strikeforce CBS prime time show is in the books, what did you think of the production? The fights? You’ve heard what I had to say on the night’s festivities, now I want to hear from you.

If you missed any of the action you can check out the Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” play-by-play and live fight coverage here.

Marloes Coenen ready for ‘Cyborg’ Santos after submitting Roxanne Modafferi (Video)

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 08:25 PM PST

Strikeforce CBS prime time results and LIVE fight coverage for ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ tonight (Nov. 7)!

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 11:05 AM PST

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers.”

The preliminary fights are now underway and round-by-round coverage of the CBS main card prime time action begins 9 p.m. ET!

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” results post and not this one.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Follow MMAmania.com on Twitter!

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 10:01 AM PST

Get all the latest and greatest mixed martial arts news delivered straight to your desktop or handheld with our MMAmania.com Twitter feed.

To start following us today simply create an account (it's simple and free) and visit our page right here (Twitter.com/MMAmaniaNews). Click the "Follow" button and you are subscribed — that's it!

It's a great way to stay on top of breaking news, as well as "follow" fighters and others involved in the sport to see what everyone is up to. Like our Web site, we update our Twitter account several times each day with the top MMA stories from around the globe.

So what are you waiting for?

Get connected and start following us on Twitter.com today. CLICK HERE.

Programming reminder: ‘UFC Main Events’ to air tonight on Spike TV

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 09:40 AM PST

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has upped the ante in its latest round of counter programming, assembling a two-hour block of recent main event bouts to challenge tonight’s Strikeforce show from Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Spike TV has scheduled "UFC Main Events" for tonight (Nov. 7) at 9 PM ET, directly opposite the Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers" prime time event that's set to air live on CBS.

Fights featured in Zuffa's new special include:

UFC 103: Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort
UFC 102: Antonio Nogueira vs. Randy Couture
UFC 101: Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin
UFC 101: BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian

This is not the UFC's first counter programming effort against Strikeforce. Spike TV debuted UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" to run head-to-head against "Shamrock vs. Diaz" back on April 11, and then put UFC 100 up against "Carano vs. Cyborg" this past August.

While UFC President Dana White at one time supported the efforts of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, he is now at war with "Strikefarce" since they entered the proverbial big stage.

Who gets DVR’d and who gets watched live? Or will you be wearing out the buttons on your remote, feverishly switching between the two broadcasts?

Let’s hear your plans for tonight’s MMA programming!

Scott Coker ‘honored’ to have Strikeforce selected as the premiere league for EA Sports MMA video game

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 09:13 AM PST

Props: Sherdog.com

Quoteworthy:

“EA Sports is the premiere game manufacturing company in the world and I’ve been an EA Sports fan since Madden 1! For them to have Strikeforce in their game as the premiere league, we’re very honored.”

–Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker reacts favorably to the inclusion of his San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion in the upcoming release of “EA Sports MMA” video game. UFC President Dana White had a very public war of words earlier this year after White accused the gaming giant of turning down his offer for a video game partnership only to then create one of their own after the massive success of THQ’s “UFC Undisputed.” EA Sports will feature Fedor Emelianenko as a digitized version of himself facing any and all challengers — including UFC star Randy “The Natural” Couture, who retains control over his ancillary rights and has language in his contract that allows him the freedom to use his likeness outside of the UFC. Any Maniacs out there interested in adding a primarily non-UFC based video game to their collection? And what can EA do to separate itself from “Undisputed?” Opinions, please.

Sengoku: ‘Eleventh Battle’ recap and final thoughts

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 08:14 AM PST

World Victory Road presents Sengoku: “Eleventh Battle,” taking place in the famed Sumo Hall, Ryogoku Kokugikan on November 7, has come to a close.

The event delivered a nine-fight card live via HDNEt and more than fulfilled the MMA enthusiasts' thirst for thrilling competition, showcasing several wars of attrition, a barn burner of main event and a number of quick finishes that kept the live and TV audience on the edge of their seat.

As the last event of the year before the Sengoku Raiden Championship on New Year's Eve, Sengoku 11 served as an invigorating prelude to the year-end extravaganza.

Without further ado, check out our complete fight recap after the jump.

Shigeki Osawa vs. Ronnie Mann

The night kicked off with a three-round scrap between the British prospect, Ronnie Mann and former amateur wrestling superstar, Kenji Osawa. Mann, the far more experienced of the two, staged a MMA clinic against Osawa, who made his debut on Sengoku's main card.

Mann surprised many as he fearlessly pursued takedowns against the world class wrestler. He kept busy on the feet and on the ground to stay one step ahead of Osawa, threatening with several submission attempts. Osawa kicked up to a higher gear with forty seconds left in the final round, feverishly working the top control and ground-and-pound; however, his effort proved belated as Mann walked away with a majority decision.

Dave Herman vs. Jim York

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman notched another KO victory with a raw display of striking acumen. York took control of the stand-up exchange. With his hands hovering dangerously low, Herman got tagged repeatedly on the feet and found himself on the back. York snatched his feet for an ankle lock. Herman briefly countered with toe hold but switched gears to hammer York with heel strikes – Herman's heel landed flush on York's jaw to add another stoppage victory to the ledger of the unstoppable "Pee Wee."

Marlon Sandro vs. Yuji Hoshino

In a match pitting the current champions of two Japanese promotions, Marlon Sandro took one home for Pancrase as he made a quick work of Cage Force featherweight champion, Yuji Hoshino.

After a sluggish start that saw the fighters stall in the clinch, Sandro exploded forward with a flurry of mile-wide hooks to counter Hoshino's kick: Sandro's strikes penetrated through the gaping void above Hoshino's low guard and landed flush on the chin.

Having shut off Hoshino's light, Sandro earned his 15^th career W and rebounded from the galling loss to Michihiro Omigawa in the semi-final round of the featherweight grand prix.

Akihiro Gono vs. Yoon Young Kim

Akihiro Gono forwent his trademark pageantry – he instead trudged to the ring with solemn expression. Upon his return to ring after a devastating KO loss to Dan Hornbuckle, he seemed devoid of his usual pizzazz: His nerves manifested in the frustratingly hesitant tussle he waged for the first two rounds.

The first round unfolded as a tentatively paced striking contest with both fighters' trading low kicks and jab-right cross combinations. Round two proceeded in a similar fashion: Kim displayed crisp body punch combinations while Gono remained unable to pull his trigger. On the mat, Gono looked equally sluggish on the ground, content to maintain the top position.

Gono started the final round with urgency and staggered Kim with a right hand to the jaw. Finally displaying a semblance of momentum, he inflicted further damage with a series of punches and a jumping knee. Gono eked out a unanimous decision victory.

Immediately after the fight, he took the mic and demonstrated surprising English proficiency to deliver a message to his last opponent, Dan Hornbuckle: The humble veteran congratulated Hornbuckle for the victory in their bout and thanked him for the wake-up call to train harder. He concluded the message with a plea for rematch and word of encouragement in light of Hornbuckle's possible showdown with Makoto Takimoto for the welterweight belt.

Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Upon his return to Japan, UFC and PRIDE veteran, Kevin Randleman met the undefeated Bulgarian prospect, Stanislav Nedkov for a three-round war of attrition. They traded takedowns and top control throughout the fight. An extremely close contest prompted two of the judges score it a draw and the third ruling in favor of Nedkov: In accordance with the promotional rule, the two judges were forced to overturn their verdict and pick the winner. In the end, Nedkov walked away with a split decision victory to keep his undefeated record intact.

Kazunori Yokota vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

In one of the two matches pitting top lightweight contenders, Mitsuoka and Yokota showcased a collision of "power and speed," per the pre-fight billing. Mitsuoka showed his momentum in the first round by scoring takedowns, wearing off Yokota with knee strikes and dirty boxing from the clinch, and securing advantageous positions on the ground.

Yokota proved resilient in the second and third round, peppering Mitsuoka with crisp, straight punches. Mitsuoka kept pace with stifling wrestling but ultimately proved unable to do much more than locking up Yokota with body lock. Yokota also revealed a glimpse of his judo background with an exquisite judo throw in the second round.

After a three-round war of attrition, Yokota edged Mitsuoka with unanimous decision.

Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Masvidal

After having his momentum halted and belt wrested, the former lightweight champion, Satoru Kitaoka experienced another deflating loss against Jorge Masvidal.

Kitaoka had his moment in the first round, as he threatened to wrench Masvidal's foot off with his signature heel hook. Masvidal persevered and eventually spun out of the submission. After the arduous takedown and submission effort, Kitaoka precipitously lost steam. Seemingly on auto pilot, Kitaoka persisted for one anemic takedown attempt after another but Masvidal countered with guillotine choke attempt and mercilessly punished him with ground-and-pound. The first round ended with Kitaoka bruised and struggling to walk back to his corner.

Wobbling on his feet, Kitaoka started the second round with (gasp!) another takedown. Kitaoka dug deep for every last ounce of strength to lock in a toe hold that looked tight: Again, Masvidal spun out. A slumped heap of flesh at this point, Kitaoka gave another futile attempt for takedown but eventually succumbed to Masvidal's barrage of punches.

With a stoppage victory, Masvidal made a strong case for title shot against the current champion, Mizuto Hirota.

Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov

In the upset special of the night, Mamed Khalidov made a quantum leap from the obscure corner to the forefront of the MMA world.

In a non-title bout against the reigning Sengoku champion and top-ranked middleweight, Jorge Santiago, the Chechen-Polish fighter sent a shockwave throughout Ryogoku Kokugikan with his granite fist.

After a slow start to the fight which saw Santiago breeze through the first round with top control on the ground, Khalidov put an exclamation mark with a punch that turned the tide: After bucking Santiago off, he got up and stunned him with a single blow, forcing the champion to turtle up. Khalidov then swarmed him with a flurry of punches until the referee intervened.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa

In an entertaining scrap to cap off the night, Hioki and Omigawa went toe to toe in a gripping stand-up action. After a feeling-out process on the feet to begin the first round, Omigawa landed a crisp right cross.

The first significant strike of the fight served as a wake-up call for Hioki to force Omigawa into his domain. He maintained top control and peppered Omigawa relentlessly with short punches. Toward the end of the round, he secured a back mount and rolled into an arm bar, forcing Omigawa at his mercy for the last thirty seconds.

In the second round, the two fighters continued with the action on the feet. While Omigawa sought to navigate past Hioki's reach and land big shots, Hioki countered with short straight punches to keep his foe at the end of his reach. In addition to the rudimentary but effective striking, Hioki again showcased fluid grappling on the ground.

In the third round, Omigawa turned up the heat in the striking exchange. Though neither fighter showed a decisive advantage, Omigawa started finding the target with his punches and seized the momentum in spurts. The partisan crowd sat on the edge of their seat and went into frenzy over his valiant effort.

After fifteen minutes of feverish action, Omigawa walked away with a split decision victory that sent the HDNet broadcast team into throes of disbelief – a controversial decision that reeks of favoritism and dubious judging certainly puts a damper on the entertaining bout and punctuates an otherwise solid night of action on a sour note.

Stay tuned to MMAmania for post-fight reports and other scoops on the aftermath of the event.

Cain Velasquez video talks pending Nogueira fight; legacy of Fedor Emelianenko

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 07:27 AM PST

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-07T05:05:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ could feature the return of Cung Le against Scott ‘Hands of Steel’ Smith
WAMMA sanctions ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ Strikeforce fight; will unveil new championship belt and logo
Sengoku 11 open thread and discussion
Strikeforce Challengers: ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ recap and post-fight discussion
Dan Henderson: I have not signed with Strikeforce — yet (Video)
Strikeforce Challengers results for ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel LIVE tonight (Nov. 6)!
Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ weigh in photos and gallery for Nov. 6
Strikeforce weigh in results LIVE from Hoffman Estates for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’
UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping wants to ‘take back respect’ against Denis Kang on Nov. 14
Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza vs Matt Lindland booked for Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ on Dec. 19

Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ could feature the return of Cung Le against Scott ‘Hands of Steel’ Smith

Posted: 07 Nov 2009 12:49 AM PST

On the heels of his decision to vacate the Strikeforce middleweight title due to his budding Hollywood acting career, former 185-pound champion Cung Le could return to the San Jose-based promotion as early as next month for a war of attrition against the always-game Scott Smith.

MMAmania.com learned of the potential match-up from sources close to the event earlier today.

Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ has been announced by the promotion as its next televised Showtime event, set for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on Dec. 19.

Le already has two movies set to be released in the near future, including the big screen version of the popular video game "Tekken" in which Le will play the role of Marshall Law. With three more movies in progress, the San Shou disciple was not expected to be back in action earlier than Spring 2010.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had considered creating an interim title in his absence; however, Le agreed to vacate the title altogether so that his part-time fight schedule no longer held the belt hostage.

Now Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields will fight for that title tonight (Nov. 7) live on CBS. It's already been well over a year since Le captured the gold from Frank Shamrock in his hometown and one has to wonder if the 37-year-old Le still has the chops to compete in the new-look Strikeforce.

Scott Smith could help answer that question if they do indeed throw down in December.

"Hands of Steel" was battered and beaten before submitting to a rear naked choke at the hands of Nick Diaz at last June’s Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields” event in St. Louis, Missouri.

The loss snapped a two fight win streak for the former UFC slugger. Prior to the Diaz fight, Smith lived up to his nickname by knocking out the hard-hitting Benji Radach with a little over a minute remaining in their three round slugfest. Smith was bruised and bloodied, but refused to back down and stunned "Razor" — and the rest of the crowd — with his thrilling come-from-behind win.

A win over Le would certainly recapture some of that momentum.

Strikeforce: “Evolution” is expected to feature an interesting match up of styles between Matt "The Law" Lindland (21-6) and Ronald "Jacare" Souza (10-2). Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0) and Josh "The Punk" Thomson (16-2) are expected to be in action as well.

For the current Strikeforce: “Evolution” fight card click here.

WAMMA sanctions ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ Strikeforce fight; will unveil new championship belt and logo

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:58 PM PST

CHICAGO, IL (Nov. 5th, 2009) – The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA), today announced it will sanction the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight between undisputed WAMMA reigning heavyweight champion Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko and undefeated challenger, Brett "The Grim" Rogers, which will air live on CBS from Sears Centre Arena on Saturday, Nov 7th.

"It's a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of this incredible fight card that our partners at STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global have put together," said WAMMA Rankings Chairman, Andrew Falzon. "It is another landmark night for the sport on national television and a rare opportunity for fans nationally to see top WAMMA-ranked fighters compete on free TV."

STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global have welcomed the presence of the WAMMA title at the milestone event, which will air live across the country on CBS Saturday Night Fights on Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, ET live/ delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Fedor's manager and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein said
"Recognizing Fedor as the undisputed WAMMA heavyweight champion means that Fedor is the world champion wherever and whenever he fights."

"Putting a title on the line just provides the fighters with more incentive to perform at their best," said Scott Coker, CEO of STRIKEFORCE.

In addition to sanctioning the main event, WAMMA will also be unveiling a new design for the championship belt, and a new logo, which will be featured on the fight surface during the live telecast.

"This is another sign of WAMMA's new direction and continued commitment to moving the sport of MMA forward," said Falzon. "We remain open to working with all promotions at all levels of MMA, so long as it is to the benefit of the sport."

WAMMA publishes the sport's most comprehensive rankings that include an extensive panel of independent MMA media including CBSSportsline.com, ESPN's MMA Live!, Fox News Fight Game, FoxSports.com, MMA Fanhouse, Sirius Fight Club Radio, Sports Illustrated, The Calgary Sun Newspaper and The Fight Network.

WAMMA has published its official November Rankings today online at: www.GoWAMMA.com/rankings.

Sengoku 11 open thread and discussion

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:50 PM PST

With the penultimate month of the year under way, World Victory Road (WVR) is set to host Sengoku: "Eleventh Battle" TONIGHT (Nov. 7) at the famed Sumo Hall, Ryogoku Kokugikan, in Tokyo, Japan.

This will be the final event before WVR inaugurates the new "Sengoku Raiden Championship" banner on New Year’s Eve.

Sengoku 11 will air LIVE via HDNet beginning at 2:00 AM ET.

Besides boasting several marquee names, the fight card also serves as a prelude to the year end event: With at least three title contests scheduled on NYE, several fighters on the card will enter the ring for high-stake battles to earn the title shots.

For those of you Maniacs following the fights as they go down (or those of you that are just along for the ride), go ahead and sound off in the comments section with any results, news, photos and videos — it's an open thread, so go crazy.

Just try your hardest to keep it Sengoku related.

Be sure to check back a little later this morning for our results and complete recap. In the meantime, have at it.

We want to hear from you.

If you need to get up to speed on what’s happening with this card be sure to check out our comprehensive “Eleventh Battle” preview here.

Strikeforce Challengers: ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ recap and post-fight discussion

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:49 PM PST

Strikeforce’s weekend of mixed martial arts action is officially halfway over as “Challenger Series IV” is now in the books from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

Former UFC lightweight fighter and jiu-jitsu stud Jorge Gurgel squared off against hometown favorite Billy Evangelista in the night’s main event, and as expected it was an all out war.

Gurgel is known for abandoning his ground game in favor of a more entertaining stand up fight, which usually means a good scrap for the fans and a close loss on the scorecards for him, which is exactly what happened again tonight.

Evangelista traded blow for blow with the Cincinnati resident and used timely takedowns to squeak out a judge’s decision.

Afterward, the undefeated hometown winner was asked how he felt about a potential match up with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson, and he surprisingly didn’t seem too warm on the idea, stating that he and Josh were friends but he would do whatever Strikeforce wanted.

We’ll have to wait and see how the Strikeforce brass handles that scenario, but a Josh Thomson vs. Billy Evangelista title fight certainly sounds like it would be a fun one to watch.

In the night’s co-main event, heavyweight Shane Del Rosario overcame an early knockdown by Brandon Cash “Money” to come back and win by submission (omoplata). At one point the onslaught from Cash appeared to be swaying the referee to step in for the stoppage, but Del Rosario hung in there and recovered nicely for the win.

He’ll certainly be a player in the crowded Strikeforce heavyweight division moving forward.

“Ultimate Fighter” castoff Jesse Taylor made his second appearance on a Strikeforce card in 2009, and for the second time he came up on the losing end. Luke Rockhold — a very talented wrestler and jiu-jitsu practitioner — fended off a powerful wrestling attack from “JT Money,” who came out of the gates looking for the takedown. Rockhold eventually worked his way into a dominate position and finished Taylor off with his patented rear naked choke, his fourth in a row.

Merritt Warren and Zoila Frausto were also winners on the Showtime televised portion of the card, defeating Ousmane Thomas Diagne and Elisha Hellspur by first round heel hook and unanimous decision, respectively.

To check out the complete results from Strikeforce: “Challenger Series IV” click here.

That’s a wrap from the Save Mart Center in Fresno.

The fifth installment of the “Challenger Series” is slated for November 20 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. That card is set to feature a main event between undefeated two-time All-American wrestler from the University of Missouri, Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley and Kansas City’s own Rudy Bears. The female version of the main event from UFC 105 is also scheduled for the card as Kim “Sugar Free” Couture squares off with Kerry Vera.

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for all your Strikeforce news and notes. And don’t forget to check in early and often tomorrow night for the blockbuster “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage as well.

Dan Henderson: I have not signed with Strikeforce — yet (Video)

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:48 PM PST

Strikeforce Challengers results for ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel LIVE tonight (Nov. 6)!

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 06:02 PM PST

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: "Evangelista vs. Gurgel."

Preliminary card fights are officially in the books and round-by-round coverage of the main card action is underway with the Showtime telecast at 11:00 p.m. ET.

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main "Evangelista vs. Gurgel" results post and not this one.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ weigh in photos and gallery for Nov. 6

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:50 AM PST

“Mayhem” Miller monkeys around at the Strikeforce weigh-ins earlier today for “Fedor vs. Rogers.” More exclusive pics after the jump.

Gegard has that look in his eye…

Non-title bout. In pro wrestling that means the champ loses.

“Bigfoot” hulking up.

Will the victor face the winner of Fedor vs. Rogers?

Vacant 185-pound title belongs to one of these two men.

Can Rogers pull off the ultimate upset?

The winner may have the unenviable task of facing “Cyborg” Santos.

Kolosci vs. Bailey.

Mark Miller hits the trademark Hulkster pose.

Neace misses weight and Curran has words for the Commission.

Pele in da house!

Aoki appeared and mumbled something about wanting to fight in America.

Be sure to check us out on Saturday night (Nov. 7) for more live Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Strikeforce weigh in results LIVE from Hoffman Estates for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:49 AM PST

The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers" took place today (November 6) live from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

As usual, MMAmania.com was on the scene to get the scoop on all the happenings and aside from Dustin Neace, there was very little in the way of fireworks between any of the competitors, who all hit their respective marks without incident.

Neace weighed in at 150.5 on his first attempt, 150 on his immediate second attempt and 149.6 on his final attempt after an hour of trying to squeeze out those last few pounds.

In spite of his inability to hit his 145-pound mark, opponent Jeff Curran has agreed to a catchweight fight at 149.6 pounds. Neace will be forced to cough up 20-percent of his fight purse to “The Big Frog.”

Here are the complete "Fedor vs. Rogers" weigh-in results:

Main event:

265 lbs.: Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (232) vs. Brett "The Grim" Rogers (264)

Main card (Televised):

185 lbs.: Jason "Mayhem" Miller (184) vs. Jake Shields (184.5)
205 lbs.: Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (205) vs. "The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (204)
265 lbs.: Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum (242) vs. Antonio "Junior" Silva (263)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen (145) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (140)
145 lbs.: Jeff Curran (145) vs. Dustin Neace (149.6*)
170 lbs.: Shamar Bailey (170) vs. John Kolosci (171)
155 lbs.: Deray Davis (170.5) vs. Mark Miller (171)
205 lbs.: Nate Moore (184) vs. Louis Taylor (185.5)
170 lbs.: Jonatas Novaes (155.5) vs. Christian Uflacker (156)

*Neace will fight Jeff Curran at a catchweight of 149.6 and surrender 20-percent of his fight purse.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Fedor vs. Rogers, beginning with the CBS telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action as it starts to flow around 8 p.m. ET.

It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight "Fedor vs. Rogers" coverage you can handle.

UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping wants to ‘take back respect’ against Denis Kang on Nov. 14

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:10 AM PST

Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza vs Matt Lindland booked for Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ on Dec. 19

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:05 AM PST

Strikeforce will return home to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 19, 2009, for its next major event titled, “Evolution,” according to promotion officials.

While a headlining bout for the card is still up in the air, Strikeforce Director of Communications, Mike Afromowitz, confirmed an intriguing middleweight battle between 2008 DREAM middleweight grand prix runner-up, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2), and 13-year mixed martial arts veteran, Matt “The Law” Lindland (21-6), is set for the main card of the Showtime network event.

Besides his impressive run through the DREAM tournament last year, “Jacare” is probably best known for his rivalry with the flamboyant host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown,” Jason “Mayhem” Miller.

The Brazilian defeated “Mayhem” in the quarterfinals of the DREAM tournament in a close decision. After numerous verbal jabs from both men, the pair agreed to a rematch in May of this year to erase any doubt about who is the better fighter. However, the encore also ended in controversy because Souza was unable to continue after an illegal kick from Miller cut him wide open.

It was later ruled a “No Contest.”

Then, this summer, both “Jacare” and “Mayhem” signed on with Strikeforce, making a potential third installment of their rivalry on U.S. soil a real possibility. However, Miller got the call to face Jake Shields for the company’s title, meaning “Jacare” would have to debut for the promotion against a different opponent.

Apparently Matt “The Law” Lindland was eager to step up to that plate after sitting on the sidelines since a January loss to current UFC number one contender, Vitor Belfort.

Lindland has squared off against a “who’s who” of the MMA world throughout his storied career, from Fedor Emelianenko to Pat Miletich to Rampage Jackson. He’s also competed under numerous promotional banners, including the UFC, Affliction, IFL, BoDog Fight and others. However, this will be his first appearance for the San Jose-based Strikeforce.

It’s an interesting match up of experience vs. youth and wrestling vs. jiu jitsu. “Jacare” certainly has his hands full with a well accomplished Matt Lindland. It’s going to be another in a long list of fantastic match ups in 2009 from Strikeforce.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-06T05:07:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC 106 video: Tito Ortiz ‘going for blood’ in Forrest Griffin rematch
Strikeforce pre-fight press conference video highlights for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’
Strikeforce Challengers ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ weigh in results
Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ CBS video preview and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’
Strikeforce press conference pics: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ face off and more
Report: Mirko Cro Cop vs Ben Rothwell being considered for UFC 110
Strikeforce signs ‘Relentless’ Roger Bowling for 2010 debut
Hand injury forces Alex Karalexis from WEC 44 event
Denis Kang video talks UFC 105 fight against Michael Bisping
Sengoku ‘Eleventh Battle’ preview for Nov. 7 HDNet event

UFC 106 video: Tito Ortiz ‘going for blood’ in Forrest Griffin rematch

Posted: 06 Nov 2009 03:47 AM PST

Strikeforce pre-fight press conference video highlights for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 10:12 PM PST

Strikeforce Challengers ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ weigh in results

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 06:56 PM PST

Strikeforce is now set to kick off an action-packed weekend of mixed martial arts action tomorrow night (Friday, Nov. 6) from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., with its latest “Challenger Series” installment.

The main card is set to hit the Showtime airwaves, beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Today the 18 fighters set to compete on the card finished off the last of the pre-fight formalities at the World Sports Cafe with the official fighter weigh ins.

The two lightweight main event participants, Jorge Gurgel and Billy Evangelista, have agreed to compete at a catchweight of 159 pounds instead of the normal division limit of 155 pounds.

Under card fighter, Chris Culley, came in more than two pounds heavy for his featherweight contest against Maurice Eazel. He’ll have some additional time to shed the excess weight or he’ll likely have to forfeit a portion of his purse to Eazel.

Check out the full Strikeforce: “Challenger Series IV” weigh in results below:

Main event:

Billy Evangelista (159) vs. Jorge Gurgel (159)

Main card:

Brandon Cash (256) vs. Shane del Rosario (240)
Luke Rockhold (185.5) vs. Jesse Taylor (186)
Ousmane Thomas Diagne (155.5) vs. Warren Merritt (154)
Elisha Hellspur (134.5) vs. Zoila Frausto (132.5)

Under card:

Johnny Goh (154) vs. Ben Holscher (155.5)
Chris Culley (148.5) vs. Casey Olson (145.5)
Cole Escovedo (135.5) vs. Maurice Eazel (133)
Rico Altamirano (171) vs. Alex Trevino (170.5)

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide live coverage of the main card beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET, as well as up to the minute quick results of the under card action beginning at around 9 p.m.

Check in early and often … it should be a fun night of fights.

And don’t forget that the promotion will also host “Fedor vs. Rogers” on Saturday night, pulling out the big guns for its network debut on CBS. The main event will showcase the man widely considered to be the best mixed martial artist on the planet, Fedor Emelianenko, locking horns with knockout artist Brett “The Grim” Rogers.

Of course, MMAmania.com will be all over the coverage of that blockbuster event, too. Keep it locked right here throughout the weekend.

Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ CBS video preview and more on ESPNs ‘MMA Live’

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 01:38 PM PST

Strikeforce press conference pics: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ face off and more

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 01:08 PM PST

Check out Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Jake Shields eying each other up after the jump. For the complete photo gallery of the Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” pre-fight press conference head over to CombatLifestyle.com.

***Bonus Pic! Even “The Grim” stands in awe of Marloes Coenen!

Report: Mirko Cro Cop vs Ben Rothwell being considered for UFC 110

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 11:21 AM PST

Famed heavyweight striker Mirko Filipovic (25-7-2) is reportedly considering a return to the Octagon to face fellow MMA transplant Ben Rothwell (30-7) at UFC 110, tentatively scheduled for the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21 according to Sherdog.com.

“Cro Cop” threw in the towel in his submission (verbal) loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. He was beaten to the punch, and pretty much beat up, in what essentially turned out to be a striking match for two-plus rounds.

The Croatian waved off the Brazilian in the third after eating a brutal knee to the face that wiped out his vision. It marked his third loss inside the Octagon in five attempts — a far cry from the world beater who was scalping his opponents just three years ago under the Pride banner. In fact, he has not defeated a top-level fighter since he made Josh Barnett quit at "Final Conflict Absolute," which earned him the Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Championship.

According to Filipovic, he’s battled depression and other psychiatric issues since the September loss and spoke of his inability to break a “mental block” that’s prevented him from returning to his old self.

It’s not unreasonable to think a knockout win over Rothwell could do more in one night than two years of ongoing therapy.

Like the Croat, “Big” Ben would like to erase the memories of his last fight. The former International Fight League (IFL) standout contested the timing of his TKO stoppage loss against Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" back on Oct. 24.

The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown that consisted of Velasquez taking him down, controlling him on the ground and punching him in the face en route to a second round loss. Rothwell contends that he was finally back to his feet and ready to turn things around until referee Steve Mazzagatti robbed him of his chance to pull off what would have been nothing short of a miraculous comeback.

He could conceivably get right back into the thick of things if he’s able to retire Cro Cop — or he may be updating his resume if Filipovic prevails.

UFC 110 is expected to feature International superstars Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama in a hard-hitting 185-pound brawl that pits sexy vs. psycho.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this still-developing fight card.

Strikeforce signs ‘Relentless’ Roger Bowling for 2010 debut

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 11:15 AM PST

Indiana ( USA ): "Relentless" Roger Bowling, the undefeated MMA Big Show Welterweight kingpin, has signed a contract with San Jose-based StrikeForce, one of the top MMA promotions in America . The signing took place during intermission at the "Full Force" event on Saturday, Oct. 24th.

Bowling, who has yet to go to a decision or even see the 2nd round in his career, is considered by many to be one of the top welterweight prospects in MMA. Known for his cardio, brutal strikes, and excellent wrestling, he is expected to make his StrikeForce debut in February or March 2010. He holds quality wins over former IFL fighter Seth Baczynski and current StrikeForce fighter Shamar Bailey, and his last fight was a victory over Devon Plaisance via TKO at Big Show's "Unstoppable" event in July.

Bowling was scheduled to fight UFC veteran War Machine in June and then September, but had to pull out due to injuries both times, sparking a verbal feud between the two. With that behind him, Bowling is moving on to bigger and better things.

"I have been lucky enough to have one of the most supportive fan and family bases, which has helped me get to where I am today," stated the young 6-0 fighter. "Without them, I wouldn’t have worked as hard to be able to do what I’ve done so far, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity. I won’t let the fans down; you can count on that."

MMA Big Show Owner/Promoter Jason Appleton, who is also Bowling's manager, explained "In talking with the guys at StrikeForce, I can say that I’m very excited for Roger to be given the opportunity to compete in their 170 lbs. division. I think it’s time the world sees who Roger is and what he's capable of." Appleton also talked about how difficult the transition will be for him personally.

"It’s honestly like giving up your child for adoption to better-suited parents, but the Big Show is merely a springboard for talented fighters. When a fighter shines as bright as Roger has in the Big Show, my job is to help them get further in their career, even if it means them being exclusive to someone else."

Hand injury forces Alex Karalexis from WEC 44 event

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 11:14 AM PST

A broken hand has forced former Ultimate Fighter Alex Karalexis (10-4) to withdraw from his bout against Kamal Shalorus at WEC 44 in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18.

Fighters.com reported the injury Thursday morning and Karalexis was quoted as saying " I just broke my hand, so I'm out for a bit."

“T-Rex” ended his two fight losing streak with a victory over Greg McIntyre at WEC 39. He has had six total fights in the WEC (4-2) after a disappointing career in the UFC (1-2).

Shalorus (4-0-1) began his professional career in 2008 with a debut victory over Jeff Davis at King of Kombat 3. He has three victories in 2009 with his most recent victory coming over Justin Miller at Supreme Warrior Championship 7: "Discountenance".

There has been no word yet on a replacement for the undefeated lightweight.

WEC 44 is set for the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. The card is headlined with a featherweight championship bout between Mike Thomas Brown and top contender Jose Aldo.

For the current WEC 44 fight card click here.

Denis Kang video talks UFC 105 fight against Michael Bisping

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 10:56 AM PST

Sengoku ‘Eleventh Battle’ preview for Nov. 7 HDNet event

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 09:40 AM PST

With the penultimate month of the year under way, World Victory Road (WVR) hosts Sengoku: "Eleventh Battle" on Nov. 7 at the famed Sumo Hall, Ryogoku Kokugikan, in Tokyo, Japan.

This will be the final event before WVR inaugurates the new, "Sengoku Raiden Championship" banner on NYE.

Sengoku 11 will air live on Nov. 7 via HDNet beginning at 2:00 AM ET (Friday night into Saturday).

Besides boasting several marquee names, the fight card also serves as a prelude to the NYE event: With at least three title contests scheduled on NYE, several fighters on the card will enter the ring for high-stake battles to earn the title shots.

Let’s get to it:

Ronnie Mann vs. Shigeki Osawa: British prospect vs. Sengoku-poster-boy-in-training

Ronnie Mann (16-2-1), a veteran of Cage Rage and Cage Gladiators, returns to Sengoku after his stint in the promotion's featherweight tournament was curtailed by Hatsu Hioki. Despite his impressive record, he remains a bit of an unknown quantity, having defeated the then 3-0 Tetsuya Yamada at Sengoku 7 but falling to the top-ranked Hioki in less than a round. With a background in boxing and wrestling and ten submission victories under his belt, the 23 year-old displays promise; however, he has yet to transcend the confine of his home country to make an impact on an international stage.

Shigeki Osawa (4-0), a fighter under Sengoku's Fighter Development program, makes the first big leap in his nascent career with a move up to the main card. While fitting snugly in the collegiate-wrestler-turned-MMA fighter mold, Osawa boasts no ordinary achievement: Billed as a "gem that surfaces once every twenty years" during his prodigious collegiate wrestling career, he capped off a long list of accolades in the sport with a gold medal in the World Collegiate Freestyle Wrestling tournament in Greece. In his three previous Sengoku appearances, he triumphed in the opening bouts. Now facing a step-up in competition, the ambitious 24 year-old is ready to showcase his developing striking ability and of course, his bread-and-butter takedown.

Slugfest alert: Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman vs. "Big" Jim York

Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman (15-1), who has yet to see a judge's score card in his career, faces an equally decision-proof "Big" Jim York (11-3) in the lone heavyweight contest of the night.

Herman looks to atone for his lone career loss to Mu Bae Choi in his Japanese debut at Sengoku's New Year show ten months ago. He most recently recorded a 60-second TKO victory over Don Frye at Shark Fights 6. Now dedicated to training full-time, Herman has been working to evolve from a raw talent with abundant athleticism to a full-fledged MMA fighter.

York's Sengoku record stands at 1-2 with a KO victory over James Thompson and losses to Yoshihiro Nakao and Antonio Silva. York possesses power in his hands but his plodding stand-up and limited grappling bodes ill against the explosive and relentless Herman. If he indeed suffers his third loss in Sengoku, he most likely does so in a fantastic manner – better to light up a fistic firework and go out with a bang than fizzle out in a snoozefest.

Potential sleeper of the night: Marlon Sandro vs. Yuji Hoshino

Sengoku featherweight tournament semi-finalist, Marlon Sandro (14-1) and Cage Force featherweight champion, Yuji Hoshino (16-6-7) lock horns to establish themselves at the top echelon of the division.

Sandro is visibly aggravated over getting the short end of the stick in a controversial split decision verdict against Michihiro Omigawa in the semi-final round of the featherweight tournament. When willing to let his hands go, he demonstrates good power that gives him a decisive advantage on the feet against Hoshino.

If the fight hits the mat, expect a clash of styles between a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace and strong wrestler who thrives on top control. Hoshino, an accomplished collegiate Greco-Roman wrestler, has been undefeated since June, 2005. He has been able to capitalize on his takedown, fluid guard passing, and top control since settling in the current weight class. In the Cage Force featherweight tournament in 2008, he triumphed over current DREAM fighter, Akiyo Nishiura, and highly touted Shooto veteran, Antonio Carvalho.

Do-or-die for "Japanese Sensation": Akihiro Gono vs. Yoon Young Kim

Currently on a three-fight skid, PRIDE and UFC veteran, Akihiro Gono (29-15-7) risks fading into the twilight of his career against Yoon Young Kim (12-4). In his last fight, he ended up on a wrong side of the highlight-reel head kick KO courtesy of Dan Hornbuckle.

In his 51 career bouts, he has faced opponents of every stylistic stripe; Kim, long-limbed submission specialist, poses no novel threat to him. Despite the cataclysmic ending to his last fight, he looked sharp with his strikes and more than held his own in the grappling department. Kim, a Spirit MC and DEEP veteran, holds eight submission victories and is no "gimme" opponent for Gono. Expect Gono to fight with a sense of urgency and restore himself to the winning column.

"Monster" returns to Japan: Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov

Kevin Randleman (17-13) returns to action after a lackluster decision loss to Mike Whitehead in Strikeforce in June. The "Monster" meets the undefeated Bulgarian prospect, Stanislav Nedkov (7-0). Randleman, a former UFC heavyweight champion, remains a threat with his takedown but his offense runs its course once the fight hits the mat.

Nedkov made his Sengoku debut at Sengoku 8 and managed to eke out a TKO victory over grizzled veteran, Travis Wiuff, after being penalized for low blows. He has proven to be a capable grappler, and as long as he stays composed after being put on his back, he should have no problem scrambling back to his feet, reversing position, or submitting Randleman.

Top lightweight contender match 1: Kazunori Yokota vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

In a fight billed as the "collision of speed and power," Yokota (10-2-3) and Mitsuoka (16-6-2) vie to punch their tickets for a title shot against Mizuto Hirota on NYE.

Yokota has been quietly making his name as a versatile contender: He out-struck and out-grappled the current lightweight champion, Hirota, in Sengoku's lightweight grand prix last year and fought Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Leonardo Santos, to a split decision victory. In his last fight, he knocked out Ryan Schultz to win his first stoppage victory in Sengoku. In addition to a repertoire of throws from the clinch thanks to his judo background, he boasts crisp striking, agility, and relentless pace on the feet. As he has stated in recent interviews, his speed and control of the striking exchange will be the key to his victory in this fight.

Mitsuoka has been on a tear since making his Sengoku debut last year. In his five Sengoku bouts, he has recorded four victories – all via submission in the first round. A strong wrestler and wily technician on the ground, he has made his name in Japan for thriving in caged promotions. His best bet against Yokota would be to utilize his wrestling to seize control on the ground; however, taking down Yokota is no easy task due to his heavy hips.

While Yokota is the more fleet-footed and possesses the faster hands of the two, he has displayed a detrimental habit of dropping his hands and carrying his chin too high: If Mitsuoka can fire off a perfectly-timed counter as he did against Rodrigo Damm, he will not only pick up his first KO victory in Sengoku but also make a strong case for the title shot.

Top lightweight contender match 2: Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Masvidal

The former lightweight champion, Kitaoka (25-9-9), takes his first step back toward reclaiming the belt as he takes on the American Top Team prospect, Jorge Masvidal (18-4).

A hyper-aggressive grappler combining brute muscularity with slick submission skills, Kitaoka makes no secret of his plan: Take the fight to the mat and finish Masvidal with his patented leg locks, guillotine choke, or some other tricks up his sleeve. As long as his gas tank lasts three rounds, he will be able to overwhelm Masvidal with relentless takedown and submission threat.

A caveat in the above scenario is that, while capable of putting away world class fighters like Carlos Condit and Paul Daley, he has piled up losses and draws against journeyman opponents due to his inconsistency. Unfortunately, Masvidal is a dangerous enough opponent to potentially throw a wrench in Kitaoka's plan for victory.

Masvidal also pulls no punches regarding his strategy: Swarm Kitaoka with strikes at 100 mph and score a knockout. His challenge, of course, is to avoid being forced into defensive by Kitaoka's bulldozing style. While his maturation from an entertaining brawler to versatile fighter looked remarkable against lesser opponents in Bellator FC, it is doubtful whether his takedown and submission defense will hold up against Kitaoka.

Do not expect this one to go the distance: Whoever ends the fight with his hand raised will make a strong case for the title shot.

Sengoku middleweight champ vs. Beast from Eastern Europe: Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov

Jorge Santiago (21-7) returns to Sengoku after capturing the title with his victory over Kazuo Misaki in January. He takes on Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1), a fighter out of Poland with four-year undefeated streak in a non-title affair.

Both fighters are proven finishers, and if they carry on their business as usual in the ring, they likely will put on a fight-of-the-night-caliber performance. Khalidov, who possesses a background in full-contact karate and wrestling, has torn through his competition in his native Poland with a notable victory over PRIDE veteran, Daniel Acacio. He has proven to have heavy hands that could be a potent weapon against Santiago, whose chin has failed him against Chris Leben and Alan Belcher.

Santiago has struggled against competent strikers like Belcher and Misaki, but his versatility and experience against higher-caliber opponents should help him chart a route to victory against Khalidov. Khalidov is an aggressive striker with proven submission savvy against lower-caliber opponents in European promotions; however, Santiago is the more polished fighter who is capable of countering everything Khalidov throws at him and seizing control of the fight.

Expect Santiago to finish Khalidov with a submission and await his title defense on NYE.

Featherweight title challenger match: Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa

Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2) and Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1) square off for a title shot against Masanori Kanehara.

Hioki defeated Kanehara in the semi-final match of the featherweight grand prix but was forced to withdraw due to injury. Omigawa became the tournament surprise as he edged past three tournament favorites – LC Davis, Nam Phan, and Marlon Sandro – to reach the final.

Hioki boasts the most fluid and dangerous grappling game in the featherweight division. Known for his top control, ground-and-pound, and active guard-passing, he is equally dangerous off his back. Omigawa is simply no match for Hioki on the ground.

In the grand prix, Omigawa showcased not only his newly found strength at featherweight division that accentuates his judo but vastly improved hands. He has always been relentless on his feet – whereas he was once a reckless brawler, he has now equipped himself with footwork, head movement, and better all-around techniques to threaten his opponents with his power. If he can control the pace and pressure Hioki on the feet, a victory is within his reach, as Hioki's downfall in the past has been his tendency to become overconfident in his reach advantage in the striking exchange: Hioki does not possess the technical proficiency to capitalize on his reach and pick apart his opponent with strikes.

If Hioki stays smart and takes the fight to his domain, it is a matter of time before he locks in a submission or time runs out and he receives the judge's nod.

That’s a wrap. Be sure to check us out on Fight Night for the best Sengoku discussion on the Net. In the meantime, get up to speed with our Sengoku 11 archive here.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-05T05:38:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Gegard Mousasi has ‘done everything’ to defeat Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on CBS Nov. 7 (Video)
Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller doesn’t want to hug Jake Shields on Nov. 7 …
Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ photos gallery from open media workout in Chicago
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 8 recap and discussion
UFC Quick Quote: Georges St. Pierre is healthy, ready for Mike Swick or Dan Hardy
UFC 108: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez in the works for Jan. 2
Sneak peek video of Marcus Jones and Episode 8 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10
UFC Quick Pic: Dana White has a nice car — and wrecks it
Jon Fitch: ‘Waiting around for Thiago Alves to get better was not an option’
Brett Rogers video from ESPNs ‘First Take’

Gegard Mousasi has ‘done everything’ to defeat Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on CBS Nov. 7 (Video)

Posted: 05 Nov 2009 04:33 AM PST

That shoulder injury sounded real serious:

Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller doesn’t want to hug Jake Shields on Nov. 7 …

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 09:00 PM PST

… he wants to beat him up:

"I think it's funny how some people are underestimating me. I'm shocked at the odds. I should be the favorite. But oddsmakers' jobs are to make money and to get action. I'm going to turn this into a brawl. I'm not interested in turning it into a hugging contest, which is what he may do. I want to keep the fight at a fast pace, while I think Jake will want to slow it down and grind it out. It's possible, if I have my way, and Shields does his part, that we will have the fight of the night.”

Will ‘Mayhem’ be able to keep it upright or will Shields grind out another decision and/or submission win to capture the Strikeforce middleweight championship this Saturday night? Predictions, please.

Strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ photos gallery from open media workout in Chicago

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:43 PM PST

Check out more pics from the final pre-fight workout after the jump. All photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.

More Fedor:

Mousasi:

Mayhem and Mo:

Fabricio:

“Bigfoot:”

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10: Episode 8 recap and discussion

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 06:57 PM PST

Episode 8 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 10 gets underway with a recap of the alleged fight between Matt Mitrione and Scott’s Junk. The battered Junk insists he could have won the fight if there had been a third round. At least, that’s probably what his team mates told him after they defibrillated him at the end of round two.

Rampage tees off on the gym door in disgust and ironically waits until Episode 8 to show any genuine emotion. Perhaps if he had been this fired up earlier in the season, he could have driven his team to a better record.

Or perhaps not.

He later apologizes to the door — who is probably glad to be off the show, especially after some of the “fights” that have taken place this season.

Wes Sims decides to throw Matt Mitrione a party in celebration of his fight but the former NFLer appears to be a little too busted up to attend the grand shebang — despite being the guest of honor.

On the stationary bike, Marcus Jones pedals his way into Rampage’s heart, probably because he’s all that stands between a spot in the semis and the total embarrassment of being the first coach in TUF history to lead his team to an 0-8 showing.

The next morning, Jones has the pleasure of waking up to a Vegas creepy-crawly trying to make a nest in the big man’s shoe. He lets out a girlish yelp and Wes Sims swoops in and bludgeons it to death with a ski pole.

We get our first piano solo in several episodes as Mike Wessel hits the confessional and gets choked up talking about his wife who is stricken with cancer.

Fortunately he doesn’t dwell on it and switches his focus to Marcus Jones, who he describes as a “massive man.” Sounds like the Team Evans scouts have really done their homework. Regardless, Wessel is confident that he has a good shot to overcome the brute strength of his opponent.

Jones recounts his days in the NFL and admits he had the size and the competitive spirit, but not the desire to excel. In mixed martial arts, he wants to become “a student of the game.”

He lets out a giggle and a grunt every time he masters a new aspect of training. He wants to remembered as a hell of a fighter, which unfortunately may not come at the expense of Mike Wessel, no matter how well he performs.

Some of the guys from Team Evans draw a caricature of Marcus Jones that accuses him of sucking balls. The jovial “Big Baby” goes from happy-go-lucky to Larry Drake in Dr. Giggles, complete with menacing death stare and threatening psycho-babble.

At the weigh-ins, Rampage tries to make nice with “Titties” but Schoonover isn’t having it –especially after Jackson plays “Tune in Tokyo” with Darryl’s prodigious chest. They have to be separated and once again cooler heads prevail.

The fighters make their predictions and it’s pretty clear that Jones is the favorite heading into the fight. Wessel says he isn’t afraid of Marcus Jones, he’s afraid of being away from his wife for six weeks and having it all be for nothing.

Heavyweight elimination fight #8: Marcus Jones (4-2) vs. Mike Wessel (8-2)

Round 1: Jones stalking and eats a right. They clinch and struggle for position until Jones uses a trip attempt to wrestle Wessel to the ground. Jones gets his back but Wessel defends and rolls into mount. Unfortunately Jones is there waiting for him and locks up a painful armbar for the immediate tap. Jones looked a bit rigid on his feet but was very impressive on the ground.

Marcus Jones defeats Mike Wessel via submission (armbar)

Cue the piano solo as a defeated Wessel has to cope with the fact that he lost but also tries to stay upbeat and look to the future. Jones on the other hand is positively giddy for getting the biggest win of his career (to date).

Coach Jackson tells Jones that he’s “Team Rampage for life” and I can’t help but laugh out loud seeing as how Team Rampage ended up 1-7 in the competition.

Some distinction.

Following the fight’s conclusion, Dana White gathers the coaches and the winning fighters to choose the semifinal match-ups. Roy Nelson rubs Dana the wrong way and White blasts him for the Kimbo fight.

Again.

Marcus Jones defaults to Rampage when asked who he wants to fight, so Jackson tries to feed him Darryl Schoonover. He’s successful — much to the chagrin of Coach Evans.

The Quarterfinal matches are announced and as follows:

Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren

Brendan Schaub vs. John Madsen

James McSweeney vs. Matt Mitrione

Marcus Jones vs. Darryl Schoonover

After the announcements, Coach Evans extends an invitation to anyone on Team Rampage who wants to come and train with his guys. While I’m sure some of them wanted to go, they don’t want to be disrespectful when the cameras are rolling and stand fast.

What a shock, Rampage and Rashad end up jawing at each other. Obscenities fly and crotches are grabbed.

Yawn.

Stay tuned next week as Matt Mitrione gets sent to the hospital, Kimbo tries to replace him and Roy Nelson hooks ‘em up with Justin Wren. Who wins? Find out next Wednesday!

See you in seven!

UFC Quick Quote: Georges St. Pierre is healthy, ready for Mike Swick or Dan Hardy

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:57 PM PST

“My injury is 100 percent now, I’m ready to go. I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen next with the UFC…. I look forward to fighting again and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen between Swick and Hardy…. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, it’s always dangerous. I learned my mistake when I fought Matt Serra, who was a big underdog. I’m the kind of person who never makes the same mistake twice…. [Dan Hardy is] a great fighter, he really deserves it. … He’s got very lethal, very powerful hands. He can knock you out with one punch. It’s always a big danger when you fight a guy like him…. Mike Swick is very very fast, has probably the fastest hands in MMA. A very accurate puncher, he’s very well-rounded so it’s going to be a very interesting fight. They both have the tools to beat each other. I think the winner of this fight will be the guy who has the best strategy and who fights the smartest.”

– UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre informs the Canadian Press that he has completely recovered from a groin injury sustained during a five-round battle with Thiago Alves back at UFC 100 back in July. “Rush” refined his stand up skills while nursing his abductor ligament back to full strength. And now he’s apparently back in the gym, training full strength in preparation for his next title defense in early 2010. It will likely come against the winner of the 170-pound showdown between Mike Swick and Dan Hardy at UFC 105 next weekend. Any preferences on St. Pierre’s next opponent, Maniacs?

UFC 108: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Cain Velasquez in the works for Jan. 2

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 04:21 PM PST

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion and mixed martial arts legend, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, is in talks to take on undefeated rising star Cain Velasquez at UFC 108, which is slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2.

Sensei Sportv (via Tatame.com) was the first to report the potential showdown. No official announcement has come from the promotion, or Velasquez’s camp, at this time.

Stay tuned.

UFC 108 is expected to feature a reshuffled main event between ailing heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar (if he can recover from a serious illness), and number one division contender, Shane Carwin. Former 205-pound champion, Rashad Evans, is currently penciled in to collide with Brazilian slugger, Thiago Silva, in the co-featured fight of the night.

Sneak peek video of Marcus Jones and Episode 8 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:30 AM PST

Will Marcus Jones be the lone man to score a “W” for Team Rampage? Or will it be a clean sweep for Team Evans? Find out tonight at 10 p.m. ET!

UFC Quick Pic: Dana White has a nice car — and wrecks it

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:29 AM PST

Check out his official Twitter account for more.

Jon Fitch: ‘Waiting around for Thiago Alves to get better was not an option’

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:28 AM PST

Props: Pro MMA Radio

Quoteworthy:

“I needed to fight, I was (previously) scheduled for Nov. 21 and I’ve been training 5-6 weeks already. I don’t like a lot of down time, I like to fight often. Waiting around for Thiago (Alves) to get better was not an option. The last week has just been up and down, changing training camps from one day to the next and emotionally getting up and down for different opponents. Mike Pierce is not well know but sometimes these kinds of fights are harder than the high profile fights because people expect you to go out and smash a guy they don’t know so if you don’t, they hold it against you. This fight can very easily turn into one of my tougher fights.”

Former UFC welterweight number one contender Jon Fitch shares the frustration of undergoing multiple changes in both events and opponents after Ricardo Almeida and Thiago Alves both went down with knee injuries and were forced out of action. Now Fitch must face the unknown Mike Pierce, which as the former Purdue wrestling standout explains is perhaps more dangerous than a high profile opponent due to the limited scouting report and lofty expectations. Is Fitch in a no-win situation?

To hear the entire interview click here.

Brett Rogers video from ESPNs ‘First Take’

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 10:04 AM PST

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-04T05:31:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Fabricio Werdum video on Strikeforce fight against Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva on Nov. 7
Report: Todd Duffee injury forces him out of UFC 107 fight against Paul Buentello
UFC 108 tickets for MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, for sale soon
UFC Quick Quote: Brock Lesnar still sick, return could be delayed until Feb. 6
Randy Couture talks UFC 105 fight strategy for Brandon Vera (Video)
Thiago Alves: It was not a good idea to fight Jon Fitch at less than full strength
Strikeforce and MMA stars ‘Kickin’ It’ to bullies nationwide
MMA Quick Pic: WWE pillages UFC success with ‘Knucklehead’ movie
Behind the scenes video of Fedor Emelianenko training for Nov. 7 Brett Rogers fight
Patience, grasshopper: Gurgel will grapple in due time

Fabricio Werdum video on Strikeforce fight against Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva on Nov. 7

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:42 PM PST

Report: Todd Duffee injury forces him out of UFC 107 fight against Paul Buentello

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:28 PM PST

Another one bites the dust.

Undefeated heavyweight powerhouse Todd Duffee has sustained an undisclosed injury, scrapping his upcoming bout against Paul Buentello (27-10) at UFC 107: “Penn vs. Sanchez” from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 12, according to Sherdog.com.

Mike Russow and Stefan Struve are currently the front runners to replace the American Top Team-trained specimen; however, no official announcement regarding Duffee’s injury or potential replacement has been made at this time.

Nonetheless, Duffee is clearly disappointed, saying “[withdrawing] was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make."

Duffee made his UFC debut at the "Couture vs. Nogueira" pay-per-view back on Aug. 29. The 23-year-old pushed his perfect record to 5-0 with a record-setting seven-second annihilation of Tim Hague.

Prior to that, the Duffee scored an impressive second round technical knockout over Brazilian roadblock, Assuerio Silva, at Jungle Fight 11 last September. The hulking University of Georgia student has ended all five of his professional fights by way of (technical) knockout.

Duffee joins his teammate, Thiago Alves, as well as Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Mark Coleman, Ricardo Almeida, Kurt Pellegrino and Dong Hyun Kim, among others, to get bit by the injury bug.

UFC 107 will feature a main event between lightweight division champion, BJ Penn, defending his title against number one division contender, Diego Sanchez, as well as a heavyweight showdown between former champion Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo.

In addition, a lightweight attraction between stars Kenny Florian and Clay Guida was recently shifted to the card to compensate for the loss of the light heavyweight showdown between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans.

For more on the developing UFC 107 fight card and rumors click here.

UFC 108 tickets for MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, for sale soon

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 06:06 PM PST

Tickets for UFC 108, which is slated for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. PT.

UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption.

UFC 108 is expected to feature a reshuffled main event between ailing heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar (if he can recover from a serious illness), and number one division contender, Shane Carwin.

Anderson Silva was expected to headline the event, defending his 185-pound title against former light heavyweight champion, Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort. However, "The Spider" will likely need more time to recover from elbow surgery before returning to action so soon in the New Year.

Former 205-pound champion, Rashad Evans, is currently penciled in to collide with Brazilian slugger, Thiago Silva, in the co-featured fight of the night.

UFC 108 will serve as the traditional year-end blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) show for the promotion, meaning that tickets will likely sell super fast. So don't delay if you intend to watch it all go down live in "Sin City."

Here is the UFC 108 tickets sales schedule (all times are PT):

UFC Fight Club presale: Thursday, Nov. 12 17 at 10 a.m.
UFC Newsletter presale: Friday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
General tickets sale: Saturday, Nov. 14 at 12 p.m.

UFC 108 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on PPV at 10 p.m. ET on fight night.

For more on UFC 108 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out the latest fight card and rumors right here.

UFC Quick Quote: Brock Lesnar still sick, return could be delayed until Feb. 6

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 04:45 PM PST

"I'm not sure exactly what it is he has, mono or whatever, but I know that he was sick and couldn't get a good, hard workout in. There's a big difference between making an appearance and smiling and waving at a football game and going out and doing what he has to do in his training."

– Greg Nelson, the founder, owner and head coach at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis, Minn., tells Yahoo!Sports.com that his biggest fighter, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, is still not well. Lesnar was recently forced to withdraw from his upcoming title fight against number one contender, Shane Carwin, at UFC 106 on Nov. 21. It was a difficult decision that did not sit well with most fans, setting off a firestorm on conspiracy theories that Lesnar wasn’t really sick, but just preferred to fight on the blockbuster year-end show, UFC 108, which is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2010. Most of those Oliver Stones pointed to Lesnar’s appearance at a Minnesota Vikings football game as proof that his illness was hogwash. Nelson defends Lesnar, saying that he has been unable to train hard because of the mysterious malady. In fact, he even indicates that Lesnar still has not returned to full strength and that he may have to postpone his return until the Superbowl weekend event in early February.

Randy Couture talks UFC 105 fight strategy for Brandon Vera (Video)

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:26 AM PST

Thiago Alves: It was not a good idea to fight Jon Fitch at less than full strength

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:23 AM PST

Props: Long Island Examiner

Quoteworthy:

“I tore my PCL, I had a knee injury before my fight with GSP in which I tore my MCL and now 6 weeks before my fight with Fitch I tore my PCL. My doctor advised me not to fight and although I still wanted to fight my manager told me not to because I am not 100%, they felt it was not a good idea to go up against a fighter like Jon Fitch at anything less than full strength. I am going to take this time off to heal and get better, hopefully I will be back by January 31st. It’s not as bad as it could have been but it’s not worth the risk of doing any further damage. You have no idea how bad I wanted this fight! When I come back I am going to better than ever, the next time I step inside the octagon I am going to make a huge impression. Everything happens for a reason and I have no complaints.”

Former number one welterweight contender Thiago Alves talks about the difficult decision to pull out of his UFC 107 bout against Jon Fitch on Dec. 12 after suffering a knee injury while training. "The Pitbull" is trying to get back in line and work his way up the welterweight ladder for another crack at current champion Georges St. Pierre, who bested the Brazilian at UFC 100 back on July 11. With Fitch now matched up against Mike Pierce, who will be the new opponent for Alves when he returns in 2010? Marcus Davis, Dan Hardy, Mike Swick … what showdown do you want to see?

Strikeforce and MMA stars ‘Kickin’ It’ to bullies nationwide

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:22 AM PST

NEW YORK (November 3, 2009)–-Jason "Mayhem" Miller has already shown the world that he's no fan of bullies. Now, the host of MTV's smash-hit reality series "Bully Beatdown" has been joined by fellow STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) stars Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith and Daniel Cormier in a national campaign led by apparel company and cause organization Kickin' It, Inc. to curb a perennial problem amongst adolescents and teenagers.

Founded by Kickin' It Apparel Co. President GinaMarie Raimondo in May 2009, the "Bullying…We're Kickin' It" campaign aims to stop bullying amongst youth and the resulting psychological and emotional wounds often left on victims. Raimondo's outfit aggressively engages students, their guardians, and school faculty in useful dialogue and activities, including workshops led by the organization's spokespeople in order to encourage positive behavior.

Smith and Cormier will pay visits to several Chicago schools and youth centers this week while Miller readies for his highly-anticipated, live network television debut on CBS this Saturday, November 7 when he will face off with fellow superstar Jake Shields during the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted "Fedor vs. Rogers" event at Chicago's Sears Centre Arena.

"I'm enthused to be a part of something like this that's bigger than just fighting and bigger than just a TV show," said the 28-year-old Miller, who has already recorded a number of public service announcements on behalf of Kickin It's campaign. The messages are being broadcast nationally courtesy of Premiere Radio, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide. "I want to bring about positive change amongst the youth in this country and this is a way to do that."

Cormier, a two-time member of The United States Olympic wrestling team who placed fourth in the 2004 Games held in Athens, Greece, was inspired to join the group as a result of his personal experiences.

"I was bullied as a kid so I know what it's like to be belittled and humiliated in front of my peers," said the 30-year-old Cormier. "I want to make a difference in the lives of kids who are facing the same things I did when I was their age."

Smith's status as a father of two boys, ages 12 and 6, has heightened his sensitivity to the problem. "It hasn't happened to either of my kids yet, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen in the future. It's something that concerns me and I want to do whatever I can to influence kids in a positive way."

"Bullying is a very serious problem in every school across America that has long lasting, detrimental effects on your youth," said Raimondo. "This problem requires an integrated approach involving the entire community to unite against this kind of behavior. Kickin It's campaign offers that and hopes others will follow the example of the STRIKEFORCE athletes who should be admired for their passion and determination to address this issue."

MMA Quick Pic: WWE pillages UFC success with ‘Knucklehead’ movie

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

Starring Paul “Big Show” Wight as a brain-dead orphan fighting his way across the South to raise money for his church.

Read the rest of the chilling details here.

Behind the scenes video of Fedor Emelianenko training for Nov. 7 Brett Rogers fight

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 09:30 AM PST

He really likes that sweater …

Patience, grasshopper: Gurgel will grapple in due time

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 09:29 AM PST

Props: MMA Fanhouse

Quoteworthy:

“If I made a dollar, man, if anybody asks me ‘Why don’t you use your jiu-jitsu?’ … It can be a 10-year-old kid in my gym to a 75-year-old man in a hair salon, the guy at the gas station, I’m always going to be asked the same question, ‘Why don’t you use your jiu-jitsu?’ And just, everything comes in due time. I have a lot of confidence in my gym. I have a lot of confidence in my standup skills, and I enjoy trading punches. People have the misconception that I do this just to please promoters. It’s nothing to do with that. I do it cause I enjoy it. I enjoy fighting standing, and I’m not the type of guy who will pursue the takedown. If the fight goes to the ground, I’m happy there, I’m comfortable there, I’m just not going to pursue the takedown all the time. I’m sure my career is far from over, so in due time, everybody is going to see me work on the ground. So patience, grasshopper. Patience.”

Former UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel responds to critics who don’t understand why the Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt continually abandons his ground game in favor of an all out slugfest. Gurgel went on to win a unanimous decision on all three judges scorecards in his first appearance under the Strikeforce banner when he outpointed Connor Huen in an absolute war back at the June 19 “Challengers” event. Will he be able to replicate that performance against the undefeated Billy Evangelista at Strikeforce Challengers on Nov. 6?

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-03T05:40:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets -- MMAmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Strikeforce weigh in results information and details for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ on Nov. 6
Jake Shields training at Gracie Academy for ‘Mayhem’ Miller Strikeforce fight on Nov. 7 (Pics)
FIGHT CAMP 360°: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ video preview for Showtime debut on Nov. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET
Georgio Petrosyan injury likely scraps fight against Masato at New Year’s Eve Dynamite!! 2009
WEC 46: ‘Varner vs Henderson’ announced for Arco Arena on Jan. 10
Brandon Vera set to see ‘who crumbles first’ against Randy Couture at UFC 105 (Video)
Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ conference call recap
Mike Swick: Dan Hardy will have panic attacks — not super powers at UFC 105
MMA Quick Pic: Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers appear at Bears vs Browns NFL game
Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ in Hoffman Estates on Nov. 7

Strikeforce weigh in results information and details for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ on Nov. 6

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 04:42 AM PST

The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” is set to take place at the Sears Centre – Main Concourse (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway) in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009.

The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 5 p.m. local time.

As usual, MMAmania.com will be on the scene to provide the latest coverage of the Strikeforce weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

"Fedor vs. Rogers" will feature a main event between former Pride FC and WAMMA heavyweight champion, Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko, trying to quell the undefeated uprising of Brett "The Grim" Rogers.

In addition, "Bully Beatdown" star and DREAM veteran Jason "Mayhem" Miller will take on former Elite XC welterweight champion Jake Shields for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title. And rising star Gegard Mousasi will also appear, taking on hard-hitting Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in a non-title affair.

Here is the current "Fedor vs. Rogers" fight card:

Main event:

265 lbs.: Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett "The Grim" Rogers (10-0)

Main card (Televised):

185 lbs.: Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) vs. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
205 lbs.: Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. "The African Assassin" Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4)
265 lbs.: Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio "Junior" Silva (13-1)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen (16-3) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (13-4)* 145 lbs.: Jeff "The Big Frog" Curran (29-12-1) vs. Dustin "The Beast" Neace (17-13-1)* 170 lbs.: Shamar Bailey (9-1) vs. John Kolosci (10-5)* 155 lbs.: Deray Davis (5-1-1) vs. Mark Miller (9-5)* 205 lbs.: Nate Moore (3-0) vs. Louis Taylor (4-0)* 170 lbs.: Jonatas Novaes (4-2) vs. Christian Uflacker (1-0)*

*Fight not yet officially confirmed by Strikeforce.

For those fortunate enough to be in "The Windy City" area this weekend remember that the weigh-in is FREE to attend and open to the public. Doors to the weigh-in will open at 4:30 p.m. local time for the general public.

It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage you can handle.

Jake Shields training at Gracie Academy for ‘Mayhem’ Miller Strikeforce fight on Nov. 7 (Pics)

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 04:29 AM PST

Props: AllElbows.com (Click the link to check out the complete photos gallery)

FIGHT CAMP 360°: ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ video preview for Showtime debut on Nov. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 07:11 PM PST

Georgio Petrosyan injury likely scraps fight against Masato at New Year’s Eve Dynamite!! 2009

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 06:15 PM PST

K-1 event producer, Sadaharu Tanikawa, gave an update today on the suspected injury that newly crowned K-1 MAX winner, Georgio Petrosyan, suffered last weekend at the K-1 World MAX 2009 Tournament Final.

Tanikawa subsequently elucidated the status of the main event bout between Petrosyan and the retiring K-1 MAX icon, Masato, for the Dynamite! event on New Year’s Eve.

Upon returning to Italy after defeating Yuya Yamamoto and Andy Souwer to capture the K-1 MAX crown, Petrosyan underwent an injury check-up, revealing that he has indeed injured his right fist. Though Petrosyan eagerly accepted Masato’s challenge immediately after his tournament victory and holds out hope for his NYE return, his doctor has admonished him against fighting.

Tanikawa commented that he would like to determine the opponent for Masato by the end of the week. If all goes as planned, he will receive a final update from Petrosyan’s camp this week and announce Masato’s new opponent on Thursday or Friday.

While Masato has the final say in the choice of his opponent for his farewell bout, the top candidate in case of Petrosyan’s withdrawal is Andy Souwer. Souwer, the two-time K-1 MAX champion (2005, 2007) has defeated Masato twice in as many encounters.

Besides Souwer, K-1 MAX standouts, Buakaw Por Pramuk and Yoshihiro Sato, are also in consideration. Pramuk has split a fight with Masato, while Sato has lost to Masato in the semi-final round of the K-1 World MAX 2008.

When asked about the possibility of former Pride FC lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi, as Masato’s opponent after Gomi sheepishly announced his wish to fight Masato on New Year’s Eve, Tanikawa commented:

“If Masato gives the green light, then the fight will happen; however, I think it is unlikely.”

Stay tuned to MMAmania for more announcements regarding the K-1 Dynamite! New Year’s Eve event as they become available.

WEC 46: ‘Varner vs Henderson’ announced for Arco Arena on Jan. 10

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 05:07 PM PST

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) today announced its first show of the New Year, which will feature the return of Jamie Varner, defending his lightweight belt against 155-pound interim champion, Benson "Smooth" Henderson, in the main event of the evening.

WEC 46: “Varner vs. Henderson” is scheduled for the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Jan. 10, 2010.

It’s a venue with which the promotion is extremely familiar thanks in larger part to former featherweight champion and local fan favorite, Urijah Faber. “The California Kid,” who is also coming back from a hand injury like Varner, will collide with top-ranked contender, Raphael Assuncao, in the co-featured fight of the night.

The line up thus far is one that WEC General Manager, Reed Harris, is thrilled to promote.

Here’s a snip:

"ARCO Arena is one of our favorite venues to bring fights, the fans in Sacramento are some of the best. The world title bout between Varner and Henderson is a perfect way to start off the New Year. The title fight, plus the return of Urijah, makes this an instant winter classic."

Henderson (10-1) defeated Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at WEC 43 via razor-thin unanimous decision to successfully capture the interim gold. "Smooth" avoided countless submission attempts from Cerrone, while inflicting good damage in the early rounds. The victory was a large upset, introducing the relatively unknown Henderson to the fans of the sport.

A product of Arizona's MMA Lab, Henderson has managed to string together nine straight victories since his only loss, which was to Chad Klingensmith at Ring of Fire 27: "Collision Course" in Dec. 2006. He is perfect (3-0) in the WEC with victories over Shane Roller, Anthony Njokuani and Cerrone.

Varner (16-2) gained the lightweight belt back in 2006 when he defeated "Razor" Rob McCullough via technical knockout. "C-4" has gone on to defend his belt twice with victories over Marcus Hicks and Donald Cerrone.

Varner has been sidelined for some time now because of injuries he sustained during the battle at WEC 38 in earlier this year January against Cerrone. One year later, Varner will finally be able to put his belt on the line again, hoping to defend it for a third time.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news and updates on WEC 46.

Brandon Vera set to see ‘who crumbles first’ against Randy Couture at UFC 105 (Video)

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 12:39 PM PST

Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ conference call recap

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 12:12 PM PST

Strikeforce today (Nov. 2) held a media conference call with heavyweight attractions Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers to promote their upcoming trip to the outskirts of Chicago when the promotion storms the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, for its live CBS prime time broadcast on Nov. 7.

Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers" will feature a main event between former PRIDE and WAMMA heavyweight champion, Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko trying to quell the undefeated uprising of Brett "The Grim" Rogers in a bid to determine who will challenge Alistair Overeem for the heavyweight strap in 2010.

In addition, "Bully Beatdown" star and DREAM veteran Jason "Mayhem" Miller will take on former Elite XC welterweight champion Jake Shields for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title.

Rising star Gegard Mousasi will also appear, taking on hard-hitting Rameau Thierry Skoudjou in a non-title affair while Fabricio Werdum looks to go 2-0 for the promotion against former Elite XC heavyweight champ Antonio "Junior" Silva.

Here is a brief recap and highlights of noteworthy items coming out of today’s call:

–Scott Coker and Mitch Graham are excited to be on the call and get right to the questions.

–Brett Rogers doesn’t think Fedor’s marriage will be a distraction for the upcoming fight.

–Fedor Emelianenko is not nervous during the fight but perhaps one day before the fight he will be — because he is human (allegedly). Looks forward to entertaining both Americans and Russians during his stay. Will save his sightseeing for after the fight.

–Lot of heavy whispering and muffled conversation on Emelianenko’s end.

–Brett Rogers feels like he knows Fedor after training for him for three months. Doesn’t think Fedor can handle him standing up so he’s just waiting for the takedown and is not afraid to go there.

–Fedor Emelianenko thinks the NFL is more exciting on TV. Misinterprets a question and confesses he would make a lousy football player.

–Very loud media member screaming his questions like he’s ordering a value meal at the McDonald’s drive-thru.

–Brett Rogers is excited to win this thing and wow the many fans who are there to support him.

–Someone either typing feverishly or playing full contact paddycake in the background, drowning out Fedor’s next response. Something about not going to the UFC.

–Scott Coker doesn’t refute a reporter’s assertion that Fedor is unmarketable, but points to the CBS media campaign that will reach both new and old audiences.

–Fedor Emelianenko is preparing for his fight and can’t be worried about selling himself. His job is to make beautiful fights.

–Brett Rogers doesn’t talk money but reminds Mike Straka that he doesn’t work at Sam’s Club anymore and suggests he re-watch the June 6 Arlovski fight.

–Fedor Emelianenko walks around Chi-town to help relax. On the eve of the fight he gets his coaches to massage him. (Ed: Talk about your bad part-time jobs.) No card games before this fight.

–Brett Rogers is all about meditation and relaxation during his fight prep to help get his mind right for the fight. Will sometimes sleep right up until the fight, come out and take care of business.

–Fedor Emelianenko balks at the accusation that he’s a sloppy fighter.

–Brett Rogers is on a anti-dog fighting crusade because he loves animals and now has the wherewithal to make a difference.

–Fedor Emelianenko does not answer a question about his religion and mental state.

–Brett Rogers agrees that he’s still being underrated based on the huge disparity in the Las Vegas fight odds. Says he’ll get the respect he deserves after the fight and expects a quick finish.

–Fedor Emelianenko will not alter his old-fashioned training regimen because it’s worked for him for his entire career — so why mess with a good thing?

–Scott Coker has no interest in Aleksander Emelianenko until Aleks resolves his issues with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

–Fedor Emelianenko knows Brett Rogers hits hard but is confident in his abilities and does not believe the cage will have an impact on his style.

–Brett Rogers recognizes the difference between a ring and a cage and thinks it may have an impact on striking and will be something he’ll try to exploit during the fight.

–Scott Coker says the Sears Centre is approximately 85-percent sold and anticipates a sellout by Saturday; however, will not confirm an upcoming Dec. 19 show.

–Brett Rogers hopes to build off the striking deficiencies that Andrei Arlovski exposed in the Jan. 24 loss to Fedor.

–Fedor Emelianenko is training in his hotel before the fight and will not train with American fighters.

–Brett Rogers knew he was on an eventual collision course with Fedor after Affliction died and the UFC could not come to terms with the Russian. Thinks he’s as prepared as he can be for Saturday.

–Scott Coker didn’t expect anything from M-1 Global for this event other than bringing Fedor to the states. They did however use their marketing machine to promote the fight overseas.

–Brett Rogers was offered a spot on “Bully Beatdown” but declined because he was preparing for the Fedor fight. Was also asked to audition for the role of B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team movie.

–Fedor Emelianenko thinks he has nothing to prove to American fans who might feel like he hasn’t done anything to earn the title of world’s best heavyweight.

–Brett Rogers doesn’t like the comparisons to Buster Douglas. He’s “Coming from nothing and wanting to be something.” It’s what he’s wanted all his life.

–Some “media member” asks Brett Rogers for advice on being a fighter. Rogers fumbles through the answer and the caller is unceremoniously dismissed.

–Brett Rogers can’t see any scenario where Fedor would try to keep it standing because of Emelianenko’s submission pedigree. Says he closes his eyes and sees Fedor knocked out.

–Fedor Emelianenko will not disclose his fight strategy and coughs up a stock answer about being prepared and the differences between fighting in the U.S. and Japan.

–Scott Coker expects an upcoming announcement about the future of Strikeforce broadcasting plans in the near future.

–Brett Rogers was a little distracted by the camera and media following him around all week but outside of that has no distractions. Plans on pursuing Alistair Overeem after beating Fedor.

–Fedor’s translator is starting to get a little feisty in her responses.

–Fedor Emelianenko is not amused by the assumption that he took part in a Russian ritual that involves killing a bear with a fork and knife. Says the only bear he ever saw was in a zoo.

–The McDonald’s screamer is back. Scott Coker answers his question but my ears are still ringing and I missed it. Sorry.

–Fedor Emelianenko quickly exits stage left after the embarrassing “Bear” question. Call abruptly ends with no goodbye from “The Grim.”

That’s a wrap.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Fedor vs. Rogers, beginning with the CBS telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action as it starts to flow around 8 p.m. ET.

For everything you need to know about the upcoming Strikeforce event feel free to hit up our event archive right here.

Mike Swick: Dan Hardy will have panic attacks — not super powers at UFC 105

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:16 AM PST

Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

“You never know how fighters are gonna react to hearing either cheers or boos, but I don't think the crowd's gonna give him super powers. He's gonna be the same fighter. He might have a better mentality and might be a little more pumped up when he walks out, but that's what I want. I want him to be pumped up and I want to fight him at his best … I can't think of a fight that I've had where my opponent wasn't saying how he's gonna beat me up and do this or that. I guess it's kinda normal for fighting, but it does always seem like the way they say it that they do underestimate me. And if they get in the ring with me and it doesn't work out the way they had hoped, all that confidence turns to panic. I like watching that confidence turn to panic, and then securing that win. The more confident somebody comes into a fight, the better it is for me and my gameplan. An overconfident opponent is setting himself up for serious panic issues if things don't work out the way he expects.”

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alum, Mike Swick, will not be rattled heading into his UFC 105 bout opposite Dan Hardy on November 14 in Manchester, England. The Texan made a "Quick" exit from his Sept. 19 number one contender bout against Martin Kampmann at UFC 103 after suffering a concussion during training. The former middleweight doesn't want to waste any time getting back into the title hunt now that he's recovered and despite a cheery effort by "The Outlaw," Swick is determined to come into hostile territory mentally prepared.

MMA Quick Pic: Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers appear at Bears vs Browns NFL game

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 07:40 AM PST

The Chicago MMA Hype train has left the station. Has the promoting for the Strikeforce/CBS event been up to snuff? Opinions please…

Strikeforce results and LIVE fight coverage for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ in Hoffman Estates on Nov. 7

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 07:27 AM PST

Strikeforce recently took a major step toward finalizing the line-up for its upcoming trip to the outskirts of Chicago when it storms the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, for its live CBS prime time broadcast on Nov. 7.

Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” will feature a main event between former PRIDE and WAMMA heavyweight champion, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko trying to quell the undefeated uprising of Brett “The Grim” Rogers in a bid to determine who will challenge Alistair Overeem for the heavyweight strap in 2010.

In addition, “Bully Beatdown” star and DREAM veteran Jason “Mayhem” Miller will take on former Elite XC welterweight champion Jake Shields for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title.

Here is the current “Fedor vs. Rogers” fight card:

Main event:

265 lbs.: Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett "The Grim" Rogers (10-0)

Main card (Televised):

185 lbs.: Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22-6) vs. Jake Shields (23-4-1)
205 lbs.: Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. “The African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4)
265 lbs.: Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio "Junior" Silva (13-1)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

145 lbs.: Marloes Coenen (16-3) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (13-4)*
145 lbs.: Jeff “The Big Frog” Curran (29-12-1) vs. Dustin “The Beast” Neace (17-13-1)*
170 lbs.: Shamar Bailey (9-1) vs. John Kolosci (10-5)*
155 lbs.: Deray Davis (5-1-1) vs. Mark Miller (9-5)*
205 lbs.: Nate Moore (3-0) vs. Louis Taylor (4-0)*
170 lbs.: Jonatas Novaes (4-2) vs. Christian Uflacker (1-0)*

*Fight not yet officially confirmed by Strikeforce.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Fedor vs. Rogers, beginning with the CBS telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action as it starts to flow around 8 p.m. ET.

We're still a few days away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on “Fedor vs Rogers” in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.

For everything you need to know about the upcoming Strikeforce event feel free to also hit up our event archive right here.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-02T05:24:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Lyoto Machida to ‘close all holes’ for rematch with Shogun Rua (Video)
Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett joins WEC bantamweight roster
Report: Chad Mendes signs six-fight deal with WEC
Report: Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander in the works for TUF 10 Finale on Dec. 5
Michael Bisping trains his son mixed martial arts
Cris Cyborg ‘Lethal Beauty’ cover on ‘Ultimate MMA’
MMA Quick Quote: ‘Whore Machine’ starts new porn career off with a Riley Steele bang

Lyoto Machida to ‘close all holes’ for rematch with Shogun Rua (Video)

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 08:15 PM PST

Whenever that may be … this appears to be shot before news of his looming hand surgery broke:

Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett joins WEC bantamweight roster

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 07:55 PM PST

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) has delved back into the fighter catalog with yet another signing to bolster its already extremely competitive bantamweight division.

The WEC and British 135-pounder Brad Pickett have come to terms on a multi-fight deal, according to Fighters Only magazine.

Pickett (17-4) enters the WEC on a seven-fight win streak, having not lost since June of 2007. He has spent the majority of his career at the 145-pound featherweight limit with much success, including being the featherweight champion when he fought in Cage Rage.

Nicknamed "One Punch," Pickett has made a career out of finishing fights. He has gone to a decision only four times out of his 21 total professional fights. Eight of his victories have come via submission, while six have been earned via knockout.

The WEC bantamweight division is currently ruled by the young champion Brian Bowles (8-0). Pickett enters a division that is more competitive than it has been in a long time, as the WEC continues to bolster its fighter roster as of late.

Pickett is expected to debut in early 2010. The fighter who will stand opposite "One Punch" next year has yet to be named.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news and updates from the WEC.

Report: Chad Mendes signs six-fight deal with WEC

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 06:01 PM PST

The WEC featherweight division will soon welcome yet another promising 145-pounder as Chad Mendes has come to terms with the promotion on a six-fight deal, according to Sherdog.com.

Mendes (5-0) has garnered a perfect record over his young professional career, which began in Sept. 2008 with a debut victory over Giovanni Encarnacion via submission at Palace Fighting Championship: "Explosive."

Mendes has since gone on to win each of his four fights in 2009, rounding out his perfect record with two knockouts and two decisions.

At the age of 24, Mendes has spent his short professional career training with Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male. He has a solid wrestling background as a two-time All-American California Polytechnic State University and the NCAA Division I runner-up in the 141-pound division in 2008.

Mendes is expected to debut in World Extreme Cagefighting in the first quarter of 2010. An opponent has yet to be named.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for updates and breaking news from the WEC.

Report: Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander in the works for TUF 10 Finale on Dec. 5

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 07:07 AM PST

Kimbo Slice (3-1) will make his first official appearance inside the Octagon opposite Houston Alexander (9-4) in a 215-pound catchweight brawl booked for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale, which is slated for "The Pearl" at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 5, according to NWITimes.com.

Apparently the only thing standing in the way is special clearance from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) on Nov. 4. It’s merely a formality because of Alexander’s advanced age. He is 37-years-old.

Slice was invited to compete on the latest mixed martial arts reality series by company president Dana White. For years White had lambasted Slice while he competed under the Elite XC banner, feeling he did not deserve all the promotion and hype as a top fighter in the sport just because of his reputation as a backyard brawler in the mean streets of Miami.

So White was probably not surprised when Roy Nelson, arguably the best fighter in the house, took out Slice in episode three with a second round technical knockout. On the other hand, he was probably pleasantly surprised when the monster ratings poured in for the network — Spike TV set all-time viewership records thanks to the Slice factor.

And when he laces ‘em up on Dec. 5 the promotion and the network can expect more of the same. Slice has not competed since the infamous 14-second technical knockout loss to Seth Petruzelli at Elite XC: “Heat” more than one year ago (Oct. 4, 2008).

Alexander recently took out Sherman Pendergarst with a barrage of leg kicks and punches at Adrenaline MMA 4 in September, getting himself back in the win column after suffering three straight losses inside the Octagon.

The five-fight UFC veteran came up short against Eric Schafer, James Irvin and Thiago Silva, which was quite a twist of fortune after starting his career with the promotion with two big, and emphatic, victories over Alessio Sakara and Keith Jardine.

With a high-profile opportunity to battle Slice — a fighter who he knows will likely stand and trade with him — the Nebraskan can get his name back in the mix literally overnight with an exciting performance.

TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Jon "Bones" Jones as he inches his way closer to contention against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill.

Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more on TUF 10 Finale as it becomes available.

Michael Bisping trains his son mixed martial arts

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 05:59 AM PST

Check out the latest UFC 105 video blog from “The Count” after the jump.

Cris Cyborg ‘Lethal Beauty’ cover on ‘Ultimate MMA’

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 05:55 AM PST

Props: UltimateGrapplingMag.com

MMA Quick Quote: ‘Whore Machine’ starts new porn career off with a Riley Steele bang

Posted: 01 Nov 2009 05:21 AM PST

“I signed with LA Direct Models this week and today I did my first porn scene! LOL. I shot for Digital Playground with their girl Riley Steele … was fucking awesome! I was nervous but I came through. I’m still gonna fight … just gonna do this too because fighting isn’t quite enough money and you all know I ain’t trying to work! In life I have come to learn that all I enjoy is eating, sleeping, fighting and fucking! I’m living the dream getting paid to fight and fuck! What more could I ask for?

– UFC reject and MMA’s favorite controversial loose cannon, “War Machine” (the fighter previously known as John Koppenhaver), has embarked on a new venture. In yet another instance of MMA fighter’s diverging from his fight career to undertake extracurricular activities, he has set a new precedent. Care to respond to Mr. War Machine’s question, Maniacs?

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-11-01T04:45:00.001-08:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC 107: Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce booked with Thiago Alves hurt
Strikeforce signs DREAM welterweight GP champion Marius ‘Whitemare’ Zaromskis
Happy Halloween from the MMAmania.com Crew
WEC 45: Muhsin Corbbrey vs Zack Micklewright planned for Dec. 19
UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping trains for Denis Kang fight on Nov. 14
Nothing personal: Jake Shields Strikeforce interview exclusive with MMAmania.com
Lyoto Machida hand surgery to postpone UFC 104 rematch against Shogun Rua
Josh Neer released from his UFC contract following UFC 104 loss
MMA Quick Quote: Brett Rogers gets advice from, and trains with, Josh Barnett for Fedor Emelianenko fight
Jose Aldo expects to knockout Mike Brown at WEC 44 on Nov. 18

UFC 107: Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce booked with Thiago Alves hurt

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 02:21 PM PDT

The third time will hopefully be the charm for Jon Fitch (19-3) now that up-and-coming welterweight Mike Pierce (10-1) has agreed to step up and face him at UFC 107 from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 12.

Pierce was originally slated to meet Josh Koscheck at UFC Fight Night 20 until “Kos” was promoted to the UFC 106 co-main event opposite Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

Like Pierce, Fitch was left without an opponent when Ricardo Almeida injured his knee and withdrew from their UFC 106 bout on Nov. 21. Zuffa worked a little magic and booked him in a rematch of former number one welterweight contenders opposite Thiago Alves on Dec. 12; however, “Pitbull” also went down with a knee injury and was forced to bow out.

Fitch returned to the Octagon at UFC 100 to exact revenge against submission specialist Paulo Thiago, taking the contest via unanimous decision. The Brazilian stunned his good friend and American Kickboxing Academy training partner, Josh Koscheck, with a fight-ending first round uppercut at UFC 95: "Sanchez vs. Stevenson" earlier this year.

The Purdue University wrestler now boasts 10 victories for the promotion in 11 attempts. The lone blemish on his record is to welterweight deity Georges "Rush" St. Pierre in their championship match from UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" in Aug. 2008.

And the competition isn't getting any easier.

Pierce recently stunned quite a few fans in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 19, registering a convincing unanimous decision over the super tough Brock Larson. It was just the third loss in Larson's impressive career. And it marked six straight wins for the surging Pierce.

Despite his recent success, Pierce will no doubt be a heavy underdog on fight night when he gets locked inside the cage opposite the 11-fight UFC veteran.

UFC 107 will feature a main event between lightweight division champion, BJ Penn, defending his title against number one division contender, Diego Sanchez. In the co-featured fight of the night, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir will "begin his quest for a third title" when he takes on Cheick Kongo.

To check out the latest UFC 107 fight card and rumors click here.

Strikeforce signs DREAM welterweight GP champion Marius ‘Whitemare’ Zaromskis

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 02:19 PM PDT

NEW YORK (Oct. 31, 2009) – DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Champion Marius “Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-3) of Lithuania has signed a multi-fight agreement with world championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion Strikeforce.

Known for his explosive, highlight reel kicks, the 29-year-old, world-ranked Zaromskis has been his opponents’ worst “Whitemare” the last three years. The 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix Champion has won five fights in a row and nine of his last 10.

Zaromskis is coming off an utter destruction of Myeon Ho Bae, winning by 0:19, first-round KO on Oct 25. The victory earned Zaromskis the 2009 DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix crown.

Remarkably, it was the third consecutive time Zaromskis won a fight with a head kick in the opening round. On July 20, 2009, he defeated both Jason High (2:22) and heavily favored Hayoto Sakurai (4:03) with head kicks to win DREAM’s 170-pound tournament.

Zaromskis turned pro on Feb. 4, 2000. He fought several times for UK-based Cage Rage before joining DREAM in early 2009.

Two of his three losses came against former Cage Rage British champion in Che Mills.

Strikeforce in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network, Showtime. Next Saturday, November 7, Strikeforce will make its live debut on CBS with its “Fedor vs. Rogers” mega-fight that it is co-promoting with M-1 Global.

Happy Halloween from the MMAmania.com Crew

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 10:37 AM PDT

Happy Halloween, Maniacs. Here’s our customary holiday sweet treat.

It’s open thread and discussion time. Feel free to go bananas in the comments section below, posting news, sharing links, telling bad jokes … whatever. As usual, please do your best to keep it relatively clean and MMA-related.

Enjoy the day and have fun.

WEC 45: Muhsin Corbbrey vs Zack Micklewright planned for Dec. 19

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 09:39 AM PDT

After running through the competition in Glory Fighting Championships and Midwest King of the Ring, Zack Micklewright (6-0) has landed a five-fight deal with the WEC and an opponent on the promotion’s year-end card.

Muhsin Corbbrey (7-4) is set to welcome the undefeated youngster to the promotion’s lightweight landscape at WEC 45: "Cerrone vs. Ratcliff" from "The Pearl" at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 19.

Corbbrey debuted in the WEC on Oct. 10 at WEC 43, losing via technical knockout to Anthony Njokuani. It marked Corbbrey's second loss in a row, as he lost to Nick Diaz this past June in the now defunct Elite XC.

Corbbrey's record isn't astounding, but the way he fights makes him a solid asset for the WEC. He has only gone to the judges scorecards twice and is always looking for a slick submission finish.

Micklewright earned his spot on the WEC lightweight roster with an impressive 6-0 record, with his most recent win a submission (strikes) victory over Jaxon Mayson at Glory Fighting Championships 6 back in April.

Like Corbbrey, Micklewright is an exciting fighter who would rather leave it out of the judges hands. His debut was the only time he went the distance in a fight. However, Micklewright's time in smaller promotions has come to an end, as he has been given a shot with one of the top promotions in mixed martial arts.

The WEC will be a true test for this 155-pound wrecking ball.

WEC 45 will be headlined by a lightweight brawl between Donald Cerrone and Ed Ratcliff. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for breaking news on the WEC's last card of the 2009 fight season.

UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping trains for Denis Kang fight on Nov. 14

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 07:44 AM PDT

Nothing personal: Jake Shields Strikeforce interview exclusive with MMAmania.com

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 07:44 AM PDT

Jake Shields (28–4–1) is one of only a handful of mixed martial artists who have managed to become stars domestically fighting outside the UFC.

To the casual MMA fan his name may not be all that familiar … yet. On the other hand, the hardcore fans and media know full well he's one of the top fighters in the world regardless of what organization he's currently fighting for.

The 30-year-old is currently on a 12-fight win streak that dates back to November 2005, which includes victories over quality opponents such as Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle, Nick Thompson, Paul Daley and Robbie Lawler, among others.

His last fight against Lawler under the Strikeforce banner was at a catchweight of 182 pounds as he began his transition from his natural weight class at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds to the 185 pound middleweight class to pursue bigger fights.

The man standing in his way of making it 13 in a row is a very seasoned, very dangerous Jason "Mayhem" Miller (22–6, 1 no contest).

The fight will be for the vacated Strikeforce middleweight championship formerly held by Cung Le, which Le won by defeating Frank Shamrock way back in March 2008, but he never once defended it because has been more involved in the movie business than mixed martial arts.

As a result, Shields and Mayhem will collide at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., for the title on Nov. 7. The event will be broadcast live on CBS to a massive nationwide audience.

A victory for Shields would add another belt to his growing collection that includes championships in Rumble on the Rock, Shooto, and EliteXC. A loss would send him back to the drawing board to evaluate his options as he inches closer toward the end of his current fight contract.

Shields took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about a wide range of subjects, including the possibility of going after two Strikeforce belts, avoiding nicknames, the signing of Herschel Walker, Mayhem Miller, and UFC champion Georges St. Pierre.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What was your take on the Shogun Rua/Lyoto Machida fight at UFC 104?

Jake Shields: I thought it was a good technical fight. I had Shogun winning. It was a close fight. I gave at least three rounds to Shogun. I had two rounds that I pretty much gave a draw. If I was a judge I would've given it to Shogun.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The 10-point must scoring system is always up for debate after a fight like that one. Do you like the way the current scoring system is or think it should be changed?

Jake Shields: It's really tough to score a fight in general. One problem is that the 10-point must system weighs too much on the last round, which isn't fair either. I think more than the system, it's the judges. I think we need judges that know the sport. These guys get paid to judge and people bring their buddies in who don't know anything about the sport to judge. I think they need to fix that more than the actual judging system.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): In your last fight you were able to submit Robbie Lawler in the first round, but what impressed me the most was your stand up leading up to the submission. Do you feel like you were winning the stand up battle prior to the grappling?

Jake Shields: Yeah, I definitely did. I thought I was doing really good out there, but I went back and watched the announcers and they talked about how bad I was losing, but if you watch it I wasn't. I think they had their minds made up about my stand up (beforehand). Frank Shamrock was going off about how I was in trouble, but it looked like I was landing a lot more shots than Robbie was, in my opinion.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Is your stand up something you've been focusing on extra hard in your training?

Jake Shields: Yeah, the last two years I focused a lot on my stand up trying to catch up. Grappling is still my stronger point. I work a lot on my stand up and feel a lot more comfortable there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're no stranger to fighting on CBS; however, this time it's not the Kimbo Slice show that Elite XC was promoting, it's the Fedor Emelianenko show. Talk about that dynamic.

Jake Shields: I think it's awesome to be fighting on the card with Fedor Emelianenko. He's one of my favorite fighters of all time. He's the headliner but to be the co-headliner is quite an honor to be fighting alongside him. I'm really excited about it. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the promo for it so I hope it gets good ratings.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Have you ever seen Fedor fight in person?

Jake Shields: I actually have. I had the opportunity to go see him twice. I saw him in Japan fight the giant Korean guy (Hong Man Choi). I also saw him fight Andrei Arlovski in Affliction. He's awesome to watch live.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Will you be coming out of your locker room to watch him fight after yours?

Jake Shields: I definitely plan on watching it as long as I'm not banged up. I plan on just going in the back and doing what I have to do and hopefully they'll let me come out and watch. Sometimes athletic commissions won't let you run back out so hopefully they'll let me.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Strikeforce signed a guy recently who made his name outside the sport of MMA in Herschel Walker. I wanted to get your thoughts on his signing.

Jake Shields: Personally, I think it's a good sign. Most people criticize it, obviously, but a guy like that is a phenomenal athlete. He's a well known guy. He certainly shouldn't be headlining any cards like Kimbo Slice was, but I think he definitely deserves a spot in Strikeforce. Maybe the first televised fight of the night or something. He's obviously established himself as a great athlete. Hopefully he's taking the sport seriously and he'll go out there and maybe actually be a decent fighter.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're scheduled to face Jason "Mayhem" Miller on November 7. You guys did two episodes on MTV's Bully Beatdown together. Did you guys get a chance to know each other at all during or outside filming?

Jake Shields: I've actually known Mayhem for years. We're friends but it's not like we're great friends or anything. When I see him we'll talk. It's not like we call each other on the phone and catch up with each other. I like the guy, but I have no problem trying to break his nose.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): It's conceivable you could beat the crap out of each other for five rounds and then go have a drink together afterwards?

Jake Shields: Yeah, definitely. I plan on winning the fight, but if for some chance I lost I wouldn't be bitter. It's not personal. It's just a fight and I think we're both aware of that. It's related to the business. Sometimes you have to beat up people that are your friends.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Both of you have the majority of your career wins by submission. You're both great on the ground. A lot of the time this translates into a stand up battle. Is it possible we see you two going toe-to-toe the whole time?

Jake Shields: It's possible. I don't think for 25 minutes. I think at some point one of us will go for takedowns because we're both grapplers. He'll go for a takedown and then I'll go for a takedown, but I wouldn't mind doing a little stand up with him either. I think this is the fight that people could see anything. I'm certainly willing to fight anywhere and I think he probably is too.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Besides your own gym in Berkeley, Calif., where has your training camp been taking place at for this fight?

Jake Shields: Over at Cesar's gym. Cesar Gracie's gym is about 30 minutes from here. Nick and Nate Diaz and Gil Melendez have been coming a lot and they come into my gym. I went down to LA for a little bit working at Wild Card Boxing. I went a few places but the majority of the training at my gym and Cesar's.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I know you train at American Kickboxing Academy from time to time as well. I would think that has to help you out a ton with the stable of quality welterweights they have in Fitch, Koscheck and Swick. Do you concur?

Jake Shields: It's definitely good, hard sparring. I don't go there too much just because there's a good chance I'll fight some of those guys. They're not my friends, but it's just a situation where there are a lot of top fighters there, so I'm sure at some point I'll fight somebody from that gym. Definitely a lot of talented guys there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Are you still finding it hard to gain solid weight to try to fill out as a 185'er while continuous training?

Jake Shields: I put some weight on in between fights but once you're training hard for a fight it's pretty much impossible to put too much solid weight on. You're training it all off. I'm eating a lot. I got a chance to catch a sponsor now that has some awesome products. That has helped me gain some weight and keep it lean.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What is your weight now and what do you expect to weigh in at on November 7?

Jake Shields: I'll weigh in at 185, but I'm walking around at about 193, which is where I was at earlier today. Definitely small for 185 still, but at least I have to cut a few pounds.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You're not exactly doing the Anthony Johnson weight cut though.

Jake Shields: That guy is massive. He could probably fight 185. I saw him about a month ago and I was like, "You're coming to 170's?" He was like over 200 when I saw him.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Your style of jiu-jitsu is American jiu-jitsu. Tell me the difference between that and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Jake Shields: A few small changes. I have an American wrestling background and a black belt in Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu. It's minus the gi and it's a combination of the two. Not enough people mix the wrestling and the jiu-jitsu. I think they're both crucial so I combined the two. It's a lot more high paced jiu-jitsu. It's not about waiting. Jiu-jitsu is about waiting for your opponents to make mistakes. I'm about forcing your opponents to make mistakes.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Before Mayhem signed on for your fight Frank Shamrock was a potential opponent for you as well. Why did that fight never materialize?

Jake Shields: I don't think Shamrock wants any part of me. He's past his prime. After the beating that Nick Diaz gave him he had a reality check. I think maybe he was thinking he could still fight young, tough fighters and it was really a wake up call. Now he will want to try to fight older guys or some B-level fighters. I don't expect Frank to ever want to fight me at this point.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You seem to have avoided a nickname up to this point even though you've been around a while. Are you just praying that something ridiculous doesn't stick to you at this point?

Jake Shields: (Laughs) Exactly. People try to give me nicknames and I keep pushing them away. I'm not against taking a nickname if it was a cool nickname with a meaning. I don't want one of these ridiculous nicknames just for the sake of having one. I don't want to be like "Darth" Bader or "The Dean of Mean" Jardine. Those are cool guys and all but those nicknames are like, really?

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Don't forget "The Dream Catcher" Gegard Mousasi.

Jake Shields: Yeah, I don't know where they come up with these nicknames. They just pick anything. I don't think everyone needs a nickname.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I talked to Jon Fitch about this a few months ago. He basically said it has to come from your friends or teammates and nothing has ever stuck but, on the other hand, he can't just show up at the gym and tell everyone to call him Cobra or something like that.

Jake Shields: (Laughs) I think that's what a lot of guys are doing nowadays. They think they found a cool nickname and then come in and are like, "hey, this is my nickname."

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Moving forward, how many fights left on your current contract if you don't mind saying?

Jake Shields: I think it's one or two after this fight. My dad handles the exact contract. I'm not that sure right now, but I know it's not too many. There's also a time clause on it.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Are you interested in going after not only the middleweight belt but the Strikeforce welterweight belt as well?

Jake Shields: I would like to do that. I think that would be awesome to take both. I don't know what Strikeforce wants to do. I think they kind of want different champs, but I would certainly be willing to fight for both. There's also the problem with Nick Diaz fighting in Strikeforce as well. I don't want to try to cut in and step on his toes. If the opportunity was right and it wouldn't block Nick I would definitely fight for both belts.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Strikeforce seems to be having problems with guys not defending their belts. What would justify stripping a guy of his belt in your opinion?

Jake Shields: I guess you have to look at it fighter for fighter to figure out what the reasons are to figure out if they're legitimate. I think if someone hasn't defended it in a year that's long enough. A lot of these guys have legitimate reasons like Josh Thomson. I know Josh. He legitimately broke his foot a couple times so what are you going to do? You don't really want to strip someone in that situation, but if someone is not fighting it can get kind of ridiculous too.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Cung Le and Alistair Overeem, on the other hand, are different situations.

Jake Shields: Oh yeah. Cung Le definitely needed to be stripped. Nothing against Cung Le but you can't just hold onto a belt and not fight, and then say you want to do movies or say you'll only fight if they give you an easy fight.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Right now people are having a tough time figuring out who can beat Georges St. Pierre in the UFC now that he's run through the majority of their 170's. Is he still a guy you'd like to test your skills against someday?

Jake Shields: Definitely. I'd love to fight GSP one day. Right now I'm here with Strikeforce and worried about fights that are realistic. That's a dream fight. I hope he keeps winning and I keep winning so at some point that fight becomes a reality.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Assuming the UFC continues to have the majority of the top welterweights in the world moving forward, will your career be complete if you don't have a UFC belt when it's all said and done?

Jake Shields: It would be nice to get that UFC belt but it all depends on what Strikeforce does too. Right now they're doing really good things. I've heard rumors about guys like Dan Henderson. They're treating me really good so I'm just going to take it one step at a time. It would be awesome to have that UFC belt but that's not my ultimate goal either.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Before we go would you like to pass along a message to your fans out there or thank any sponsors?

Jake Shields: Thanks to all the fans for the support. I want to thank Champion Nutrition, Tapout, Rockstar Energy Drink and EA Sports. And my whole team and trainers. Without them I wouldn't be fighting.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Appreciate the time. Thank you again. I'll see you up in Chicago for the fight.

Jake Shields: Awesome. It was no problem at all. I'll see you in Chicago.

Derek Bolender is an MMA contributor to MMAmania.com, CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, and InsideFights.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter and Facebook.com/Derek.Bolender.

Lyoto Machida hand surgery to postpone UFC 104 rematch against Shogun Rua

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 07:43 AM PDT

On the heels of the controversial main event finish at UFC 104 between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua, UFC President Dana White promised disappointed fans an immediate rematch.

The general consensus coming out of the event was that "Shogun" did enough to win a decision over the undefeated light heavyweight champion at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California back on Oct. 24.

The only problem is he didn't, losing two rounds two three. In fact, all three judges — Nelson Hamilton, Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales — scored it 48-47 for “The Dragon.”

"I thought Shogun won the fight," White remarked at the post-event press conference.

White also appeared to be a little upset that both fighters didn't lay it all on the line in the fifth and final round. That's probably because both of their respective corners told them they were ahead on the judges scorecards.

Despite a lip laceration and some very sore legs, Machida was ready to prove to the world his win was no mistake — just as Rua was ready to prove he was deserving of the 205-pound title.

There were rumblings of adding Machida vs. Rua 2 to the main card of UFC 108 on January 2; however, Yahoo Sports is now reporting that Machida will require surgery on his hand to repair damaged sustained in the five round battle against Rua.

As of now, the future of their planned rematch is up in the air. The extent of the injury, as well as the duration of the recovery time, has not been established, but it’s hard to imagine a rematch happening earlier than mid 2010.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates on Machida’s surgery as they become available.

Josh Neer released from his UFC contract following UFC 104 loss

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 07:42 AM PDT

After a gutty and hard-fought win over Mac Danzig at UFC Fight Night 17: "Lauzon vs. Stephens" earlier this year, 25-year-old mixed martial arts veteran Josh Neer had inked a four-fight contract extension that was expected to keep the lightweight dynamo with the UFC for an additional four fights.

The promotion would only give him two.

After losing to Gleison Tibau at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun,” his second straight loss since the Danzig fight, “The Dentist” has been released from his UFC contract.

Neer rejoined the UFC after posting a 2-3 record in his first run (2005-2006). During his layoff, he won six of seven fights outside the promotion before returning to the Octagon and defeating Din Thomas by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 13. He followed that up with a split decision loss to Nate Diaz, but not before earning "Fight of the Night" in their three-round war at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September.

Neer, who promises "Win, lose or draw I'm going to bring it," would go on to nab his second straight "Fight of the Night" against Danzig, which no doubt prompted the UFC to hold on to the gritty warrior for his efforts inside the cage and his ability to electrify the crowd with his aggressiveness.

It apparently was not enough.

Prior to the Tibau fight, Neer was coming off a frustrating unanimous decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101 on Aug. 8, during which he was stifled by the wrestling and ground skills of "Batman" for most of the 15-minute scrap.

His ability to electrify the crowd with his aggressiveness is among the best in the division; however, he had a difficult time sparking fireworks against opponents with strong wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

What the future has in store for this talent is unknown, but it’s hard to imagine that he’ll be unemployed for very long. With the right match-up, Neer will always deliver.

MMA Quick Quote: Brett Rogers gets advice from, and trains with, Josh Barnett for Fedor Emelianenko fight

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 07:11 AM PDT

”Keep moving. Never, never stay still. Keep moving, and you’ll always find some way, some pocket, to get out of a bad situation. Especially when it comes to a ground situation.”

– Words of wisdom from former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Josh Barnett, as he helps Brett Rogers prepare to take on the world’s best heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, at Strikeforce: “Fedor vs. Rogers” at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on Nov. 7. Of course, Barnett was supposed to fight Fedor earlier this year at Affliction: “Trilogy;” however, he tested positive for banned substances prior to the match and the bout was scrapped. Barnett competed alongside the Russian for several years under the Pride FC banner and is among the most intelligent fighters in the sport today. If anyone can help Rogers gameplan effectively for Emelianenko it’s certainly Barnett. In fact, he may even be over qualified. But will it be enough for Rogers to overcome years of experience and a much more well rounded skill set?

Jose Aldo expects to knockout Mike Brown at WEC 44 on Nov. 18

Posted: 31 Oct 2009 06:39 AM PDT

Props: Terra Magazine

Quoteworthy:

"First of all, I hope to make a good fight. I want to impose my game and what I'm training. For sure I expect to knockout. Brown has a very strong wrestling. All my opponents were dangerous up to now but he is champion and I think he is the most dangerous fighter WEC put in front of me. I think Brown is going to try the ground and pound and trade some punches too. He will start striking to feel the fight and after he will take me down. I'm well trained everywhere to fight five rounds but I want to knockout. If I become the WEC champion, who knows I will go to UFC some day?"

Undefeated (in the WEC) Brazilian smashing machine, Jose Aldo, will look to make it six straight (technical) knockout victories when he goes toe-to-toe with WEC Featherweight Champion, Mike Brown, at WEC 44 from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on Nov. 18. It certainly won’t be easy because Brown is as tough as they come. But if anyone can do it is Aldo — he is absolutely ferocious on his feet. Will he be able to keep it upright or will Brown be able to neutralize his stand up with takedowns and punishing ground and pound. Predictions please, Maniacs.

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

2009-10-31T05:12:00.001-07:00

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

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TUF 10 Finale: Frank Edgar vs Matt Veach booked with Kurt Pellegrino hurt

Posted: 30 Oct 2009 01:31 PM PDT

H.I.T. Squad product Matt Veach will fill-in for the injured Kurt Pellegrino and take on Frank Edgar at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale from the "The Pearl" at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 5.

MMAmania.com learned about the replacement earlier this afternoon shortly after news broke that “Batman” suffered a back injury during training.