MMA Addict

Kimbo Slice talks about joining the UFC and TUF 10

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:56:55 PDT

Dana White Video Blog: UFC 100

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:57:28 PDT

Dana calling out Japanese fight promoters in his UFC 100 video blog.

TUF 10: The Heavyweights Video Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:05:22 PDT

Here is a promo of the upcoming Ultimate Fighter season 10 featuring Kimbo Slice and 16 other Heavyweights.

The Ultimate Fighter Gets Heavy

Kimbo Slice will be on the Ultimate Fighter

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:52:55 PDT

Looks like Kimbo Slice will be one of the heavyweight fighters on the 10th season of TUF! Okay, I admit it... I am excited! This is what he should have done in the first place if he wanted to be a legit MMA fighter. But I suppose you can't blame a guy for jumping at the opportunity to make millions and rise to the top of a small promotion. Now let's see how he does in the bottom of the "top of the heap".

Source MMAWeekly

Though the promotion has been otherwise tight lipped about participants for Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter, dubbed "The Heavyweights," UFC president Dana White on Monday confirmed to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports that Kevin
"Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is one of the 16 chosen participants.

This season, which is currently heading into filming, will feature only heavyweights, the first season of the series to highlight only one weight class.

White has consistently poked fun at Kimbo, saying that he's not a real fighter and was pushed into headlining bouts way too soon by his former employer, EliteXC.

The brash executive noted in the past, the only way Kimbo would make it into the UFC is via The Ultimate Fighter. Well, it appears he is willing to go that route despite rumors that he was either headed to Japan or into a possible professional boxing career.

“It should be interesting, given some of the things I’ve said about him,” White told Iole.

Indeed. Kimbo's entire career into and in mixed martial arts has been, at the least, "interesting." He made his way into the public conscience as a YouTube sensation; noted for his illegal street fights and backyard brawls. EliteXC picked up on his unique appeal and signed him as the focal point of its promotion.

After some training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, and under the guidance of former UFC champion Bas Rutten, Kimbo's skills slowly started to come together. He was immediately thrown into headlining bouts, however, roundly receiving criticism from both industry professionals and fans alike.

Following the self-destruction of EliteXC, he was courted for a time by Strikeforce; the promotion that filled EliteXC's position as the MMA centerpiece for Showtime and CBS. The two sides were never able to come to terms, so Kimbo now finds himself angling his way into a shot at the UFC.

On The Ultimate Fighter, he will fall under the tutelage of either of two former UFC light heavyweight champions, Rashad Evans or Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The outspoken trio of Evans, Jackson, and Slice, in any combination, has the potential to inject an amazing amount of ratings fuel into the venerable Spike TV reality series as it enters its tenth season.

None of the other 15 contestants for The Ultimate Fighter: The Heavyweights has been revealed.

Break up the Heaveyweights?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:49:54 PDT

Does anyone else agree that we need to break up the Heaveyweight division in MMA?

Every since the Randy Couture loss to Lesnar, I can't help to feel that we are missing a great, highly competitive weight class. I realize that there are a few that enjoy watching the freakshow beat downs of a David vs. Goliath variety, but most are looking for closely matched, competitive fights. This pretty much exisists in all of the MMA weight classes except the Heaveyweights.

Think about it, guys walking around in the 300lbs+ variety (i.e. Lesnar) up against guys who choose not to cut at all but walk around at 230-240ish are really bad matchups. What you end up with is in many cases a lesser skilled oponent powering out of positions and moves strictly due to his size advantage. That is about as enteraining and relavent as the Fedor vs. Aoki grappling match earlier this week. BORING!

I say, break up the Heaviess into 205 - 230 and Super-Heavies at 230 - 265. Makes sense to me.

Comments?

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More Grease Gate! This time Anderson Silva

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:38:12 PDT

Anderson Silva clearly greasing up before his fight on Saturday.

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Is Fedor gonna Fight Lesnar?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:07:50 PST

Speculation is swirling around the comments made in this interview with Fedor posted on dreamfighters.com. Apparently, there are talks planned between Fedor's camp and Dana White about a possible match between the top heavy weight in the world and Brock Lesnar.

Excerpt:
DreamFighters.com: Will you be fighting on the next affliction Card? Is there been any talks of you fighting Brock Lesnar?

Fedor Emelianenko: Yes, I will fight again on the next affliction card. Besides this me and my management hope to get a chance to talk to Dana White in person in June to discuss a possible fight between me and Brock.

Strikeforce buys up ProElite for $3m

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:29:04 PST

MMAWeekly reported today that Strikeforce bought ProElite for $3 million. Is it only me or did we all hope that Afflication would have picked up these assests? I think the chances of breaking a UFC monopoly are slim unless these other MMA orgs merge together now while the time is right and put together a decent program to compete. Affliction is good, but it sure could have used some of the big names from ProElite!

EliteXC Signs Andrei Arlovski for Oct. 4th Event

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:50:43 PDT

EliteXC is looking to deepen it's talent pool and that they did by signing Andrei Arlovski to face Roy Nelson in the October 4th event. This certainly solidifies this card and should help CBS event drastically.

Loretta Hunt of Sherdog.com reported the news on Wednesday.

Arlovski (13-5), a former UFC heavyweight champion, was victorious in his Affliction debut in July, punishing Ben Rothwell en route to a third-round technical knockout.

Nelson (13-2) was the last reigning IFL heavyweight titleholder whose only loss under the International Fight League banner was a split decision to Rothwell in April 2007.

Nelson hopes to do what Rothwell couldn't, to beat Arlovski.

EliteXC: Heat is only weeks away and it takes place at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The featured bout pits former street brawler Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson against MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock. The action will air live on CBS.

Live Chat log from UFC Confernece Call

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:47:20 PDT

4:12 Dana white has two heavyweights on the phone
4:12 Saturday, November 15th
4:12 MGM Grand
4:12 Brock Lesnar
4:13 vs.
4:13 Randy Couture
4:13 "randy has always been the heavyweight champ in the ufc. it took some time to get it straight but he is back to fight again"
4:13 question time.
4:13 is this a one-fight deal?
4:14 Dana: "No matter the outcome, Randy will be in the UFC..."
4:14 Dana: If Fedor becomes available or if something can be done with his promotion we will make the Fedor fight
4:14 Ariel: Seems like he is softening his stance
4:15 Dana announces that Lesnar vs. Couture is for the title
4:15 Dana: Portland is not happening
4:15 not yet
4:16 Dana says that he always liked Randy and always has
4:16 Dana is chatting with Todd Martin from CBS. Just asking about all the details
...
4:17 Dana: some business issues but its all under the bridge
4:17 NY Times is on the line
4:17 What does this mean fro Mir and Nog?
4:17 Winner of the Brock and Randy fight will be the heavyweight champion
4:17 Nog and Mir will fight for the interim title and then it will be champion vs. champion
4:18 Finally someone asks Randy a question. But no one is asking why he came back!
4:18 It was just about his thoughts on Brock
4:19 Dana: Everything between Randy and I are kool moe dee
...
4:20 Brock is talking about Randy posing all kinds of threats but is confident
4:20 Here comes Kevin Iole.
4:20 "How did this come about"
...
4:21 Dana: We spoke everyday and never went to court. We were happy to resolve it
4:21 Randy: There were some compromises made on both sides. The UFC is trying to make the Fedor fight happen.
4:22 "I think we are both happy and want to move forward in a positive way"
4:22 Randy: We have cleared the air and have addressed some of the issues we had. We understand each other now
4:22 Again, Randy vs. Lesnar for the title on 11/15 at the MGM Grand
4:23 Winner fights winner of Nog/Mir to unify titles
4:23 Dana said fans weren't interested in Kongo vs. Lesnar
4:24 Dana: "Mark my words, Couture vs. Lesnar will be the biggest fight in UFC history"
4:25 Brock is saying that he really wanted to fight Randy.
4:25 Randy says he has no ring rust
4:26 Randy: "Yesterday after practice I weight 224.5 lbs..."
4:26 Couture says he hopes to stay around that weight for the fight.
4:28 Randy: I still want to fight Fedor. I can't speak for him. I don't know what's important for him but if he wants to be the #1 fighter in the world he needs to come fight me.
4:29 Dana: I don't know if Fedor cares about his legacy but we are going to offer him a fair deal. If it means something to him to beat Randy let's do this.
4:29 Dana then says he will never interfere with someone else's contract (i.e. Affliction)
4:30 Q: Are you willing to bend the longstanding UFC rules to split the promotion to have Fedor fight?
4:30 Dana. No
4:31 Randy is trying to justify the Lesnar fight. He has faith that the UFC is hoping to sign Fedor
4:32 Dana: We wanna know who the #1 fighter is. If you wanna be the best in the world you gotta beat the best in the world.
4:32 Q: "Why won't you bend your co-promotion stance?"
4:33 Dana: I am not going to do anything...He's under contract. These guys are dying on the vine. They will be gone in a couple of months. (Affliction)
4:33 Dana: Randy vs. Lesnar will have over 1 million PPV buys
4:33 Dana: I will be f-----g horrified if Affliction is around come January
4:34 Q: "Randy, is this the outcome you wanted?"
4:34 A: "It's a step in the right direction. I would rather be fighting Fedor in November but hopefully we will get there."
4:36 Dana said that Nog is thrilled that the Randy Couture is back.
4:38 Q: Why keep the interim title around?
4:38 A: Because he won it
4:39 Randy: "I would never disrespect Nog. I am just choosing a path of least resistance. We are finding a way of making that fight sooner rather than later."

Randy Couture return to UFC probable!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:55:12 PDT

Stories are breaking all over the net today about what looks like an all but confirmed return of the legend of Randy Couture to the UFC for a single last fight. Opponents are not confirmed as well but all hints point to heavyweight wrestler Brock Lesnar.

thefightnetwork.com POSTED: August 30, 2008 - 7:13 pm
Various online reports in recent days have surfaced claiming that disgruntled UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture has been involved in negotiations with Zuffa about a possible return to the promotion.

Adding additional fuel to those reports is Michael Rome of BloodyElbow.com, who reported Friday that he had confirmed negotiations are indeed taking place between Couture and the UFC. And as first mentioned by FiveOuncesOfPain.com on Thursday, Rome also adds that Couture’s first fight back with the company could take place at UFC 91 on November 15 in Portland, Oregon against Brock Lesnar. It is unclear whether the Couture vs. Lesnar fight would have a title at stake.

According to Rome, the deal currently on the table would not be a settlement that would bring Couture back under the terms of his old deal, but an entirely new deal that would offer an increase in compensation over his old agreement.

Five Ounces of Pain was first informed of the possibility of a Couture return earlier this week but was unable to report the story with complete confidence. However, it is obvious at this point that Couture’s return is more than just a rumor and at some point soon it could become a reality.

In addition to Bloody Elbow, MMAjunkie.com was the first to report earlier this week about the possibility of a Couture return. And after Bloody Elbow published its report last night, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer issued a report of his own as well.

According Meltzer’s report, the terms of Couture’s new deal would be for three fights. After re-debuting vs. Lesnar, future opponents discussed include current UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, and even currentWAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko.

Expectations about a possible Fedor vs. Couture bout under the UFC banner should be tempered, as Meltzer also stated in his report that many of the past issues that have prevented Fedor from signing with the UFC still exist.

While a deal making a Couture return to the UFC possible is still not yet official, Ariel Helwani of MMARated.com is reporting that the deal could be finalized as early as this Tuesday. Helwani is also reporting that the UFC has received a formal proposal from M-1 to co-promote the much-anticipated Fedor vs. Couture fight as the second fight in Couture’s new proposed UFC contract.

Tito moves to Affliction for Oct. 11th Fight

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:32:16 PDT

Yahoo sports has sources claiming Tito has all but confirmed his signing with Affliction. He is slated to face Renato "Babalu" Sobral on the next Affliction fight card slated to happen on October 11th with Fedor and Arlovski being the main event.

Yahoo Sports
Sources have told Yahoo! Sports that free agent Tito Ortiz will fight Renato "Babalu" Sobral in the co-main event at Affliction's next fight card, on Oct. 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas. The main event will feature a heavyweight bout between WAMMA champion Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski.
Affliction vice president Tom Atencio would not confirm the Ortiz-Babalu fight. He said details for the fight card will be released during an Aug. 6 news conference that most likely will be held in Las Vegas.
Atencio also indicated that he didn't think Affliction could speak with Ortiz until Aug. 4 because of a 60-day non-compete clause in Ortiz's UFC contract. Ortiz's last fight for UFC was on May 24 at UFC 84. If the 60-day clause is accurate, the deal ended last weekend. Atencio said the biggest stumbling block for an Ortiz deal would be the financial terms.
Affliction would seem to have the inside track at signing Ortiz, a former UFC light heavyweight champion (15-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC). He and his girlfriend, Jenna Jameson were conspicuous during the Affliction "Banned' event, sitting next to Affliction partner Donald Trump. Ortiz and Trump developed a relationship during the most recent season of The Apprentice.
Sobral told MMAJunkie.com that Ortiz is the fight he wants.
"That's my dream fight," a smiling Sobral said. "I'm looking for another guy. Wait for the name. It's coming. I think Tom (Atencio) is going to bring a name for me. And I'll be here to kick his ass."
Babalu's relationship with UFC ended in August of 2007. Sobral (30-7, 6-4 UFC) was released from his contract after a controversial win over David Heath. Sobral would not release a choke even after referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight. Babalu won his Affliction debut on Jul. 19 with a unanimous decision over Mike Whitehead.
Because Affliction is not a licensed promoter in Nevada, Roy Englebrecht will serve as the promoter. Englebrecht was the promoter of record of the Banned card at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Quinton Rampage Jackson Arrested!

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:16:59 PDT

News story broke by MMAWeekly! Looks like Rampage was running from the police and even had several collisions before finally getting arrested! OUCH! The question is, will Dana do to his poster boy what he did to Jesse Taylor. It seems to me, Jackson's offenses were way more extreme than Mr. Taylor's.

Following Tuesday’s arrest after a dramatic car chase, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was released on bail overnight from the Costa Mesa Police Department in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Jackson was arrested under suspicion of felony evading, hit-and-run and reckless driving. He was allegedly involved in several collisions with other vehicles and even driving the wrong direction on Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach after having crossed over a median in attempts to evade police. A Costa Mesa police report indicates that he allegedly drove through several stoplights, causing pedestrians to flee out of the way.

Photos posted on the celebrity news and gossip website TMZ.com, show a custom gray pick-up sporting Jackson’s image and sponsor logos, as Jackson was arrested Tuesday at gun point, laying face down on the roadway.

Reports overnight stated that Jackson had been deemed medically unfit for booking and taken to a hospital in Orange County. Sgt. Chamberlin of the Costa Mesa Police Department, however, told MMAWeekly.com, “(Jackson) was deemed medically fit to be booked at our jail here at Costa Mesa.”

Whether or not Jackson had been taken to a hospital to get that clearance is not clear. Sgt. Chamberlin said, “That is not information that we normally release.”

He did confirm that, “(Jackson) was booked here and released on bail.”

Lt. Paul Dondero of the Costa Mesa Police Department on Tuesday stated that bail for Jackson had been set at $25,000.

Information on who posted bail was not released, but a report from Kevin Iole and Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports yesterday indicated that Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, upon hearing of the arrest, immediately got a plane and flew to Orange County to arrange bail.

Jackson defeated Chuck Liddell for the UFC light heavyweight title in May of 2007. He held that title for more than a year, until losing it recently at UFC 86 in Las Vegas by unanimous decision to current champion Forrest Griffin.

Ultimate Fighter Finale Live Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 20:59:18 PDT

** SPOILER ALERT! **
We will be covering the fights for The Ultimate Fighter Finale tonight live. If you do not want to see the results please do not read on!

First Fight - Dante Rivera vs. Matt Riddle

Round 1
Dante is looking winded already at 3 minutes into the fight! He already spit his mouth piece out and forced ref Herb Dean to stop the fight for a moment to clean the mouth piece.
First round ends with Dante on his back from a surprising take-down from Matt.
Round 2
Round two opens with Riddle taking Dante down again.
Fighters make their way up and engage in the clinch up against the cage.
Possibly a foolhardy armbar attemp by Riddle costs him an advantageous mount.
The failed arm bar gets Riddle in the bottom but Riddle finishes the round strong with a strong triagle attempt and heavy elbows to the ribs as the round ends.
Round 3
Rivera is working well from the bottom after an early take down sending him back to his back.
Fights ends with a strong mount by Riddle who pounds his way to what looks like will be a decision victory.
Results
Matt Riddle gets the unanimous decision.

Dana White accounces that Anderson Silva will be moving up to 205 to fight on the July 19th free event. What a way to compete against Affliction and the might Fedor!

Second Fight - Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens

Round 1
Stephens attempts a takedown from the clinch but ends up on the bottom with Fisher on top.
The round essentially is Fisher in Stephens guard working Stephens over with heavy strikes and busy work.
Round 2
Second round starts up with both fighters going toe to toe with both landing some goos strong blows.
A very nice reversal of Jeremy's take down gives Spencer side mount in the middle of the round but Jeremy Stephens manages to regain full guard shortly after.
The round ends with Jeremy standing and quickly taking Fisher down with a strong double leg.
Round 3
Spencer Fisher manages to mount after a few blows on the feet but almost gives it away and ends up back in guard.
After making their way back to their feet Jeremy takes Spencer down and is not in Fisher's guard.
The fight ends with a guillotine attempt by Jeremy Stephens.
Results
Spencer Fisher gets the unanimous decision.

Third Fight - Diego Sanchez vs.Luigi Fioravanti

Round 1
Diego seems to be sizing up Fioravanti as both fighters are keeping their distance.
A very aggressive take down attempt by Sanchez only fails because of too much forward momentum as Diego tumbles across Fioravanti and ends up back on their feet.
Good sprawls by Fioravanti keeps a couple of Diego's take downs failing.
Fioravanti ends the round taking Diego down right before the bell.
Round 2
A strong jab early in the third from Diego drops Fioravanti and put Diego on top of Fioravanti up against the cage.
Luigi weather's Diego's storm and manages to get back up to his feet.
Another strong strike puts Fioravanti in trouble and Diego storms him almost pulling off a kimora from the top position.
Fioravanti survives again and makes his way back to his feet.
Good, action packed round with Diego showing great aggression.
Round 3
Fioravanti showing great take down defense as Sanchez is relentless in his attempts.
Huge high kick followed by a storming knee drops Fioravanti!
Diego mounts and finishes with GnP for a TKO.

Fourth Fight (Ultimate Fighter Finale) - Amir Sadollah vs.CB Dulloway

Round 1
Amir using his straight kick early to keep the distance.
Dulloway takes Amir down early and ends up in half guard.
Amir Sadollah arms bars CB Dulloway in almost identical technique!
CB is trying to contest the stoppage until the replay shows the clear tap. Amir Sadollah wins via submission.

Fifth Fight (Main Event) - Evan Tanner vs.Kendal Grove

Round 1
Evan Tanner is sporting a Kimbo Slice beard!
Tanner takes Grove down from a strong clinch but looses it as Grove makes his way back up instantly.
Kendal Grove about to take down with a single leaps up with the other leg and lands a strong knee!
Tanner works and gets Grove down and is in his guard.
Round ends with Tanner controlling Grove's back but is already bleeding from an elbow strike to his face.
Round 2
Kendal Grove doing well with his jab keeping Tanner at his distance.
Kendal lands a strong knee and Evan Tanner looks hurt late in the 2nd round.
Last 10 seconds... Grover punishes Tanner with kicks a some strong jabs.
Round 3
Third round begins with Tanner looking tired.
The two fighters go back up against the cage into the clinch.
Tanner shows some life in the last minutes throwing and landing some good bombs but the fight goes the distance.
Results
Kendal Grover by split decision.

Ultimate Fighter Finale Live Commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:16:28 PDT

** SPOILER ALERT! **
We will be covering the fights for The Ultimate Fighter Finale tonight live. If you do not want to see the results please do not read on!

Introduction:
Dana White's decision to send Justin Taylor has been sparking some serious controversial. Taylor got very drunk in the days after the UFC released the fighters out of the house into the Vegas party scene. Taylor got too wild, broke some things including a window in a limo and started throwing his UFC association around in a casino after causing trouble. Dana didn't like the bad press and sent Taylor packing.

While it was understandable to discipline Taylor, it was a bit obvious that Dana was trying to get CB Dulloway back into contention. So the final was set by bringing CB back to fight Tim Credeur for a chance in the final. CB wins a decision and now is going to face Amir tonight live on Spike.

Sherdog Updated Fighter Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:49:33 PDT

HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Fedor Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC)
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1, 1 NC)
3. Randy Couture (16-8-0)
4. Tim Sylvia (24-4-0)
5. Andrei Arlovski (12-5-0)
6. Fabricio Werdum (10-3-1)
7. Josh Barnett (22-5-0)
8. Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3-0)
9. Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2)
10. Ben Rothwell (29-5-0)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
1. Quinton Jackson (29-6-0)
2. Lyoto Machida (13-0-0)
3. Forrest Griffin (15-4-0)
4. Chuck Liddell (21-5)
5. Mauricio Rua (16-3-0)
6. Dan Henderson (22-6-0)
7. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1, 1 NC)
8. Keith Jardine (13-4-1)
9. Rashad Evans (11-0-1)
10. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2-0)

MIDDLEWEIGHT
1. Anderson Silva (21-4)
2. Paulo Filho (16-0-0)
3. Rich Franklin (23-3-0, 1 NC)
4. Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2)
5. Robbie Lawler (16-4-0)
6. Yushin Okami (22-4-0)
7. Frank Trigg (16-6-0)
8. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1-0, 2 NC)
9. Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2, 1 NC)
10. Jorge Santiago (17-7-0)

WELTERWEIGHT
1. Georges St. Pierre (16-2-0)
2. Jon Fitch (16-2-0, 1 NC)
3. Matt Hughes (41-6-0)
4. Josh Koscheck (10-2-0)
5. Diego Sanchez (18-2-0)
6. Jake Shields (20-4-1)
7. Matt Serra (9-5)
8. Thiago Alves (14-3-0)
9. Karo Parisyan (18-5-0)
10. Carlos Condit (22-4-0)

LIGHTWEIGHT
1. B.J. Penn (13-4-1)
2. Takanori Gomi (28-3-0, 1 NC)
3. Shinya Aoki (15-2, 1 NC)
4. Gesias Cavalcante (14-2-1, 1 NC)
5. Gilbert Melendez (14-1-0)
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2)
7. Sean Sherk (32-3-1)
8. Caol Uno (25-10-4)
9. Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-4-1)
10. Joe Stevenson (28-8-0)
With the recent activity in the division, formerly seventh-ranked Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro falls just outside the top ten due to inactivity.

FEATHERWEIGHT
1. Urijah Faber (20-1-0)
2. Jeff Curran (29-9-1)
3. Leonard Garcia (11-3-0)
4. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (18-6-2)
5. Masakazu Imanari (14-6-1)
6. Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1)
7. Antonio Carvalho (10-3-0)
8. Hatsu Hioki (15-3-1)
9. Trenell Young (9-7)
10. Takeshi Inoue (14-3-0)

Tito Guarantees a win in UFC 84

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:01:13 PDT

Tito Ortiz faces Lyoto Machida in his final fight on his UFC contract. He has already made it known that he will be parting ways with the UFC after this fight. In an interview and article posted on MMAWeekly.com, Tito guarantees a victory against the undefeated Machida. Can Tito pull this off? He claims that there is no pressure on him to win. I don’t see it that way. Just how marketable is a Tito Ortiz that fails to live up to the hype that he pushes for himself AGAIN? No very much IMHO.

MMAWeekly.com Article

by Jeff Cain

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," Tito Ortiz, completes his contractual obligation with the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he steps in the octagon at UFC 84 against Lyoto Machida. Ortiz spoke with MMAWeekly about his training, his focus and his match up with the undefeated Brazilian.

"I'm really healthy. I feel great. I feel really, really good," said Ortiz. "I'm excited about this fight. I'm very focused. This fight means the world to me. I'm not just fighting myself. I'm fighting for every one of those fans, the Tito Ortiz fans that support me."

As excited as Ortiz is for his showdown with Machida, it wasn't the fight he wanted for his final bout in the UFC. "It doesn't matter who I fight to me. In the beginning I thought the Rashad Evans deal was supposed to happen," said the former UFC light heavyweight champion. "They built it, it was going to happen, and that's what I expected. And I know a lot of fans expected that."

"The UFC has their own game plan. They have their own ideas of how they want to run things, and I turned it down at first, saying why would I want to fight Lyoto? There's no reason to. But then I just started going on, and I was like, I don't really care. Whoever you want me to fight, I'll fight. That's really what it came down to. No diss toward Lyoto. He's a great fighter, undefeated, but I thought they were building the Rashad Evans fight. I wanted to fight Rashad again because I thought I beat him the first time."

With the intention of leaving the UFC and shopping the market for the highest bidder following his UFC 84 bout, Ortiz doesn't feel any pressure going into his final UFC fight despite the added leverage a win would bring to his negotiating power with another organization.

"I have no pressure," said the California native. "This is like the same thing as when I fought Vitor Belfort. I have no pressure on me. I have nothing to lose. I have no contract left, so I have nothing to lose. There ain't nothing after this with the UFC for me. Finally I'm going to be free. I'm able to do what I want, I think. My hands are not going to be tied anymore. I'm not going to feel like I have a ball and chain on me."

He continued, "I really think I'm going to succeed after this fight, no matter what. In my mind, I know I'm going to win. There's no doubt in my mind, without a doubt. I know for a fact that I'm going to beat Lyoto Machida. He doesn't know it yet, but when the bell rings and the referee says, let's get it on, I'll be dumping him on his head, and he'll feel the real wrath of Tito Ortiz."

Once known for his conditioning and stamina, Ortiz hasn't lived up to his reputation in recent bouts, getting fatigued sometimes as early as the second round.

"I started camp four months prior to the fight. That's the first time I've started this early," Ortiz told MMAWeekly.com. I was really focused on getting my core strength very, very strong. My back is really strong. My stomach is really strong. You'll see at the weigh-ins how shredded I am. I'm in great shape."

"I've actually picked it up. I'm running four miles a day. I've never done that in my career, ever. I really think I've let a lot of my fans down by getting tired after the second round. I've never a person like that to get tired. I've always pushed full-force for five, five minute rounds. We're training six, six minute rounds with 30 seconds rests. I'm up here at altitude doing it, so I'm going to be ready for three, five minute rounds without a doubt."

"It just feels great to be able to train for once and be able to wrestle the way I used to wrestle, spar the way I used to spar, and not have to go through three days of training and have to take four days off," added Ortiz. "That was really, really bad. It was hindering my fighting style, I believe. I'm very focused, no injuries, and I'm able to focus my time on training."

Asked about the match up with Machida, Ortiz commented, "He's never faced anyone like me, ever. All the fights he's had have been against guys that stand back and let him do all the striking. Three words for Machida: feel the pressure. He's going to feel the pressure."

"Everybody knows how I fight. Lyoto knows how I fight, and let's see if he can handle the pressure. Let's see if he can handle 16,000 fans screaming. I know there's going to be about 16,000, probably 15,999 that will be screaming about Tito and there will be that one person that's hating on me. Let's see if he can handle the pressure."

Ortiz went on to boast, "It's my octagon. I've been doing it for eleven years. I'm very focused. I'm hungry. I have everything on the line right now, and nothing to lose. I have a lot of people to prove wrong. It's me versus the company."

"Expect fireworks on May 24, live on pay-per-view, when I beat down Lyoto Machida."

New Ultimate Fighter Coaches Annouced - Mir & Nogueira

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:18:30 PDT

Posted on MMAWeekly:

Spike TV on Monday announced that Ultimate Fighting Championship interim heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champion Frank Mir will be the coaches for the eight season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The season, which premiers on Spike TV on Sept. 17, will return to the two-weight class format. It features light heavyweight (205-pound) and lightweight (155-pound) fighters. Production on season eight begins in late May, with the entire cast to be announced in September.

Nogueira and Mir, after serving as coaches, will meet in an as-of-yet unannounced pay-per-view event for the title.

Nogueira earned the interim championship designation by defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at UFC 81 in February. He finished the fight with a strong comeback effort, choking Sylvia out early in the third round.

At that same event, Mir continued his return to the sport with a first round knee bar submission of former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar. Mir has held the UFC championship in the past, breaking Sylvia’s arm with a submission hold en route to the title. This will be his first title shot since returning from a devastating motorcycle accident that nearly endangered his life, and nearly ended his career.

It should be interesting to see how well Nogueira's english is for this type of exposure.

Chris Leben arrested for DUI

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Thu, 01 May 2008 07:24:04 PDT

UFC fighter Chris “The Crippler” Leben was arrested on a DUI charger on Wednesday. He is scheduled to fight Mike Bisping on June 7^th. No word if this will effect that fight.

Reported on MMAJunkie.com
Chris Leben, a UFC middleweight who recently signed to fight Michael Bisping at UFC 85, was arrested in Oregon on Wednesday for driving under the influence and was placed in jail for violation of his probation, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

As of late Wednesday evening, Leben remained behind bars.

A representative from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that Leben will go before a judge at 3 p.m. on Thursday. It was determined upon his booking that he was not eligible for bail because of the probation violation, according to the representative.

Leben (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC), 27, most recently defeated Alessio Sakara in March at UFC 82. After Chuck Liddell was forced to pull out of a UFC 85 main-event bout with Rashad Evans, the UFC booked fights between Leben and Bisping, as well as Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves. The popular fighter found his way to the UFC via the first season of the UFC reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter."

There's no word how and if the arrest may impact his June 7 fight with Bisping, which takes place overseas in London, England.

Chuck Liddel off UFC 85 Card

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:24:27 PDT

Posted today on UFC.com, Light Heavyweight superstar tore his right hamstring and is off of the UFC 85 card.

Full Story:
http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=11489

Nogueira and Frank Mir your next TUF Coaches?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:40:22 PDT

Update 1:30 PM ET: MMAJunkie is reporting that according to a source from the show itself, the coaches have not been chosen yet. However, while the coaches have not been picked, Big Nog and Mir are among the finalists for the coaching slots. - Bill Reger

Frank Mir has already made it known that he’d love to be a coach during a future season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. He wanted it to lead to a rematch with Tim Sylvia, but now that the Miletich Fighting Systems product has been released from the UFC, it looks like it isn’t going to happen, at least with Sylvia as his counterpart.

According to a report from our friends at Cage Potato citing an unidentified source, Mir has been tapped to serve as one of the coaches for the eighth season of the show along with current interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

It will be the first time that the reality show has ever featured two heavyweights as coaches. While it seems that Nogueira would ultimately defend his belt against Mir at the conclusion of the show, Mir is currently scheduled to face McCully in July. Filming for the show apparently starts in June.

Sam Caplan also points out that Mir and Nogueira aren’t exactly the most personable fighters to ever coach the show and I’d tend to agree. While Mir might be marketable because of his Lesnar win and WEC color commentating job, fans outside of the hardcores aren’t all that familiar with Nogueira.

These are interesting picks for coaches indeed. I think just the fact that Zuffa is bringing back the heavyweights to the Ultimate Fighter venue proves that is some serious concern within the organization over the departure of two of their top heavyweight contenders (Tim Sylvia and Randy Couture).

Fedor Confirms Tim Sylvia Fight

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:46:43 PDT

Reports of potential July fight between Fedor vs. Sylvia are beginning to surface.

April 08, 2008 By: Sam Caplan Category: Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia

According to a published report, a heavyweight clash between former Pride Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia to take place on July 19 is in the works.

Greg Savage and Evengi Kogan of Sherdog.com first reported the news on Tuesday afternoon.

The Sherdog report, which quotes Emelianenko as a source, goes on to indicate that the fight is tentatively scheduled to take place at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. One of the primary promoters for the event appears to be the clothing line Affliction, while Mark Cuban’s HDNet could be involved in some capacity.

MMAWeekly.com later issued a report of their own, which included a quote from Sylvia’s manager, Monte Cox. Cox would not confirm or deny the report, however, he did say Sylvia was open to the idea of a bout against Fedor but that nothing has been signed.

The MMA Weekly and Sherdog reports vary slightly, as Sherdog quotes Fedor as confirming the fight while MMA Weekly quotes Sylvia’s camp as saying nothing has been signed.

As of Tuesday evening, all indications made to FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) were that a deal had yet to be signed but could be finalized shortly. Sources also indicate that while HDNet could be involved, the initial airing of the event would most likely take place on pay-per-view. We have also learned that a very strong undercard is being planned for the event as well.

Sherdog Article:
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
by Evgeni Kogan and Greg Savage

Top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will fight Tim Sylvia on July 19. The Russian mixed martial arts champion confirmed the bout to Sherdog.com on Tuesday.

"[Sylvia] is a good fighter, a strong fighter, the former UFC heavyweight champion, which is important," Emelianenko said via telephone from Stary Oskol, Russia. "I am looking forward to fighting him and training hard for this fight."

While Emelianenko was short on details, Sherdog.com has learned through sources close to the negotiations that Fedor-Sylvia would headline a card tentatively scheduled for the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the home base of HDNet Fights.

HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon declined to comment on the report, however sources indicate the bout will air on the Mark Cuban-owned network and is rumored to be promoted by Affliction, a clothing brand closely tied to MMA.

Affliction had been connected with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, however a June 28 Las Vegas date has since been discarded.

Emelianenko, a 31-year-old sambo practitioner, has faced criticism from media and fans alike after a string of fights against less than stellar competition. Sylvia would represent the Russian's first ranked opponent since his unanimous decision over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic nearly three years ago.

Widely regarded as the top heavyweight fighter in the world, Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC) was recently freed from a letter of intent binding him to the now-defunct M-1 Global promotion.

Sylvia, 32, is coming off a submission loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in February at UFC 81. After a spirited performance that saw him batter his foe at will with strikes, Sylvia (24-4-0) eventually fell victim to a classic Nogueira come-from-behind performance and succumbed to a guillotine choke early in the third round.

Kurt Angle says match with Couture is signed

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:46:09 PDT

Kurt Angle was a guest this week on the Showgram, hosted by Jim Kozimor and Henry Turner on KHTK Sports 1140AM in Sacramento, California. Here are some notable mma-related highlights:

-Angle said TNA has been great to him. They're very flexible and supportive in allowing him to try different things such as movies, TV shows and training for an MMA fight with Randy Couture in the fall.

-Angle said he and Couture have both signed with a promotion but won't say who. Angle said they will be looking for more promoters to help make the event something big and special. Angle said the fight would more than likely take place in California but did not mention a city.

-Angle is training twice per week and will intensify his training program as the fight gets closer

-Angle said his neck is 100 percent and is glad he didn't do the fusion surgery.

-Angle said he talked to UFC's Dana White two weeks after signing with TNA. Angle said White would only sign him to a deal if he didn't wrestle for TNA. Angle said he couldn't do it and wanted to be loyal to TNA as TNA was flexible and supportive in other ventures Angle wanted to pursue.

-Angle said he would fight Brock Lesner, but only if the money was right as they are very good friends.

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2008...1207240235.php

Tim Sylvia vs Fedor?

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:53:16 PDT

Rumors out of Russia are swarming that a match between Fedor and Tim Sylvia is confirmed. I’ll be the first to say that this is a welcomed change in Fedor’s roster as of late. I think The Maniac has more of a chance to beat Fedor than any opponent since the last Nogueira fight. I suppose the question is will the Russian fighter sign and deliver for the fans?

SYLVIA TO LEAVE UFC

noreply@blogger.com (Dan Ponjican) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:21:40 PDT

TheFightNetwork.com reports that Tim Sylvia may leave the UFC to fight Fedor in the EliteXC organization. This may end up hurting the UFC more than Couture’s departure if Tim Sylvia can make this fight happen. That will be a lot of lost revenue for Zuffa!

Two-Time Heavyweight Champion Could Make Announcement Friday
By Brian Knapp

Two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia could announce his decision to leave the Las Vegas-based promotion as early as Friday, according to a source close to the situation. Sylvia, who has one fight remaining on his current contract with the UFC, submitted to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a bout for the interim heavyweight championship at UFC 81 in February.

Sylvia’s departure could set the stage for a lucrative match with former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko later this year. Still widely regarded as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Emelianenko’s services are being sought by a number of potential suitors, including EliteXC.

Sylvia (24-4) has won seven of his last nine fights – the lone defeats coming to Nogueira and Randy Couture, two of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Based out of the Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, the gangly, 6-foot-8 Sylvia underwent back surgery following his unanimous decision loss to Couture at UFC 68 in March 2007. He made a successful return to the Octagon in October, as he handed Brandon Vera his first professional defeat at UFC 77.

The 32-year-old Sylvia owns victories against former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski (twice) and Ricco Rodriguez. He has also defeated the American Top Team’s Jeff Monson, Mike Whitehead (twice) and Ben Rothwell. Nineteen of his 24 career wins have come by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Posted on thefightnetwork.com -- 03/27/08