HDNet Fights - News

HDNet's Mezger looks back on Dream 12

2009-11-09 07:22:14

Sunday, November 08, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com As mixed martial arts sees its popularity rise in some areas and fall in others, sometimes previously unconventional tactics must be used to maintain the balance of the sport and keep it prosperous worldwide. It is with this idea in mind that Dream recently decided for the first time to hold an event in a cage, hoping to capitalize on the rise of the UFC’s popularity in the U.S. and perhaps kickstart its own popularity in America and reinvigorate interest in Japan. Thus the White Cage of Destiny was born. A six-sided white cage made of Japanese fishing mesh, separating Dream’s version from the UFC’s, and hopefully distancing itself from the longstanding disapproval the Japanese public has for fighting in an American style cage at the same time. To talk about what was labeled “the great experiment,” Dream 12 commentator Guy Mezger spoke to MMAWeekly.com about what went down at that historic show. www.mmaweekly.com

Omigawa disagrees with upset of Hioki, Khalidov stuns Santiago at "Sengoku 11th Battle"

2009-11-08 16:58:13

by John Morgan on Nov 07, 2009 at 6:45 am ET Fans of mixed martial arts have become used to controversial decisions, so much so that every enthusiast knows you "can't let a fight go to the judges." It often seems that two judges awarding a split-decision win may be the only two people in the building who have scored the bout in that manner, and the main event of Saturday's "Sengoku 11th Battle" event at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, proved no different. Even the winning fighter disagreed with the call at the conclusion of the HDNet-broadcast event. www.mmajunkie.com

Dates and Times for HDNet Fights Presents: Sengoku

2009-11-06 13:42:37

HDNet will broadcast exclusive LIVE coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: World Victory Road - Sengoku 11," from Tokyo, Japan. The event is stacked from top to bottom with a mix of top ranked talent, up-and-coming prospects, and established MMA stars. LIVE BROADCAST Early Saturday morning, November 7 at 2:00 a.m. ET ENCORE PRESENTATION Saturday evening, November 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Sengoku spotlight: Dave “Pee Wee” Herman - ProMMA.info exclusive interview

2009-11-06 13:21:18

Nov 6th, 2009 by promma. Sengoku: Eleventh Battle takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan, in Tokyo, Japan on Nov. 7 and will air live on HDNet beginning at 2 a.m. ET early Saturday morning. Among those fighting on the card is heavyweight Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (15-1) taking on “Big” Jim York (11-3). It will be Dave’s second fight in Japan and his second fight inside the Sengoku ring. Things did not go so well for Dave in his last Sengoku appearance when he fought Mu Bae Choi (9-4). In fact, the fight against Choi is the lone loss on Dave’s MMA record. However, it was also the fight that caused him to really get serious about his professional career. It was the fight that caused him to seek out professional training and finally brought him to Nashville MMA in Tennessee under the tutelage of Ed Clay. Dave immediately got back to his knockout ways and won his next two fights, against Josh Barnes (4-4) in May, and then against MMA legend Don Frye (20-8-1) in September. Dave hopes to continue his win streak against “Big” Jim York on Saturday and spoke to ProMMA.info about his training camp, his opponent, a possible future in the UFC, and more. www.promma.info

Sengoku 11th Battle weigh-in results: All 22 fighters make weight

2009-11-06 08:35:55

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 06, 2009 at 9:35 am ET All competitors taking part in Saturday's Sengoku 11th Battle event, which is the latest offering from the Japanese-based World Victory Road promotion, today made weight for the show. The show takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan and airs in North American early Saturday morning (2 a.m. ET) on HDNet. Headliners Hatsu Hioki and Michihiro Omigawa, whose meeting in the finale of the Sengoku featherweight grand prix was spoiled by injury earlier this year, both weighed 143.1 pounds. Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago weighed 183 pounds, and opponent Mamed Khalidov, who meets the champ in a non-title fight, weighed 181.7 pounds. Santiago, who won the WVR middleweight grand prix and belt last year, goes for his 10th straight win, though he's competed just once in the past year. "I'm happy to fight in a Sengoku show again this year because the last one was in May," he said. "It was a very long time, so I took some time to let my body heal and work on my conditioning." The full weigh-in results included: www.mmajunkie.com

Sengoku 11 fight spotlight: Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov

2009-11-06 07:43:37

Oct 18th, 2009 by promma. The past couple of weeks have been relatively slow with MMA action; but that was just so you could catch your breath for what is about to take place over the next couple of months. In about three weeks Sengoku 11 takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. The event will air live here in the U.S. on HDNet. There are a number of great fights on the card including Dave “Pee Wee” Herman vs. “Big” Jim York, Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa, and more. However, the fight we are focusing on in this spotlight is the middleweight match-up between Jorge Santiago (21-7, #6 MW) vs. Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1). Jorge Santiago is a top ten ranked middleweight and a veteran of such promotions as the UFC, Bodog, King of the Cage, Strikeforce, and Sengoku. Having won eight of his fights by (T)KO and 12 by submission, he is very well-rounded. www.promma.info

HDNet Fights Presents: Sengoku 11, Premiering LIVE on HDNet

2009-11-05 13:40:01

DALLAS (November 5, 2009) HDNet will broadcast exclusive LIVE coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: World Victory Road - Sengoku 11," early Saturday morning, November 7, at 2:00 a.m. ET from Tokyo, Japan. The event is stacked from top to bottom with a mix of top ranked talent, up-and-coming prospects, and established MMA stars. In the main event of the evening, Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2), one of the top five featherweights in the world, meets the always-tough Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1). Hioki is undefeated in his last nine fights, but was forced out of the Sengoku Featherweight title tournament in August due to an injury incurred in his classic bout with Masanori Kanehara. Kanehara went on to defeat Omigawa in the tournament final and claim the Sengoku title. A Hioki victory would set up a highly anticipated rematch with Kanehara. In the co-main event, top ten middleweight and Sengoku Middleweight Champion, Jorge Santiago (21-7), faces impressive prospect Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1) in a non-title bout. Santiago is on a nine-fight winning streak, all by way of knockout or submission, while Khalidov is riding a 17-fight undefeated streak of his own including 12 first round finishes. "Hioki has been on an unbelievable streak and may be the best featherweight in the world," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Then, in the co-main event you have two guys who, between them, have put together 26 wins in a row! This is MMA folks - not boxing - no protecting win/loss records here!" Other bouts on the loaded card include: Kevin Randleman (17-13) vs. Stanislav Nedkov (7-0), Jim York (11-3) vs. Dave Herman (15-1), Satoru Kitaoka (25-9-9) vs. Jorge Masvidal (18-4), Akihiro Gono (29-15-7) vs. Yoon Young Kim (12-4), Marlon Sandro (14-1) vs.Yuji Hoshino (16-7-7), and Shigeki Osawa (3-0) vs. Ronnie Mann (16-2-1). HDNet's broadcast of "HDNet Fights Presents: World Victory Road - Sengoku 11 begins early Saturday morning, November 7 at 2:00 a.m. ET with an encore presentation that evening at 8:00 p.m. ET

Sengoku XI Preview

2009-11-04 12:24:37

by Leland Roling on Nov 4, 2009 3:03 PM EST November looks to be a fantastic month for fight fans with a number of major promotions stepping forward to put on a few top notch cards that will appeal to casual fans and hardcore fans alike. This weekend begins the torrid month of action with Strikeforce holding Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista on Friday night, World Victory Road promoting Sengoku XI on Saturday morning, and the weekend's action ending in spectacular fashion with Strikeforce's CBS card featuring a heavyweight tilt between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers. Be sure to participate in the FightMetric/BloodyElbow.com Tournament Pick 'Em game to maximize your enjoyment of all the great action this month. World Victory Road's Sengoku XI is the first event in a long list of previews this month that we'll cover. The card will take place on Saturday morning at 2 AM EST airing LIVE on HDNet from Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. As we've normally seen from World Victory Road in the past , the event features some solid matchmaking with a featherweight tilt between Hatsu Hioki and Michihiro Omigawa, a middleweight war between Mamed Khalidov and Jorge Santiago, and a lightweight showdown between former champion Satoru Kitaoka and Bellator veteran Jorge Masvidal. www.bloodyelbow.com

HDNet's "Inside MMA" to broadcast LIVE from the "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers" weigh-ins

2009-11-04 10:46:49

Friday, November 6 at 6:00 p.m. ET DALLAS (November 4, 2009) HDNet's "Inside MMA" will provide LIVE, exclusive coverage of the weigh-ins for "STRIKEFORCE: Fedor vs. Rogers," Friday, November 6at 6:00 pm ET. The special 90-minute edition of "Inside MMA" will provide a first look at the undisputed #1 Heavyweight in the world - Fedor Emelianenko, as he hits the scale the night before his network television debut on CBS. In addition to Fedor, many of the top mixed martial artists in the world including Brett Rogers, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Jake Shields, and Gegard Mousasi will step onto the scale and then step into Kruck's Korner during the LIVE broadcast. Heavyweight sensation Bobby Lashley, "King" Mo Lawal, and MMA legend Frank Shamrock are expected to join Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten to break down the card and to witness the excitement of weigh-in Friday. "Friday weigh-ins are closely watched by MMA insiders because they often reveal who is ready to fight...and who isn't," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Then, on Saturday's CBS broadcast, we will debut a new commercial that will drive home the message that true MMA fans have to have HDNet." This episode of "Inside MMA" is the only place to see highlights of some of Fedor's most recent, explosive victories including Fedor v Hong Man Choi, Fedor v Arlovski, Fedor v. Tim Sylvia and Fedor's exhibitions with Gegard Mousasi and Shinya Aoki. Tune in Friday to the #1 MMA News show on television - exclusively on HDNet - your home for MMA!

Train The Troops MMA inaugural event a huge success

2009-11-04 09:53:17

by Lex McMahon on November 02, 2009 Since the birth of the Marine Corps at Tun Tavern in 1775, Marines have engaged in up close and personal hand-to-hand combat in every climb and place they have fought. Historically, these battlefields have included places such as Tripoli, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, The Chosin Resivor, Hue City, and Mogadishu. In the current Global War on Terror, Marines are hooking and jabbing in remote third world shit-holes such as Ramadi, Fallujah, Helmand, and countless unnamed caves high atop the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan. Despite a modern military full of hi-tech weapons and unmanned aircraft, boots on the ground are still required to defeat our nation's enemies. Consequently, America's warriors find themselves with increasing regularity engaged in ferocious hand-to-hand, fight to the death combat. It was this realization that led me to contact the President of Ranger Up, Nick Palmisciano and run a crazy idea by him. - Let's put together a team of elite MMA fighters and trainers with the intention of teaching cutting edge MMA techniques to hundreds of Marines as they prepare to go down range to Afghanistan and Iraq. It became my personal mission to provide my fellow Marines with the tools and insight to kick Haji's ass! Nick is a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, so it was not surprising when he responded: "Let's do it". www.fiveknuckles.com

Sengoku XI Fight Card

2009-11-03 09:52:55

by Nick Thomas on Nov 3, 2009 8:13 AM EST in News Make sure to join us at Bloodyelbow.com early Saturday morning for World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 11 LIVE on HDNet Sat. Nov. 7th at 2:00 AM EST. Hatsu Hioki [No. 4] (20-3-2) vs. Michihiro Omigawa [No. 19] (7-8-1) www.bloodyelbow.com

Sengoku ‘Eleventh Battle’ Preview

2009-11-03 09:11:51

Tuesday, November 03, 2009 by Tomas Rios (trios@sherdog.com) The Sengoku period in Japanese history was marked by social evolution, political drama straight out of “The West Wing” and more military conflict than a game of “Risk.” Basically, it was like living through a high school breakup every day for more than 100 years. World Victory Road remains familiar with the feeling, but despite those Sisyphean difficulties, Sengoku “Eleventh Battle” has the green light this Saturday at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. With intrigue to spare, it has something to offer even the most exacting of sporting palates, from Broadway-level pageantry and a collection of jiu-jitsu virtuosos like Hatsu Hioki and Satoru Kitaoka to gun-slinging strikers like Jorge Masvidal and Jorge Santiago. Set your clocks to Japanese time, stock some Red Bulls and prepare for the inevitable post-show coma. www.sherdog.com

DREAM 12 Analysis: Popularity on the Rise for Alistair Overeem, Marius Zaromskis

2009-10-28 12:01:57

by Leland Roling on Oct 28, 2009 1:15 PM EDT in Events Comment 2 comments Yesterday, I focused on the memorable comeback win by Eddie Alvarez over Katsunori Kikuno after surviving a deep standing crucifix at DREAM 12. While the battle between the two lightweight champions was easily one of the better bouts on the card, the event also featured a number of talents in the Japanese mixed martial arts scene that we'll likely be seeing in the North American scene very soon. In the headlining bout, Alistair "Megareem" Overeem, as I like to moniker him, easily steamrolled the "Mega Punk" James Thompson as he caught him in a standing guillotine choke, the same choke that he defeated Tony Sylvester with at Ultimate Glory on October 17th. While Overeem's opponent quality is on the low end of the spectrum in his more recent mixed martial arts contests, it's apparent that these bouts are serving as a means to pushing Overeem's image to the Japanese fans as well as giving him easy paychecks for his increased popularity and drawing power. www.bloodyelbow.com

Ryota Uozomi vs. Yuichiro Yajima added to Sengoku 11th Battle

2009-10-28 07:59:52

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 28, 2009 at 10:00 am ET A bout between Ryota Uozomi (9-2-2) and fellow bantamweight Yuichiro Yajima (9-9-1) has been added to World Victory Road's Sengoku 11th Battle fight card. Both competitors make their promotional debuts for the Japanese-based organization at the upcoming show. The event takes place Nov. 7 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. During his six-year career, Uozomi has competed for organizations big and small, though some have included established promotions such as DEEP and GCM. He makes his WVR debut with a 6-1 record since late 2004. Most recently, an August bout with Ryuko Wada ended via no-contest due to an accidental groin kick. Yajima, a longtime veteran of the Japanese organizations ZST and Pancrase, has rotated between wins and losses during his past six fights. He most recently fought on Oct. 17, when he topped MMA newcomer Hiroyuki Nakajima via submission. It was his sixth submission win in nine career victories. The latest Sengoku 11th Battle card now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

MFC strips and releases champion Prangley

2009-10-26 08:04:50

Monday, October 26, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com As organizations finalize their last remaining shows of the year by adding and moving talent around, one of the more surprising roster moves of the season came Sunday night when Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship announced it had stripped light heavyweight champion Trevor Prangley of his title and cut him from the organization. Sunday night’s press release explained, “The move was required when Prangley violated his contract by signing with two smaller organizations while under contract with the MFC. Prangley’s management was informed of the violation after the first offense, but Prangley agreed to fight again outside of the MFC in blatant disregard of his signed exclusive contact.” When contacted to give his side of the story, Prangley told MMAWeekly.com, “I just want people to understand that it wasn’t as badly (handled) as they make it out to be. “We did ask for dates, we did ask for permission, but we just never got it back from them.” www.mmaweekly.com

Alistair Overeem: I Want to Fight Fedor Emelianenko in April 2010

2009-10-26 07:44:34

Posted Oct 25, 2009 2:35PM By Michael David Smith After beating James Thompson in a Dream 12 squash match Sunday, Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem said he wants his next MMA fight to be against a much, much tougher opponent: The best fighter in MMA, Fedor Emelianenko. "I want all of you to write this down," Overeem told reporters after the fight against Thompson. "I want to fight Fedor. Alistair Overeem wants to fight Fedor in April 2010. So write that down." Overeem is turning his attention to kickboxing for the rest of the year: He'll fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix Final on December 5 and then he expects to fight a K-1 rules match in the New Year's Eve Dynamite show. But after that he's going to turn his attention back to MMA, and he said he thinks by April he'll be ready to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. Check out the interview. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Alistair Overeem, Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez among DREAM.12 winners

2009-10-25 13:31:59

by Dann Stupp on Oct 25, 2009 at 9:40 am ET James Thompson, introduced as Alistair Overeem's opponent on the eve of Saturday's DREAM.12 event, didn't overcome the hideous odds against him – as high as 18-to-1 against with some books – and suffered a swift, first-round submission loss to the Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. The heavyweight bout capped today's DREAM.12 event. The event, which also featured a victory for Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, took place at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The show aired in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

DREAM.12 Results and Commentary

2009-10-25 13:28:33

by Chris Nelson on Oct 25, 2009 2:02 AM EDT in News 741 comments DREAM will become the first major Japanese MMA promotion to utilize a cage tonight in Osaka. Poster via DREAM Official. View full size photo uploaded October 24, 2009 Join us here at BloodyElbow.com tonight as DREAM unveils their "white cage" in Osaka, Japan. Our coverage begins with the start of the HDNet broadcast at 2AM Eastern / 11PM Pacific (right after UFC 104). The main event of the evening will see Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem taking on Pride veteran James "The Colossus" Thompson, who tipped the scales at 277 pounds yesterday. In the co-main event, the lightweight aces of DEEP and Bellator collide, as Kyokushin karate disciple Katsunori Kikuno faces his stiffest test to date in Philadelphia's Eddie Alvarez. The undercard features the returning Zelg Galesic taking on Kazushi Sakuraba, and DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis in a non-title bout with Korea's Myeon Ho Bae. Quick Results www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM.12 live play-by-play commentary & results

2009-10-24 22:58:49

Oct 24th, 2009 by promma. “DREAM.12 - The Cage of the Rising Sun” takes place Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event is airing live in the U.S. on HDNet beginning at 1:00 a.m. CT. PROMMA.INFO will be providing live play-by-play commentary of the event. Follow along with us as DREAM debuts its new cage. www.promma.info

Dean Lister to Face Thales Leites in Main Event of MFC 23

2009-10-23 13:17:17

Posted Oct 23, 2009 3:57PM By Ray Hui Former UFC middleweight Dean Lister has signed a multi-fight deal with Maximum Fighting Championship and his first opponent for the Canadian promotion will be former UFC title challenger Thales Leites in the main event of MFC 23 on Dec. 4 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Lister (11-6), the 2003 ADCC submission wrestling absolute champion (see above video for his kimura submission over Nate Marquardt), has won eight of his fights by submission. His last five fights were for the UFC, defeating Yuki Sasaki, Jordan Radev and Jeremy Horn and losing to Marquardt and Yushin Okami. www.mma.fanhouse.com

James Thompson's Ear Looks Fine, Expects 'Tough Fight' vs. Alistair Overeem

2009-10-23 07:20:36

Posted Oct 23, 2009 10:20AM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed) James Thompson is best known to American MMA fans for having his ear blown up on national television in an ugly loss to Kimbo Slice last year. As he prepares to fight Alistair Overeem in Japan on Sunday morning, his cauliflower ear looks good, and he says he feels great and is ready to fight Overeem. Unfortunately for Thompson, Overeem is likely to bust him up a lot worse than Kimbo did. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Alistair Overeem vs. James Thompson official for Sunday's DREAM.12 event

2009-10-23 07:10:42

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 23, 2009 at 8:30 am ET A heavyweight tilt between Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (30-11) and former EliteXC and Cage Rage fighter James Thompson (14-10) is now official for Sunday's DREAM.12 event. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first mentioned the possibility of the fight on Wednesday. The bout completes the nine-night lineup for DREAM.12, which takes place at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan, and airs live in North America on HDNet. Overeem was a late addition to the event, which is DREAM's first to use a cage rather than the traditional ring. (The organization will return to the ring for future events, and company officials have hinted the cage may make an annual appearance.) Thompson was an even later addition to the card, possibly due to visa issues. The British fighter, who is 0-4 since July 2007 and just 2-8 over the past three and a half years, was a second choice after the organization was unable to secure former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez (37-11), who's considering a drop to light heavyweight. Overeem, meanwhile, is 5-0 (with one no-contest) over the past two years and has emerged as one of the most sought-after heavyweight fighters outside the UFC. However, he hasn't defended his Strikeforce belt in two years. (Company CEO Scott Coker recently said he expects Overeem to make his first title defense in early 2010.) The full DREAM.12 lineup now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

Paulo Filho Out of Dream.12

2009-10-23 07:03:57

Posted Oct 23, 2009 8:43AM By Michael David Smith In another setback for a talented but troubled MMA fighter, former World Extreme Cagefighting middleweight champion Paulo Filho is off Sunday's Dream 12 card. Filho, who a couple of years ago was widely regarded as the No. 2 middleweight in the world, has been removed from the official Dream.12 fight card. Dream has not made any official announcement, but MMArocks.pl is reporting that Filho didn't show up in Japan for his scheduled fight with Dong Sik Yoon, and that Tarec Saffiedine will now fight Dong instead. www.mma.fanhouse.com

HDNet's broadcast of Dream to make history in Japanese MMA

2009-10-22 15:29:03

DALLAS (October 22, 2009) History will be made when the "White Cage" makes its debut on Sunday, October 25 as "HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12" LIVE from Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. For the first time, a major Japanese MMA event will take place in the cage as DREAM forsakes its traditional ring for a one-night-only extravaganza! The action airs exclusively throughout North America on HDNet beginning at 2:00 a.m. ET. The event features a trio of champions as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem (29-11) faces James Thompson (14-10), consensus top-five lightweight and Bellator Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) squares off with Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), and DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis (12-3) meets Myeon Ho Bae (8-4). In other action, MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1) tangles with Zelg Galesic (9-4), former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe (12-5) takes on Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2), and former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (18-1) faces Yoon Dong-Sik (4-7). HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon said, "The MMA world is watching to see what the 'White Cage' really is! There has been wild marketing around the cage in Japan which adds intrigue to a stacked card featuring 3 champions from 3 different organizations." HDNet's live presentation of "HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12" begins early morning Sunday, October 25, 2:00 a.m. ET/Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 p.m. PT. An encore presentation is scheduled for Friday, October 30 at 10:30 pm ET.

DREAM 12 Preview: The "White Cage" Invades Japan

2009-10-22 15:14:35

by Leland Roling on Oct 22, 2009 6:00 PM EDT in Events Comment 2 comments It's a great time to be a mixed martial arts fan, and Saturday's UFC 104 will only be the tip of the iceberg for fans this weekend. DREAM 12 will air LIVE at 2 AM EST on HDNet from Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The major difference between past DREAM events and this event is the inclusion of a "White Cage" that will be used for the first time in a major Japanese MMA promotion. While it's unknown whether the masses of Japanese mixed martial arts fans will be drawn to the use of a cage, it's nonetheless an intriguing card with big names and a different concept. Drawing off the newly produced popularity of Alistair Overeem in the archipelago of Japan, DREAM has put together a main event bout between current K-1 World Grand Prix participant and PRIDE veteran Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem (30-11) and former PRIDE veteran James Thompson (14-10) as a match-up that will surely draw a little intrigue from fans overseas. While the bout has yet to be confirmed by DREAM officially, MMA Fanhouse is stating that the bout will likely happen. There isn't any mystery as to why this bout is happening. Thompson was tabbed for this fight for the simple reason that he isn't a dangerous opponent at all for Overeem. Overeem's schedule still relies on him to be healthy for the K-1 World Grand Prix Final on December 5th, and Thompson is about as unlikely to actually hurt "Megareem" as he is to actually win the fight. Thompson's novelty popularity from his PRIDE days helps minimally, but Overeem's popularity has skyrocketed since his drubbing of Badr Hari and near win against K-1 champion Remy Bonjasky. Most fans will tune in to see Overeem manhandle Thompson, and that's exactly what they'll get. In a much more intriguing match-up for fans, Bellator lightweight champion and past contender to Shinya Aoki's WAMMA lightweight crown Eddie Alvarez (18-2) will battle Japanese Kyokushin karate practicioner and DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-2). Alvarez enters the contest following a three-fight win streak in the Bellator lightweight tournament and DREAM lightweight tournament upset victories over Joachim Hansen and Tatsuya Kawajiri. He eventually lost to Shinya Aoki at Dynamite!! 2008, but he still remains one of the best lightweights in the world outside of the UFC. Kikuno is coming off a quick victory over Andre "Dida" Amade at DREAM 10 after knocking out Koichiro Matsumoto in the DEEP Lightweight tournament to win the Lightweight crown. Check out the rest of our DREAM.12 coverage www.bloodyelbow.com

Former UFC Champion Tim Sylvia Agrees to DREAM New Year's Eve Fight

2009-10-21 10:15:30

Posted Oct 21, 2009 1:36PM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed) Tim Sylvia has verbally agreed to make his Japanese MMA debut for DREAM on New Year's Eve. Sylvia's agent Monte Cox confirmed the news with FanHouse. The former UFC heavyweight champion will be a part of the Dynamite!! 2009 MMA/K-1 hybrid show, which has become a yearly tradition in Japan. While Cox said Sylvia has been proposed fights against Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and Hong Man Choi, he thinks it would make more sense to have "The Maine-iac" fight the Korean giant. www.mma.fanhouse.com

10 Participants Revealed for Sengoku 12

2009-10-21 08:45:54

Posted Oct 21, 2009 10:58AM By Ray Hui (RSS feed) World Victory Road has named 10 participants for its New Year's Eve Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 event at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. Sengoku will be rebranded as Sengoku Raiden Championship beginning Dec. 31 and the event will go head-to-head against FEG's Dynamite!! 2009, happening at the Saitama Super Arena. While the only bout announced so far is Hidehiko Yoshida vs. Satoshi Ishii, the other participants revealed Wednesday were Mizuto Hirota, Masanori Kanehara, Satoru Kitaoka, Hatsu Hioki, Michihiro Omigawa, Kazunori Yokota, Eiji Mitsuoka, Makoto Takimoto, Hiroshi Izumi and Kazuhiro Nakamura. Also, two more bouts were added for Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7 in Tokyo, Japan. Akihiro Gono, who is coming off losses to Dan Hardy, Jon Fitch and Dan Hornbuckle, will met SpiritMC veteran Yoon Young "Shin Ramen" Kim (12-4). Kim is 22 years old and already holds eight wins by submission. Two struggling DEEP featherweights, HIrokazu "Bull" Konno (1-3) and Tomoaki Ueyama (2-3), will meet in a "Fight of the Soul" attraction. Sengoku 11 Fight Card: www.mma.fanhouse.com

Report: Alistair Overeem vs James Thompson for DREAM 12

2009-10-19 11:50:34

By: Jesse Holland Strikeforce heavyweight champion (cough) Alistair Overeem (30-11) will make his previously scheduled appearance at DREAM 12 on Oct. 25 against former PRIDE heavyweight bruiser James Thompson (14-10), according to MMA Fanhouse. Yes, the same James Thompson who was stopped by Kimbo Slice at Elite XC: “Prime Time” in 2008 and yes, the same James Thompson who’s dropped four straight and eight of his last ten. Looks like another quick pit-stop on the Overeem World Tour. Pull the bus over, recycle a few cans, continue heading East. Rinse and repeat. www.mmamania.com

Alistair Overeem returns at DREAM.12

2009-10-19 11:41:49

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 19, 2009 at 2:20 pm ET In his sixth fight since winning Strikeforce's heavyweight title in November 2007, Alistair Overeem will again compete outside the U.S.-based promotion when he returns to Japan for the latest DREAM event. Overeem (30-11) is the process of finalizing a bout to appear on the organization's DREAM.12 card, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from multiple sources. The event takes place next week, Oct. 25, at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan, and airs live in North America on HDNet. Two names have popped up as leading candidates to fight Overeem. www.mmajunkie.com

Sengoku 11 fight spotlight: Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov

2009-10-19 08:37:37

Oct 18th, 2009 by promma The past couple of weeks have been relatively slow with MMA action; but that was just so you could catch your breath for what is about to take place over the next couple of months. In about three weeks Sengoku 11 takes place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. The event will air live here in the U.S. on HDNet. There are a number of great fights on the card including Dave “Pee Wee” Herman vs. “Big” Jim York, Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa, and more. However, the fight we are focusing on in this spotlight is the middleweight match-up between Jorge Santiago (21-7, #6 MW) vs. Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1). www.promma.info

Sakuraba Replaces Manhoef, DREAM.12 Cage Card Nearly Complete

2009-10-19 08:31:24

by Chris Nelson on Oct 19, 2009 11:59 AM EDT Though only two weeks removed from his DREAM.11 win over boxer Rubin Williams, 40-year-old Japanese MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba held a press conference today at his Laughter7 gym to announce that he will replace an injured Melvin Manhoef against Zelg Galesic at DREAM.12 on October 25th. Also added to the show in Osaka: a non-title match between DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis and Korea's Myeon Ho Bae, and a nice featherweight scrap featuring ZST champ Keisuke Fujiwara and DEEP standout Tomoya Miyashita. DREAM.12 October 25, 2009 Osaka Castle Hall Osaka, Japan www.bloodyelbow.com

Four become One

2009-10-19 06:21:38

The world’s premier striking circuit – the K-1 MAX – reaches its conclusion on October 26 at the Yokohama Arena in Japan (broadcast on HDNet on October 31). “The Voice” MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO examines the four remaining fighters who will duke it out for the title of the world’s best stand up fighter. ANDY SOUWER Arguably the most decorated kick fighter of all time, Souwer is a two-time K-1 MAX champion looking (along with Buakaw) to become the sport’s first ever triple champion. Souwer is as close to the perfect technical fighter as one could imagine. Seemingly faultless with textbook execution of ever technique, he possesses speed, power, precision and a steady work rate powered by enormous levels of cardio. In addition to his physical abilities, Souwer possesses a phenomenal fighter’s brain. He’s the epitome of the “thinking man’s fighter” and could even be called the Kasparov of K-1 given the way he seems to think four or five moves ahead like a master chess strategist. It doesn’t hurt that he also has a genius trainer in his corner in the form of Andre Manaart, a man who has groomed multiple K-1 champions (Peter Aerts, Ernesto Hoost, Remy Bonjasky). Souwer comes into the final on a three-fight winning streak. Last time out he grinded an extra round decision over Artur Kyshenko in one of the fights of the year. Champion in 2005 and 2007, many expect Souwer to keep his bi-annual winning ways intact with a third MAX crown come October 26. He rematches old nemesis Buakaw in the semi final having fought the Thai twice before for one loss and one win – the loss being in the 2006 MAX final where Buakaw caught the Dutchman with a knockout hook in the second round. It was one of only three losses in Souwer’s incredible K-1 career. With Buakaw still not having hit his strides this year and Souwer showing against Kyshenko last time out that he is once again peaking when it matters, expect a tough war of attrition between Buakaw’s thumping leg and body kicks and Souwer’s rapid hands and point-scoring game. BUAKAW Once the most feared fighter to ever step inside the K-1 MAX ring, there are many question marks surrounding the current incarnation of this legendary Thai fighter. When Buakaw last won the K-1 MAX title (for a second time) in 2006, he was considered the best middleweight in the world without question. His toying of three opponents in one night – a knockout of Yoshihiro Sato, a decision of Gago Drago and a knockout of Andy Souwer – was the most scintillating K-1 victory of all time. Since capturing that second title, however, Buakaw has seemed to lose some of his K-1 luster. Even though he enters the final four on a three fight win streak including a WMC world title win over Australia’s Wayne Parr in Jamaica in June, Buakaw still has not done enough to convince most pundits that he is ready to become the sport’s first triple champion. His win over Nieky Holtzken last time out was a snoozer against a Holtzken who didn’t come to throw down. Buakaw’s failure to finish Holtzken – an opponent he would have laid to waste three years ago – raised questions as to just how hungry Buakaw is to recapture the MAX crown. Those questions of course were being raised earlier this year when Buakaw almost suffered a knockout in the first round against mixed martial artist Andre Dida under MAX rules. There’s no doubt Buakaw has the tools to still rule the MAX roost, it’s just that he hasn’t shown them recently. In Jamaica in June there were glimpses of Buakaw awesomeness in his world title win over Wayne Parr in which he molested Parr’s thighs and rib cage and kept the Australian at bay with superb teep (front) kicks. The question now is can Buakaw turn it on come October 26 when the title that really matters is on the line? GIORGIO PETROSIAN I said at the start of the year when his K-1 MAX debut was announced that Italian/Armenian Petrosian was my dark horse to take the 2009 title. I still stand by my prediction. For those who know Petrosian’s fighting history as I do, it has been no surprise that he has cut his way through to the final four like a hot knife through cold mozzarella cheese. Like any true Italian everything Petrosian does is done with style, class, finesse and beauty. He is, in a sense, the Lamborghini of K-1 MAX. There is nothing Petrosian can’t do, both offensively and defensively. He is quite simply the best counter-fighter on the planet and arguably the most reflexive fighter I have ever seen. In his two K-1 MAX fights so far – against Contender Asia star Dzabhar Askerov and then against former MAX champion Albert Kraus – Petrosian has not been cut, scratched or bruised let alone hardly raised a sweat. Petrosian enters the final four on an amazing 21-fight undefeated streak, including a draw against Buakaw back in 2007 (which many say Petrosian should have won). Out of his last 10 opponents he has decisioned seven and knocked out three and never looked in trouble. It is almost impossible to find a flaw in Petrosian’s game. You can’t hit what you can’t touch and it’s no wonder many internet fans have dubbed him “The Phantom”. Come October 26, expect Petrosian to warm up in his semi final with a decision over Yuya Yamamoto and then face off with Andy Souwer in a rematch of their fight in March in Milan which Petrosian won by extra round decision. YUYA YAMAMOTO The Cinderella Story of 2009, nobody expected Yamamoto to emerge as Japan’s number one gun (ahead of Sato, Kohiruimaki and Kido) and make it to the final four. His performance last time out against Gago Drago was one of the most emphatic of the year, grinding out a decision victory in an extra round that should be considered among the finest three minutes of fighting this season. Out of the four remaining fighters in the hunt for the coveted MAX crown, Yamamoto possesses the biggest heart. His durability is phenomenal, which is why I often refer to him as the human sponge: he can soak up all sorts of punishment. At 25 years of age, time is in favor of Yamamoto cementing himself as Japan’s number one MAX fighter and maybe as a future champion: but that future won’t be this year. He will put up a war as always against Petrosian in their semi final and most likely grind out a decision but will be no match for the Italian/Armenian’s counter hooks, inside and outside leg kicks, use of angles and speed. Then again, if there is one thing I have learned about Yamamoto this year it’s that he can’t be ruled out. And if there is one thing I have learned in all my years of watching fighters achieve incredible in-ring feats, it’s that passion, enthusiasm and heart can often take you farther than natural talent alone. Fighters like Yamamoto tend to throw their heart over the wall and let the body follow – that will always make this Cinderella Story a real possibility for a fairytale win.

Santiago-Khalidov, Randleman-Nedkov Added to Sengoku 11

2009-10-16 07:38:57

Posted Oct 16, 2009 9:29AM By Ray Hui Sengoku middleweight champ Jorge Santiago will face Mamed Khalidov and Kevin Randleman will take on Stanislav Nedkov at Sengoku 11 on Nov. 7 in Tokyo, World Victory Road announced today. Santiago (21-7), who last fought in January when he captured the Sengoku title over Kazuo Misaki, has been on a tear the past two years after leaving the UFC late 2006 on two knockout losses. Since, the American Top Team fighter has won Strikeforce and Sengoku tournaments and would have looked to extend his win streak to ten in August against Vitor Belfort until the cancellation of the Affliction "Trilogy" event. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Guy Mezger on Dream 11 and 12

2009-10-15 08:22:45

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com Unpredictability seemed to be the name of the game at the recent Dream 11 event. From the Featherweight Grand Prix to defeat of the sport’s biggest athlete, almost no one could have foresaw how things would happen this past week in Japan, including HDNet and Dream broadcaster Guy Mezger. A former fighter for both the UFC and Pride, Mezger has seen just about everything, but as he explained to MMAWeekly.com recently, he could not have anticipated what we saw at Dream 11. MMAWEEKLY: First off, Guy, tell us your thoughts on the overall happenings of Dream 11 this past week. www.mmaweekly.com

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Houston Alexander vs. Sherman Pendergarst at Adrenaline IV

2009-10-14 10:55:40

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 14, 2009 at 2:00 pm ET In our latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we take a look at a recent fight between UFC fighter Houston Alexander and veteran Sherman Pendergarst. The heavyweight bout co-headlined the Sept. 18 Adrenaline MMA IV event in Iowa. The fight was a dangerous proposition for Alexander, who was granted permission to compete outside the organization for the local show. The Nebraska-based fighter knew he could have cost himself a return to the UFC with a loss. Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature. And the Alexander vs. Pendergarst clash is no exception. www.mmajunkie.com

K-1 and DREAM announce ‘Dynamite!!’ New Year’s Eve supershow

2009-10-14 07:51:46

By: Akimitsu Kuwabara At an Oct 14 press conference hosted by Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), president Sadaharu Tanigawa and DREAM event producer Keiichi Sasahara unveiled the synopsis of this year’s annual “Dynamite!!” show on New Year’s Eve. The event will be held at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on a similar scale as the last year’s event, with the maximum stadium capacity of more than 40,000 people. Regarding the much-anticipated fight card, Tanigawa told the media that FEG will start releasing the fight cards once DREAM 12 and K-1 MAX 2009 World Championship Tournament, scheduled for Oct. 25 and 26, respectively, are in the books. With a total of 18 K-1 and MMA fights scheduled, the tentative line-up includes the following high-profile fighters: Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kiyoshi Tamura, Shinya Aoki, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hideo Tokoro, Hong Man Choi, Badr Hari, and Jerome LeBanner. The main event of the night will be a farewell bout for the two-time K-1 MAX champion and Japanese K-1 icon, Masato. www.mmamania.com

Mamed Khalidov Signs Three-Fight Deal With Sengoku, Set to Fight Santiago First

2009-10-13 08:22:26

by Venom77 on Oct 13, 2009 11:09 AM EDT One of the brightest stars in Polish MMA, Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1), has signed a 3-fight non-exclusive deal with World Victory Road and will make his debut in the Japanese ring against Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) in a non-title fight at Sengoku 11, November 7th in Tokyo. www.bloodyelbow.com

Two bouts added to "Sengoku 11th Battle," including Satoru Kitaoka vs. Jorge Masvidal

2009-10-13 08:01:37

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 13, 2009 at 10:05 am ET With less than four weeks remaining until World Victory Road's "Sengoku 11th Battle," the promotion today announced two additional contests. In a lightweight contest, Satoru Kitaoka (25-9-9) meets Jorge Masvidal (18-4), while featherweight Shigeki Osawa (4-0) meets Ronnie Ushiwaka Mann (16-2-1). "Sengoku 11th Battle" takes place Nov. 7 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The event airs on HDNet in North America. www.mmajunkie.com

Dave Herman vs. Jim York and Kazunori Yokota vs. Eiji Mitsuoka added to Sengoku 11th Battle

2009-10-09 09:09:29

by Dann Stupp on Oct 09, 2009 at 12:00 pm ET World Victory Road's November event continues to take shape following the addition of two bouts to the Sengoku 11th Battle event. The Japanese-based organization today announced fast-rising heavyweight prospect Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (15-1) meets Jim York (11-3) while Kazunori Yokota (10-2-3) takes on fellow lightweight Eiji Mitsuoka (16-6-2) at the Nov. 7 event. Sengoku 11th Battle takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Monte Cox Believes Tim Sylvia's Next Fight Will Be for DREAM or Sengoku

2009-10-09 08:50:27

Posted Oct 09, 2009 9:16AM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed) Tim Sylvia got back on the winning track in September, defeating the over-matched Jason Riley at Adrenaline MMA 4. "The Maine-iac" broke his hand early in the fight, but according to his agent Monte Cox, the former UFC heavyweight champion got his cast removed on Thursday and will be ready to fight again in December. In fact, Cox said he has been involved in serious negotiations with both DREAM and Sengoku, and believes Sylvia will fight next on New Year's Eve for either organization. "I feel pretty confident that he is going to fight there," Cox said on Thursday. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Melvin Manhoef vs. Zelg Galesic and Paulo Filho vs. Yoon Dong Sik set for DREAM.12

2009-10-09 08:40:59

by Dann Stupp on Oct 09, 2009 at 8:55 am ET Two middleweight bouts have been added to this month's DREAM.12 event, the Japanese-based organization today announced. Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1) takes on Zelg Galesic (9-4), and Paulo Filho (18-1) meets Dong Sik Yoon (4-7) at the upcoming event. DREAM.12, DREAM's first-ever event to use a cage (rather than a roped ring), takes place Oct. 25 at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event airs on HDNet in North America. www.mmajunkie.com

Brett Rogers, Rashad Evans, and Greg Jackson on this week’s Inside MMA

2009-10-08 21:22:02

Oct 8th, 2009 by promma Brett Rogers, Rashad Evans, and Greg Jackson are guests this Friday, Oct. 9 on INSIDE MMA. Along with Bas and Kenny, the group discusses the enigma that is still Kimbo Slice in this preview footage. Although it has been shown definitively Kimbo Slice is not among the sport’s elite, for some reason he is still a ratings power house. Why do you think that is? Rashad talks about his time on The Ultimate Fighter with the former street fighter. www.promma.info

HDNet's "Inside MMA" To Air Clip of ULTMMA's Exclusive Interview with Dana White

2009-10-08 15:49:05

Brett Rogers joins the panel along with Kenny, Bas and Ron on HDNet's "INSIDE MMA" this Friday, October 9. Speaking in studio, Rogers had a chance to respond to the criticism levied by Dana White during an online video interview conducted by ULTMMA. ULTMMA a Phoenix, AZ based MMA news & clothing company interviewed White while the UFC president was in town to promote the company's next event. The always outspoken White had some interesting comments in regards to Roger's upcoming fight with number one ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, including calling him "Buck" Rogers. Rogers, with 10-0 record, is a decorated heavyweight from Minnesota. The big man will be on set to discuss his fight career, preparation for his next fight and gives his opinion on White's latest remarks. Also in studio joining co-hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten this week are fighter Rashad Evans, world renowned MMA trainer Greg Jackson and Brett Rogers.

Dream 11 Quoteworthy: Kawajiri Replies to Aoki

2009-10-07 14:44:01

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 by Tony Loiseleur (tloiseleur@sherdog.com) “It's just the way things go. I get in the fight and I make sure I want to hurt my opponent, and Bob didn't tap. The referee jumped in before he was defending himself and in those situations, the guy will say, ‘I didn't tap. Why did you stop?’ Usually, I want to make sure the guy taps first, before the referee jumps in. But the referee jumped in before Bob had a chance to tap.” -- Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on why he insists on punching even after the referee has jumped in and the bell has sounded “We talked about him saying in the promos that he was thinking of whether he'd retire or not. We're the same age, so I encouraged him to hang in there and do his best for a little while longer.” -- Hiroyuki Takaya on his brief conversation with Hideo Tokoro after smashing him www.sherdog.com

Hello, Japan: Randleman-Nedkov, Kitaoka-Masvidal Set for Sengoku 11

2009-10-07 14:40:25

by Chris Nelson on Oct 7, 2009 5:00 PM EDT in News After an uninspired performance against Mike Whitehead and just a 3-7 record in his last 10 bouts, can Kevin Randleman reverse his fortunes against Bulgarian upstart Stanislav Nedkov? UPDATED at 5:09 PM ET - Tapology is reporting that Sengoku 11 will also feature a lightweight tilt between former champion Satoru Kitaoka (25-9-9) and American Top Team's Jorge Masvidal (18-4). Following a lackluster June decision loss to Mike Whitehead in Strikeforce, Kevin Randleman (17-13) is headed back to Japan, where he'll take on undefeated Bulgarian wrestler Stanislav Nedkov (7-0) on November 7th under the Sengoku banner. www.bloodyelbow.com

Dream 11 Notebook: Aoki Still Eyeing B.J. Penn, UFC Lightweights

2009-10-07 14:34:28

Wednesday, October 07, 2009 by Tony Loiseleur (tloiseleur@sherdog.com) TOKYO -- After wresting the lightweight title from Joachim Hansen in the final four seconds of their bout Tuesday at Dream 11, it seemed all but inevitable that Shinya Aoki would defend his new belt against deserving No. 1 contender Tatsuya Kawajiri at the Dec. 31 K-1 Dynamite event. Instead, Aoki promised to “consider” Kawajiri's New Year’s Eve challenge, and then he took the opportunity to ridicule “Crusher's” direct request for a title shot in his post-fight comments. “I was thinking, 'Why is he here?' I can't reply immediately,” said Aoki of the challenge before concluding that, rather than fight, he would rather take a break on Dec. 31. “I don't even want to say anything about (New Year’s Eve). I've been fighting one bout after another, so I'm exhausted. I was thinking this was my last fight. I just want to rest. After that, then maybe I can decide on something. I'd like to fight B.J. Penn.” www.sherdog.com

Kevin Randleman likely to meet Stanislav Nedkov at Sengoku 11th Battle on Nov. 7

2009-10-07 10:06:50

by John Morgan and Dann Stupp on Oct 07, 2009 at 12:25 pm ET In his first bout since a comeback fight at "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" earlier this year, former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman (17-13) is expected to fight undefeated Stanislav Nedkov (7-0) at World Victory Road's Sengoku 11th Battle event. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported last week that Nedkov will appear on the card, and a source close to the event today said verbal agreements are in place for the Randleman fight. Sengoku 11th Battle takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Shinya Aoki Claims DREAM Has Better Lightweights Than the UFC

2009-10-07 08:28:19

by Kid Nate on Oct 7, 2009 10:35 AM EDT From Dave Meltzer: Aoki had said before the event that Dream, and not UFC, had the best lightweight competitors. After winning the title, he made that claim again. "It’s not UFC, it’s Dream," he said. But Aoki, whose stand-up is weak and who doesn’t face fighters who are stronger wrestlers and do more extensive weight-cutting, doesn’t appear to have the all-around game at the level of the top UFC lightweights, even with his rep as the most exciting submission fighter in the game. Everyone knows I'm a huge Aoki fan, but I have to agree with Meltzer here. According to the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings the DREAM lightweight division has four of the top ten lightweights but only five of the top twenty. DREAM's ally Strikeforce has two top twenty lightweights. Their Japanese rival World Victory Road has another four. www.bloodyelbow.com

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Roy Nelson vs. Fabiano Scherner IFL title fight

2009-10-07 08:22:12

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 06, 2009 at 6:30 pm ET In our latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we revisit a February 2008 title fight between IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson and challenger Fabiano Scherner. Nelson, currently a cast member on "The Ultimate Fighter 10" who recently defeated Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in an opening-round bout, for the first time defended his IFL belt, which he had won two months prior to the Scherner fight with a second-round knockout of Antoine Jaoude. Check out the full fight after the jump. www.mmajunkie.com

Aoki subs Hansen to become Dream Champion

2009-10-06 08:39:40

Tuesday, October 06, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com Shinya Aoki walked away from Dream 11 on Tuesday in Yokohama, Japan, with the Dream lightweight championship strapped around his waist after submitting the returning Joachim Hansen. But what’s a Shinya Aoki fight without at least a little bit of controversy? Aoki was able to secure takedown after takedown on Hansen, but it was the Norwegian, from his back, that was outworking the Japanese grappling master, staying busy by punching and searching for submissions. Midway into the opening round, Hansen rocked Aoki with two upkicks to the head, but the referee stepped in, calling a timeout. Prior to the two to the head, Hansen had inadvertently landed an upkick to Aoki’s groin, so he was given time to recuperate. Upon restart, the round continued to play out with Aoki scoring takedowns and Hansen staying busy with strikes and a strong armbar attempt. www.mmaweekly.com

"Flash" forward: Fernandes edges Takaya in GP thriller, Aoki stuns Hansen at DREAM.11

2009-10-06 08:36:34

by John Morgan on Oct 06, 2009 at 11:15 am ET Brazilian submission ace Bibiano Fernandes (7-2) lived up to the hype, and following a stunning semifinal win "The Flash" edged Hiroyuki Takaya (12-7-1) in the main event of DREAM.11 to claim the promotion's featherweight grand prix title in Kanagawa, Japan. The back-and-forth battle capped off an exciting night of contests at Yokohama Arena that also featured a lightweight title fight and the semifinals of the promotion's "Super Hulk" tournament. The event aired early Tuesday morning in North America on HDNet. Having already stunned Joe Warren (2-1) earlier in the evening (see below), Fernandes opened quickly against fellow surprise finalist Takaya. An armbar attempt early appeared to have Takaya on defense, and a rear-naked choke attempt would follow shortly after. But Takaya deftly defended each move, forcing Fernandes to engage him on the feet. Fernandes obliged. www.mmajunkie.com

DREAM 11 on HDNet immediate reaction and commentary

2009-10-06 08:33:45

Oct 6th, 2009 by Richard Mann DREAM 11 saw the first ever Japanese DREAM champion crowned in the lightweight division. The featherweight champion wa also crowned. Last, and most certainly least, the Super-Hulk tournament provide the oddity we’ve come to expect. Much more commentary after the jump. www.promma.info

DREAM.11 Results, Play-by-Play and Commentary

2009-10-06 05:34:01

by Chris Nelson on Oct 6, 2009 7:15 AM EDT After seven months and eleven bouts spread across three events, DREAM's 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix draws to a close at DREAM.11. The tournament -- which has already spawned a few "Fight of the Year"-caliber bouts and one 140-pound hurricane named Joe Warren -- will see its winner decided and DREAM's first featherweight champion crowned inside Yokohama Arena tonight tomorrow morning, and as always, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you full coverage of the action. So stay up late or wake up early and join us here at 7 AM Eastern / 4 AM Pacific for the start of the HDNet broadcast. Note: Since HDNet is unable to air the event live due to Tokyo Broadcast System's exclusive live rights, we ask that you refrain from posting results or any comments that could be considered "spoilers" for a few hours until the HDNet broadcast begins. And we're live only slightly tape-delayed! Full play-by-play after the jump. www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM 11 weigh-ins - Sakuraba will not stand for it

2009-10-05 15:19:00

Oct 5th, 2009 by promma The “DREAM 11 - Featherweight Grand Prix 2009 Final” takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The event, which features a lightweight title fight between Joachim Hansen and Shinya Aoki, the final round of the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix, and the Super Hulk Tournament semi-finals, will air via tape delay in the U.S. on HDNet beginning at 7 a.m. ET Tuesday morning. PROMMA.INFO will be providing play-by-play commentary of the broadcast. All fighters successfully made weight at the DREAM 11 weigh-ins which took place on Monday. Kazushi Sakuraba made weight just fine, but he had quite a bit of trouble making it to the scales. Either he was trying to be funny, he was drunk, or he is completely off his rocker. Frankly, he looks lost. Watch the video above to see what I’m talking about. www.promma.info

Hellboy ready for Aoki, welcomes Alvarez fight

2009-10-05 15:14:08

Monday, October 05, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com MMAWEEKLY.COM: You're coming into this fight following a 14-month layoff, the longest of your career. How excited are you to finally have the opportunity to get in the ring and defend your lightweight title? JOACHIM HANSEN: I am very happy to be back again! I was actually ready to fight for a while. With Dream’s consent, I even tried to be a part of the 20th anniversary Shooto show in May. However, they could not find me an opponent at short notice so that did not happen. So the desire to fight has never gone away. MMAWEEKLY.COM: What has been the biggest challenge for you during this lengthy layoff? And how did you keep yourself busy? www.mmaweekly.com

Sokoudjou ponders how many giants he can whip

2009-10-05 11:50:09

Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:30 pm EDT By Steve Cofield The guys at 205 pounds were too slick for Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou so he's gone back to the land of ridiculous matchups in Japan. Sokoudjou's lack of endurance and submission defense made him easy prey in the United States. He lost three out of four fights to Babalu, Luiz Cane and Lyoto Machida before scurrying back to Japan where he is part of tomorrow morning's DREAM Super Hulk Tournament (7 a.m. ET HDNet). www.sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter

DREAM 11 Preview: Joachim Hansen Battles Shinya Aoki for Lightweight Title

2009-10-05 11:25:41

by Leland Roling on Oct 5, 2009 3:00 PM EDT in News In the main event of the evening, DREAM Lightweight champion Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) will battle the submission grappling prowess of Shinya Aoki (21-4) in a rubber match that will see Hansen defend his title for the first time after obtaining it in July of 2008 at the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix Final. Hansen was actually defeated during the Grand Prix by a surging Eddie Alvarez in the quarterfinals, but Alvarez was unable to continue due to a badly swollen eye. Hansen was allowed to fill in for Alvarez in the Grand Prix Final, winning the bout in 4:19 into the first round after catching Aoki with a punch from top control and putting him on ice. This will be a rubber match between the two fighters as Aoki managed to defeat Hansen at PRIDE Shockwave 2006 via the difficult gogoplata submission at only 2:24 of the first round. Interestingly enough, Aoki went on after his loss to Hansen in the DREAM Grand Prix Final to win four out of his next five bouts, defeating Todd Moore, Eddie Alvarez, David Gardner (Hello Japan!), and a returning PRIDE veteran in Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro. He was devastated by Hayato "Mach" Sakurai at DREAM 8 during the Welterweight Grand Prix Opening Round as Sakurai blasted Aoki into unconsciousness in only 0:27 seconds. It was his only loss within the last year. www.bloodyelbow.com

To Fight in a Scary Sport

2009-10-05 08:46:02

Monday, October 05, 2009 by Greg Savage (greg@sherdog.com) No one is ever going to accuse Joe Warren of being shy about anything, especially his opinion of his athletic ability. The boisterous former Greco-Roman world champion -- a nonstop ball of energy inside the gym and out -- has the résumé to back up his confident and sometimes cocky demeanor. Guys with credentials like his -- he was a state champion wrestler in high school and a college All-American at Michigan in addition to being a decorated international competitor -- don’t happen upon the MMA world everyday. And if not for an unexpected twist of fate, Warren may have never been inclined to give MMA a try. Warren (2-0) took home the 132-pound title at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. He hoped to pursue a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing games, but those hopes were dashed when he failed a drug test in May 2007. It was the second time -- the first coming in 2006 -- that Warren had been found with marijuana in his system. It would cost him dearly. www.sherdog.com

Dream 11 Preview

2009-10-05 08:39:05

Monday, October 05, 2009 - by Ricardo Mendoza - MMAWeekly.com Dream Lightweight Championship Bout: Joachim Hansen vs. Shinya Aoki Dream lightweight champion Joachim Hansen faces off with Japanese grappling superstar Shinya Aoki. This marks the third time that these two will do battle with each owning a victory over the other. Hansen steps in the ring for the first time since winning the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix, while Aoki has fought five times in that same span. The strategy for this fight is simple for both fighters. Hansen will need to keep the fight on the feet, where he’ll have the advantage, and Aoki will want to take the fight to the ground. Hansen needs to keep the distance on the feet and avoid the clinch, where Aoki will try to take him down. If he does end up on the ground, he’ll need to create space to punch and make sure that Aoki doesn’t have a grip on him. Aoki will need to be concentrated on the ground and not lose focus like in their last fight. He can easily submit Hansen if he is on his A game. Dream Featherweight Grand Prix Bout: www.mmaweekly.com

Hong Man Choi Accepts Shaquille O'Neal's Mixed Martial Arts Challenge

2009-10-05 08:30:54

By Ariel Helwani NBA star Shaquille O'Neal has said on numerous occasions that he would like to fight 7-foot-2 Korean fighter Hong Man Choi in an MMA match when his basketball career ends. The four-time champion even appears to be somewhat serious about this challenge, as videos of him training MMA have popped up on the Internet as of late. When FanHouse contacted Choi, who is scheduled to face Ikuhisa Minowa in the DREAM Super Hulk Tournament semifinals on Tuesday in Japan, about fighting O'Neal at some point in the future, he simply responded via e-mail, "Yes, if there is a chance." Something tells me there's a chance. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Badr Hari vs. Ernesto Hoost Cancelled, Manhoef vs. Spong Confirmed

2009-10-05 08:23:39

by Leland Roling on Oct 5, 2009 11:10 AM EDT Comment 1 comment According to one of my favorite K-1 blogs on the Internet, K1 Legend, a press conference to announce a potential "legendary" bout between four-time retired K-1 World Champion Ernesto Hoost and K-1's bad boy Badr Hari has been cancelled. The bout was called off after Ernesto Hoost... thought about it: www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM 11 Preview: Featherweight Grand Prix Finals

2009-10-05 08:02:16

by Leland Roling on Oct 5, 2009 11:16 AM EDT In our second preview leading up to DREAM 11, we'll take a look at the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Tournament's final bracket of match-ups. In Grand Prix fashion, the semi-finals and final will take place on the card with four-time Mundials champion black belt Bibiano Fernandes taking on powerhouse Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Warren and heavy-hitting WEC and K-1 HERO's veteran Hiroyuki Takaya battling fellow K-1 HERO's submission fighter Hideo Tokoro. Kazuyuki Miyata will face Daiki Hata in a featherweight tournament reserve match-up on the card as well. Many American fans are probably a bit unfamiliar with the list of names featured in the tournament, but believe me when I say that there are some solid match-ups. American Joe Warren has the potential to go on a run that will make him explode onto the featherweight scene from unknown to champion in only four professional fights. If you're a true fan of the WEC here in the United States, the DREAM featherweight final should feed your hunger for fast-paced action. www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM 11 Preview: Super Hulk Tournament Semifinals

2009-10-04 16:29:59

by Leland Roling on Oct 4, 2009 10:00 AM EDT in Events 16 comments DREAM 11 will take place on Tuesday, October 6th from Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The event will feature the conclusion to the Featherweight Grand Prix which includes 2007 World Cup gold medalist wrestler Joe Warren, BJJ expert Bibiano Fernandes, submission fighter Hideo Tokoro, and the heavy-handed Hiroyuki Takaya. A lightweight championship rubber match between #2 USAT/SBN Consensus-ranked Shinya Aoki and the #8 USAT/SBN Consensus-ranked Joachim Hansen will headline the card, and the semi-finals of the DREAM Super Hulk tournament will round out the featured attractions. www.bloodyelbow.com

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Rubin Williams set for DREAM 11

2009-10-04 16:25:51

Kazushi Sakuraba will be back in action for Tuesday’s Dream 11 event. The MMA legend also known as the “The Gracie Hunter” has been added as a last minute addition to the Japanese organizations card. The former PRIDE fighter will be facing off with Rubin Williams, a former professional boxer from the third season of “The Contender” with a record of 29-8-1. This will be Williams’ professional fighting debut. Sakuraba hasn’t fought since K1’s New Years Eve event last year, where he suffered a Unanimous Decision loss to Kiyoshi Tamura. www.fiveouncesofpain.com

Joe Warren Eyes Dream Title

2009-10-04 16:17:33

Sunday, October 04, 2009 Former world champion wrestler Joe Warren takes on Bibiano Fernandes in the Dream featherweight grand prix on Tuesday. The 2006 Greco-Roman titlist hopes to keep his perfect record intact and continue his improbable run -- which has included wins over former WEC champion Chase Beebe and Japanese ace Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto -- since making the transition to mixed martial arts. Warren (2-0) took time out of his hectic training regimen at Team Quest in Murrieta, Calif., to sit down with Sherdog.com’s Greg Savage and Dave Mandel to discuss the progress of his young fight career and hopes for the future. Check out this exclusive interview only at Sherdog.com. www.sherdog.com

MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba added to DREAM.11, Daisuke Nakamura rescheduled

2009-10-03 08:00:43

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 03, 2009 at 10:40 am ET MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba (24-12-1) was earlier today announced as a late addition to Tuesday's DREAM.11 event by the Japanese-based organization. An opponent for "The Gracie Hunter" has not yet been named. In a bit of additional card-shuffling, lightweight Daisuke Nakamura was moved to the promotion's Oct. 25 event, DREAM.12. Both events air in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

MFC 22 Results: Travis Lutter and Antonio McKee Earn Decision Victories

2009-10-03 07:44:19

by Anton Tabuena on Oct 3, 2009 5:08 AM EDT In the main event, Travis Lutter edged out the hometown favorite and fellow UFC veteran, Jason MacDonald with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28. Lutter says his jiu jitsu was the key to the fight: www.bloodyelbow.com

Support the stache - Get your very own Dan “The Beast” Severn mustache today!

2009-10-03 07:19:29

Oct 2nd, 2009 by promma. As seen on HDNet's Inside MMA - "The Stache" is not your average hair lip my friend. 51-year-old Dan “The Beast” Severn holds a record of 90-16-7 and has been fighting consistently every year since his first appearance inside the Octagon at UFC 4 in 1994. Not only his he still fighting, he is still winning. The Beast has already fought three times in 2009 going 2-1. Now you can bring out your inner beast and Join the millions of Dan “The Beast” Severn fans around the world and “Support The Stache!” Severn’s new campaign as he travels around the world still climbing into cages and competing. Newly released is the Dan “The Beast” Severn STACHE. www.promma.info

MacDonald eyes redemption in MFC return

2009-10-02 08:55:45

Friday, October 02, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com Canadian middleweight Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald’s time in the UFC could be best described as tenuous. Wins alternated with losses and eventually, after back-to-back defeats in his last two bouts for the promotion, he was released from the company. After taking some time off to get his bearings, MacDonald returns to his native Canada to begin putting together the pieces of his fragmented career for the MFC promotion this Friday against fellow former UFC fighter Travis Lutter. “I just returned home to Alberta from Las Vegas, training for three weeks at Robert Drysdale’s and Xtreme Couture,” MacDonald told MMAWeekly.com heading into Friday’s MFC 22. “Training camp went well and I’m ready for the fight.” As MacDonald puts it, returning home after his time in the UFC is a mixed bag of emotions. www.mmaweekly.com

Dream 11 Preview

2009-10-02 08:43:30

Friday, October 02, 2009 by Tomas Rios (trios@sherdog.com) The sport’s most anticipated rubber match, the semi-finals and final of a stacked featherweight tournament and the inclusion of Hong Man Choi and Bob Sapp highlight Dream 11 this Tuesday on HDNet at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. One can always expect the unusual avalanche of sideshow matchmaking from a Dream event, but the lightweight title bout between reigning champion Joachim Hansen and submission virtuoso Shinya Aoki should be enough to cleanse the palate of any fight snob. Backing up the all-star showdown are the final two rounds of the Dream featherweight grand prix, which features the ongoing Cinderella run of Joe Warren, Hiroyuki Takaya’s attempt to erase the bitter memory of his disappointing World Extreme Cagefighting stint and a pair of submission specialists in Bibiano Fernandes and Hideo Tokoro. If the promise of such violent goodness does not reel you in, Ikuhisa Minowa will take on Choi in a match that defies any preconceived notions you may have of logic. Get in line for another round of fight analysis. Dream Lightweight Championship Joachim Hansen vs. Shinya Aoki www.sherdog.com

Chase Beebe vs. Yoshiro Maeda added to DREAM.12 in October

2009-10-02 08:34:36

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 02, 2009 at 9:00 am ET A featherweight contest between former WEC bantamweight champ Chase Beebe (12-4) and WEC, PRIDE and Pancrase veteran Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2) has been added to DREAM.12. Featuring the Japanese-based organization's first-ever bouts in a cage, DREAM.12 takes place Oct. 25 at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event airs on HDNet in North America. Beebe looks to break a three-fight losing streak in the contest. Beebe is also slated to face Mike Easton in the main event of Ultimate Warrior Challenge's Saturday night event in Virginia, a potentially notable scheduling quirk. Beebe and Easton were also scheduled to fight for UWC on Feb. 21, but the former WEC champ no-showed the weigh-ins, citing injury, only to later compete in DREAM.7 on March 8. Maeda has posted mixed results as of late, earning a 3-3 record in his past six contests. Maeda defeated Micah Miller in the opening round of DREAM's featherweight grand prix, only to fall to Hiroyuki Takaya in the tournament's second round. With the addition to the card, DREAM.12 currently includes: www.mmajunkie.com

HDNet To Air "HDNet Fights Presents: HEIWA DREAM 11 Featherweight Grand Prix 2009, Final Round"

2009-10-02 08:13:22

HDNet to broadcast "HDNet Fights Presents: HEIWA DREAM 11 Featherweight Grand Prix 2009, Final Round" Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00 a.m. ET, from Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan. HDNet will also air an encore presentation of the event on Friday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The event features the conclusion of the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix, a highly anticipated DREAM Lightweight title bout and the semi-finals of the Super Hulk tournament. In the main event of the evening, two of the top 5 lightweights in the world collide in a highly anticipated rematch as DREAM Lightweight champion Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) puts his title on the line against Shinya Aoki (21-4). Hansen claimed the title on July 21, 2008 when he defeated Aoki by first round TKO at Dream 5. Hansen has not fought since while Aoki has gone 4-1, including wins over Eddie Alvarez and Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, with his only loss coming in the welterweight division. In other action, the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix will come to a conclusion as Bibiano Fernanders (5-2) faces Joe Warren (2-0) and Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1) meets Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1) in semi-final action with the winners advancing to face each other in the final later in the evening.Also in the semi-finals of the Super Hulk tournament, Hong Man Choi (2-2) meets Ikuhisa Minowa (42-20-8) and Bob Sapp(10-5) squares off with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4). The televised card also features Gesias "J.Z." Calvancante (14-3-1) vs. Daisuke Nakamura (20-10), Andrews Nakahara (2-1) vs. Zelg Galesic (9-4), and Kazuyuki Miyata (7-7) vs. Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hata(11-5-3) in a Featherweight tournament reserve bout.

Prater fails weigh-in test

2009-10-02 05:20:09

By MFC Staff - Oct 01, 2009 Challenger Carlo Prater has let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. The Brazilian missed the 155-pound target at the weigh-in for MFC 22: Payoff and will not be allowed to fight for the MFC world lightweight championship against reigning title-holder Antonio McKee. The fight will go ahead as a three-round, non-title fight and as the co-main event to the middleweight showdown between Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald and Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter. "I'm extremely disappointed in Carlo. It's not acceptable to miss weight any time, but it's a gigantic mistake to miss it for a title fight," said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. Lutter had no trouble with the scale as both he and MacDonald registered at 185 1/2 pounds. Their clash will headline the show which airs live throughout North America on HDNet Fights. Other weigh-in results: Welterweight Luigi Fioravanti - 171 John Alessio - 169 1/2 Light Heavyweight Mike Nickels - 206 David Heath - 205 1/2 Light Heavyweight Marvin Eastman - 205 Ryan Jimmo - 204 1/2 Welterweight Pete Spratt - 171 Nathan Gunn - 170 Light Heavyweight Jared Kilkenny - 205 Dwayne Lewis - 204 Welterweight Jason Heit - 170 Paapa Inkumsah - 169 1/2 Welterweight Joe Christopher - 171 Andrew Buckland - 171 Jesse MacDougall - 168 1/2 Nick Hrynchyshyn - 170

HDNet's "Inside MMA" Presents Exclusive Interview with Rashad Evans

2009-10-01 14:48:02

Tomorrow's "Inside MMA," will feature an exclusive interview with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans Speaking to "Inside MMA's" Ron Kruck from his home in Chicago, Evans added more fuel to his already hot dispute with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, saying, "He doesn't have the love of the sport he once did... [and] if he walked into my house right now, he'd be dead... stop crying Quinton." Evans and Jackson were set to fight in November at the conclusion of the reality series "The Ultimate Fighter," where each acted as coaches this season. However, Jackson's blossoming acting career caused the fight to be postponed. Also joining co-hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten this week are promoters Roland Sarria, Chad Pizzino and Brent Medley. The panel will discuss the role of smaller promotions in MMA.

Refocused John Alessio Talks MFC 22 Fight vs. Luigi Fioravanti

2009-10-01 13:38:19

Posted Oct 01, 2009 4:20PM By Ray Hui Xtreme Couture welterweight John Alessio is taking on American Top Team's Luigi Fioravanti Friday at MFC 22 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for a possible shot at the promotion's title. In this interview with FanHouse, Alessio talks about preparing for Fioravanti, his hatred towards UFC fighter Brock Larson and how he reevaluated his training after his loss in April to Andre Galvao. Ray Hui: First booked to fight Nick Thompson, what was your first impression when the replacement offered to you was Luigi Fioravanti? John Alessio: They're both very competitive tough fights so I knew no matter what I had to train hard and I had my hands full. It's a little different stylistically as far as opponents but the change happened really early in training camp, so it was really no big deal. How would you break down Luigi stylistically? www.mma.fanhouse.com

HDNet Fights Presents: MFC 22 Preview

2009-09-30 12:38:33

This Friday, HDNet goes north for another Maximum Fighting Championships event and boy are they ever pulling out the stops for this one. Many promotions often headline their events with a UFC-experienced fighter, but MFC owner Mark Pavelich seems to have an extensive rolodex of such guys and he didn't spare any expenses when setting up his promotion's 22nd show. First let's take a look at the main event: Jason MacDonald versus Travis Lutter. MacDonald needs no introduction as he was an exciting cornerstone of the Ultimate Fighting Championships over the past three years before consecutive losses to Wilson Gouveia and Nate Quarry saw him surprisingly cut from the organization. He'll be taking on Ultimate Fighter 4 winner Travis Lutter, who also holds the distinction of being one of the few guys to put pound for pound chart topper Anderson Silva in a tough spot since Silva arrived in the UFC. While Travis Lutter isn't the 'Michael Jordan of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' as announcer Mike Goldberg once claimed, he's still pretty damned good and always dangerous on the ground. Jason MacDonald is no slouch either - that's why this fight is so intriguing. In the end I would say that Lutter has the edge on the ground due to his strong fundamentals, but Jason's ability to escape subs that would finish any other fighter plus his wider variety of submissions will keep him right in the game. On top of that, MacDonald has proven that he can go for three rounds while Travis Lutter's cardio has literally been his career's Achilles heel. There's not much to discuss from a standup perspective - neither guy is a knockout artist and the most either can hope for is using their striking to set up takedowns, improve position, and pressure their opponent on the ground. Next up is a lightweight championship match between reigning champ Antonio McKee and former WEC fighter Carlo Prater, who is another guy who'd still have a job in the big leagues if he hadn't lost to Carlos Condit and Brock Larson right as the promotion folded their welterweight division into the UFC. McKee is a decision machine, winning 17 of his 22 career wins with a wrestling style that has been described as one dimensional and boring by critics. Prater has also been having trouble lately finishing fights with his last non-decision win coming back in 2006. It's pretty much a guarantee that this fight will be contested with McKee on top of Prater working ground and pound while Prater attempts to put together some submission offense from his back. Also on the card, UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti will be taking on Team Quest fighter John Alessio. Fioravanti has heavy hands but hasn't quite figured out how to use them effectively and some decent wrestling, but probably not decent enough to keep the fight standing if Alessio decides he doesn't want to risk getting his bell rung like it was by UFC fighter Paul 'Semtex' Daley at MFC 19. It's young Canadian prospect against grizzled veteran as Ultimate Fighter 8 contestant Ryan Jimmo (who lost his fight to get into the TUF house against serious bad dude Antwain Britt) will be taking on Marvin the Beastman Eastman. Eastman always puts up a tough fight, but it will be interesting to see how he stands up to the pressure and pace Jimmo brings, with 7 of his 10 fights ending in the first round - many by knockout. Another Canadian who's hoping to make some waves is Thunder Bay's Nathan Gunn, who will be putting his perfect 7-0 record on the line against Pete Spratt. Spratt is well known for leaving it all in the cage and almost defeated former MFC project Ryan Ford the last time he fought for the promotion. Unfortunately, 'almost' is a word that describes Spratt's career quite well as his 19-15 record reflects. Not much is known about Gunn's particular strenghts or weaknesses but he's going to want to watch out for Spratt's striking and take this fight to the ground where Pete is extremely vulnerable to submissions. Other fights on the card include a meeting between UFC veterans David Heath and Mike Nickels, middleweightd Andrew Buckland against Joe Christopher and Thiago Goncalves against Jesse Juarez, and a light heavyweight tilt between relatively new fighters Jason Heit and Paapa Inkumusah. This is probably one of the most stacked cards you're going to see outside of the UFC and Strikeforce and definitely a sign that Maximum Fighting Championships is serious about claiming the currently vacant title for best Canadian promotion. It all goes down this Friday on HDNet at 10PM EST.

Undefeated 205-pounder Stanislav Nedkov targeted for return at Sengoku 11th Battle

2009-09-30 10:55:45

by John Morgan and Dann Stupp on Sep 30, 2009 at 8:59 am ET Stanislav Nedkov (7-0), an undefeated 205-pounder who's garnering some attention worldwide, will likely return to action on Nov. 7 at World Victory Road's Sengoku 11th Battle event. A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Nedkov will appear on the card pending the finding of an appropriate opponent. Sengoku 11th Battle takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. Nedkov, well-versed in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, garnered some attention in May when he topped veteran Travis Wiuff (56-13) via third round TKO at Sengoku Eighth Battle. (It was just Wiuff's second loss in his past 13 fights.) Nedkov, a Bulgarian who previously competed for Shooto, has now won all seven of his career fights via stoppage. Five of the seven came in the first round. The latest Sengoku 11th Battle event fight card includes: www.mmajunkie.com

MFC Champ Antonio McKee: 'I'm the Best Wrestler in MMA'

2009-09-30 10:35:49

Posted Sep 30, 2009 10:26AM By Ray Hui Antonio McKee has been known to fight a methodical (safe) style due to small paydays, but now that there's more money involved, he plans on shedding his reputation of decisions at Friday's MFC 22 against Carlo Prater in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. "You're going to get a standup war in this fight," said McKee, who has been undefeated since a 2003 decision loss to Karo Parisyan. "If I lose this fight it's because I stood up and I tried to bang and I got caught." In this exclusive interview with FanHouse, McKee explains his safe fighting style in the past that sacrificed entertainment, and why he believes there is no lightweight out there that can beat him – including UFC champ BJ Penn. How's training camp been going for your first MFC title defense? www.mma.fanhouse.com

Weekend Primer: MFC 22 Preview

2009-09-30 09:13:34

by Leland Roling on Sep 30, 2009 12:33 PM EDT in Events 2 comments Before you hit the local pub with friends or hit the hay to enjoy an early Saturday morning being dragged to the Farmer's Market by your significant other, wouldn't you like to spy some solid regional mixed martial arts action? Friday nights aren't normally a mecca for MMA action, but Maximum Fighting Championships has put together an impressive card filled with former UFC talents that should feed your appetite. MFC 22: Payoff will take place on Friday, October 2nd from the River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The card will feature a main event middleweight clash between former UFC fighters Jason MacDonald (21-12) and Travis Lutter (9-5), and a MFC Lightweight Championship bout between IFL veteran Antonio McKee (22-3-2) and WEC veteran Carlo Prater (24-6-1). The card will also feature former UFC fighters Luigi Fioravanti, John Alessio, Marvin Eastman, Pete Spratt, David Heath, and Mike Nickels. The event will air LIVE on HDNet at 10 P.M. EST featuring "The Voice" Michael Schiavello. www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM to use North American-style five-minute rounds for Oct. 25 DREAM.12 event

2009-09-29 13:14:21

by John Morgan on Sep 29, 2009 at 2:15 pm ET The Japanese-based DREAM organization raised more than a few eyebrows with the recent announcement that October's DREAM.12 event will take place in a six-sided white cage, rather than the organization's traditional ring. Now the organization is announcing an additional change for the upcoming event: the bouts will consist of three five-minute rounds rather than the promotion's traditional two-round format (with a ten-minute opening round). DREAM.12 takes place Oct. 25 at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event airs in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Thales Leites Signs with MFC

2009-09-29 13:08:21

Posted Sep 29, 2009 3:57PM By Ray Hui Thales Leites, the most recent UFC middleweight title challenger, has found a new home in the Maximum Fighting Championship in Canada. MFC promoter Mark Pavelich announced on recent radio appearances on TapouT Radio and The Scores' Hardcore Sports Radio that Leites (14-3) has signed a deal with the promotion and will debut at MFC 23 on Dec. 4. "He lost a split decision that many people thought he won, and the UFC cut him. I think he's mad now," said Pavelich, who says he's been signing fighters who have felt wronged by the UFC. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Tim Sylvia has surgery on hand, plans New Year's return

2009-09-29 12:57:29

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia finally got back on track, defeating Jason Riley recently at Adrenaline MMA 4 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. But just as quickly, he was derailed. Bouncing back from the first three-fight skid of his career, Sylvia broke his right hand in the fight with Riley, taking him out of a possible bout fighting in Dream’s new hexagon cage on Oct. 25 in Japan. “He had surgery on his hand (Monday),” manager Monte Cox told MMAWeekly.com. The surgery went well, but Cox said that Sylvia probably wouldn’t return to action until “New Year’s.” A return bout, however, has not been contracted yet, but will likely take place in Japan. www.mmaweekly.com

Alvarez vs. Kikuno, Hironaka vs. Park official for DREAM.12 in October

2009-09-29 10:07:35

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 29, 2009 at 9:45 am ET After recently releasing a teaser video announcing that DREAM.12 will take place in a six-sided cage, the Japanese-based DREAM organization has now announced the first two matchups for the card. Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) meets DEEP champ Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), while Cage Force lightweight title holder Kuniyoshi Hironaka (15-6) faces Korean Won Sik Park (7-1-1). Korean Myeon Ho Bae (8-4) was also announced as a participant on the card. DREAM.12 takes place Oct. 25 at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event airs in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Can DREAM's Cage Experiment Bolster Foreign Market Opportunities?

2009-09-29 08:53:16

by Leland Roling on Sep 29, 2009 11:48 AM EDT Back in August, DREAM announced that they would be holding their 12th event at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. Many of the names that were attached to the announcement immediately had fans interested, but the real interest turned up on Youtube roughly a week later with a special promotional video hinting at the fact that DREAM would use a cage instead of a ring for the event. DREAM confirmed the use of a hexagon cage recently during their press conference to announce Katsunori Kikuno vs. Eddie Alvarez, one of the highly-anticipated match-ups that the show will feature. Historically, this will be the first mainstream MMA event in Japan to use the cage. Cage Force, promoted by Greatest Common Multiple, has found success using the cage on a much smaller level in Japan, and they have managed to find a niche fanbase in the country to bring in the dollars at their shows. Unlike Cage Force however, DREAM won't be trying to feed the UFC with international talent. One of the ideas that Caol Uno, a spokesperson for the promotion, stated was that Cage Force wanted to find the top international talent including its own countrymen to fight in the cage, gain experience, and ultimately gain a stint in the UFC. Fighters such as Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Dan Hardy, to name a few, appeared in the promotion over the past 4 years. www.bloodyelbow.com

“FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 - Final 8″ tournament match-ups announced

2009-09-28 06:48:49

Sep 27th, 2009 by promma The FieLDS K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 final eight contestants gathered Sunday at the Olympic Parktel Hotel in Seoul, South Korea to decide the quarter-final match-ups which will take place on Dec. 5 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. Here is what the quarter-final match-ups look like and the order they will fight on Dec. 5: www.promma.info

K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 results and discussion for ‘Final 16′

2009-09-26 08:14:36

By: Akimitsu Kuwabara Set in Seoul, South Korea, the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 delivered an action-packed night with a star-studded lineup. After a series of three-round battles, the night culminated with a swift, but highlight reel-worthy finish in the last event. The night kicked off with an abrupt and controversial finish. In the non-tournament bout, southpaw Morosanu pressed the action in the first round with heavy artillery of punches and kicks. He relentlessly stalked the distinguished karateka and K-1 veteran, Kin. The fight saw an odd turn of events at the end of the round: Morosanu mistook hearing the bell with 10 seconds left, and Kin nailed him with a right hand. Morosanu then sent the shockwave throughout the arena by clocking Kin with two devastating shots immediately after the bell. With Kin lying cold on the mat, and Morosanu was disqualified for the sucker-punch. Yet suspicion arose as to whether the gong was loud enough. www.mmamania.com

FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16 - results and commentary

2009-09-26 08:11:21

Sep 26th, 2009 by promma. “HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16” took place at the Olympic Gymnasium Arena in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday, Sept. 26. The event aired live in the U.S. on HDNet and PROMMA.INFO stayed up very late to bring you the results as 16 of the world’s top strikers gathered to see who would advance to the final eight. Quick Results: www.promma.info

Melvin Manhoef: F**k the Game Plan

2009-09-25 09:24:46

Posted Sep 25, 2009 8:58AM By Michael David Smith With four words in the below video, Melvin Manhoef explains why he's such a popular K-1 and MMA fighter -- and why he's also a fairly limited fighter who wins plenty of fights by exciting knockout but also loses plenty of fights to more tactical opponents. The four words: "F**k the game plan." www.mma.fanhouse.com

Weekend Primer: K-1's World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16

2009-09-25 09:05:03

by Leland Roling on Sep 24, 2009 10:54 PM EDT The K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16 will take place on September 26th at 3:30 AM EST live on HDNet from Seoul Olympic Park in Seoul, Korea. If you haven't been a fan of K-1 in the past because you've seen a few events that just didn't "click" with you, this is an event that could potentially sway you to the dark side with a fan like myself. Are you one of those casual fans that boos at UFC events because people are "hugging" and "humping"? Fall off the face of the earth, but first... watch the K-1 WGP 2009 Final 16. Do you love knockouts? That's probably a dumb question among fight fans, but K-1 will feed your hunger. Is Melvin Manhoef a god? Obviously this is a rhetorical question. In any case, here's a full length preview of Saturday's event and what you can expect from each match-up. Badr Hari headlines the event against Belarussian Zabit Samedov while former PRIDE fighter and current Strikeforce heavyweight fighter Alistair Overeem takes on the "Dutch Lumberjack" Peter Aerts in the co-headliner bout. www.bloodyelbow.com

HDNet To Broadcast "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16"

2009-09-24 14:13:57

DALLAS (September 24, 2009) - HDNet will feature LIVE coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16," at the Olympic Gymnasium Arena in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, September 26 at 12:30 a.m. PT/3:30 a.m. ET. The event will also be replayed that Saturday evening at 11:00 p.m. ET. The best 16 strikers in the world will meet in the opening round of this prestigious event. And, in one of the most anticipated first round match-ups, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem will face K-1 Legend and three-time World GP Champion Peter Aerts. Other featured first round fights include Badr Hari vs. Zabit Samedov, Jerome Le Banner vs. Japanese legend MUSASHI, and defending K-1 World GP Champion Remy Bonjaski vs. Melvin Manhoef. "Let's be clear, this tournament features THE BEST strikers in the world," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "If you are a fan of the stand-up game, get ready for the non-stop action that only K-1 and HDNet can deliver!" In more first round action, K-1 Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt will also collide with impressive newcomer Daniel Ghita, Ewerton Teixeira takes on Singh Jaideep, Ruslan Karaev faces K-1 Heavyweight Champion KYOTARO, and Errol Zimmerman meets Glaube Feitosa. The winners will advance to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final on December 5 at the Yokohama Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Yuji Hoshino vs. Marlon Sandro add to World Victory Road's "Sengoku 11th Battle"

2009-09-24 10:21:04

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 24, 2009 at 12:25 pm ET A featherweight contest between Yuji Hoshino (16-7-7) and Marlon Sandro (14-1) is the second bout officially announced for November's "Sengoku 11th Battle" World Victory Road's event takes place Nov. 7 in Tokyo, Japan, and is broadcast on HDNet in North America. Akihiro Gono, Kevin Randleman and Jorge Santiago have also been announced for the event, though their opponents have not yet been released. Hishino, a DEEP and Pancrase veteran, fights for the first time for World Victory Road. The 34-year-old brings an 11-fight unbeaten streak into the bout – a run that includes eight wins and three draws. The eight-year veteran has earned eight of his career wins by stoppage and counts Nate Marquardt, Chris Lytle, Shonie Carter and Satoru Kitaoka among his career losses. Sandro looks to rebound from the first loss of his career. The Nova Uniao-trained fighter dropped a close split-decision to Michihiro Omigawa at August's "Sengoku Ninth Battle." The full card for "Sengoku 11th Battle" now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16 Pre-Fight Interviews

2009-09-24 10:08:51

U-faber_tiny by Nick Thomas on Sep 24, 2009 10:21 AM EDT Make sure to join us at Bloodyelbow.com tomorrow night for FieLDS K-1 World GP 2009 Final 16 live on HDNet - Sat. Sep. 27 at 3:30 AM EST. www.bloodyelbow.com

DREAM announces Oct. 25 event in "The White Cage," nine participants introduced

2009-09-23 14:20:11

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 23, 2009 at 12:30 pm ET The Japanese based DREAM organization has been teasing a surprise for its next show, and today that promised change was revealed. The previously announced DREAM.12 event will take place in a six-sided fenced surface the organization has dubbed "The White Cage." DREAM released a promotional video to announce that the Oct. 25 event in Osaka, Japan, entitled "Cage of the Rising Sun," will be the organization's first in a cage, while the first nine participants for the event were also revealed. Check out the embedded clip to see the full video. Eddie Alvarez, Paulo Filho, Katsunori Kikuno, Yoshiro Maeda, Andrews Nakahara, Alistair Overeem, Kiyoshi Tamura and Marius Zaromskis were all introduced as participants for DREAM.12 on the promotional video, while Murilo "Ninja" Rua was also announced via an additional promotional image on the organization's official website. Potential opponents for the nine participants were not disclosed. DREAM.12 airs on HDNet in North America. www.mmajunkie.com

Heath ready to cash in Nickels

2009-09-23 09:44:59

By MFC Staff - Sept 22, 2009 David Heath will enter the MFC ring armed with a refreshed attitude. He’ll also throw down with the knowledge that a new three-fight deal could propel him to the championship glory he is striving for. Heath, who will lock horns with Mike Nickels at MFC 22 on Friday, Oct. 2 at the River Cree Resort and Casino, is eager to prove that with his new contract in place, he’ll be a key figure in the mix whether that means staying in the light heavyweight ranks or opting to drop down to middleweight. “I’m really excited about being in the MFC with the matchup that I have coming up and the possible matchups that are in the future,” noted Heath (12-5). “I’m excited about where this could springboard for me.” Heath would like nothing better than to erase the bad memory from his last MFC venture – a disappointing and controversial split-decision loss to Travis Galbraith at MFC 21. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, product promised not to make the same mistakes twice. “I still have a real bad taste in my mouth about that one,” he explained. “I’ve got a sense of urgency in the back of my head. The problem in that fight was I was waiting to go in for the kill and I never pulled the trigger. This time (against Nickels), there won’t be any waiting. If I can get Nickels out of there in 30 seconds I will. I’m not saying it’s going to happen but if it’s there, it’ll be over.” “I’m not sure what my approach will be for the fight, but I probably would like to keep it on the feet. I’ve seen him throw punches down the pipe but it looked like they were more reactionary and I wouldn’t say he’s very savvy in the standup game. He’s definitely good at jiu-jitsu but I’m not overly concerned if it goes to the ground.”

Sengoku 10 notes and commentary

2009-09-23 09:42:19

Sep 23rd, 2009 by promma. Kazunori Yokota gets the knockout of the night at Sengoku 10 with a devastating KO of Ryan Schultz. “Sengoku: Tenth Battle” took place Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event aired live on HDNet here in the U.S. beginning at 2 a.m. CT / 12 a.m. PT. The highlight of the night was Kazunori Yokota’s huge overhand right knockout of Team Quest’s Ryan Schultz midway through the first round. Schultz has dropped his last three bouts. www.promma.info

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Hatsu Hioki announced for Sengoku 11th Battle in November

2009-09-23 09:36:52

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 23, 2009 at 10:00 am ET After a grand prix finale bout fell apart due to injury, featherweights Michihiro Omigawa (7-8-1) and Hatsu Hioki (20-3-2) will now meet in November at World Victory Road's next show. WVR officials announced the fight during today's Sengoku 10th Battle event. The Omigawa vs. Hioki bout will be part of Sengoku 11th Battle, which takes place Nov. 7 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Omigawa (and Jorge Santiago and Kevin Randleman) were previously announced for the show, though their opponents weren't initially revealed. Sengoku 11th Battle is expected to air in North American on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Sengoku X Post-Fight Analysis

2009-09-23 08:07:43

by Leland Roling on Sep 23, 2009 10:11 AM EDT For those of the BloodyElbow.com Night Crew that managed to stay awake into the early morning hours today, they were treated to what has been deemed by much of the MMA blogosphere as a subpar event from the beginning. Fortunately for those of us who are intrigued by Japanese MMA, Sengoku X delivered on all cylinders with a number of meaningful bouts that included potential lightweight contenders matches, a must-see welterweight battle, and the debut of an Olympic judo medalist. www.bloodyelbow.com

Sengoku 10th Battle play-by-play

2009-09-23 00:25:50

Sep 22nd, 2009 by Richard Mann. Please join PRO MMA (promma.info) as we stay up late to bring you the Sengoku 10th Battle play-by-play. The card features up and coming prospects like Maximo Blanco, a judo crossover like Hiroshi Izumi, and a top flight heavyweight named Antonio Silva. Maximo Blanco (3-2-1) vs. Tetsuya Yamada (3-1) Round 1 Blanco charges in. www.promma.info

John Alessio Will "Eat that Meatball" on October 2

2009-09-22 19:59:15

By Keith Grienke - Sept 20, 2009 Behind Joe Doerksen and Gary Goodridge, no one in Canada has fought more than John Alessio. “The Natural” has fought in almost every major promotion on the planet - UFC, PRIDE, DREAM, MFC, WEC - and after appearing in nearly forty MMA fights in ten years, John Alessio has quickly become the senior Canadian statesman of the Welterweight division. With 25 MMA wins on his record, Alessio is also one of Canada’s more successful mixed martial artists. “I’d like to be thought of as a Canadian pioneer,” Alessio answers during the phone interview, “but I have been living and training in the States for a while now.” After starting his training over 10 years ago in Jay’s Garage in Victoria, Alessio has now moved on to the world class Xtreme Couture gym out of Las Vegas. The owner of Jay’s Garage, Jason Heit, was a guy that Alessio met while filling up his car with gas. Alessio had seen the early UFCs and wanted to challenge himself by fighting after he had already won two national BMX championships. “I really wanted to fight after watching UFC 1, 2, and 3. There is no team. It is just me against someone else. MMA is the ultimate test. I wanted my hand raised.” Heit, an amateur boxing champion, had just returned from training with the Gracies in California and he invited Alessio to train with him in his “a garage with carpet five houses down from my house.” Alessio jumped at the opportunity and the rest is history. The two fighters still train when Alessio travels to Canada or Jason travels to Las Vegas. Coincidently, Heit will again be on the same card as his former protégé Alessio as Jason takes on fellow undefeated fighter Paapa Inkumsah on the MFC 22 undercard. “It is awesome that we are fighting on the same card,” states Alessio. “Jason was the first guy to ever help me out in the sport. Now I get to help him out with BJJ and wrestling.” They also fought on the same card in May at MFC 21 where John Alessio improved his MFC record to 1-1 by choking out Andrew Buckland in less than three minutes. “Every fight is a dangerous fight,” says The Natural. “(Buckland) was trying to prove to everybody that he can take out a veteran. I used my experience and skill to get a nice, quick, painless victory to get back on to a win streak.” Does the Canadian like fighting is his home country? “When I come back to Canada all my friends and family get to come out. It’s a good feeling when they are chanting your name and giving you their love and support. I always get that in Edmonton. I get to absorb their positive energy.” Alessio will continue his run towards the MFC Welterweight belt on October 2 when he faces former UFC fighter Luigi Fioravanti live on HDNet Fights. The winner of this Welterweight fight should be next in line for a shot at the MFC 170 lb title. Fioravanti has a career MMA record of 15-5 and trains out of the American Top Team gym in Florida. Luigi is a large brawler and the well-rounded Alessio will have his hands full with the American fighter. “Luigi loves to bring the fight to you. He is a good opponent and a tough guy. It should be a really good fight,” says the thirty year old Alessio. “I will be taller and have the reach on him, but he is heavier and will weigh more than me.” Alessio’s training camp is going well and John rattles off a who’s who list of top trainers that he works with at Xtreme Couture – “Robert Drysdale, Gil Martinez, Shawn Tompkins, Jake Bonacci” His training partners? “Martin Kampmann, Mike Pyle, Sam Stout, Gray Maynard, Tyson Griffin...It’s amazing the level of talent at the gym every day,” states Alessio who intends to “Cut off Luigi’s angles and fight the fight where I want it to be.” As for Alessio’s prediction on his MFC 22 fight with Fioravanti, “I am getting the W. Luigi’s on my plate. I plan on eating that meatball! ”

Sengoku 10 Live on HDNet at 3 am ET

2009-09-22 14:34:49

Sengoku 10, an event that has been flying under the radar for the most part, will be taking place this Wednesday from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. You can catch the live broadcast of the event on HDNet, starting at 3 am ET (midnight tonight PT). 2004 Olympic Judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi will be making his professional fighting debut as he faces off with New Zealand kickboxing champion Antz Nansen. Also on the card will be bouts featuring the likes of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Ryan “The Lion” Schultz, Dan Hornbuckle, Nick Thompson and Joe Doerkson. Below is a full list of the line-up and weight in results for Sengoku 10: www.fiveouncesofpain.com

Sengoku Weigh-ins

2009-09-22 13:35:21

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Antonio Silva and Jim York stepped on the scale Tuesday near Tokyo to make their bout official for Sengoku “Tenth Battle.” Hiroshi Izumi originally missed weight, but was able to put the stamp on his contest with Antz Nansen after registering 205 pounds on his second try. Daniel Herbertson was on location to photograph the weigh-in event for Sherdog.com. www.sherdog.com

Sengoku 10th Battle: Doerksen goes for four in a row

2009-09-22 13:31:28

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com After a bit of a misstep a couple of years ago, former UFC middleweight Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen is back on track, winning three fights in a row. Eager to keep up his momentum, Doerksen returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Sengoku 10 against Takenori Sato. “Training’s gone really well,” Doerksen told MMAWeekly.com before heading to Japan. “I really have no injuries, no complaints and no problems, so I’m doing great.” Normally a fighter who likes to stay busy, Doerksen explains why his Sengoku return is only the second fight of the year for him. “We had a couple of opportunities to fight earlier in the year, but we were kind of waiting to see what Sengoku wanted to do,” he said. “Obviously, they are one of the bigger shows out there, and their talent is pretty good, so we kept holding off and hoping to fight for them. www.mmaweekly.com

Sengoku 10 Live Results and Commentary @ 3AM ET / Midnight PT

2009-09-22 13:26:15

by Chris Nelson on Sep 22, 2009 12:52 PM EDT The first of World Victory Road's world-class judoka converts will take center stage tonight as 27-year-old Hiroshi Izumi makes his MMA debut against Kiwi kickboxer "Notorious" Antz Nansen in the main event of Sengoku 10. As always, BloodyElbow.com will be here to bring you live results and commentary for the event, beginning with the start of the HDNet broadcast at 3 AM ET / 12 AM PT. Also on the slate is a welterweight bout between Dan Hornbuckle and Nick Thompson which Sherdog called the #3 "Tussle Worth Watching" for September, as well as a pair of lightweight bouts with potential title implications (Yokota-Schultz and Blanco-Yamada) and a heavyweight contest between former EliteXC champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and "Big" Jim York, the winner of which will likely face Josh Barnett in November. If you're looking to do some reading up before the show starts, check out: www.bloodyelbow.com

Badr Hari given Main Event status at Final 16

2009-09-22 08:35:47

By Michael Schiavello www.hdnetfights.com/schiavello Whether you love or despise the antics of Badr Hari, there is no denying his in-ring brilliance and ability to rivet fans with his pulverizing fight style. It is that style that has earned Hari coveted main event status at this Saturday night's super-stacked K-1 Final 16 card at the Olympic Gymnasium Arena in Seoul, Korea, broadcast LIVE for the first time ever on HDNet. There's no denying Hari's extraordinary fighting ability. He is one of those fighters not unlike Floyd Mayweather, Anderson Silva, Manny Pacquiao and Fedor Emelianenko who you tune into watch because of the endless possibilities of his style. From his comeback-from-the-brink knockouts against the likes of Ruslan Karaev and Errol Zimmerman, to K-1's all-time greatest knockout against Stefan Leko with a spinning hook kick to the jaw in what was Hari's K-1 debut in 2005, the 24-year-old Moroccan has produced more highlight reel KO's in his short K-1 career than most of the sport's veterans. His tirades in and out of the ring have garnered just as much if not more attention than “The Devil Prince's” incredible knockouts. From his temper tantrum in Osaka in 2006 that saw him tear up the backstage area after being counted out against Karaev, to his infamous stomp of Remy Bonjasky in last year's K-1 GP final, there is never a dull moment when Hari is in town. It's for this reason that FEG has granted Hari main event status ahead of such stars as Peter Aerts, Jerome LeBanner, Semmy Schilt and even current K-1 GP champion Remy Bonjasky for this Saturday night's blockbuster Final 16 show in Seoul. On a night in which every fight would be worthy of main event status on any card around the world, it is Hari's match against K-1 European champion Zabit Samedov – a fight most pundits expect Hari to finish by way of jaw-dropping knockout – that has been allocated top-billing, even ahead of the much-discussed K-1 vs MMA showdown between the legendary Peter “Mr K-1” Aerts and monstrous Alistair Overeem. While I am a huge fan of Peter Aerts and believe his fight against Overeem will provide the most fireworks come Saturday night, I agree with FEG's choice to put Hari as main event. With Hari recently becoming the first K-1 fighter to receive his own special feature on North American television (HDNet Presents In This Corner featuring Badr Hari), and his complete thugging of Semmy Schilt in under a minute in Amsterdam earlier this year, Hari-mania has never been higher across Europe and the United States, just as it is in K-1's dominant Japanese and Korean markets. Whether you love or hate Badr Hari he is capable of doing things in the K-1 ring that most of us could only ever imagine. With elusive Samedov vowing to produce the mother of all upsets on Saturday night and Hari vowing to knockout his Azerbaijan opponent with a signature scintillating knockout, K-1 is guaranteed to have the watching world glued to their television screens for a stellar main event that will be a fitting finale to a night laden with more stars than the Hubble telescope.

Sengoku "Tenth Battle" Preview

2009-09-21 11:22:44

By: Akimitsu Kuwabara World Victory Road returns with its decennial event, “Tenth Battle” at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan on Sept. 23, airing live stateside at 3:00 AM ET on HDNet. Featuring numerous rising prospects as well as a pair of MMA debutantes, the “Tenth Battle” offers a glimpse into Sengoku’s ever-expanding talent pool. In the light heavyweight showdown between two MMA newcomers, 2004 Olympic judo silver medalist, Hiroshi Izumi (0-0) squares off with WKBF two-division champ, Antz “Notorious” Nansen (0-0). A gritty street fighter turned kickboxer from New Zealand, Nansen looks to school his opponent in the art of slugfest. Izumi, on the other hand, has cited Wanderlei Silva as one of his favorite fighters, and voiced the intent to mold his fighting style around striking. His seeming eagerness to oblige Nansen in a hostile realm is a risky proposition, but it will be interesting to see how he reacts when he gets hit and utilizes other weapons in his arsenal. Keep your eyes peeled as a world class judoka and hard scrabble kickboxers venture into an unfamiliar territory. www.mmamania.com

Tim Sylvia and Houston Alexander back in winner's circle at Adrenaline MMA IV

2009-09-19 11:25:11

by Dann Stupp and Bruce "PhyteGuru" Huckfeldt on Sep 19, 2009 at 12:20 am ET COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two fighters desperately in need of victories got them at Friday's Adrenaline MMA show. Tim Sylvia (25-6) stopped Jason Riley (6-2), and fellow UFC veteran Houston Alexander (9-4) shut down Sherman Pendergarst (11-15) in a pair of first-round TKO victories. The fights co-headlined "Adrenaline IV: Sylvia vs. Riley," which took place in front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The night's main card aired live on HDNet. Although looking in questionable shape at a less-than-svelte 287 pounds, Sylvia had little trouble with his opponent. The former UFC heavyweight champion, fighting for the first time since his embarrassing nine-second knockout loss to 48-year-old boxer Ray Mercer in June, continually battered Riley with one-two combinations and quick strikes from the clinch. www.mmajunkie.com

Tim Sylvia bounces back with TKO win at “Adrenaline MMA IV”

2009-09-19 11:15:09

Sep 18th, 2009 by promma. Tim Sylvia looked better than he has in a long time at Adrenaline MMA IV. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia made a successful return to the cage Friday night, Sept. 18, in Council Bluffs, Iowa as he defeated rising prospect Jason Riley with a first round TKO. With three losses in a row, this was a must win fight for “The Maine-iac.” He said prior to the fight that if he could not defeat Riley there was no reason for him to keep competing. For a time Sylvia considered branching out into professional boxing. However, after a very quick KO loss to elderly ex-boxing champ Ray Mercer, Sylvia realized that trying to start a boxing career at his age was not the smartest move. www.promma.info

MMA Superstars join tonight's panel on Inside MMA

2009-09-18 09:55:36

Kenny and Bas are joined on set this week with a star-studded panel of fighters, Georges St-Pierre, Dan Henderson, and Brian Bowles. The panel discusses the controversial remarks made by Top Rank, Inc. founder and chairman, Bob Arum about the differences between boxing and MMA. Arum said, "UFC are a bunch of skinhead white guys watching people in the ring who also look like skinhead white guys." Arum also said, "For me, and people like me, [MMA] is not something they ever care to see. They've watched it. It's horrible. Guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground. It is not a sport that shows great, great talent." Also, Ron Kruck has the scoop on Houston Alexander in this week's Kruck's Korner. In the piece, Ron profiles Alexander, a light heavyweight who hopes to make it back to the big time. His quest to return to the top begins as a co-main event bout in the upcoming "HDNet Fights Presents: Adrenaline MMA IV" which airs at 10:00 p.m. that same evening. "Inside MMA," HDNet's original weekly program devoted completely to news and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts airs on HDNet.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Melchor Manibusan added to DREAM.11; Sapp confirmed for "Super Hulk"

2009-09-18 09:03:06

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 18, 2009 at 10:20 am ET While injuries have forced a bit of shuffling on the card, October's DREAM.11 event continues to take shape. The Japanese based organization today announced that DREAM.11 will see the return of lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2) against Melchor "Barracuda" Manibusan (2-2), while Bob Sapp (10-5-1) was also confirmed as a replacement opponent in the organization's "Super Hulk" tourney semifinals. DREAM.11 takes place Oct. 6 and airs on HDNet in North America. Kawajiri is currently riding a two-fight winning streak. "Crusher" defeated Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante by unanimous decision at May's DREAM.9 event, and he previously submitted Ross Ebanez at March's DREAM.7. The little-known Manibusan is a grappling expert who hasn't competed professionally in MMA since 2006. In January of that year, "Barracuda" lost by TKO to UFC contender Tyson Griffin. Meanwhile, Sapp, who was ousted from the "Super Hulk" tournament by Ikuhisa Minowa in May's opening round, steps in for an injured Gegard Mousasi, who was forced to withdraw. With the official changes, DREAM.11 now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

"I will end Tim Sylvia's career!"

2009-09-17 15:40:54

By Michael Schiavello In a fight world where heavyweights dominate the spotlight --a world of TUF Season 10, DREAM Super Hulks and Fedor Emelianenko signing with Strikeforce – every MMA fighter over 220 lb is looking to make a name. Tomorrow night a fighter named Jason Riley (6-1) gets his chance to do just that when he takes on former UFC champion Tim Sylvia (24-6) in the main event of Adrenaline IV from the Mid-America Center live on HDNet. “I'm ready, yeah, I'm so ready. I would have taken this fight for free. This is my chance to show who I am. I'm going to introduce myself to the entire MMA community tomorrow night at Tim's expense,” Jason Riley told HDNet exclusively today. At 6'5” and 265lb, the “Juggernaut” is an imposing figure and will only give away three inches in height to Sylvia. Strangely enough, at a glance, Riley even looks a little like Sylvia – but that's where the comparisons end. “I haven't seen (Sylvia) yet here in Iowa. I'll see him at the weigh in. I met him once a couple of years ago at the Arnold Classic. He was a total dick.” Riley anticipates tomorrow night's main event like a giddy kid looking forward to Christmas. He knows a loss for Sylvia at the unknown hands of the “Juggernaut” could put effectively end the former UFC champion's career. “Oh yeah, I know that. He's in a bad position and I'm in a win-win situation. Sylvia can 't afford to lose to me, especially not after his last fight where he got knocked out cold by a fifty year old boxer. I mean that was embarrassing man. I'm going to go in there and finish him, finish his career. I'm going to stand, trade, pick him off and knock him out.” Riley acknowledges Sylvia's strengths, namely the giant's excellent takedown defence and sheer size. But he plans to fight smart. “I'm not going to be foolish and go to ground with him unless I have to. I'm strong standing. I'll just pick him off and look for the big finish. It's gonna be fun. I can't wait. It's time for me to show everyone who I am. I want everybody to take notice so I'm thrilled it will be shown on HDNet.”

HDNet to broadcast "HDNet Fights Presents: Adrenaline MMA IV"

2009-09-17 09:28:42

DALLAS (September 17, 2009) HDNet will feature LIVE coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: Adrenaline MMA IV," from the Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Friday, September 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET. In the main event of the evening former UFC heavyweight Champion Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (24-6, with 16 (T)KOs & 2 SUBs) squares off with rising prospect Jason Riley (6-1 with 3 (T)KOs & 2 SUBs) in the heavyweight division. Sylvia, formerly regarded as one of the best fighters in the world is looking to resurrect his career after some devastating losses. Sylvia recently told HDNet's INSIDE MMA that Riley is, "...obviously out to make a statement. He wants to use me as a stepping stone. That's why he's taking the fight. I'm not going to let that happen". Riley enters the fight coming off two consecutive first round knockout victories and is looking to solidify himself as a heavyweight prospect. "I would expect fireworks as some big names need some big wins - we will find out if they still have what it takes," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Adrenaline MMA IV continues our commitment to be THE home of MMA as we give fans the opportunity to watch Tim Sylvia and Houston Alexander LIVE on HDNet." In the co-main event of the evening, Houston 'The Assassin' Alexander (8-4 with 5 (T) KOs and 1 SUB) meets journeyman Sherman "The Tank" Pendergarst (11-14 with 2(T)KOs and 8 SUBs) in a light heavyweight special attraction. Alexander, one of the most exciting strikers in the world, is looking to snap a losing streak after starting his career 8-1. A native of nearby Omaha, Nebraska, he'll have extra motivation as he fights in front of his hometown fans. The LIVE broadcast will also feature Chad Reiner (19-8) vs. Forrest Pets (13-7), Alonzo Martinez (23-10) vs. Ryan Williams (10-4), Jeremy Lang (15-1) vs. Matt Delanoit (13-6), Joe Vedepo (9-2) vs. Webster Farris (1-0), and Jimmy Seipel (1-0) vs. Bob Tuttle (1-0).

M-1 Challenge Preview

2009-09-17 09:05:02

In a talent-laden competition filled with fight prospects flying under the radar within the American MMA mainstream, few fighters in the M-1 Challenge may be more gifted than Team Finland welterweight Janne Tulirinta. American mixed martial arts fans will be able to see Tulirinta up close and personal this Friday at 8 p.m. on HDNet when the latest episode of the "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION" premieres. Tulirinta led his Team Finland teammates in a best-of-five series against Group C rival Team Bulgaria in Seoul, South Korea. On the heels of a three-fight win streak, Tulirinta will attempt to improve to 12-3 in his professional MMA career when he takes on Bulgaria's Ivan Ivanov. Tulirinta, known for being a submission specialist, showed tremendous progress in his standup after recording a standing 11-second TKO win against professional Muay Thai fighter Anthony Ford during Team Finland's best-of-five series vs. USA East this past June in Kansas City. In addition to Tulirinta, viewers tuning in to watch the M-1 Challenge this Friday night will also get to witness rising Finnish light heavyweight prospect Marcus Vanttinen in action. With a 9-2 record, Vanttinen will look to record the tenth victory of his pro career when he clashes with Emil Samoilov of Bulgaria. More information about the fighters featured on this week's edition of the M-1 Challenge is available at www.M-1Global.com and the "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION" can be viewed each and every Friday at 8 p.m. ET in the United States on HDNet (www.HDNetFights.com).

Ishii to make MMA debut against Yoshida

2009-09-14 14:20:23

Monday, September 14, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff Though a date has yet to be announced, World Victory Road on Monday announced that its New Year’s event will feature a bout pitting Olympic Judo Gold Medalists Satoshi Ishii and Hidehiko Yoshida against one another. The bout is sure to be a tremendous draw for the promotion’s Sengoku event as both fighters are immensely popular in Japan. Ishii had long been expected to sign on with the Ultimate Fighting Championship earlier in the year, but eventually decided to start his mixed martial arts career in his home country. The bout against Yoshida will mark his debut. www.mmaweekly.com

Injury forces Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante out of DREAM.11 bout with Daisuke Nakamura

2009-09-14 09:55:17

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 14, 2009 at 12:15 pm ET Brazilian lightweight Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante's (14-3-1) woes continue, and an injury suffered in training has forced the American Top Team product out of a previously announced DREAM.11 bout with Daisuke Nakamura (20-10). WrestlingObserver.com was the first to report Cavalcante's withdrawal, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since been able to confirm the change. The Japanese-based organization has yet to make an official announcement regarding Cavalcante's replacement for the Oct. 6 event. Sources close to Cavalcante cited a knee injury for forcing "JZ" to withdraw from the event. Cavalacante was seeking his first win since earning two victories on the same night in September 2007. The 26 year old is winless since that time, a stretch that includes two decision losses and a no contest. With the change to DREAM.11, the event's card now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

Ikuhisa Minowa Turns to Sumo Wrestling In Preparation for Hong-Man Choi

2009-09-11 14:19:03

Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:28AM by Ray Hui Whether it's standing in a batting cage – without a bat – and carefully dodging baseballs launched by a pitching machine to chasing down flying airplanes on foot, DREAM's Ikuhisa Minowa has long embraced a pro wrestling persona by devising the most unorthodox training routines leading up to his fights. For his Oct. 6 fight against Hong-Man Choi at the Super Hulk open-weight tournament at DREAM 11, Minowa (42-30-8) is at it again (video above at 4:10 mark) by strapping on a mawashi and practicing traditional sumo stances before shoving sumo wrestlers across the room. Minowa, who stands at 5-foot-9 and weighs in at just under light heavyweight, is often billed as a "giant killer" for accepting fights against far larger opponents the likes of Giant Silva, Butterbean, Zuluzinho and most recently, Bob Sapp, whom Minowa submitted with a kneebar to advance in the Super Hulk tournament. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Jorge Santiago, Kevin Randleman Added to Sengoku 11

2009-09-11 10:26:14

by Chris Nelson on Sep 11, 2009 8:37 AM EDT in News With the promotion's understated-yet-important tenth show still a few weeks off, World Victory Road has officially announced the addition of three big names to the bill for its "Sengoku 11" event at the Ryogoku Kokugikan on November 7th. Jorge Santiago (21-7) will appear to the Sengoku ring for the first time since January, when the American Top Team product captured the vacant middleweight title with a dramatic come-from-behind submission of Kazuo Misaki. A rematch with the "Grabaka Hitman" would have welcomed Santiago back from his layoff - which was due to myriad arm and shoulder troubles - but Misaki was suspended immediately after his August win over Kaz Nakamura thanks to a well-documented run-in with a Tokyo traffic cop. Thus, Santiago's paper thin division is left without an immediate challenger, though the Joe Doerksen/Takenori Sato scrap at Sengoku 10 could change that. After the longest inactive period of his fighting career, maybe a tune-up fight wouldn't be such a bad thing for Santiago anyway. www.bloodyelbow.com

Izumi vs. Nansen headlines, Silva vs. York co-headlines Sengoku 10th Battle on Sept. 23

2009-09-11 10:21:43

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 11, 2009 at 9:10 am ET World Victory Road today revealed the finalized 11-bout lineup for this month's Sengoku 10th Battle event. Headlining the show is a light-heavyweight fight between Judo champion and MMA newcomer Hiroshi Izumi (0-0) and fellow first-time MMA pro and veteran kickboxer Antz Nansen (0-0). Additionally, EliteXC veteran Antonio Silva (12-1) meets "Big" Jim York (11-2) in the night's co-main event. The Sept. 23 event takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs on HDNet in North American. Sengoku 10th Battle marks the first time WVR has featured two MMA newcomers in a main-event fight. In addition to the headliners and co-headliners, the upcoming show features a number of notables from the North American fight circuit, including Ryan Schultz, Nick Thompson, Joe Doerksen and Dan Hornbuckle. The full line-up includes: www.mmajunkie.com

Hari 'Throws to Hurt With Every Shot'

2009-09-10 18:29:02

Posted Sep 10, 2009 6:42PM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed) I've always believed that the one thing Japan's K-1 kickboxing promotion needs to take off in the United States is the emergence of one recognizable star. It's looking increasingly like HDNet, which owns the U.S. TV rights to K-1, thinks that star is Badr Hari. On Friday night HDNet will air a 90-minute show devoted to the career of Hari, a Dutch-Moroccan heavyweight with powerful punches and a bad-boy attitude. The above video promoting the show pretty well describes why Hari has the potential to emerge as the first kickboxer to really gain traction with American fans. "What sets Badr apart from everyone is his aggression," K-1 announcer Michael Schiavello says. "The guy throws to hurt with every shot." www.mma.fanhouse.com

Lawal-Randleman In the Works for Sengoku

2009-09-10 16:46:38

Thursday, September 10, 2009 by Greg Savage (greg@sherdog.com) Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and Kevin Randleman are in discussions to meet in a light heavyweight bout on Nov. 7 at Sengoku “Eleventh Battle” at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, according to sources close to both camps. Lawal, a NCAA Div. 1 All-American wrestling champion for Oklahoma State in 2003 and decorated international competitor, quickly finished a past-his-prime Mark Kerr in only 25 seconds at M-1 “Breakthrough” on Aug. 28. He will look to keep his perfect record intact against the former UFC heavyweight champion. www.sherdog.com

The Hari Effect

2009-09-10 11:37:05

By Michael Schiavello What do you make of Badr Hari? As a prelude to this Friday night’s premiere of IN THIS CORNER: The Badr Hari Story on HDNet, MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO takes a look at the sport’s troubled genius – a man you either love or hate but will tune in to watch! Watching the 2008 K-1 season unfold was like watching your favorite television show, laced with twists, turns, upsets, heartbreak and a cliffhanger of an ending that has fans worldwide chomping at the bit for Season 2009. Like any good drama fans embraced the heroes of the series - Bonjasky, Texeira, Karaev, Aerts, Saki – as fighters who displayed aesthetic beauty of technique, guts, intestinal fortitude and true budo spirit. They found fighters to dislike such as Musashi for his lackluster performances against opponents who wouldn’t have beaten him 18 months ago and the overly dominant Semmy Schilt, who even as a three-time Grand Prix champion failed to endear himself to fans on a personal level. However by 10pm on December 6, 2008, in a last minute twist that M. Night Shyamalan could not have penned, K-1’s true anti-hero was born: Badr Hari. After a torrid start to his K-1 career in which he infamously began a press conference street fight in New Zealand (2006) and busted up backstage equipment in a post-fight tantrum in Osaka (2006), Badr Hari’s quieter, matured approach to K-1 life since winning the world heavyweight title in Honolulu 2007 lulled most every fan into thinking Hari had expelled his demons. However in an eye-popping twist comparable to Verbal Kent transforming into the uber-villain Keyser Soze at the end of The Usual Suspects, it took two illegal punches and one unforgettable stomp of his foot on a downed Remy Bonjasky for Hari to be inducted into the Hall of Shame as the first fighter ever disqualified from a K-1 Grand Prix final. It is said there is a fine line between genius and insanity. Unfortunately within Badr Hari’s wealth of in-ring genius, it took just one moment of insanity to forever taint his career. Like French footballer Zinedine Zidane’s illegal headbutt to the chest of Marco Materazzi in the final of the 2006 World Cup, or SuperBrat John McEnroe’s expulsion from the 1990 Australian Open for intimidating a lines woman and smashing a racket, Badr Hari’s foot stomp will forever shadow his career despite what accolades the brilliant Moroccan will achieve in years to come. I maintain that Hari is the most naturally gifted fighter I have ever seen and presents a perplexing conundrum for K-1. On one hand he brought disrepute to the world’s leading fight brand and made a streetfight of the brand’s biggest match, for which he was duly disciplined, being fined Grand Prix purse and stripped of the heavyweight title. While some fans call for harsher punishment the fact is that K-1 needs Badr Hari. Hari is the archetypal Generation Y fighter: unique, loud and confident that he can tear through the opposition with more dramatic flair than anyone else in the sport’s history. Just as Peter Aerts epitomized Generation X by headkicking his way through the 1990s in devastating fashion (including his still record 6:43 victory in the 1998 Grand Prix) so Hari is the headkicker of Generation Y, with an ability to not only knock out opponents but also obliterate them in highlight reel fashion. Hari himself is aware of the comparisons between himself and a young Aerts. The Moroccan has said on more than one occasion that he wants to bring the Golden Years of K-1 back to the sport, recalling the heady days when as a kid he would watch his idols Aerts, Hoost, Hug, Greco and Bernardo hunt for knockouts from the opening bell. Indeed it may be his disdain for slow-starting, defensive-natured fighters that led to Hari’s stomp in the Grand Prix Final. He gave no respect for Bonjasky’s cover-and-counter style but got on his knees and bowed in worship to Peter Aerts after dismantling Aerts in their quarter final (a gesture sadly overlooked in the brouhaha surrounding the final). My verbal-sparring partner Mike Kogan, from FEG USA summed up the Hari effect perfectly during our broadcast of the K-1 Grand Prix when he said upon Hari’s entrance in the quarter final: “Whether you love him or hate him you’re going to have an opinion of Badr Hari.” Hari is K-1’s Kurt Cobain, Mike Tyson, John McEnroe and Diego Maradona: an artist who blazes brightly but can darken just as quick. His stoppages of Errol Zimmerman, Glaube Feitosa, Domagoj Ostajic, Hong Mann Choi and Ray Sefo in 2008 were all acts of brutal beauty appreciated and applauded by fight fans the same way a movie-goer ovates Orson Welles’s Foster Kane or Marlon Brando’s Terry Malloy. Indeed in comparing Hari to a similarly troubled genius in the late actor Marlon Brando I am reminded of an article by Richard Schickel in TIME who wrote in a story entitled ‘Hostage of his Own Genius’: For an important time in his life — and ours — Marlon Brando was touched by genius, by which we mean that he did things in his art that were unprecedented, unduplicable and, finally, inexplicable. Likewise, Hari does things unprecedented, unduplicable and inexplicable. This, in short, is the Hari Effect. You never quite know where a Badr Hari fight is going to take you. Watching him is like being drugged. Let his fights consume you and you’re guaranteed a roller coaster of incredible highs and the very real chance of soul crunching lows. In his 18 K-1 fights he has never produced a dull moment; only two fights going the distance, the other 16 ending in Hari knocking out his opponent in ridiculously stupendous fashion (see Stefan Leko spinning heel kick KO in 2005; Ruslan Karaev single right cross in 2007; Domagoj Ostajic first punch of the fight 2008) or being knocked out in a similarly stupendous fashion (see Peter Graham breaking his jaw with 10 seconds remaining in their fight in 2005; see Alistair Overeem monstering him at Dynamite!! 2008). It is the Hari Effect that has drawn a new generation of fans to K-1. In a day and age where efficiency and instant gratification is sought in all aspects of life, Hari delivers on both fronts. His fights are quick, nasty and so chock full of action that one dares not blink for fear of missing a Hari highlight reel shot. I have witnessed Hari single-handedly make K-1 converts of my friends. A couple of weeks ago I showed the K-1 Grand Prix to two friends who had never seen K-1 action before. One of them is a flight attendant and the other an architect: neither a fight fan. As the action and drama of the Grand Prix played, I watched as my friends jumped out of their seats, cheered at the top of their lungs and pumped their fists into the air every time Badr Hari landed one of his salvos. When Hari stopped Aerts, my friend the architect turned to me and said, “This guy is wicked!” When Hari knocked out Zimmerman, my friend the flight attendant jumped up and down and said, “Oh my God! F$%^ing amazing!” Then an interesting thing happened. When Hari was disqualified in the final, my two friends both looked at each other in disappointment then turned to me and said: “Can you get us Badr Hari t-shirts when you next go to Japan?” “You don’t want Remy t-shirts?” I offered. “After all, he is the champion.” “He’s the champion but Hari is the f$%^ing bomb,” said the architect. “He’s boss,” said the flight attendant. “The guy’s a f$%^ing star! I’m a medium size t-shirt by the way.” ”I’m a large,” said the architect. And that, in short, is the Hari effect. The madness, the mania … and the merchandise!

M-1 Challenge Preview

2009-09-10 08:58:45

USA VS. RUSSIA RIVALRY TO BE REKINDLED DURING LATEST M-1 CHALLENGE ON HDNET EPISODE It's a classic rivalry that has transcended into nearly every sport: The United States vs. Russia. And on Friday, October 11 at 8 p.m. ET on HDNet that rivalry will be rekindled when Team USA West faces Fedor Emelianenko's Team Russia Imperial in the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction." Emanating from Seoul, South Korea, the two Group B rivals will jockey for position as USA West and Russia Imperial attempt a semifinal playoff berth. Featured on USA West is a deep pool of talent that includes Strikeforce-contracted heavyweight Shane Del Rosario, former EliteXC middleweight Giva Santana, one-time Affliction-veteran welterweight Fabio "Negao" Nascimento, and undefeated lightweight prospect Dave Jansen in what will be his final M-1 Challenge bout before his October debut in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. Standing in USA West's way of a perfect season is a young Team Imperial team that is laden with the next generation of talented Russian fight prospects. Chosen to represent Imperial are lightweight Amirkhan Mazihov, welterweight Marat Ilaev, middleweight Radmir Gabdullin, light heavyweight Viktor Nemkov, and heavyweight Maksim Grishin. Friday's episode of the M-1 Challenge on HDNet will feature an action-packed hour of fantastic knockouts and submissions with Del Rosario looking to build on his perfect 6-0 professional MMA record against Grishin and Santana gunning for the eleventh armbar submission victory of his career. Will the young Russians be able to knock off their more experienced American counterparts? Or will USA West continue its path of dominance in the '09 M-1 Challenge? Remember to tune in to the M-1 Challenge on HDNet each and every Friday at 8 p.m. ET and to get the latest news and information surrounding M-1 at www.M-1Global.com.

Mousasi's exit throws Super Hulk Tourney wide open

2009-09-10 08:30:18

The withdrawal of pre-tournament favourite Gegard Mousasi due to injury now throws the door wide open for the four remaining fighters to win the DREAM Super Hulk title, writes MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO. Let’s be totally honest: it was a no-brainer that Gegard Mousasi would have coasted his way to the Super Hulk tournament title had he not been forced to withdraw due to a shoulder injury incurred in his exhibition match against Fedor Emelianenko at M-1 Breakthrough in Kansas on August 28. Even though Judo stylist Thierry Sokodjou would have provided Mousasi with at least a competitive fight while it lasted, I have no doubt that Mousasi would have submitted Sokodjou – if not knocked him out standing – and then defeated either Minowaman or Hong Mann Choi at Dynamite to win the title. With Mousasi’s withdrawal and the re-entry of 6’ 5”, 360lb Bob Sapp into the tournament, the door to victory for any one of the four men remaining has been thrown wide open. Sokodjou now becomes the joint favourite with Minowaman in my opinion. The Cameroonian has all the necessary tools to take the Super Hulk tournament and completely revitalize his career which had briefly flatlined after back-to-back losses against Luiz Arthur Cane at UFC 89 and Renato Sobral at Affliction Day of Reckoning. On October 6 he will square off against perennial Japanese crowd favourite Bob Sapp, who is given a second chance after being easily submitted by a Minowaman trademark heel hook at DREAM 9. I don’t see Sapp as being a threat for Sokodjou, so long as Sokodjou’s ego doesn’t get the better of him and he takes Sapp down rather than stand and trade with the former NFL offensive lineman. Sapp will bring entertainment in the form of his spine-tingling entrance and larger-than-life persona, but these days the once-feared “Beast” appears to be ringing in performances for an easy pay check and has lost three of his last five fights, all in the first round. The other side of the draw sees the insanely popular Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa square off against 7’ 2”, 360lb former Ssireum wrestling champion (Korea’s version of Sumo) Hong Mann Choi. Like Sapp, there was a time when Choi was feared in the ring, especially during his early days in K-1 where he won the K-1 Asian Grand Prix tournament and became one of only two men to defeat Semmy Schilt in the K-1 ring (the other being Peter Aerts). However Choi has not looked dangerous since having the tumour removed from his pituitary gland on June 9 2008. While the operation was vital for his longevity, suffering from pituitary gigantism, removing it had the effect of biblical Delilah cutting Samson’s hair: Choi’s strength disappeared. What we see in center ring now is a gaunt, pale-looking Korean giant who plods awkwardly and lacks the aggression he once brought to the K-1 arena. Minowaman is no stranger to fighting larger opponents. Heck, he enjoys the challenge of fighting gargantuans, as his record shows with fights against Butterbean, Giant Silva, Zuluzinho, Semmy Schilt and Bob Sapp. Renowned for his unconventional training techniques, including dodging baseballs and standing in freezing rivers, he is a few fries short of a Happy Meal but one of the true entertainers in the MMA world with a riveting fight style that includes any number of spectacular techniques such as flying dropkicks. If Minowaman plays a smart game against Choi on October 6, uses his angles, circles the ring, and chops away at the Korean’s legs and midsection with strikes, he should notch up an easy decision win. However knowing Minowaman he will want to give the fans a spectacular finish. He says he is “ready for death” in fighting Choi and though he’d be wise to keep it standing and simply out-point Choi, Minowman’s need to please the fans will get the better of him. Expect to see him try to dropkick Choi and take the giant to ground where he will put himself in a perilous position just to get a submission – a feat which only Fedor Emelianenko has accomplished via armbar and even then it took the Great One two bites of the cherry to complete, such is Choi’s enormous strength.

Bob Sapp to face Sokoudjou at Dream 11

2009-09-09 23:36:44

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - by Steven Marrocco - MMAWeekly.com Bob "The Beast" Sapp (16-5-1) will stand in for an injured Gegard Mousasi to face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in the semifinals of Dream's Super Hulk Tournament Oct. 6 at Dream 11. Sapp (16-5-1), who lost to Ikuhisa Minowa in the opening round of the tournament at Dream 9, confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday. Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Hong Man Choi fills the opposite bracket of the heavily weighted tournament. The fill-in is just one of four professional engagements Sapp said is either done or close to done on his immediate schedule. The day after his Dream booking, he is set for a kickboxing match against Alain "The Panther" Ngalani in Hong Kong. The weekend after that, he's working on an MMA fight in Texas that is "80 percent done." Then, in late October, he plans to go back to Korea for a pro wrestling engagement, with more globetrotting in the pipeline for November and December. www.mmaweekly.com

Dream 11: October 6 on HDNet

2009-09-09 10:33:10

DREAM 11: OCTOBER 6, 2009 ON HDNET venue: Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan Dream Lightweight Championship: www.mmaweekly.com

Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA finalizes full card for Sept. 13 event in Iowa

2009-09-09 09:43:28

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 09, 2009 at 12:40 pm ET Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA organization returns for its fourth show on Sept. 18, and the promotion today revealed the full 13-fight event card. In addition to the previously announced co-main event bouts of Tim Sylvia (24-6) vs. Jason Riley (6-1) and Houston Alexander (8-4) vs. Sherman Pendergarst (11-14), UFC vets Forrest Petz (15-7) and Chad Reiner (19-8) will also meet on the evening's main card. Adrenaline MMA IV takes place at Mid American Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa and will be shown live on HDNet. Sylvia looks to break out of a slump that has seen "The Maine-iac" earn just one win in his past five trips to the cage. Sylvia most recently fought in June when the former UFC champion was stopped in just nine seconds by former boxing champ Ray Mercer. Meanwhile, Riley looks for the biggest win of his young career. After turning pro in 2007, Riley has earned five of his six career wins by stoppage, a run that includes four wins in the first round. Co-main event fighter Alexander also looks to break a recent slide. Granted permission by the UFC to fight outside of the organization, Alexander has suffered three-straight defeats. Facing Alexander is Pendergardt, who after a respectable 8-3 start to his career has gone just 3-11 in his past 14 contests. Outside of the co-main events, Reiner and Petz meet in a contest of two fighters who struggled a bit on the national stage. Reiner appeared in the UFC twice in 2007, though he dropped both contests. Reiner suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Josh Burkman before falling victim to an Anthony-Johnson-highlight-reel finish in just 13 seconds. Petz garnered a longer stay in the UFC, compiling a 2-3 record in five trips to the octagon in 2006 and 2007. Petz's run includes decision wins over Luigi Fioravanti and Sam Morgan. The full Adrenaline MMA IV card includes: www.mmajunkie.com

Lineup primed for Payoff

2009-09-09 08:02:59

One of the best lineups in the Maximum Fighting Championship’s illustrious history has been set for MFC 22: Payoff. MFC 22: Payoff will be held on Friday, October 2 at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta, and will be broadcast live throughout North America on HDNet Fights. The card is highlighted by the much-anticipated MFC return of mixed martial arts superstar Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald who will take on Travis “The Serial Killer” Lutter in a three-round middleweight showdown. MacDonald (21-12), who fights out of Edmonton, Alberta, began his career in the MFC and became the organization’s most-popular figure. He faces one of the biggest tests when he squares off against Lutter (9-5), a former reality show winner and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Texas. But MacDonald’s skills are just as impressive, having scored three Submission of the Night honors during his career and being regarded as one of the top physically conditioned competitors in the sport. “This is the fight the fans have been waiting to see and the winner steps right to the top of the heap for a crack at the MFC middleweight title,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “I have never heard Jason talk this way about a fight before, stating that he is going to put Travis into retirement. And I know from talking to Travis that he fully intends on spoiling Jason’s plans.” As the co-main event of the night, MFC lightweight champion Antonio “Mandingo” McKee defends his title for the first time as he faces Carlo Prater. McKee (22-3-2) defeated Derrick Noble at MFC 20 to claim the title and the veteran will look to keep his five-year unbeaten streak alive. The Lakewood, California, product who has transitioned from welterweight to lightweight has not lost since 2003. Prater (24-6-1) has won three of his last four fights and the Sao Paulo, Brazil, native has several major victories to his credit over his career including wins over current MFC welterweight champ Pat Healy along with notables Carlos Condit, Spencer Fisher, and Melvin Guillard. One of the featured fights on the show will be a welterweight clash pitting John “The Natural” Alessio against Luigi Fioravanti. Alessio (25-13) is one of the MFC’s most popular fighters and is coming off a submission victory over Andrew Buckland at MFC 21. Alessio is originally from Duncan, B.C., and now fights out of Randy Couture’s Extreme Couture in Las Vegas. Fioravanti (15-5) debuts in the MFC and is looking to solidify a shot at 170-pound champion Pat Healy. The Orlando, Florida, product has eight knockouts on his resume and is a former U.S. Marine who was in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A pair of light heavyweight fights will be showcased on the televised card. Riding a 10-fight winning streak, Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo (10-1) faces stern opposition when he meets up with rugged veteran Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman (16-9-1). Jimmo, who now lives and trains in the MFC’s headquarters of Edmonton, Alberta, is coming off a convincing decision win over Mychal Clark at MFC 21. Eastman was also successful at MFC 21 when he scored an impressive TKO stoppage of Aron Lofton. In the other featured light heavyweight matchup, David Heath (12-5) takes on Mike Nickels (7-2). Heath, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has won three of his last four fights including a first-round submission win over former MFC light heavyweight champion Roger Hollett. Nickels is a former reality show competitor under Ken Shamrock, and the Denver, Colorado, product is an accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioner having won the 2005 Pan-American championship. Two welterweight fights round out the televised card. Brazilian Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves (13-3), a member of Team Nogueira and a training partner for Anderson Silva, will take on McKee’s training partner and protégé Jesse Juarez (11-5). Goncalves will look for a measure of redemption following his narrow split-decision loss to Cory MacDonald at Heat XC3 while Juarez is out to take his current winning streak to six. Opening the televised card will be veteran Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt (19-15) against Nathan Gunn (7-0). Spratt has fought a long list of top-notch fighters including Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Newton and he holds a career victory over Robbie Lawler. Gunn has three first-round submission wins to his credit and is a dangerous striker. The non-televised undercard will be announced shortly.

"JZ" Cavalcante vs. Nakamura set, Mousasi officially out at DREAM.11

2009-09-09 07:54:19

by Dann Stupp on Sep 09, 2009 at 9:05 am ET After a planned bout with Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez didn't work out, DREAM officials today announced they've instead matched up Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante (14-3-1) with Daisuke Nakamura (20-10). The bout is part of the Oct. 6 fight card at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan. The show airs in North America on HDNet. DREAM officials also confirmed a recently reported change to the organization's "Super Hulk" semifinal lineup. www.mmajunkie.com

Stand or Fall

2009-09-09 07:48:10

For the first time ever HDNet will broadcast the K-1 GP Final 16 card from Seoul, Korea live and exclusive across North America on September 26. Sixteen of K-1’s biggest stars battle in 8 super fights with the winners proceeding to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in Tokyo. MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO previews the 8 fights. Remy Bonjasky vs Melvin Maenhoff Current K-1 World GP Champion Bonjasky and the always-dangerous Maenhoff have battled twice with Bonjasky winning on both occasions. Their first encounter took place in 2002 with Bonjasky winning by decision. Their second match took place last year and ended with Bonjasky breaking Maenhoff’s ribs with a flying kick in the third round. Both men come into their trilogy match on victories: Bonjasky with a lackluster decision over Alistair Overeem in March (after knocking down Overeem once with a punch) and Maenhoff off a crushing first round KO of Muay Thai stylist Ramazan Ramazanov in August. Maenhoff gained a ticket to the Final 16 thanks to fans who voted him as their choice in K-1’s worldwide online poll. It’s a deserved place too for the busiest fighter in the world and the only man to swing between top level striking and MMA competition, sharing his career between K-1 and DREAM duties. While the fans will certainly be behind Maenhoff and his rampaging fists, it is hard to pick against the three-time and current K-1 World GP champion Bonjasky for the win in Seoul. Bonjasky is a master strategist with arguably the best defense in K-1. Rarely does he get hit with clean shots and Maenhoff will have to wear Bonjasky’s vicious roundkicks to the legs, ribs and head and then deal with the champ’s knees just to try and get on the inside. I’m a massive fan of Maenhoff’s powerful walk-forward style and my imagination boggles at the possibility of seeing him in the K-1 Grand Prix for the first time. But Bonjasky is too big, too smart, has too many weapons and that virgin’s defense – impenetrable – that has seen him lose only one match in the last three years. Pick: Bonjasky by TKO Errol Zimmerman vs Glaube Feitosa This is a rematch of Zimmerman and Feitosa’s Final 16 match in Seoul from 2008. On that occasion it was a then in-form Zimmerman who pounded Feitosa for three rounds solid in one of the worst beatdowns I have ever seen in K-1. How Feitosa survived to reach the final bell after getting hit with cannonball after cannonball still amazes. Feitosa comes into Seoul off a win over Junichi Sawayashiki in March, while Zimmerman has none of the momentum he carried at the same time last year, entering this match on a four-fight losing streak. Zimmerman cannot afford to rest on his laurels here and think “Hey, I beat him up last year, I’ll do it again.” Feitosa and his trainers at Team Ichigeki tell me that they’ve worked out a gameplan to defeat Zimmerman and ensure history doesn’t repeat itself in Seoul. More than this, Feitosa knows that September 26 could be his last roll of the dice for K-1 Grand Prix qualification. At 36 years old, married and with a child, he is in the twilight of his career and must make way for Ewerton Texeira to take over as Kyokushin’s number one gun. Come September 26 Feitosa will be a man on a mission. Revenge against Zimmerman is on his mind but so too is his determination to show that he’s got one last run at the crown left and isn’t ready to retire his famed finishing technique – the Brazilian kick – just yet. Pick: Feitosa by decision Ruslan Karaev vs Kyotaro I believe this could turn into the fight of the night on September 26. In Karaev and Kyotaro you have two of the hungriest and most dynamic strikers in the world with vastly different styles. Karaev is a man with more combinations than a Rubik’s Cube. The lightning-fast Russian mixes hands and feet like no other heavyweight in the world and only knows one speed: full throttle. While his balls-to-the-wall fighting style has served him well in recent times, winning the 2008 K-1 in Taiwan GP in epic fashion knocking out all three opponents, it has also been his undoing in the past when Karaev has sacrificed defense for out-and-out offense. Against K-1’s best counter fighter, Kyotaro, Karaev needs to employ defense and choose his attacks wisely. If he decides to go all out and attack Kyotaro from the opening bell, the Russian will find himself on the receiving end of Kyotaro’s delicious finishing counter right cross that he used to knockout Melvin Maenhoff in March and Jan Soukup in August. Although veteran Musashi is getting one last crack at a K-1 Grand Prix berth, Japanese hopes will be pinned on Kyotaro, who as the current K-1 world heavyweight champion is the only Japanese heavyweight to ever hold a K-1 world title. A superb strategist with excellent footwork, a full tank of gas and the ability to beat anyone with his counter game, look for Kyotaro to catch Karaev’s questionable jaw at some stage in what promises to be an exhilarating match. Pick: Kyotaro by KO Ewerton Texeira vs Singh Heart Jaideep On paper this looks like a gift for Texeira and I believe that’s how it will play out in the ring. Jaideep comes in as the winner of the K-1 Asian GP in Seoul in August on his K-1 debut but defeated a weak line-up to win the title. He has never faced a fighter of Texeira’s talents and will find himself on the receiving end of Texeira’s brutal Kyokushin leg and rib kicks and the Brazilian’s finely tuned hands. For Jaideep to have a chance he has to utilize his greatest advantage: height. At 6’ 5” he will have three inches on Texeira and needs to keep Texeira on the end of his jab and front kicks and use his knees should Texeira get on the inside. It’s doubtful that Jaideep will have any weapons to faze Texeira, as the Indian’s hands don’t carry much power. Expect Texeira to crack away at Jaideep’s lead thigh, slow down the Indian, then get on the inside and land his punches. Pick: Texeira by decision Badr Hari vs Zabit Samedov Another match which on paper looks like a gimme for Badr Hari. While I believe that Badr will take this one, Samedov will do the former world’s heavyweight champion no favours and make a real fight out of it. Samedov is incredibly fast and works a lot of angles. Hari will have to be on his game and hunt down the evasive Azerbaijan fighter as Samedov will look to get inside, work his hands and legs, then move out and circle, trying to earn a win on the judges’s score cards. Personally I don’t think this gameplan will work against Hari. The Moroccan is a wrecking machine and one of the most proficient knockout artists in K-1. He comes into this match off of a complete tooling of Semmy Schilt, knocking out the High Tower in just 45 seconds of their match in Amsterdam in May. Schilt had at least 15 kilograms and five inches on Hari. It made no difference. Samedov will give away at least 11 kilograms and six inches to Hari. It will make a big difference. Samedov can hit and run as much as he likes but fact is that Hari will catch him, will unload on him and will hit him harder than anyone has ever hit Samedov before. It’s unlikely Samedov will get on the inside of Hari’s leg kicks. If he does then he runs into Hari’s extraordinary jab. He gets past the jab and he finds Hari’s knees coming up under his chin. Somewhere in all of that craziness, Samedov will be knocked out. Pick: Hari by KO Jerome LeBanner vs Musashi Now here’s a name we didn’t think we’d see again. Old warhorse Musashi is given a final chance to make the K-1 Grand Prix, a competition he twice placed runner up back in 2003 and 2004. Musashi has announced that he’ll hang up the gloves at the end of 2009 and it’s likely that LeBanner’s retirement won’t be too far behind. So in effect this is probably a last chance for both men to qualify for the Grand Prix and take one last crack at the crown. Musashi hasn’t fought since Dynamite where Gegard Mousasi owned him inside of one round under K-1 rules. Indeed the Japanese veteran comes in on a three-fight losing streak dating back to June 2008. LeBanner comes in off a grueling decision loss after two extension rounds to Ewerton Texeira in March. LeBanner and Musashi both fought each other in 2002 in the quarterfinals of the K-1 Grand Prix with LeBanner bashing Musashi inside of two rounds. It was in that tournament that LeBanner’s arm was broken in the final by Ernesto Hoost and the Frenchman hasn’t looked the same in the power department since. Indeed LeBanner, historically famed as K-1’s hardest puncher, has not knocked out an opponent since 2007. If both of these southpaws “bring it” on September 26 expect an entertaining match. If they choose to play a point-scoring game then it could turn into dull contest. Pick: LeBanner by decision Semmy Schilt vs Daniel Ghita Even with Ghita’s incredible win in the K-1 Last Chance Tournament on August 11 in Tokyo – in which he ran through three opponents in an amazing 5:15 – it’s hard to tip in his favour and go against Semmy Schilt for this mouth-watering fight. I can see K-1’s reasoning for this match. Schilt is an awesome three-time K-1 Grand Prix champion but he’s a hard commodity to market as he has less personality than a cabbage. No doubt K-1 is hoping that the momentum from his August 11 win stays with Ghita and he brings the aggression with which he won the Last Chance GP to this one-match on September 26 and keeps Schilt out of the Grand Prix for a second year running (Aerts did them that favour in 2008). The question I’m pondering, however, is has K-1 placed too much hope on Ghita and oversold his Last Chance GP win? Let’s be realistic here: John Love, Yuki and Sergeii Lascenko combined would not be able to beat Schilt. At 6’ 5” and 110kg, Ghita has great size but will still be dwarfed by 6’ 11”, 120kg Schilt. Ghita has power in his hands and his legs but his chin has never been tested and you can bet that’s the spot Schilt will target with his knockout jab and high knees. Pick: Schilt by TKO Peter Aerts vs Alistair Overeem This fight has been granted main event status on September 26 and rightly so. It is another in FEG’s continuing trend of K-1 vs MMA matches and with a place in the K-1 Grand Prix up for grabs the stakes have never been higher. Overeem gets an invitation to the Final 16 courtesy of the online worldwide fan vote. It seems Overeem’s handling of Hari last NYE under K-1 rules and his going three rounds with Remy Bonjasky in March was enough for the fans to want to see more. FEG has done Overeem no favours in matching him up against the legendary Dutch Lumberjack, especially given Aerts’s current shape. For his last fight against Yusuke Nishijima in August, Aerts looked in the best physical condition I’ve seen him in for almost a decade. Reunited with master strategist Thom Harinck who guided Aerts to back-to-back K-1 Grand Prix crowns in 1994 and 1995, Aerts is looking revitalized, hungry and ready to capture a record-equaling fourth K-1 crown. Overeem’s win over Hari gave him a lot of cred with K-1 fans, as did his showing against Bonjasky. But Aerts at the Final 16 is a whole different story. The Lumberjack will be looking not only to beat Overeem but also to beat him up! Overeem’s best chance here is to use his strength and size to bull-rush Aerts from the opening bell and swing for Aerts’s jawline just like Hari did against Aerts in last year’s GP quarter final. Meanwhile Aerts will need to weather the storm and go to town on Overeem’s legs, hacking away with outside thigh kicks to the front and back legs before lining up the Goodnight Irene roundkick to the head. I don’t think this fight will go the distance but it will be a maelstrom of madness while it lasts. Pick: Aerts by KO

Mousasi out of Dream "Super Hulk" Tournament

2009-09-08 14:49:19

Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - by Steven Marrocco - MMAWeekly.com Gegard Mousasi has been forced to withdraw from a scheduled bout with Rameau Thierry Sokodjou in the semifinals of the Super Hulk Tournament at Dream 11, MMAWeekly.com has been told by multiple sources close to the situation. The Japanese promotion is currently trying to find a replacement opponent for the Oct. 6 event, which also features the promotion’s Featherweight Grand Prix Finals. According to one source, Mousasi may have injured his shoulder during a grappling exhibition with Fedor Emelianenko at M-1: Breakthrough last month in Kansas City. www.mmaweekly.com

Former IFL vet Delson Heleno joins WEC vet Chuck Grigsby on USA East roster

2009-09-08 14:24:44

Sep 8th, 2009 by promma Amsterdam, Holland — As has been the case for much of the season, USA East — winner of Group C in the M-1 Challenge — has once again made wholesale changes to its roster in anticipation of its Sept. 26 semifinal playoff matchup vs. USA West in Russia. The lone holdover from Reed Wallace’s team is none other than one-time WEC veteran Chuck “The Reverend” Grigsby, who competed for USA East during two of its three regular season meets. After suffering a decision loss on Aug. 16 in Holland vs. Benelux heavyweight Jessie Gibbs, the 6′6” Grigsby will return to his natural weight class of light heavyweight for the Sept. 26 matchup vs. USA West. Joining Grigsby on the USA East squad will be former International Fight League standout welterweight Delson Heleno. Heleno, 15-5, went 6-4 during his ten fight IFL stint. During his nine-year fighting career, the Rio de Janeiro native holds notable wins over former veteran of The Ultimate Fighter Mike Dolce, current UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger, and former UFC veteran Gideon Ray. www.promma.info

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Gegard Mousasi M-1 sparring match

2009-09-08 14:22:00

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 08, 2009 at 2:05 pm ET We have a special edition of HDNet Fights Video Vault this week. While not technically a mixed-martial-arts bout, Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi did meet in late August at the "M-1: Breakthrough" MMA event for a special exhibition sparring match that aired on HDNet. Check out the embedded video as the two M-1/Strikeforce fighters put on a showcase for the Kansas City fans. Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature, and the Emelianenko vs. Mousasi exhibition is no exception. www.mmajunkie.com

Newly signed Prater gets title shot

2009-09-08 08:50:10

By MFC Staff - Sept 5, 2009 Brazilian Carlo Prater couldn't have picked a better time to sign a three-fight deal with the Maximum Fighting Championship. With his name on the dotted line, Prater not only seals up a multi-fight contract but also secures himself a title shot - an opportunity he'll get right out of the gate when he meets Antonio "Mandingo" McKee for the MFC lightweight belt at MFC 22: Payoff. "Carlo's credentials are fantastic and he will deservedly get a chance at the title," said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. "Few fighters are willing to jump right into a fight with Antonio McKee but Prater didn't waste a second in accepting the challenge. It is a golden opportunity for him and the great part about it is that Prater versus McKee should be a terrific title fight for the fans to watch." Prater (24-6-1) has won three of his last four fights and has a career punctuated with several impressive victories. The six-foot native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, holds a victory over MFC welterweight champion Pat Healy via submission in 2005 and holds other wins over such notable names as Melvin Guillard, Spencer Fisher, and Carlos Condit. The fight against Prater will be McKee's first defense of the MFC 155-pound championship which he captured in a five-round decision over Derrick Noble at MFC 20. McKee (22-3-2) has steamrolled through his opposition since moving down from welterweight and the accomplished wrestler has not lost since 2003. McKee vs. Prater will be the co-main event of MFC 22: Payoff alongside the much-anticipated middleweight showdown between Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald and Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter. MFC 22 will take place on Friday, October 2 from the River Cree Resort and Casino and be seen live throughout North America on HDNet Fights.

USA West finalizes four fifths of its roster for Sept. 26 M-1 Challenge semifinals in Russia

2009-09-08 08:46:45

Sep 8th, 2009 by promma Amsterdam, Holland - Considered by many pundits to be the odds-on favorite to win the 2009 M-1 Challenge, Team USA West announced Monday four fifths of its roster for its upcoming semifinal matchup on Sept. 26 in Rostov, Russia. USA West earned front-runner status after besting Brazil Naja, Russia Imperial, and South Korea in a deep Group B pool by posting a perfect 3-0 record and a stellar individual record of 13-2. But while USA West will field a formidable lineup vs. its U.S. counterparts, noticeably absent from the roster are two of its top fighters, lightweight Dave Jansen and light heavyweight Raphael Davis. www.promma.info

UFC vet War Machine tops Mikey Gomez, Pablo Alfonso wins belt at "XFC: Evolution"

2009-09-06 19:19:29

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 06, 2009 at 9:58 am ET Picking up his fifth consecutive victory since he was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, War Machine stopped Mikey Gomez for a third-round TKO victory at this past Saturday's Xtreme Fighting Championships event. The show took place at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. War Machine, a former cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter 6" previously known as Jon Koppenhaver, was part of the HDNet-televised portion of the event's card. After a solid two rounds, War Machine ultimately connected with a solid right punch early in the third round. Although he struck with a punch and not an accidental eye poke, Gomez called for a timeout. However, unable to intervene in such a situation, the referee allowed the fight to continue, and the stoppage came seconds later (at the 0:13 mark) after War Machine unloaded additional blows. www.mmajunkie.com

MFC 22 Payoff: MacDonald vs. Lutter Shaping Up

2009-09-06 19:15:25

by Nick Thomas on Sep 6, 2009 10:01 PM EDT Here is how the rumored card is looking so far: www.bloodyelbow.com

War Machine ready for war on first ever U.S. Main Event

2009-09-04 13:36:43

By Michael Schiavello The Mixed Martial Artist formerly known as John Koppenhaver, who legally changed his name to War Machine, says he respects late replacement Gracie Barra Orlando fighter Mikey Gomez but will aim to stop him in the first round of their main event on tomorrow night's XFC 9 card from the St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. War Machine was originally scheduled to fight Roger Bowling in XFC 9's main event but all that changed a week and a half ago when Bowling withdrew and Gomez was called in as replacement. “Roger is a chump,” says War Machine, who is known for pulling no punches in the cage or with his smack talk. “Mikey Gomez is a much better opponent than Roger. In fact I will have a harder time with Gomez than I would have had with Roger. I would have beaten Roger easy. I watched him hit pads on youtube and he looked like a retard. That's twice now he has pulled out of fighting me. He doesn't want to fight anyone real.” Gomez enters the main event with a 9-7 record and having trained with the likes of Renato “Babalu” Sobral , Erik Paulson and Mark Munoz in preparation for the XFC main event. “I'm ready to go,” says Gomez. “I'm always in shape, always ready to fight. I'm going to go after (War Machine) early and try to finish the fight. It's going to be fun.” Meanwhile War Machine has been training out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, surrounded by some of the sport's elite names. “I been training with guys like Randy, Jay Heiron, Martin Kampmann, Tyson Griffin, Ray Sefo and the rest of them at Xtreme Couture. I couldn't be training with a better bunch of people. They are all incredible and when you train in that atmosphere it pushes you to your peak.” War Machine told HDNet Fights he respects Gomez for stepping in as a late replacement but will capitalize on Gomez's weaknesses. “(Gomez) is a decent kickboxer and a tough guy but he is a weak wrestler,” says War Machine. “I am confident I can out-wrestle him and stay on top. I'll try to avoid his submission attempts and just out-bully him.” When asked about having legally changed his name to War Machine, the former Ultimate Fighter star answered: “There is a fighter in TNA wrestling who is named War Machine and they tried to tell me that I had to stop using the name because it was copyrighted to TNA. That's bullshit. I have been using the name War Machine for a longer time than this guy and I even have it tattooed on me. So I went and changed my name legally to War Machine, and that's that. I actually told TNA that we could do a fight between me and their War Machine where we fight for rights to use the name. I though that'd be cool.” Saturday night's feature fight will be the first time War Machine has ever been given main event status in the United States. He's excited to be given the headline fight and to be back on a national television broadcast on HDNet. “I have been on bigger shows but it's been a while since I have been on live TV and I've never been main event here in the States, only in Canada, so yeah it's cool and I am looking forward to it.” When asked about his controversial mouth that landed him in trouble with UFC (regarding comments about Evan Tanner's death) and Bellator FC (comments about Barrack Obama) War Machine simply shrugs and says: “I say what other people only think but are too afraid to say. That's just how I am. I'm not going to change it.”

Muhammed Lawal Weighs Options Following Recent Mark Kerr Victory

2009-09-04 09:25:46

Posted Sep 04, 2009 9:15AM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed) Muhammed Lawal defeated Mark Kerr last Friday at M-1 Global: Breakthrough in just 22 seconds, and the free agent is already looking towards his next fight. "King Mo" told FanHouse on Thursday that he is weighing offers from several organizations. He said there is a chance he will compete again for Sengoku, but not on their upcoming Sept. 23 event because "it's a smaller show." Lawal added that he hopes to return to action come October or November, and that he still expects to be fighting in either the UFC or Strikeforce by the end of 2009. www.mma.fanhouse.com

HDNet Fights Video Vault: King Mo Lawal vs. Mark Kerr at "M-1: Breakthrough"

2009-09-03 08:50:44

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Sep 02, 2009 at 9:30 pm ET In our latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we look at this past weekend's "M-1: Breakthrough" headliner between Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal and early UFC superstar Mark Kerr. The fight took place Aug. 28 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., and aired live on HDNet. Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions, shocking finishes and legendary brawls are the norm for this weekly feature, and the Lawal vs. Kerr fight is no exception. www.mmajunkie.com

Undefeated Chris Barnett returns to HDNet this Saturday night as part of "XFC 9: Evolution."

2009-09-03 08:41:21

Sep 2nd, 2009 by promma. Undefeated heavyweight prospect Chris Barnett returns to HDNet this Saturday night as part of "XFC 9: Evolution." 7-0 as an amateur, 1-0 as a professional, heavyweight prospect Chris Barnett will look to keep his undefeated MMA record in tact this weekend as he goes up against Daniel Perez at “XFC 9: Evolution” at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. The event will air live on HDNet Sat., Sept. 5, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET. Not many fighters get the opportunity to have their pro debut broadcast live on national TV, but then again there are not too many 265 lbs., back-flipping, break-dancing, martial arts black belts in MMA. At “XFC 8″ back in April, Chris Barnett in his first pro fight took ultra-seasoned vet Johnathan Ivey the distance with a unanimous decision butt-kicking in what was Ivey’s 66th professional bout. Barnett took a few minutes out of his schedule this week to talk with PRO MMA (promma.info) about his upcoming fight this Saturday night, what it was like fighting his pro debut on HDNet, how the XFC discovered him, just how tough Johnathan Ivey is, and more. PRO MMA is proud to present big man Chris Barnett. www.promma.info

Solutions to Satoshi Ishii's Fruitless Investment on the Horizon

2009-09-02 09:22:38

798b_tiny by Leland Roling on Sep 2, 2009 11:06 AM EDT Last year, one of the bigger stories that broke was the announcement that 2008 Beijing Olympic Judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishiiwould enter the sport of mixed martial arts. Following a lengthy courtship by promotions such as DREAM, Sengoku, the UFC, and the now-defunct Affliction, Ishii was leaning toward the UFC at the final hour in 2008. In dramatic fashion, news broke on January 1st of 2009 that Ishii had, in fact, signed with Sengoku instead. During his courtship and following his signing, Ishii was training with some of the most famous training camps in all of MMA in order to fast track his way into the ring and become a success instantly. He had trained at Xtreme Couture, American Top Team, Lyoto Machida, Fedor Emelianenko, and Gegard Mousasi. It's safe to say that he's been given ample opportunities to increase his level of skill in a short amount of time, but the transition from a judoka who never gets hit in competition to a judoka who uses his skills to submit and punish opponents while being hit is a tough undertaking for any combat sports athlete. www.bloodyelbow.com

Free agent Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal reminds the haters he's just getting started

2009-09-01 20:48:08

by John Morgan on Sep 01, 2009 at 6:20 pm ET Less than a year since his professional debut in Sengoku, multi-division prospect Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal is tired of defending his path in the world of MMA. After a 25-second win over longtime-MMA-veteran Mark Kerr this past Saturday at "M-1 Global presents Breakthrough," Lawal raised his record to 5-0 with four TKO's. But the 28-year-old told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that it just doesn't seem to be enough for many people he talks to – and Lawal said the UFC's hype machine is partly to blame. www.mmajunkie.com

XFC 9: Evolution Preview

2009-09-01 10:03:29

XFC 9: Evolution Preview HDNet digs deep into the heart of American MMA to provide us with a quality show by Xtreme Fighting Championships in Tampa, Florida. XFC 9: Evolution is being headlined by former UFC and Ultimate Fighter contestant War Machine, formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver before he decided to legally change his name. Originally set to take on 5-0 Roger Bowling, War Machine will now be taking on 8-7 fighter Mikey Gomez. There was some drama involved in the change as welterweight ronin / contender Nick Thompson was offered up by the promotion but was turned down by Machine's management. In addition, the card will also feature a fight for the XFC bantamweight title as Jason "Good As Gold" Goodall (5-0) goes against Pablo Alfonso (3-1). As well, SWAT officer Bruce "The Noose" Conners (6-1) will be taking on Tim Snyder. Bruce lives up to his name with five of his six wins coming via choke. Here's the full card for the event, which will be airing this Saturday at 9PM EST only on HDNet: Mikey Gomez (8-7) vs War Machine (8-2) Pablo Alfonso (3-1) vs Jason Goodall (5-0) Tim Snyder (9-3) vs Bruce Connors (6-1) Jeremy Thurlow (1-0) vs Julien Williams (0-0) Nate Jolly (3-1) vs Frank Santore (4-0) Daniel Perez (3-0) vs Chris Barnett (1-0) Hayder Hassan (2-0) vs Gerardo Julio Gallegos (2-0) Rey Trujillo (4-0) vs Shah Bobonis (5-3) Jesse Benton (1-0) vs Sean Bartlett (3-2)

K-1 Next for Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem

2009-09-01 09:27:01

Posted Sep 01, 2009 9:45AM By Michael David Smith After winning the Strikeforce heavyweight championship in 2007, Alistair Overeem never defended his title in 2008. With the news today that Overeem is fighting in next month's K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16, it looks like he won't defend his Strikeforce belt in 2009, either. K-1 announced Tuesday that Overeem is taking on Peter Aerts on the September 26 Final 16 card. He's also expected to fight in Amsterdam in October, and if he beats Aerts he'll return to K-1 in December for the Grand Prix Final 2009. That's an awfully full dance card for any fighter, especially one who has already postponed two fights because of a hand injury, and it makes it a near certaintythat he won't be fighting for Strikeforce until 2010. www.mma.fanhouse.com

XFC returns to HDNet!

2009-09-01 08:25:35

HDNet presents exclusive LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights Presents: XFC 9: Evolution” from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. The XFC returns to HDNet with a card full of talented young fighters (combined record of 51-15-1) looking to make a name for themselves on national television. In the main event of the evening, one of MMA’s most infamous fighters, Ultimate Fighter alum War Machine (8-2) faces Mikey Gomez (8-7). www.promma.info

The glorious K-1 WGP opening round card is confirmed

2009-09-01 08:05:10

www.k-1.co.jp

King Mo takes out Mark Kerr in seconds

2009-08-29 14:53:21

Saturday, August 29, 2009 Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal showed stateside fans exactly what all of the hype surrounding him was all about as he made surprisingly short work of UFC veteran Mark Kerr in the main attraction of "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 BREAKTHROUGH", which aired live on in the United States on HDNet and around the world via Internet PPV on www.M-1Global.com. While many in attendance were aware of the fact that Kerr was coming into the fight as a heavy underdog, having taken the fight on just two weeks notice, few expected for the contest to end as suddenly, and as violently as it did. Just seconds into the bout the former Division I All-American wrestler caught a leg kick from Kerr, scooped the massive 260-plus pound brawler high into the air and slammed him to the canvas. Once on the mat Lawal punished the side of Kerr's head with a series of punches, before a few well placed blows underneath the armpit and to the chin of the fallen legend sent his mouthpiece rocketing into the expensive seats, and forced the referee to call a halt to the contest in the process. Lawal's trademark flamboyant ring entrance lasted nearly four times the duration of the bout. A spectacular performance from a rising star touted as one of the most promising up and comers in the sport. In what ended up being an exhibition match to not soon be forgotten, M-1 Global heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko faced off with fellow M-1 Global fighter and newly-crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi in a topsy turvy bout that saw both men being flung to the canvas on the receiving ends of powerful Sambo throws. After escaping a Mousasi armbar earlier in the contest, Emelianenko later returned the favor, only this time forcing the submission on his younger comrade. Both Fedor and Mousasi seemed to thoroughly enjoying themselves during the exhibition, and the crowd in tune had fun along with them. Although far from a real fight, Emelianenko showed glimmers of why he is widely considered to be the best fighter on the planet earth, while Mousasi laid credibility to the common belief that, at just twenty four years of age, he could one day fill the enormous gap that would be left should Fedor someday choose to leave the sport. Known for his pre-fight intimidation tactics, Karl Amoussou picked up right where he left off during Friday evening's weigh-ins when himself and late replacement John Doyle had to be separated, getting right in the face of Doyle before being sternly warned by the referee to step back. Once the action got underway it seemed hopeful for the man known as "The Iron Bull" as Doyle countered a vicious Amoussou leg kick by dragging the feared French Striker to the ground and working a little good old fashioned ground and pound. Doyle's time spent in charge of the action in the early moments of the first was short lived as Amoussou executed a beautiful sweep from the bottom where he wound up in full mount. From there "The Psycho" rained down punches until Doyle was force to give his back where Amoussou quickly sunk in his hooks for the rear-naked choke submission. www.mmaweekly.com

M-1 Global "Breakthrough" Live Play-by-Play, Results and Commentary

2009-08-28 17:34:15

Grizzly_bear-larry_tiny by Chris Nelson on Aug 28, 2009 8:04 PM EDT M-1 Global holds the seemingly ill-fated first of their "premium" fight cards tonight in Kansas City, Missouri, with wrestling sensation "King" Mo Lawal taking on faded MMA icon Mark Kerr in the main event. An exhibition sparring match between Red Devil teammates Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi is also set to take place during the event, and the undercard features some top notch prospects like Karl Amoussou and Lucio Linhares. In short, trials and tribulations aside, it ought to be a fun night of fights. Join us here at Bloody Elbow beginning at 10 PM ET for the start of the live HDNet broadcast. www.bloodyelbow.com

“I WAS AN EMBARASSMENT!”

2009-08-27 16:17:13

By Michael Schiavello He was once known as The Smashing Machine; a former PRIDE and UFC fighter who injected fear into everyone he fought with his devastating double-leg takedowns, a diesel-piston of a right hand and murderous ground 'n' pound. But recently even Mark Kerr admits he's been a complete joke and an embarrassment, as he told MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO exclusively for HDNet Fights. “This is my stepping stone to redemption,” says Mark Kerr, one day out from his fight against undefeated King Mo Lawal on M-1 Breakthrough in Kansas City. “I know I have had some terrible fights and with many people I will never redeem myself but I am going to try and it starts here. Kerr weighed in for the Lawal fight at 263lb, though he says with more preparation time he could have gotten down to 250 and aims to get to 235 within a year. Though taking the Lawal fight on only two weeks notice following the withdrawal of Lawal's original opponent – Don Frye – Kerr says he's not in Kansas City just for a pay day. He's here to fight and to prove that he is not the spent force fans think. “I know everyone has written me off,” Kerr told HDNet exclusively. “I know people think I am a joke. I don't blame them. It has been hard for me to sit and look at myself in the mirror. I mean I wouldn't be a fan of me the way I have fought in recent times. I would never expect a fan to want my autograph any more. But the truth is that I have shifted my mentality to be healthily obsessed with the sport, not overly obsessed as I once was.” It is an honest Kerr who openly admits that his last few fights have been nothing short of horrific. “Disgusting,” he says, shaking his head when I ask him about his performances of late. “I was disgusting and I'm embarrassed with how bad I was.” Offered a chance to fight on M-1's nationally broadcast Breakthrough main event, Kerr is adamant that he wants to redeem himself for the fans and the MMA community in general. “I'm serious about this. I wouldn't have taken the fight if I wasn't. I was training for a fight in late September anyway and this M-1 fight meant I just had to ramp up the training. Ideally if I'd had another few weeks to prepare I could have gotten down to 250 but I feel good. There is no pressure on me. If I get knocked out, well, that's what is supposed to happen, right? If I win then I shock everyone. I want to show that I am not done yet and I am not a joke. I am not just a subject of laughing matter. I mean I'm not stupid, I know what people think of me lately and they have every right to think of me as a laughing matter because I have been just that. But no more.” The 40-year-old Kerr may be a long way removed from “the Specimen” who was so feared during his prime, but he is determined to get back on track and show the MMA community that he still has a lot to offer. “I'm looking long term. I'm looking to redeem myself. Within a year I feel I can get my physical self back and can be competitive enough to have a least a couple of fights in the big leagues. I mean eventually they are going to run out of opponents for Brock Lesnar, right? I want to be in a position where in a year or so they consider me for a fight like that.” The road to redemption starts in Kansas City against Lawal. Kerr says he respects the undefeated up and coming Sengoku star but has a gameplan to give The King his first loss. “Mo is pretty, isn't he? Pretty guys don't like getting punched in the face,” Kerr smiles. When asked for his thoughts on Kerr and the gameplan to keep his undefeated record intact, a confident Lawal smiles and says: “I'm going to make him react to what I am doing. I'm going to show my stand-up and if he wants to go to ground and wrestle I'll do that. He was a great wrestler in the old days but times have changes. I respect him, he has a good right hand, a good double leg and a good single but this is my first MMA fight in the USA and I don't plan on losing it.”

Antonio Silva vs. Jim York among additions for Sept. 23 Sengoku 10th Battle event

2009-08-27 09:42:02

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 27, 2009 at 9:10 am ET World Victory Road today announced a trio of bouts, including a heavyweight contest between Antonio Silva (12-1) and "Big" Jim York (11-2), for the organization's upcoming Sengoku 10th Battle event. Additionally, Hiroshi Izumi (0-0) meets Antz Nansen (0-0), and Makoto Takimoto (5-5) takes on Jae Sun Lee (5-4) in other bouts. Sengoku 10th Battle takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. www.mmajunkie.com

Sylvia, Alexander Headline Adrenaline 4

2009-08-25 13:53:22

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 by Brian Knapp Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will return to competitive duty when he meets Jason Riley in the Adrenaline MMA 4 main event on Sept. 18 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The 33-year-old Sylvia has fallen on hard times. Once regarded as one of the world’s top 10 heavyweights, he has lost three consecutive fights and four of his last five. He last appeared at Adrenaline MMA 3 in June, when he suffered an embarrassing eight-second knockout loss to 48-year-old boxer Ray Mercer. A product of the Miletich Fighting Systems camp, the 6-foot-8 Sylvia holds victories against former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Ricco Rodriguez, one-time World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder Jason Lambert and former International Fight League stalwart Ben Rothwell. Sixteen of his 24 career wins have come by knockout or technical knockout. www.sherdog.com

HDNet to air Fedor vs. Mousasi

2009-08-25 13:42:52

(August 25, 2009) HDNet will feature exclusive coverage of "HDNet Fights Presents: M-1 Global Breakthrough," LIVE from the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, Friday, August 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET. In a special feature attraction, Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko - the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet - makes his live U.S. television debut in a grappling exhibition against newly crowned Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi. In the main event of the evening, the former NCAA wrestling champion and undefeated MMA star Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal makes his U.S. debut against another former NCAA Champion Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr. The fight is an unparalleled opportunity for Kerr, a former star in both theUFC and PRIDE, to launch a major comeback on national television. "It is indeed special to have two of the top fighters in the world in Fedor and Gegard - with a combined record of 56 wins and 3 losses - put on a grappling exhibition for HDNet's MMA fans," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "There has also been a lot of buzz internationally about King Mo and Karl Amoussou and I'm pumped that fans will get to see them LIVE on HDNet!" The rest of the card features some of the most promising international prospects in MMA. In other action, Lucio "Spartan" Linhares (12-4, Finland) meets Mikhail Zayats (8-3, Russia), Jessie Gibbs (8-2, Holland) squares off with Rob Broughton (10-4-1, England), Karl "Psycho" Amoussou (10-2-1, France) faces "The Iron Bull" John Doyle (9-8, Philadelphia, PA), Lloyd "Kadillac" Marshbanks (17-8, San Diego, CA) collides with Michael Kita (5-3, Poland), plus Daisuke Nakamura (19-10, Tokyo, Japan) tangles with Ferrid "The Hurricane" Kheder (14-3, Los Angeles, CA)

HDNet Fights Presents: M-1 Breakthrough Preview

2009-08-25 07:41:31

It's been a bit of a rocky road towards M-1's Breakthrough event, but all the fussin' and feudin' comes to an end this Friday as 24 fighters converge from around the world in the Kansas City Memorial Hall for a great night of fights. M-1 Global is best known in America for being Fedor's management company, and for their international M-1 Challenge events on HDNet pitting various countries against each other. This event carries over the worldwide vibe with 11 nations represented. Now let's break down some of the main card fights: Fedor Emelianenko vs Gegard Mousasi This is a special five minute exhibition match between the number one pound for pound fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, and his protégé Gegard Mousasi. Fedor requires no introduction: cherubic heavyweight champion without a crown, thorn in the side of the UFC for refusing to sign with them, and the owner of a 30-1 record. Mousasi has been fighting since 2003 but it's only been in the last year that he exploded into the spotlight by winning the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix, following it up with crushing wins in a K-1 kickboxing bout and an open weight win over super-heavyweight Mark Hunt. No one is quite sure what to expect out of the exhibition match since these kinds of things aren't very common, but you can see the last exhibition match Fedor participated in with grappling expert Shinya Aoki on M-1 Global's website. Muhammed Lawal vs Mark Kerr Lawal, generally refered to as King Mo for his flashy entrances wearing a crown and cape, is a highly touted up and coming prospect who has spent his entire career fighting in Japan. He's an extremely strong wrestler and has managed to knock three of his past four opponents out. His opponent Mark Kerr was an MMA legend back in the 90's and used to be referred to as the Smashing Machine. He even starred in a documentary by the same name. But the film, released in 2003, captured his fall from grace into pain killer addiction. Since then Kerr has gone 2-7. At the age of 40, he'll be trying yet again to start an unlikely comeback against a fighter in the prime of his life. Lucio Linhares vs Mikhail Zayats Linhares is a Brazilian fighter living in Finland who you might remember from M-1 Challenge events. He's currently on a roll, finishing all four of his last fights in the first round via KO or submission. Mikhail Zayats is a member of Fedor's Red Devil Fight Club and has spent his entire career fighting on M-1 cards. He's a submissions guy who loves the armbar, but that hasn't saved him from losing his last two fights. Rob Broughton vs Jessie Gibbs This is a battle of the heavyweights as former Cage Rage heavyweight champ Rob 'The Bear' Broughton takes on Dutch fighter Jessie Gibbs, who holds a win over UFC fighter Denis Stojnic. Karl Amoussou vs John Doyle Amoussou is a highly regarded French fighter known for his strange fighting style which often leads to all sorts of interesting knockouts. He knocked out his last opponent with a flying knee in just over 20 seconds. Karl was originally set to face top welterweight fighter Nick 'the Goat' Thompson, but an injury forced Thompson out. Taking his place will be 8-8 journeyman John Doyle, who has only won 2 of his last 9 fights. Lloyd Marshbanks vs Michal Kita Another heavyweight tilt: the 17-8 American Lloyd Marshbanks will be taking on 5-3 Polish Michal Kita. What's interesting about this fight is that Marshbanks has won his last seven fights via a variety of submissions. Kita's last two wins have come via knockout but he also knows what he's doing on the ground. This should be a different kind of heavyweight fight that you're used to seeing, but that doesn't mean it probably won't end quickly! Ferrid Kheder vs Daisuke Nakamura Kheder is an Olympic level judoka, holding medals in the African and European Judo championships and placing 7th at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He's currently on a 7 fight winning streak. Daisuke Nakamura has fought for nearly every big promotion in Japan with his last fight being a decision loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida in DREAM. He's a big fan of crazy submissions, having beaten three of his opponents using a flying armbar. M-1 Global's Breakthrough event will be broadcast on HDNet at 10pm ET and looks like it's going to be a great night of fights alongside a very interesting exhibition match between two of the top fighters in the world.

Mo Lawal vs Mark Kerr heads full M-1 fight card

2009-08-24 13:44:01

Sunday, August 23, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff M-1 Global on Sunday released the full fight card for its “HDNet Fights Presents M-1 Global Breakthrough,” which takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City on Friday. Six televised bouts are scheduled to air during the HDNet telecast (10:00 p.m. ET), plus a special sparring exhibition between M-1 fighters Fedor Emelianenko and newly-crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi, with a five-bout undercard assembled for the local crowd attending live. www.mmaweekly.com

Tim Sylvia tops Adrenaline IV fight card on HDNet

2009-08-24 09:07:40

Sunday, August 23, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff Despite early indications of a second Southern showing, Adrenaline MMA will be a local affair for promoter and manager Monte Cox when the fourth installment of the regional promotion hits the Mid-American Center on Sept. 18 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia will headline his second consecutive Adrenaline card, hoping to shake off a devastating loss to ex-boxing champ Ray Mercer at Adrenaline III in Birmingham, Ala. He faces former Canadian Football League standout Jason Riley. UFC vets dot the rest of the card, with a light heavyweight match-up between Houston Alexander and Sherman Pendergarst co-headlining the evening, in addition to appearances by Chad Reiner, Forrest Petz, and Joe Vedepo. ADRENALINE IV FULL CARD: www.mmaweekly.com

DREAM.11 likely to include Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Tatsuya Kawajiri

2009-08-24 08:59:02

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 24, 2009 at 9:50 am ET An already-stacked DREAM.11 card could have two notable additions. According to an event posted recently released by the Japanese-based promotion, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2) and Tatsuya Kawajiri (24-5-2) will apparently be part of the Oct. 6 card. DREAM.11, which airs on HDNet in North American, takes place at the Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan, and features the semifinals and finales of both DREAM's featherweight grand prix and open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament. However, the organization's Web site does not feature the potential additions of Yamamoto and Kawajiri. (And, in fact, neither the Web site nor the poster make mention of the Super Hulk tourney, which may be shifted to a future event date.) Yamamoto recently returned from a 17-month layoff due to injuries and suffered a split-decision loss to Joe Warren in a featherweight grand prix quarterfinal fight. Prior to the loss, Yamamoto, a longtime K-1 HERO'S/DREAM fighter, had won 14 consecutive fights (12 via stoppage). Kawajiri, meanwhile, goes for his third straight win and sixth win in seven fights when he returns to competition. The former Shooto and PRIDE fighter most recently fought at DREAM.9, where he topped fellow lightweight Gesias Cavalcante via unanimous decision. Opponents were not revealed for either competitor. The latest rumored DREAM.11 card now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

5 Oz’s Exclusive: Inside MMA celebrates centennial episode this evening on HDNet

2009-08-21 14:00:14

August 21, 2009 by Cory Brady On the heels of the monumental UFC 100 there will be another figurestone in the face of mixed martial arts celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this evening. Unless you”re a fight fan that has been inhabiting the bottom portion of a rock on some deserted island you’re well familiar with the enormously successful television series that goes by the name of “Inside MMA“. The highly informative TV show hosted by the likes of MMA legend Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice and Ron Kruck has become the visual companion for anyone bitten by the dangerously contagious MMA bug. Inside MMA will be hosting a very special 100th episode at it’s normal pace and time on HDNet this evening, Friday, 9:00 pm ET and I suggest that all of you fight fans that want to give back to a show that has given so much to us tune in for what should be a memorable episode. If you don’t have HDNet, contact your local cable provider and insist that they add the network. www.fiveouncesofpain.com

HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon Talks One Hundred Episodes of Inside MMA

2009-08-21 13:46:33

by Luke Thomas on Aug 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT Tonight at 9 p.m. EST on HDNet will be the show the always appears on the network at that time, namely, Inside MMA. The difference this time will be that tonight's episode is the 100th installment of the show. On the eve of this centennial milestone, we spoke with HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon about the challenges the show and network have faced in developing the program over the past two years, what's ahead for everyone involved and why the show still matters in an age where information and analysis are available in huge volumes in other mediums. www.bloodyelbow.com

“Psycho” Amoussou ready to make his name at “HDNet Fights Presents M-1 Global Breakthrough”

2009-08-21 08:48:32

Aug 21st, 2009 by promma Amsterdam, Holland — Voted by Sherdog.com as the number one European MMA prospect, Frenchmen Karl “Psycho” Amoussou is no secret to die-hard MMA fans. For the past year and a half, Amoussou has been a staple of M-1’s M-1 Challenge telecasts on HDNet each and every Friday night. But for the first time ever on Friday, Aug. 28, Amoussou will look to take his career to new heights when he competes on live television in the U.S. for the first time ever. www.promma.info

HDNet to air exclusive K-1 event

2009-08-20 14:04:57

HDNet will air "HDNet Fights Presents: K-1 World Grand Prix 2009, in Seoul" on Friday, August 21 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The event took place at the Jangchung Gymnasium in South Korea and featured the K-1 Asia Grand Prix. The 8-man, one-night tournament features rising K-1 stars from Japan, Korea, China, and India - including 21-year-old sensation Singh "Heart" Jaideep - as they vie for a spot in the K-1 World Grand Prix. The event also features 16-year-old Jae Hee Cheon, fresh off an upset win over Kid Yamamoto, against Tae Han Kim in the fight of the night, plus Gokhan Saki faces Pavel Zuravliov in the super fight co-main event.

Congrats to HDNet's Inside MMA

2009-08-20 12:36:46

www.si.com

Adrenaline IV gets Chad Reiner vs. Forrest Petz, Houston Alexander vs. Sherman Pendergarst

2009-08-20 09:33:12

by Dann Stupp and Bruce "PhyteGuru" Huckfeldt on Aug 20, 2009 at 7:45 am ET Four veterans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship meet in a pair of fights next month at Adrenaline MMA IV. A source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Houston Alexander (8-4) and Sherman Pendergarst (11-14) have agreed to a matchup and recently signed bout agreements, as have Chad Reiner (20-8) and opponent Forrest Petz (15-7). Adrenaline MMA IV takes place Sept. 18 (a day before UFC 103 in Dallas) at the Mid-America Center near Omaha, Neb., in Coucil Bluffs, Iowa. www.mmajunkie.com

Five Months After Torn ACL, King Mo Says He's Ready to Fight

2009-08-20 08:48:30

Posted Aug 20, 2009 10:46AM By Michael David Smith Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal, a former NCAA wrestler who turned his attention to MMA last year, became a rising star on the Japanese MMA circuit. But when he suffered a torn ACL in his March victory over Ryo Kawamura, that looked like a significant setback. Just five months later, however, he says he's ready to get back into the ring. Lawal and AllElbows.com are documenting his preparation for his return to the ring, which will take place on the August 28 M-1 Challenge show in Kansas City. Lawal will take on Mark Kerr, the 40-year-old former UFC and Pride star. Lawal is the latest MMA fighter to use online videos to promote his fights, and this is an emerging trend that I think is great for MMA fans. The sport is still largely ignored by the mainstream media, and that means fighters need to promote themselves. Lawal does a very good job of that. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Nick Thompson’s misfortune creates opportunity for John Doyle

2009-08-19 14:03:55

Aug 19th, 2009 by promma Amsterdam, Holland — Another significant change has been made to next Friday’s “HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 GLOBAL BREAKTHROUGH” telecast (live at 10 p.m. ET), with “The Iron Bull” John Doyle stepping in to fight Karl Amoussou on Aug. 28 in Kansas City at the historic Memorial Hall (tickets available at Ticketmaster.com and all local Ticketmaster outlets) following an injury to Nick Thompson. www.promma.info

Nevada commission approves instant replay

2009-08-19 14:00:50

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - by Steven Marrocco - MMAWeekly.com According to a new rule passed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission Wednesday, referees in Nevada now have the opportunity to get a second look at a fight’s end to determine its legality. The final wording as passed: “A referee at the conclusion of a contest or exhibition stopped immediately due to an injury to an unarmed combatant pursuant to NAC 467.718 and after making a decision, may view a replay if available in order to determine whether the injury in question was caused a legal blow or a foul.” The rule addresses several controversial stoppages in recent history where a fighter lost a contest because the referee couldn’t see an injury that forced a bout’s stoppage. www.mmaweekly.com

Nick Thompson suffers cut in training, scratched from "M-1 Global presents Breakthrough"

2009-08-19 08:11:10

by John Morgan on Aug 18, 2009 at 9:45 pm ET If M-1 Global officials are looking for a break, it apparently won't come this month. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned from sources close to the fighter that UFC, Strikeforce and EliteXC veteran Nick Thompson (38-11-1) has suffered a cut in training and has been forced to drop out of "M-1 Global present Breakthrough." The loss of the co-main event contestant comes after the card was relocated from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Kan., and after main-event competitor Don Frye withdrew from the event due to the venue change. M-1 Global officials weren't immediately available for comment, and it is currently unknown whether the promotion will be able to find a replacement opponent for French fighter Karl Amoussou (10-2-1) in time for the Aug. 28 event. Thompson was looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Tim Kennedy in June under the Strikeforce banner. A timeframe for "The Goat's" return wasn't immediately known. Meanwhile, Amoussou was hoping to build on a two-fight win streak, a stretch that includes a 23-second flying-knee knockout in his most recent contest. Headlined by heavyweight contest between Mark Kerr and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and featuring an exhibition match between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi, "M-1 Global presents Breakthrough" will air on HDNet. MAIN CARD www.mmajunkie.com

Mark Kerr looking to make improbable comeback at “HDNet Fights Presents M-1 Global Breakthrough”

2009-08-19 08:05:13

Posted on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 Once one of the greatest fighters on the planet, former NCAA champion Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr has experienced a very public fall from grace over the years. Kerr’s demons were chronicled during the acclaimed HBO documentary The Smashing Machine. On Friday, Aug 28 at the historic Memorial Hall and live on HDNet, Kerr will look to prove his critics wrong as he looks to upset undefeated phenom “King” Mo Lawal. Below is a trailer featuring Kerr in The Smashing Machine. www.m-1global.com

Tom Atencio details Affliction's final hours

2009-08-18 09:39:32

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com The final hours of Affliction as a promotion will go down infamously as the one time powerful mixed martial arts sponsor turned fight organization canceled its show dubbed "Trilogy" just days before the event was set to take place in California. A positive steroid test from main event participant Josh Barnett led to the decision to scrap the whole show. Affliction vice president Tom Atencio told MMAWeekly Radio in an exclusive interview what the deciding factor was to call a halt to the show entirely. "We were scrambling looking for a fighter, quite a few guys stepped up to the plate who were wanting the fight. Guys were doing it for a reasonable amount of money, too, which was cool, but just after talking to Showtime, after talking to everybody involved, it just, we couldn't have done it," Atencio commented. "It was a bummer, probably one of the worst things that's ever happened to me." While much of the MMA world immediately pointed the finger at Barnett for the positive test, Atencio says at the end of the day, it's just business and he holds no ill will towards the former UFC heavyweight champion. www.mmaweekly.com

Sengoku 10th Battle adds Doerksen vs. Sato, Thompson vs. Hornbuckle, Kawamura vs. Silva

2009-08-18 09:33:41

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 18, 2009 at 10:40 am ET A trio of bouts has been added to World Victory Road's Sengoku 10th Battle show, the Japanese-based organization today announced. The upcoming event takes place Sept. 23 at the Saitama Community Arena in Saitama, Japan, and airs in North America on HDNet. The additions include Nick Thompson (38-11-1) vs. fellow welterweight Dan Hornbuckle, Joe Doerksen (42-12) (18-2) vs. fellow middleweight Takenori Sato (9-6-4), and Ryo Kawamura (10-4-2) vs. fellow light heavyweight Fabio Silva (11-5). Thompson returns to action for the first time since a June loss to Tim Kennedy in Strikeforce. It was just the fighter/lawyer/manager's second loss in his past 16 fights. He now meets Hornbuckle, who goes for his 17th win in 18 fights. He suffered a loss to notable Mike Pyle at Sengoku Second Battle but has since posted three straight wins, including a dramatic third-round head-kick KO of Akihiro Gono earlier this month at Sengoku Ninth Battle. Doerksen, meanwhile, makes his 55th pro appearance. After three consecutive losses in the WEC and UFC, the Canadian has pieced together a three-fight win streak, which included a third-round TKO of Izuru Takeuchi at Sengoku Sixth Battle in November. He now meets Sato, a Pancrase fighter who recently entered an August title fight with champ Izuru Takeuchi on a four-fight win streak. Sato, though, suffered a draw, and because it was a title fight, was tagged with a loss because of it. Kawamura, meanwhile, rematches the man who delivered him his first career loss. Silva scored a second-round knockout of Kawamura at a May 2007 Pancrase event. Kawamura has alternated between wins and losses in his seven bouts since that matchup. Silva, meanwhile, has struggled with three losses in his past four fights. The skid follows an eight-fight win streak he put together from 2004 to 2007. The latest Sengoku 10th Battle card now includes: www.mmajunkie.com

Diaz Eyes Oct. Dream, Rep Meets With CSAC

2009-08-18 09:31:27

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com) While his re-licensure in California remains a work in progress, Nick Diaz is in talks to fight for Dream in October. Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s longtime trainer and manager, met with Dream Event Producer Keiichi Sasahara at Strikeforce this past weekend in San Jose, Calif., to discuss the possibility of Diaz competing either Oct. 6 or 22. Gracie said Sasahara expressed an interest in the outspoken 28-year-old facing Japanese legend Hayato Sakurai, but that talks were in the preliminary stages. Strikeforce announced an alliance with the Japanese promotion a few weeks ago, and the two have already begun an open exchange of talent that saw Dream’s Mitsuhiro Ishida compete on Saturday’s card. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he was “100 percent” open to Diaz competing overseas next, while Gracie said Diaz could return to Strikeforce for one of its November or December events. Gracie said he’s been told Diaz will fight for the promotion’s welterweight title at that time. www.sherdog.com

Mousasi vs Fedor

2009-08-18 06:16:03

While most fans will be quick to dismiss Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi’s MMA exhibition at M-1 Breakthrough on August 28 in Kansas City as just that – an exhibition – in a world in which potential Fedor-beaters are few and far between this tantalizing tango could prove something much greater, writes MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO. Peruse any of the media surrounding Gegard Mousasi’s recent dismantlement of Renato Sobral inside of one round at Strikeforce and you’d think Mousasi had come out of nowhere to defeat the Strikeforce LHW Champion. But for those whose MMA radar is not solely set to shows on US soil, it’s been a long-known fact that the Armenian is pound-for-pound among the world’s best MMA fighters and boasts one of the sport’s most complete games. Anyone who watched Mousasi coast his way to the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix title knew they were watching a very special kind of athlete. Without expression or fanfare, the former amateur boxing champion, kickboxer and Judoka powered through the formidable DREAM MWGP line-up with seeming ease, defeating Dennis Kang by triangle choke; Dong Sik Yoon by decision; Melvin Maenhoff by triangle choke and Ronaldo Jacare in the final with devastating upkick knockout. After winning the DREAM MWGP Mousasi did something that no fighter has done before – he beat name opponents in two higher weight divisions and a name striker under K-1 rules. First he took on former two-time K-1 WGP runner up Musashi (2003 / 2004 K-1 WGP runner up) under K-1 rules and blew him out in little more than two-and-a-half minutes. Sure Musashi isn’t considered a top flight K-1 fighter these days, but he is considered a journeyman and had not been knocked out since 2007 – and even then it took four rounds for Yusuke Fujimoto to achieve. Next Mousasi vacated his DREAM MWGP belt and stepped up to heavyweight to participate in the DREAM Super Hulk Open Weight tournament. He took on a pre-tournament favorite in former PRIDE star and former K-1 WGP Champion Mark Hunt. This time it took Mousasi only 1:20 to take Hunt down and tap out the Samoan via straight armbar. Only Alistair Overeem had ever submitted Hunt quicker. Not content to sit at heavyweight and looking to keep busy and show dominance in three weight divisions, Mousasi dropped to Light Heavyweight for his Strikeforce debut against Sobral and took only 60 seconds to rip out Babalu’s soul. Nobody had ever torn through Sobral so quickly in any of the Brazilians eight previous losses. In doing so Mousasi put a jolting end to Sobral’s five-fight win streak dating back to 2007. Now Mousasi faces the world’s best fighter in an exhibition match on M-1’s Breakthrough card in Kansas City. Had this exhibition match occurred a year ago, it would have been no cause for special attention. But in a world where serious challengers to Fedor’s title as simply the greatest MMA fighter on the planet are few and far between – a world in which Fedor makes the tooling of opponents look like child’s play – we need to keep a close eye on this exhibition match as a potential appetizer for a future Mousasi vs Fedor match up for real. In a fight community infatuated with discussions about Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko, we shouldn’t lose sight of the real potential Fedor-beaters through the hype. Lesnar is big, strong and ever improving but in my book Fedor beats him inside of two rounds. I am not saying Mousasi would last any longer right now, but give the Armenian more time at heavyweight and he seemingly has all the weapons to prove an anomaly in the Fedor matrix. As fight fans on August 28 we get to sit back and be entertained by two of the finest fighters in the world duking and rolling for our pleasure. Just know, however, that beneath the guise of this exhibition something much deeper and more meaningful will play out in the Kansas City M-1 ring. With every strike he throws, every takedown he attempts and every submission he tries to lock on, Mousasi will mentally press Ctrl+S on his phenomenal fight brain. It is information he will store, take home and dissect all in preparation for the day when he gets to square off against the greatest fighter on the planet. And Fedor knows this. The question therefore is: will Fedor show his full hand and the full repertoire of his amazing ability in this exhibition match and send a stern message to Mousasi not to attempt to come after him at heavyweight? Or will Fedor show just a smidgeon of his brilliance and lure Mousasi into a false sense of security only for Fedor to shatter the Dreamcatcher’s dream when they do meet for real?

Russia Legion and USA East join USA West and Team England in M-1 Challenge semi-finals

2009-08-17 14:14:47

Aug 17th, 2009 by promma Hilversum, Holland — With the completion of its eighth and final regular season event of the 2009 “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction,” the final playoff field of four has been set. Both Russia Legion and USA East qualified for the playoffs on Sunday night at Studio 22 in Hilversum and will be heading to the M-1 Challenge semifinals on Sept. 26 in Russia. Russia Legion won Group D following its 5-0 sweep of Team Turkey. Led by welterweight Magomed Shihshabekov, voted the eighth best European MMA prospect by Sherdog.com, Legion won all of its matchups inside the distance. With the flawless victory, Legion finishes the 2009 regular season with a perfect 3-0 team record and an individual record of 13-2. www.promma.info

Sub-Six Minute Blitz Writes Romanian Into K-1 History Books

2009-08-13 16:56:18

Daniel Ghita’s annihilation of three opponents in less than six minutes at the K-1 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying Grand Prix was the stuff of legend. In doing so Ghita smashed a K-1 record that many thought would never be beaten, writes MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO. When Dutch Lumberjack Peter Aerts won the K-1 World Grand Prix tournament for a third time in 1998, he was at the peak of his extraordinary powers. Not only did Aerts win the world’s most grueling 8-man tournament for a (then) record third time but also he did so in record fashion, completing the tournament in only 6 minutes and 43 seconds. Since 1998 many had tried to take Aerts’ record but none even came close. Ernesto Hoost took 19:35 for his 1999 Grand Prix win; Semmy Schilt took 11:56 for his 2005 Grand Prix win; Remy Bonjasky took 13:44 for his 2003 Grand Prix win; and even Mark Hunt and his fabled knocked power took 26:32 to win the 2001 Grand Prix. In regional tourneys, fighters around the world had long tried to surpass Aerts’ 6:43 tournament record in official K-1 GP competition. Mark Hunt’s 2000 and 2001 K-1 Oceania victories were quick and brutal – he knocked out all three opponents in one round each to claim the 2001 K-1 Oceania GP -- but took longer than Aerts’ 1998 WGP total winning time. Semmy Schilt’s awesome K-1 World GP in Paris 2005 tournament victory in which he stopped all three opponents still took him a total of 18:43 to complete. And Bjorn Bregy’s magnificent K-1 World GP in Amsterdam win in 2006 totaled 14:44. At the K-1 USA Grand Prix in Honolulu last August, Gokhan Saki looked set to beat Aerts’ 1998 tournament record. In his first two fights on his way to the title, Saki stopped Deutsch Puu and Rick Cheek in a combined time of 4:51. However his inability to put a quick finish on Randy Kim in the final – he stopped Kim after 4:39 – gave Saki a total finishing time of 9:30. Once again Aerts’ legendary 6:43 appeared unbreakable. Enter Romania’s Daniel Ghita at the K-1 in Tokyo Final 16 Qualifying Grand Prix on August 11, 2009. It was on that night that the heavily fancied Ghita, whose name had been bandied around Europe for a long time among hardcore fans as a fierce competitor deserving of a K-1 contract, finally made his Japanese K-1 debut. He did not fail to deliver. When Ghita’s very first leg kick of his quarter final bout against Welshman John Love cracked against Love’s thigh with a sickening thud, everyone in the audience at the Yoyogi Stadium knew they were witnessing a very special athlete. “Just from the way he delivered that first kick, I knew he was going to win the whole tournament,” said FEG staff writer Stuart Tonkin. “Ghita was just on. And when you’re on, you’re on.” In a truly awe-inspiring and frighteningly brutal display, Ghita went on a tournament tear the likes of which had never been seen. Whereas Aerts set the record in 1998 with his infamous head-kicking arsenal, Ghita didn’t just break Aerts’ record he shattered it with a murderous leg kicking display. One by one Ghita’s three opponents fell. John Love lasted just 1:28. Reserve fighter Yuki (replacing the injured Melvin Maenhoff) in the semi final also lasted just 1:28. Entering the final, Ghita had a 3:46 margin in which to break Aerts’ record. As the history books now show, he needed only a fraction of that time. Against European Muay Thai champion Sergei Lascenko it took Ghita only 2:19 to knock Lascenko down three times and secure a place in the last 16 in the world – and a place in the record books with a new total GP tournament winning time of 5: 15. “It was like K-1 of old,” said FEG USA director Mike Kogan. “Ghita is scary!”

"Inside MMA" knocks out 100 episodes on HDNet

2009-08-13 13:32:17

DALLAS (August 13, 2009) - "Inside MMA," HDNet's original weekly program devoted completely to news and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts will celebrate 100 episodes with a special installment on Friday, August 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET. The program, which launched in September of 2007, filled a gap in the world of sports news and has since become the primary news for all things MMA. "I'm certainly thrilled by, but not surprised at, the success of 'Inside MMA,'" said Mark Cuban, chairman and co-founder of HDNet. "Launched as the first and only program of its kind, 'IMMA' has quickly become THE source for MMA, thanks especially to the hard work of the program's outstanding staff." "Inside MMA's" Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten have played host to some of the biggest stars in MMA including Fedor Emelianenko, Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Chuck Liddell - all who have taken part in the program's panel discussion segment. "Inside MMA" also includes features like 'Kruck's Korner' where co-host Ron Kruck covers the unique people and in-depth stories from the world of mixed martial arts, a news segment providing up-to-the-minute news, and 'Toe-to-Toe with El Guapo,' where co-host Bas Rutten answers viewer questions about the sport and its fighters. Over the program's nearly two year run, "Inside MMA" has covered 135 different promotions in 39 different states and 12 different countries, bringing the worldwide and wide ranging sport of MMA right into viewers' homes. "Inside MMA" has also covered some of the biggest stories in the business, including the recent downfall of Affliction, Seth Petruzelli's upset win over Kimbo Slice - and the Florida State Athletic Commission's investigation of that fight, the fall of Elite XC and Brock Lesnar's suggestion that Frank Mir was embellishing an injury to avoid facing him.

M-1 Rounds Out 'Breakthrough' Card

2009-08-12 12:58:02

Posted Aug 12, 2009 2:40PM By Ariel Helwani M-1 Global's "Breakthrough" event has suffered its fair share of setbacks. First, the organization was forced to move the card from Los Angeles to Kansas City, and then one-half of their main event, Don Frye, pulled out his scheduled fight against Muhammad Lawal. He was replaced by veteran Mark Kerr. The organization recently added a five-minute "special sparring match" between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi to the card to help generate some buzz. FanHouse has learned of the entire televised card, which is scheduled to air live on HDNet on Friday, August 28. www.mma.fanhouse.com

HDNet's "Inside MMA" to broadcast LIVE from the "Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg" weigh-ins

2009-08-12 12:50:20

"Inside MMA" to broadcast LIVE, exclusive coverage from the weigh-ins for the "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg" event on August 14th at 7:00 pm Eastern. The main event features Cristaine "Cyborg" Santos versus Gina Carano, in a highly anticipated bout in the 145-pound division which will crown the first major Women's MMA champion. This historic match-up takes place at the Strikeforce event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA on Saturday, August 15. Strikeforce champion Josh Thompson and MMA legend Frank Shamrock join Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice and Ron Kruck to analyze the card and witness the most eagerly awaited weigh-ins of the year! HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the first and only one of its kind - an original, weekly television program devoted completely to news and highlights from the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Hosts Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten are joined by the sport's top fighters and news-makers every week to discuss and analyze the latest in MMA. The program also includes event highlights, viewer mail, and Ron Kruck providing up-to-the-minute news and features with Kruck's Korner. "Inside MMA" has become the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving fans their weekly fix of everything MMA.

Maximo Blanco, Gold Cup Winners Added to Sengoku X

2009-08-12 11:23:33

by Chris Nelson on Aug 12, 2009 9:35 AM EDT World Victory Road today announced four exciting match-ups for Senogku X on September 23rd. Unfortunately, we'll only get to see one of them on the live broadcast, but that fight is brand new Lightweight King of Pancrase Maximo Blanco (3-2-1, 1 NC) taking on ex-"Super High School Student" Tetsuya Yamada (3-1). Some had thought that Yamada could go deep into the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix, but he was taken out in the first round by the more experienced Ronnie Mann. He hasn't officially fought since then, but has been doing some grappling and tag team MMA matches in ZST. Yamada told reporters at the press conference that he's making the move to lightweight permanently, and also that he's switching gyms for this fight and plans to train harder than ever. He wants to upset Blanco and become a superstar - and he wants to do it with a knockout. These are both young fighters who WVR seem very eager to push (especially "training player" Blanco), so it wouldn't be surprising to see either one challenging Mizuto Hirota for the lightweight title anytime soon. Blanco said he wants to add more championships to his collection, including the UFC belt. www.bloodyelbow.com

Previously booked Jessie Gibbs vs. Rob Broughton bout secured for "M-1: Breakthrough"

2009-08-12 08:03:33

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 11, 2009 at 10:45 pm ET A heavyweight bout between heavyweights Jessie Gibbs (7-2) and Rob Broughton (10-4-1), originally slated for the "Affliction: Trilogy" preliminary card before the event's recent cancellation, will take place after all. The two fighters, who are signed to M-1, will meet Aug. 28 at the company's "premium fight series" event, "M-1: Breakthrough," a source close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The show, which airs on HDNet, takes place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City and features a headline bout of "King" Mo Lawal vs. Mark Kerr and an exhibition sparring match between Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi. The Gibbs vs. Broughton bout, though, isn't without controversy. www.mmajunkie.com

HDNet inks long-term deal with "The Voice"

2009-08-11 08:31:03

DALLAS (August 11, 2009) - HDNet is proud to announce internationally renowned broadcaster Michael Schiavello as the new voice of MMA events on HDNet. Schiavello, known as "The Voice," is one of the world's leading combat sport broadcasters thanks to his trademark mix of entertaining one-liners and unparalleled understanding of MMA. Schiavello currently serves as the global voice of K-1, K-1 MAX, DREAM, and Mark Burnett's The Contender Asia. In 2008 he was part of the global ABU broadcast of the Olympic Games from Beijing, and is the long time voice of FOX Sports kickboxing, muay thai, and MMA in Australia. "HDNet's MMA fans are in for a special experience, as Michael's enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport is unrivaled," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "Michael is in great company as he joins the best broadcast team in the business with Guy Mezger, Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice and Ron Kruck on The Home of MMA." "I'm super excited about becoming part of the HDNet Fights family," Schiavello said. "Commentating the fight game is my obsession and I hope that, through my commentary, I can make the viewers on HDNet as passionate, excited and obsessed about the sport as I am - and give everyone a total thrill ride from their armchair with each and every show. HDNet is an amazing network doing things unmatched anywhere else in the world. It is an honor to be working with such an experienced and dedicated team." To learn more about Michael Schiavello please visit www.hdnetfights.com and http://hdnetfights.com/schiavello.php.

Hello, Japan: Sengoku X Participants Revealed...? Plus, DEEP Adopts New Rules

2009-08-10 12:16:15

by Chris Nelson on Aug 10, 2009 1:11 PM EDT An early promo clip has been released for September's Sengoku X, and aside from World Victory Road continuing to push their Olympic judokas, it's got a few interesting faces who I hadn't yet seen mentioned as participating. They include new Lightweight King of Pancrase Maximo Blanco (3-2-1, 1 NC), former "Super High School Student" and FWGP participant Tetsuya Yamada (3-1) and Wanderlei clone Fabio Silva (11-5). Of course, Satoshi Ishii is also featured in the video, but I don't think we'll see him fighting before New Year's, if then. Thanks to Nightmare of Battle for the tip; head over there to check out the Sengoku Gold Cup South Korean qualifiers, as well as the "dark match" finals of the true Gold Cup from last week's Sengoku IX. www.bloodyelbow.com

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Gegard Mousasi exhibition, King Mo vs. Kerr at "Breakthrough"

2009-08-10 10:33:25

by John Morgan and Dann Stupp on Aug 10, 2009 at 2:30 am ET Following the loss of would-be headline fighter Don Frye, "M-1 Breakthrough" will now feature a main event between previously scheduled headliner "King" Mo Lawal (4-0) and replacement fighter Mark Kerr (15-10). Additionally, the Aug. 28 event, which takes place in Kansas City, will feature a special exhibition match between recent Strikeforce signee Fedor Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi. A source close to the event today exclusively revealed the two matchups to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). Bout agreements have been signed for both matchups. www.mmajunkie.com

HDNet Fights: Michael Schiavello Is the Star of the Show

2009-08-09 18:38:33

Posted Aug 08, 2009 5:15PM By Michael David Smith As far as American MMA fans are concerned, there aren't a lot of stars outside the UFC -- and there really aren't any fighters in Japan who have crossed over beyond the hard-core fans in the United States. But HDNet Fights, which owns the American broadcast rights to the Japanese promotions of Dream, Sengoku and K-1, may have its star: Michael Schiavello. It's not often that viewers tune in to a sporting event to hear the announcers rather than watch the athletes. But Schiavello -- who has the combination of a great voice, a detailed knowledge of the sport and a good sense of humor -- has the potential to be the kind of broadcaster who makes people want to watch no matter who's fighting. The above video shows the kind of thing you get from Schiavello: www.mma.fanhouse.com

Debut of "MMA Worldwide," Sengoku Ninth Battle replay air tonight on HDNet

2009-08-07 09:23:09

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 07, 2009 at 9:15 am ET HDNet tonight broadcasts the series debut of "MMA Worldwide" and reairs World Victory Road's Aug. 2 Sengoku Ninth Battle event. The lineup of MMA-related programming kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET with "MMA Worldwide," and after an M-1 Affliction Challenge episode (8 p.m. ET) and a new edition of "Inside MMA" (9 p.m. ET), the Sengoku event kicks off at 10 p.m. ET. "MMA Worldwide" features behind-the-scenes access to major events, a "Cribs" style look at fighters' homes, interviews and other features. The show is executive produced by Robert Pittman Sr. and Bobby Pittman, publishers of "MMA Worldwide Magazine" and "TapouT Magazine." www.mmajunkie.com

HDNet to broadcast "HDNet Fights Presents: Sengoku 9"

2009-08-06 12:48:01

HDNet will air the exclusive U.S. broadcast of "HDNet Fights Presents: World Victory Road: Sengoku 9-Featherweight Grand Prix 2009, Final Round." The event took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on August 2. The Featherweight Grand Prix comes to a climax as Hatsu Hioki collides with Masanori Kanehara and Michihiro Omigawa squares off with Marlon Sandro in semi-final bouts with the winners advancing to the tournament final to crown a Sengoku Featherweight Champion later in the night. And, in what is being called the knockout of the year see American Dan Hornbuckle and Akihiro Gono battle until a wicked head kick brings a sudden halt to their welterweight match-up. In other action, Blagio Ivanov, who handed Fedor Emelianenko his first combat sambo loss in eight years, makes his MMA debut against Kazuyuki Fujita, and Saturo Kitaoka defends his Sengoku Lightweight Title against Mizuto Hirota.

XFC returns to Tampa Sept. 5, 2009

2009-08-06 10:41:30

Aug 5th, 2009 by promma. On September 5th, 2009 the XFC will reward its fans with one of the most highly competitive fight cards of the year. The XFC promises a night of exciting, unpredictable fights full of action and excitement. September 5th will be the first hometown show in over 10 months and the XFC expects a high attendance upon it’s homecoming. Not to mention it is the first Tampa event to be live on HDnet. The first “XFC Open Fighter Tryout” exposed the skill of Chris “Beast Boy” Barnett who showcased his exceptional agility and speed in his Pro MMA debut against Jonathan Ivey. Ivey is a MMA veteran and a seasoned fighter with over 70 professional MMA fights. On September 5th, “Beast Boy” will fight Daniel Perez; the 3 time Florida State wrestling champ, and the man responsible for the 90-second knock out of current Ultimate Fighter contestant and former NFL superstar, Marcus Jones. Chris Barnett set a high precedent for the caliber of talent discovered in the “XFC Open Fighter Tryouts.” The most recent winner Julien Williams hopes to live up to that image on the upcoming fight card. Julien won the tryout in June 2009 and is making his pro debut on Sept 5th. www.promma.info

Joachim Hansen vs. Shinya Aoki title fight official for DREAM.11 in October

2009-08-05 14:08:17

by John Morgan on Aug 05, 2009 at 2:35 pm ET DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen (19-7-1) will make his long-awaited first title defense against the man he beat to claim the belt, Shinya Aoki (21-4), at DREAM.11. The long-rumored bout was officially announced by the Japanese-based organization earlier today. DREAM.11 takes place Oct. 6 at Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa, Japan. The card airs on HDNet in North America. Hansen hasn't fought since the July 2008 win over Aoki, a night he also beat Kultar Gill to claim DREAM's lightweight grand prix title and inaugural lightweight championship. Hansen had been expected to face Gesias "JZ" Calvancante in January, but a last-minute medical clearance issue on the Norwegian striker's part forced the cancellation of the contest at the last moment. Aoki has put together a 4-1 record since the initial meeting with Hansen, including wins over Eddie Alvarez and Vitor Ribeiro. DREAM.11 will also feature the conclusion of the organization's 2009 featherweight grand prix and "Super Hulk" tournament. The complete card for DREAM.11 currently includes: www.mmajunkie.com

HDNet to premiere "MMA Worldwide" this Friday

2009-08-05 12:40:43

DALLAS (August 4, 2009) HDNet today announced the premiere of "MMA Worldwide," a new program giving MMA fans unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to all the exciting action of the sport, including the best events, the top fighters' homes and the business side of mixed martial arts. "MMA Worldwide" is the brainchild of Executive Producers Robert Pittman, Sr. and Bobby Pittman, publishers of MMA Worldwide Magazine and TapouT Magazine. The cast includes host Bobby Pittman as well as the magazine's editor-in-chief RJ Clifford, fitness editor Fred George, technique editor Mike "Joker" Guymon and President Robert Pittman, Sr. "'MMA Worldwide' is our latest programming addition, making good on HDNet's promise to be THE Home of MMA," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "This program is very unique and provides inside access to some of the world's greatest fighters." "We are extremely pleased to be working with HDNet, a leader in both high definition as well as MMA programming," said Robert Pittman, Sr., Executive Producer of "MMA Worldwide." "From the beginning it has been our goal to bring MMA to the consumer through various media platforms. This show is both entertaining and informative and a must-see for all MMA fans." The first 10-week season of "MMA Worldwide" includes top MMA fighters and personalities such as Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin, Big John McCarthy, Cung Le, Junie Browning, Frank Trigg, Tom Atencio and Bruce Buffer. Additionally, there are special episodes including tributes to Charles "Mask" Lewis and Helio Gracie as well as unprecedented access behind top events such as Strikeforce and Bellator. The program is written and directed by James Hergott and produced by Chris Staab. Sponsors for the show include Silver Star Casting Co, Muscle Pharm and The Burn Machine. "MMA Worldwide," premieres on HDNet this Friday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Strikeforce, DREAM to Enter Partnership

2009-08-05 08:03:54

Posted Aug 04, 2009 12:51PM By Ray Hui (RSS feed) Strikeforce and DREAM will announce a partnership on Wednesday that could see an exchange of fighters between the two promotions. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker revealed Monday night in a radio appearance on The Carmichael Dave Show that the No. 2 MMA promotion in America will enter into an "alliance" with Fighting Entertainment Group, the parent company of the No. 1 MMA promotion in Japan. FanHouse has received confirmation from Strikeforce that the announcement will be made Wednesday afternoon. The partnership could open up new possibilities for the recently-signed Fedor Emelianenko, who had seemingly only Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers and Fabricio Werdum as opponents in Strikeforce. Fedor could also find himself fighting in Japan after his fall Strikeforce on Showtime date. The former PRIDE heavyweight champ is well-loved in the country and from 2003-2007 took pride in a tradition to compete every New Year's Eve in Japan's annual blockbuster year-end show. www.mma.fanhouse.com

United Football League Signs HDNET As Television Partner

2009-08-04 11:53:38

August 4, 2009 - United Football League (UFL) RUTHERFORD, NJ (August 4, 2009) - The United Football League today announced that HDNet will provide exclusive, broadcast coverage of five of the League's "Premiere" season games. HDNet will air live weekly games beginning on Saturday, October 10th at 7:00 PM Eastern. As previously announced, eight of the UFL's games will air on VERSUS. The UFL will announce the complete "Premiere" season schedule, television programming and ticket sales information this week. "Mark Cuban has been a huge supporter of the UFL from the League's initial announcement and we are thrilled to be partnering with his television network, HDNet, to broadcast five of our games," said Frank Vuono, COO of the UFL. "In addition to broadcasting our games, HDNet will provide viewers with a behind-the-scenes look at the UFL's training camps with additional highlight shows. Through this partnership with HDNet and VERSUS, UFL games will be broadcast nationally to nearly 90 million homes fulfilling our mission of bringing more football to more fans." "This new venture is exciting news for sports fans and HDNet is proud to partner with the UFL to bring this new league to our viewers," said Mark Cuban, chairman and co-founder of HDNet. "Fans are hungry for more professional football and we're thrilled to add the UFL to our great roster of championship sports coverage."

Several fighters announced for Sengoku 10

2009-08-04 08:12:18

Monday, August 03, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff Following Sunday’s Sengoku 9, World Victory Road held a press conference revealing several of the participants for its next event. Sengoku 10 is slated to take place Sept. 23 at the Saitama Community Arena in Japan. www.mmaweekly.com

K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Seoul - results

2009-08-03 09:15:41

Aug 2nd, 2009 by promma On Sun., Aug. 2, 2009, the 2009 K-1 Asia Grand Prix took place at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul, Korea. Here are the complete results: www.promma.info

Confusing GP at Sengoku

2009-08-03 08:34:11

Sunday, August 02, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff In a night filled with odd decisions and some surprising upsets, the main event of Sengoku 9 on Sunday was, at the least, decisive. www.mmaweekly.com

Sengoku IX Live Play-by-Play, Results and Commentary

2009-08-01 22:11:26

by Chris Nelson on Aug 1, 2009 11:22 PM EDT in News The first of the 2009 Japanese Featherweight Grands Prix concludes tonight at Sengoku IX in Saitama, Japan. As always, BloodyElbow.com will have live results and play-by-play, beginning at 3AM Eastern / Midnight Pacific. Be sure to join myself and the BE Night Crew as Michihiro Omigawa tries to continue his improbable run against undefeated King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro and Masanori Kanehara attempts to unseat tournament favorite Hatsu Hioki, with the winners clashing in the evening's co-headline bout. Lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka will defend against Shooto and Cage Force veteran Mizuto Hirota in the main event. Akihiro Gono also returns to Japan for the first time since 2006, while Sambo champion Blagoi Ivanov will make his major MMA debut. Full card in the extended entry; results will be hidden after the jump, too, for those waiting on the HDNet replay. www.bloodyelbow.com

Would-be Affliction headliner Josh Barnett's "B" sample also positive for anabolic steroid

2009-07-31 21:08:35

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 31, 2009 at 6:35 pm ET Josh Barnett, the would-be "Affliction: Trilogy" headliner who was denied a license for the fight because of a failed drug test, wasn't cleared of any wrongdoing by his "B" sample. In an email to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), a California State Athletic Commission representative confirmed the sample tested positive for a metabolite of the anabolic steroid Drostanolone. The initial sample, which forced Barnett out of a scheduled and hugely anticipated Aug. 1 bout with Fedor Emelianenko, detected the same drug. www.mmajunkie.com

Sengoku ‘Ninth Battle’ Preview

2009-07-31 09:03:47

Friday, July 31, 2009 by Tim Leidecker (tleidecker@sherdog.com) Unlike its main competitor in the Japanese market, Dream -- whose latest effort appeared a bit rushed -- Sengoku has taken the whole summer to work on its ninth installment, which marks the culmination of its 143-pound tournament this Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Besides the semi-finals and final of the featherweight grand prix, the card will also feature lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka’s first title defense, a middleweight title eliminator between former Pride welterweight grand prix winner Kazuo Misaki and Hidehiko Yoshida disciple Kazuhiro Nakamura, Fedor Emelianenko conqueror Blagoi Ivanov’s major mixed martial arts debut and the return of the ever-popular Akihiro Gono. Sherdog.com takes an in-depth look at the 13-fight lineup, provides detailed background information on all the participants and predicts the outcome of the matches. www.sherdog.com

Josh Barnett Releases Statement, Denies Intentionally Taking Banned Substance

2009-07-30 10:47:18

Posted Jul 30, 2009 11:22AM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed) Through his manager, Shannon Hooper, Josh Barnett released a statement late Wednesday night about his recent failed drug test, which led to the California State Athletic Commission denying him a license to fight Fedor Emelianenko at the now-canceled "Affliction: Trilogy" event. Barnett was never directly quoted in the release. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Fight Path: For XFC's big man Chris Barnett, martial arts was a family affair

2009-07-30 10:25:14

by Kyle Nagel on Jul 30, 2009 at 8:30 am ET Chris Barnett was a solid 320 pounds when went into the Xtreme Fighting Championships tryout in October. The Tampa gym was busy with fighters who wanted a shot at MMA, especially in an organization known to host some of the most exciting up-and-comers around. Not many of them, though, had heard about the tryout following a breakdancing back-and-forth with one of the organization's representatives, as Barnett had. But Barnett was unusual in several ways. He had come from a taekwondo-practicing family with an Air Force father who was quiet but respected. He had been a small-college wrestler who had learned judo with a friend because, frankly, there's not much else to do in Campbellsville, Ky. Plus, the way he moved for a 320-pounder wasn't a normal sight for most in the gym. "There were people falling out, saying, 'This is too tough,'" Barnett said. "I was like, 'We haven't even gotten started.'" www.mmajunkie.com

DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix Semifinals, Reserve Bout Made Official

2009-07-30 10:14:15

by Chris Nelson on Jul 30, 2009 5:48 AM EDT Though they were made known during HDNet's broadcast of DREAM.10, DREAM officially announced the pairings for the semifinals of its 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix at a press conference in Tokyo today. Both the semis and finals will take place at DREAM.11 on October 6th in Yokohama Arena. As expected, "Streetfight Bancho" Hiroyuki Takaya (11-6-1 / Takaya Gundan) will clash with Hideo Tokoro (22-16-1 / Team ZST) in a bout which ensures that one Japanese fighter will make the finals. Both fighters have had their battles already in the tournament. After destroying Yoon Dong Sik student Jong Man Kim back at DREAM.7, Takaya came out on top of a shootout with Yoshiro Maeda at DREAM.9. Tokoro was eliminated in the first round of the tournament by Daiki Hata, but replaced the injured "DJ.taiki" against Abel Cullum and won his way back into the bracket with a fantastic standing rear-naked choke. www.bloodyelbow.com

Tom Atencio Discusses the Fall of Affliction Entertainment

2009-07-29 09:29:46

Posted Jul 28, 2009 10:43PM By Ariel Helwani There are still plenty of questions surrounding the demise of Affliction Entertainment and their sudden reconciliation with the UFC. One man who can answer most of them is Tom Atencio. The vice president of Affliction Entertainment was the face of the organization during its short existence. FanHouse spoke to Atencio via e-mail Tuesday evening and asked as much as we could given the constraints of interviewing someone over the Internet. Atencio requested the interview be conducted in this fashion. This is the first time he has publicly discussed the events that transpired last Friday. The full interview is below. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Fedor Emelianenko to address media during Wednesday press conference in California

2009-07-28 11:28:44

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 28, 2009 at 2:15 pm ET Following the cancellation of "Affliction: Trilogy" and the collapse of the entire Affliction promotion, the man widely considered to be the world's top-heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, is currently without an upcoming fight. And as the world waits to see where the fighters from the now-defunct Affliction promotion end up, speculation continues to mount regarding where Emelianenko will fight next. Emelianenko, himself, will address some of the speculation on Wednesday at a press conference in Anaheim, Calif. "Since the cancellation (of "Affliction: Trilogy"), there has been a great deal of speculation regarding Fedor and M-1," Emelianenko's manager, Vadim Finkelchtein, stated in a release from his company. "On Wednesday, the media and fans will be able to hear what's going on with Fedor from the man himself." www.mmajunkie.com

Mark Cuban: Affliction Did Right Thing

2009-07-28 09:41:06

Posted Jul 28, 2009 10:00AM By Ariel Helwani (RSS feed) The demise of Affliction Entertainment will not simply go away after one press release. The fact of the matter is that they had a lot of partners involved. One of those partners was Mark Cuban's HDNet television network, which was scheduled to air the undercard of the now-canceled "Affliction: Trilogy." FanHouse spoke to Cuban via e-mail about the fall of Affliction and his current relationship with the UFC. Check out the interview below. www.mma.fanhouse.com

Barnett: Positive and Negative

2009-07-28 09:27:53

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by Jake Rossen What a job, and what a scene to witness: a California State Athletic Commission representative tucked into a bathroom, watching as a hulking man relieves himself into a plastic cup. Does he put it into a brown paper bag? What’s the protocol for spillover? Does he say, “Thank you”? On July 21, in a story that’s quickly become to the MMA media what the moon landing was to Walter Cronkite, Josh Barnett was revealed to have failed his third drug test. (In 2001, he raised eyebrows in Nevada when he tested positive for performance agents for a fight with Bobby Hoffman. Because it was an informal survey of a possible drug problem in the sport, he escaped penalty. In 2002, he was stripped and suspended after coming up hot for three different anabolic agents for a fight with Randy Couture. It would be his last fight in the states for nearly five years.) The first misstep cost him nothing but some privatized embarrassment. The second cost him a UFC title and a year out of commission. The third saw the chance for a California license disappear and essentially crippled Affliction’s promotional wing. It also denied Fedor Emelianenko the opportunity to compete against a man he had trained specifically for while depriving himself of personal indulgence for the last several weeks. Fedor did not have ice cream. And Fedor cannot possibly be happy about that. www.sherdog.com

Xtreme Fighting Championships heading to Germany, eyeing European expansion

2009-07-28 09:24:35

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 27, 2009 at 7:55 pm ET The Florida-based Xtreme Fighting Championships will be the second U.S.-based MMA promotion to enter Germany, as the company has finalized plans for an event in Berlin on Dec. 12. XFC officials today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the organization has partnered with a German-based promotion to produce a series of events in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in 2009 and 2010. The UFC was the first U.S.-based organization to visit Germany, promoting June's UFC 99 in Cologne. According to a statement issued by the organization, the cards will feature a mix of German prospects and established XFC talent. www.mmajunkie.com

Where Should Affliction’s Top Fighters Go?

2009-07-27 13:06:24

Monday, July 27, 2009 by Tim Leidecker (tleidecker@sherdog.com) A lot can happen in 96 hours. It all started with the small cup of urine Josh Barnett handed over to a California State Athletic Commission representative in late June. What was thought to be a mere formality to get him licensed to fight in the Golden State for the third time in 24 months ended up sending an entire promotion into chaos and eventually spinning right out of business. Granted, the former UFC heavyweight champion testing positive for an anabolic steroid for the second time in his career was not the reason for Affliction closing up shop; it was just the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Slow ticket sales and subsequent pressure from television partner Showtime to cancel the highly anticipated “Trilogy” event pushed it over the edge. Barnett was denied a license on Wednesday and sent Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio scrambling to find the right replacement. On Friday, “Trilogy” was scrapped altogether, as Affliction’s clothing branch mended fences with the UFC and returned to its role as a sponsor. www.sherdog.com

Gegard Mousasi makes brief statement about “Trilogy” cancellation

2009-07-27 11:21:01

Posted on Sunday, July 26, 2009 M-1Global.com was able to catch up with M-1 fighter Gegard Mousasi in the wake of Affliction’s decision to cancel “Trilogy.” Mousasi, clearly disappointed, was only willing to give a brief statement on the matter. “The only thing important for me is what will be done for the fighters who all trained really hard for these fights,” he told us. “It’s very difficult for me and the other fighters who have put a lot of time and energy in their training and now are treated like this because a fighter is caught on steroids? It’s all politics and I can do nothing but wait (and see) what will come of out this.” www.m-1global.com

Dream 12 headed for Osaka

2009-07-27 11:13:15

Sunday, July 26, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff Japanese MMA promotion DREAM is headed to Osaka for DREAM 12. www.mmaweekly.com

Affliction’s Funeral

2009-07-27 11:11:33

Monday, July 27, 2009 by Tomas Rios (trios@sherdog.com) Nearly eight years ago, mixed martial arts scribes prepared eulogies for the UFC after its disastrous 33rd show, which had been supposed to mark a triumphant return to pay-per-view. Instead, the event was cursed from the word go, as a super fight between incumbent light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and top contender Vitor Belfort was scrapped after the Brazilian suffered an injury during training camp. With millions already invested in the UFC since its purchase of the brand earlier the same year, Zuffa had no choice but to move forward. A less-than-inspiring replacement was found in Vladimir Matyushenko, but with two other title bouts already on the card, many held out hope that some semblance of success could be salvaged from the wreckage of Belfort’s injury. Those hopes got shot through a particle collider, as the show deteriorated into a mess of dull decisions that left fans wondering if the hyped return of the UFC was destined to end like a small-town fireworks show -- a bit of flash that leaves nothing but smoke. We all know Zuffa continued to dump millions into the UFC despite years spent operating in the red before finally emerging as the juggernaut we know today, but it’s worth remembering that bit of history after watching the less-than-shocking demise of Affliction Entertainment as a fight promotion. It took one scrapped main event to flatline Affliction, and while Josh Barnett may be justifiably guillotined in the court of public opinion, his third positive test for steroids only accelerated what, in hindsight, was inevitable. Make no mistake, Affliction hit the scrap heap because its financiers were not willing to operate in the red while bankrolling multi-million dollar payrolls and UFC-level operating costs. Why anyone would pour millions into a market already dominated by the UFC brand without being ready to absorb some major losses is beyond me, but it shows the reckless nature with which these fly-by-night operations run. www.sherdog.com

K-1 Qualifying Tournament

2009-07-27 09:19:10

By Michael Schiavello The K-1 circuit nears the business end of the season with a final chance tournament for fighters to qualify for the Last 16 and be one step away from participation in the K-1 Grand Prix Final. K-1 commentator MICHAEL SCHIAVELLO looks at the new stars set to fly the K-1 flag into the future, beginning on August 11. The K-1 season opener at the Yokohama Arena (March 28), the K-1 European GP in Lodz (May 23) and the upcoming K-1 Asia GP in Seoul (August 2) show fight fans one thing in particular this year: FEG is no longer relying on the old guard of blockbuster fighters to put bums on seats. Gone are the days when the likes of Peter Aerts, Jerome LeBanner and Ray Sefo were placed on every show to guarantee ticket sales. FEG now realizes that the future of the K-1 GP as the world’s premiere heavyweight striking circuit relies on the introduction of new stars with their own marketable storylines for fans to embrace rather than the regurgitation of yesterday’s heroes. On August 11 at the Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, eight fighters get a chance to book the final place in the Last 16 in Seoul on September 26, effectively placing them only one fight away from the K-1 Grand Prix tournament itself. Of those eight fighters, six have never fought in K-1 in Japan, and as such are being given a real Rocky-esque opportunity to place themselves among K-1’s elite if they can run the grueling gauntlet and win three fights in one night. While odds makers will no doubt have K-1 mainstay Melvin Maenhoff as the tournament favourite, there are several fighters in this line-up who though largely unknown to K-1 fans deserve darkhorse consideration for their performances in the kickboxing and Muay Thai world. The darkhorse to watch on Side A of the tournament is the man slated to face Maenhoff in the opening quarter final match: Ramazan Ramazanov. A bonafide star in the Muay Thai world, Russian Ramazanov has lived between Thailand and Australia’s Gold Coast for the last few years. Training alongside h Arslan Magamedov and former K-1 European GP participant Magomed Magomedov at the renowned Rompo Gym in Thailand, Ramazanov is a WPMF Muay Thai World Champion and former holder of the coveted WMC Intercontinental Muay Thai heavyweight strap. With 44 wins in 58 fights, he stands 6’ 3” and like Ray Sefo and Ernesto Hoost has blown up from the light heavyweight ranks early in his career to a now 205lb heavyweight. Having fought around the world including Helsinki, Auckland, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Stockholm and Bangkok, Ramazanov will fight for the first time on Japanese soil on August 11 and bring with him a 3-fight win streak and an 8 – 2 record in his last ten outings. Ramazanov versus Manehoff provides a thrilling first quarter-final match. Ramazanov needs to fight smart and use his reach, sit behind his jab and leg kicks and keep Maenhoff at bay. Maenhoff, as usual, will give away a lot of height and weight but more than makes up for this disadvantage with his overwhelming strength. However that strength can only take effect if Maenhoff gets on the inside, in which case Ramazanov needs to be smart and use his Muay Thai knees should Maenhoff come in. After losses to Maeda by knockout in March and to Paulo Filho by armbar at DREAM 10, Maenhoff needs to win and win in style. He also needs to finish Ramazanov quickly to have any chance of winning the tournament outright given the overwhelming size differential between Maenhoff and every other fighter in the tournament. Another fighter to watch on Side A of the tournament is Romania’s Daniel Ghita. The 28 year old from Bucharest is a name K-1 European fans have been throwing around for years and on August 11 their wish comes true when Ghita makes his Japanese K-1 debut. A big unit at 6’ 4” ½ and 244 lb, Ghita holds wins over K-1 lower tier fighters such as Nobu Hayashi (dec), Freddy Kemayo (KO) and Bjorn Bregy (dec). Ghita comes in off an impressive leg kicking display against Czech Tomas Hron who he stopped in the second round in Amsterdam in May. On August 11 Ghita takes on USA’s Alex Roberts, most famous for being the man to have once knocked out the rampant WMC world cruiserweight champion Nathan Corbett. Side B of the draw is stacked with four fighters all deserving of true darkhorse status, though for mine the man to watch here is the Cinderella-story from the K-1 Europe GP in Lodz, Sergei Lascenko. A stablemate of K-1 MAX star Artur Kyshenko at the Captain Odessa Gym in the Ukraine, Lascenko won the hearts of the world at the European GP by knocking out his quarter final and semi final opponents in just one round before losing to Zabit Samedov in the final. What made Lascenko’s feat so impressive was that only 24 hours before fighting in Lodz, he had won the Euopean Muay Thai Championships in Riga, Latvia, jumped in a car, driven overnight from Riga to Lodz, arrived in the Polish town at 8am and fought that same night in his first ever K-1 tournament. A heavy set fighter at 6’2” and 244 lb, the 22 year old boasts thumping leg kicks, heavy hands, a granite jaw and an ability to finish opponents by jumping on them with relentless power salvos. Lascenko takes on Sebastian Ciobanu, 6’ 2”, 214lb. Like his compatriots Catalin Morosanu, Raul Catinas and Daniel Ghita, Ciobanu is another new generation Romanian fighter bringing Central European flair to K-1. He will make his Japanese K-1 debut on August 11 following an impressive run under K-1 rules in Budapest earlier this year where he made the final of an 8-man tourney by decisioning Daniel Torok and Roman Kleibi before losing to Mladan Brestovac in the final. Rounding out the tournament is the fourth quarter final between Dutch Muay Thai fighter Rico Verhoeven and new French hope Brice Gudon. At 6’ 5” and 248lbs, Verhoeven is a massive individual. At only 20 years old he has a long future ahead of him and having commentated his fight at the Amsterdam Arena last year where he defeated Christiano Delgado by decision, I can see why people such as Peter Aerts are touting Verhoeven as the next big thing out of The Netherlands. His height, reach and weight make him a handful for any opponent and his skill is all rounded with solid hands, great leg kicks and nice use of the step up knee. In a country that has produced such names as Hoost, Aerts, Bonjasky, Schilt and Hari, expect the next big Dutch name to be Verhoeven, should FEG groom this talented young man properly. Many people believe that Verhoeven needs a couple more years to mature into a true K-1 star but opportunities at this level don’t come easily and Verhoeven will need to speed up his developmental process and mature overnight on August 11. On paper this tournament should be fun to watch for fans, with knockout power in the likes of Maenhoff, Gudon and Lascenko, and technical warriors such as Ramazanov, Ghita and Verhoeven. By the end of the night on August 11, one of these men will earn a place in the Last 16 in Seoul where they will partake in a single fight against a K-1 seeded star (Hari, Bonjasky, Aerts, Saki, Zimmerman, Texeira, LeBanner, Karaev) and be joined by Zabit Samedov (K-1 European GP champion) and the August 2 K-1 Asia GP winner as well as wildcard fighters with the 8 winners booking a place in the K-1 Grand Prix Final on December 5.

M-1's Breakthrough and Strikeforce's Cyborg vs. Carano Events May Benefit From Affliction Cancellation

2009-07-24 14:36:39

by Leland Roling on Jul 24, 2009 3:46 PM EDT Comment 32 comments M-1-global_medium MMAWeekly is reporting that M-1 Global's August 28th event in Los Angeles and Strikeforce's August 15th event card may benefit from the sudden cancellation of Affliction's Trilogy event set for August 1st: www.bloodyelbow.com

Tom Atencio: ‘We just didn’t have enough time’

2009-07-24 14:33:41

July 24, 2009 by Cory Brady Shockwaves have been rippling through the MMA community since it was earlier revealed that Affliction planned to scrap it’s Trilogy card that had been set for August 1 in Anaheim, California.tom-atencio FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since been able to confirm the news through Affliction. Affliction Trilogy has officially been cancelled. It appears as though Barnett’s testing positive for steroids and the lack of time to promote a replacement opponent for Fedor Emelianenko in the cards main event truly was the icing on the cake for Affliction Trilogy. www.fiveouncesofpain.com

M-1 Challenge knockout of the year featured tonight on HDNet

2009-07-24 14:22:36

Jul 24th, 2009 Amsterdam, Holland — If the M-1 Challenge regular season ended today, Raymond Jarman’s first round knockout of Ivan Ivanov would likely win the promotion’s “Knockout of the Year” award. That’s saying a lot in a season that has included a plethora of fantastic finishes, most notably Herbert “Whisper” Goodman’s come-from-behind last second KO earlier in the year. And while Jarman’s finish occurred much earlier in his fight than Goodman’s, the sheer athleticism featured in his flying knee strike delivered onto Ivanov separates the two. www.promma.info

Officials confirm cancellation of Affliction

2009-07-24 11:58:00

by Dann Stupp on Jul 24, 2009 at 2:40 pm ET Just a few hours after news broke of the event's cancellation, Affliction Entertainment executives have officially confirmed "Affliction: Trilogy" has been scrapped. According to Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio, the show was scrapped because of the loss of headliner Josh Barnett, who failed a drug test administered by the California State Athletic Commission and was denied a license to fight Fedor Emelianenko on Aug. 1. Atencio said that, despite the number of fighters willing to fill in for Barnett, the one-year-old promotion couldn't promote a main event "to our standards," but the company is committed to promoting future shows. "Finding an opponent for the No. 1 ranked MMA heavyweight champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor, and I'm thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this challenge," Atencio stated. "But in the end, we just didn't have enough time to promote a new fight to our standards." www.mmajunkie.com

Affliction scraps 'Trilogy' card

2009-07-24 11:09:12

By Josh Gross, SI.com In a matter of days Affliction Entertainment's "Trilogy" event when from promising the top heavyweight fight in mixed martial arts to being cancelled outright, multiple sources confirmed to SI.com Friday morning. www.si.com

Sobral on Mousasi: When I Started Fighting, He Was Still on Mother's Lap

2009-07-24 08:24:26

By Mike Chiappetta Since making his debut in 1997, Renato "Babalu" Sobral has seen more than a few hot prospects capture attention before fading away. His Aug. 1 Affliction: Trilogy opponent, Gegard Mousasi, is perhaps the latest in a long line of hyped young stars who has excited observers with his potential. And while only time will tell if Mousasi meets the predictions that many are forecasting for him, Sobral can only concern himself with the present. And what he sees is a talented kid who is a bit short on experience. "He's a Dream champion. He's not overrated; he's just one more guy," said Sobral, whose fight will air as one of the featured matches on the 9PM ET pay-per-view broadcast. "He's a young guy, upcoming. But when I started fighting for the first time, he was still on his mother's lap." www.mma.fanhouse.com

Little known King Mo says he can beat Fedor

2009-07-24 08:18:10

Friday, July 24, 2009 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com Vitor Belfort, Bobby Lashley, Brett Rogers, Tom Erickson, Jeff Monson, Don Frye, and even... Tank Abbott?! Well, now you can add Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal to the list of fighters that want to step in for Josh Barnett to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1. And who can blame him? According to a report from Dave Meltzer of Yahoo! Sports, multiple sources say that Affliction is dangling a $500,000 carrot in front of potential opponents. “Man, I want that fight,” Mo said Thursday night on MMAWeekly Radio. “History has shown Fedor’s had problems with smaller athletic guys that he fights. Bigger guys, he just rolls right through ’em. The smaller guys, or the guys that can move real well, give him problems.” King Mo would definitely fit into the category of smaller, athletic fighters. He has floated around between 185 and 205 pounds in his professional career, which is marked by four wins and no defeats. But it is his fighting style and attitude that Mo believes makes him a good opponent for Fedor. “I want that fight because I think I can win. I can beat this dude. Granted, he’s got heavy hands. Everybody has flaws. Styles make fights,” he stated repeatedly. “I can see my style causing him a lot of problems. www.mmaweekly.com

Don Frye vs. Mo Lawal to Headline M-1 "Breakthrough" on August 28 in L.A.

2009-07-23 20:13:25

M-1 Global officials announced on Thursday the birth of its new premium fight series, "M-1 Breakthrough." Officially titled "M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough," the first event has been scheduled for Friday, Aug. 28 and will be held in conjunction with the IMMAE in Los Angeles, Calif. at the Convention Center. The event will be televised live on HDNet and headlined by MMA legend and former UFC champion Don "The Predator" Frye (20-7-1) taking on former NCAA champion "King" Mo Lawal (4-0) and devastating French striking phenom Karl "Psycho" Amoussou (10-2-1) going against former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion Nick "The Goat" Thompson (38-11-1). M-1, which also produces and promotes the M-1 Challenge and M-1 Selection fight series, will promote its first-ever major show televised live in the United States with "Breakthrough." In addition to the two co-main events, five other fights showcasing the best and brightest of the M-1 Challenge will also air on HDNet. "The title 'Breakthrough' represents M-1 Global's ongoing quest to expose new talent to different International markets," said Joost Raimond, Chief Operating Officer of M-1 Global. "With this event, we are proud that we are able to bring fight fans the U.S. debuts of both Mo Lawal and Karl Amoussou." In addition to being a former NCAA Division II amateur wrestling champion, Lawal was also a Division I All-American at Oklahoma State University, a powerhouse that has produced the likes of former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Randy Couture, current UFC middleweight Jake Rosholt, former NCAA champion and current UFC light heavyweight Mark Munoz, and three-time NCAA champion and current UFC welterweight Johny Hendricks. A 2008 hopeful for the U.S. Olympic team, Lawal made his professional mixed martial arts debut in Tokyo, Japan on Sept. 28, 2009 and defeated former YAMMA heavyweight champion Travis Wiuff via TKO in just 2:11. He has fought three more times in Japan under the Sengoku banner and has posted wins over Fabio Silva, Yukiya Naito, and Ryo Kawamura. On Aug. 28 in LA at "M-1 Global Presents Breakthrough," he will be facing his biggest test to date in Frye. Frye, a sure-fire MMA Hall of Famer who has a role in the summer blockbuster Public Enemies, is considered one of the most prolific fighters ever to compete in MMA. He made his pro debut in 1996 at UFC 8, where he recorded what to this day is still tied for the fastest victory in UFC history following his eight second knockout of Thomas Ramirez. A winner of both the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments, Frye holds notable wins over in his career against UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, Gary Goodridge, Gilbert Yvel, and street fighting pioneer Tank Abbott. His most recent win took place on May 2 in Lubbock, Texas following his first round submission of Ritch Moss. The Lawal vs. Frye showdown at "M-1 Breakthrough" will serve also serve battle of Oklahoma State alumni. Before entering MMA, Frye was a standout wrestler in college, originally competing at Arizona State and later transferring to OSU. In addition to his wrestling experience, he also holds a second degree black belt in Judo and has competed as a professional boxer. "M-1 Breakthrough" will also mark Amoussou's first-ever appearance in the U.S. The younger brother of former PRIDE competitor Bertrand Amoussou, the 23-year has a well-earned reputation for being one of the middleweight division's most dangerous fighters. Featured in 2008 as a staple of the M-1 Challenge on HDNet, Amoussou's charisma and highlight-reel knockouts recently earned him the honor of being named as Sherdog's number one rated European MMA prospect. "Aug. 28 at M-1 Breakthrough will be Amoussou's coming out party," stated M-1 Global V.P. of Talent Relations Apy Echteld. "He's a well-known commodity with hardcore fans but has been a well-kept secret from the mainstream for too long. A lot of well-known middleweights were afraid to accept this fight but Nick Thompson was confident enough in his own abilities to step up and move from welterweight." In addition to being the former BodogFIGHT welterweight champion, Thompson, a fighter who doubles as a licensed attorney in the state of Minnesota, has also competed for the UFC and EliteXC. A standout wrestler that has become a respected boxer while training out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Thompson holds notable wins in his career over current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, former EliteXC star Paul Daley, current UFC welterweight Chris Wilson, and current UFC lightweight Josh Neer. Ticket information as well as the complete lineup for the event, will be updated regularly on www.M-1Global.com. ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL AND THE "M-1 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION:" M-1 Global has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts organizations in the world for over a decade. International MMA stars who have fought under the M-1 banner have included Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Karl Amoussou, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Daisuke Nakamura, Keith Jardine, Alistair Overeem, Yushin Okami, Ben Rothwell, Mike Pyle, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zenstov, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, and Chalid Arrab, to name a few. Billed as the "World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts," the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events sponsored by partner Affliction that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 80 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. The "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction" affords MMA prospects all over the world an opportunity to test their skills, gain valuable experience at the international level, and become future stars in the sport of MMA. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge's international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as Affliction Entertainment.

Jeff Monson: "My name's in the mix" for Affliction fight with Fedor Emelianenko

2009-07-23 12:52:34

by Dann Stupp on Jul 23, 2009 at 2:00 pm ET Add another name to the list of potential "Affliction: Trilogy" opponents for Fedor Emelianenko (30-1), who lost original opponent Josh Barnett (24-5) on Wednesday because of a failed drug test. Former top UFC heavyweight contender Jeff Monson (31-8) today joined MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) and said he's under consideration for the open slot on the Aug. 1 card. "My name's in the mix to fight Fedor," Monson said. Emelianenko's fight headlines Affliction's third show, which takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and airs on pay-per-view. MMAjunkie.com reported on Wednesday that middleweight Vitor Belfort, currently slated to fight Jorge Santiago on the "Trilogy" main card, has agreed to the fight with Emelianenko, assuming financial terms can be agreed upon. Trainer Shawn Tompkins has even go as far as saying Belfort has signed for the fight, though no official announcement has been made. However, earlier today at a press conference in Moscow, Vadim Finkelchtein, M-1 Global president and Emelianenko's manager, said they would rather the Russian fighter take on Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers. (However, Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz told MMAjunkie.com on Wednesday that neither Rogers nor fellow Strikeforce heavyweight Fabricio Werdum would be loaned out for the Affliction fight.) So how serious are Affliction's discussions with Monson? www.mmajunkie.com

Jason High Talks About DREAM.10, Andre Galvao and Marius Zaromskis

2009-07-23 09:16:25

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate. DREAM.10 was a night where two underdogs beat what was said to be insurmountable odds to make it to the finals of the Welterweight Grand Prix. Marius Zaromskis was believed to be a sacrificial lamb for the tournament favorite, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, but the Lithuanian had different plans. Marius exchanged with his opponent and eventually landed a devastating head kick that ended Sakurai's night early. On the other side of the bracket, Jason High came in with most people thinking that Andre Galvao's ground game would be too much for him to handle. The "KCbandit" proved them wrong as he got the better of the stand-up and fought off several submission attempts en route to a decision victory that earned him a spot in the finals. In the final, Jason High was matched up against a relatively fresher fighter, in Marius Zaromskis. Jason tried for a takedown and a submission before Marius got to his feet and landed a vicious head kick that ended the fight. Two straight head kick finishes made Marius Zaromskis the new DREAM Welterweight Champion. I spoke with the finalist, Jason High, and he answered a few questions about the DREAM Welterweight GP: www.bloodyelbow.com

Josh Barnett issues brief statement

2009-07-23 09:10:42

July 23, 2009 by Staff On Wednesday, the California State Athletic Commission released a statement to the press confirming reports that Josh Barnett would not be granted a renewal of his license in anticipation of his Aug. 1 heavyweight title fight vs. champion Fedor Emelianenko during Affliction and M-1’s “Trilogy” event. The reason for Barnett not being granted a license was due to the fact that he has allegedly tested positive for the use of anabolic steroids. Up until now, Barnett had yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter. However, he posted the following comments regarding the matter late Wednesday night on his official MySpace account: www.fiveouncesofpain.com

Fedor responds to Barnett controversy - wants fight with Brett Rogers

2009-07-23 09:08:28

Jul 23rd, 2009 by promma. Fedor Emelianenko along with his manager and M-1 Global owner and president Vadim Finkelchtein held a press conference with the Russian media on Thursday to address recent developments regarding the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion’s Aug. 1 fight at “Affliction: Trilogy.” Fedor was originally scheduled to face Josh Barnett in the main event, however, with the fight only a week away, Barnett has been pulled from the card after testing positive for steroids. Fedor spoke about his feelings regarding the incident, “I feel disappointed about this situation. But I will fight anyone who Affliction puts in front of me. I know a lot of fans waited for this fight to happen and I am sorry for them. I can’t do much about it now but I am in good shape, my training has been good and continues to go well.” Finkelchtein is confident they will have a replacement for Barnett by the end of the day. “By the end of the evening we expect to officially announce who’ll be the replacement for Barnett,” said Finkelchtein. “Vitor Belfort agreed to come in principle.” www.promma.info

Hominick is back in action at Affliction

2009-07-23 08:59:57

Thursday, July 23, 2009 - by Mick Hammond - MMAWeekly.com It’s been nearly a year since 145-pound contender Mark Hominick last stepped into the ring. Illness an injury derailed a promising comeback Hominick had begun after defeating Savant Young at the first Affliction event in July of 2008. Now finally healthy, Hominick returns to Affliction to continue what he started, this time against former IFL fighter Deividas Taurosevicious at the promotion’s August 1 “Trilogy” show in Anaheim. “I’m pumped just to be part of history again,” exclaimed Hominick. “Training’s been going really well. I’ve been training at Xtreme Couture’s in Las Vegas with (Shawn) Tompkins and the boys and I’m ready to rock.” Having spent much of the last year unable to fight, Hominick kept busy developing his game in efforts to become more than just a fighter fans consider a muay thai guy. www.mmaweekly.com

Dream 10 Pictures

2009-07-23 08:52:42

Thursday, July 23, 2009 Marius Zaromskis knocked out Hayato Sakurai and Jason High en route to capturing the Dream welterweight grand prix and the promotion’s divisional title. Daniel Herbertson was ringside at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo to photograph the action for Sherdog.com. www.sherdog.com

Not Again! Josh Barnett tests positive for steroids

2009-07-22 16:19:14

July 22, 2009 by Cory Brady Josh Barnett has tested positive for the use of steroids for the second time in his professional fighting career and will not be allowed to compete in his expected heavyweight clash against Fedor Emelianenko at “Affliction Trilogy“. It had been reported that Barnett was scratched from the card earlier today due to failing a drug test, and the news of his test coming back positive for steroids was recently revealed by Mike Straka from Fox Fight Game. It is expected that the positive testing for steroids will come with a lengthy suspension from competition in the United States for Barnett. This was the first time that the California State Athletic Commission has held out of competition testing. www.fiveouncesofpain.com

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Chris Horodecki vs. Nate Lamotte from the IFL

2009-07-22 13:48:37

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm ET In anticipation of next week's "Affliction: Trilogy" event and the fighter's bout with Dan Lauzon, IFL veteran Chris Horodecki is featured in this week's installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault. In our "fight of the week" feature, we watch an April 2008 bout between Horodecki, a 21-year-old MMA prodigy who was coming off his first career loss, and dangerous ground fighter Nate Lamotte. Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions and shocking finishes are the norm for this weekly feature, and the Horodecki vs. Lamotte fight is no exception. Horodecki entered the bout with an 11-1 record. The lone loss came in his previous fight with Ryan Schultz at the IFL's World Grand Prix Finals. Horodecki had beaten Schultz (via TKO) in their first meeting two years earlier, but Schultz picked up the decision win the second time around. Could Horodecki shake off the sting of his first loss, or would Lamotte (7-2 at the time) pick up his fifth straight win and his first victory in the IFL? Check out the embedded clip for the answer. www.mmajunkie.com

Trilogy Conference Call

2009-07-22 13:30:50

by Kid Nate on Jul 22, 2009 4:20 PM EDT On today's Affliction: Trilogy conference call, Tom Atencio said "this has been a complete surprise to us. If the results (of Barnett's test) stand, we are deeply disappointed." Beau Dure asked if Josh Barnett's test could be overturned. It was Atencio's understanding that the CSAC had taken two samples and are now testing the second sample provided at the initial testing. Franklin McNeil asked if Vitor Belfort would be fighting Fedor. Atencio answered that until he had signed contracts in hand he would not be making any announcements. Michael David Smith asked if it was difficult or easy to get an opponent to sign to fight Fedor and if Fedor and his management were going to exercise a veto on potential opponents. Atencio said Fedor is ready to fight anyone and that it is not a problem to find an opponent, but they are looking for the BEST possible opponent. Mike Straka asked if they were talking to other organizations about bringing in outside fighters. Atencio said that he had been talking to Strikeforce but that there had been no discussions with the UFC. Adam Wagner asked if Josh Barnett's second sample comes back positive, how will that affect your relationship with him? Atencio said it won't impact the relationship but it will be "something that will be on Josh" and that the real meaning will be that "he won't be able to fight in my organization anymore." www.bloodyelbow.com

With Barnett out, Belfort makes verbal commitment to face Emelianenko at "Trilogy"

2009-07-22 09:40:37

by John Morgan on Jul 22, 2009 at 12:20 pm ET LAS VEGAS – It's official: Josh Barnett (24-5) has been removed from his "Affliction: Trilogy" main-event bout with Fedor Emelianenko (30-1). Affliction exec Tom Atencio confirmed the news this morning with AOL FanHouse, citing a positive test for a banned substance that will prevent Barnett from receiving a license to compete on the Aug.1 event in Anaheim, Calif. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has since learned from sources close to the negotiations that middleweight Vitor Belfort (18-8) has verbally agreed to the bout, and negotiations are currently in progress to finalize the financial terms of the deal. Should Belfort's management and Affliction officials agree to terms, an official announcement is expected to be made sometime today. www.mmajunkie.com

Update: Fedor-Barnett Bout in Jeopardy

2009-07-22 08:42:20

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com) Affliction Entertainment and M-1 Global are looking for a new opponent to face Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction “Trilogy” on Aug. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Multiple sources have told Sherdog.com that the California State Athletic Commission will not license Josh Barnett after a positive test result. Calls to Affliction Entertainment were not immediately returned. The CSAC said a comprehensive statement would be issued Wednesday. www.sherdog.com