MMA EXPLOSION ® 兵務庁の爆発

Ex Boxing Champ James Toney Signs with UFC

2010-03-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

MMA Weekly has reported that former boxing champion James Toney is headed to mixed martial arts after the 1991 and 2003 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC on Wednesday.

The signing was first reported by FiveOuncesofPain.com, and confirmed to MMAFighting.com's Mike Chiappetta by UFC president Dana White, as well.

Toney's signing marks the first time a high profile boxer has been featured in the UFC since Zuffa, LLC took over ownership. Other professional boxers have made the move into MMA in the past with extremely mixed results.

During his boxing career, Toney amassed a record of 72-6-3, with 44 knockouts, while winning titles in several different weight classes.

White has been open to the idea of signing Toney, but the two have gone back and forth over the last few months with the boxer stating that financially there were issues with him signing on to compete in the Octagon.

It obviously appears that whatever negotiation blockades previously hindered the deal have been lifted, and the 41-year-old Toney will look to revive his combat sports career in the UFC.

Controversy has followed Toney in his career. The boxer has twice tested positive for illegal substances following his fights. In 2005, Toney tested positive for steroids by the New York Athletic Commission, and again in 2007 by the California State Athletic Commission. Both resulted in Toney's suspension from the sport.

There has been no official word about when Toney may make his UFC debut, and at this time there's been no confirmation where the boxer will do his MMA training to prepare for his first fight.

Strikeforce Bout Confirmed: Bigfoot vs. Arlovski

2010-03-02T19:27:00.001-08:00

Tatame and many other websites reported this morning that one time EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva was rumored to fight Andrei Arlovski in Strikeforce. According to Alex Davis, Silva’s manager, the fight is on. “We wanted to fight Brett Rogers, but he didn’t wanted to fight ‘Bigfoot’”, Alex said. “Arlovski is a great opponent, a victory over him puts Antonio in a great situation. Our goal is to fight against the champion or Fedor”.

Josh Barnett to Fight March 22nd

2010-03-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Report: Josh Barnett's Dream debut set for March 22 - MMA Fighting Stances: Mixed martial arts intelligence from the cage and ring - USATODAY.com

Heavyweight ex-champion Josh Barnett finally will return to action in less than three weeks in Japan, if online reports are correct.

Barnett has signed a deal to fight for Dream starting on March 22, according to MMA Weekly. The former Ultimate Fighting Championships titleholder and Pride Fighting Championships veteran last competed in January 2009, when he defeated Gilbert Yvel.

Word about Barnett's possible return to mixed martial arts competition has been leaking out in recent weeks. Dream has been trying to find an opponent for him, with MMAjunkie.com reporting last week that Tim Sylvia turned down a bout.

Barnett's cachet in the United States has suffered since he tested positive for a banned substance last year, resulting in the denial of a license to fight in California. That nixed a scheduled fight with Fedor Emelianenko and ultimately led to the cancellation of Affliction Entertainment's show in August.

It was the second time that a laboratory result has hurt Barnett's career. In 2002 he was suspended by Nevada for six months and stripped of his UFC title belt after a positive test for steroids. Barnett also reportedly tested positive in 2001 before Nevada started imposing penalties.

Barnett has stayed busy training other fighters, doing pro wrestling shows in Japan and competing in grappling tournaments. Despite his lack of MMA activity over the last 13 months, Barnett continues to be rated highly — he's No. 12 in the latest edition of the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus rankings.

Strikeforce Nashville: Poster, Tickets, + Other Info

2010-03-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

STRIKEFORCE: APRIL 17, 2010 ON CBS
Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee

Main Bouts (On CBS):
-Jake Shields (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
-Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (6-0)
-Shinya Aoki (23-4) vs. Gilbert Melendez (17-2)
- Optional Prelim Swing Bout

Prelim Bouts:
Antwain Britt (11-3) vs TBA (Feijao or Rosa)

Quote:

Strikeforce and CBS officials told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) the broadcast will run approximately two hours with apparent room to run over the allotted time if needed.

The San Jose, Calif.-based promotion is aiming high for the event's main card with no less than three title fights scheduled for the televised portion of the evening.

Tickets:
Strikeforce Nashville - Henderson vs Shields tickets Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN, Directions, seating chart. Official Ticketmaster site.

$25-$250 dollars.

Champ Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers May 15

2010-03-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

MMA Junkie has reported that Alistair Overeem (32-11 MMA, 2-0 SF) wants American fans to get ready. There are no more obstacles in the way of his American MMA career; Strikeforce is the priority for 2010.

In an exclusive interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said he is likely to meet Brett Rogers (10-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) in a non-title fight on an as-yet-unannounced card set for May 15 in St. Louis, Mo.

Although Strikeforce has not placed an event permit request to the Missouri State Athletic Commission, all signs point to a second trip to the 22,000-seat Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

The promotion made its first visit there this past June for "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler."

Overeem announced the Rogers fight earlier today on his Twitter account but clarified that the matchup is not confirmed. He also added that a rumored appearance at DREAM.13 against Neil Grove or Josh Barnett is also unconfirmed.

"I'll know this week," he said.

Keeping up with the Dutch fighter's schedule has proven a difficult task for American fans. Overeem was slated to face Rogers at "Strikeforce: Shields vs. Lawler" in 2009 before he injured his hand in an Amsterdam nightclub brawl and suffered severe complications, which he said shelved him for a follow-up appearance two months later against Fabricio Werdum at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg."

Just 11 days after the proposed Werdum fight, Overeem entered the 2009 K-1 Grand Prix and made two appearances for the kickboxing promotion before he lost to Badr Hari in the tournament's semifinals. Along the way, he picked up two MMA wins (via submission over Tony Sylvester and James Thompson) before he defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in his most recent appearance at the Dec. 31 "Dynamite!! 2009" event in Japan.

Overeem has not defended his title since November 2007, when he won the vacant belt by defeating Paul Buentello at "Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives."

Overeem's manager, Bas Boon, said his fighter made far more money competing for K-1 and assured American fans he will return in April or May. Boon, though, would not confirm the Rogers bout.

Meanwhile, Overeem said he hopes to fight in the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix but that Strikeforce obligations come first.

"If I can do K-1 after these fights or in between, that's OK, but if not, then I will go for Strikeforce," he said. "It's been too long. Last year was a good year in K-1, but this year, I want to fight in MMA."

The chance of a long-rumored fight with Fedor Emelianenko appears to be a longshot. Emelianenko will not appear on Strikeforce's second CBS-televised event, which is set for April 17 in Nashville, Tenn., and he is currently in a contract dispute with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion. He is rumored to be fighting on the May 15 card against an unnamed opponent.

While Overeem counts the top-ranked Russian among his targets stateside, there is too much red tape between them.

"Fedor doesn't want to fight," Overeem said. "His manager doesn't want to fight. That's basically the message I'm getting out of all of this. The management said, 'Yeah, we want to fight Alistair, but first, Alistair must fight somebody else.' Basically, you need two parties to agree on a fight. Otherwise it's not going to happen.

"And now, I don't know what is going to happen because I think [Fedor] might want to leave Strikeforce. I'm not really occupied with the situation; I'm just focused on myself and my training."

Overeem was more than happy, though, to take on Rogers, who has called him out on several occasions and demanded he defend his title or give up the belt.

"He's an excellent opponent," Overeem said. "I'm looking forward to [smacking] his face and his loud mouth. I'm really happy that Strikeforce came with this fight so now we can settle things once and for all."

Rogers manager, Mike Reilly, declined to comment on a potential fight between Rogers and Overeem.

"I don't think it's going to be for the title because [Brett] lost to Fedor," Overeem said. "He’s coming off a loss, so I don't think they're going to put it for the title, but it's up to the promotion."

Rogers fights for the first time since his November loss to Emelianenko at Strikeforce's first CBS-televised event. The TKO defeat snapped his 10-fight win streak (all of the wins came via stoppage due to strikes), which included Strikeforce victories over Abongo Humphrey and Andrei Arlovski.

After a long absence, Overeem intends to prove his critics wrong and make his mark once again in the U.S.

"If people take the time to look what the situation is, there's no secrets; there's no strange stuff going on," he said. "I can look you in the face and answer your questions. Then they'll see that things turn out the way they turn out.

"There are no obstacles for me."

Tim Sylvia to face Mariusz Pudzianowski April 23rd.

2010-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

A matchup between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia and five-time “World’s Strongest Man” Mariusz Pudzianowski is scheduled to headline an April 23 event in Worcester, Massachusetts near Boston, according to the Boston Herald.

The card, co-promoted by Eric “Butterbean” Esch and Korean-based promotion Moosin, is also slated to include UFC veterans Rich Clementi, Yves Edwards, and Houston Alexander.

Sylvia (25-6) hasn’t fought since snapping a three-fight losing streak, which included an 9-second knockout to Ray Mercer, with a first-round TKO of Jason Riley. Another fight also awaits “The Maine-iac,” as a rematch with fellow UFC veteran Wes Sims, turned down for March in Ohio, is now expected to take place on June 5 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

Pudzianowski (1-0) made his MMA debut in December, forcing former boxer Marcin Najman to submit to strikes in just 43-seconds.

Will this be the first death in MMA?

Aleks Emelianenko wins Sambo Championship

2010-02-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

Aleks wins the Russian combat Sambo Championship today with Kiril taking 2nd. Fedor competed but pulled out with a hand injury.

Originally I was going on this

"Fedor Emelianeko took 5th place in the Russian Sambo Chamionship today, he withdrew from the competion with a minor hand injury"

"with Fedor's absence Aleks Emelianeko was first and Kiril Sidelnikov second"

Those are tweets posted from the MMArocks.pl guy on twitter

MMAROCKS (mmarocks_pl) on Twitter

Since then I've got some new info, including this thread from UG

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma....thread=1599703

In the final Aleks beat Sidelnikov on points 12-0. Aleksander KO'd two other guys and choked one more.

Strikeforce - Fedor vs Rogers Punch Sound

2010-02-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

Strikeforce - Fedor vs Rogers. Taken from the 6th row. Listen for the punch.

UFC 110 Complete Results

2010-02-21T17:56:00.000-08:00

The full UFC 110 results are below.

PPV Bouts

Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via first-round TKO

Wanderlei SIlva def. Michael Bisping by unanimous decision
George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision
Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine via third-round TKO
Mirko Cro Cop def. Anthony Perosh via second-round TKO

Preliminary Bouts

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonnar via third-round TKO
Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster via first-round submission (kneebar)
CB Dollaway def. Goran Reljic via unanimous decision
James Te Huna def. Igor Pokrajac via third-round TKO

The Emelianenko Brothers 2010 Sambo Tourny

2010-02-21T17:51:00.000-08:00

Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko competed in the 2010 World Combat Sambo Championships this past weekend. Fedor won both of his fights and pulled out because of a reported minor hand injury. Aleksander won the championship.

Aleksander Emelianenko winning in the finals by points. (Aleks in blue)

One of Fedor's match-ups. (Fedor in red)

Barnett to Fight in 2010

2010-02-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

MMA Fan House has reported that MMA heavyweight Josh Barnett says he's planning to return from a second positive steroid test to resume his MMA career in 2010.

Barnett made the comments during an interview on The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo.

"Definitely something's going to happen this year," Barnett said. Barnett tested positive for steroids in June 2009 during a test to renew his California fighter's license. The outcome changed the course of MMA history, as Barnett, who was scheduled to fight Fedor Emelianenko at July's Affliction III, was unable to compete, and Affliction eventually canceled the show and close their promotion.

The 32-year-old has a career record of 32-5, and holds wins over notables including Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Pedro Rizzo.

But while Barnett seemed confident he would return during the calendar year, he didn't seem quite as sure about where he'd end up. He confirmed he'd talked to Strikeforce, but declined to give any details on their talks.

"As soon as any promotion out there stops bull----ing and comes correct, that's all," Barnett responded when asked when he'd fight again. "If they want me to fight, all they got to do is step up to the plate, throw me an opportunity and don't put something in front of me that's a slap in my face or ridiculous."

Barnett is still considered by some MMA outlets to be a top 10 heavyweight despite not fighting in over one year and despite his past issues. Barnett also tested positive in 2002, after beating Couture for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 36. He was stripped of the title and never again fought in the UFC.

Fedor: Lesnar? Who?

2010-02-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

Fedor Emelianenko made a recent appearance in Kiev, Ukraine, in which he was asked the question every MMA fan wants the answer to: Will he ever fight Brock Lesnar?

Aleksander Emelianenko to Fight Tengiz Tedoradze

2010-02-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Aleksander Emelianenko could be back in action in the coming months with a fight in the French capital of Paris, Fighters Only was told by a European source this morning. His opponent is rumoured to be former Cage Rage heavyweight champion Tengiz Tedoradze.

No date or venue has been reported for the bout, which is said to be only in the talking stages at present. Emelianenko has not competed in MMA since March last year. His planned move in the US market stalled after he was pulled at short notice from Affliction’s first show in 2008. The reasons for his removal have been the subject of endless rumour but no definite reason has ever been stated.

Tedoradze held the Cage Rage heavyweight belt in 2007 and holds wins over James Thompson and UFC referee Marc Goddard. He has also fought and lost to Fabricio Werdum, Jeff Monson and Antonio Silva.

Tengiz’s nationality lends an interesting aspect to the fight. He hails from Georgia, a breakaway republic that was once part of Russia’s Soviet Union. Georgia and Russia recently had a brief war in 2008 when the region of South Ossetia - which Georgia claims sovereignty over - tried to devolve and claim independence.

Georgia sent troops into South Ossetia to reclaim the territory and Russia immediately sent its own troops to fight them off. Aleksander also travelled to the region to show what he termed his “solidarity with Ossetian comrades”.

Despite having relocated to the UK, Tedoradze is a former bodyguard to the Georgian president and fiercely proud of his roots. The fight could be a battle of national pride with memories of 2008’s war still strong in the minds of both men.

Fabricio Werdum Kicks Reporter in the Leg!

2010-02-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

Aaron Tru and Michael Mardones were at the Affliction training center and caught up with Fabricio Werdum, who will be next in line to take on the #1 Fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.

Strikeforce Miami Results - 01-30-10

2010-01-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

MAIN CARD

Nick Diaz def.. Marius Zaromskis via TKO Rouind 1 4:38 and New Strikeforce Welterweight Champion

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos def. Marloes Coenen via TKO Round 3 3:43
Robbie Lawler def Melvin Manhoef via KO Round 1 3:53
Bobby Lashley def. Wes Sims via TKO Round 1 2:06
Herschel Walker def. Greg Nagy via TKO Round 3 2:13

PRELIMINARY CARD (broadcast on EASportsMMA.com)

Jay Hieron def. Joe Riggs via unanimous decision

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

Pablo Alfonso def. Marcos DaMatta via armbar Round 1 1:47
Michael Byrnes def. David Zitnik via majority decision
John Kelly def. Sabah Homasi via RNC Round 1 2:48
David Gomez def. Craig Oxley via unanimous decision 30-27 on all cards
Hayder Hassan def. Ryan Keenan via TKO Round 2 2:42
Joe Ray def. John Clarke via TKO Round 1 3:14

Backstage Footage at Strikeforce Miami

2010-01-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

Fighters warm up for Strikeforce Miami!

Strikeforce Miami Weigh-in Results + Photos + Video

2010-01-29T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here are the Strikeforce: Miami weigh-in results for the entire card:

Televised Card

Bobby Lashley (252.25 pounds) vs. Wes Sims (258.25)
Melvin Manhoef (185.75) vs. Robbie Lawler (185.75)
Herschel Walker (214.25) vs. Greg Nagy (210.5)
Marloes Coenen (143.75) vs. Cris Cyborg (144.5)
Marius Zaromskis (169) vs. Nick Diaz (169.5)

Non-televised card

Jay Hieron (170.25) vs. Joe Riggs (170.5) (Airs on EASportsMMA.com)
Pablo Alfonso (139.25) vs. Marcos Damatta (139.75)
David Zitnik (154) vs. Michael Byrnes (154.5)
Sabah Homasi (171.5) vs. John Kelly (170.5)
Craig Oxley (144.75) vs. David Gomez (144)
Ryan Keenan (168) vs. Hayder Hassan (170.5)
John Clarke (169.75) vs. Joe Ray (169.75)

Strikeforce: Miami Betting Odds

2010-01-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

Main Bouts:

Nick Diaz (20-7) -210 vs. Marius Zaromskis (13-3) +170 [welterweight title]

Cristiane Santos (8-1) vs. Marloes Coenen (17-3) [featherweight title]

Melvin Manhoef (24-6-1) -200 vs. Robbie Lawler (16-5) +160

Herschel Walker (0-0) -500 vs. Greg Nagy (1-1) +300

Bobby Lashley (4-0) vs. TBA

Preliminary Bouts:
Jay Hieron (18-4) -325 vs. Joe Riggs (32-10) +250

KOTC poster for New Mexico Friday 02-12-2010

2010-01-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

New KOTC poster for New Mexico Friday 02-12-2010

Nick Diaz Video Interview - Strikeforce Miami

2010-01-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

Nick talks about fighting for the belt, his recent time away from the cage, his frustrations with MMA judging, why he believes he can beat Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva and whether he feels as though he has unfinished business in the UFC. The full video interview is below.

Strikeforce on CBS - Fedor, Mousasi, Hendo!!

2010-01-28T22:53:00.000-08:00

Confirmed by 5thRound.com

Strikeforce on CBS

When: April 17, 2010

Where: TBD

How: CBS

Who:

Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields (Strikeforce Middleweight Champion)
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Gegard Mousasi (Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion)
Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko (WAMMA Heavyweight Champion)

ESPN Interviews Bobby Lashley (Jan 28th)

2010-01-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Jon Robinson for ESPN has interviewed Strikeforce heavyweight talks about signing with EA for their new video game, a potential showdown against Fedor, and the bank robbery that changed his life.

Bobby Lashley now has two ways to put opponents to sleep … at least virtually.

First there's the old-school way, the professional wrestling way, taking Lashley's old WWE character and smacking fools around the ring in a dated version of "Smackdown." But now fans of "The Boss" have a new way to knock people senseless, more representative of the new Lashley and his current passion for making opponents lose their will not by script but by brute force, as EA Sports is set to announce the addition of Bobby Lashley to its upcoming "MMA" video game.

"It's cool that I can play as myself in two different kinds of video games now," Lashley tells me over the phone as we talk MMA. "I can either wrestle as myself or fight with myself. I just hope that EA Sports rates me like a 95 or a 96 overall. I hate to lose."

In addition to Lashley, EA Sports is also announcing deals with a few other Strikeforce fighters to appear in the game, including Nick Diaz, Marius Zaromskis, Joe Riggs and Melvin Manhoef.

"Hopefully this means EA will send us some free games," Lashley laughs. "I'm big into the sports games like Madden and Tiger. But from what I've seen of EA's 'MMA' so far, it looks amazing. I had the chance to go down to EA and check it out when it was in its infant stages, but it looks really cool. I think it's really going to blow out our competitor's game."

Jon Robinson: WWE gave you fame and fortune. Why walk away from all the success you were building there and try your hand at MMA?

Bobby Lashley: At the time, I was dealing with some issues with WWE, and at the same time, the schedule was definitely part of it. Being in the wrestling business, it was a whole lot to deal with in a short amount of time. I went from amateur wrestling one minute to the next minute I'm traveling the world and I'm on the road 250 days a year. I think it was more of a shock to me and I wasn't really used to it. I wanted to more step away rather than step completely out.

Robinson: Before you were in WWE, you were training for the Olympics, until you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and almost ended up dead in a bank robbery. Can you explain the scene of what happened and how it altered your career?

Lashley: It was madness. I was actually just going to deposit some money into my account and as soon as I got in line for the teller, I heard a loud "bang" noise. When I heard that, I saw the people in front of me take a dive, and when I saw them dive I dove down also, but on my way down I heard another bang. When I hit the ground, I couldn't hear, and the whole side of my face and my eyes were burning. It happened so quick, I thought I got shot, so everything was crazy for a few minutes. Then when my hearing started coming back, I heard another loud bang, and when I heard that bang I started moving forward, but then I decided just to freeze and not move because I could tell what was going on with all the screaming. But when I was down on the ground, I hated it because I just felt like a target down there. I lay down there for about another 15 minutes, and then finally when the robbers had left, the bank president came out to make sure everyone was all right. But when I got up, I realized that I had landed bad on my knee. When I dove down, my knee hit the ground, which was just carpet over industrialized concrete, and I busted my knee open so bad it ended my amateur wrestling career.

What's crazy about this is after this happened, the doctor told me I needed surgery and was going to be out six to eight months, and the Olympic trials were in eight months. So after the surgery, I was sitting on the couch with my knee in excruciating pain and I had to go back to the hospital and they had to put me in surgery again which took me out another six months, and that means that now, I'm out way past the Olympic trials. So there I am again, just sitting on the couch with my leg in a brace and I hadn't walked in months, when I get a call from WWE. They were asking me if I could come in for a tryout. But it was crazy because I didn't want them to know that I had the surgery, so I told them sure; went down, took off my leg brace and went through the tryout for about a week. When I left, they called me back and offered me a contract. That's the short version of the story, but every day I was down there we were running, doing fireman's carries, learning how to tie-up, and I was just gritting my teeth and bearing it, acting like I wasn't hurt. But every night I would go back to the hotel and I was almost in tears as I wrapped my knee up in ice and prayed that I could make it another day.

I guess you can look at the bank robbery as almost a blessing in disguise. During the robbery, I thought I was done. After 18 years of wrestling, I thought it was all thrown away right there. But then WWE called me and changed the course of my life.

Robinson: Why did you decide to sign with Strikeforce?

Lashley: I was training hard and had my four fights. Then I took a little break after my fourth fight, and I was doing some contract negotiations with a couple of different organizations, but then [Scott] Coker came through and put together a great offer with a great company. Another reason I wanted to sign with Strikeforce is that they have the No. 1 heavyweight. Fedor [Emelianenko] is the No. 1 heavyweight right now, he's unstoppable, so if you want to go somewhere, you want to make sure you have the caliber of competition you need. Fedor is there, Fabricio Werdum, Brett Rogers … there are a lot of guys, so it's going to be fun.

Robinson: I was at the Fedor/Rogers fight. For a second there, I thought Rogers was going to pull off the upset.

Lashley: I know. The myth almost got broke.

Robinson: How far off do you see a potential Lashley/Fedor main event?

Lashley: Coming in to this, I always said that I wanted to take my time, and I still do want to take my time, but I'm not 21-years-old, so I can't take too much time. Hopefully by next year I should be able to get that title shot if everything works out right.

Robinson: You're not only fighting for Strikeforce, but you're also wrestling for TNA. Is it tough to see A.J. Styles walk around with the championship belt knowing that you could just walk over at any time and pound him down for real?

Lashley: [laughs] I gotta say "no comment" on that one. A.J. Styles is great, he's a great performer, so I'm not going to take anything away from him. But when the time comes, the time will come. That's all I have to say about that one.

Robinson: Getting back to the "MMA" game, what do you think is the toughest part of MMA to capture in a video game?

Lashley: Emotion. I think that's always something that's hard to capture in any game. But if they can somehow add an aggression level and momentum, that would be huge, because when you're out there for real and you hit someone with a good shot, your aggression is going to be up and your momentum is going to be up and you're going to be rockin' and rollin'. If they could put that in the game, that would be cool.

Robinson: Can you see it in your opponent's eyes when you're starting to get the upper hand?

Lashley: Yeah, and the Rogers/Fedor fight is a prime example. When Brett was rockin', he was rockin', but Fedor stayed calm. He was waiting for his opening, then he got his one big shot in there and won it.

Robinson: You have a big fight on Saturday. How hard is it for you to train without knowing who your opponent was going to be for so long?

Lashley: It's hard training, but until I get to a level where I'm being put up against Werdum, or Fedor, or Rogers, where I have to really hone in on a fight, I'm OK with just fighting whoever on whatever notice. When I signed my contract, it was only a month and a half before my fight, so I can't expect them to have everything in place right then and there. It's not a problem to me.

Robinson: What's the best advice someone has given you about transferring your wrestling skills to MMA?

Lashley: It's just about being willing to learn and keeping an open mind. A lot of wrestlers come into it and they're just about trying to wrestle and taking their opponents down. It works, but it only works to a certain level. You really need to humble yourself to learn every aspect of the game, and that's what I'm trying to do. Being at American Top, we have great coaches in every aspect, so I can really just shut up and listen and do what they say. I think that's the best thing I can do with my career.

Mousasi Plans to Retire at the Age of 30

2010-01-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

MMA Junkie has reported that Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi has no plans to fight until his body fails him. When the 24-year-old hits the big 3-0, he's out.

With that in mind, he has set strict goals for his career's path, including a jump to heavyweight in 18 months.

Before he bulks up, though, he wants to fight six to eight times in 2010 and plans to start by fighting Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in April. He also plans to participate in a DREAM eight-man light heavyweight tournament rumored for June.

"I'm going to try to stay very busy," Mousasi told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Wednesday. "It's better to stay in shape the whole year, fight a lot, than fight and be fat again and train hard again. I don't like it. I like to be in shape the whole year, be in top shape, and then I'm going to take a break for one or two months (at the end of the year)."

By this time next year, he wants to settle permanently in Glendale, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb known for its vast Armenian population.

"I feel at home here," Mousasi said as he sat in a Hilton Hotel lounge in Universal City. "Normally, I don't like it, but I have a lot of friends. It's very easy to adapt here. I will come with my brother so I don't feel alone."

Mousasi (28-2-1 MMA, 2-0 SF) signed a new four-fight deal with DREAM this past December and started the new year off with a bang and pummeled veteran Gary Goodridge into submission at the year-end "Dynamite!! 2009" event.

"It would be awesome if I could win the (DREAM) light heavyweight title," he said of the upcoming tournament.

But when he feels his frame has filled out, Mousasi is still dead-set on competing as a heavyweight.

"It's going to take a lot of time," he said. "I have to take it step by step. I cannot put so many pounds on in a short time. First, I will be a small heavyweight, and slowly I want to put more pounds on. It will take two, three years before I'm a solid heavyweight."

On Thursday, the Armenian-born fighter meets UFC welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre in Miami for a few days of training and then heads to Las Vegas for another week with the champion and his camp. Wrestling and submissions are top priority.

"I think I can learn a lot," Mousasi said. "I think I can make it difficult [for him] in training. I don't think there's a lot I can teach him [besides] just training as hard as possible. That's what I'm going to do."

He then heads back to Amsterdam to train for the first time with K-1 kickboxing legend Peter Aerts and Anderson Silva (not that one — Anderson "Braddock" Silva, a Brazilian kickboxer).

Back home, there's opportunity to be chased outside the cage and ring.

Mousasi currently lives 30 minutes outside Amsterdam in Leiden, Netherlands, and is in the process of buying a restaurant/apartment building catered toward university students.

"It's a good deal," Mousasi said. "You cannot get bankrupt. Even in this economy – because in Holland, it's a small country, and there's always need for student rooms. There's not much room for them. If I kick one of them out, tomorrow I will have another one. Not that I would. It's a good investment."

By this time next year, the landlord could have a new nickname: "The Collector"

"Better than 'The Dreamcatcher,'" Mousasi quipped.

And seeing where his fight career is headed, he could be on the road to a big collection.

Mousasi's first Strikeforce contract, which was inked this past August following the collapse of Affliction Entertainment, bound him to the promotion for two fights (a savvy move for an in-demand prospect). He fulfilled the first by railroading Renato "Babalu" Sobral for the 205-pound title at "Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg." The second is planned for a fight with Lawal in the second installment of "Strikeforce on CBS" in mid-April. When Mousasi spoke with MMAjunkie.com, he said his management is in the process of re-negotiating his contract.

However, a well-placed source MMAjunkie.com spoke to Wednesday evening gave strong indications that Mousasi had been signed to a new long-term fight contract with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion.

"They wanted me to sign for six fights," Mousasi said of the original deal. "I didn't want that. They didn't pay me that much. But money will come. I want to grow with Strikeforce as they grow with Showtime and CBS. I think it's a good place to be.

"If I had it in my mind, like OK, I'm going to the UFC, then I would have gone. But I have a new contract with DREAM, so I'm planning to stay busy and fight in Strikeforce and Japan constantly."

It's get while the getting's good.

"I don't want to fight for too long," he said. "(At) 30, I'm finished. In my mind, (I just want) the amount of money that [would give me] a good life. Anymore than that, I don't need.

"Until I don't have the money that I want to have, I'm basically fighting to get there. Once I'm there and I'm one of the best, maybe I will fight for a place in the sport, remembered as one of the best.

"Until then, I'm basically fighting for money."

Melvin Manhoef vs Robbie Lawler Hype Video

2010-01-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Melvin Manhoef vs Robbie Lawler Pre-Fight Hype Video.

Before Anderson, Shogun, & Wandy there was PELE

2010-01-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

Jose "Pele" Landy was the first champion Chute Boxe produced.