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• Tim Sylvia vs. Fedor Emelianenko
• Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett
• Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
• Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
• Ben Rothwell vs. TBD

PRELIMINARY BOUTS

• Savant Young vs. Mark Hominick
• Ray Lamaza vs. Justin Levens
• JJ Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
• Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle

Rumored Bouts

• Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
• Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko

For the latest Affliction rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com rumors section.

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The most recognizable face in women’s mixed martial arts, the incredibly popular and talented Gina “Conviction” Carano, of Las Vegas, will be profiled on “E:60″ next Tuesday, May 13, on ESPN.

The multi-subject newsmagazine show starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Tuesday’s segment will include comments from Gina’s parents — her father, Glenn, is a former NFL quarterback — world-class women fighters Shayna Baszler and Tara LaRosa, the story behind Gina getting involved in MMA and why she stopped going to college – 18 credits short of getting her degree – and the impact of her sudden stardom.

Carano, aka “Crush” on “American Gladiators,” will fight dangerous, confident, hard-hitting Hook ‘n Shoot champion Kaitlin Young, of Minneapolis, on the first-ever MMA primetime broadcast on network television when “CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” premieres with a five-fight card on Saturday, May 31, on the CBS Television Network (9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/PT).

The highly anticipated event, presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, will originate from the Prudential Center at Newark, N.J. Doors open for the live event at 5:30 p.m. ET. The first fight is at 6:30. Tickets are on sale.

On Tuesday, May 6, “E:60″ re-played a segment on Kimbo Slice that originally ran in December 2007. “E:60″ also updated the Kimbo story later in the program with discussion of his last fight and his upcoming one. Kimbo will face England’s James “Colossus” Thompson in the CBS main event on May 31.

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Tickets for a spectacular live event, starting at $25, are available at Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (201) 507-8900, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Prudential Center box office (973) 757-6625. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET. The first live fight is at 6:30.

Among the East Coast favorites who will appear in undercard fights presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, are Philadelphians Wilson Reis (3-0), Matt Makowski (2-0), Jim Bova (3-0) and Zach Makovsky (3-1), Chris “The Story” Liguori (7-7) of Middleton, N.J., James “Binky” Jones (6-6) of Baltimore, Md., Nick “The Mad Monkey” Serra (4-2) of East Meadow, N.Y., and Andre “Gigetto” Soares (5-1) of Pinebrook, N.J.

Four of the six announced prelim bouts will be streamed live and for free at ProElite.com. Fans also can watch pre- and post-fight interviews on ProElite.com.

“From top to bottom, this fight card is totally stacked,’’ EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said. “I’m extremely proud of the fights we will be offering to those in the arena and those watching the undercard live on ProElite.com. All the fighters are matched tough.

“For some, this will be their opportunity to watch young, talented, promising fighters who they may not have had the opportunity to see before. It’s always exciting to witness and follow the emergence of new stars. And there are a lot of talented athletes on this show.’’

Kimbo Slice (2-0), Perrine, Fla., will be opposed by England’s James “Colossus’’ Thompson (10-8) in the main event of “CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS” on the CBS Television Network at 9-11 p.m. ET/PT.

In other televised fights, EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) of St. Louis, by way of Davenport, Iowa, will defend against Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (13-4) of Sacramento, Calif.; Gina Carano (5-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., faces Kaitlin Young (4-1) of Circle Pines, Minn., in a women’s fight at 140 pounds; Phil Baroni (10-9) of Long Island, N.Y., faces Joey Villasenor (25-6) of Albuquerque, N.M. in a 185-pound scrap and Brett Rogers (6-0) of Minneapolis throws down with Jon Murphy (4-2) of Minersville, Pa., in a heavyweight fight.

The Lawler-Smith fight is scheduled for five, 5-minute rounds. The others are slated for three, 5-minute sessions with the exception of Carano-Young, which is set for three, 3-minute rounds (See Fighter Pages below).

The crowd-pleasing Liguori is a one-time middleweight who now competes at 155-160. “I feel awesome at this weight,’’ he said. “I should have been a lightweight my whole career.’’

Liguori, who’s fought some good ones since turning pro in ‘02, will look to regain his winning ways against the promising Bova, who, like Liguori, signed recently with EliteXC.

Bova is a well-rounded fighter and awesome wrestler with excellent technical ability and a seemingly unlimited gas tank. He trains out of the same gym as Murphy in Minersville, Pa.

In his last start, Bova scored a 3:59, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Mark Getto on Oct. 6, 2007. Bova has won all three of his fights by submission.

The popular Serra, the younger brother of Matt Serra and the second American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under world renowned Renzo Gracie, will be opposed by the up-and-coming Makowski in what will be a top-notch 170-pound scrap.

A submission specialist, all four of Serra’s victories have been via tap out. In his last start, he submitted (armbar) Mike Varner in the second round on June 23, 2007, at Atlantic City.

Serra, whose vast skills and unique style makes for crowd-pleasing scraps, is also known for entertaining cage entrances (he wears a Mad Monkey mask and throw bananas to the crowd). But don’t be fooled by the monkey business. Serra has never been submitted or knocked out, is supremely talented and has a fierce competitive spirit. “I’ll fight anybody,’’ he said.

Makowski, who compiled an outstanding record in Muay Thai, is fundamentally sound, possesses well-rounded skills, terrific cardio and always enters the ring well prepared.

In his most recent outing, the highly regarded Makowski showed a good ground game to go with his striking en route to registering an excellent 4:01, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Muay Thai specialist Joe Schilling on Jan. 25, 2008, in Atlantic City.

Makowski has yet to be severely challenged in a pro, amateur or Muay Thai fight so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

The 140-pound Reis, who takes on Justin Robbins, has been totally dominant in his brief career, always appearing to be a class or two above his opponent.

In a fight that got off to a wild start, Reis won his EliteXC debut with a second-round submission (rear naked choke) over Zach Makovsky on Jan. 25, 2008, in Atlantic City.

A fast-rising featherweight who possesses all the right tools, Reis is only 23 but already is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. The world class grappler made Makovsky, a former Division I wrestler and respectable prospect, look pedestrian in what was expected to be a close fight.

Robbins (8-3-1), of St. Louis, has won three of his last four, including an eye-opening 0:47, first-round submission (arm triangle choke) victory over Jeff Hodges on Jan. 26, 2008.

A submission fighter, Robbins holds notable wins over Matt Jaggers and Tristan Yunker.

No stranger to big cards, Jones is putting it together at the right time. He will be seeking his third consecutive victory when he meets unbeaten Calvin Kattar (3-0).

Jones won his last two starts by impressive first-round submission (kimoura). He needed 1:59 to devalue Al Buck on March 7, 2008. The previous Jan. 25 in Atlantic City, Jones won his EliteXC debut by dominating Mark Getto en route to dispatching him at 1:12.

A victory keeps Jones in the thick of what is one of EliteXC’s deepest divisions.

New Hampshire’s Kattar is an exciting, crowd-pleasing, talented wrestler who likes to ground and pound.

In preliminary bouts that will not be streamed at ProElite.com, Makovsky meets Soares at 135 pounds and Mike Groves (0-1) of Philadelphia and Joe Sampieri (0-2) of Manhattan, N.Y., clash in a battle of capable but winless fighters at 155.

Makovsky, who suffered his first loss, to Reis, in his last start, is a former Division I wrestler from Drexel University. His 72 victories rank 18th on the all-time Drexel win list.

Soares has won four in a row, all via first-round stoppage. A Brazilian who’s always ready to fight and brings an aggressive submission style attack to the cage, Soares scored a 0:19, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Jason Spearman April 18, 2008, in Atlantic City.

The aggressive-minded Groves, who boasts a strong boxing and wrestling background, lost his debut by second-round TKO undefeated Pat McGreal in October 2007.

Sampieri, a Muay Thai coach at Renzo Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu academy in New York, is overdue for a win. He is obviously talented on his feet and is definitely overdue to win one.

The seven undercard fights are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.

For more on upcoming EliteXC events check out the MMAFrenzy.com rumors section.

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From the announcement:

With legal issues preventing middleweight contender Chris Leben from being able to prepare sufficiently for a June 7th bout with Michael Bisping in London, England, Canada’s Jason ‘Dooms’ Day has stepped in to face ‘The Count’ in a featured bout on the UFC 85: Bedlam card at the O2 Arena.

“Obviously I was looking forward to the Leben fight but I guess it wasn’t to be,” said Bisping. “You have to respect Jason Day for stepping in on even shorter notice than myself. I am looking forward to really putting on a great performance in London.”

“I love this fight,” said Day. “Everybody’s been asking me who would I like to fight next, and I said Bisping, but who would have thought it would have come about so quickly. He’s a great fighter, an exciting fighter, tough as nails, and everybody wants that marquee fight where you get the guy that tests you and you slug it out for two or three rounds. I think he’s a pretty good test for me.”

Yesterday, Leben was sentenced to 35 days in jail and would have had less than two weeks to prepare for the main card bout, forcing him to withdraw from the fight.

Day (17-5) made his UFC debut at UFC 83 in April, upsetting Alan Belcher via first round TKO. Bisping (15-1) made his 185-pound debut at the same event, defeating Charles McCarthy via first round TKO.

For more on UFC 85 check out the MMAFrenzy.com rumors section.

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• Brian Cobb def. Diego Saraiva via unanimous decision
  PFC Lightweight Championship
  Cobb is the NEW PFC Lightweight Champion
• Sergio Cortez def. Poppies Martinez via TKO (injury) - Round 1, 2:57
• Devin Cole def. Vince Lucero via TKO - Round 1, 1:39
• Olaf Alfonso def. Chris Soloman via KO - Round 1, 0:28
• Jorge Evangelista def. Art Arciniega via unanimous decision
  PFC Featherweight Championship
  Evangelista is the NEW PFC Featherweight Champion
• Nate Loughran def. Kenny Ento via submission - Round 2, 2:30
  PFC Middleweight Championship
  Loughran is the NEW PFC Middleweight Champion
• Casey Olson def. Sergio Quinones via submission - Round 1, 0:36
• Dustin Akabari def. Cody Canterbury via TKO - Round 1, 1:36
• Lodune Sincaid def. Rafael Del Real via submission - Round 1, 1:03
• Shawn Klarcyk def. Jason Georgianna via submission - Round 2, 0:57
  Interim PFC Bantamweight Championship
• Joseph Benavidez def. Maurice Eazel via submission - Round 1, 1:57
• Dan Russom def. Thonglor Armatsena via majority decision

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A training injury to Fabricio Camoes of Brazil also necessitated a change in a non-championship lightweight bout. Frank Latina (Middletown, Conn.) will battle John Franchi (Cortland, N.Y.). Jim Miller (Sparta, N.J.), originally slated to face Camoes, withdrew from the bout following the injury to Camoes.

Imes, known as “The Hillbilly Heartthrob,” trains with Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa. He He has competed in several MMA organizations, and was notably a finalist in the second season of The Ultimate Fighter television series. Imes is 11-4 in his MMA career and will be making his IFL debut. May 16 will also mark the first IFL bouts for Latina (4-1 overall) and Franchi (3-0).

As previously announced, two other IFL Champions will put their respective titles on the line to headline the card, as Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) takes on Dan Miller (Sparta, N.J.) at middleweight and Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) defends against Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) at lightweight. HDNet will televise all three championship bouts, plus three preliminary matchups.

The preliminary bouts feature athletes from four MMA camps, including Team Quest, Team Bombsquad, World Class Fight Center and Team Prodigy.

Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.com, the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, and by telephone at 860-886-0070.

OFFICIAL FIGHT CARD
Championship Bouts

• 185 lbs.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (Miletich Fighting Systems) (6-4, 12-5) vs. Dan Miller (Sparta, N.J.) (AMA Fight Club) (1-0, 7-1)
• 265 lbs.: Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) (Lion’s Den) (5-1, 12-2) vs. Brad Imes (Sacramento, Calif.) (Miletich Fighting Systems) (0-0, 11-4)
• 155 lbs.: Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) (Team Quest) (6-2, 19-9-1) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (Renzo Gracie) (3-0, 9-2)

Preliminary Bouts

• 155 lbs.: Frank Latina (Middletown, Conn.) (0-0 IFL, 4-1 overall MMA) vs. John Franchi (Cortland, N.Y.) (Team Bombsquad) (0-0, 3-0)
• 205 lbs.: Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) (Team Quest) (2-2, 5-4) vs. Lamont Lister (Philadelphia) (Team Bombsquad) (0-0, 5-3)
• 170 lbs.: John Howard (Boston) (0-0 IFL, 8-3 overall MMA) vs. Nick Calandrino (Emerson, N.J.) (Team Bombsquad) (0-0, 5-0)
• 155 lbs.: Zac George (Norman, Okla.) (Team Quest) (1-1, 12-2) vs. Josh Souder (Mason, Ohio) (Team Prodigy) (0-0, 10-6)
• 185 lbs.: Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) (Team Quest) (6-4, 21-10-1) vs. Joey Guel (Oregon) (0-0, 12-5)
• 185 lbs.: Danillo Villefort (Pompano Beach, Fla.) (World Class Fight Center) (0-0, 6-2) vs. Mike Massenzio (Paterson, N.J.) (Team Bombsquad) (0-0, 10-1)

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The comments came after a training session with 3 weeks left before their tilt as one of the co-main events at UFC 84, on May 24th, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Training intensively with tape over his nose, a snorkel on his mouth, and a weighted vest, Silva stated that he is in great shape and is ready for this fight. The techniques are to increase his cardio levels so that he can fight a much younger opponent.

With revenge clearly on his mind following a late-2007 UFC 79 unanimous decision loss to Chuck Liddle he said, “I want to fight with Chuck Liddell again, last time I didn’t have the best condition as I do now. I have good sparring, good teachers, as well as new teachers so I want to fight with him again before he stops fighting.”

With Keith Jardine having won a decision over Liddell last year this has all the makings of a super fight. UFC 84 looks to answer allot of light heavyweight questions as the card is stacked with top contenders Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, and Thierry Sokoudjou.

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He says, “If you are a fan, then help me to fight in New York!”

The advantage that GSP had with the monstrous support in his hometown was clearly evident as the fight wore on, and the same could be true for Serra in a rematch in New York City.

Imagine flying in for a whirlwind weekend in New York City. The sites, the sounds, the nightlife, and a Saturday Night filled of ferocious fisticuffs. Serra has teamed up with the UFC’s recent campaign, MMAFacts.com, to raise support for sanctioning in New York State.

Here are some of the facts that they would like some of the state legislatures to know:

• “MMA fighters are given more care and precaution than athletes in any other sports organization in the world. With supervised fights, pre and post‐fight MRIs, four ringside doctors and two ambulances in case of emergency at each event and mandatory steroid testing. The highest levels of safety and quality are upheld in all aspects of the sport.”

• MMA is much safer than boxing. Since its inception in the United States there have been no serious injuries or deaths in any of the major, sanctioned MMA organizations. Unlike boxing, in which fighters sustain repeated blows to the head for up to 15 rounds, MMA bouts last only 3-5 rounds and much of the fighting takes place on the mat as wrestling or grappling. In addition, unlike boxing gloves, MMA gloves are not weighted.

• “At UFC 67 in Las Vegas, 72 percent of attendees came to Las Vegas from outside of Nevada, indicating that the primary purpose of their trip was for the event and underscoring the tourism boost MMA offers.”

Imagine the benefits to the local economy through tourism, hotels, tax revenues, and throughout the whole of the entertainment district.

MMA is sanctioned in 32 states, including some of the biggest in the country the California, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, & Pennsylvania Athletic Commissions, New York is the only glaring omission. Some of the other 20 states don’t even have regulatory commissions and still allow MMA events in their state.

If you reside in New York State here is the link to your assembly members whom you can email to voice your concerns:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Another great omission in North America is that of the province of Ontario, Canada where a draconian policy is still in effect because of the Commission where Ken Hayashi is chairman. Here is where you can contact the legislative assembly and its members:

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/go2.jsp?locale=en&Page=/members/members_main&menuItem=mpps_header

Considering Mr. Hayashi cites federal law and almost every other province sanctions events under the same laws, it is clearly a personal mandate.

I would recommend any fight fan, whether you live in an unsanctioned state or province, take the time to voice your concern whether you live in that jurisdiction or not, as it will have a profound affect on the community as a whole.

Imagine a stacked card at Madison Square Gardens on a weekend with the boys or a crazy weekend north of the border to celebrate am MMA Conference or UFC Event in the Skydome with the roof open and the CN Tower glowing in the skyline.

Matt Serra would like you to take your passion for the sport, and make a difference. Do it now!

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Harris, a Team Rampage fighter, has not yet fought in the round of sixteen.

MMAFrenzy.com’s Orlando Mac recently had the opportunity to interview Harris about his Ultimate Fighter experience (don’t worry, there aren’t any spoilers), his predictions on several upcoming fights, his background and more. Enjoy…

MMAFrenzy.com: Alright lets get right to it, whom would you like to get in the cage with?

Gerald Harris: Anyone the UFC wants me to fight, I have never had a fight where I didn’t slam the **** out of my opponent. So, whoever people want to see get dumped let me know.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who has the biggest mouth in the business?

GH: I think it’s funny when the guys that talk the most noise in the interviews, get their ass beat in the cage. Other than that, most of the veterans back up their talk. I haven’t heard anyone that can compete with “Money” Mayweather.

MMAFrenzy.com: If you could build the ultimate fighter, no pun intender, which fighters out there would you tap for each MMA skill?

GH: I would use Sherks cardio, BJ Penns BJJ, Machidas stand-up with Liddells power, Rampages slams, Kongos body, and make him a 155 pounder.

MMAFrenzy.com: If you had just won $1000 dollars of free betting money and were given the following 5 fights to bet on, tell us who would win each fight?

GH: BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk: Penn

Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin: Jackson

Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine: Jardine

Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera: Werdum

Tim Sylvia vs Fedor Emelianenko: Emelianenko

MMAFrenzy.com: Gerald you have trained with Matt Lindland and Team Quest who have you learned from the most?

GH: I learned confidence and how to actually fight, they made me a well-rounded fighter instead of a wrestler. In addition, Matt Lindland taught me how to incorporate my wrestling mentality into MMA.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who is your best friend on Team Quest?

GH: Ryan Shultz and I like learning from Chael Sonnen and Ed Herman.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who do you think is the best all around fighter out there today?

GH: Lyoto Machida.

MMAFrenzy.com: If you were training for a fight with a Muay Thai specialist who would you train with in preparation for that fight?

GH: Chris Reilly at Legends Gym.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who do you respect the most?

GH: All of the early fighters who paved the way for the new generation, fighters like Matt Hughes, Royce Gracie, Chuck Liddell, Shamrock’s, and many others.

MMAFrenzy.com: Do you have any advice for your next opponent?

GH: Bring a parachute, just kidding. Just be ready, I always say that. Everyone knows that I’m going to slam them.

MMAFrenzy.com: What was it like to be a cast member of TUF?

GH: It was like the Real World, except we had no women and we had to fight. I enjoyed the show and the opportunity to join the long list of TUF fighters to make noise in the UFC.

MMAFrenzy.com: Were you surprised by the new format, and having to fight your way onto the show?

GH: Hell yeah, I was super broke and clueless. If I would have lost, then I would have been standing on the corner.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who do you stay away from at all costs backstage in MMA?

GH: Crazy Horse Bennett, he seems like he would beat yo ass before the fight.

MMAFrenzy.com: If you were the UFC matchmaker who would you pit yourself against in a fight? Why?

GH: I can’t think of any specific names, but I think that styles make fights. I don’t think that fighting another wrestler would be exciting. Some good ground guys, or stand-up fighters.

MMAFrenzy.com: Also, as matchmaker, what two fights would you schedule as your main events for your first event?

GH: Sherk versus Penn and Liddell versus Rampage Jackson 3

MMAFrenzy.com: Who is the biggest joker behind the scenes?

GH: Rampage Jackson.

MMAFrenzy.com: Tell us how Gerald Harris got to this point in life?

GH: If it wasn’t for youth sports, I would have been in jail with all my other friends. I came from a terrible neighborhood and sports kept me out of trouble and focused on school.

MMAFrenzy.com: What are your greatest accomplishments to date?

GH: In wrestling I was a high school state placer twice, a high school national all-american twice, a three-time NCAA Division 1 qualifier and league champion and undefeated Freestyle Cage Fighting champion.

MMAFrenzy.com: What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?

GH: A UFC title and an acting career.

MMAFrenzy.com: What would surprise people the most about Gerald Harris?

GH: People are surprised at how nice I am in person and evil in the cage! I’m like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.

MMAFrenzy.com: You are a big scary dude, what scares you?

GH: Snakes man! I hate snakes, if someone has a snake tattoo, I’m slamming them on it.

MMAFrenzy.com: Why do they call you hurricane?

GH: My daddy held the name as a boxer back in the day, but an injury ended his career early. I’m trying to continue what he started and represent the Hurricane. Back in the day, he used to get in street fights and slam people on they head! Now I do it, but it’s legal.

MMAFrenzy.com: You are a great fighter with alot of skill, tell us why you were 0-2 in the IFL?

GH: Those losses were learning experiences, I was teaching full-time and training part time. After those two losses, I moved to Portland to train with Team Quest. I don’t plan on ever losing again.

MMAFrenzy.com: Why did you decide to try to get on TUF?

GH: I knew a couple of people on the show, and how the show had helped their career. My ultimate goal is to be a UFC Champion, so this is the road that I had to take. I want to make the best of this opportunity because it only comes once.

MMAFrenzy.com: What was it like as Gerald the teenager?

GH: Busy as hell! I had a full-time job, a car, and stayed out of trouble. I did love me some women! Other than that, I stayed out of trouble and focused.

MMAFrenzy.com: When did you discover fighting?

GH: When a midget beat me up in the projects. I’m serious, I got my ass kicked by a midget. His name was Bubba.

MMAFrenzy.com: Did you fight at school? On the street?

GH: I was undefeated, but I barely fought. My last fight was in the 6th grade and I was the new guy at the school, and this dude wanted to fight me for no reason. I walked away from him and he jumped on my back, I slammed him and fought my ass off and we have been cool ever since then.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who is your biggest fan in your family?

GH: My momma, she’s loud as hell and came to every wrestling match from elementary to high school. My dad is very supportive too!

MMAFrenzy.com: What keeps you motivated to fight?

GH: At first, it was the money, but now that I’ve learned how to be a fighter. I’m all about performance and progress.

MMAFrenzy.com: Where would you like to be in a few years time?

GH: Sitting on the couch with my two boys watching TV with the UFC belt in glass case right above it.

MMAFrenzy.com: What are you working on over the next year?

GH: I want to learn how to market myself to the fans and be a complete fighter. The fight game is too good to be one-dimensional.

MMAFrenzy.com: Who would you like to promote to the people reading this?

GH: Ghost Dog Boxing in Tulsa, OK, Allen Green, Team Quest, Legends Gym in Los Angeles, CA and my webpage myspace.com/g1906.

MMAFrenzy.com: Thanks for the interview Gerald, best of luck in the competition.

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The Wrestling Observer is reporting that backup plans were in place should Leben be unable to fight, though the details of those plans have not yet been announced by the promotion. The UFC may opt to find a replacement for Leben or re-book the bout for a future event.

Leben will be credited for the time he has already served but will not be released until May 27th, less than 2 weeks before he was scheduled to face Bisping in London.

“When [Chris] got the call to fight Bisping on June 7th in London he knew what he had to do,” said ICON Sport’s T. Jay Thompson last week regarding the situation. “He immediately flew to Oregon and turned himself in on the probation violation. The warrant was a “no bail” warrant so he will have to sit in jail for 8-10 days before he gets a hearing. The moment he appeared before the judge after turning himself in the warrant was revoked and he is able to get his VISA for London.”

Regardless of his visa status, Leben’s lack of time to properly train for the bout caused him to be removed from the card.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for further updates as they become available.

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May’s antics don’t appear to have been swayed by the impending fight as he’s shown drinking alcohol at the bar. The other fighters are rightfully surprised by their counterpart’s actions but in reality May is simply drinking water in an attempt to get into Brown’s head. May also claims to have an injured knee that forces him to sit out nearly all of the training leading up to his showdown with Brown but his knee is actually uninjured and it is simply a move to “pace” himself.

Brown, meanwhile, is expectedly taking his preparation for the fight seriously with coach Forrest Griffin questioning whether he trained too hard.

As soon as the bout gets underway Griffin’s suspicions appear to have been more serious than originally though as May lands several wild punches on Brown in the opening seconds. Brown weathers the storm but follows through with little of his prepared game plan and Griffin is perturbed by his fighter’s lack of offense. May quickly gasses presenting Brown with an opening he fully capitalizes upon. After staggering May with a solid knee Brown lands a quick square of the chin of a stumbling May to finish the feud for good in an emphatic fashion.

Team Forrest, now with a 4-0 lead over Team Rampage, flips a coin to determine the next fight and it’s Luke Zachrich, the last fighter picked on his team, taking on Dan Cramer of Team Rampage.

The fight quickly commences and it’s an all out brawl with the team-dubbed “pretty boy” Cramer and Zachrich slugging it out. Both fighters weather some solid combinations in the opening frame and make it tothe second round. In round two, Cramer poured on the strikes against his tired opponent, eventually earning the stoppage victory over Zachrich and picking up the first win for Team Rampage.

With the win, Team Rampage now has control over picking the next bout in the competition and next week we’ll see just how Jackson and his team utilize the newfound fight selection ability to influence the competition in their favor.

RESULTS

• Matt Brown def. Jeremy May via KO - Round 1
• Daniel Cramer def. Luke Zachrich via TKO - Round 2

TEAM RAMPAGE (1-4)

• Daniel Cramer (1-0)
• CB Dollaway
• Gerald Harris
• Pat Schultz
• Jeremy May (0-1)
  Eliminated by Matt Brown - Week 6
• Brandon Sene (0-1)
  Eliminated by Dante Rivera - Week 5
• Matthew Riddler (0-1)
  Eliminated by Tim Credeur - Week 4
• Mike Dolce (0-1)
  Eliminated by Jesse Taylor - Week 3
• Paul Bradley (0-0)
  Eliminated due to medical issues

TEAM FORREST (4-1)

• Jesse Taylor (1-0)
• Tim Credeur (1-0)
• Dante Rivera (1-0)
• Matt Brown (1-0)
• Amir Sadollah
• Cale Yarbrough
• Nick Klein
• Luke Zachrich (0-1)
  Eliminated by Daniel Cramer - Week 6

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Dubbed “The Hex,” the six-sided surface will measure 24 feet across (27’ 8 ½” end-to-end) and will be enclosed by five ropes. The use of The Hex maintains the viewing advantage for fans in attendance as well as the television audience that the ring provides, while also allowing for the strategic benefits of a hexagonal surface.

“From a production and live event standpoint, the ring has proven to be the most fan and media friendly environment, as well as providing the safest possible environment for our athletes,” said Jay Larkin, IFL CEO. “The Hex allows for the larger surface that is utilized in other MMA organizations while still retaining the advantages we have enjoyed with the ring.”

A prototype of The Hex is currently being constructed and will be housed in Las Vegas. Throwdown, the leader in MMA Gyms and Training centers, has built training centers and personal gyms for the top MMA athletes in the world. Athletes and coaches will have the opportunity to work out in it prior to the August 15 New Jersey event.

“‘The Hex’ is quite different from the other world-class MMA facilities we have built,” said Throwdown President Mike McIntyre. “We are excited to be putting our expertise to work in developing what we feel will be an optimal surface for the sport as it continues to grow.”

Tickets for the East Rutherford, N.J. event will be available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (201) 507-8900.

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From Sherdog:

“It was off, then on, then off again … now it’s back on,” said Diaz’s trainer, Cesar Gracie. “I won’t really believe it until he is on the plane tomorrow morning heading to Japan.”

“Tonight we will be pulling an all-nighter cutting weight,” Gracie said late Wednesday. “Nick was under the impression he wasn’t fighting. So now we have to get the weight back down before he leaves.”

EliteXC President Gary Shaw originally pulled Diaz from this weekend’s card because the contest was said to be too close to the June 14 EliteXC match between Diaz and Muhsin Corbbrey in Hawaii. Gracie stated that ProElite CEO Doug DeLuca was to thank for making the Diaz-Inoue bout happen.

“He thought Nick sort of got screwed with the whole California Athletic Commission thing,” Gracie said, referencing the California commission’s removal of Diaz from a March matchup against Jae Suk Lim.”

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