MMA News and Notes

[BoneCrusher]

Yeah, Randy is an animal. I'll never bet against him again.

All he has left IMO is Fedor. That's all I want to see.

He won't get there IMHO. I love the guy but Mir is back, not to mention the the ton of quality HW fighters coming in from the now dead PRIDE.

Dana has to pick Randy's next few fights very carefully to ride this wave to the bank.

 

[MCx2]

Mir shmeer, he's never fought anyone really. Even at the height of his career he was getting tossed around by Big Tim until he snapped his arm. He got roughed up by Ian Freeman of all people. Pete Williams? Tank Abbott? I'll be more impressed when he submits someone other than a former kickboxing champ.

Randy stacks up well against everyone really, I'd be worried about Nog catching him in something but Randy's cardio is off the charts these days. I like his chances still.

 

[BoneCrusher]

Meh ... Mir is just an example. I wouldn't bet on him vs Randy. I'm already on record for Randy as favored vs Fedor so obviously I rate him highly, but I still remember the Randy of old.

 

[fufu]

That's fucked up ... lol.

Mazz is a fucking ref, he should have been grabbing Babalus arm or something.

 

[MCx2]

Knuckle Down: UFC 74 in the Books

Knuckle Down: UFC 74 in the Books

August 28, 2007
by Mike Fridley (Mike@sherdog.com)

Apparently being a middle-aged fighter handicapped by a 25-pound disadvantage wasn't enough of a test for Randy Couture (Pictures). No, confirmed the UFC heavyweight champion, he had to fight his way past Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) with a broken left arm as well on Saturday.

In the aftermath of his third-round stoppage, The Fight Network reported Monday that "The Natural" endured a broken forearm after blocking the same Gonzaga high hick that knocked Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) out cold in April.

Couture won't be forced into a cast, and instead will wear a splint for six weeks.

Throughout his two-plus-round fight, Couture battered Napao, at one point forcing a break of Gonzaga's nose after picking up and slamming the challenger to the canvas.

"The Natural" looked at home in the clinch, connecting with solid punches and elbows on the inside. And in the third, after absorbing the bone-breaking kick, Couture put Gonzaga on the canvas where he wailed away until referee Herb Dean (Pictures) jumped in to stop the fight.

Couture did not learn until Sunday that a bone was broken.

Mind over matter

After a dominating performance against Josh Koscheck (Pictures) Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 74, Georges St. Pierre (Pictures) reflected on the win and shared some insight into his pre-fight mindset with TJ De Santis and Josh Gross Monday afternoon, as heard on the Sherdog Radio Network.

"My game plan was to put him on his back," stated St. Pierre, who took the bout on the strength of his takedowns and control.

"I knew that he was not going to submit me, but my concern was if I would able to hold him, because it's very hard to hold a good wrestler on his back," said the former welterweight ace.

With his impressive showing over Koscheck, St. Pierre has no doubt that the victory put him in contention for a chance to duel the winner of Matt Hughes (Pictures) versus 170-pound UFC king Matt Serra (Pictures).

"I'm glad to be back for a title shot," he said. "You're going to see me be champion very soon."

Though many consider "Rush" to be as skilled as any mixed martial artist on the planet, St. Pierre gave credit to an overlooked element to his recent triumph.

"I was very well prepared," declared the Canadian, who spent time with sports psychologist Brian Cain following his shocking loss to Serra at UFC 69.

"I thought people who were working with a sports psychologist is because they were crazy or they were weak," he said. "That's what I thought before. But I was wrong.

"This guy really helped me. The mental part of the game. He changed the whole thing for me. He made me see things in a different way."

St. Pierre continued: "Athletes spend so much time training their body, training their skill. The most important part is their mind, and some people forget about it.

"If your mind is not there -- because of issues -- your body will not follow. Because your mind dictates your body."

Yahya takes aim at Beebe

Abu Dhabi champion Rani Yahya (Pictures) took time out of his busy training schedule to speak with Sherdog.com's Greg Savage, just two weeks out from his title clash with World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight ace Chase Beebe (Pictures) on Sept. 5's Zuffa-promoted WEC card.

Yahya made quick work of featherweight Mark Hominick (Pictures) at WEC 28 back in June, so it's no surprise that the Rickson Gracie-mentored fighter lacks no confidence in dropping weight to face Beebe with a belt on the line.

"I don't believe too much in underdog and this kind of thing," said the Brazilian challenger. "Anything can happen in a fight."

"What I believe in is hard work and training," he continued. "That's what I've been doing my whole life."

Though he has shown little but pure BJJ in his brief 13-bout professional mixed martial arts career, Yahya intends to offer a more diverse game against the decorated wrestler from Purdue University.

"I will be comfortable anywhere the fight goes," he declared. "If my back's on the ground, on top or standing up, or wrestling, I will be happy to fight."

Spike's Season six contestants announced

UFC 170-pound champion Matt Serra (Pictures) and former welterweight king Matt Hughes (Pictures) will lead Spike TV's popular mixed martial arts reality show, which returns on Sept. 19 with a new cast of welterweights vying for a shot to be crowned the next "Ultimate Fighter."

Notable contestants include former King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge lightweight champion Mac Danzig (Pictures), who took on a much heavier Hayato Sakurai (Pictures) in a losing effort at PRIDE 33; Hammer House Muay Thai coach Dorian Price (Pictures); and Sacramento native Billy Miles (Pictures), who for years has been a training partner for Capital City Fighting Alliance talent like James Irvin (Pictures) and Urijah Faber (Pictures).

Rounding out the roster is: Matt Arroyo, Daniel Barrera, Blake Bowman, Paul Georgieff, Richie Hightower (Pictures), John Kolosci (Pictures), Troy Mandaloniz (Pictures), Billy Miles (Pictures), Roman Mitichyan, Jared Rollins (Pictures), Ben Saunders, Joe Scarola, George Sotiropoulos (Pictures), and Tom Speer (Pictures).

Post-UFC 74 mailbag

What's next for Gonzaga? - Ryan, Springfield, Mass.

It will be several months before we hear anything, as the Brazilian was medically suspended for 60 days by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the damage he sustained to his nose against "The Natural." However, I wouldn't mind seeing UFC matchmaker Joe Silva pit Gonzaga against PRIDE vet Fabricio Werdum (Pictures) or former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) on the promotion's Dec. 29 card. Another possibility would be the loser of Brandon Vera (Pictures)-Tim Sylvia (Pictures), who square off on Oct. 20 in Cincinnati.

I think the same way that Couture got an immediate rematch against Vitor Belfort (Pictures) in 2004 (due to an accidental cut in his eye), Gabriel Gonzaga (Pictures) should be given an immediate rematch against the champion.

The broken nose completely changed the path that the fight was going.

People were betting on whether or not Gonzaga would get tired in the championship rounds, not the opening period like we saw Saturday night.

Anyone who watches that fight again will see that the fight was very even until the broken nose. After that it was lopsided.

In my opinion, Gonzaga should have claimed he was in no condition to fight after the head butt. But as you saw the guy was a warrior and did not stop until the end. - Guilherme, Los Angeles, Calf.

While I do agree that the injury sustained by Gonzaga played a major factor in the outcome of the match, it's hard to compare a 49 second bout stopped by a grazing punch to a one-sided contest that extended into the third frame. Couture was clearly superior that night, and I don't see a rematch unfolding much differently.

I just re-watched the Randy and Gabriel fight this morning and contrary to what Randy said in the interview I think it was Gonzaga's own knee that broke his nose.

If you watch the slam in slow motion, Randy's head was not near Gonzaga's nose on the take down or slam. His head was on Gonzaga's chest. Gonzaga's own knee came back and down and hit him in the face. I know Randy said he thought they head butted and he heard his nose crunch, but in reality he did hear Gonzaga's nose crunch, but it was Gonzaga's knee that did it.

Please get this information out there after a little research so the truth will be known. - Daryle, Panama City, Florida

Sorry, I'm not buying it. While Gonzaga's knee did come down and slap his own face on impact, the real carnage occurred a split second before when Couture's full body weight came crashing down directly on the Brazilian's beak.

Upon further review of the footage, I suggest you forward your findings to Tim Millis, Executive Director of the National Football League Referees Association. I'm sure he could find use for another set of poor eyes on his staff.

 

[MCx2]

Shogun's Quest

UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®

08/27/2007
Shogun???s Quest - Conquer the UFC Light Heavyweight Division

By Thomas Gerbasi

Without question, it???s tough to be a professional fighter, to train for countless hours, sacrifice, suffer, and then be judged on how you perform for 15 minutes or so in front of thousands, when one second of lost focus could be the difference between victory and defeat.

The perks aren???t so bad though. Just ask light heavyweight standout Mauricio ???Shogun??? Rua, who recently spent some time with Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima during a photoshoot for Vanity Fair magazine. Now who among us red-blooded males wouldn???t mind taking a few punches to the face for that?

???It was great,??? Rua told UFC.com through translator Julio Heller when asked about the photo feature in the magazine???s September issue. ???She???s very professional and beautiful, and all the staff gave me a lot of attention, including the photographer, Mario Testino. It was a very good opportunity to promote my country. Plus, I worked as a model a few years ago and I enjoyed the experience.???

But the 25-year old Rua doesn???t have time for much posing these days, as he will not only be married this Saturday to his fiancée Renata, but he will also be coming back to the United States on September 22nd to begin the UFC chapter of his career against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76. And as usual, when it comes to fighting, Rua is all business.

???I???m a very calm guy,??? he admits. ???Some of my friends told me that they don???t understand how I deal with some difficult situations in my career, and I know that I will soon face the biggest challenge in my life. The UFC is the main goal for all the fighters around the world and I understand my responsibility, but I can tell you: I don???t want to be one more on the line, I want to be the UFC champion.???

First he will have to get by Griffin, who on paper ??? and given his past history ??? is the perfect debut opponent. He is a certified UFC star based on his win on season one of The Ultimate Fighter series and his subsequent fights in the Octagon, and maybe even more importantly, he has shown a tendency to get away from his gameplan in an attempt to slug it out with his opponents. Against Rua, a reckless slugfest could mean a quick trip back to the locker room. The Curitiba resident isn???t making the mistake of listening to the oddsmakers though.

???In this sport it is very difficult to talk about being the favorite before the fights,??? said Rua. ???See the example of (Mirko) Cro Cop and (Gabriel) Gonzaga. So to be honest, I don???t spend my time thinking about that; I prefer to be focused in my training, and well prepared so I will always be confident for any fight.???

That???s a good call, because Griffin showed in his last fight with Hector Ramirez in June that he could fight a disciplined and effective three rounder. Plus, he wasn???t thrown to the wolves for this fight ??? he asked for ???Shogun???, which means he must see something he can take advantage of on fight night.

Whatever it is though, it???s something most of us civilians haven???t seen, as Rua has been nearly perfect throughout an almost five-year career which has encompassed 18 fights and a stint in PRIDE that saw him win the organization???s Grand Prix title in 2005 by beating future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton ???Rampage??? Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona. In fact, to some observers and fans, Rua is the best 205-pounder in the world, a mythical title that will be put to the test in the Octagon in the coming months.

???There are some tough guys in this division, a lot of people running for the belt,??? said Rua. ???But see how life is funny, the actual UFC Champion, Quinton Jackson, I beat him in the first round of the PRIDE Grand Prix two years ago, he lost twice to Wanderlei (Silva) and he got the UFC belt from Chuck (Liddell) in less than two minutes. As I told you, it is very difficult to make any kind of prediction about these fights. I know that on my way to the belt I will face Forrest, then maybe Quinton or (Dan) Henderson, and I???m ready to go. I respect them all, they are professionals like me and it???s time to prove that I can be the number one in this division.???

It won???t be an easy road, as in addition to Jackson, Liddell, Henderson, and Griffin, there are a host of other 205 pounders near the top of the list, including Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans, along with up and comers like Lyoto Machida, Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping, Houston Alexander, and Alessio Sakara, who would also love to get their hands on Rua and add his high-profile name to their resumes.

???Its part of the business,??? said Rua, who is mature beyond his 25 years. ???When I started, I had a lot of fighters that I wanted to beat, because the respect comes from your results. The important thing here is to keep your mind focused on your challenges. Every fight we must prove something, and knowing that there are a lot of fighters looking for my place is very good to keep me motivated.???

And despite his success thus far, there are a lot of challenges for Rua come September. First, and most importantly, he must adjust to fighting in the Octagon. It may seem like a simple switch, as a fight???s a fight, but ask Mirko Cro Cop after his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga if he wished he had more time training and adjusting to the Octagon after years of fighting in a ring. Rua???s ready for the change of fighting real estate though.

???I???m not concerned about the transition,??? he said. ???My training in the last two months is inside the Octagon, and a few years ago I fought twice in the Octagon. The main difference is in the rules, but my team is making the adjustments and from now my kicks can be replaced by the elbows.???

That???s challenge number two, as Rua, a member of the famed Chute Boxe team, made a name for himself with the devastating soccer kicks that are outlawed here in the States. Take those away from most fighters, and you could be looking at a different fighter altogether. But Rua is not most fighters, and with his aggression, his acumen standing or on the ground, plus the elbows on the ground that he couldn???t use in Japan, and the danger factor is just as prevalent here in the States as it was in the Land of the Rising Sun. Plus, Rua didn???t look like he lost anything off his fastball when he fought here in the States under the unified MMA rules in PRIDE wins over Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem.

The final challenge for Rua is to replicate his superstar status here in the States. Luckily, unlike some of his peers from PRIDE, he has fought here before ??? not only in PRIDE???s two US shows in 2006 and 2007, but back in 2003, when arrived in Denver as a 3-0 prospect looking to make a name for himself by fighting in an IFC tournament packed with fighters like Griffin, Renato ???Babalu??? Sobral, Jeremy Horn, Chael Sonnen, and Trevor Prangley. And while Rua impressed with a TKO win over Eric Wanderlei, in his next fight that night, ???Shogun??? was submitted in the third round by the eventual tournament winner, Sobral.

???The first fight was very difficult,??? remembered Rua. ???It was my debut in an international event and I had a lot of pressure, but I won. In the second one I fought against Babalu, and at that time he had more experience than me. He used his Jiu-Jitsu skills and I was very tired from the first fight of the night. But I learned a lot with that defeat, the only one that I consider in my career.???

He also learned that if you fight your heart out and put on an entertaining fight, US fans will do whatever it takes to see you fight again.That???s
why the buzz is already considerable for his Octagon debut next month.

???The crowd in the USA is fantastic,??? said Rua. ???The Japanese fans are great, but in America the excitement inside the arena is totally different. I felt very comfortable in the two PRIDE events in Las Vegas, all the fans were very friendly and I???m very motivated for my debut in UFC. I know that Forrest is very famous in USA because of the reality show, and probably the American fans will support him, so my challenge will be to give a wonderful show, a beautiful fight and a great victory to bring the American fans to my side.???

Gaining fans won???t be a problem for Rua. After losing to Sobral in September of 2003, he would make his PRIDE debut less than a month later, knocking out Akira Shoji in the first round of the first Bushido show. Over the next three-plus years, he was unstoppable, with his lone loss in the organization coming when he suffered a freak elbow injury less than a minute into his match against Mark Coleman in February of 2006 and the bout was stopped. The biggest win, of course, was against Jackson in 2005.

???Two years ago he was the star in PRIDE, and I was the new guy from Brazil,??? said Rua of his first round win over ???Rampage???. ???I knew that the fight would be difficult, he beat Ninja (Rua???s brother Murilo) before in a very controversial result, and this was my opportunity to avenge my brother. At the end, the fight was easier than everyone could imagine. Now, the reality is totally different, he???s the champion, a star in UFC, and I???m still the new guy from Brazil. (Laughs) let???s see how this ends.???

It???s a rematch anyone would want to see, including Jackson, along with a bout against the man ???Rampage??? beat for the title and the one sharing the spotlight with him on September 22nd ??? Liddell.

???For sure, I want to fight with the top fighters of the division and Chuck is one of them,??? said Rua. ???He will probably be in my way for the belt. With the loss to ???Rampage??? he moved a step behind, but I know that he will be fighting in the UFC 76, so let???s see our results and talk there.???

Are you excited yet? If you???re not, I???m sure there???s a tennis match or some golf tournament going on near you. But if you???re a fight fan, the endless intriguing matchups with Rua???s name attached to them mean that the 205-pound division will be hot for a while. And the scary part is, Rua???s only 25 and he???s getting better.

???It???s natural, I???m a little older now,??? he laughs when asked what he owes his progress as a fighter to. ???I try to learn with the all experiences that I had in my life - the good ones like the PRIDE Grand Prix title, and other difficult moments like the injury in the fight again Coleman. These kinds of situations help me to become a better person and a better fighter. And there is no progress without training, so I try to develop my skills in different martial arts and try to reach a high level, because to be the number one it is necessary to be a complete fighter.???

And as a Muay Thai ace as well as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Rua is a well-rounded fighter who is dangerous wherever the fight takes him. He also has that extra something that all the hours in the gym couldn???t give him ??? natural talent. But what makes him special is that he trains harder than fighters with just a fraction of the gifts he was born with.

???I started to train with my older brother Ninja when I was 17 years old,??? he explains. ???My background is in Muay Thai, and then came the Jiu-Jitsu and the mixed martial arts. I think that 50% is talent and the other 50% comes from the training. It is impossible to be someone in this sport only with natural talent; it is necessary to spend a lot of time inside the academy, training hard.???

It doesn???t hurt to have your brother pushing you every day either.

???Murilo is my hero, the guy that showed the way for me,??? said Rua of his brother, a fellow PRIDE veteran who has settled into the middleweight division. ???He is the guy that brought me to the Academy, and he was a good example inside the house, as an athlete and a person. I respect him a lot, he passed a lot of difficult moments in his career and now he???s very happy fighting in USA, so it motivates me a lot. The funny thing is that we have very different personalities - I???m a very calm guy and Murilo is very anxious, but the main thing is that we are both are running for our goals, he already has a belt in the USA, and now is my chance.???

So how long does ???Shogun??? think it will take him to get his shot at the winner of UFC 75???s unification bout between Jackson and Henderson?

???I don???t know, I think that you must ask Mr. Dana White, because he???s the guy to answer this question,??? said Rua. ???I can tell you that I???m ready to go; I will work hard and be prepared for the title shot, I???m just asking for the opportunity.???

First, he has to get by a tough opponent in Forrest Griffin on September 22nd. After that, the possibilities are endless. But whoever Rua fights, expect plenty of fireworks.

???I don???t like to promise victories but I can promise that I will try to do my best,??? said Rua. ???Let???s see how things go step by step. Now is my debut in the UFC, I???m training hard and I want to show an aggressive style inside the cage with a great victory. Then we can discuss the future, but you know that I want the belt.???

 

[MCx2]

Dan Henderson: Quest for the belt Part 3

YouTube Video

 

[Pedigree]

Did anyone else notice the smile Randy had on his face on his walk to the cage...the winks he was giving out? It was obvious he knew something that nobody else in the arena did. He is the master strategist and executes his plans to perfection.

 

[MCx2]

The following is from Josh Barnett's MySpace blog:

August 28, 2007 - Tuesday

UFC Heavyweight title? Not in my eyes.

Current mood: angry


Let's get straight to it and say that Randy did a phenomenal job at UFC 74 in defending his title. As a fan and a fellow Washingtonian I was happy to see him win. But as for the title itself -- it still sits in my house. No one in UFC ever beat me for it, and as far as I am concerned, no one in the UFC can be the heavyweight champion until they take that belt off of me in the cage.

At the post fight press conference, Dana White said "there isn't anyone in the world that can beat this guy" in reference to Randy. All this because Randy beat a guy that had less than ten fights and only one noteworthy win? That's not even a world championship level fight, let alone reason to proclaim the winner as "unbeatable". This comment was made even more ridiculous by the fact that I was standing right there, living proof that Randy Couture is definitely beatable.

"Unbeatable", Dana says. If he actually believes that, I'm more than willing to step into the cage and prove him wrong. It wouldn't even have to be for the belt. I already got the real belt. They can keep their pile of brass they purport as the UFC Heavyweight Title and put it on their next paper champ.


Josh

Make it happen Dana!!

 

[MCx2]

Lesnar to sign with UFC!

Boxing - Boxing News - Boxing Coverage

The next big thing to enter the UFC

Former WWE champion Brock Lesnar, known to wrestling fans as ???The Next Big Thing???, followed through on his promise to attend UFC 74. Lesnar said that he wanted to see the UFC Heavyweight Championhttp://15rounds.com/boxing/News/2007/08/fallout-82607.php#, Randy Couture, up close and person, but that was not the only reason Lesnar was in attendance.


Lesnar met with Dana White, who was very confident after his meeting with Lesnar.


???I am pretty much going to guarantee you right here that the UFC will get him,??? said White. ???Lesnar should have started with us, but we???ll be happy to have him.???


When may the former collegiate All-American start with the UFC?


???We are all booked up through 2007, but we would like to have him start after the new year.???

 

[BoneCrusher]

Boxing - Boxing News - Boxing Coverage

I don't know why but when ever I read Dana White I hear the words in Lex Luthor's voice.

 

[AKIRA]

Thats actually a good comparison.

 

[MCx2]

Stevenson has broken nose, not broken jaw

MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]- STEVENSON HAS BROKEN NOSE; NOT BROKEN JAW[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com[/FONT]

Joe Stevenson confirmed in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio on Monday night that he has a broken nose following his fight with Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 74, not a broken jaw as first reported by other media outlets.

Stevenson won a unanimous decision over Pellegrino in Las Vegas last Saturday night. After the fight, rumors circulated that the fighter had a broken jaw.

The former Ultimate Fighter winner explained the injury during the interview.

???I thought my jaw was broke and it was sore, but it ended up being a broken nose,??? said Stevenson. ???I have a fracture on my nose. I had a pain in the upper part of my teeth and I thought that was my jaw for some reason. It was a broken nose, first one ever.???

The fight was never stopped due to the injury and Stevenson is expected to make a full recovery, although his image in the mirror may take a slight hit.

???And just when I thought I was becoming the best looking fighter in MMA, Kurt (Pellegrino) has to try to shoot me down,??? Stevenson said laughing about the broken nose.

Stevenson has been mentioned multiple times as a possible #1 contender for the UFC lightweight title and after his win over Pellegrino, he further strengthened that argument.

A possible showdown with B.J. Penn may be on the horizon for the Las Vegas based fighter, depending on the outcome of current champion Sean Sherk???s appeal for his positive drug test suspension in California, which will be heard in October.

The fighter will continue to rehab and train with his teammates at the Cobra Kai dojo in Las Vegas to prepare them for upcoming bouts.

 

[MCx2]

Rampage training for Henderson

YouTube Video

 

[AKIRA]

Seems pretty modest. Thats not his meal ticket.

 

[MCx2]

Matt Hughes to leave Miletich?!?

Five Ounces of Pain | Matt Hughes to start new gym in St. Louis

Matt Hughes to start new gym in St. Louis

August 29, 2007 By: Sam Caplan Category: Robbie Lawler, Jens Pulver, Matt Hughes

I first came across the rumor that Matt Hughes has left MFS to start his own gym while reading Luke Thomas??? site, BloodyElbow.com. Luke first heard rumor on the Savage Dog Show. Since then this story has taken on a life of its own with a lot of people speculating over Hughes??? motives for starting his own gym.


I was able to speak with Monte Cox, Hughes??? manager (and the manager for Tim Sylvia, Rich Franklin, and a host of other big name fighters), and Jens Pulver, another client of Cox???s and a good friend of both Hughes??? and Robbie Lawler???s.


What I can tell you is this: Cox has confirmed that Hughes will be starting his own gym in the St. Louis area and Lawler has accepted a lucrative offer to help Hughes run the gym. The gym location actually isn???t that far from where Hughes currently resides. Meanwhile, Lawler and his wife will be relocating.


All the talk of insidious plots and bad blood appears to be erroneous though. I think Pulver said it best when he claimed that a lot of people on the Underground forum have ???taken this whole thing six steps too far.???


First, there was some rumor that Hughes slept with Pulver???s wife. This is comical because Jens isn???t married and never has been. He said he doesn???t even have a girlfriend right now.


Second, Hughes doesn???t technically train full-time at MFS in Iowa. His family is based outside of Iowa and he primarily lives with them. He travels down to Iowa for training camps to get ready for upcoming fights. In fact, it hasn???t been established whether Matt has even left MFS. If Matt wants to continue to compete at a world class level he will need world class training partners. Lawler is a great guy to train with but Cox indicated that Matt will probably need more partners than just Lawler to get ready for Matt Serra on Dec. 29. It???s very possible that Matt is still in fact with MFS.


According to Jens, there is no ill will. It???s a family atmosphere down there and he???s surprised by a lot of what he???s hearing because a lot of what???s being written simply isn???t the case. Jens likened Matt opening a gym in St. Louis to Jeremy Horn opening a gym in Salt Lake. It???s nothing personal, it was just business because all the guys who train in Iowa primarily come from other parts of the country. It???s always been joked down there that people will grow up and eventually ???leave the nest.??? I think that???s exactly what???s going on with Hughes??? gym in St. Louis, and nothing more.


MMA is hot right now with more and more people looking to train at various levels. It makes sense for Hughes try to capitalize on the business potential out there and start up his own gym. I don???t think it???s much different than when Dan Henderson branched off from the Oregon location of Team Quest and set up shop in Temecula, Calif. Jens even mentioned that he???s looking to open a gym in Seattle and or Idaho after his career is over. When I asked him if I could quote him about that he said it was no big deal because he???s already talked about it with friends at MFS.


So to clarify, FiveOuncesOfPain.com can confirm that Hughes is starting a gym in the St. Louis area but it???s still not certain whether he???s leaving MFS altogether. Also, virtually all of the conspiracy theories out there that have surfaced are false.

 

[MCx2]

D-Day for Fedor?

Advertising at Sherdog.com

D-Day Coming for Fedor?

Thursday, August 30, 2007
by Josh Gross (joshg@sherdog.com)

Visiting the U.S. in hopes of finding a "final solution" regarding the fighting home of heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), the Russian's management team, which includes Vadim Finkelstein and Apy Echteld, are scheduled to meet with UFC officials Thursday in Las Vegas to discuss a deal that would bring the PRIDE champion into the octagon for the first time.

Having visited the City of Angels since Monday, Emelianenko's representatives will return to Europe Friday afternoon deal or not. Following negotiations with the International Fight League, Strikeforce, K-1 and UFC, it is the Zuffa-promoted UFC that has to this point made the best offer to secure Fedor's services, Echteld told Sherdog.com through e-mail.

Reportedly several sticking points remain between the UFC and Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures)'s management: the potential for Fedor's Red Devil teammates to join him in the octagon; the ability for Fedor to fight in Russian Sambo tournaments; and the desire to be involved in MMA events in his homeland.

"Our trip is not to shop between the organizations but to come to a final solution," Echteld said. "Unless we go for the UFC, Fedor will be a free agent."

Emelianenko, like many fighters under PRIDE contract when the Japanese company was purchased by Zuffa earlier this year, was forced into limbo as he searched for a new ring to call home. He last fought and won in April against Matt Lindland (Pictures) in St. Petersburg, Russia, on a BodogFight-promoted card.

 

[fufu]

 

[fufu]

YouTube Video

"Dan Henderson is unpredictable, he don't even know what he's gonna do."

 

[fufu]

Ok, time for UFC 75 picks!

Henderson vs Rampage - Henderson ftw
Cheick Kongo vs Mirko Fillopivic - Cro Cop ftw


aaaanddd that is all I care to pick.

 

[MCx2]

I'm so torn on the Hendo vs. Rampage fight it's ridiculous. I want Henderson to win, but I think Rampage is much better for the sport in general. He's a great pr guy. Everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious and on top of that his game has really improved over the last year. I see this being a 4-5 round war. I still don't know, but as of right now I've got Rampage/Unanimous decision.

 

[BoneCrusher]

I'm still in the Hendo camp. One of the things that earns him my respect is that he fights at or above his weight class not below it like Jackson.

I really just plain like who he is as a person almost as much as I respect his MMA accomplishments. Hendo has never been ko'd or tko'd including a thorough waxing he handed out in the unanimous decision win over Gilbert Yvel ... a guy with 27 (T)KOs (87.10%) out of 31 MMA wins.

This will be one of the hardest fights to call in a long time.

 

[MCx2]

I really just plain like who he is as a person almost as much as I respect his MMA accomplishments.

This will be one of the hardest fights to call in a long time.

Agreed and agreed.

 

[MCx2]

UFC news, MMA news, UFC rumors, UFC gossip, fighter interviews and event previews and recaps - UFCjunkie.com

An Interview With Terry Martin ??? A UFCjunkie.com Exclusive

Posted by UFC Junkie on August 30, 2007 at 8:22 pm ET

In three weeks, rising middleweight contender Terry Martin (16-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) will take on fellow slugger Chris Leben (16-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in front of a live national audience at UFC Fight Night 11.
Martin???s main-card bout takes place Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. on Spike TV.


Since dropping his first two fights in the UFC, the Chicago fighter has rattled off four straight wins, including first-round knockouts of Jorge Rivera (UFC 67) and Ivan Salaverry (UFC 71). Once on the outs with the UFC, the outspoken fighter recently inked a new four-fight deal and now has his sights set on a middleweight title.


UFCjunkie.com (UFC news, MMA news, UFC rumors, UFC gossip, fighter interviews and event previews and recaps - UFCjunkie.com) caught up with Martin today to discuss Leben, the thrill of fighting in front of a national audience, a new feud with Patrick Cote, steroid suspicions and his plans for life after fighting.

UFCjunkie.com: Can you explain how the fight with Chris Leben came about? He was originally expected to face Mike Swick.
Terry Martin: I just got the call from my manager, and he said you???re fighting Chris Leben. I thought that it was perfect. What a great match. His style matches up with mine perfectly. He???ll sit there and bang, and I want to hurt him bad.


UFCjunkie.com: Leben???s obviously a guy who likes to stand and trade. Can we expect the same from you?
Terry Martin: Trade? He trades? (Laughs) I don???t know what was on his mind. Maybe he thought he would get in there and it???d be like Optimus Prime versus Megatron or something. It???s not going to be anything like that. Everyone says this kid has a jaw of steel. That???s just because he???s never been hit right. He???s getting knocked out. I guarantee you that.

UFCjunkie.com: For whatever reason, if the fight goes to the ground, do you feel you have the advantage?
Terry Martin: It all depends. I know I have the advantage because I???ve been training years in jiu-jitsu and wrestled all my life. It all depends on what my coaches want, though. They haven???t decided how we???re going to go in there for this fight. But my preference is to stand.

UFCjunkie.com: What are your thoughts on competing for a national TV audience rather than a pay-per-view crowd?
Terry Martin: This is national TV. This is perfect. I thank the UFC. This is big, man. This is it ??? against an opponent like him. This is it. People can???t afford $39.95 or $49.95 or whatever it is all the time, but everyone has free cable. I get to pull out the goodies for this event for people who haven???t seen me before. Leben is headed to total destruction. He has no idea what he???s in for. I???m for real.


UFCjunkie.com: At what point do you think you???re ready for a title?
Terry Martin: I???m ready now, but it???s up to my managers and the UFC. I don???t make the calls. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva and Dana White decide. Maybe I???ll fight Patrick Cote next.

UFCjunkie.com: That was going to be my next question. If not Anderson Silva or Rich Franklin, what opponent would you want next? Cote?
Terry Martin: Yeah, I heard he called m out. Once he sees what I do to Leben, he???ll think twice about it. I???ll make him another victim.


UFCjunkie.com: So he called you out at UFC 74 after his win over Kendall Grove?
Terry Martin: He said something this past weekend about how he???s going to shut my mouth and that I talk too much. That???s funny. Here???s a guy who can???t defend a takedown. You got submitted by Travis Lutter? Lutter, man? Come on, now. How???s he going to call me out when he can???t defend himself against Travis Lutter? I???m going to hurt that dude for real. He barked up the wrong tree. He better watch what he says. Look at his facts. He???s never been knocked out? Woo, there???s goes another one. Another one bites the dust. That bitch is getting knocked out. He doesn???t have the slightest idea how bad I???m going to mess him up.


UFCjunkie.com: So you actually prefer fighting a guy you don???t like?
Terry Martin: I would love to go after (Cote) since he said he???s going to shut my mouth. Like this fight here. Everyone talks about Leben and all this and that. They think he???s something special. People are going to see a different fighter. I???m not going to ignore him like a mature fighter might. I???m going to throw fuel on the fire. I feed off that. And then for Cote, wait until he sees this fight. Let???s see how bad he wants to fight me after what I do to Leben.

UFCjunkie.com: How do you think you match up with Anderson Silva?
Terry Martin: Anderson Silva would be a perfect fight for me for the simple fact that the UFC has never seen all I can offer. I would have to display all my skills. There???d be no holding back. Silva keeps knocking these guys off because they don???t fight smart. How???s a 6-foot-2 guy going to try to fight him from the outside? Look at his style. He???s a southpaw. These guys feed into his strengths. Someone like Silva, I???ll fight him however he wants ??? standing or on the ground. I think I???d be a bad matchup for him. I???d give him problems. I???ll be smarter about preparing for him.


UFCjunkie.com: In your first UFC fight, you suffered a legendary KO via knee to James Irvin early in the second round. Has it been difficult to shake that image from the fans??? minds?
Terry Martin: It???s part of my history. I???d love to go against him again and redeem myself, but I???m at 185 (pounds) now. Some people have forgotten about it, but some people are always going to point it out. That???s how people are. Take any fighter. Take Mike Tyson. It???s hard to remember the first guys he beat, but everyone remembers who beat him. Everyone remembers his big knockouts. But it helps me. It motivates me.

This guy seems to be pretty hated amongst fight fans, but I like him a lot. Gotta respect someone that fights professionally and still finds time to pursue his Ph.D. He's a shit talker, but seems to be making some noise @ 185, a guy that could probably make 170 if he wanted to.

 

[MCx2]

Couture may headline SuperBowl Weekend card.

Randy Couture May Headline SuperBowl Weekend Card; If Signed, ???Fedor??? a Possible Opponent -- UFC news at UFCjunkie.com

Randy Couture May Headline SuperBowl Weekend Card; If Signed, ???Fedor??? a Possible Opponent

Posted by UFC Junkie on August 30, 2007 at 4:20 pm ET

UFC President Dana White today confirmed in a media conference call that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture???s broken arm will probably keep him out of action until early 2008. Additionally, White said it???s possible that Couture could headline a SuperBowl Weekend card in February upon his return.


UFCjunkie.com (UFC news, MMA news, UFC rumors, UFC gossip, fighter interviews and event previews and recaps - UFCjunkie.com) recently confirmed with Couture???s camp that the 44-year-old fighter and UFC Hall of Famer broke his ulna bone, which is the smaller of the two forearm bones, while checking a head kick from his UFC 74 opponent, Gabriel Gonzaga.


Couture will wear a splint for six weeks before he returns to training. Sean O???Heir, Xtreme Couture spokesperson, told UFCjunkie that the injury won???t interfere with the filming of ???The Scorpion King: The Akkadian,??? a major motion picture from Universal Studios that will star Couture.


As for Couture???s opponent, White mentioned a few possibilities.


He said that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who made a successful UFC debut with a win over Heath Herring at UFC 71, will likely fight before the end of the year. If successful, White said, he???d be the division???s top contender. He also said that if Nogueira loses, his opponent could instead earn the title shot. (With that said, it seems likely that Nogueira will face one of the division???s elite. Perhaps former champ Andrei Arlovski will get the call if the two sides get a contract extension inked.)


Additionally, if the organization can sign PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, a top-ranked Russian fighter who???s been in negotiations with the UFC for months, he could also be an opponent for Couture.


???If he???s signed, he???s probably get a title shot immediately,??? White said.

However, despite reports of a meeting between the UFC and Emelianenko???s management taking place today, White was noncommittal and reiterated that he???s been working to get the fighter in the UFC ever since PRIDE was acquired by the UFC.


???Put in a good word for us,??? White joked.

 

[A Black Guy]

So yesterday Dana shitcanned Babalu, told Barnett that he can go fuck himself, and won't sign Denis Kang because he doesn't think he's top tier.



I'm starting to not like the UFC being the bully on the block.

 

[PreMier]

So yesterday Dana shitcanned Babalu, told Barnett that he can go fuck himself, and won't sign Denis Kang because he doesn't think he's top tier.



I'm starting to not like the UFC being the bully on the block.

links?

 

[MCx2]

"Babalu" cut from UFC

Renato ???Babalu??? Sobral Cut From UFC Contract -- UFC news at UFCjunkie.com

Renato ???Babalu??? Sobral Cut From UFC Contract

Posted by UFC Junkie on August 30, 2007 at 2:20 pm ET

As UFCjunkie.com (UFC news, MMA news, UFC rumors, UFC gossip, fighter interviews and event previews and recaps - UFCjunkie.com) reported in an earlier UFC 75 conference call recap, Renato ???Babalu??? Sobral has been dropped from the UFC following his actions at this past Saturday???s UFC 74 event.


UFC President Dana White confirmed that the fighter has been cut from his contract after initially refusing to break a chokehold on opponent David Heath and then admitting it during a post-fight interview. Sobral told the sold-out crowd in the Mandalay Bay Events Center that he wanted to ???teach (Heath) a lesson??? for disrespecting him during the previous day???s weigh-ins.


After dominating much of the fight ??? and opening a gash along the fighter???s forehead ??? Sobral secured a fight-ending anaconda choke in the second round. However, after Heath tapped, Sobral refused to break the hold, even as referee Steve Mazzagatti tugged on his arm.


At least three to four seconds ticked by before Sobral broke the hold. By then, Heath had gone unconscious.


Half of Sobral???s $50,000 payday has been withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending a review by executive director Keith Kizer. He recently stated that a suspension could also be in order.


While White said that Sobral is now gone from the organization, he didn???t rule out the possibility of the light heavyweight returning some day.
???I never say never,??? White said.


Before this past weekend???s undercard fight, Sobral lost to Jason Lambert at UFC 68 in one of the night???s biggest upsets. Prior to that, he lost to then-UFC light heavyweight Chuck Liddell in UFC 62???s main event one year ago. That loss ended Sobral???s 10-fight winning streak, which began after a previous loss to Liddell at UFC 40.

* * * *​

In other UFC news, UFCjunkie.com has confirmed that all 10 fighters who were tested for performance-enhancing drugs were found to be clean.
The NSAC tested Randy Couture, Gabriel Gonzaga, Frank Mir, Antoni Hardonk, Patrick Cote, Kendall Grove, Georges St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck, Alberto Crane and Roger Huerta.


The NSAC will soon announce if any of the fighters tested positive for recreational/other drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

 

[MCx2]

Barnett challenges Zuffa, White responds

MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]- BARNETT CHALLENGES ZUFFA, WHITE RESPONDS[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thursday, August 30, 2007 - by Jeff Cain - MMAWeekly.com[/FONT]

Josh Barnett, the number four ranked heavyweight in the world by MMAWeekly's worldwide rankings, took offense to UFC president Dana White's comments during the UFC 74 post-fight press conference that no one in the world can beat Randy Couture. Barnett issued a challenge to the UFC to make him a legitimate offer, and he'd prove White's statements false.

"At the press conference Randy didn't have anything particularly to say that was inflammatory, but Dana, on the other hand, had to putwords in his mouth and sort of write checks on Randy's behalf by saying, 'there isn't anybody in the world that can beat this guy.' And I'm standing right there, and he's already seen me. It's just bull crap. I already beat him within two [rounds], not to mention, nobody is invincible."

???That just goes without saying. Two of the absolute best heavyweights in the world aren't even in the UFC, and he claims they're going to get them all. I asked him when, and he said, 'soon.' B.S.," said the twenty-nine year old heavyweight contender.

Barnett doesn't think the UFC is trying or wants to sign certain highly ranked fighters. He commented, ???They're not really making efforts to get them all, and that's because to get someone like myself or Fedor [Emelianenko] in there would ruin their entire propaganda that they've been trying to build up for so long that only what's within the UFC is really what counts, and is only the real truth of MMA. It's not MMA anymore, it's Ultimate Fighting, and that's crap."

He continued, "It's more of their whole UFC propaganda notion in that things that happened before the Spike TV explosion didn't really happen. I beat him. I took him out by TKO in under two rounds, and that's the truth of the matter. It wasn't that Randy was a bad fighter, or anything like that. I was the better person that night, and I know if we were to fight again I strongly believe that I'm still the better fighter."

Asked if the UFC has made him a serious offer, Barnett replied, "Not in my opinion, certainly not in my opinion. It's ignorant to think that someone like myself, or another high level heavyweight doesn't have an idea of what kind of figures, and contracts, and sorts of things that are offered to the top guys and top fighters in the world. So don't come at somebody with something less than that. Don't insult them by making a very patronizing offer and act like we're all that there is and you need us. I'm not down for that. If they want to be serious, I've already said before I'd fight in the UFC. I have no problem doing that. And besides the fact that Randy's got the title, whatever, even if he didn't have the belt, to say somebody is unbeatable, someone is going to say something about it."

He added, "They've got the money and ability to make what they want happen to have happen.... They say they want the best in the world, well, they actually have to have them. Even right now, if you ask me, their champ, he's not ranked any higher than five. There's already people out there ranked higher than him that they don't even have."

"I've been here from the beginning, not to mention, they have a title reign that has never been taken off of me. I left the UFC. No matter what, [Andrei] Arlovski never beat me for that belt, neither did Ricco [Rodriguez], neither did [Tim] Sylvia, for sure, and then Randy just comes out of retirement and steps in and gets an automatic title shot. Fine. If that's the way they want to do it, but from my perspective I don't need a title shot. All I need is, just put me in the ring. If you say he's unbeatable, let his arm heal, and we'll go out there and see how unbeatable he is."

Barnett would like to fight before the end of the year, but said it's not in his hands. Questioned how frustrating it is for him to be on the sidelines watching rather than competing, Josh responded, "It's incredibly frustrating because it's not a matter of anything that I am doing. It's just a matter of not, in my opinion, getting legitimate offers, simply put."

???Sitting back watching almost a decade's worth of MMA being re-written by some guys, and that's just a slap in the face of everybody who ever got into this in the beginning that didn't even make a dime when we first started fighting, and didn't even have promotions, and traveled the world to try to do everything we could to become mixed martial artists as we have today. It's just completely disrespectful."

???Not to mention, we're not retired. We're still friggen here, and training hard, and proving our mettle amongst the best in the world. Putting us on a back burner trying to act like we don't exist, that's either because they're scared, they're cowards and they don't want us to ruin their sand castle, or they're just spiteful."

Josh went on to say, "If Dana wants to make such a bold statement about the champ I've already beaten, then put his money where he mouth is. If he really believes he's unbeatable, and they don't want to lose their token belt they have right now, fine. Go ahead, make a deal. I'll go out and fight him. I don't need that belt. I've already got my own. I'm completely happy with it. Randy's a competitor and I know he'll fight anybody, so there's not going to be any issue on his side."

"Basically what it comes down to is if Dana wants to run his mouth, don't say something that you're not going to back up. You challenged all the boxing guys. You challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. You make all these challenges, well, here, you said something; I'm putting a challenge to him. Step up. You claimed that they were all cowards and they didn't have the balls to step up and laughed about it. Well, now I'm saying, look, you're a coward. You're not stepping up, and you made this statement, and I'm willing to prove you wrong."

???Most people know that's an erroneous statement to make in the first place, so I wouldn't be completely surprised if he completely avoided it, backed away form it and tried to ignore it, and just forgot it ever happened because it's not something he wants and he knows it's something he can't win."

Barnett made it clear he has nothing personally against Randy Couture. His issue is with Dana White's statements. About Couture, Barnett said, "It was cool to see Randy go out there and prove that to be a champion you've got to have a bunch of fights under your belt, put under the pressure cooker, and have worked your way to the top. One big win does not make a title contention. ... He's a
Washingtonian, and I've been a fan of his for a long time. We've trained together."

Asked if he thought a rematch with Couture would play out any differently now than their first bout at UFC 36 back in March of 2002, Barnett said, "No, I don't. I think I can still finish him in either the first or second round, submission or stoppage. When he fights me, it's not the best person for him to fight. He can beat other people, but I'm not one of them."

When contacted for comment, UFC president Dana White responded, "Nobody gives a sh*t about Josh Barnett, especially me."

Assassin isn't in his "Baby Faced Assassin" moniker for nothing. It equally applies to Barnett's straight-forward nature as it does to his fighting ability. He says what he means and means what he says. Love him or hate him, believe him or not, what fan wouldn't want to see Josh Barnett back in the UFC?

 

[A Black Guy]

On Babalu:

Renato ???Babalu??? Sobral has been released from his UFC contract after his behavior in the recent fight with David Heath as confirmed by UFC president Dana White during a media conference call earlier today.

MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More

On Barnett:

When contacted for comment, UFC president Dana White responded, "Nobody gives a sh*t about Josh Barnett, especially me."

MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More

On Kang:

-Dana says Shogun is a contender for the title right now. Says they have "everyone" from Pride. When asked about Denis Kang, Dana says Denis isn't one of the big stars from Pride.

MMANEWS.COM | Tons More News & Notes From UFC 75 Conference Call