Sean "Shrek" Sherk CSAC Appeal Today

We're still waiting on the appeals of suspension and fines of four mixed martial arts fighters including Mr. Sean Sherk, UFC Lightweight Champion.

Here is the agenda for today's appeal hearing.

Personally, I hope Shrek err... Sherk wins his appeal so we can see B.J. Penn fight again for the LW strap.

Shrek by decision or Sherk or Nandrolone or....

Din Thomas Mug Shot

Din Thomas was arrested for illegal cage fighting yesterday.

The details of the arrest are right here

ESPN Spotlight on Miletich Fighting Systems

Wanna See Randy Couture's Unit?

According to the XtremeCouture Blog:

"Randy reprises his role as Sgt. Strickland on the hit CBS show “The Unit” this Tuesday. The show airs at 9pm Eastern & Pacific. Check your local listings, as they say.

“The Unit” was created by film and theater legend David Mamet who directed The Natural in “Red Belt” earlier this year".

################################

Couture looks like Bruce Willis pictured below:

Din Thomas BUSTED!!!

Din Thomas was busted for "illegal cage fighting" a.k.a. - non-sanctioned MMA fights.

From the PSL Press Release:

PORT ST. LUCIE POLICE DEPARTMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

Chief John Skinner
Port St. Lucie Police Department
Port St. Lucie, Fl.
Contact: Robert Vega
Public Information Officer
(Office) (772) 871-5032
(Mobile) (772) 201-0929

DATE/TIME OF RELEASE: October 30, 2007 @ 11:45 a.m.
PREPARED/RELEASED BY: Robert Vega

For Immediate Release:

SUBJECT: Port St. Lucie Police arrest Ultimate Fighting Champion Din Thomas for organizing illegal cage fighting in St. Lucie West.

On October 30, 2007, the Port St. Lucie Police arrested Din Thomas (DOB 9-28-76, 538 SW. Bailey Terrace, PSL), a well known mixed martial artist for organizing illegal cage fighting at a studio which he runs.

Police responded to 494 NW. Lake Whitney Place after an off-duty officer received a tip about the cage fights. When officers responded, they observed approximately 150 people watching two men fight. The men in the cage were observed punching and kicking each other throughout the fight. During one of the matches, one of the men was knocked unconscious. There was no hired medical staff at this event.

Din Thomas was arrested for one Felony count for violating F.S.S 548.008 prohibited competitions.

The investigators will be available today at 1:30 p.m. at the main police department.

###########################################

Check out the Arrest Warrant

I'd say he's pretty much FUCKED!

M-1 Global Management Team Announced

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sibling Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc.'s affiliate, Sibling Sports, LLC, as the Managing Member of M-1 Global, LLC, announced today the management team for M-1 Global.

"We are pleased with the high level of talent that we have been able to assemble to lead our new organization," said Monte Cox, M-1 Global president and chief executive officer. "Our leadership team has a great blend of experience and skills that will help guide our organization in the years to come."

Vadim Finkelchtein was appointed to the M-1 Global Executive Committee. He is also president of M-1 Mix Fight and will continue to manage Fedor Emelianenko, the world's greatest MMA fighter. Finkelchtein, 43, will be responsible for providing strategic guidance to the entire team. He will also help stage M-1 Global events in Russia.

"We are elated to partner with Vadim. Not only is he the founder of M-1 Mix Fight, but he is also a very successful Russian businessman. He owns and manages Russia's first and only sports-entertainment center located on water. Located in St. Petersburg, right across from the famous Hermitage museum, the center is located on board the 'Letuchii Golandez,' (or Flying Dutchman), a replica of the 1748 sailboat 'Amsterdam.' It contains four levels, and includes an exercise room, beauty salon, restaurants, cafes and hotel rooms," Cox said.

Bob Clark was appointed chief operating officer. Clark, 51, will be responsible for directing and managing day-to-day operations. He was also appointed to the M-1 Global Executive Committee. Clark also serves as president of Sibling Theatricals, Inc. and director of marketing for Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc. Prior to joining Sibling in July 2007, he spent the past 9 years working for CarMax, a Fortune 500 company and one of the Fortune 2007 "100 Best Companies to Work For."

Joost Raimond was appointed president of M-1 Eurasia. Raimond, 42, will be responsible for directing and managing day-to-day operations in Eurasia. He was also appointed to the M-1 Global Executive Committee. Prior to joining M-1 Global, Joost provided legal advice and management consultant services to Too Hot to Handle, M-1 Mix Fight & Pride Europe. He also owns his own project management and consultancy company -- WORX. He specializes in health and fitness projects and focuses on sourcing fabrication of consumer or commercial products in the Far East and establishing production and QA/QC systems.

Apy Echteld was appointed vice president of fighter development. Echteld, 46, will be responsible for match-making and helping to identify fighters for M-1 Global to sign. He was also appointed to the M-1 Global executive committee. Echteld has been an accomplished martial arts trainer since 1979. In 1997, Echteld joined forces with Vadim Finkelchtein to create the Russian organization M-1 Mix-Fight, which is recognized as the largest MMA event in Europe.

Brian Patton was appointed vice president of M-1 Global. Patton, 41, will coordinate with SFX Media & Events to secure sponsorships and endorsements for both M-1 Global and our fighters. He was also appointed to the M-1 Global executive committee. Brian will continue in his current position as a faculty member at his alma mater Greenville College. Brian is also the business manager for Matt Hughes, 9-time UFC Welterweight champion.

Dennis Spencer, executive vice president of SFX Media & Events, was appointed to the M-1 Global executive committee. "He brings us over 30 years of experience in professional sports and sports television. Spencer, 54, will serve as our liaison with SFX Media & Events and he will help negotiate television and other media contracts, sponsorships and endorsements for M-1 Global and our fighters," Cox said.

"We believe we have a world-class management team," Cox said. "I look forward to working with this great group of leaders to help M-1 Global make its mark and contributions to the great sport of mixed martial arts."

For more information, access the M-1 Global website at www.M-1Global.com.

UFC 78: Validation - Website Online

Perfect name for UFC 78 - Validation.

This must be some sick UFC executive humour or something because all of the fighters on the card need to validate their current and future existence in the UFC for many reasons that I'm too tired to bleed from the fingertips for.

The 78.ufc.com site is done very well... the fight card... not so much.

Date Time: 11/17/2007 7pm PT / 10pm ET
Event Type: PPV Live
Location: Prudential Center, NJ

Main event... and first time you'll have to pay to watch Spike TV!

Rashad Evans (15-0-1) vs. Michael Bisping (15-0)

Main card (on the tube):

Houston Alexander (8-1) vs. Thiago Silva (11-0)
Dave Terrell (6-2) vs. Ed Herman (13-5)
Karo Parisyan (17-4) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-7)
Frank Edgar (7-0) vs. Spencer Fisher (20-3)

Under card (yer gettin' stiffed and can't see these fights for the $40 you paid unless you pay $10/m to be a member at UFC.com :)

Thiago Alves (12-3) vs. Chris Lytle (24-14-5)
Joe Lauzon (15-3) vs. Jason Reinhardt (18-0)
Marcus Aurelio (14-5) vs. Luke Caudillo (12-8)
Tamdan McCrory (8-0) vs. Akihiro Gono (27-12-1)

Special thanks to Dana White for proving that you really can make people pay to watch The Ultimate Fighter reality series.

Is it February 15th yet?

Fedor and M-1 will be live then and expect to watch the fight for FREE... that's right, for free. M1 is currently in negotiations with various broadcasters including ESPN so stay tuned...

Another UFC Press Conference?

Oh, the drama!

Apparently, Zuffa Vice Chairman & co-owner, Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC President, Dana White will be hosting a press conference at 1pm PT (4pm EST) today that will be streamed live from UFC.com to speak in response to the claims that Randy "The Natural Quitter" Couture made at his presser last week.

Honestly, I'm gonna have to go back to watching professional sports wrestling when I was 10 and didn't have a care in the world because this low-level Vince McMahon drama is soooooooooo early 1980's.

Let it go Lorenzo & Dana.... let it go and remember to eat your vitamins like the Hulkster told you to do.

Sidenote: I watched Rocky III for the umpteenth time the other day and I have to say that Thunderlips kicked the shit out of Balboa worse than Clubber Lang did.

Thunderlips: To all my love slaves out there: Thunderlips is here. In the flesh, baby. The ultimate male versus... the ultimate meatball. Ha, ha, ha.

My Thoughts on Randy Couture - by Matt "The Queen" Hughes

From Matt Hughes' website:

"October 29th, 2007 Well I’ve been tapering off of farm work and training more and more now that the fight’s getting closer, but I know you all have been waiting to hear my thoughts on Randy leaving the UFC, so here we go.

I don’t know exactly what is going through Randy’s head, I haven’t talked to him, nor have I talked to Dana White about this situation. However, I somewhat agree with Randy. A couple of years ago, the UFC was a much smaller organization and I knew everybody that worked for them. When I wanted something, I knew who to call and who would get it done. I miss that.

Nowadays, it seems like new employees of the UFC call me everyday. The problem was they got so big so fast they had to get more workers. So now it’s just a much bigger organization and things are a lot different. Dana doesn’t know all that goes on over there. It seems like he’s off doing his own thing. So I’m sure that a lot of what Randy is mad about, Dana has nothing to do with. A lot of times the UFC will call me up and ask me to do things. If my schedule’s busy or I don’t want to do it, I just say no. If Dana White calls me up and asks me to do something I always do it. And if I need something done at the UFC, I know I can always call Dana.

I don’t know if Randy is done fighting, I don’t know if he’s wanting to go out and fight for another organization. At first, I heard money was the reason Randy quit and then I heard it wasn’t, so there is a lot of things that I just don’t know; but Dana is holding a press conference tomorrow, so maybe we’ll find out more about it then.

I’ve also heard that Randy did this because he wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko. Right now Randy’s stock in this sport is pretty high, so if he is wanting to go out with a bang then what’s left for him? Nothing, but maybe Fedor."

Anderson "The Spider" Silva can dance.

KILLER highlight reel of one of the most dominate figters in the game. I DO APPRECIATE THE RUNNERS he is wearing at the beginning of the video.

Enjoy.

Kevin Randleman's Staph Infection

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) strain. Antibiotic-resistance means that strains of staph aren't killed by one or more of the antibiotics that are commonly used to treat staph infections.

These strains of staph are becoming an increasingly common threat and while they do not always cause worse or different infections than non-resistant strains, they can be much harder to treat because the most common (and easiest to use) antibiotics may not be effective.

People with resistant staph infections may require hospitalization to receive antibiotics through an IV or by injection.

Unfortunately some staph infections can even be fatal. Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more information about MRSA.

This article is available from MMA News.

Lennox Lewis Owned by Icon MMA Star

Well, the debate is over... Mixed Martial Artists own Boxers when each are fighting in their own sports discipline. This is a clip of Jeremy Williams hurling Boxing legend Lennox Lewis at will around the ring. MMA is the new sweet science!

Brad Imes - Gogoplata King!

Without a doubt, Brad Imes has now solidified himself as a fearless submission specialist pulling off what most consider to be the most difficult of submissions, the Gogoplata... not once but twice in a row.

Brad Imes defeated Bo Cantrell on Saturday at KOTC - Arch Rivals by way of Gogoplata submission in the first round.

Previous to this victory, Imes won by Gogoplata which knocked the MMA Community on its face because the thought of 6'7" 260Lbs of Imes pulling off a sophisticated Jiu-Jitsu submission was unspeakable.

Here is a pic of Imes submitting Zak Jensen LAST MONTH (9/14) by Gogo.

Way to Gogo Mr.Imes!




Here's a video demonstration of the Gogoplata (the voice overs are awesome:)

Denis Kang KO'ed in K-1

Denis Kang (27 - 9 - 1) is a journeyman mixed martial artist who is currently ranked #4 on MMAWeekly's Top Ten list for Middleweights (185 Lbs).

Kang's name has been tossed about the MMA Community as one who could have a legitimate shot at dethroning the current UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson "The Spider" Silva if he were awarded with a UFC contract.

Kang fought on Saturday at K-1 - OLYMPIA HERO'S 2007 in KOREA against Judo specialist, Yoshihiro Akiyama. Unfortunately for Denis Kang, the fight ended just past the midway mark in round 1 by knockout due to a sharp right-handed uppercut.

The search for Silva's successor continues...

Highlights of Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva

Randy Couture - Its ALL about the money and the lack of tickets for his friends and family

“I wasn’t happy with that contract then,” Couture said. “I asked for a signing bonus. I knew a lot of other athletes were getting signing bonuses. I was told, ‘No, we can’t give you a signing bonus.’ But it really didn’t matter. What I ultimately wanted to do was fight, so I accepted the contract.”

UFC president Dana White contends Couture “belongs” to him until he fulfills the final two fights of the agreement, the 18-month term notwithstanding. Couture believes he will be a free agent when the term expires in nine months; the disagreement may land the two parties in court.

“They can’t make me fight,” Couture said. “My understanding is that, with the term of the contract and the number of bouts on the contract, one isn’t contingent on the other. Once the term expires, it doesn’t automatically extend until I compete in the four bouts that were on the contract.”

Couture also disputed a recent Yahoo! Sports report that his current deal would pay him between $13 million and $15 million. He presented the media with unsigned bout agreements for his last two fights – his March 3 victory over Sylvia and his Aug. 25 win over Gabriel Gonzaga.

A base salary of $250,000 was reflected in both agreements, which included a pay-per-view compensation scale that increased by the number of units sold. Couture estimated buys between 500,000 and 600,000 for his last three appearances. He also confirmed to The Fight Network that he received a $500,000 bonus from Zuffa for the unanimous decision victory to Sylvia. Couture said he received no such bonus for the successful title defense against Gonzaga, which he addressed face-to-face with Fertitta and White.

In late August, Couture exercised a clause in his contract to audit Zuffa for the Gonzaga pay-per-view numbers. With official tallies for that bout still pending, Couture's estimations applied to the pay-per-view tiers provided place him in the $1.6 to $1.8 million dollar range per fight - still a far cry from the $3.25-$3.75 million that had been reported.

“Everybody’s trying to make a big deal about the money,” Couture said. “This was never a money issue. It’s been a prevailing feeling of respect that wasn’t being given. Eleven years of my life I’ve spent trying to represent this sport with integrity and represent this sport in a particular way for the owners before and now. I’ve never felt like that was appreciated.”

Couture also cited issues involving failed attempts to secure extra tickets for friends and family and a lack of support from UFC management in regards to a GI fundraiser he organized in Las Vegas last June.“All of those things are small mitigating factors into this overall feeling that I’m just another fighter and I get no respect from the organization,” Couture said. “I’m tired of swimming upstream. I’m tired of fighting against the current. Something needs to change.”

The full article is available from the Fight network.

Randy Couture Press Conference Video

Jason Black vs. Matt Grice UFC 77 Video

This UFC 77 preliminary fight that was not televised received "Fight of the Night" honours by Mr. Dana White as he gave $40,000 bonuses to each fighter.

Funny that I paid $40 and didn't get to see "The Fight of the Night".



Click Here to read CBS Sports take on the Judging debacle.

Rampage "The Tard" Jackson

Slow day in MMA...

Some insensitive humour for the rest of us.

Anderson Silva's "Bob & Weave"

Silva doesn't need no stinkin' ropes to rope-a-dope like Muhammad Ali used to do. I have to say that Anderson is on a level that is often misunderstood by new MMA fans and cranky over-critical MMA neophyte fans too.

What Anderson does here with a known good striker is pure art.

Fedor Owns Randy...

Well, Randy's T-Shirt anyway...

Let's hope that Couture is able to free himself from the dreaded UFC contract to fight the Last Emperor under the M-1 Global banner which happens to use Pride rules outside of North America.

Click Here for an exclusive NBC interview with Fedor who also wants to fight Couture.

Favorite UFC 77 Pics

Kalib Starnes Cut

Anderson Silva's Spinning Back Kick

Human Cock-Fighting (This one is for the Colonel ;)

UFC 77 Prostitution Pay

Matt Grice & Alvin Robinson should seriously consider taking their talents to an organization that "Respects" them, as Randy Couture has said he didn't receive from the UFC... Now I get it.

UFC, please clean up your act and pay the fighters a living wage in the very least.

This makes me sick.

Anderson Silva — $120,000 ($60,000 to show, $60,000 to win)
Rich Franklin — $45,000

Tim Sylvia — $200,000 ($100,000 to show, $100,000 to win)
Brandon Vera — $100,000

Alvin Robinson — $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Jorge Gurgel — $7,000

Stephan Bonnar — $44,000 ($22,000 to show, $22,000 to win)
Eric Schafer — $6,000

Alan Belcher — $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 to win)
Kalib Starnes — $7,000

Yushin Okami — $24,000 ($12,000 to show, $12,000 to win)
Jason MacDonald — $17,000

Demian Maia — $10,000 ($5,000 to show, $5,000 to win)
Ryan Jensen — $4,000

Josh Burkman — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Forrest Petz — $6,000

Matt Grice — $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Jason Black — $8,000

Anderson Silva received $40,000 for his KO
Matt Grice & Jason Black received $40,000 each for the Fight of the Night which paying viewers did not get to see.
Maia received $40,000 for submission of the night.

Total base payout = $652,000 + Fight bonuses ($160, 000) = $812, 000.

Ticket sales = $2,519,850 from the 16, 000+ in attendance.

This leaves $1,707,850 gross profit to pay for the expenses of running such an event. Pay per view monies are factored in as a separate revenue stream altogether.

"It's hard out here for a PIMP"

Iceman & Axe Murderer Confirmed for UFC 79: NEMESIS

CHUCK LIDDELL vs. WANDERLEI SILVA

UFC 79: NEMESIS

SATURDAY, DEC. 29
LIVE FROM MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER

Tickets on Sale Now

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – For years, UFC® fight fans have speculated about the outcome of a historic dream matchup between two legendary figures in the sport of mixed martial arts, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. Tonight, on Spike TV’s 2007 Scream Awards, UFC President Dana White announced that this dream will finally become a reality when UFC and PRIDE former champions Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva face each other at UFC 79: NEMESIS live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, December 29, 2007.

“Chuck and Wanderlei – two legends in the sport – will face off in the most important match of their careers at UFC 79,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Chuck and Wanderlei have both wanted this fight for as long as they can remember, and this is definitely the fight that fans have waited for years to see. Finally, PRIDE’s most dangerous striker will face the UFC’s most dangerous striker, and the world will know after years of speculation who will win and who will lose this fight.”

Tickets for UFC 79: NEMESIS are on sale now and are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100. Tickets are available through any Mandalay Bay box office and all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call the Mandalay Bay box office at (702) 632-7580 or Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale is available now to UFC newsletter subscribers. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

There also will be a special auction for Octagon-side floor seats available only through www.ticketmaster.com starting Wednesday, October 24 and ending Monday, November 5.

UFC 79: NEMESIS is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and $49.95 for HD where available.

Liddell (20-5), considered by many to be the greatest light heavyweight fighter of all time, reigned as the 205-pound UFC champion for over three years. He knocked out seven opponents in seven consecutive fights, including Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Tito Ortiz (twice), before he was defeated by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 71 in May. Chuck now returns to the Octagon to face the fighter he has wanted to fight for years – Wanderlei Silva.

“I’m excited this fight with Wanderlei is finally happening,” said Liddell. “I’ve been saying for a long time that, given the chance, I would knock Wanderlei Silva out. I think this will be a great fight for the fans, and one that lives up to their expectations, because I’m going to hit him until he falls down and stays down.”

The 31-year old Silva (31-7-1), known by fight fans as “The Axe Murderer” for his ultra-aggressive style and finishing ability, began his career almost 11 years ago in his native Brazil,

fighting in Vale Tudo bouts that pushed him to the limit as he honed the skills that would soon make him one of the most feared fighters on the planet. He met great success by winning the PRIDE organization’s middleweight championship and defeating the likes of current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson (twice), Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba (three times), Ricardo Arona, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Kazuyuki Fujita, while engaging in some of the most memorable fights in MMA history. Well-rested after his February PRIDE fight against Dan Henderson, Silva is ready to take on Liddell and secure the most important victory of his mixed martial arts career.

“I’ve wanted to fight Chuck for a long time,” said Silva. “I think about this fight a lot, our styles are very similar – we are both great strikers. I’m training very hard, because I want to give my next victory to my fans. After I beat Chuck, then I want to fight the champion.”

In addition to Liddell vs. Silva, UFC 79 features the main event welterweight championship matchup between UFC champion Matt Serra (16-4) and former UFC champion Matt Hughes (43-5).

Current UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra, fresh off his knockout victory over Georges St-Pierre in April, looks to defend his title for the first time against the legendary Hughes and secure his own legacy in the UFC 170-pound division. Hughes, a two-time UFC champion with seven combined title defenses to his name, has a deadly ground game that has earned him wins over St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Royce Gracie, and Frank Trigg (twice).

For more information about UFC 78, The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, UFC 79 or any upcoming UFC event, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo and Setanta PPV in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

Fedor Emelianenko Press Conference

Why did you not sign with the UFC?

The UFC has greatly helped the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and for that they should be commended. But this sport is bigger than the UFC and I wanted to do something different that would put the focus back on the athletes. I wanted to play a role in something larger than one company; I wanted to create a way where the best fighters in the world can fight each other regardless of their affiliation.

Was it because of your family wanting to stay in Russia?

Russia is my home and where I train but I am willing to go anywhere to fight the best fights. I have many supporters all over the world and with M-1, they will be able to see me in person as I plan to fight around the world.

What did the UFC offer you? Was it not enough money? Are you receiving more money with M-1?

Money is always an issue, but it was not the only issue. I wanted a voice and a say in my future. I want to have a say in where the sport is going. M-1 allows me to have a voice in the future of the sport. Money is important to feed and cloth my family, but my signing was about respect and competition. There are many great heavyweights all over the world and I want to fight them. M-1 Global will create these match-ups and bring them to MMA fans all over the world.

Did you not sign with the UFC because of Dana White?

No, I have actually never met the man. The UFC’s primary focus appears to be the US. Some of the best fighters are not in the US and I want to not be limited to fighting within one structure.

Would you fight Randy Couture if given the chance?

Yes, I want to fight Randy. He is the UFC Champion regardless of his resignation.– he is the second best fighter in the world (laughing). No, I have a great deal of respect for Randy. He is a great champion and a great ambassador for the sport. The fans deserve to see this fight and to not wait years for it to happen. I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to fight Randy by the end of 2008. It is good for the fans, good for the sport, and good for the fighters.

Other highlights courtesy of UFCMania.com

UFC turned down an offer to match Emelianenko up against Tim Sylvia when both were champions in there respective organizations.

Fedor mentioned that his brother, Aleks, was offered a “low ball” contract to fight inside the Octagon. The goal is to sign him to an M-1 contract as soon as possible.

M-1 has in the past followed PRIDE FC rules and will continue to do so until a more universal set of rules can be established (if possible).

Fedor rejects the “number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world” label because he feels he has yet to fight and defeat all the best fighters in the world.

M-1 executives plan to hold a major event in Tokyo as soon as July.

Similar to PRIDE FC, live events under the M-1 banner will have as much emphasis on the event as the fights themselves.

Fedor, as well as any fighter under contract for M-1, will be allowed to compete for other organizations if the timing and profits make sense.

M-1 has been around for years as an entity in Europe and now as a global company will try and replicate that success in the United States and other countries.

Monte Cox hopes that UFC fighters nearing the end of their contract will consider fighting for M-1 because of Fedor’s presence and the global mentality.

Fedor is humbled by Randy Couture as a fighter but more so as a person. Hopes he can work out his situation with the UFC and would be honored to fight him somewhere down the road.

Dana White on ESPN Speaks About Randy Couture

UFCMania is reporting that Randy Couture is going to hold a press conference to speak about his position for quitting the UFC as a Heavyweight Champion, Commentator and also address the rumours about his pay.

FYI - Fedor speaks today in New York City @ 5:30pm EST to announce the details of his contract as well, why he chose M-1 Global over other competing MMA organizations around the world.

M-1 Global Buyer Announced

Courtesy of CNN.com

NEW YORK, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sibling Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc. ["Sibling Holdings"] announced Sibling Theatricals, Inc. ["Sibling Theatricals"], a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc., together with Garlin Holdings Limited as Managing Members, have formed Sibling Sports, LLC (a Delaware limited liability company) for the purpose of creating M-1 Global, LLC (a New York limited liability company), a new mixed martial arts organization.

In addition, Monte Cox, a 13-year veteran of the mixed martial arts industry, was named President and CEO of M-1 Global.

Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc. is the company with which Sibling Holdings has previously signed an Agreement of Acquisition and Plan of Reorganization, the closing of which is currently pending. (See "Note to Editor" below for an explanation of Sibling Holdings relationship to Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc.).

"We are excited to announce the formation of Sibling Sports, LLC and our new mixed martial arts organization M-1 Global," said Mitchell Maxwell, President and CEO of Sibling Holdings. "Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in America. It is the boxing of the 21st century. We see our entry into sports entertainment as an integral part of our strategic plan to develop new and unique entertainment products worldwide."

"We have pulled together a world-class group of people to lead our new organization. Our new management team has extensive mixed martial arts experience in Europe, Russia, Asia and the US. We have developed a strategic alliance with SFX Media & Events, one of the premiere sports marketing, event management, and athlete management companies in the world," he said.

"We are thrilled to have a strategic alliance with M-1 Global and the outstanding team that Sibling Sports has put together," said Dennis Spencer, executive vice president of SFX Media and Events.

"We are pleased to announce Monte Cox as our CEO. Monte has been recognized as one of the most influential persons in mixed martial arts in the world today. He is generally considered one of the world's most successful fight managers, having produced a record seven world champions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and built an impressive team of nearly 60 world-class competitors," Maxwell said.

Cox said, "I have been involved in mixed martial arts for almost 13 years. While I have been offered many other positions over the years, this is the first one that I have accepted. I am elated to have the opportunity to work with Mitchell Maxwell and the great team of managers he has been able to assemble. We look forward to continuing to move mixed martial arts into the mainstream, not only here in the US, but worldwide."

"We have developed an alliance with M-1 Mix Fight and we are honored to be working with Vadim Finkelchtein, Apy Echteld, and Joost Raimond. They have many years of experience managing fighters and staging events in Europe, Russia, and Asia. Rounding out our new management team are Bob Clark, currently serving as President of Sibling Theatricals, and Brian Patton, a CPA, and business manager for MMA legend Matt Hughes," Cox said.

Note to Editor:

Sibling Holdings previously entered into an Agreement of Acquisition and Plan of Reorganization with Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Sibling").

The above-referenced agreement provides for the acquisition of Sibling's subsidiaries: Sibling Theatricals, Inc., (STI); Sibling Pictures, Inc., (SPI); Sibling Music Corporation (SMC): and Sibling Properties, Inc., (SPPI).

On February 9, 2007, the shareholders of Sibling Holdings approved the above-referenced agreement, the closing of which is subject to the filing, and effectiveness, of a Form S-4 registration statement with the SEC. The Form S-4 was filed on August 14, 2007 by Sibling Holdings.

About Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc.

Sibling Entertainment Group, Inc., a company filing voluntarily with the SEC as a 1933 Securities Act company, is an entertainment development and production company based in New York City that finances, develops and produces plays and musicals for the live stage, independent feature films and other entertainment projects through four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Sibling Theatricals, Inc., (STI); Sibling Pictures, Inc., (SPI); Sibling Music Corporation (SMC); and Sibling Properties, Inc., (SPPI). We seek to create synergies that will enable each subsidiary to build off of one another's successes. For more information, access the Sibling website at www.siblingentertainment.biz.

Forward-Looking Statements

We caution readers that the statements contained in this release about our future business plans, operations, opportunities, or prospects, including without limitation any statements or factors regarding expected sales, margins, or earnings, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current knowledge and assumptions about future events and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results. Among the factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements are the following: changes in the general U.S. or regional U.S. economy; intense competition within our industry; our ability to acquire suitable real estate; the significant loss of key employees; the efficient operation of our information systems; changes in the availability or cost of capital and working capital financing; the regulatory environment in which we operate; the effect of various litigation matters; the effect of new accounting requirements or changes to generally accepted accounting principles; and the occurrence of certain other material events. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update our forward-looking statements.

For more details on factors that could affect expectations see our quarterly or current reports as filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"The Truth" Told

Tim owned Vera... pic of the day.

Kalib Starnes Talks About the Cut Incident

Kalib Starnes' fight with Alan Belcher was stopped by the doctor when the he examined Kalib and waved him off from continuing the fight due to a gash on the forehead.

Kalib was heard and caught on camera yelling at his corner as if to defend himself from being accused of stopping the fight himself.

Kalib Starnes dropped by Sherdog Forums to tell his side of things:

"I got hit with an elbow early in the first round. In the second round the ref stopped the action so the doctor could look at the cut. The doctor said "How is your vision?" I said "There's blood in my eye" Yves Lavigne said "If you say you can't see he'll stop the fight" I said "I can see, there's no problem, I want to fight" The doctor spread the cut open with his thumbs and said "I can see his skull, I'm stopping it" I said "I want to continue" and looked at my cornerman. My cornerman was staring at my cut and yelling "Why are you stopping the fight?", "What are you doing?". His comments were directed at the referee, but because he was staring at me, I was confused. That is why I became so angry, because I did not quit, and I thought that he was accusing me of quitting. We sorted things out afterwords. That's something that bothers me a lot after Ken Shamrock said that I was not injured on that show when I had a serious injury. I still take a lot of heat for that son-of-a-bitch's ignorant comments.

After the fight Yves Lavigne came up to me and said "I don't know why he stopped it, you did everything right, you told him you wanted to continue. The fight was close you were right there I would not have stopped it". "Stitch" and "House" the official UFC cutmen said the same thing. I haven't heard the color commentary yet but it seems to have confused some people. I'm extremely disappointed with what happened, I had a lot more fight in me, I have never been cut like that in a fight. That's what happened, if you want to corroborate the story just ask the referee. Congratulations Alan Belcher, I hope you'll give me a rematch."

***************************

In a later post, Kalib explains his payday after the fight - Shocking stuff!

"It cost me about five times as much as I made just to train for that fight, I took a huge financial loss, I'm more upset about that than I am about losing actually. I left with $4,800 after taxes and deductions. Every time I fight I gamble with my health, reputation and financial well being and to have a cut just detroy all my hard work and personal sacrifice like that, I can't help but wonder if it's even worth it." - Post #152

***************************

When asked about how many stiches?:

"Two layers about 15-20 in the meat, and 15-20 in the skin."

Kalib also went on to say that he will not be under medical suspension and that he has two fights left on his contract with the UFC. Hope to see Starnes back in action very soon.

Franklin vs. Silva 2

Randy "the can" Couture's real reason for leaving UFC

Well folks superstar Brock Lesnar who has 1 win and 0 losses in his MMA career has joined the UFC and the heavyweight ranks.

Have we learned the real reason why Randy left the UFC? Hmm.....maybe a little scared???

In a brief interview with commentator Joe Rogan, Lesnar stated, “I finally made the big time baby.”

Lesnar only has one professional MMA fight to his credit, a win over Min Soo Kim at K-1 Dynamite.

“I’ve been training about two years now for this sport,” said Lesnar. “I’ve always loved this sport. I’ve always wanted to participate in it (and) I’m on the battleship, the U.S.S. UFC

UFC 77 Hostile Boredom - FINAL RESULTS

Anderson Silva def. Rich Franklin - TKO (Referee Stoppage - Strikes) 1:07 R2
Tim Sylvia def. Brandon Vera - Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Alvin Robinson def. Jorge Gurgel – Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

Stephan Bonnar def. Eric Schafer - TKO (Referee Stoppage - Strikes) 2:47 R2

Alan Belcher def. Kalib Starnes - TKO (Referee Stoppage - Cut) 1:39 R2

Yushin Okami def. Jason MacDonald - Unanimous Decision (30-27 all)

Demian Maia def. Ryan Jensen - Tapout (Rear-Naked Choke) 2:40 R1

Josh Burkman def. Forrest Petz - Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Matt Grice def. Jason Black - Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)**Originally announced as a Draw (29-28B, 29-28G, 28-28)

UFC in Montreal Cancelled

Associated Press

10/18/2007 3:03:48 PM

CINCINNATI - The UFC has called off a planned January date in Montreal.

"We had a venue and everything set up for Canada and we had to cancel the Canada date," UFC president Dana White told reporters Thursday.

The proposed January show at the Bell Centre was supposed to be shown on HBO in the U.S. But when the HBO deal did not come through, the show was axed.

"I know it sucks, I'm sorry," White said. "We"ll get there, I promise."

On a conference call last Thursday, White said only that the January Canadian date was not confirmed yet. That was downgraded to a no-show at Thursday's UFC 77 news conference.

The UFC also tried to bring shows to Montreal in April and October but was unable to deliver. White blamed hockey for the part of the snag, saying he had trouble getting a free date.

Fedor Speaks on Monday!

Fedor Emelianenko (Pride FC Heavyweight Champion) will surface in New York City on Monday October 22 for a press conference to announce the details of his new contract with the Russian based mixed martial arts organization, M-1.

There are also rumours circulating that M-1 will announce their first event to be held on United States soil. The massive MMA event is to take place sometime in February, with Fedor starring the show against an unnamed opponent.

Emelianenko will be going over the details of his new contract at the press conference and also reveal the buyer(s) of M-1. The press conference has been tentatively scheduled for Monday at 5:30 p.m. ET at the New York City offices of fashion designer Marc Ecko.

MMA Fever will provide a report on the details of the historical press conference.

Are you Down with the Sickness?

Here's a great compilation from AZHUSTLA of some of the best KO's and general beatings that the UFC has delivered to us MMA fans in recent months. This is top notch stuff to get you caught up and also, to feed your MMA Fever!

Catchy tune at the end as well ;-)

Sylvia’s Quest for a Third Belt Begins Saturday - from UFC.com

In Vera, Sylvia will be facing one of the most charismatic and talented heavyweights to hit the scene in recent years. The ex-champ agrees, but he also knows that in fight terms, he is still a kid.

“I think Brandon’s very talented, but I think you hit it on the button when you said he’s a kid,” said Sylvia. “I think he’s got a lot of maturing to do in the sport and I think the right place for him is 205.

He’s a little bit cocky for not having done much in the sport yet, but I think after the 20th, I’m gonna humble him a little bit.”

As for the expanded media hype on “The Truth”, which included a press release when he resolved his managerial issues and announced his return to the Octagon, Sylvia – who used to get bothered by such things – couldn’t care less.“I don’t care,” he said.

“He’s a young kid, he’s vocal, and he’s undefeated right now, so a lot of people are on his jock. And he’s in the deep water in this fight, but he doesn’t have anything to lose. I’m currently ranked in the top ten in the world, so it’s a win-win situation for him. He goes out there and performs to the best of his ability and he loses, he’s supposed to lose. He wins, congratulations, you just beat Tim Sylvia.”

Sylvia isn’t about to let that happen though, and at the sound of the bell, he wants to let his foe know that he’s arrived on an entirely different plane when it comes to fighting. And the Iowa resident should know, having been battle-tested – both positively and negatively – at the highest levels of the game.“I know I can go five rounds, I know I can go three rounds, and Brandon hasn’t been in the deep water yet,” he said.

“He doesn’t know how he performs when he’s got a big guy and a heavy hitter coming after him because his chin hasn’t been tested. I’ve been tested, I’ve been in long fights, I’ve been rocked before, I’ve been in submissions, I’ve seen it all.

Everything has always gone his way, according to plan, and it’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Brandon to see if he can handle these things, to see if he can handle being in a dogfight and to see if he performs or if he steps up.”And despite coming off his first loss in two years, Sylvia sounds more confident and more positive than ever.

In fact, it sounds like he’s got the love of the game back.“When I’m healthy, I love what I do for a living,” he said. “I love this job, I love this sport, and I wouldn’t want to think of doing anything else. Right now, I feel awesome. Training’s gone great and I’m just looking forward to getting back in there and proving why I’m one of the best in the world.”

Click here for the full article.Sylvia’s Quest for a Third Belt Begins Saturday

Rampage - 1800 psi Punch on Sports Science

The Maine-iac Talks "Truth"

Tim Sylvia will be returning to the Octagon following his title loss to Randy "The Natural Quitter" Couture to face Brandon "The Truth" Vera in Cincinnati, Ohio for UFC 77: Hostile Territory.

Former PRIDE Fighters Adapt to Cage-Style Aggression - Fight Network

Since Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta’s purchase of Japan’s PRIDE Fighting Championships on March 27, a pilgrimage of foreign competitors have entered the UFC’s famed Octagon and suffered its eight-sided consequences.

Former PRIDE fighters Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2) and Fabricio Werdum (9-3-1) have been two of the notable casualties; however both have expressed nothing but optimism in interviews with Croatian and Brazilian newspapers regarding their returns to the Octagon, sometime in the next few months.

Filipovic and Werdum, who trained together in the past, will be pursuing two very different training camps to prepare themselves for what have been difficult transitions from the ring to the cage. The Croatian striker returns to Holland with new training plans, while the Brazilian submissions specialist continues his intense training regime under the tutelage of the legendary Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil.

Cro Cop was vague when discussing his new training needs, only saying that he felt he needed to gain weight and muscle mass before returning to the UFC.

“In the fight against Gonzaga and Kongo, I’ve noticed that I must gain weight,” said Filipovic. “I am losing strength in the clinch against heavier opponents. We’ll do it progressively so I won’t lose speed.”

The 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, Filipovic’s two losses to previously unranked heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo have been the most disappointing for fans starved for his paralyzing high left head kicks. The Croatian has recently undergone surgery for a deviated septum to clear his nasal passage, and is reporting remarkable results already.

Werdum has been much more specific in his strategy, emphasizing that stand-up and cardio were his main priorities while training with Chute Boxe.

“I’ve never trained so much in my life,” said Werdum. “I’ve been here for two months and am already feeling an impressive difference. I am starting to dominate the standing as much as the ground game. The knees are better, so are the kicks, but the biggest improvement is my aggressiveness. I didn’t have it before.”

Werdum made his UFC debut in April 2007, with a loss to former UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. He was 4-2-0 in PRIDE with wins over Alistair Overeem (25-11-0), Jon Olav Einemo (6-1-0), Roman Zentsov (16-11-0) and Tom Erikson (9-3-1).

Werdum believes his UFC return is imminent.

“I spoke with my manager and he said November, I think it’s too soon,” said Werdum. “But it will be in 2007.”

Though Nov. 17’s UFC 79 card is completely booked, there are pending shows December and February in Las Vegas, as well as a planned event in Newcastle, Eng. in January.

“I thought it would be Tim Sylvia,” said Werdum. “But that’s not happening. There’s also a rumor that it may be Frank Mir, but the way I’m training now it can be anyone.”

Filipovic is expected to make his return in early 2008.

__________________

- I have said it before, Cro Cop needs to join an experienced camp with EXPERIENCED UFC fighters to feed off of. I am a big Cro Cop fan and I have been very disappointed by his showing against UFC fighters. We all know what he is capable of, however his fights have been extremely dispappointing. Mirko's fights have demostrated his training is not preparing to win, ITS NOT WORKING so mix it up. Mirko states he needs to gain weight, maybe so but that better not be your whole focus or goal in order to win.

If Filipovic loses again, he is finished in the UFC, Dana White will can him.

Rich Franklin sees his own death

This one is priceless.

Anderson Silva - Standing Elbow Knockout

Anderson Silva - UFC Highlights

Randy Couture has canned his UFC contract

Let me be the first to say we will miss you Cantoure.

You are a true champ.

From MMA Weekly:

Randy Couture has resigned from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Not only has he relinquished his heavyweight title, he will also no longer be providing on-air fight analysis for the mixed martial arts juggernaut.MMAWeekly on Thursday confirmed the resignation, first reported by The Fight Network’s Brian Knapp, through both Sean O’Heir and Valerie Haney, representatives of Couture’s Las Vegas-based Xtreme Couture training facility.

The focal point of his resignation appears to be the reports that Fedor Emelianenko, highly regarded as the No. 1 heavyweight fighter in the world, has agreed to forgo offers from the UFC and fight elsewhere.A statement released by Haney, Couture’s personal assistant, read, “Fedor Emelianenko was Randy's last great challenge and with that prospect gone, he feels he's accomplished all that he can in mixed martial arts.”

Although indications are that he would still remain active in MMA in some capacity, Haney also said, “… it was a matter of respect and Randy felt the need to move on.”According to Knapp, Couture stated, “I’m tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC.”

This obviously comes as a surprise considering that UFC president Dana White was fielding questions from the media earlier in the day about the possibility of Brandon Vera and Tim Sylvia’s fight in Cincinnati being a possible elimination bout for a shot at Couture’s belt.

(UPDATE)White responded to Couture’s retirement saying, “I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.“He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.

“As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.”Haney said that Couture “is very excited to embark on a promising career in acting” and that “he’s currently shooting a lead role in Universal’s ‘The Scorpion King – The Rise of the Akkadian’ in South Africa and has more offers on the table.”

Dana White Owns Couture's Ass

Which is most likely why Fedor didn't sign with the UFC slave master.

10/11/2007
STATEMENT FROM DANA WHITE, UFC PRESIDENT, REGARDING COUTURE

“I’m not surprised at all by Randy’s decision. I talked to Randy several weeks ago and he said that if he couldn’t fight Fedor, then he has nothing left to prove in the sport of mixed martial arts.

He has been doing a lot of acting, and I know he is in South Africa right now filming a movie. I think it’s a great move for Randy’s acting career to retire from fighting while he is on top.

As we all know, Randy retired before. The landscape in MMA changes every day. So when he is ready to come out of retirement again, he is still under contract with me, and I’m ready to promote him.”

Randy "The Can" Couture Quits the UFC

That's right, our favorite can has quit the UFC and his many fans according to the Fight Network.

Fedor would have crushed him anyway so he should thank the UFC for saving his life.

===========================================

MMA Icon Walks Away From Promotion In Stunning Move

By Brian Knapp

At the height of its power and popularity, the Ultimate Fighting Championship today lost the man many recognize as the face of mixed martial arts. UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture announced his resignation from the Las Vegas-based promotion, leaving two contracted fights, his job as an on-air analyst and his heavyweight crown on the table.

In South Africa shooting scenes for his lead role in the upcoming feature film “The Scorpion King – Rise of the Akkadian,” Couture made the announcement official in a letter to UFC president Dana White. The UFC’s inability to land PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko played a prominent role in the decision to walk away, according to Couture.

“I appreciate this opportunity the sport of MMA and the UFC has given me,” the UFC Hall-of-Famer said. “However, I’m tired of swimming upstream at this stage with the management of the UFC. It only makes sense at this point in my career to fight Fedor Emelianenko, and since he’s now signed with another organization, I feel like it’s time to resign and focus on my other endeavors.”

His abrupt departure deals a significant blow to the world’s most visible MMA organization. Couture was not only a beloved competitor – White once called him “the greatest fighter in UFC history” – but also a revered spokesman for a company that had long struggled to gain mainstream acceptance.

“Randy’s contract was on a fight-by-fight basis, and that’s the way he said he was always going to take it – fight by fight,” said Matt Walker, Couture’s agent at The Gersh Agency. “His acting career is accelerating at an astronomical rate, and without the support he felt some of his peers were receiving in the fight business, this was the logical choice.”

A three-time All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Couture won four national championships in Greco-Roman wrestling and made four attempts at qualifying for the Olympics. He made his MMA debut at UFC 13 on May 13, 1997, where, at age 33, he won a heavyweight tournament, defeating Tony Halme and Steven Graham on the same night. Just seven months later, he toppled famed kickboxer Maurice Smith in Yokohama, Japan to win the UFC heavyweight crown for the first time.

Over the course of the next decade, Couture emerged as one of the most decorated mixed martial artists in history. The UFC’s only six-time champion, he captured the heavyweight belt three times, the light heavyweight title twice and an interim light heavyweight title, as well. Couture remains the only man to win UFC championships in two weight classes.

His run through the promotion included a memorable trilogy with light heavyweight rival Chuck Liddell, the only opponent to beat Couture twice. Following his third bout with Liddell in February 2006, Couture announced his first retirement.

As 2007 dawned, his desire to compete returned, and a four-fight contract with the UFC – which included the opportunity to fight Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight strap at UFC 68 in March – was presented to Couture. He accepted, and the wheels for an historic comeback were set in motion.

Couture floored Sylvia with an overhand right seconds into the bout and punished the 6-foot-8 giant over five rounds. Playing to chants of “Randy!” he regained the heavyweight title for an unprecedented third time in front of 19,049 fans at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Five months later, at the age of 44, he defeated rising contender Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74, stopping the young Brazilian by third-round TKO despite suffering a broken left arm. It would be his final appearance in the Octagon.

Couture (16-8) leaves behind an unrivaled legacy in the sport. Fifteen of his 24 career bouts were title fights, and he bested six former UFC champions – Liddell, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz and Sylvia among them. Always willing to meet a challenge, Couture consistently tested himself against the world’s premier fighters. The 19 men he fought (he squared off with Pedro Rizzo twice and Liddell and Belfort three times each) hold 357 victories between them.

Fedor signs with M1 according to the Fight Network

It looks like a fight between "The Can" Couture and Fedor is not going to happen if this story is true.

From the fight network dot com.:

PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko has committed exclusively to the new ownership of M-1 Mix-Fight Championship, which has been purchased outright by an undisclosed American entertainment-related company, according to a source close to the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Established in 1997, the St. Petersburg-based M-1 held over 30 events under the ownership of Russian businessman Vadim Finkelstein, also the long-time manager of the much-sought-after Emelianenko. Finkelstein is also the proprietor of the Red Devil Sports Club, a facility and team that houses numerous Russian fighters, including PRIDE veteran Roman Zentsov and former UFC middleweight Andrei Semenov.

The source confirmed the new ownership has infused a substantial amount of capital into the organization. Finkelstein and others will stay on to assist in running the company, which will continue to promote under a variation of the M-1 name.

The new M-1 will take more of a global stance, and Emelianenko (26-1) will headline its inaugural event as early as January or February, possibly in the U.S., the source said. On March 27, Ultimate Fighting Championship majority owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta bought the assets of PRIDE, only to discover Emelianenko had previously signed a non-exclusive, non-transferable contract with its former owners, Dream Stage Entertainment. As late as September, UFC president Dana White had insisted a deal with Emelianenko was imminent, though repeated negotiations between Finkelstein, colleague Apy Echteld and the Las Vegas outlet could not produce an agreement to bring the Stary Oskol resident to the famed Octagon.

A major point of contention was White’s insistence Emelianenko sign an exclusive contract with the American promotion, which would exclude Emelianenko’s participation in Sambo competitions. Emelianenko is a three-time World Combat Sambo champion and ambassador for the sport in his homeland. Undefeated in 24 fights (including one no contest), Emelianenko is widely received as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter.

The 31-year-old former Army firefighter rose to the top of PRIDE’s ranks by besting standouts like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (30-4-1) and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2). Emelianenko submitted 2000 Olympic Greco-Roman silver medallist Matt Lindland (20-5) at Bodog Fight “Clash of the Nations” on April 14 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has not competed since. A formal announcement of the purchase, as well as plans for the new organization’s first event, is expected by the end of this month.

MMA Girls UFC 77 Predictions

Tito Ortiz on Fox News

You can always count on Tito to fill in the void in the MMA world... and Jenna's too.

This is an assclown interview about a serious topic on the war in Iraq that spills over to the world of Porn with Tito in the middle.

A perfect storm...

10-Point Must System for MMA Demystified

Here is the official record so stop your whining when your favorite Lay and Pray fighter loses to a striker...again!

"13:46-24A.13 Judging

(a) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.

(b) The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a
bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded
to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to
the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored (10-10).

(c) Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, such as
effective striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area,
effective aggressiveness and defense.

(d) Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the techniques
appear in (c) above, giving the most weight in scoring to effective
striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area and
effective aggressiveness and defense.

(e) Effective striking is judged by determining the total number of
legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.

(f) Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount of
successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals. Examples of
factors to consider are take downs from standing position to mount
position, passing the guard to mount position, and bottom position
fighters using an active, threatening guard.

(g) Fighting area control is judged by determining who is dictating the
pace, location and position of the bout. Examples of factors to consider
are countering a grappler's attempt at takedown by remaining standing
and legally striking ; taking down an opponent to force a ground fight;
creating threatening submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve
mount, and creating striking opportunities.

(h) Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal
strike.

(i) Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down or
reversed while countering with offensive attacks.

(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the
judges when scoring a round;

1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants
appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear
dominance in a round;

2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a
close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes,
grappling and other maneuvers;

3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant
overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.

4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally
dominates by striking or grappling in a round.

(k) Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time
the fighters are either standing or on the ground, as follows:

1. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round on the
canvas, then:
i. Effective grappling is weighed first; and
ii. Effective striking is then weighed

2. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round standing,
then:
1. Effective striking is weighed first; and
2. Effective grappling is then weighed

3. If a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing and canvas
fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally."

Fedor in a Commercial?

Shogun - A Class Act

In an earlier post, I wrote about Matt Hamill being a Tool and deserving "Tool of the Day" dishonours for saying that he got hosed by the judges at UFC 75 after he said that Bisping won fair and square when giving post-fight feedback with Joe Rogan.

Well, to show you what a real class act is I give you... Shogun.

Sure, Shogun was beaten badly by Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 but the difference here is that Shogun is man enough and classy enough to admit to the world that he made a mistake(s) in the fight and lost and he will be back again to chase down the LHW belt.

Shogun underwent surgery on his left knee last Wednesday in a Brazilian Hospital:

"Dr. Mario Namba comments: "The surgery was a success, I'm following Mauricio for the last few months and this problem was identified before his last fight, as a professional he decided to keep his agreement to fight and I respect that, he's young and very strong, I'm sure that his recovery will be fast and he will be ready to fight again very soon".

Mauricio Shogun words: "I know about my mistakes in the fight against Forrest, I will never use this surgery as an excuse for my lost, I have all the responsibility for the bad result, now I just want to look for the future, I would like to thank all my fans that are supporting me in this difficult moment and I promise you all that I will be back better than ever, I know that I lost the first battle but not the "war" for the UFC belt."

Hat Tip to MMANews.com

Matt Hamill - Tool of the Day

Without question, Matt Hamill is a Tool.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone because Hamill trains with the Hall of Famer Tool, Tito Ortiz in the Team Punishment camp so Hamill is bound to learn a few "Techniques of the Tool" from Tito.

So why is Matt now bestowed with the dishonorable distinction of being MMA Fever's "Tool of the Day" well...

Good guy Hamill said in his post-fight interview after his decision loss to Michael Bisping, "He beat me fair and square". Everyone and their mother said that he was a class act and worthy of being the next President of the United States when Georgy Jr. is done.

Here's a post from Matt "The Tool" Hamill off of his own site which contradicts his good guy statements at UFC 75:

"10/04/07Wow! Let me just say... I am in shock. First, I get hosed by two judges in London and now the much anticipated rematch has evaporated in front of my eyes. I'm starting to feel like the deck is stacked against me. Duff, my trainer/manager told me he thought something like this would happen when he read Bisping's statement on the internet. He said it looked like Bisping was looking for a way out of the rematch. I posted a statement about my knee surgery on 9/25 so everyone would know it was minor, and I would be ready by mid December. I didn't think six weeks was that long of a wait, apparently, Bisping and the UFC did. I am so hungry to fight. I had surgery to add wrestling back to my arsenal. I fought Bisping's fight at UFC 75 and I was looking forward to fighting my fight in the rematch. I feel honored that so many people have told me I won the fight in London. It makes the decision easier for me to accept. I want to fight... I want to fight ASAP! Hopefully the UFC will schedule a fight for me soon. I would like to fight in December or January and hopefully Bisping after that... If Bisping has the guts to do it again."

The only people getting hosed are those people who believe in him as a good guy.

If someone should be pissed about poor judging, Thiago Tavares (decision loss to Tyson Griffin @ UFC 76) deserves to be.

Here's something you might not have known about Matt Hamill..