Donald Trump Made Me Puke

... a little in the back of my throat when he was giving props to Tito Ortiz's fighting prowess. The Donald redeemed himself in my eyes later on by giving $50,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital which was the Charity that Tito was representing after he fired Tito Ortiz from The Celebrity Apprentice show last night.

Someone, please explain to Tito what "exonerate" means because the MMA Fever Hall of Fame Tool doesn't have a clue.

A Tale of Two UFC Middleweights...

It was the best of times...

It is going to be the greatest MMA bout in the young history of Mixed Martial Arts.

UFC 82: Pride of a Champion is on tomorrow and for me, the 2008 MMA season starts. The headlining match is between current UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva and current Pride FC Middleweight Champion, Dan Henderson.

This fight is everything that Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva was supposed to be before Wanderlei lost to Henderson at Pride 33 which crowned Dan Henderson the first in MMA to hold two belts in different weight classes from the same organization.



There is no unsubstantiated hype surrounding either fighter. This is not Brock Lesnar nor Kimbo Slice but rather, two accomplished top tier veterans of Mixed Martial Arts in their respective weight class putting everything on the line for the highly coveted belt as the event title goes, Pride of a Champion.

I've had a chance to really think about this match and only one constant rang true for me when measuring the style and "spirit" of both fighters is that it will be bloody and the most violent fight you'll ever see which will become the benchmark for any fighter who ever has aspirations of becoming a future champion in the UFC.

I was disappointed with the Rampage/Henderson fight at UFC 75 because it amounted to nothing more than a wrestling match for five rounds with Rampage coming out on top on points when the decision was made unanimously by the judges in favor of Rampage.



I expected to see a slug fest however, it was smart of Henderson to steer clear of that knowing full well that Rampage Jackson has the most powerful punch in MMA. I applaud Rampage for beating Henderson at his own wrestling game but like I said, five rounds of wrestling isn't much fun to watch in a mixed martial arts match (not to mention a title fight at that) and you can be sure that Anderson will not play the same game.

Back to Anderson and Hendo... In watching Henderson, it is clear that he likes to tie up his opponent in the body clinch against the ropes/fence. This will be a detrimental move for Henderson against a Muay Thai black belt which will precipitate the Muay Thai plum to gain control over the shorter Henderson... think Rich Franklin when he fought Silva the first time and the second :)

UFC 64: Middleweight title fight - Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin


Anderson Silva vs. Franklin II


Some critics of MMA say that the fighters don't have adequate or even correct boxing skills. Well, this cannot be said for Anderson Silva as his punches are straight, crisp and accurate. Henderson on the other hand utilizes looping hay maker type punches similar to Chuck Liddell which has the power to knock his opponent out but not the same accuracy as Anderson or even the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Rampage Jackson for that matter.

It is important to note that neither Dan Henderson or Anderson Silva have ever been knocked out in an MMA bout. I don't see it happening in this fight either. What I do see is Henderson getting sloppy in the later rounds (3 or 4) then succumbing to a simple armbar when the opportunity presents itself.

Henderson has lost to both of the Nogueira brothers this way in the past and seeing that Anderson Silva trains in Black House with them, I don't see any other way than a submission victory for Anderson Silva to end this fight.

Although Dan Henderson is a bona-fide top tier fighter, he hasn't ever faced a fighter like Anderson Silva yet in his career and fortunately for the 37 year old fighter, he probably never will again.

Here's some handpicked highlights of both fighter's careers... Hope you enjoy the fight tomorrow as I surely will!

Dan Henderson Highlight



Anderson Silva Highlight

HDNET's Inside MMA - Featuring Randy Canture

raw VEGAS - Heath Herring on UFC 82 and Fighter Pay

Strikeforce: At The Dome - Bob Sapp is a bitch

Full Results:

-Jan Nortje def. Bob Sapp by TKO at 0:55, R1
-Cory Devela def. Joe Riggs by Submission (Injury) at 1:22, R1
-Maurice Smith def. Rick Roufus by Submission (Kimura) at 1:53, R1
-Eddy Ellis def. Steve Berger by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Jorge Masvidal def. Ryan Healy by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Mychal Clark def. Josh Bennett by TKO (Doctor Stoppage Due to Cut) at 5:00, R2
-Lyle Beerbohm def. Ray Perales by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:19, R3
-Mike Hayes def. Matt Kovacs by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Zach Skinner def. Scott Shaffer by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Nathan Coy def. Dave Corshane by KO at 1:46, R1

LEGALIZATION OF MMA IN FRANCE

As originally reported by MMA Weekly:

France has become quite a hot bed for mixed martial arts talent over the years, but not one that immediately springs to mind on the world stage. Why? Because MMA as a sport in France has been banned for many years; mainly for political reasons and to protect the sanctity of traditional martial arts, but the times they are a changing.

It was recently announced that there will be a test event in April that will be used to assess the sport. If it gets the all clear, promotions will be popping up all over the place to satisfy previously withheld demand. The inaugural promotion is as yet unnamed, but a basic outline of the approved MMA format is as follows:

- There will be no “Cage” events; all events must be held in a ring.- There will be no kicks to the body or the head on the ground.- There will be no knee strikes to the head on the ground, but the body is allowed.- There will be no elbow strikes on the ground.Aside from the above, the basis of the rules remains similar to the “Unified Rules” format as adopted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the vast majority of promotions worldwide.

The legalization of MMA as a sport in France has massive implications, positive and negative. Established fighters will finally be able to fight in their own country without having to fight abroad. They will be able to advertise their gyms as MMA disciplined and thus increase awareness of the sport, in turn gaining new members and increasing the depth of talent in training. Finally, they will be able to be recognized for the talented fighters they are in their own country.

“About four or five years ago, the U.K. was in a similar situation to France in relation to the amount of good solid teams you could train at. If you wanted everything in-house, top notch, you went to London Shootfighters, but now things are different and there are literally gyms all over the country that offer top-level training. It’s not just limited to one place anymore,” stated UFC veteran Jess “The Joker” Liaudin about the potential talent pool growth.

“This will likely be the same in France, we have excellent strikers there and excellent grapplers too, it’s only a matter of time before they all come together” Negatively, if promotions start popping up too fast, there could be infighting between them and a lot of sharks getting involved under the perception that the sport will sustain them.

If new promotions don’t tread carefully from a medical and safety point of view, it would take only a few incidents to undo all the positive work undertaken so far in legalizing the sport. If established fighters demand too much money and place themselves outside of the affordability range at this early stage, the French fans will still not get the chance to be able to see their stars.

French fighter Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate offered his thoughts on the subject, “Well, as I was expecting... now that the sport is allowed a lot of people are going to be fighting to get the key functions in the sanctioning body. There's going to be a lot of bickering and disputes and I'm not sure that the first period of MMA in France is going to be a very good one for the sport. We'll just have to wait and see and hope I'm wrong”

Liaudin also weighed in, saying, “It is going to be a year of mistakes and politics, but it’s good that it’s legal now. We just need to avoid experienced guys with 15-0 records fighting local nobodies and damaging the sport. If you look at MMA globally, it took 10 years to get to where we are now. France will not change overnight, it will take time, but people will rush it and jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck.”

From a global MMA point of view, the sport’s legalization in France presents an interesting opportunity for the UFC. It had previously been mentioned that the American MMA Goliath had considered running an event in Monaco, but due to close political affiliation with France, Monaco had become less of a prospect of late. With the relaxing of stance relating to MMA in France, the principality becomes a very wealthy and elite potential location for a premiere MMA event.

raw VEGAS - Kim & Randy Couture welcomes you Inside Xtreme Couture

Kim & Randy Couture welcomes you Inside Xtreme Couture, today's best & most controversial MMA training facility

or

Mr and Mrs "Canture" welcomes you Inside Xtreme Couture, today's best & most controversial MMA training facility

UFC Ring Girl Search

Greg got a little excited after watching this video.

How to perform a "Rear Naked Choke"

Again excellent form and execution.
This should read "almost" rear naked choke.

Sorry again about the music, Greg insisted.

How to perform the "Triangle Choke"

The execution and form of this triangle choke demonstrated is excellent.

Sorry about the music boyz, Greg picked it out.

Fucking Classic Dana White Quote on Kimbo vs. Shamrock

I don't know about you but I'm McLovin the back and forth trash talking between Dana White and EliteXC's Gary Shaw.

Here's a classic quote from Dana White about the announcement that Kimbo will be fighting "The World's Most Dangerous Man", Ken Shamrock for his next MMA bout.

"Another fucking joke from Gary Shaw. This fucker is so clueless that it's laughable. First he thought we protected our guys, which is bullshit. Then he gave us shit for matching up Brock against Frank Mir. Which would he rather us do? Obviously he's in favor of protecting guys since Kimbo doesn't seem to be fighting a good fighter anytime soon. Bo Cantrell? Who the fuck is Bo Cantrell? Tank Abbott? He was never that good, he just looked tough and always got his ass kicked. Now Ken Shamrock? When is Kimbo going to fight a guy who was relevant past 1998? Tito Ortiz, who sucks, destroyed Ken Shamrock three times. It's clear that Gary is going to milk his YouTube cash cow for all he's worth but true fans know that Kimbo is a joke and he would get destroyed against any UFC Heavyweight. Maybe that moron Ken Shamrock will expose Kimbo and he'll go back to fighting guys at the local Burger King. Gary Shaw and his 3rd rate promotion have no fucking credibility."

(Cock knock to 411Mania for the quote.)

Listen, Gary Shaw is smart to sign former UFC stars to serve up to Kimbo. EliteXC is leveraging the UFC brand to showcase their own marquee goliath in Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson to sell PPV's and are doing so very successfully.

Dana was absolutely stupid to match 1-0 Lesnar with a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and BJJ expert in Frank Mir. If Dana sends his own cash cow down the garden path again and the result is a second loss then Lesnar will lose his "star" power thus diminishing the PPV draw and also Lesnar's future within the UFC.

Gary Shaw would sign Lesnar in a heartbeat when Dana gets tired of Lesnar's losses which would be very smart for EliteXC to pick up famous, albeit irrelevant MMA fighters from the UFC to draw in more PPV buys from the casual MMA fan due to name and brand awareness (which is the reason why Dana signed Lesnar in the first place to bridge WWE fans over to the UFC in Lesnar's name).

The real truth is that Dana White is jealous now that he doesn't have Kimbo who is a huge PPV draw for EliteXC and a real MMA fighter under the watchful eye of his trainer and former UFC Heavyweight and Pancrase behemoth fighter, "El Guapo", Bas Rutten who ironically lost twice to Ken Shamrock in his career.

Stay tuned to your local Burger King parking lot for more developments to this Kimbo Slice/Brock Lesnar UFC/EliteXC saga.

P.S. Thanks to those folks who donated bail money for my release... it's appreciated!

EliteXC - Street Certified $1 Payout Explained

I know this has been on all your minds so...

Regarding the $1payout Moyses Gabin received below.

Moyses Gabin ($1)* def. Jirka Hlavati ($500).

Proelite provided an explanation:

Moyses Gabin was paid just $1 for his win over Jirka Hlavati. Junkie followed up with the commission about the number and indicated that the commission confirmed it.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) contacted EliteXC officials for a comment and all indications are that Gabin's compensation was handled by an outside promoter.

"That fight was put together by a local promoter," EliteXC Head of Fighter Operations Jeremy Lappen stated in an e-mail. "Gabin is paid a salary by the promoter who sponsored that bout."

“EliteXC - Street Certified” Payouts

Kevin Ferguson ($175,000) def. David Abbott ($126,000)
Antonio Silva ($80,000) def. Ricco Rodriguez ($20,000)
Scott Smith ($12,000) def. Kyle Noke ($3,000)
Yves Edwards ($6,000) def. Edson Berto ($6,000)
Brett Rogers ($4,000) def. James Thompson ($25,000)
Rafael Feijao ($6,000) def. John Doyle ($2,5O0)
Yosmany Cabezas ($2,000) def. Jon Kirk ($2,500)
Dave Herman ($1,500) def. Mario Rinaldi ($2,000)
Eric Bradley ($1,000) def. Mikey Gomez ($1,500)
Lorenzo Borgomeo ($1,000) def. Mike Bernhard ($1,500)
Moyses Gabin ($1)* def. Jirka Hlavati ($500)

Randy "Can"ture Signed Contract with HDNet Fights - MMA Junkie

Cuban, the owner of HDNet Fights, had filed suit against the UFC in Dallas district court to get a declaratory judgment concerning the contractual status of Couture.

The 44-year old Couture signed a four-fight, 18-month contract with the UFC in January 2007. In addition to the fight contract, Couture had previously signed an employment contract. He resigned from the organization in October 2007, and as part of the deal, he can’t work for a rival promotion for a full year from that date.

“The existence of an actual contract between HDNet Fights and Couture is believed to be key to the company’s action in Texas,” Swift reported. “Without it, it is unlikely that the court would find an actual controversy ripe for adjudication.“

Couture and HDNet Fights contend that the UFC hall-of-famer is free to compete outside the organization once that October date comes since his fight/promotional contract, they allege, expires in July. However, the UFC contends that the fight contract stays valid indefinitely under a special “retirement clause.“

In the court filing, HDNet Fights called the clause “illegal” and contends that such indefinite employment restrictions are illegal in Texas.

HDNet Fights launched in 2007 and has hosted two shows to date. However, using the all-high-definition cable station HDNet, the organization has signed deals to co-promote shows with some of the sport’s top fight promotions, including the International Fight League, Strikeforce, SportFight and the Canadian-based Maximum Fighting Championships.

Emelianenko is currently signed to a non-exclusive contract with M-1 Global.

raw VEGAS - at Magic (Men's Apparel Guild in California’s) trade show - Rampage Jackson

Quinton talks about the upcoming TUF series and hookers.

Referee Cam - Kimbo vs. Tank

raw VEGAS - at Magic (Men's Apparel Guild in California’s) trade show

Direct from MAGIC, Men's Apparel Guild in California’s semi annual trade show, UFC fighters, Stephan Bonnar, Karo Parisyan, Brandon Vera talk about increasing MMA fighter fame and UFC ring girl, Arianny Celeste, gives us a tour of the UFC booth.

Bonnar talks about masturbating???

Kimbo vs. Tank - ELITEXC ‘STREET CERTIFIED’

ELITEXC ‘STREET CERTIFIED’ RESULTS

As originally reported from the fight network.

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson def. David “Tank” Abbott – KO (Punch) 0:43 R1

Antonio Silva def. Ricco Rodriguez – Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Scott Smith def. Kyle Noke – KO (Punch) 0:07 R2

Yves Edwards def. James Edson Berto – KO (Knee) 4:56 R1

Brett Rogers def. James Thompson –TKO (Referee Stoppage – Strikes) 2:24 R1

Rafael Feijao def. John Doyle – TKO (Referee Stoppage – Strikes) 2:17 R1

Yosmany Cabezas def. Jon Kirk – Tapout (Rear-Naked Choke) 0:58 R2

Dave Herman def. Mario Rinaldi – TKO (Referee Stoppage – Strikes) 0:33 R3

Eric Bradley def. Mikey Gomez – Unanimous Decision (30-27 all)

Lorenzo Borgomeo def. Mike Bernhard – Tapout (Triangle Choke) 4:11 R2

Moyses Gabin def. Jirka Hlavaty – TKO (Doctor Stoppage – Cut) 2:32 R1

Jenna and Tito on the celebrity apprentice - it’s our first carriage ride pumpkin

Cuban's HDNet Fights Enters Couture-UFC War - Sherdoggie.com

The resignation of Randy Couture (Pictures) and his subsequent continuous dispute with the UFC took an unexpected turn Wednesday.

With the mixed martial arts industry focused on the Zuffa v. Couture proceedings scheduled to begin with a preliminary hearing March 4 in Las Vegas, billionaire Mark Cuban and his HDNet Fights company has quietly entered the fray, opening a second front in the Couture-UFC war, Sherdog.com has learned.

On Wednesday, in district court in Dallas, HDNet Fights filed suit against Zuffa seeking a declaratory judgment concerning the contractual status of Couture under his Zuffa promotional contract. In an ironic twist, Zuffa's co-defendant in the suit is technically none other than Couture himself.

Couture had fired the first shot in what has become a heated legal battle when he officially resigned from the UFC on Oct. 11, 2007. A war of words ensued -- complete with dueling news conferences and frequent, often testy, verbal sparring in the media -- that culminated in a lawsuit filed by Zuffa in Nevada district court on Jan. 14.

The lawsuit filed by HDNet Fights asks the Texas court to provide the company with declaratory relief -- a ruling on when Couture's promotional contract will expire. A favorable ruling could clear the way for a highly anticipated showdown between Couture and Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) this fall, potentially promoted by HDNet Fights.

The Texas lawsuit represents the first direct legal challenge of Couture's promotional contract with the UFC. As Sherdog.com first reported, it is Couture's employment contract and its one-year non-compete clause, not his promotional contract, that is at the center of Zuffa's complaint against Couture in Nevada. Zuffa has not entered the promotional contract into evidence in that case; however, it has offered the judge the opportunity to view it in private.

Couture's contractual status, pursuant to his promotional contract, has been hotly debated since his resignation. UFC President Dana White has been resolute in his stance that Couture owes the UFC two more fights due to a so-called "retirement clause" reportedly found in Couture's contract.

In a letter made public in recent court filings, White responded to Couture's resignation: "With regard to your fighting career, I presume that your letter refers to your Exclusive Promotional and Ancillary Rights Agreement dated January 19, 2007 ("Agreement"). Pursuant to Section 10.3 of the Agreement, I presume that you have decided to ‘retire' from MMA or other professional fighting competition. Assuming that is your intention, Zuffa, LLC is electing to suspend the Term of the Agreement for the period of such retirement."

Couture has stated publicly that he believes his promotional contract expires at the end of its term, believed to be 18 months. If that is the case, following the expiration of the non-compete clause in his employment contract in October, he would be free to fight outside the UFC this fall.

Mirko CroCrap signs with the Dream Promotion

AS reported by MMA Junkie:

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has left the UFC and signed with a new fight promotion called DREAM, it was announced today at a press conference in Japan.
Filipovic will make his debut with the organization at DREAM 1, a March 15 show in Saitama, Japan.

The new organization was founded by the Fight Entertainment Group, which is the parent company of the successful K-1 promotion, and former executives of the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships, which was bought out and dismantled by the UFC’s parent company a year ago.

Rumblings that the Croatian fighter may be leaving the UFC heated up over the past few days as Filipovic posted blog entries teasing a big announcement. Over the past few days, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) spoke to numerous sources close to the UFC, who could only confirm that Filipovic “might” be on his way out of the organization.

Filipovic, who made his octagon debut at UFC 67 with a first-round TKO of Eddie Sanchez, has since suffered back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. They were the first consecutive losses of the fighter’s career, and they led to speculation that Filipovic might consider retirement.

After the September 2007 loss Kongo, Filipovic did admit that the thought of quitting crossed him mind. However, he later stated that he expected to return to the UFC in early 2008.
However, during press events for UFC 81 earlier this month, UFC President Dana White said that Filipovic and his camp hadn’t been in contact with the organization. White said he was forced to implement a Feb. 4 deadline for the fighter to confirm whether or not he would be continuing his career with the UFC.

It’s believed that the UFC requested that Filipovic renegotiate a new deal. During UFC 66 in December 2006, the UFC officially announced that Filipovic, the PRIDE FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix champion, had signed a lucrative two-year, six-fight deal with the organization. Apparently, Filipovic was unwilling to do redo the deal, and the UFC opted to let him walk instead.

M1 Global's Ultimate Fighter Series? - Fighting Fedor

Fedor Emelianenko wins Russian Combat Sambo Championship 2008

Fight Network is reporting: COTE OFF UFC 83 CARD

Patrick “The Predator” Cote has suffered a knee injury that will keep him off the UFC 83 “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2” card on Saturday, April 19 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Cote’s manager, Stephane Patry, informed The Fight Network on Sunday that results from an MRI exam revealed the rising middleweight contender had sustained a sprained knee after falling on some ice last week.

“We were still talking [to the UFC] about an opponent when Patrick fell on the ice,” Patry said. “He went for the MRI, and the doctor told him it’s sprained and he can’t train for four to six weeks – so he won’t be available to fight [in April].”

Despite published reports that Cote (12-4, 3-4 UFC) would face Alan “The Talent” Belcher (12-4, 3-2 UFC) at the UFC’s inaugural Canadian show, Patry said the fight was never signed. He also indicated he would not have approved the bout even if it had been offered, as a victory over Belcher would have done little to further Cote’s place in the UFC’s middleweight division.

“We were not going to take that fight anyway,” Patry said. “It wouldn’t make sense.” Cote is undefeated in his last three Octagon appearances, with wins over Scott Smith, Kendall Grove and Drew McFedries. Following his most recent win over McFedries at UFC Fight Night 12 in January, “The Predator” told TFN he hoped to face a top five 185-pound fighter next.

Belcher has reeled off consecutive wins since his submission loss to Grove at UFC 69 last April in Houston. The Biloxi, Miss., native last competed in October, when he stopped Canadian Kalib Starnes on a second-round cut at UFC 77.

Dana White on "Off the Record"

Kimbo and Bill Goldberg Training session

Bill Goldberg drops by to train with Kimbo. Kimbo look in good shape and what a fucking monster.

Rampage Jackson - I know that Forrest is not that bright

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson discusses his strategy for the up and coming season of The Ultimate Fighter and he adds a little trashing talking of Forrest.

Rumors of UFC sale begin to surface - Five Ounces of Pain

Interesting read originally reported by Five Ounces of Pain

The rumors of a potential UFC sale were again running rampant this past weekend at UFC 81 in Las Vegas and Steve Cofield of Fox Sports Radio 1460 asked UFC president Dana White to comment on them during a post-show radio broadcast.

Cofield: “Looking ahead… Well, you tell us first, what’s going on this week? You said you’re going on the road. You’re working in Canada. Is it something to do with a (network) TV deal?”

White: “You know I can’t talk about it. I’m going on the road to get some stuff done. Hopefully I come back with the prize.”

Cofield: “I heard it from some of the most reputable guys in the business. We were hearing the crazy rumor the last three days that the UFC is on the sales block.”

White: “Yep, I heard that one too. I heard that one last year too… If that was the case and that was what I was doing this week it wouldn’t just be me flying out there. It would be me, Lorenzo, Frank; I mean there’d be an army flying out there if this thing was for sale. Listen, the way that I look at business… is your house for sale? … No you’re not selling your house but I bet you that I can buy it. No the UFC is not for sale. (I’m) 38-years old. I love this stuff. We have big plans and we’re working on a lot of things. ”

Cofield: “Have you gone into, say, a TV negotiation and they’re like, okay, ‘Let’s negotiate, negotiate,’ and then they’re like, ‘Okay, how about we buy you?’”
White: “Yeah. Yeah, that has happened.”

Cofield: “So maybe that’s where it came from?”
White: “Yep. There have been many offers made on the UFC. (But) they weren’t big enough. Like your house. Know what I mean? (But) your house isn’t for sale. I think everything in this planet is for sale. You could buy my shoes right now if you offer me the right money. But my shoes aren’t for sale.

“So… No, I’m not flying out of town next week to go sell this thing or anything like that. Hopefully when I come back in town next week I’m gonna at least be in the direction of announcing some big news.”

White’s denial is pretty clear. However, specific buyers have been linked to the rumors and one of the rumored buyers is Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment.

The article is available here.

EliteXC's "Street Certified" Fight Card - February 16

The entire undercard is as follows:

1. Lorenzo Borgameo (2-0; Miami, FL) vs. Mike Bernhard (3-0; Miami, FL) - welterweight

2. Eric Bradley (2-1; Las Vegas) vs. Mikey Gomez (6-3; Orlando, FL) - welterweight

3. Mario Rinaldi (6-2; Miami, FL) vs. Dave Herman (9-0; Indiana) - heavyweight

4. Jon Kirk (10-2; Houston, TX) vs. Yosmany Cabezas (4-0; Tampa, FL) - middleweight

5. Rafael Feijao (4-1; Brazil) vs. John Doyle (6-2; Allenton, PA) - light heavyweight

The main card is scheduled to air on Showtime, starting at 10 p.m. ET. The scheduled bout order is the following:

6. James Thompson (14-7; England) vs. Brett Rogers (7-0; St. Paul, MN) - heavyweight

7. Yves Edwards (Conroe, TX; 32-13-1) vs. Edson Berto (13-4-1; Tampa, FL) - 160 lbs.

8. Scott Smith (14-4; Sacramento, CA) vs. Kyle Noke (13-4-1; Australia) - middleweight

9. Antonio Silva (9-1; Brazil) vs. Ricco Rodriguez (27-7; Staten Island, NY) - heavyweight

10. Kimbo Slice (1-0; Miami, FL) vs. Tank Abbott (9-13; Huntington Beach, CA) - heavyweight

Tim Sylvia to M1? Fedor's love letter to Dana White

Two interesting reads from the always informative MMA Junkie website.

Firstly,

Tim Sylvia is hinting that after his contract is up he may move to M1. Tim's manager Monte Cox runs the show at M1. Tim's beef appears to be that Brock's take home from his last fight compared to his was much less. Brock took home $250, 000 vs. Tim's $100, 000.

Well, I must say that Tim has a point here. I really can't understand how Brock is making that kind of cash. Brock is an unproven commodity however I was certainly excited to watch his fight, although short. If Tim moves over to M1 I am sure that M1 would give him a nice raise, they need more talent. I say do it Tim, this way I don't have to suffer through your fights any longer. Your not the most exciting fighter in the UFC.

Secondly,

the big news from Fedor. Fedor apparently sent an email to Mr. White and cc'ed MMA Junkie.

It reads(roughly translated):

"
Numerous times have I read mister White’s statements on Internet concerning myself. In my opinion, allowing yourself to say those things is not a sign of a gentleman or a grown man at all! If he candidly wants to prove himself right then let my fight with Randy happen or let me face the reigning UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. In the future I wouldn’t want to hear those statements in my address ever again and I won’t tolerate that.

My last fight in Japan proved that I’m ready to fight anybody with any height advantage, skillset or experience. I have fought and still wish to fight the best athletes. The Randy fight is my goal number one right now, he’s a great fighter and this is a very unfortunate situation when too strict and one-sided UFC contracts don’t let this fight happen.

The whole world is eager to see me fight your champions, people don’t want to listen to your press-conferences. I’m signed with M-1 Global and this promotion is ready to organize such fights under our banner or in co-promoted events.

"

I probably would have left out the part about his last fight in Japan however hats off to Fedor. Fedor is going to piss off Dana White which is great. Dana be a man and agree to just one fight with M1. Long ago you attempted the same with Pride and you were going to allow a fight with Chuck and Wandy. Lets do the same with M1 and Fedor. Let Cantoure go Fedor. Fedor will kick some Can.

Both articles are available from MMA Junkie.

MMA Event in Ontario Canada featuring Dan Severn

Interesting article I found on MMA Weekly for you MMA fans in Ontario, Canada. As you fans are well aware of, MMA is not sanctioned in Ontario so most of us watch MMA events via PPV. Well apparently there are ways around these laws. If the event is housed on a Indian Reserve the restrictions do not apply. This is good news and we hope for many more events.


The headliner interestingly enough for this event is UFC great Dan Severn. Click here for the article.

Chuck Liddell - RAW vegas

Is it just me or does Chuck look a little under the weather, a little drunk, or a little stoned? Can't pin it down....

Kimbo Slice - On Jimmy Kimmel Show

During this interview we learn that Kimbo has six kids, one of the boyz he named Kevlar. :)

Kimbo gave an excellent interview.

UFC 83: SERRA vs. ST-PIERRE 2 IS SOLD OUT

Well maybe next time I will get my grubby hands on some tickets. Its a shame as Montreal is a great party town, oh well. Canadians its time to see GSP kick some ass in their own backyard.

“Most of the tickets for UFC 83 were sold in the first 24 hours of our UFC Fight Club presale, and the rest were gone within one minute of the public on-sale today,” said Dana White, UFC President. “I’m excited to say that this event is a sellout, and the fastest one in UFC history, so it’s safe to say we definitely will be back in Canada after this inaugural event.”

“We are pleased to host the first UFC event in Canada. We are convinced that the quality of the event will thrill Quebecers who will witness home-province fighters Georges St-Pierre and Patrick Côté showcasing their courage and skills at the Bell Centre,” said Pierre Boivin, President of Gillett Entertainment Group.

Kimbo is on Jimmy Kimmel tonight at 12:30am - MMA Junkie

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, who headlines next week’s EliteXC event with David “Tank Abbott,” will be a guest on tonight’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!“

The appearance was teased during Wednesday’s episode of the show, and the ABC press office confirmed the booking with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) this morning.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on ABC affiliates. Also set to appear on tonight’s show are TV host Dr. Phil McGraw and music guest Birdman with Lil’ Wayne.

Slice’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” comes just two weeks after his upcoming opponent, Abbott, was also a guest on the program. The two heavyweights headline the Feb. 16 “EliteXC presents Street Certified” event at the University of Miami’s UnitedBank Center. The event, which also features a heavyweight bout between Ricco Rodriguez and Antonio Silva, airs on Showtime.

Despite just one professional MMA bout, Slice earned headliner status for next week’s EliteXC event thanks largely to the fame he developed as a backyard brawler. His fights were recorded and have been widely distributed on the Internet. Even today, the bare-knuckle bouts are some of the most popular clips on video-sharing sites such as YouTube.

The former bodyguard and stand-out high school football player now trains with retired MMA trailblazer Bas Rutten.

The Emmy-nominated “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” debuted in 2003 and experienced a surge in ratings in 2007. The show currently averages approximately 1.7 million nightly viewers..

raw VEGAS - Dean Lister, Jens Pulver on the state of MMA

I am starting to appreciate these clips from Raw Vegas. In this episode Pulver, Lister, and others talk about the state of MMA and discuss alternative promotions aside from the UFC.

Kimbo"Its goin to take snow in Miami to stop this fight!"

This looks very promising for the first and second phase of my wish list.

UFC 81 Tim Boetsch ($12,000) def. David Heath ($6,000)

This should have been the KO of the night.
click to view

Sherk talks BJ Penn - raw VEGAS

"I believe the title was taking away from me wrongfully".

Shogun vs. Chuck UFC 85 - June 14, 2008

As reported originally by MMA Junkie. I can't wait for this one. Rua should have took the hint from his fight against Forrest Griffen and dropped down a division so he can go it with fighters more his size. Regardless, it will be a big payout for both of them. Go Chuck!.
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Although the UFC reportedly considered Brock Lesnar for the main event, a UFC 85 event set for June 14 in London will instead feature a headline light-heavyweight bout between Chuck Liddell (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC) and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (16-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

UFC 85 takes place at London’s O2 Arena, the same 16,000-capacity venue that hosted this past September’s UFC 75 event.

UFC 81 Salary Breakdown

Here are the UFC 81 salaries as reported originally by MMA Junkie.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira ($200,000) def. Tim Sylvia ($100,000)
Frank Mir ($80,000) def. Brock Lesnar ($250,000)
Nate Marquardt ($52,000) def. Jeremy Horn ($25,000)
Ricardo Almeida ($40,000) def. Rob Yundt ($5,000)
Tyson Griffin ($36,000) def. Gleison Tibau ($11,000)
Chris Lytle ($24,000) def. Kyle Bradley ($4,O00)
Tim Boetsch ($12,000) def. David Heath ($6,000)
Marvin Eastman ($14,000) def. Terry Martin ($12,000)
Rob Emerson ($16,000) def. Keita Nakamura ($5,000)

All the winning fighters received pay that awarded 50 percent “to show” and 50 percent as a “win bonus” — except for Lesnar, who would have earned a $200,000 win bonus.

Fight of the Night: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Tim Sylvia (both fighters earn an extra $60,000)

Knockout of the Night: Chris Lytle def. Kyle Bradley (Lytle earns an extra $60,000)

Submission of the Night: Frank Mir def. Brock Lesnar (Mir earns an extra $60,000)

Note: The $60,000 checks are the highest given for those particular post-show bonuses in UFC history. Previously, the UFC 79 show (which featured Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva) saw $55,000 bonus checks as the all-time high. The event prior to UFC 81, UFC 80 (BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson) featured bonus checks of only $35,000.

Way to take a punch

Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva showing Quinton "Rampage" Jackson some love.

I hope they fight again. I think it's safe to say "not this year".

You have to click on the picture to view the animation for some reason.

uFC 83 Pre-Sale - mma Junkie

In less than a day, the UFC has sold more than 13,000 tickets for its April 19 event in Montreal.

White was joined at the media event by UFC welterweight champ Matt Serra and interim champ Georges St. Pierre, who meet in UFC 83’s main event.

Tickets for the event, which takes place at Montreal’s Bell Centre, went on sale yesterday afternoon to members of the UFC’s fan club. Despite the club’s $74.99 annual membership fee, White said more than 13,000 tickets were sold to members during the pre-sale.

“It was 13,375 tickets — in that ballpark,” White said of the pre-sale. “There are only a couple thousand left for sale right now.“The Bell Centre can accommodate approximately 21,500 spectators.

Tickets don’t go on sale to the general public until Thursday.

“I don’t think anyone realizes how many Canadian fans are here,” White said. “I don’t care where we go, there’s always a ton of Canadian fans there… so we’ll keep bringing events (to Canada).“

UFC 83 will be the first-ever event in Canada for the Las Vegas-based fight organization, despite a huge MMA following in the country. The UFC announced its intentions of holding two previous events in the country, but plans for the shows were eventually scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.

Click here for the fight card from UFC.com.

Frank Mir and Family - MMA Country

A look into the life and family of Frank Mir. The man who hurt Brock's knee.

UFC 81 - Results

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Tim Sylvia by Submission (guillotine choke) at 1:28, R3

Frank Mir def. Brock Lesnar by Submission (knee bar) at 1:30, R1

Nathan Marquardt def. Jeremy Horn by Submission (guillotine choke) at 1:37, R2

Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt by Submission (Rear naked choke), R1

Tyson Griffin def. Gleison Tibau by unanimous decision, R3

Chris Lytle def. Kyle Bradley by TKO (Strikes) at 0:33, R1

Tim Boetsch def. David Heath by TKO (Strikes) at 4:52, R1

Marvin Eastman def. Terry Martin by Unanimous Decision, R3

Robert Emerson def. Keita Nakamura by Split Decision, R3

Final Exam for Brock Lesnar Tomorrow