MMA News

WEC Middleweight Champion Paulão Filho, 16-0, will nail the lid on his 185-pound reign win, lose, or draw versus Chael Sonnen at WEC 33 in Las Vegas 26 March. "We arranged that after this fight I’ll go [to 205 pounds] and face Doug Marshall for WEC’s belt," Filho told Tatame. Marshall defends the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship versus Brian Stann on the same card next month. "People don’t know, but I have six fights at [185 pounds] and ten at [205 pounds]," Filho explained.  "When I lose too much weight I hurt my health, like at last fight, when I needed to do eight hours of sauna." Sonnen's Team Quest stablemate "Hollywood" Dan Henderson charged to MMANews.com in January, "I don’t think [Filho] has been very impressive in his last two performances since coming to the U.S., but I think that’s what not being able to use steroids will do to you." Filho, who has PRIDE wins versus Kazuo Misaki, Ryo Chonan, and Murilo Rua, has long been speculated as a possible opponent for UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva when the UFC's thin 185-pound division dries up. But in February former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin assessed, "Filho has a bad style to fight Anderson.  He'd have to take a couple of warm-up fights in the UFC." According to Filho, that 185-pound option has already dried up. ...

Brazilian Top Team leader Murilo Bustamante fired off an open letter disputing claims made in an article written by Tim Leidecker of Sherdog.com entitled The downfall of BTT and Chute Boxe. Bustamante's big gripe is Leidecker's claim that, "It had been an open secret that both BTT and Chute Boxe charged fighters a significant commission on their salaries." Bustamante fires back, "I can say now that we charged and still charge ten percent [for] management and ten percent [for] training, what, in my opinion, is more than fair." In the letter, Bustamante also took issue with Leidecker's assertion that, "Affiliation with these teams even led to the Pride debuts of some fighters who clearly weren't on an elite level." Bustamante counters, "Brazilian Top Team’s presence at most of Pride’s events was requested because of the technical quality of the fighters." Bustamante closes with the promise that BTT "will form new champions real soon." ...

The CBS Television Network and ProElite, Inc., a Los Angeles-based leading entertainment and media company that produces world class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, today jointly announced a multi-year agreement that will bring one of the fastest growing spectator sports to a major broadcast television network for the first time. CBS will broadcast four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite's EliteXC fight division, as two-hour live primetime specials targeted for Saturday nights.  The agreement augments an existing relationship between CBS Corporation and ProElite, which began broadcasting its EliteXC live MMA events on CBS's Showtime premium cable network in 2007.  EliteXC events will continue to air on Showtime. Additionally, CBS Interactive and ProElite's new media division, ProElite.com, will collaborate on generating interactive content for both companies' platforms, including CBSSports.com.  The online offerings could include streaming of events, clips syndicated across the CBS Audience Network, and other enhanced content to build an online community around each CBS broadcast and ProElite event. "Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime.  "It's original programming for Saturday night; it's live, creating an event-atmosphere; and it’s something that hasn't been seen on network television, until now." "This is a pivotal moment for the sport of mixed martial arts now that a major television network plans to broadcast live MMA events during primetime hours," said Douglas DeLuca, Chief Executive Officer of ProElite.  "We are delighted to enhance our partnership with CBS to bring American audiences the very best in MMA competition through our EliteXC brand.   "The network television agreement with CBS is an important milestone for ProElite as we continue to implement our growth strategy and develop existing relationships with our international partners." "Our world-class fighters and the high production value of our events continue to drive ProElite as a global MMA organization that is fortified by the bedrock foundation of a partnership with CBS," said Gary Shaw, President of EliteXC.  "Broadcasting our events on CBS will instantly engage a new fan base, as well as provide an opportunity for EliteXC to further establish itself as the world's premier MMA organization."   The intense nature of the contests and the theatrical elements of its live events have made mixed martial arts one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the United States.  Over the last several years, the genre has seen tremendous growth in popularity, especially among the coveted 18-34 demographic. ...

The DREAM.1 Lightweight Grand Prix now has four fights, but the main event continues to be the first round match-up between "JZ" Gesias Calvancanti and the "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki. Canadian "Black Mamba" Kultar Gill will post his 9-6 record versus Japanese "Crusher" Tatsuya Kawajiri, 20-4-2. Kawajiri's record includes a DQ "W" over fellow Grand Prix competitor Joachim Hansen.  "Black Mamba" broke a three-loss skid in K-1 and Bodog with a first round TKO of Hideo Tokoro in K-1 Hero's Middleweight Tournament in his last fight. Kazuyuki Miyata, 5-6, emerges from a rear naked choke loss to Hansen on K-1's New Year's Eve card to face-off with "Buscape" Luiz Firmino, 11-3. Firmino's record lists a 2005 unanimous decision loss to Kawajiri in PRIDE Bushido. "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen of Norway locks horns versus Norifumi Yamamoto's Krazy Bee trainee Kotetsu Boku. Hansen holds the distinction of being the first MMA fighter submitted in a gogoplata performed by Aoki in PRIDE.  Boku's 13-4-1 record includes victories over former UFC lightweight contender Hermes Franca and Eiji Mitsuoka, who was the last fighter to douse out "Hellboy". ...

Last February in Vegas, North County Fight Club heavyweight Eddie Sanchez took one for the team. Sanchez looked like a lamb being lead to slaughter entering the Octagon to become Cro Cop's cage debut.  He took an "L" at 4:33 of round one by TKO. He was to become Cro Cop's only cage victim in three starts. Had Sanchez known Cro Cop was...human (as we found out in fights versus Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo), he may have done enough to see the final bell, maybe even win. Sanchez may be given a second chance, this time with the vital intel' going in. The rumor among fighters is that Sanchez is getting the call to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 85 in London. Lesnar debuted in the Octagon versus Frank Mir and was quickly submitted via knee bar. Neither Sanchez nor Lesnar has confirmed.  Mum is the consistently official word at the UFC; so, I didn't even ask for official confirmation. Also rumored for the UFC's return to 02 Arena is a welterweight scrap between "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis and "Quick" Mike Swick. The fight is tabled and awaiting signatures from the principles. Davis comes off a one-minute knockout of Jess Liaudin in Newcastle, making four stoppages and 11 wins in a row.  Swick's last night's work was a lackluster majority decision debut at 170-pounds versus Josh Burkman. Sokoudjou has confirmed judoka on judoka violence at UFC 84 in Vegas versus Kazuhiro Nakamura. "He's someone I respect," Sokou says.  "It's just business.  Nothing personal." Both return from losses to "The Dragon" Ryoto Machida. "The Hungarian Nightmare" Christian Wellisch says,  "I have not signed a contract for another fight." Wellisch is rumored to welcome hulking wrestler Shane Carwin to the Octagon at UFC 84. ...

Tuesday the UFC officially scheduled a home and an away game slotted for 24 May in Vegas and 7 June in London. Loose lips had already divulged details for both events. At the MGM Grand Garden Arena 24 May, "The Prodigy" BJ Penn will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against the improper advances of former 155-pound champ Sean Sherk, returning from a banned substances suspension. My Portuguese is a little rusty, but Wanderlei Silva has also confirmed via his blog that he's signed to fight Keith Jardine on the Vegas strip. Other rumored bouts include: Ryoto Machida v Tito Ortiz Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou v Kazuhiro Nakamura Rashad Evans v Thiago Silva Wilson Gouveia v Goran Reljic Rousimar Palhares v Ivan Salaverry Dong-hyun Kim v Jason Tan Terry Etim v Jeremy Stephens Shane Carwin v Christian Wellisch At 02 Arena in London 7 June, light heavyweights Chuck Liddell and  Mauricio Rua will headline in a fight that not too long ago would've been considered the king-maker at 205. Brandon Vera has also confirmed he'll return versus Fabricio Werdum in London. Brock Lesnar is also rumored to return on this fight card. ...

Reliably adequate Nor Cal MMA promotion Strike Force put on a snoozer Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. The event headlined by "The Beast" Bob Sapp's North American MMA debut was beamed live in HD on HDNet. BUM-BUM BUM-BUM BUM-BUM BUM Sapp was TKO'd in 55 seconds by 2-5 South African Jan Nortje. That's about as anti-climactic as the fight, which began with Sapp entering the cage to the theme music of "2001: A Space Odyssey". But, don't shed a tear for "The Beast", who drops to 9-3-1, nor raise your hopes that the cartoon will end. Sapp has lost before and reportedly has a fight waiting for him 15 March in Dream's inaugural promotion in Japan.  He's still a draw in the East. "The Beast" will live on. Fast-rising middleweight Cory Devela notched a big name on his belt when "Diesel" Joe Riggs was forced to submit at 1:22 of the first round after a judo throw caused an injury in Riggs's back. Devela raises his record to 8-1, while Riggs falls to 27-10. There's been no word on the nature or severity of Riggs's back injury, but Riggs was forced off a WEC card last year due to a back injury. "GameBred" lightweight Jorge Masvidal continued his seven-fight streak with a unanimous decision over 9-3-1 Ryan Healy. Masvidal has posted wins versus Yves Edwards, Nuri Shakir, and Joe Lauzon and seems ready to step-up in competition. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion "Mo" Maurice Smith welcomed veteran kickboxing star "The Jet" Rick Roufus to MMA, submitting the K-1 fighter in an armlock at 1:53 of the first round. On the undercard, Washington welterweight "Fast" Eddy Ellis pulled even at 14-14-1 with a unanimous decision versus "Red Nose" Steve Berger. Hometown heavyweight Mychal Clark punched Josh Bennett's eye swollen shut to register a TKO at the end of two rounds. "Fancy Pants" Lyle Beerbohm remained undefeated after submitting fellow welterweight "Relentless" Ray Perales in a guillotine choke 1:19 into round three. Heavyweight Mike Hayes won his pro MMA debut over Matt Kovacs in a unanimous decision. Zach Skinner ruined Scott Shaffer's MMA debut with a unanimous decision victory. Finally, Nathan Coy improved to 3-0 after knocking out debuting Dave Courchaine in the first round. ...

DEEP's middleweight tournament kicked off at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo Friday. The tournament seeks a successor to Ryo Chonan, who vacated the DEEP title for the UFC last year. The first bout featured Akihiro Gono and Kazuo Misaki Grabaka stablemate Riki Fukuda taking a unanimous decision over former title holder Ryuta Sakurai, 15-14-4, to improve to 9-3. Yuichi Nakanishi pulled even to 7-7-3 with a split decision over another Grabaka fighter, Eiji Ishikawa, who dropped his fifth straight. MMA vet Daijiro Matsui, 10-18-4, also eeked out a split decision over 9-4 Young Choi. The final tournament session saw 10-5 Yuya Shirai taking a unanimous decision over 5-2-4 Sojiro Orui. In undercard action, Yasuhito Namekawa submitted Carlos Toyota in an Achilles lock 2:58 into round one to improve to 20-16-3. Toshiaki Kitada and Isao Terada added draws to their records at 143-pounds,  as did "Barbaro44" Yoshihiro Tomioka and Seigo Inoue at 154-pounds and Ken Hamamura and Chigetoshi Iwase at 176-pounds. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi was able to find a definitive finish with a unanimous decision over Shunsuke Inoue, remaining undefeated at 3-0. In the event's only Future Fighting Spirit matchup, Ryoji Suzuki submitted Kenta Okuyama by rear naked choke at 2:08 of the second round to improve to 2-2. ...

Jorge Gurgel’s MMA Academy north of Cincinnati opened up this week to host Rich Franklin’s training camp to prepare for his April 19 fight versus Travis Lutter. It’s Franklin’s first gym stint since having a torn meniscus surgically repaired after losing a title rematch versus the "Spider" Anderson Silva. “[The injury was caused] by kicking, by just being an athlete.  I’ve been doing what I can.  We postponed the fight from Columbus [in March] because of the surgery,” the former UFC Middleweight Champion said en routebetween promotional appearances in Las Vegas and Orlando. In January, Franklin’s father, Rich Sr., passed away unexpectedly at the age of 56. “It just took the wind out of me,” confides the fighter. “For some reason, the UFC wanted him to fight soon.  I don’t know why,” adds Franklin’s agent, J.T. Stewart. After losing to Silva, Franklin negotiated a new six-fight deal with the UFC. “I can’t really see myself fighting any place else,” he says. “Ace” also plans to take his camp to Seattle to train with Matt Hume, the kickboxer and trainer he added to his team before his rematch with Silva. “I’ve never seen anyone who breaks down tapes like Matt,” Franklin gushes.  “I’ve always used tapes, but never the way he uses them.” After his last fight, Franklin took on a different role. "I liked taping the Xience commercial, so I asked my agent to find more work like that," Franklin explains. He was soon offered the title role in the straight-to-DVD film "Weapon", which is currently in post-production for release later this year. "I am the weapon," Franklin chuckles.  "When my agent told me about the offer, I didn't want to do it [because it was such a big role], but they convinced me." Franklin stars opposite Tiffani Amber Thiessen, formerly of TV hits “Saved by the Bell” and “Beverly Hills 90210”. “I don’t know anyone of my generation who didn’t watch ‘Saved by the Bell’,” says Franklin.  “But [Tiffani] was so friendly, so down to Earth…a professional. “Before leaving [for Ontario], I bragged to my friends that I had a kissing scene with [Tiffani], but the first day of filming I was so nervous. “I’m not an actor.  It takes so long to set-up each scene…and it’s not filmed in sequence, so you never really know how well you’ve done.” He'll return to Canada for his fight with Lutter, in Montreal. “I think Travis is a professional,” Franklin says, despite his opponent’s lapse before the biggest fight of his career.  From Franklin, known for his professionalism, that’s a high compliment. “Realistically, another fight with Anderson wouldn’t be that interesting for fans.  But, [fighting] is how I make money.  Whenever I’m at the end of my rope and I take a week away from the gym, I’m anxious to get back.  I’m just a competitor.” ...

Thursday the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a partnership with Yahoo! to stream PPV events online beginning with UFC 82 March 1. “This relationship with Yahoo! is an important step for the UFC to build its global distribution platform for live pay-per-view events,” said Dana White, UFC President.  “We are looking forward to working with Yahoo! Sports to expand our reach and bring the sport of mixed martial arts to fight fans in every corner of the world in every possible language.” Yahoo! has previously streamed Strikeforce events and maintains dedicated MMA coverage. ...

EliteXC 160-Pound Champion Karl James Noons will make his first defense versus Yves Edwards April 26 in Honolulu. Noons, 6-2, TKO'd Nick Diaz on cuts last November to become the first EliteXC 160-pound champion. Edwards, 33-13-1, knocked out James Edson Berto last weekend via flying knee to make three straight wins after a three-fight winless streak. Nick Diaz has been taunting Noons for a rematch after the brawler's controversial loss on cuts, accusing Noons of ducking him. Noons and Edwards have been friends for awhile. ...

Before a sellout crowd of 6,187 that produced the single largest gate in the history of the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, Kimbo Slice registered a spectacular 43-second, first-round knockout over David Abbott Saturday on Showtime. The exciting event, which was presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, aired on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  It will be replayed a few times in the next several days, including Wednesday on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT. As far as homecomings go, it doesn’t get better than this, as the incredibly popular Pride of Perrine, Fla, gave the raucous but well-behaved fans what they came to see: a devastating knockout win. A YouTube legend and legitimate mixed martial arts superstar, Kimbo’s performance put an exclamation point on what was an excellent night of MMA action. “We promised the fans a good, classy show and we delivered a great one,’’ said “EliteXC Live Events President and University of Miami alum, Gary Shaw.  “EliteXC showed tonight, once again, what MMA is all about.  There were great fights with dramatic finishes, a little bit of everything for everybody. “As a promoter, you want the fans to leave with a good taste, and I truly believe that each and every person in attendance here tonight left the venue happy and completely satisfied. “I couldn’t be prouder of the athletes, who acted like world champions before, during and afterward, or the fans, who turned out in record numbers.  We look forward to returning to Miami again. “This was just a tremendously exciting night from start to finish.  Honestly, I don’t think any organization puts on better, more competitive fights that we do.’’ Kimbo (2-0), who may indeed be more popular than sliced bread, wowed the crowd en route to demolishing Abbott, an MMA icon who entered the cage to win.  But Tank spent more time on the ground than on his feet, going down three times from legitimate punches and a couple other times from slips. “I wanted him to get up, I wanted to bang,’’ Kimbo said.  “I had to push him off because we were too close.   Then I just knocked him down.  It was great fighting in front of the hometown fans.  I’d be lying if I told you they didn’t jack me up. Miami, you are my home.  “I have a lot of respect for Tank.  This was one of my dream fights, along with Mike Tyson.  But I am ready to fight anybody and ready to fight again really soon. “I want to thank Showtime and EliteXC for making this night possible for me and my family.”  Abbott (9-14), of Huntington Beach, Calif., gave it his all, as expected.  “I tried to take it to him at the start and take him to the ground, but then I just said, the heck with that and started to fight,’’ Tank said.  “But I ran into one and that was it. I was just getting started. “It is still too early to know how good or great Kimbo will be.  But what I do know is that I absolutely want to keep fighting. Maybe I will go after Ken Shamrock.’’ In other Showtime fights Saturday, “Big Foot” Antonio Silva (10-1), a highly touted Brazilian who lives in Coconut Creek, Fla., recorded a hard-fought three-round split decision over former champion Ricco Rodriguez (27-8), of Staten Island, N.Y., unbeaten Brett Rogers (8-0), of  St. Paul, Minn., blasted out England's "The Colossus" James Thompson (16-8) in the first round, “Hands Of Steel’’ Scott Smith (15-4), of Sacramento, Calif., knocked out Australian "The Ozzie" Kyle Noke (14-4-1), the bodyguard of the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter’’ Irwin, in the second round and Yves Edwards (33-13-1), of Conroe, Tex., stopped  "Little Tiger" James Edson Berto (14-5-1), of Tampa, Fla., in the opening session. In non-televised undercard fights that aired for free on MMA Internet site,  ProElite.com: Moyses Gabin (2-0), of Miami, registered a 2:32, first-round knockout over Jirka Hlavaty (1-2), of Miami, Lorenzo Borgameo (3-0), of Miami, won by submission (triangle) at 4:11 of the second round over Mike Bernhard (3-1), of Miami; Eric Bradley (3-1), of Las Vegas, Nev., took a unanimous  decision over Mikey Gomez (6-4), of Orlando, Fla.; Dave Herman (10-0), of Indiana, scored a third-round TKO over Mario Rinaldi (6-3), of Miami, Yosmany Cabezas (5-0), of Tampa, Fla., won by second-round submission (rear naked choke) over Jon Kirk (10-3), of Houston, and Rafael Feijao (4-1), of Brazil, knocked out John Doyle (6-2), of Allentown, Pa., at 2:17 of the first round. All the fights were scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.  Silva, whose initial nine victories had come in the first round, got the nod on two of the judges’ cards by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28. The third judge had it for Rodriguez, 29-28. “Ricco is a dangerous fighter,’’ said Silva, who was making his second start since dropping down after competing as a 300-pound super heavyweight.  “I knew it was going to be a tough fight.  I fought hard and came out with a victory, but it was a difficult fight for me.   “I want that belt.  I am sorry that this was not the best night of fighting for me, but I promise I will deliver in my next bout.  I want that heavyweight title.” Rodriguez entered the cage with a vast advantage in experience, having fought and defeated some of the biggest names in MMA, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson, Andrei Arlovski, Pete Wilson, and Randy Couture.  “The reality is, I didn’t train as long for this fight as I needed to, but I think I showed that I am still dedicated and can fight,’’ Rodriguez said.  “I am in this for the long haul and appreciate the opportunity EliteXC is giving me.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we fought a rematch.  I would love to fight Silva again.’’ Smith, who has won all 16 of his fights inside the distance, knocked out Noke in devastating fashion.  After losing the first round, he came out blazing in the second.  Two brutal right hands did all the damage.  The referee halted matters at 0:07 of the round.  “I’m sorry for that first round, that’s not the way I fight,” Smith said.  “I didn’t start to get comfortable until toward the end of the round. “When I got to my corner between rounds, I told my trainer that I had found my range.  I came out pumped and made up for it.  I was fighting way too much on the outside, but once I got inside -- bam, I knocked him down.” Noke had a four-fight unbeaten streak (3-0-1) end.  “This is a different feeling for me,’’ he said.  “I’ve never been knocked out by a punch before.  I felt good after the first round, but I got caught in the second. Scott is a good, strong fighter.” Edwards earned his fourth consecutive victory by knocking out Berto with a knee and punch combination at 4:56 of the first round. Berto had a three-fight winning streak snapped. “I am back and ready to fight anybody,’’ Edwards said.  “I’d love to fight [EliteXC lightweight champion KJ] Noons.  He’s the guy with the gold.  If you’re not doing this to be a world champion, you better do something else.’’  In an upset in the first Showtime fight, the hard-hitting Rogers spoiled the United States debut of Thompson, bringing “Colossus” down to size with a flurry of powerful combinations at 2:24 of the first round. “I don’t think I have to say anything; it showed for itself,” Rogers said.  “He’s got a weak chin and I knew it was going to happen. “All he kept trying to do was wrestle me to the ground.  I got back up and I knocked him out.  When I touch him, he’s going down.  There’s going to be more of Brett Rogers on EliteXC.” Thompson offered no excuses.  “He caught me with good punches,” he said.  “He hits a lot harder than I thought.  I’m very disappointed.  My confidence isn’t where it should be or where I would like it to be since after my last fight.  I would fight him again in a rematch.’’ ...

HDNet Fights, owned by Texas billionaire Mark Cuban, filed suit against Zuffa in district court in Dallas Wednesday. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment concerning the contractual status of Randy Couture under his Zuffa promotional contract. Cuban wants the Texas courts to clarify when Couture's contract expires and therefore when HDNet Fights can offer a contact to Couture. The law suit is a direct challenge to the murky terms of Couture's contract with Zuffa, specifically the "retirement clause". Couture maintains that the term of his contract and non-compete commitment with Zuffa ends in  October 2008. Zuffa maintains Couture cannot end his contract with two fights remaining regardless of the contract's term unless he retires, in which case the term of the contract is suspended until Couture decides to fight again. ...

Former UFC welterweight title challenger "Diesel" Joe Riggs will replace Cedric Marks versus Cory Devela in a middleweight fight on February 23's Strikeforce card at the Tacoma Dome. Riggs returns to Strikeforce after knocking out Eugene Jackson at the Playboy Mansion in September. Devela makes his Strikeforce debut after a three round unanimous decision victory over Lodune Sincaid at SportFight in December. Marks pulled out of the fight with a shoulder injury. ...

UFC President Dana White announced via letter to Croatian sports website Javno Thursday that he has terminated heavyweight Mirko Filipovic's contract pursuant to a clause that allows renegotiation after Cro Cop lost two consecutive fights. At the same time in Tokyo, Cro Cop shocked a press conference announcing the creation of a new Japanese mixed martial arts promotion called Dream. "I'm very excited to be here again," Cro Cop said.  "I'm so excited to be part of this." Cro Cop scored a single victory in the cage while disappointing twice, in a vicious knockout to Gabriel Gonzaga and a grueling tussle with Cheick Kongo. Cro Cop indicated he preferred fighting in a ring, but hoped to return to the Octagon one day. White welcomes him whenever he's ready. The 33-year old explained, "I left because I couldn't wait any longer.  I asked for a fight earlier, as early as March 1; but, I was offered May, or even later.  I asked for a rematch with Gonzaga in Zagreb; but, he lost to [Fabricio] Werdum, so that fell through.  And I'm in shape, I gained muscle mass, I'm 105 kilograms and I want to fight." Cro Cop's departure from PRIDE to the UFC in December 2006 was exciting, most predicting a virtual coronation as UFC Heavyweight Champion. Cro Cop, however, was unprepared for the Brazilian Gonzaga and uninspired versus the Frenchman Kongo, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of White, Cro Cop, and MMA fans. Cro Cop admitted, "The last two years I've been in some kind of mental blockade.  I was empty before fights, depressed, I hated myself.  I'm sorry to have disappointed my English fans who welcomed me like a king." Dream will be a homecoming of sorts, returning Cro Cop to his comfort zone. The promotion is a collaboration between ex-K-1 and PRIDE executives.  Norifumi Yamamoto, Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai, Gesias Calvancante, and Royce Gracie have all joined Filipovic at Dream. The Saitama Super Arena will host the first fight card March 15 when Calvancante and Aoki will finally showdown and Cro Cop will return versus an unnamed opponent. ...

UFC co-founder Bob Meyrowitz and UFC 8 champion Don Frye will come together in Atlantic City April 11 to recapture past glory. Meyrowitz has formed YAMMA Pit Fighting, an MMA promotion set to return to the tournament format of the original UFC events. “It’s with great excitement that we launch YAMMA Pit Fighting,” says Bob Meyrowitz.  “Our deep and proven knowledge of the entertainment and MMA spheres put us in a great position to add a new dimension to the presentation of MMA as it moves into the future.” YPF will debut at the Trump Taj Mahal with a main event featuring 44-year old Fry versus Russian UFC veteran Oleg Taktarov. Since sitting out 2005, Frye, 18-6-1, has remained active since submitting Chad Rowan in K-1 Hero's in May 2006.  He's 4-1-1 since 2006. Taktarov, 15-5-2, retired in 1998, but returned in 2007 with kneebar submission of John Marsh in BodogFIGHT. Despite being apart of the same era of UFC competition, the two fighters have never faced each other.  The YPF debut will be broadcast via PPV. ...

M-1 Global heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko posted an open letter to UFC President Dana White at Russia-based MFC M-1's website Saturday, February 9. "Let my fight with Randy [Couture] happen or let me face the reigning UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira," Emelianenko challenges. Emelianenko was responding to White's frequent accusations that the widely-regarded top-ranked heavyweight in the world is overrated. "Fedor isn't even a top-five heavyweight," White stated in October 2007. "Allowing yourself to say those things is not a sign of a gentleman or a grown man at all," the Russian samboist responded in his letter. The UFC and Emelianenko's management led by Vadim Finklestein failed to agree to terms to bring Emelianenko into the organization in October 2007. Emelianenko eventually signed with the newly created M-1 Global promotion.  UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture "resigned" shortly thereafter to pursue a fight with Emelianenko. Couture was sued in January by Zuffa, LLC, parent company of the UFC, for breach of contract. Since signing with M-1 Global, Emelianenko, 27-1, tapped out K-1 kickboxer Hong Man Choi on New Years Eve while his former PRIDE foe, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, picked up the interim UFC heavyweight strap after tapping Tim Sylvia at UFC 81 February 2. At the UFC 81 post-fight press conference, Noguiera called on Couture to fight to legitimize the UFC Heavyweight Championship completing the disappointing triangle atop the heavyweight class. ...

Fifty-four year old icon Dan Severn submitted Ian Asham by Kimura at the Iroquois MMA Championships II in Ohsweken, Ontario Saturday. "The Beast" rides a seven-fight win streak dating to a February 2007 rear naked choke submission of Clifford Coon at Caged Combat Championship Fights in Oklahoma. All but one of his seven victims had less than four professional fights.  Asham was making his professional debut. Severn raises his score to 83-15-7 with over 50 submission victories, most notably the keylock submission of Dave Beneteau at UFC 5 that gave Severn the championship and first belt awarded in the original MMA promotion. ...

Icon Sport's President T. Jay Thompson solemnly announced Saturday in Honolulu, "Icon Sport has taken the unprecedented action of stripping Robbie Lawler of his Icon Sport world middleweight title." Icon Sport is a Hawaii-based promotion under the ProElite umbrella. Lawler, known as "Ruthless", knocked out Frank Trigg for the title in March 2007, but has failed to defended due to various training injuries. "I'm as disappointed as anybody with the injuries that have prevented me from fighting," complained Lawler by SMS message. Icon's top contender has been Kala Kolohe Hose of Waianae since June 2007, most recently matched-up with Lawler in December.  Lawler pulled out of that title fight with a torn bicep. "We had to bring in a fighter worthy of this belt," Thompson claimed at Saturday's press conference. Hose grinned ear-to-ear as his opponent for a March 15 title showdown was announced. "One of the most feared strikers in MMA," Thompson teased.  "You know him as 'The New York Bad Ass', Phil Baroni will be [Hose's] opponent." Baroni last fought in June, suffering a rear naked choke TKO loss to Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce. Thompson put the best possible spin on the fight, calling Baroni, "Someone that brings the honor and respect to the sport," despite Baroni emerging from a six-month suspension after testing positive for steroids after his Shamrock loss. "Too bad Lawler was afraid to fight [Hose], but I’m not," Baroni taunted, then claimed, "I've fought the best fighters in the world, all over the world." Baroni is 10-8, 3-3 since winning his first two PRIDE fights in 2005 versus Ikuhisa Minowa and Ryo Chonan. Hose is 5-1, knocking out five consecutive cans. At Saturday's press conference, Baroni called Hose, "A young Phil Baroni, chin down, hands up, and let'em fly." Lawler is 16-4 with wins versus Murilo Rua, Trigg, Joey Villasenor, and Falaniko Vitale.  Lawler said, "I also look forward to...winning the title back and wearing the Icon belt around my waist where it belongs." ...

Former UFC lightweight Dan Lauzon tapped his late-replacement opponent, Frank Latina, in a triangle choke at 3:01 of the first round at the World Championship Fighting event in  Wilmington, Massachusetts Friday. Lauzon, 8-2, cranked up after a straight right bent his head backwards.  The fight hit the mat and Lauzon took Latina, 4-1, through a list of submissions before sinking the final technique. Lauzon's fight will be featured in a future episode of "TapouT", an MMA reality show on the Versus network hosted by the founders of the TapouT apparel line. "The Upgrade" Lauzon is noted as the youngest fighter to appear in the UFC at 18-years old in October 2006, losing to Spencer Fisher.  His win versus Latina may have been an audition for a gig in the WEC. Also on the card, Henrique Bicalho tapped Jason Bennett at 2:15 of the first round. Nate Kittredge fell to 2-1 after a disqualification loss to Ronnie Wuest at 1:40 of the first. Welterweight Nuri Shakur ended a four-fight losing strike with a TKO of Travis Lerchen. John Benoit choked out Justin Hammerstrom in a triangle 45-seconds into the second round. Ken Stone improved to 3-0 after 1:46 with winless Daniel Duarte.  Duarte has lost both of his professional MMA fights in a rear naked choke. John Franchi TKO'd Justin Homsey at 40 seconds of the second round to improve to 3-0. Nate LaMotte ended Stephen Stengal's night in 39 seconds. Dan Bonnell evened to 3-3 with a guillotine choke of Mark Giove 2:45 into the fight. Greg Croteau defeated Aaron Chidester by unanimous decision. Larry Kerrigan choked out Lou Czekalski by guillotine at 3:23 of the second round. Jose Lopez notched his first win, a unanimous decision over Sean Ratcliff. UFC President, Bostonian Dan White made a special guest appearance at the Aleppo Shriners Auditorium for the second WCF card. ...

One of the  toughest-talking, hardest-fighting, most colorful competitors in mixed martial arts, “The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni, has signed a  multi-year contract with Los  Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s Live Fight Division, EliteXC.  “You know any Jersey boy like me likes a ‘New  York Bad Ass’ and Phil’s definitely as bad as they come,’’ said EliteXC Live Events President, Gary Shaw, who made the announcement Saturday.  “Phil is a  promoter’s dream.  He’s a character but also as courageous a fighter as I’ve been  around. “But what I truly  love about him is he always comes not only to fight but to win and put on a  show.  He’s a crowd-pleaser extraordinaire.   This is a great addition to the EliteXC family and we are thrilled to sign him.  Fans can expect to see Phil back in the cage and fighting his heart out very  soon." Baroni’s next fight is March 15 on the EliteXC Hawaii-based Icon Sport promotion.  Terms of the agreement were not  disclosed. “This is a great deal and opportunity.  I appreciate EliteXC sticking with me and believing in me enough to sign me,’’ said Baroni, whose last fight came against Frank Shamrock on June 22, 2007. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Baroni  didn’t win an incredibly exciting slugfest that lived  up to its hype and anticipation, but he showed as much grit and determination as anyone could expect. “I’m looking  forward to returning to the cage and kicking (butt),’’ said Baroni, whose  EliteXC contract will allow him to continue to perform for Strikeforce.  “Everybody knows I got hurt early and couldn’t do everything I wanted to do against Shamrock.  But I’m 100 percent now, ready for anybody.  I pity the guy I  fight next, or the one after that.  Trust me, everybody is going to pay from here on out." ...

Due to incredible demand, nearly all of the tickets to UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre 2 have been purchased by members of UFC Fight Club in its exclusive pre-sale which started on Sunday. Over 21,000 people will rock the Bell Centre on Saturday, April 19th, and the vast majority of them will be UFC Fight Club members.  That head count will make 83 the most attended UFC event in history. In a statement, the UFC said, "[We're] honored to welcome so many of [our] most devoted fans to the event that night." Because of the unprecedented size of this pre-sale, the normal UFC Newsletter Pre-sale will not take place.  The scheduled public on sale date for this event is this Friday, February 8 at 12:00 PM ET.  On that date and time, a very limited number of tickets will be released for sale via Ticketmaster and at the Bell Centre Box Office. The UFC is researching additional viewing options for fans in the Montreal area or those wishing to come to Montreal for the event.  Information will be made public as it becomes available via UFC.com. ...

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz will appear on "The Howard Stern Show" Wednesday morning at 7:00 AM EST. Ortiz says, "We have lots to talk about, and more than likely there will be lots of fireworks." "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" hasn't graced the Octagon since a draw with Rashad Evans at UFC 73 in July 2007. He can currently be seen Thursdays at 9:00 PM EST on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice". After failing to sign an anticipated rematch with Evans, UFC President Dana White intimated Ortiz, 15-5-1, had faked an injury in order to film the popular reality TV show hosted by Donald Trump. "Tito's gone Hollywood," charged a disappointed Evans on a conference call promoting his fight with Michael Bisping at UFC 78 in November.  Evans won a split decision over Bisping. Ortiz is rumored to be fighting "The Dragon" Lyoto Machida, 12-0, in Las Vegas May 24. In Ortiz's corner for the Stern interview will be his girlfriend, adult film star Jenna Jameson. "The Howard Stern Show" can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio. ...

Leather-clad UFC President Dana White manned the podium at a presser in Montréal Monday morning to promote UFC 83 at the Bell Centre April 19th. The fight card's big bout features interim UFC Welterweight Champions Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre. "To be the champion, I have to beat the champion," St. Pierre clarified. St. Pierre, 15-2, was TKO'd by "The Terror" Serra at UFC 69 last April, but has dominated his subsequent two opponents. "A bit of an underdog?  Is that what you heard?" Serra teased a reporter.  "What were the odds?  Something ridiculous, like 14 to one?" Serra's "W" was the upset of '07, a year which included "Rampage" Jackson's KO of top-ranked former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin's submission of highly-touted PRIDE standout Mauricio Rua. Serra, 9-4, echoed St. Pierre, "That's what I always heard: You beat the guy, you're the guy." Serra's championship is considered a fluke. Serra lamented, "If I beat [St. Pierre] again, they'll want to give him the best three out of five!" "Serra likes being Rocky," White explained, likening Serra's role to Sylvester Stallone's character in "Rocky IV".  "I want to thank Matt Serra for taking this fight in Canada.  I don't think there's going to be a lot of Matt Serra fans here in Canada." UFC 83 will be the preeminent MMA promotion's debut in Canada. Quebec Boxing Council Commissioner Mario Latraverse announced, "In April, we have our Super Bowl." Quebec was the first Canadian province to sanction MMA in 1998. White told a curious Canadian press corps, "People in Canada don't even realize how big this sport is in Canada." Tickets went on pre-sale yesterday and White claimed "13,700 were sold on the first day.  We're almost sold out now.  This event here will be the biggest UFC event ever." "It's a dream come true," a swaggering St. Pierre boasted of fighting in his hometown.  "I can't be more happy than I am right now." St. Pierre's loss to Serra is blamed on his mental focus. "I had a lot of issues before," St. Pierre admitted.  "It's done now." However, fighting in his hometown will compound distractions unimaginably. "My life might change," St. Pierre mentioned thoughtfully. White confirmed the card will also feature former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin versus TUF champion Travis Lutter, Brit TUF champion Michael Bisping, lightweight TUF champion Mac Danzig, and Canadians Patrick Côté and "Hands of Stone" Sam Stout. ...

The March 5th World Victory Road main event of Josh Barnett versus Hidehiko Yoshida is more than a reunion of PRIDE heavyweights. According to the "The Babyface Assassin" Barnett, 20-5, there's 100-years of rivalry leading to the showdown between the catch wrestler and the judoka. Explains Barnett, "One of the more famous stories involving this rivalry was when catch wrestler Ad Santel defeated 5th degree black belt Tokugoro Itoh with a slam so powerful it fractured [his] skull." Santel, a catch wrestling heavyweight titlist, wrestled judoka from the The Kodokan Institute from 1914-1921. "Since Itoh was considered one of the best judoka in the world," Barnett tells, "Santel proclaimed himself, 'The Judo World Champion'." "The Kodakan sent many judoka to avenge the loss," Barnett goes on. Itoh avenged the brutal TKO with a submission defeat of Santel in their rematch. However, Barnett claims, "Santel claimed victory over many of the top judoka of the time: Taro Miyake via slam TKO, 4th degree black belt Daisuke Sakai, and 5th degree black belt Reijiro Nagata again by TKO." The last chapter in the storied rivalry has a direct connection to Barnett vs. Yoshida. Barnett asks, "Can the teacher avenge the student?" In February 2006 Barnett tapped Yoshida prodigy Kazuhiro Nakamura in a rear naked choke at PRIDE 31. Barnett asks again, "Can Yoshida bring honor back to Judo?"  Then, he answers, "Only way to know is to strap up the boots, check the tape, get in the ring, and lock horns in the center." ...

Upstart Japanese MMA promotion World Victory Road announced that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett will fight Olympic gold medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida. The match-up will be the main event at WVR's inaugural March 5th card at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 1 in Tokyo. Neither fighter has competed in mixed martial arts since PRIDE's final New Year's Eve event in 2006. Barnett dropped a rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by unanimous decision. Yoshida suffered a TKO to glass-jawed Brit James Thompson. WVR announced last week that it had signed former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi. ...

Each of the following four fighters received a bonus of $60,000. KO of the Night: Chris Lytle Submission of the Night: Frank Mir Fight of the Night: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia  In addition, the following fighters in the co-main events were paid:  Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira = $200,000 Tim Sylvia = $100,000 Frank Mir = $80,000 Brock Lesnar = $250,000 ...

Newly crowned interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira told the post-UFC 81 press conference that he wants to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture. “Today I got the belt, with a very hard fight, but if Couture can give me the chance to fight against him, I will be ready," a bruised Minotauro promised. Nogueira, 31-4-1, submitted another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia, by guillotine choke at 1:28 of the third round Saturday night, but after enduring torturous punishment from his bigger opponent. “We’d like to see Nogueira defend his title against Randy Couture,” agreed UFC President Dana White.  “We want to find out who the real champion is.  So, I expect ‘Captain America’ to step up to the plate and give Nogueira the chance." Couture, 16-8, "resigned" from the UFC, vacating his title, in October 2007 and has since pursued a fight with with former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko amidst a legal battle with the UFC. White explained, "I gave him the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight title, to fight Tim Sylvia.  So I expect him to honor his contract.  I don’t think I’m asking anything outrageous or ridiculous.  He signed a contract a year ago and got a signing bonus.” Couture has remained adamantly against returning to the UFC.  Last week he told Columbus, Ohio radio station QFM 96.3 that he is on his way to China in the next few weeks to begin work on the big screen version of "Mandrake the Magician". ...

"That's why [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] is the best in the world," former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia proclaimed after suffering a guillotine submission loss to the Brazilian in the interim heavyweight title main event at UFC 81 Saturday night. The fight pitted former world champions from the UFC and PRIDE, but was overshadowed by the MMA debut of former NCAA and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar. Significance was also diminished by Randy Couture's departure from the UFC while holding the title after defeating Sylvia in March 2007. 6'8" Sylvia pot-shotted the Sao Paulo native from the opening ding and occasionally popped a power shot in Nogueira's mug, even dropping him with a combo in the first session and again in the second. The Miletich-trained "Maine-iac" fiercely dominated the opening two rounds. Stubborn Nogueira had no quit, even as his face began to swell at the end of Sylvia's tremendous reach. "Minotauro" attempted takedowns; but, Sylvia's balance is exceptional for a big man. The train from Maine derailed in the third when Nogueira's notorious resilience muscled the battle to the mat. "He went for the guillotine, which we knew he was going to do," a distraught Sylvia explained post-fight. Nogueira became the first fighter to hold both UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles when Tim Sylvia tapped out at 1:28 of the third round. "That's what he does to everybody," Sylvia echoed the sentiments of MMA faithful who've watched a battered Big Nog pull out seemingly impossible victories before. Nogueira's victory sets up a possible first defense versus French kickboxer Cheick Kongo, if Kongo can beat Heath Herring in Columbus next month.  But, both Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski have claims to the top contender-ship too. Sylvia may be headed for a history-loaded rematch with the man who broke his arm: Frank Mir. Another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Mir, defended MMA's honor against powerhouse rookie Brock Lesnar by submitting him in a kneebar at 1:30 of the first round. Mir got dumped on his ass early by the massive Minnesotan who hovered and hammered fists and elbows. "He was so strong!"  Mir explained in the locker room. Tactic and technique determined the outcome though.  "It wasn't a textbook, perfect finish, but I ended up doing it 80% right." 80% is all it takes versus an inexperienced opponent.  As Lesnar stood to yank his arm from an armbar attempt, Mir secured a leg and rolled into a kneebar. "Frank [Mir] and I have some unfinished business," Tim Sylvia had taunted at a pre-fight press conference. The high profile "W" for Mir makes that rematch marketable. At 185-pounds, Nathan Marquardt entered the Octagon off a loss to division champ Anderson Silva to fight 79-17-5 Jeremy Horn, a late replacement opponent. The veteran Horn absorbed punishment on the mat before nearly catching Marquardt in a gogoplata in the first round. It was Marquardt, however, who applied a guillotine choke during a scramble and tapped Horn at 1:37 of the second round. After a four-year hiatus from MMA, Ricardo Almeida invoked nostalgia over his earlier successes by submitting another late replacement, undefeated Alaskan Rob Yundt, in a guillotine choke at 1:08 of round one. Almeida is a welcome addition to the scant 185-pound division. Lightweights Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau tussled for three exciting rounds to open the televised card. The shorter fighter, Griffin, popped Tibau with precise punches while Tibau seemed to take down the wrestler at will. In the end, the judges saw it unanimously for Tyson Griffin, though Gleison Tibau lost no one's respect. "Lights Out" Chris Lytle treated 13-5 Kyle Bradley's head like a speed bag in a 33-second TKO victory. Light heavyweight Tim Boetsch reminded MMA fans of "Tank" Abbott in tossing Oklahoman David Heath to the mat and pummelling a TKO out of him at 4:52 of round one. Terry Martin suffered another disappointing defeat, this time in a unanimous decision to "The Beastman" Marvin Eastman. The event opened with a spirited lightweight scrap won in split decision by Robert Emerson over Japan's Keita Nakamura. ...

BodogFight debuted in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Friday night with a main event pitting "The Goat" Nick Thompson versus undefeated HOOKnShoot champion John Troyer. "What do you know about him?" Thompson countered when asked about Troyer before weighing-in Thursday. Troyer introduced himself quickly, bum rushing his considerably more-experienced opponent at the opening bell. Thompson owns wins over Ansar Chalangov, Josh Neer, and top UFC welterweight contender John Fitch's March 1 stand-in opponent, Chris Wilson. Thompson survived Troyer's barrage, but not without a busted nose.  At 3:46 of the first round, he wrapped the younger welterweight in a rear naked choke to register his 10th straight victory. "The Goat" improves to 34-9-1, while Troyer adds his first loss to eight victories. On the undercard, Seth Baczynski evened to 5-5 with a TKO over Chris Kennedy, who falls to 3-5. 135-pound "Savage" Chad George TKO'd Rick Screeton with strikes in just 39 seconds. Bryan Humes debuted victoriously over win-less Ryan Murray. Aaron Simpson improved to 2-0 with a TKO over debuting Scott Dingman. ...