Baroni Signs Multi-Year Contract With EliteXC

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.”

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UFC 83 Nears 21,000-Seat Sellout

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.

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Ortiz vs. Stern

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.

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Serra “A bit of an underdog?”

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.

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Barnett: “Can the teacher avenge the student?”

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.”

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Barnett Back Versus Yoshida

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.

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UFC 81 Bonuses & Salaries

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

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Noguiera: “I deserve a chance to fight Randy Couture.”

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”.

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Big Nog “Is The Best”

“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.

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BodogVegas: Thompson Tops Troyer

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.

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