Monson Last to Know He’s Headlining Adrenaline MMA

“The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) has said he doesn’t follow MMA.

I believe him!

Today Adrenaline MMA, formerly M-1 Global, announced Monson will headline their debut card versus Michael Russow (9-1) 14 June in Chicago.

On a call from Scotland tonight, where Monson is giving seminars, he asked, “Who’s Mike Russow?  What do you know about him?”

Russow is a wrestler from Chicago coming off a first round north/south choke submission of Roman Zentsov (16-12) on New Year’s Eve.  Russow’s only loss was to Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) at PRIDE’s last American dalliance, after which Russow compalined to the referee that Kharitonov had held his glove to secure the armbar.

“That’s Monte Cox’s promotion?”  Jeff asked.  “Yeah, I knew my manager was talking to him.  We’ll do anything with Monte.”

Monson hasn’t fought since December either, when he won a unanimous decision over Hakim Goram (4-3).

In November 2006, Monson lost a UFC title fight to “The Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4), another recent Adrenaline MMA signee.

He said, “I don’t feel I fought my best in that fight; but, no, I’m not seeking revenge or anything like that.”  He added, “If I were offered the fight [with Sylvia], I’d take it.”

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“The Crow” Flies High at Home

Former UFC middleweight contender “The Crow” David Loiseau (16-8) righted his fluttering career Saturday night with a unanimous decision victory over Todd Gouwenberg (7-4) at Hardcore Championship Fighting’s event in Loiseau’s home nest of Gatineau, Quebec.

Gouwenberg, perhaps only notable after giving “Minotoro”Antonio Rogerio Noguiera (13-3) a spirited round-and-a-half before being TKO’d, was thoroughly dominated as “The Crow” pecked at him with sharp elbows.

Louiseau, who had won just one of his last five, took the cards by scores of 30-25 and 30-26 twice, fairing far better than fellow former UFC fighters on the undercard.

Light heavyweight Rob MacDonald (5-3) dropped a unanimous decision to Team Oyama’s “Sick Dog” Hector Ramirez (7-3-1); and, welterweight Gideon Ray (14-8-1) also failed to convince the judges in a UD “L” to “The Thrill” Nabil Khatib.

Light heavyweight Brent Beauparlant (7-5) won a unanimous decision over Amir Rahnavardi (9-9) before his fellow Quebecois.

“The Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (15-1) submitted middleweight Andrew Buckland (5-1) in an armbar at 3:34 of round one.

Featherweight Bill Boland (4-0) remained undefeated with a TKO of “Hasa” Michal Hamrsmid of Bohemia.

“The Sargeant” Jameel Massouh (16-3) scored a UD over “The Cowboy” Myles Merola (9-5) at featherweight.

Brazilian middleweight Rodrigo Ruas (4-5-1) submitted countrymen “Ossoduro” Marcus Vinicios (4-5) in an arm triangle choke 52-seconds into round three.

Former welterweight PRIDE fighter “Nino” Antonio Schembri (5-4) got back in the black with an armbar submission “The Bighouse” Daniel Grandmaison at 2:37 of round one.

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Fickett Taps Lim, Shamrock Surrenders Title to Le at Strikeforce

Top Strikeforce welterweight contender Drew Fickett (33-5) locked in his title bid versus champ Jake Shields (20-4-1) in the form of a guillotine choke around the neck of intended Nick Diaz (15-7) opponent “The Korean Icepick” Jae Suk Lim (9-4) at 1:14 of the first round in San Jose Saturday night.

Fickett was signed to challenge Shields on tonight’s Showtime-televised card; but, Shields injured his back heaving a sledgehammer during training.

Fickett drew Lim after Shields’s partner, Diaz, was denied a license by the California State Athletic Board.

The title fight has reportedly been rescheduled for 14 June in Hawaii.

The absence of Shields and Diaz, popular Nor Cal warriors,  agitated thousands of hungry fight aficionados at HP Pavilion.

They packed in to feast on a middleweight mixed martial arts title fight between Strikeforce champion Frank Shamrock (24-9-1) and Cung Le (6-0), heroes from opposite sides of the Capital of Silicon Valley.

What they were fed was two-and-a-half rounds of brisk San Shou sparring and two-and-a-half minutes of MMA.

Le remained undefeated when Shamrock quit with a broken arm after the third round, relinquishing his belt to the Vietnamese kung-fu stylist.

 ”He kept blocking,” Le explained,  ”so I kept aiming at that part of the wrist.”

With local street cred on the table, both fighters answered the opening bell cautious of the other’s prowess.

Shamrock circled in a crouching stance while pumping a lazy jab in Le’s general direction, while Le waltzed warily from a safe range.

When the hammer did fall, beginning with a Shamrock kick to Le’s midsection countered by a Le left hand, it was in single-strike spurts followed by congratulatory high fives.

They grinned at each one-off as the crowd chanted “Boring!”

Shamrock closed round one with a knee busting Le’s lip, but lost the round in range of Le’s snapping kicks.

Le opened the second frame knocking Shamrock’s mouthpiece out with a left high kick.

As Le learned Shamrock wasn’t interested in taking him to the mat, he became more comfortable launching left and right middle kicks to setup punches to Shamrock’s head, catching Shamrock with a right hook towards the round’s final bell.

Le topped Shamrock in round two as well.

Midway through the third round, a fight broke out and the champion and challenger traded flurries against the cage.

A hard left kick to Shamrock’s core backed the champion into the fence and Le followed with a spinning back fist as Shamrock advanced.

Shamrock walked through the worst of Le’s attack and pounded punches in a flurry marked by a right fist that staggered Le against the cage.

Le countered with another lightning strike body kick followed by a flurry of hooks as the bell signaled an end to the round and, as Shamrock chose not to answer the fourth round’s bell, the end of the fight.

“This is a dream come true,” Le said after the fight.  “Coming from Vietnam under gunfire and now world champion, I love it.”

In undercard action, top ten lightweight “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (14-1) shook-up and opened the anticipated can of whoop ass on last minute opponent Gabe Lemley (11-7).

Referee Herb Dean showed mercy on the seemingly awe-struck Iowan and called an end to Melendez’s G’n'P onslaught at 2:18 of the second round.

Melendez returned like a typhoon from a loss to “The Endless Warrior” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1) in Japan, the first of “El Niño’s” career.

Strikeforce newbie Wayne Cole (11-6) surprised “MAK” Mike Kyle (9-7-1) in an armbar 45-seconds after the opening bell.

Kyle, win-less since 2005, was rusty from a two-year absence from professional competition.

In a sloppy, but entertaining 4:45 minute punch-up, middleweight Joey Villasenor (25-6) of Jackson’s Submission Fighting popped late replacement Ryan Jensen (11-4) with a right hand, knocking the former UFC fighter out in his third consecutive first-round stoppage loss (all against tough competition).

Team Oyama welterweight Tiki Ghosn’s (10-7) takedown defence kept his scrap with young Luke Stewart (5-1) where Ghosn could pick at Stewart’s stand-up.  The veteran nickle-and-dimed his way to a unanimous decision of 29-28 twice and 30-27.

Stewart picks up his first “L” after five stoppage wins, all in Strikeforce affairs.

Team USA grappler Darren Uyenoyama (4-1) broke bantamweight Strikeforce regular Anthony Figueroa’s (4-2) two-fight win streak by sweeping from half guard into a guillotine choke, enticing the tap at 1:27 of the first frame.

Undefeated Jesse Jones (2-0) exposed Jesse Gillespie (1-1), transitioning in back control from a rear naked choke to G’n'P for a 35-second TKO.

Lightweight Billy Evangelista (6-0) knocked out Marlon Sims (3-3) at :39 of the third round to end the night.

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New Champs Crowned at Shooto

Chapter 8 of Back To Our Roots from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo Thursday night saw a couple of Shooto titles change hands.

At 132-pounds, Masakatsu Ueda (8-0-1) snatched the featherweight title vacated by Akitoshi Hokazono (6-0-2) from Koetsu Okazaki (5-1-1), Hokazono’s training partner, by three-round unanimous decision.

The wrestler Ueda kept the fight on the mat to control Okazaki for the “W” and new jewelry for his waist.

At 143-pounds, Hideki Kadowaki (13-7-2) took “Ironman” Akitoshi Tamura’s (11-6-2) Shooto trinket in an uninteresting majority decision.

Top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki (15-3-1) finished “The Finisher” Baret Yoshida of Hawaii by TKO at 4:51 of round one.

In a 2008 Lightweight Rookie Tournament match-up, Hiroshige Tanaka (1-0) knocked out Kenichiro Marui (0-1) at 3:01 of round one.

123-pound Shooto veteran Mamoru Yamaguchi (2-4-3) took a unanimous decision over Masaaki Sugawara (6-3).

132-pound “Hadairo” Tetsu Suzuki (6-5-3) also won unanimously on the cards versus Hiroyuki Tanaka (6-4-1).

Finally, 143-pound Hiroshi Nakamura (5-3-3) won a majority decision over Tenkei Fijimiya (7-3-2).

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Pickin’ on Nick

“Let Nick test!”

It’s a chant heard across the mixed martial arts community tonight after ProElite President Gary Shaw described the injustice the California State Athletic Commission has perpetrated on Nick Diaz (15-7).

The CSAC has denied Diaz a license to fight on Saturday’s Strikeforce card in San Jose.

Shaw claims it’s because Diaz admitted to using doctor-prescribed medical marijuana to treat his Attention Deficit Disorder in a mandatory medical exam two weeks ago.

Diaz is a resident of California where citizens voted to legalize medical marijuana in 1996.

“Let Nick test!”

It’s a chant echoed tonight by Diaz’s friend and training partner, Jake Shields (20-4-1).

“It’s fucking stupid,” Shields texted to me tonight.  “It’s not like he tested positive.

“Fine, if you want to say someone can’t fight on doctor prescribed steroids,” Shields added the analogy on the phone, “but, you still have to test him.”

“Let Nick test!”

CSAC Executive Officer Armando Garcia claimed to MMA Weekly Thursday that Diaz turned-in his medical information late.

Shaw described the impossibility of that scenario.  Thursday, he told Sherdog.com, “We have guys getting licensed today, so you know it’s an outright lie.”

Diaz, who hasn’t fought since last November, loses a $50,000 purse.  He told a press conference in San Jose today, “I trained to fight, but unfortunately it’s not going down.”

Sherdog.com reports Garcia declined to comment on Shaw’s claims.

That’s unacceptable to fighters and fans.

As Shaw explained at Thursday’s press conference, “It’s wrong what [Garcia] did to Nick.  It’s wrong what he did to mixed martial arts.  It’s wrong what he did to Scott Coker and myself.  It’s wrong what he did to the opponent of Nick’s, who trained to fight Nick.  It’s wrong for everybody they advertised that Nick would fight on this card.”

Fighters and fans can e-mail Garcia at: armando_garcia@dca.ca.gov with the subject line: “Let Nick test!” and let him know his actions against Nick Diaz are wrong.

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Stann and Deliver

Iraq war vet “All American” Brian Stann (6-0) added WEC brass to his Marine Corps Silver Star Wednesday night in Las Vegas, ending “Rhino” Doug Marshall’s (7-3) two-fight campaign atop the light heavyweight division.

On the undercard of 33, lightweight “Wrecking Ball” Marcus Hicks (8-0) swung through formerly undefeated “9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) in 1:42.

Steve Cantwell (5-1) impressed in a first round rear naked choke deconstruction of 205-pound “Wrecking Machine” Tim McKenzie (11-5).

Top middleweight contender Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) scored a unanimous decision after a three-round workout with late replacement Bryan Baker (6-1).

“Cleat” Rich Crunkilton (16-2) went into the trenches with lightweight Sergio Gomez (7-2) to score a unanimous decision.

Also on the card, Hiromitsu Miura (9-4), Brock Larson (23-2), Alex Serdyukov (7-4), and “The Pink Pounder” Logan Clark (10-1) added wins to their respective records.

Bantamweights Kenji Osawa (13-7-2) and American Top Team’s Chris Manuel (6-0-2) reached a split draw by scores of 29-28 for Osawa, 29-28 for Manuel, and 28-28.

The main event between Stann and Marshall spanned the most action-packed 1:35 of the televised card.

At the bell, Stann marched forward while a more cautious Marshall circled in a hurky-jerky Muay Thai stance.

Stann scored first, a kick to Marshall’s thigh.  Marshall countered with the same, but Stann grazed a right hook across the “Rhino’s” horn.

Again, the light heavies traded leg kicks, but Marshall’s counter was checked by a statuesque “All American”, sending the champion off-balance into the cage.

Stann was just too powerful as Marshall wrapped a Thai clinch around the back of his opponent’s neck at the cage, but wasn’t strong enough to control Stann’s head.

Marshall broke the clinch with a right haymaker and Stann countered with a spot-on left hook that dropped Marshall to his ass.

Stann followed Marshall to the mat with a barrage of fists, but referee Herb Dean waved the battle finished as Marshall struggled to avoid the onslaught.

Stann burst into tears upon victory.  “This belt represents all my Marines and my friends who couldn’t be here right now, who died in combat with me.”

Stann looked polished in victory after spending time with Team Quest to prepare and will be a tough customer for future challengers.

Another tough customer, lightweight Marcus Hicks, treated formerly undefeated Ed Ratcliff to a man-sized, first-round whoopin’.

After a clumsy standing guillotine against the cage by Hicks, “The Wrecking Ball” broke the clinch with an uppercut, then retreated with looping roundhouse that landed flush on Ratcliff’s chin.

Hicks pressed and dumped shell-shocked “9mm” on the mat in a double-leg takedown.  This time Hicks’s guillotine would bite deep and Ratcliff tapped.

The 5′6″, stocky Texan, Hicks, improves his high-pressure strategy with every outing.

After suffering a 41-second TKO premier in the WEC c/o newly-crowned champion, Stann, Steve Cantwell has followed with consecutive first round stoppages.

A Cantwell right high kick partially landed and backed up Tim McKenzie, a light heavyweight with a win over former division champion Doug Marshall.

Cantwell followed with a right piston, left hook combo that dropped McKenzie.

On the mat, Cantwell wrestled into the full mount where still-dazed McKenzie rolled to his stomach under Cantwell’s looping G’n'P.

Cantwell easily dug-in a rear naked choke causing McKenzie to tap once and weakly.

Chael Sonnen appeared ready for WEC Middleweight Champion “Ely” Paulão Filho (16-0); but, late replacement for Filho, Bryan Baker wasn’t prepared for Sonnen.

Sonnen out-positioned and banged Baker in three rounds fought mostly on the mat.

In another three-round decision, Rich Crunkilton won unanimously in a bloody slog with Sergio Gomez also fought mostly on the mat because of Gomez’s inability to clear his feet during Crunkilton’s textbook takedowns.

The blood started flowing in the first frame, obviously from a Crunkilton elbow to the back of Gomez’s head unseen by referee Herb Dean.

Miura knocked out Blas Avena (2-2) at 2:35 of the first round.

“The Natural” John Alessio (22-11) was disqualified in 1:50 after kneeing middleweight Larson in the noggin while his knees were down.

Welterweight Serdyukov blemished Ryan Stonitsch’s (8-1) perfect record in the kickboxer’s WEC debut with a triangle choke submission at 1:35 of round one.

“The Pink Pounder” rebounded from a loss to TKO WEC rookie middleweight Scott Harper (8-4) at 4:37 of round one.

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Kang, Mousasi Open DREAM Grand Prix

DREAM.2 has announced three match-ups on its 29 April fight card at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.

Korean-Canadian Denis Kang (29-9-1) will take the ring across from Armenian Gegard Mousasi (20-2-1) in a middleweight grand prix bout.

Mousasi steps-up on a string of six first-round stoppages.  Kang bounces back from a first-round knockout loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1).

A pair of Japanese heroes, “The Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (23-10-1) and Masakatsu Funaki (38-12-1), will continue their legends in DREAM.

Saku’ draws Karate champ Andrews Nakahara of Brazil, who makes his MMA debut.  Funaki faces U-File’s Kiyoshi Tamura (28-14), a former PRIDE fighter.

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Sandro Stamps Shida for Pancrase Crown

Nova União featherweight Marlon Sandro (11-0) leaped into Pancrase’s top spot in that weight class Wednesday night at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo after nailing second-ranked Miki Shida (13-5-2) with a flying knee in the final minute of the second round.

The fighters were competing for the 66-kilo King of Pancrase title vacated by Yoshiro Maeda (23-4-2), who debuted successfully in the WEC in February.

Sandro followed his knee strike with a typhoon of fists that finished dazed Shida at 4:19 of the round.  The stoppage was Sandro’s first since 2005.

Earlier in the night, Sandro’s training partner and cousin Hacran Dias (7-0-1) scrapped with Takafumi Ito (33-26-10) to a draw in a 77-kilogram match.  Dias was debuting in Pancrase versus 13-year Pancrase vet Ito.

Middleweight King of Pancrase Izuru Takeuchi (24-9-6) unanimously fended off a challenge from veteran Hiromitsu Kanehara (14-19-1).  Takeuchi hasn’t finished an opponent in Pancrase since 2004.

Samboist Alavutdin Gadzhiyev (7-1) kept cruising through Pancrase’s middleweight division with a TKO of Hikaru Sato(17-18-4) after just a minute-and-twenty, his third consecutive first round stoppage guaranteeing him a showdown with Takeuchi for the title.

Krazy Bee lightweight Shinsuke Shoji took a UD over Kenji Arai (12-12-2) and his bantamweight teammate Michihisa Asano (6-4-2) earned a majority decision over U-File’s “Yukito” Yuichiro Shirai (3-5-3).

Middleweights Takanori Sato (5-4-4) and Masahiro Toryu (4-3-3) fought to a draw.

Welterweight Tomoyoshi Iwamiya (4-6) won a unanimous decision over Asaki Honda (4-2-1).

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Kondo Keeps Shining

Pancrase opens act three of it’s Shining tour at Differ Ariake 27 April starring venerable middleweight vets Yuki Kondo (48-20-6) and Keiichiro Yamamiya (32-22-9) in a rematch a dozen years on.

Kondo KO’d Keiichiro while I was scheduling 100-level firsts for my freshman year at uni’ way back in ‘96.

That “L” was Yamamiya’s first; but, in ‘08 the two warriors come with victories over “Hightower” Semmy Schilt (25-14-1), “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5),  Frank Shamrock (24-8-1), Denis Kang (29-9-1), and Masakatsu Funaki (38-12-1) between them.

The entire lineup is below:

Yuki Kondo v Keiichiro Yamamiya
Shoji Maruyama (6-2) v Koji Oishi (16-7-4)
Bryan Rafiq (5-2) v Takuya Wada (16-8-8)
“The Pink Typhoon” Yuji Hisamatsu (10-14-4) v Matti Makela (9-5)
Manabu Inoue (6-3-1) v “J-Taro” Masaya Takita (8-9-2)
Daisuke Watanabe(17-27-4) v Ryuji Ohori (2-2)
Yukio Sakaguchi (1-2) v Wataru Takahashi (5-10-3)

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Shields Won’t Defend

ProElite.com reports that the Strikeforce welterweight title fight between champ Jake Shields (20-4-1) and challenger Drew Fickett (32-5) has been cancelled.

The fight was scheduled for 29 March in San Jose.

According to the report, Shields has suffered an undisclosed injury.

There was no indication of a replacement to fight Fickett on the card.

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