Archive for May, 2008
Wilson: “Any chance Bruno had just vanished.”
Posted by Chad Edward on May 28th, 2008Team Quest welterweight Chris Wilson (13-4) announced Saturday on his blog that his scheduled scrap versus American Top Team’s Steve Bruno (11-3) is postponed from 5 July.
“Any chance Bruno had of fighting me before I got back into shape has just vanished,” Wilson said.
Though Wilson said a new date hasn’t been finalized, he expects to fight in Minneapolis 9 August.
Wilson added, “What a great card to fight under, eh?”
The UFC announced last Thursday that Wilson’s first UFC opponent, Fighters.com’s second-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (17-2), will challenge top-ranked UFC Champ “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) in the Minneapolis main event, replacing a match-up between Brock Lesnar (1-1) and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8).
Wilson concluded, “In the end, it is frustrating to have to wait longer to get paid but it will give me more training time coming off of the birth of my daughter so it’s probably for the best.”
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Danzig Versus Guida, Edgar at UFC 87
Posted by Fighters.com Staff on May 27th, 2008TUF lightweight champ Mac Danzig (18-4-1) will fight “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (29-9) at UFC 87 in Minneapolis on 9 August.; and, “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1) will fight a yet-to-be-named opponent on the same card, according to MMA Junkie.
Danzig, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 6, submitted his most recent opponent, Mark Bocek (5-2), at April’s UFC 83 via rear naked choke at 3:48 of the third round.
“The Carpenter” was tapped in a rear naked choke in the main event of The Ultimate Figher 6 by “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1), but TKO’d Frenchman Samy Schiavo (15-5) in the first round on Ultimate Fight Night 13 last month.
Edgar will be looking to bounce back from his first professional loss. At Ultimate Fight Night 13, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0, 1 NC) won a UD over Edgar.
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13 Lucky in Osaka, Kitazaki Squeaks By in Tokyo
Posted by Chad Edward on May 26th, 2008While most of the MMA world tuned-in to Las Vegas for UFC 84 last weekend, three of Japan’s noblest promotions put on shows in Osaka, Tokyo, and Sapporo respectively.
Pancrase Results
Pancrase held its fourth iteration of its 2008 Shining tour in Azelea Taisho Hall in Osaka Sunday.
In the main, event, “13″ Daisuke Hanazawa (9-9-5) scored his first “w” of 2008 with a two-round UD over Takefumi Hanai (2-4-2), Hanai’s third consecutive loss.
Featherweight Soyu Tanabe (4-3-1) knocked out Pancrase regular Kenji Takeshige (4-7-1) at 3:44 of the first round.
Middleweight Masahiro Toryu (5-3-3) denied Shuji Morikawa (0-2-1) his first “W” by submitting him in a guillotine choke at 3:36 of round one.
In other fights, Kenji Shimada (4-2) knocked out Takashi Hasegawa (3-6-3) at 1:58 of round one.
“Strasser” Kiichi Kunimoto (5-2) won a two-round UD over “Yuushi Edaori” Yu Shiori (5-1).
Isao Hirose (2-0) also scored a decision unanimously over “Punch” Nobuhiro Yamauchi (4-3).
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Monday Morning Matchmaker: Machida Versus Franklin
Posted by Chad Edward on May 26th, 2008
Everyone loves a rematch!
In December 2003, Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) TKO’d second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), then fighting at 205-pounds, in the second round.
But, the match-up was on the undercard of a Japanese event before Franklin conquered “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (26-13-2) on the original TUF finale, propelling “Ace” to North American stardom, and Machida conquered “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) last Saturday, continuing his impressive UFC run.
Though the fight is available on the Internet, few North Americans have seen it.
Now, both fighters are lingering directionless in their respective divisions.
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Penn Works Over Sherk, Axe Murder Is Back at UFC 84
Posted by Chad Edward on May 24th, 2008“Satisfying! Very satisfying,” described Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked lightweight and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) after defeating fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) by TKO after the third round at UFC 84 in Las Vegas Saturday.
Veteran referee Mario Yamasaki determined that Sherk was unable to continue after a Penn flurry at the cage that left Sherk on the mat at the end of the third round.
The three five-minute rounds were fought entirely standing up, resembling a boxing match.
Penn worked a slicker boxing style set-up with a long, snapping jab. Sherk threw left and right hooks in a stiff, technical style.
Penn established his jab in the first round as Sherk pressured.
Sherk clinched to muffle “The Prodigy’s” reach advantage; but, Penn landed an uppercut to break the clinch.
Sherk attempted to counter with his own jab, but threw it short as Penn followed down the pipe with his left. Sherk clinched again; but, Penn threw him off.
Sherk began round two with a cut under his right eye from Penn’s relentless jabbing. He shrugged his shoulders before the bell, disappointed with his first-round performance.
But, the Minnesotan took the fight to Penn in the second round. Penn clinched inside Sherk’s left/right hook combo and hammered knees to “The Muscle Shark’s” body.
Again, Penn clinched; but, Sherk overwhelmed him with a flurry. Penn pushed out of the clinch.
Unable to solve Penn’s boxing riddle, Sherk began to test his leg kick; but, Penn answered with a left hook.
Penn had all the answers Saturday night.
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Gamburyan to Fight in Minneapolis
Posted by Chad Edward on May 24th, 2008Fighters.com confirmed TUF runner-up “Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) will fight on the 9 August UFC 87 card in Minneapolis.
No opponent has been signed.
Gamburyan submitted his last opponent, Jeffrey Cox (9-5), by guillotine choke at 1:41 of round one at Ultimate Fight Night 13 in April.
Gamburyan lost the June 2007 TUF 5 finale to Nathan Diaz (9-2) when Gamburyan injured his shoulder in the second round.
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Wellisch: A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the MGM
Posted by Chad Edward on May 24th, 2008UFC heavyweight “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (9-3) has prepared to crash into touted UFC newbie Shane Carwin (8-0) at UFC 84 Saturday, but Wellisch wasn’t prepared for what crashed into him Thursday in Las Vegas.
Note: Wellisch wasn’t actually on his way to Deja Vu. I think it was the Spearmint Rhino…
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Miller Draws Jacare at DREAM.4
Posted by Chad Edward on May 24th, 2008Friday, DREAM released its DREAM.4 Middleweight Grand Prix match-ups to be fought in Tokyo 15 June.
Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5) will fight Brazilian BJJ enigma “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-1).
Fast-rising Gegard Mousasi (21-2-1) will face Korean judoka Dong Sik Yoon (4-4).
MMA legend “Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba (24-10-1) is matched versus “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (21-4-1).
Finally, “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (8-3) will fight Taiei Kin (3-2).
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Assassin Seeing Red
Posted by Fighters.com Staff on May 24th, 2008Light heavyweights “Nebraskan Assassin” Houston Alexander (8-3) and “Red” Eric Schafer (9-3-2) are a probable match-up for Ultimate Fight Night 14 on 17 September, reported MMA Junkie Friday.
Alexander made his UFC debut knocking out Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1) in May 2007 followed by a TKO over “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7) in September 2007, but is coming off two consecutive losses.
Alexander’s most recent loss, to “Sandman” James Irvin (14-4) in April, tied the UFC record for quickest knockout at 0:08 of the first round.
“Red” Schafer returns to the Octagon after two first-round victories at the Gladiators Fighting Series.
Schafer was TKO’d by “Count” Michael Bisping (15-1) and “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-4) in his last two UFC fights.
Schafer, a submission specialist, is Alexander’s choice, according to MMA Junkie.
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Dana White Is My Bitch, Reljic Feisty, and Photos From the UFC 84 Weigh-In
Posted by Chad Edward on May 23rd, 2008Fighters.com was live Friday at the UFC 84 weigh-ins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3), former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8) signed autographs and third-ranked lightweight “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-2-1) was in the crowd with his smokin’ hot girlfriend.
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