MMA News

Fighters.com's second-ranked middleweight "Ace" Rich Franklin (23-3)  will launch into the 205-pound weight class next weekend in Atlanta.  Franklin answered questions and worked out for the media Wednesday morning at Jorge Gurgel's (12-4) Mixed Martial Arts Academy in West Chester, north of Franklin's native Cincinnati. Fighters.com: You had said you’d take fights at 205 if the UFC offered an interesting match-up.  Why is "Hammer" Matt Hamill (4-1) interesting to you? Rich Franklin: Well, uh, the UFC more or less encouraged me to move up to 205 because my standing in the 185-pound weight class kind of left me stagnant, in a position where I was going to end up fighting only the guys who lost to Anderson Silva.  They weren't...the UFC right now is not interested in seeing me fight Silva a third time and they really don't want me fighting any of the contenders coming up because that would eliminate possible title fights.  And, with that said, I really don't have anything much to shoot for at the 185-pound class.  So, they kept talking to me about moving up to 205; and, having agreed to move up to 205, they previously offered me one fight before they offered me the Hamill fight and I had turned that fight down; and then, uh, they came at...they came to me with the second fight, which was the Hamill fight.  And, I kind of put myself in a situation where I couldn't really turn the fight down even though Matt and I had known each other and had some history together.  Um, I basically said to the UFC, you know, I said, "Well, that's kind of a tough fight for me to take."  I said, "But, if you take it to his camp and they're interested in the fight, then I guess I'll sign."  And, that's basically how the ball got rollin' on that. ...

M-1 Global announced Wednesday that they have signed a deal with HDNet, which will air the 2008 first season of M-1 Challenge for North American audiences starting 19 September. Viewers in other countries will also be able to watch: in African countries on the GTV channel, in Korea on CBS, in Brazil on SporTV, in the Philippines on Solar, and in India on ZEE. The M-1 Challenge is an international competition involving teams from Finland, France, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, two from Russia (Legion and Red Devil), Spain, USA, and a World Star Team. ...

The Edmonton-based Maximum Fighting Championships announced on Monday that a featherweight division would be added to its ranks. MFC President Mark Pavelich said, “There is such an impressive field of 145ers out there that we felt it was very important to add this weight class and this group of exciting fighters.” Pavelich added, “We’re going to… sign a stable of 16-20 fighters at 145 pounds and they will all be upper echelon guys. We will have the deepest roster of featherweights and make this a high-profile division. The top guys will fight each other which will create a proper champion and a great cast of contenders.” The MFC’s first meaningful featherweight bout could happen at MFC 19 on 28 November. The MFC also announced that its heavyweight championship will be retired, effective immediately. The decision was prompted not only by the addition of the featherweights, but also because of the lack of depth in the heavyweight pool, and because the current champion, Scott Junk (6-2), has been unable to fight due to knee surgery. Heavyweight bouts will still be scheduled periodically. ...

"El Toro" Anthony Ruiz (21-11) has replaced Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) versus "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) on Strikeforce's card in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September. Southworth sustained a knee injury while training at American Kickboxing Academy and has been ordered by a physician to undergo an MRI to determine if Southworth has torn his ACL. Ruiz is 1-1 versus Southworth and most recently won a UD over Jeremy Freitag (6-7). ...

EliteXC has confirmed several bouts for the 4 October event to air on CBS’s Saturday Night Fights, happening at the BankAtlantic Center near Fort Lauderdale, FL. UFC Hall of Famer and “World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (26-13-2) was named as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson's (3-0) opponent for the night’s main event. Fighters.com’s third-ranked welterweight Jake Shields (21-4-1) will defend his EliteXC title for the first time against Brit “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2). Benji Radach (18-4) will make his EliteXC debut against “Ninja” Murilo Rua (16-8-1) in a middleweight match-up. ...

A light heavyweight bout between Jason Brilz (15-1-1) and Brad Morris (9-3) and a middleweight bout between Dan Miller (8-1) and Rob Kimmons (21-3) were made official Monday. They will take place at UFC Fight Night in Omaha 17 September. Omaha-native Brilz fought only once since late 2006, submitting Erik Jenks (2-4) via first-round rear naked choke in May. Australia’s Morris last fought in April and was TKO’d in 2:10 by Cain Velasquez (4-0). Miller was the IFL’s final Middleweight Champ. In his last fight he submitted Ryan McGivern (12-6) with a kneebar in May to win the title. Kimmons, from Kansas, submitted Rob Yundt (6-2) with a guillotine in round one during the TUF finale in June. ...

Besides “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-17) himself, it’s fair for Fighters.com to speculate that no one wanted Denny to kick Nick Diaz’s (18-7) ass last month in Stockton, east of San Francisco, more than EliteXC 160-Pound Champion “King Karl” Karl James Noons (7-2). Diaz won, setting up a probable title rematch versus Noons in October. Noons spoke exclusively to Fighters.com about being the first fighter in mixed martial arts who's been asked to avenge a win. Fighters.com: Do you know who made the decision at EliteXC to invite Nick Diaz into the cage after you knocked out Yves Edwards (34-14-1)? K.J. Noons: No.  Do you? Fighters.com: No.  I was wondering if you asked around, like, "Who's the asshole?" K.J. Noons: I...I don't know.  Probably someone from ProElite, er...EliteXC. Fighters.com: You told Inside MMA you weren’t happy about it.  Do you think that’s just what promoters do to hype fights; or, do you take it more personal? K.J. Noons: Um...you know, if they want to hype a fight, that's cool.  And...you know, whatever.  Hype me!  Shit!  Stop hypin' fuckin' Nick Diaz.  What the fuck!? ...

Fighters.com's Sixth-ranked lightweight Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) popped Rodrigo Damm (8-2) with an overhand right in the first round Sunday night in Saitama, north of Tokyo, then slid a rear naked choke around the BJJ player's throat for the tap at 3:13 of the round. Mitsuoka advanced to the second round of the Sengoku lightweight tournament, the winner of which will fight second-ranked "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi (29-3). Gomi headlined Sengoku's fourth battle with a narrow decision over DEEP Lightweight Champion Seung Hwan Bang (5-2). It was Bang who provided the bang in his stand-up exchanges with the notorious big-puncher Gomi. But, Gomi edged Bang with stinging leg kicks and championship conditioning for the decision. ...

The UFC officially announced a middleweight bout between “Massacre” Drew McFedries (7-3) and UFC newcomer Mike Massenzio (10-2) at Ultimate Fight Night: Diaz vs Neer 17 September in Omaha. McFedries TKO’d “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-8-1) in 1:08 at the TUF 7 Finale in June. Massenzio last fought in the IFL in May, losing by kneebar to “Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) in round one. ...

The UFC officially replaced an injured James Lee (13-3) with UFC newcomer Michael Patt (12-2) on the organization's Atlanta card 6 September. Patt, who trains with Jorge Gurgel (12-4) in Ohio, submitted Jarred Taylor (2-4) in the first round this month at the Texas-based Urban Rumble Championship. Patt will face “Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2), who was TKO’d in the second round by “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1) in April. ...

IFL Featherweight Champion Wagnney Fabiano (10-1) has signed with the WEC, reported Tatame Friday. Fabiano was undefeated in the IFL, and knocked out Shad Lierley (2-2) in 0:37 in April in his only title defense. He already has his eyes set on current WEC Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1). Fabiano said, “My goal is to fight for the belt and do my best. “Faber is the best of the world now. To beat him, I think you have to be in good shape. He’s an expert fighter and he has good gas, it’s complicated to beat a guy like him. You have to set a good game plan and be calm and watch the elbows, because if he hits you it can change a whole fight.” ...

Maximum Fighting Championship announced Thursday that UFC veteran David Heath (9-3) will make his MFC debut 26 September versus light heavyweight Emanuel Newton (9-3-1). The MFC also announced that “The Real Deal” Ryan Ford (6-1) will face LaVerne Clark (25-16-1) in the featured welterweight bout. Heath, who lost his last three UFC fights, TKO’d Shepard Owens (1-1) in 1:19 at the Freestyle Cage Fighting in June. Newton won his seventh-straight fight this month when he submitted B.J. Lacy (10-9-1) by rear naked choke at Pure Combat. Ford suffered his first career defeat in July when “Bam Bam” Pat Healy (19-13) submitted him with an armbar in round three for the vacant welterweight title. Clark (25-16-1) TKO’d Matt Kelly (0-1) in round one at Courage Fighting Championships in June. ...

“Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-13) failed a drug test and has been handed a one-year suspension and a $2500 fine by the California State Athletic Commission, the CSAC’s William Douglas announced Thursday. Dewees last fought in July at Affliction’s debut event, where he was TKO’d in the first round by “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3). Dewees tested positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone, which may be naturally present in the human body in quantities of 0.4ng/mL or less.  Dewees tested at 499ng/mL. ...

Bulgarian wrestler Jordan Radev (13-3), whose UFC career consisted of getting knocked out in 33 seconds by "Massacre" Andrew McFedries (7-3) and losing a UD to "Boogieman" Dean Lister (11-5), will fight Japanese middleweight Yuya Shirai (12-6) as a member of Team World at M-1 Challenge in Korea 29 August. Welterweight Jake Ellenberger (18-4) will return after a successful Team USA debut in July to face Korean Doo Won Seo (1-2) on the card. Lightweight Daisuke Nakamura (16-9) returns to Team Japan versus Berlgian "Moreno" Wim Deputter (18-2) while welterweight Hidehiko Hasegawa (13-10-6) debuts versus American Top Team's Norman Paraisy (4-0). Russian Roman Zentsov (17-12) will headline the event in a rematch versus Korean Sang Soo Lee (8-4). ...

UFC President Dana White confirmed the participation of Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3) versus “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) at UFC 91 in Portland, OR, 15 November, reported Yahoo! Sports Thursday. It will be the promotion’s first event in Portland. Also confirmed was the anticipated welterweight title fight between Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) and Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) at UFC 93 on 31 January, which is SuperBowl Weekend. “KenFlo” won a unanimous decision over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-2-1) at UFC 87 earlier this month. Stevenson submitted Gleison Tibau (15-6) with a second-round guillotine choke in his last fight at UFC 86 in July. St. Pierre battled Jon Fitch (17-3) for five rounds to a unanimous decision victory 9 August. Penn TKO’d fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) in the third round in May to retain his UFC lightweight title. ...

“Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) has indicated that that his July elbow surgery will keep him from competing on the UFC 90 card in October, despite UFC President Dana White’s announcement Monday to the contrary. "I don't know why the mix-up happened, but I just talked to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva, and we confirmed that it's going to be December [for my return] - possibly November if I can get healed up fast enough," he told MMA Junkie. Swick is back to his training, doing some cardio and grappling, but has not returned to sparring yet.  He said to MMA Weekly on Tuesday, “As of right now it is still not 100%, mostly because I am training on it so much, but should be completely healed within the next few weeks." ...

EliteXC Heavyweight Champion "Bigfoot" Antonio Silva (11-1) tested positive for the banned performance enhancing substance boldenone after defeating Justin Eilers (19-7-1) for the title in Stockton, east of San Francisco, 26 July, according to the California State Athletic Commission. Silva responded through his manager, Alex Davis, at Tatame, saying "I did not use the steroid boldenone, or any other steroid of prohibited substance.  I don't agree and never have agreed with the use of this kind of product in order to win, for this is cheating.  I will go to the full extent of my power and the law to prove my innocence in this matter." ...

The UFC officially added two more matches Thursday to the UFC 89 card, set for Birmingham, England, 18 October. Swedish lightweight Per Ecklund (13-3-1) will face France’s Samy Schiavo (10-5), and in another 155-pound match-up, Canadian “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) will take on Liverpudlian Terry Etim (10-2). Ecklund’s last fight was in January when he lost a unanimous decision to Stout. Schiavo was TKO’d at his Octagon debut in April by “Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9), snapping his six-fight win streak. Stout lost his last fight, a split decision that went to Rich Clementi (32-12-1) in April. Etim also lost his last fight to Clementi, by unanimous decision in May. ...

The WEC has officially added a bout between former UFC Lightweight Champion “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) and “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) to its 10 September card in Hollywood, FL. After submitting Cub Swanson (12-2) with a guillotine choke in 35 seconds at his WEC debut in December, Pulver lost the unanimous decision in his five-round battle with current Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1) in June. Garcia, who has been battling drug charges, most of which have been dropped, last fought at his WEC debut in February when he TKO’d “Streetfight Bancho” Hiroyuki Takaya (9-5-1) in the first round. Also official on the WEC 36 card are: “Indio” Danillo Villefort (8-2) v Jake Rosholt (4-0) “Razor” Rob McCullough (16-4) v “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-0) Rani Yahya (11-4) v Yoshiro Maeda (23-5-2) Johny Hendricks (3-0) v “Russian Crusher” Alex Serdyukov (8-4) “9mm” Ed Ratcliff (6-1) v Danny Castillo (5-1) Headlining the event are Faber and Mike Thomas Brown (19-4) in a featherweight title fight, and a middleweight title rematch between Fighters.com’s third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (20-9-1). ...

Strikeforce announced Tuesday that Cory Devela (9-2) and Terry Martin (17-5) will fight in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September. Devela most recently beat Dan Molina (10-8) by unanimous decision in April and will go for his eighth consecutive win. He has a victory over "Diesel" Joe Riggs (28-10) under his belt, who was injured in the bout. "I know he’s a short little brick house and a good wrestler, but I’ll have a lot or reach on him and I don’t think anybody’s wrestling compares to mine," said a confident Devela, who stands 6’2” compared to the 5’8” Martin.  "People underestimate my wrestling.  Joe Riggs did and got thrown because of that.  I’m going to do the same thing to Terry if he wants to wrestle with me." Martin will look to rebound after a second-round knockout loss to “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) at Affliction’s debut event in July. He has lost three of his last four fights. ...

“Dooms Day” Jason Day (17-7) has pulled out of UFC 88 due to injury; but, fellow Canadian “Athlete” Jason Macdonald (20-10) will take his place opposite “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-8) in Atlanta 6 September. According to Sportsnet, Day is suffering from an elbow and bicep injury. "There is no range of motion in my arm, I can't rotate it all," Day said.  “Good news for JayMac though.” MacDonald was defeated earlier this month by Demain Maia (8-0) by rear naked choke, and sees this as “a chance to erase a loss that just happened."  He added, "If you fall off the horse you have to get right back on." ...

“Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) will fight in UFC 90 in Rosemont, near Chicago, 25 October, UFC President Dana White announced Monday at a press conference. Swick, who had minor surgery on his elbow in July, last fought in June, earning a unanimous decision victory over “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4). He is 2-0 since moving down to the welterweight division. ...

World Victory Road announced Tuesday the addition of four more fighters to the Sengoku 5 event happening 28 September in Tokyo, although no opponents have been named for them. Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) will participate in the Middleweight Grand Prix.  A Pancrase veteran and American Top Team member, he tapped in his last match in May to Jorge Santiago (17-7)’s armbar in round three. “GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (13-3), also from American Top Team, is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Rodrigo Damm (8-1) in June. Roger Gracie (2-0) won his last match in May over Yuki Kondo (28-22-6) via rear naked choke in the first round. Xande Ribeiro (0-0), who beat Gracie to become the 2008 BJJ Absolute World Champion, will be making his MMA debut. ...

Monday the UFC officially announced its line-up for the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, premiering 17 September on SpikeTV. The 16 lightweights and 16 light heavyweights will be coached by Fighters.com's top heavyweight contender and interim UFC Champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and former UFC Heavyweight Champ Frank Mir (11-3). Lightweights Jose Aguilar (0-0) Fernando Bernstein (0-0) Junie Allen Browning (1-0) Rolando Delgado (0-0) Joseph Duarte (0-0) Efrain Escudero (10-0) Brandon Garner (4-1) David Kaplan (0-0) Eric Magee (1-1) Brian McLaughlin (0-0) Wesley Murch (3-2) Shane Nelson (9-3) Phillipe Nover (5-0-1) Ido Pariente (8-3) John Polakowski (2-1) George Roop (8-3) Light Heavyweights Ryan Bader (7-0) Antwain Britt (3-1) Jules Bruchez (0-0) Charles Diaz (3-0) Lance Evans (2-2) Karen Grigoryan (6-1) Jason Guida (17-17) "Big Deal" Ryan Jimmo (6-1) Kyle Kingsbury (7-1) Tom Lawlor (4-1) Ryan Lopez (4-4) "Pezao" Vinicius Magalhaes (0-1) Eliot Marshall (5-1) Sean O’Connell (0-0) Shane Primm (1-0) Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8-1) ...

Affliction finalized IFL Welterweight Champion Jay Hieron (15-4)’s one-year, three-fight contract on Friday, reported Sherdog Monday. The Xtreme Couture fighter told MMA Weekly last week that he was entertaining offers from EliteXC and the UFC as well, but Affliction offered what he believed he was worth. Hieron fought five times in 2007 in the IFL, and once this year when he defended his crown with a first-round TKO win over Mark Miller (8-3) in April. He is expected to compete at Affliction’s 11 October event in Las Vegas, although no opponent has been named. ...

After defeating "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-2-1) in Minneapolis 9 August, Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight "KenFlo" Kenny Florian (10-3) mentioned the sudden passing of UFC veteran and TUF 4 contestant "El Conquistador" Jorge Rivera's (15-7) teenage daughter, Janessa. In his newsletter, Florian reiterated, ""It is a very difficult time right now for Jorge and his family as they try to make sense out of this unexpected tragedy.  Burial fees and medical expenses are significant and whatever help you can provide is very much appreciated." Rivera's last reported purse was $12,000 at UFC 67.  His two 2008 fights have been fought in the England and the UFC doesn't report purses for those events; but, River went 1-1 and probably earned a total of $36,000 before taxes.  Being a fighter,  he probably doesn't have health insurance. If you'd like to help the Riveras, make a check out to "Jorge Rivera" and mail it to: USMMA 316 Hartford Avenue Bellingham, MA 02019 ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will return in Chicago 25 October to fight Tyson Griffin (12-1). Sherk was TKO'd by Fighters.com's Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) at the end of three rounds in Las Vegas 24 May in Sherk's challenge for the title he was stripped of after testing positive for banned substances. Sherk denies using banned substances. Griffin has peeled off four consecutive decision victories, most recently versus "Maximus" Marcus Aurelio (16-6) in Las Vegas 5 July in which Griffin demoed his consistently improving striking. Griffin told Sherdog, "I’d like to stand out of his range and pick him apart like B.J. [Penn]" ...

August brought the crowning of Fighters.com's new Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (13-4-1) and the top ten debuts of fourth-ranked "Hellboy" Joachim Hansen (19-7-1), sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2), and eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1). "Hellboy" shocked Osaka 21 July by TKOing former Fighters.com Lightweight Champion "Tobikan Judan" Shinya Aoki (17-3) in the first round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix final. Aoki spirals down eight wrungs to ninth on the loss, taking vanquished rival tenth-ranked "JZ" Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) with him. Penn takes the Championship from the second rank, but is torn between moving to welterweight to fight Fighters.com Welterweight Champion "Rush" Georges St. Pierre (17-2) or defending his Fighters.com and UFC titles from seventh-ranked, top UFC contender "KenFlo" Kenny Florian (10-3). In Minneapolis 9 August, Florian cleared-up the UFC's lightweight picture with a dominant UD over "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-2-1). ...

The UFC made a middleweight bout between “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-8) and “Dooms Day” Jason Day (17-7) official Thursday. They will meet in Atlanta 6 September on UFC 88's undercard. Lambert will drop from 205 pounds for this fight after being TKO’d in 2:07 by “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) at his last fight in June. It was his second loss in a row. Alberta’s Day was TKO’d in round one by “Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) at the same event. ...

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio confirmed Thursday on MMA Weekly Radio that “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) has pulled out of his upcoming middleweight match with “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) due to a hand injury. “Vitor is out, I spoke with him I think yesterday and he told me,” Atencio said. “Actually, it was on Tuesday we had a conversation for aboutan hour or so, and yeah, I guess he broke his hand in two places is what he told me and he had been having 2, 3 and 4 opinions on it. He finally got the opinion that he wanted I guess and they told him to step out for a while.” Atencio is currently looking for new opponent for Lindland, and hopes to finalize the card by the end of next week. ...