» Archive for November, 2008

WEC light heavyweight “Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-2) will cross over to the UFC, reported MMA Weekly Saturday.

Steinbeiss has three fights left on his contract, which he will serve out in the UFC.

He last fought at WEC 36 earlier this month, losing a split decision to “Fury” Carmelo Marrero (9-2).

The anticipated rematch between “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (29-11) and “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) will not happen at Dynamite!! on NYE, FEG President Sadaharu Tanikawa announced at a press conference Thursday.

“Alistair is begging for this fight but this fight will not go ahead on New Year’s Eve at ‘Fields Dynamite!!’,” Tanigawa said.

“We will look to match them up on a different card.”

Although Overeem and Filipovic had both publicly called for a rematch of their DREAM.6 bout in September – which was ruled a No Contest when Filipovic was unable to continue after being kneed in the groin – the fight was never made official.

Overeem has been accusing Filipovic of dodging him.

“I’m afraid Mirko is trying to run from me again,” he told Sherdog recently.  “FEG wants to make it happen… so the only obstacle here is Cro Cop.  He’s the one who hasn’t signed the contract yet and he’s the one who is trying to avoid fighting me again because he knows that he will get his ass kicked again.”

Filipovic responded by calling Overeem a fool in an interview with Dnevnik Friday, and said that if he didn’t believe he wants to fight, “[Overeem] can come to Zagreb next weekend and we can fight in my cage with neutral referees.”

Fighters.com caught up with HardCore Gym standout and World Extreme Cagefighting rising star Brian Bowles (6-0-0) just days before his fight against Will Ribeiro (8-2-0) at WEC 37 in Las Vegas 3 December. Brian’s undefeated record is beginning to stir notice amongst fans and analysts alike. The approaching fight is an extremely important affair as many insiders cite another win for the Georgia native will put him on track to a championship bout.

Fighters.com: Brian, there are some similarities between you and current WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown (16-4-0). Brown flew under most people’s radar until he recently defeated “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-2-0) at WEC 36. What are your thoughts on how the WEC has marketed fighters such as yourself, Brown and others?

Brian Bowles: Well, honestly, I think they do the best they can. I don’t think they have a lot of room to market every fighter in the organization. So I think they just focus on their champs. You know, its a new organization.

Fighters.com: Your victory over “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (8-4-0) at WEC 35 was quite impressive. That guillotine choke you landed was devastating. Your upcoming opponent has three knockouts in his last four fights while you have wins by both striking and submissions. What discipline if any do you think twill benefit you most in the fight against Will Ribeiro (8-2-0).

Read More About Bowles: “I am a much better wrestler than Ribeiro so I should have the choice of whether I want to keep it standing or go to the ground.”…

Despite being suspended by the California State Athletic Commission, “Big Foot” Antonio Silva (11-1) will fight at Sengoku 7 in Saitama 4 January versus “Kiss” Yoshihiro Nakao (8-1), World Victory Road announced Friday.

Silva was issued a one-year suspension for testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone after his TKO win over Justin Eilers (19-7-1) 26 July at EliteXC.

By competing in Japan, Silva is apparently ignoring both the suspension and a warning from the CSAC against fighting overseas.

Silva’s management argued that other fighters had done it without penalty.

Silva’s opponent, Nakao, last fought at Sengoku Second Battle in May, knocking out “Big” Jim York (9-2) in round two.

Nakao is infamous for winning a fight versus “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-14) before it even began.  Herring was disqualified for dropping Nakao with a punch when Nakao kissed him during the staredown.

DREAM Middleweight Champion “Young Vagabond” Gegard Mousasi (7-0) and lightweight “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2) are scheduled for K-1 kickboxing bouts at Dynamite!! 31 December in Saitama, Japan.

Mousasi will face four-time K-1 Japan GP champion Musashi, while Kawajiri will face former K-1 World MAX Japan finalist Kozo Takeda.

Mousasi won DREAM’s Middleweight GP in September, knocking out eighth-ranked middleweight “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-2) with an upkick at 2:15 of round one of the final.

Kawajiri last fought Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (13-1) at DREAM.5 in July, losing via first-round TKO.

Middleweight “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (9-3) will face longtime UFC veteran “Gumby” Jeremy Horn (80-18-5) at UFC 93 in Dublin 17 January, British UFC officials confirmed to Fighters Only Thursday.

Palhares lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked light heavyweight “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (23-7) at UFC 88 in September.

Horn is also coming off a loss, most recently to “Boogeyman” Dean Lister (11-5) via first-round guillotine choke at the TUF 7 Finale in June.

Aleksander Emelianenko (12-3) told Sports.ru Tuesday that he will rematch with Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (19-5) at Affliction: Day of Reckoning 24 January.

“There is already an agreement that on the show organized by Affliction and M-1 Global 24 January, I will have a rematch with former UFC Champion Josh Barnett,” Emelianenko said.

However, Fighters.com has learned Barnett’s most likely opponent for Day of Reckoning, and it’s not Aleks.  Fighters.com thinks it’s Aleks’s wishful thinking.

Emelianenko was scheduled to fight at Affliction’s debut event in July but was denied a license by the California State Athletic Commission at the last minute.

Lightweight Hermes Franca (19-7) will face “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (17-4) at UFC Fight Night 17 expected to take place 7 February in Las Vegas, Franca confirmed to MMA Junkie Wednesday.

Franca came back from two straight losses to win a unanimous decision over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-7) at UFC 90 in October.

Lauzon tallied a win over Kyle Bradley (13-6) at Fight Night 15 in September.

Lightweight Jorge Gurgel (12-5) has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce after the UFC released him Wednesday, reported ProMMA.

“I am very, very excited to be part of Strikeforce and given a chance to fight new blood and capture a belt.  UFC has been my family for a few years now but I am ready for the next chapter,” Gurgel said.

“There are some amazing contenders in my weight class including Josh Thomson (14-2-1) and Gilbert Melendez (14-2).  I will do whatever it takes to climb to the top of this league.”

Despite losing his last fight to Aaron Riley (27-10-1) via unanimous decision earlier this month, he and Riley earned UFC 91’s “Fight of the Night” honours.

Gurgel’s UFC record was 3-4.

Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight and DREAM fighter Eddie Alvarez (13-1) will fight 23 January in Atlantic City at Monte Cox’s Extreme Challenge, he confirmed to iguillotine this week.

Alvarez said, “The only thing I know 100 percent sure right now is January 23 I’ll be fighting here in Atlantic City at the Tropicana.  You know, bring it back home.  I’ve been fighting overseas a lot lately, and the jet lag and everything else, it’s good to just drive 40 minutes from home, get a fight and then go home and rest.”

The Philadelphia native does not have an opponent yet.

Alvarez last fought in the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix in July.  He TKO’d “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-5-2) at 7:35 of round one to advance to the final, but was unable to compete due to a cut over his eye.