Sunday in Tokyo at Sengoku II, Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (22-5) ground out a unanimous decision over "Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-8) in a match battled mostly on the mat. Heavyweight "Monster" Kevin Randleman (17-12) also pulled out a UD over Pancrase star Ryo Kawamura (8-3-2).  The decision was considered controversial. Monson and Randleman are scheduled to fight on a 24 June card in Charlotte. Highly-touted Roger Gracie (2-0) remained undefeated after tapping MMA vet Yuki Kondo (48-22-6) in a rear naked choke at 2:40 of round one. "Kiss" Yoshihiro Nakao (7-1) called out "Ironhead" Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) after knocking out Kiwi "Big" Jim York (9-2) 46-seconds into round two. American Top Team welterweight Jorge Santiago (17-7) fought off near-submissions before finding his own submission of Grabaka's Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) in a third-round armbar at 2:10. Lighweight Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) took only 4:15 to sink a rear naked choke submission in on "Crazy" Kwang Hee Lee (5-1). Xtreme Couture welterweight "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (16-5-1) locked in a triangle choke to tap "Handler" Dan Hornbuckle (15-2) at 4:52 of round one. Welterweight Pancrase vet Satoru Kitaoka (20-8-9) submitted Aussie Ian James Schaffa (7-5-1) in a guillotine choke in just 50 seconds to begin the night. ...

Thursday Adrenaline MMA, formed of the American executives from the now defunct M-1 Global promotion, issued it's official fight card for the promotion's Chicago premier 14 June. As reported by Fighters.com, the main event matches grappler "The Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-7) versus wrestler Michael Russow (9-1) in a mat struggle. "The Snowman" will fight Russow just two weeks after taking on Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Babyface Assasin" Josh Barnett (21-5) at Sengoku II in Tokyo. UFC fighter turned boxer Terry Martin (16-4) will fight Japanese middleweight Daiju Takase (7-11-1) before his hometown crowd. Martin comes off UFC losses to "Crippler" Chris Leben (18-4) and "Beastman" Marvin Eastman (15-7-1), but won his boxing debut 12 April with a knockout of Ricardo Upchurch (0-2 in boxing). Lightweight jiu-jitsu player Alberto Crane (8-2), who lost both of his UFC fights, will bounce back matched against King of the Cage vet Clay French (15-2). IFL lightweight standout "Bartimus" Bart Palaszewski (28-11), who's taken three tough losses consecutively, will rebound in his hometown versus Jeffrey Cox (9-5), who lost his UFC debut to "Pitbull" Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) last month in Denver. Also on the card to be held at the Sears Centre: "The Freak" Tony Fryklund (14-9) v Brian Gassaway (28-17-2) Taiwan Howard (4-1) v Rory Markham (13-3) James Giboo (11-2) v Mark Miller (8-3) "Herc" Antoine Hayes (6-5) v "Meat Truck" Kerry Schall (21-9) Rob Kimmons (20-3) v Hector Urbina (11-4) Aaron Rosa (10-2) v "Killing Fields" Ron Fields (22-25-1) Dom O'Grady (4-0) v Mike Stumpf (9-1) Joe Jordan (39-12-2) v Ryan Williams (5-2) Christian Reynosa (6-2) v John Hosman (7-3-1) ...

While chatting with Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) Tuesday afternoon, he broached two myths that frustrate him and I.  Let’s quash them. Myth one: “I can beat Rich Franklin.” Or, whoever you have a delusional cage fantasy about.  I only say second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) because I live in Greater Cincinnati and most often hear his name when I reveal I write about MMA; but, I’m sure, if you live in Vancouver, it’s Denis Kang (29-10-1) and, in Boston, it’s Florian. You can’t beat any of them, even if you saw them get thrashed by another elite fighter. Neither can your cousin who just got out of jail, nor your friend who just reached brown belt in BJJ. What is it about mixed martial arts, the most grueling and graceful athletic endeavor in organized sport, that makes couch potatoes think they can put down their Cheetos, brush the orange dust from their stained fingers, and compete at an elite level? No one watches baseball and thinks they can hit a 95 mph cut fastball 450 feet like Alex Rodriguez.  No one watches gymnastics and thinks they can roll out of bed into a triple axel.  (Well…no one watches gymnastics…) UFC fighters, as well as many mixed martial artists in other promotions, are elite athletes.  They’re experts in the fighting skills of many disciplines, but that’s just where it begins.  Their cardio and strength training is as regimented and diligently-followed as the top athletes in any other sport, perhaps more so. The fact is, even if you are as skilled in martial arts as a UFC fighter, there’s a genetic element that most of us just aren’t born with.  Just like many of us will never run a 4.4 forty or bench press 700 pounds, no matter how dedicated we are. It’s often a comment from someone who’s never trained or hasn’t trained since they were in high school wrestling and doesn’t realize they’re neither 18-years old, nor in any kind of athletic shape anymore. The only thing worse than saying, “I can beat Rich Franklin,” is saying, “I still think I can beat Rich Franklin,” a week after he picks you apart like a chicken carcass in front of 22,000 at the Centre Bell.  That’s not ignorant; that’s insane. Myth two: “Kenny Florian: Not Your Average Fighter.” Again, Florian or whoever in the sport can pack a coherent sentence with more than eight words is considered unique.  Often, it makes a headline in main stream media; but, I’ve seen it creep into MMA media too. Elite fighters are as intelligent as computer geeks.  Wait,that’s “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (16-4).  Well, they’re as intelligent as people with master's degrees.  Well, that’s Rich Franklin.  OK, they’re as intelligent as lawyers.  Oops…that’s first-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) and "Hungarian Nightmare" Christian Wellisch (8-3).  As intelligent as Ph.D.s?  Yeah…that’s “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) and UFC fighter Terry Martin (16-4).  None of them are unique among fighters in their intellect, they're just a few names off the top of my head. I think the stereotype of the meathead fighter stems from a self-consciousness that prevents some people from allowing for a guy who can both kick their ass and outwit them in a debate on ontological empiricism.  It's a way some people protect their own egos by reducing fighters to cavemen, regardless of the truth. Now, of course there are meatheads in MMA; but, if you scan the top of the sport, most of the elite fighters are college-educated, artistically gifted, or intellectually interesting. Intelligence is not unique among mixed martial artists, just like ignorance isn't unique among those who're surprised to meet a fighter who isn't beating their chest. Notes from around MMA * Rich Franklin (23-3) turned down a fight versus ninth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) that was offered while the UFC rushed to bolster their London fight card after seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) was pulled from the main event with a pulled hamstring. * Despite Franklin’s agent Monte Cox’s assertions on MMAWeekly Radio, Franklin is not considering a career move to 205-pounds, but would consider a one-off in the heavier division “if it was an interesting match-up”.  But for an unlikely challenge of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and first-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson, what meaningful fight could lure Franklin into a one-off?  Maybe a rematch with “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (12-0)?  That's interesting... * TUF 7 contestant Brandon Sene (2-0) was robbed on Wednesday night’s episode of the the UFC’s reality program.  Fighters.com scored both of the first two rounds 10-9 for Sene, who was more aggressive and intent on inflicting damage to his opponent, Dante Rivera (10-2).  BJJ player Rivera was able to take the fight to the mat, but managed few serious attempts to end the fight with a submission and was largely unable to avoid Sene’s striking from his back.  Fighters.com did score the final, sudden-death round 10-9 for Rivera; but, the fight should’ve never made it to sudden death. * The Tennessee House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a bill to create a state athletic commission with the goal of attracting a UFC fight card and the $100 million in revenue that the big show’s events generate for local economies.  Now, which Tennessee native son might like to belt out a howl in a main event on the Mississippi? *  According to the Winnipeg Sun, “Road Warrior” Jonathan Goulet (22-9) and his girlfriend will put the $75,000 bonus he won for “Fight of the Night” versus Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5) at UFC 83 towards a down payment on a home.  Goulet hits the road to London 7 June to fight Paul Kelly (7-0). * UFC glove maker, Century, revealed to Fighters.com contributor Jason Wawro that the legend of Brock Lesnar’s (1-1) 4X-sized glove is a myth.  Despite rumors that Lesnar was the first MMA fighter to wear 4X gloves since “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1), a Century executive claimed, “I have the receipts right here and Brock Lesnar, Cheick Kongo, and Heath Herring all ordered 3X-sized gloves.” * When asked about the CBS deal to air EliteXC MMA events, Fox Sports president Ed Goren replied that his company hasn't struck a deal to air the sport because, "We don't need money that badly."  This from an executive of a company popular for such high-brow entertainment as When Animals Attack! and Celebrity Boxing featuring matches between Todd Bridges and Vanilla Ice and Paula Jones and Tonya Harding. ...

"The Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-7) will fight three heavyweights in six weeks beginning 18 May in Tokyo versus Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (21-5), followed by Michael Russow (9-1) 12 June in Chicago, and finally "The Monster" Kevin Randleman (16-12) 24 June in Charlotte. Monson answered a few questions exclusively for Fighters.com. Fighters.com: Most fighters at the highest level of competition don't fight so often.  Do you prefer the type of schedule you've signed-up for? Jeff Monson: It's just when they are scheduled.  I don't particularly like them so close together, but it is good as well because once I am in fight shape for the first one, it's easier to prepare for the following fights. Fighters.com: Will you continue this level of frequency? Jeff Monson: I am in good shape and I want to fight, so I will look at offers and assess each one. Fighters.com: Is this a business decision?  You were offered good money to fight and you can't turn it down? Jeff Monson: Money really didn't come into play.  They are all good organizations and I wanted to fight. Fighters.com: Are there any unique training challenges to having three different opponents so close together? Jeff Monson: Of course.  They are all different fighters and all of them tough fights as well; so, the training is different for each one. Fighters.com: Aren't the odds pretty high that at least one of these fights will be canceled?  I mean, even assuming you win them all, the likelihood of sustaining a cut or other injury that doesn't heal between fights is high, isn't it? Jeff Monson: If I fight to my potential, I should be alright.  To be honest, the training is harder than the fights; so, if I make it to the fight date OK, I like my chances. YAMMA Pit Fighting recently lost a main event in it's debut when "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-16-1) was knocked out in Seoul two-weeks prior and the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board refused to license him. Monson's 12 June fight is the main event of Adrenaline MMA's debut card, two-and-a-half weeks after Monson's 18 May Sengoku II match-up versus Barnett. Adrenaline MMA VP Brian Patton said, "[Monson] must be a lot tougher than me.  Jeff has taken some licks and seems to be able to recover quickly.  There is always a concern with fights that close together; but, I think we will be OK." ...

Either "The Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-7) fights cheap or has the best manager in MMA. While it seems to take a trained hostage negotiator to get a deal done between "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-4) and "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), "The Snowman" has picked up three fights in five weeks. Count'em: 24 June versus "The Monster" Kevin Randleman (16-12) at Godz of War in Charlotte. 12 June versus Michael Russow (9-1) at Adrenaline MMA in Chicago. And, today World Victory Road announced Monson will fight Fighters.com's fourth-ranked heavyweight "The Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (21-5) 18 May at Sengoku II in Tokyo. Monson last fought MMA in December, picking up a unanimous decision over Hakim Goram (4-3). ...

World Victory Road has added a middleweight match-up to their 18 May Sengoku event at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. Grabaka veteran Yuki Sasaki (21-13-1) will face American Top Team's Jorge Santiago (16-7). Sasaki, who's made the international rounds from Shooto through Pancrase, DEEP, and even a unanimous decision loss to "The Boogeyman" Dean Lister (10-5) in the UFC, comes off a first round armbar submission of debuting South Korean Bo Guk So (0-1) in DEEP last July. Santiago, who also had an unsuccessful stint in the UFC, last TKO'd Trevor Prangley (17-5) at Strikeforce last November. After Adrenaline MMA announced "The Snowman" Jeff Monson (24-7) would headline its 14 June card in Chicago, the heavyweight has been removed from the 18 May Sengoku appearance list. The list now includes "The Monster" Kevin Randleman (16-12), Roger Gracie (1-0), "Big" Jim York (9-1), and "Kiss" Yoshihiro Nakao (6-1), who recently bailed on an announced DREAM match with "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2). Previously announced fights include: Eiji Mitsuoka (12-5-1) v "Crazy" Kwang Hee Lee (5-0) Satoru Kitaoka (19-8-9) v Ian James Schaffa (7-4-1) ...

"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." ...