A PRIDE, UFC, and Strikeforce veteran, Kevin Randleman has accomplished a lot more than most will when entering the sport of mixed martial arts. A collegiate wrestling star, Randleman began competing as a fighter in the fetal stages of the sport in 1996 and quickly ascended the ranks in becoming one of the best in his class and eventually worked his way in becoming champion. However, nearing the age of 40 and winless in his last four bouts, Randleman knew that his time in the sport had come to an end and has finally hung up the gloves for good in what was truly a memorable career. ...

Does Tito Ortiz still peak interest with MMA fans? How about Kazushi Sakuraba? Does the "Gracie Hunter" still make you wish you would have paid attention to Japanese manga more and bought a cheap leatard and called yourself a wrestler? Well, I didn't think so. ...

Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) will fight Mamed Khalidov (14-3-1) in a non-title bout and American "Monster" Kevin Randleman (17-13) will matchup versus Bulgarian light heavyweight Stanislav Nedkov (3-0) at Sengoku Eleventh Battle in Tokyo November 7, Sengoku announced Friday. Santiago of Brazil hasn't fought since submitting "Grabaka Hitman" Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) at Sengoku north of Tokyo January 4. Khalidov of Poland debuted in the United States with a second-round TKO of brief The Ultimate Fighter 8 contestant Jason Guida (18-22) at ShoXC east of Chicago in October 2008.  Last May, Khalidov knocked out former PRIDE fighter Daniel Acacio (14-5) at KSW 11 in Warsaw. ...

Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) will defend his title at Sengoku Eleventh Battle in Tokyo 7 November, Sengoku announced on its website Friday. Also announced are former UFC heavyweight champion "Monster" Kevin Randleman (17-13), who now competes at 185 pounds, and former UFC lightweight Michihiro Omigawa (3-7). No opponents were announced for any of the fighters. A report Thursday claimed that Randleman could fight “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0), but Fighters.com has not confirmed that report. ...

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. ...

"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 named Japan's Ryo Kawamura (8-2-2) as "The Monster" Kevin Randleman's (16-12) Sengoku II opponent 18 May. At a press conference last Friday, WVR PR guy Takahiro Kokuho mentioned Randleman was itching to know his foe. Kawamura won a unanimous decision over Antonio Braga Neto (5-1) at the original Sengoku last March.  He's a Pancrase vet who has usually fought at middleweight. Randleman has fought at heavyweight and light heavyweight. ...

World Victory Road has added Fighters.com's third-ranked heavyweight "The Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (21-5) to their 18 May Sengoku card at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. No opponent has been named. Also added to the line-up is a match-up between welterweights "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (15-5-1) and "The Handler" Dan Hornbuckle (15-1). Heavyweights Roger Gracie (1-0) and "The Monster" Kevin Randleman (16-12) remain on the card without opponents. At an 18 April press conference, WVR PR representative Takahiro Kokuho said, "At first we had one Japanese and one non-Japanese fighter ready to go [with Gracie]; but, because of injuries we are still in the process of deciding the opponent.  Roger’s side has been asking us to decide the opponent soon and for sure I would like to meet that request." Randleman recently cancelled a puroresu match in Inoki Genome Federation with an ankle injury, but Kokuho promised, "It has no relation to his MMA bout. We should be able to announce his card sometime next week." ...

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) ...