Steve Rusich, "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge's (23-16-1) manager, has confirmed that the veteran won't be permitted by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to fight "Butterbean" Eric Esch (10-5-1) at 11 April's YAMMA Pit Fighting debut event in Atlantic City. "Bob Meyrowitz [YAMMA Pit Fighting CEO] is just pissed off right now," Rusich said about the situation. Goodridge was knocked out in the second round last Sunday by Mu Bae Choi (7-2) in KHAN, a South Korean MMA promotion. NJSACB told Five Ounces of Pain it intends to protect Goodridge's health and safety after the KO. "Gary is embarrassed about [the KO]," Rusich related.  "Apparently he beat the guy up pretty good in the first round and the guy just wouldn't go away." Goodridge is also scheduled to headline a 19 April King of the Cage card in Los Angeles versus Team Oyama's Tony Lopez (5-2). Rusich stated, "He's probably not going to be allowed to fight then either." No one at the California State Athletic Commission was available this afternoon to comment on Goodridge's eligibility. The NJSACB also told Five Ounces of Pain that the announced main event between "The Russian Bear" Oleg Taktarov (15-5-2) versus "The Titan" Mark Kerr (15-6) has not yet been sanctioned either. The fighter under review, Kerr, comes off a 29 March keylock submission victory over Chuck Huus (0-1) in Caged Combat Championship Fights. Monday YPF announced that "Suave" Ricco Rodriguez (27-8) would join the eight-man heavyweight tournament. Rodriguez returns from a 16 February split decision loss to "Junior" Antonio Silva (10-1) in EliteXC. The promotion also revealed details of "The YAMMA", a sloped fighting surface that Meyrowitz hopes will "keep the fighting more explosive and continuous." ...

YAMMA Pit Fighting, a new MMA organization created by UFC founder Bob Meyrowitz, has announced the final details of the organization’s first live pay-per-view event. The event, comprised of an eight-man tournament for the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion and two Masters Superfights, will air live in the U.S. from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on 11 April. The two Masters Superfights will feature “Butterbean” Eric Esch (10-5-1) versus "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-15-1) and “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov (15-5-2) versus “The Predator” Don Frye (19-6-1).  “For YAMMA Pit Fighting’s inaugural event, we’ve brought together some of the greatest MMA veterans as well as some of the best emerging fighters,” said Bob Meyrowitz.  “The event will demonstrate that these MMA legends still have a lot to teach and will also advance the tournament fighters towards legendary status themselves.” Butterbean is a professional super heavyweight boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist.  Esch has held the title of IBA World Super Heavyweight Champion, as well as the WWA world heavyweight title.  Butterbean stands 5 ft 11 tall and weighs 398lbs. Goodridge, a UFC/Pride/K-1 veteran, was born in Trinidad & Tobago and now resides in Ontario, Canada.  Goodridge is known for his devastating strikes and showmanship.  He first turned heads in the MMA scene with his victory over Paul Herrera in UFC 8.  Goodridge is also a top-ranked contender in professional arm wrestling.  He stands 6 ft 3 in tall and weighs 240lbs. The 11 April event will unveil “The YAMMA”, an evolution of the traditional fighting structure that will change how the fight is fought and the strategy the fighters must use to win.  This new “ring” has been specifically designed to keep the fighting more explosive and continuous. The event will also showcase the skill and endurance of eight fearsome competitors in a tournament match.  For the first time in over a decade in the States, MMA will return to its origins by reviving the hugely popular tournament format, in which fighters will participate in multiple fights on their way to claiming the ultimate victory, the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion.  Tournament fighting has long been a huge draw for dedicated MMA fans due to the non-stop action provided by fight-after-fight formatting. The two newly announced MMA tournament fighters are: Alexey Oleynik - a 6'1", 220-pound fighter on Russia's #1 team, Red Devil Sports Club, and an M-1 and Bodog veteran with an MMA record of 4-3. George Bush - a 6’ 1”, 235-pound fighter from Columbus, Ohio with an MMA record of 5-0. The entire fight card is as follows: Masters Superfights “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov v “The Predator” Don Frye "Butterbean" Eric Esch v "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge Heavyweight Tournament “Pato” Marcelo Pereira "The Tank" Sherman Pendergarst Rex Richards Tony Sylvester Chris Tuscherer “Diesel” Travis Wiuff Alexey Oleynik George Bush ...

Today YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), a new mixed martial arts (MMA) organization created by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) founder Bob Meyrowitz, announced that their first matchup will pit Russia vs. U.S.A, as “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov and “The Predator” Don Frye will go toe-to-toe in the organization’s first live pay-per-view event. The event will air live from the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on April 11, 2008.  Tickets for the event will go on sale March 8, and can be purchased through  Ticketmaster. This first matchup will witness two MMA legends battle in a totally new and unique arena.  The veteran fighters will face off in one of the ‘Masters Superfights’, one-on-one matches that feature some of MMA’s most illustrious and legendary fighters.  “Don Frye needs to do only two things: fly to Russia and stay there for ten years to study Sambo.  Then, maybe he’ll be ready,” said Oleg Taktarov about his upcoming face off with Frye. In addition to the Superfights, the 11 April event will showcase the skill and endurance of eight fearsome competitors in a tournament match for the title of YAMMA Heavyweight Champion.  Tournament fighters include: "Pato" Marcelo Pereira - a multiple world and Brazil BJJ champion known for his strong chin and very heavy hands with an MMA record of 5-0-0. Sherman Pendergarst - a 6'1 230-pound former collegiate wrestler and state high school wrestling champion with a background in BJJ, boxing, and kickboxing with an MMA record of 10-8-0. Rex Richards – a former lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Machado BJJ brown belt.  Richards is a veteran of Strike Force and Art of War with a professional mixed martial arts record of 4-1-0. Tony Sylvester – a boxing/wrestling expert who is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming heavyweights in the nation with a MMA record of 10-1-0. “The Diesel” Travis Wiuff - a UFC, Pride and IFL veteran, and current IFO World Champion with an MMA record of 47-11-0.  He is known for his well-rounded fighting style with vicious elbows on the ground The additional three tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks. ...

UFC co-founder Bob Meyrowitz and UFC 8 champion Don Frye will come together in Atlantic City April 11 to recapture past glory. Meyrowitz has formed YAMMA Pit Fighting, an MMA promotion set to return to the tournament format of the original UFC events. “It’s with great excitement that we launch YAMMA Pit Fighting,” says Bob Meyrowitz.  “Our deep and proven knowledge of the entertainment and MMA spheres put us in a great position to add a new dimension to the presentation of MMA as it moves into the future.” YPF will debut at the Trump Taj Mahal with a main event featuring 44-year old Fry versus Russian UFC veteran Oleg Taktarov. Since sitting out 2005, Frye, 18-6-1, has remained active since submitting Chad Rowan in K-1 Hero's in May 2006.  He's 4-1-1 since 2006. Taktarov, 15-5-2, retired in 1998, but returned in 2007 with kneebar submission of John Marsh in BodogFIGHT. Despite being apart of the same era of UFC competition, the two fighters have never faced each other.  The YPF debut will be broadcast via PPV. ...