Gary Goodridge, a veteran who's clocked in over 14 years of professional mixed martial arts experience, has not been getting the respect that he deserves. A veteran of the earliest days of the sport, the inception of the now defunct PRIDE organization which began in 1997 where he knocked out veteran Oleg Taktarov inside of the first round of their heavyweight match up. Prior to his stint in Japan, he was a veteran of the UFC circuit, debuting within the organization as early as UFC 8, where he scored back-to-back knockout victories to earn his way to the tournaments finals losing to the brash Don Frye. After his storied career has seemingly come to a head at the age of 44, Gary's quality of life has suffered with some of his most recent losses in his career as a professional martial artist, and now on top of that, he can't even be paid for his fights from the people he respected the most. ...

While DREAM is moving forward with it's 16th event, one man intended to be on the card is holding out for something better. DREAM, one of the more popular Japan based organizations following the demise of Pride, is holding an event for September 25th in Nagoya, Japan--a card that was intended to be headlined by current featherweight (139 pounds) champion, Bibiano Fernandes. ...

A main event matchup between UFC veteran “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) and 6'5", 285-pound "Monster" Ron Sparks (2-0) at MMA Big Show New Dawn at Belterra Casino in Indiana Saturday has been cancelled. ...

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and Fighters.com fifth-ranked middleweight “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (23-2-1) and “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) will fight at Fields Dynamite!! 2009 in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, the promotion has announced. ...

DREAM heavyweight "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) expects to rematch "Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem (28-11) at Dynamite!! in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 31 December, he told Croation website Javno. "We will fight, we will have a rematch for New Year," "Cro Cop" said, then added, "We have already agreed in principle about it, but it has not been confirmed 100 percent." Overeem too has publicly expressed interest in a New Year's Eve rematch, saying, "I want to finish 'Cro Cop' and put his name on my list, especially now because he has been arrogant and big-mouthed." The MMA stars in Japan fought to a No Contest at DREAM 6 in Saitama 23 September. The fight was stopped after Overeem slammed three separate knee strikes into "Cro Cop's" groin. ...

Dutch fight promotion Glory has released the full card for its tenth event 9 November in Arnhem, east of Amsterdam. As first reported by Fighters.com, “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (28-11) will follow-up his impressive performance in a No Contest versus "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) 23 September in Saitama, north of Tokyo, in the Glory 10 main event versus “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-18-1). "Blitz" Stefan Leko (1-3) will be featured in a Muay Thai rules fight versus a yet-to-be-named opponent. All together, there'll be three Muay Thai fights, five fights fought under K-1 rules, a boxing match, and seven MMA fights. The rest of the MMA card includes: Hamid Corassani (3-2) v Gregorz Tredowski (8-2-2) Vincent Latoel (12-11-2) v Omar Samb (2-1) Dion Staring (14-3) v Markus Halkossaari (0-0) Matthieu Lawalata (4-12) v “The Terrible” Ivan Mussardo (7-3) Assan Njie (7-1) v Brian Maulany (9-13-1) Cesario di Domenico (1-0-1) v Natek Tomajev (0-0) ...

“Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (28-11) will fight "Cro Cop" Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 23 September, then follow-up versus "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) in Amsterdam 9 November. "Some people think I don’t have it in me anymore," Goodridge said, "but I am training hard and, on November 9, I will be ready for Alistair Overeem.  As a matter of fact, I am ready now, so bring it on!" Overeem tapped kickboxer Mark Hunt (5-4) in Osaka 21 July, his third straight stoppage since getting TKO'd to Fighters.com's tenth-ranked heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov (15-3). "Cro Cop" TKO'd Tatsuya Mizuno (4-4) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 15 March, his first victory in three tries since April 2007 and his first fight since retiring from the UFC. "Big Daddy" lost his third straight in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, 19 July versus "Headhunter" Paul Buentello (26-10), a fighter Overeem submitted with knees to the body in November 2007; however, Goodridge fought a rescpectable UD loss in a fight he took on less than 24-hours notice. Goodridge will follow-up Overeem with a fight versus "Tartar" Gabor Nemeth (5-7) in late November. ...

It only took 36 seconds for "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) to leave "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (24-5) laid out on the mat in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, Saturday night. Just thirty-six seconds to answer questions raised by Fighters.com about Emelianenko's two-year hiatus from top competition. At the bell, Sylvia exited his corner in an awkward, low crouch. Obviously...Emelianenko wasted no time blasting Sylvia with a left, right hook combo, followed by an uppercut. "I've never been hit that hard in my life," said Sylvia after the fight.  "He's not human." The "Maine-iac" dismantled to the mat; and, Emelianenko stuck in a rear naked choke that forced Sylvia to tap. After the fight, the Russian was nonchalant, but not arrogant about his destruction of one of the world's top heavyweights. The victory cemented him as the top heavyweight in the world, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, and perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist ever. ...

"Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) def. "Maine-iac" Tim Sylvia (26-6) via submission (rear naked choke), 0:36 of round one. "Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski (13-5) def. "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-6) via KO, 1:13 of round three. "Babyface Assassin" Josh Barnett (26-5) def. Pedro Rizzo (16-8) via KO, 1:44 of round two. "The Machine" Mark Hominick (16-8) def. Savant Young (9-8) via submission (armbar), 4:25 of round two. "Babalu" Renato Sobral (30-7) def. Mike Whitehead (23-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27) "The Law" Matt Lindland (21-5) def. Fabio Negao (8-4) via unanimous decision (30-26; 30-27; 30-27). "Minotoro" Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) def. "Babyface" Edwin Dewees (35-13) via TKO, 4:06 of round one. "Quicksand" Mike Pyle (17-5-1) def. JJ Ambrose (8-2) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:51 of round one. "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort (17-8) def. Terry Martin (17-5) via KO, 3:12 of round two. "Head Hunter" Paul Buentello (26-10) def. "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27). ...

"Gary [Goodridge] doesn't turn down a fight," Goodridge's manager Steve Rusich told Fighters.com Friday night. MMA and kickboxing veteran "Big Daddy" Goodridge (23-17-1) will replace Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked heavyweight Aleksander Emelianenko(13-3) Saturday night in Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, versus “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (25-10) on Affliction's debut card. Besides managing "Big Daddy", Rusich and Goodridge are friends and Rusich had invited Goodridge to Anaheim to attend the Affliction event. "Last time [Goodridge] was in town he was on Inside MMA and he just happened to have his medicals done in case a fight came up," Rusich told Fighters.com. Friday night, a fight came up! As the weigh-in in which Emelianenko and Buentello didn't appear came to a close, an Affliction official told Rusich, "Don't go anywhere.  I might have something for you." A little bit later, Rusich's cell phone rang and Goodridge was asked to replace Emelianenko for "a very fair purse." Goodridge and Buentello will weigh-in before the event Saturday morning. ...

UFC 1 competitor Patrick Smith (14-13) replaces "Big Daddy" Gary Goodridge (23-16-1) versus "Butterbean" Eric Esch (10-5-1) on 11 April's YAMMA Pit Fighting card in Atlantic City. Smith had originally been floated as a replacement for "The Predator" Don Frye (19-6-1) versus "The Russian Bear" Oleg Taktarov (15-5-2) until his arrest after allegedly leading police on a high-speed motorcycle chase in Oklahoma 21 March. Smith's charges were reduced to misdemeanors allowing him to make the YAMMA debut. Goodridge was pulled from the card after being knocked out by Mu Bae Choi (7-2) in South Korea on 30 March and rendered ineligible according to the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. ...

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 ...