Claude Patrick (11-1) has recently signed a four fight contract with the UFC. Patrick announced the news on the “The Fight Show with Mauro Ranallo”.
Read More About Former IFL Fighter Claude Patrick Signs Deal with UFC…
Regardless who wins the middlweight matchup at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday, Demian Maia (10-0) and “Great” Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) might get a second shot at each other 25-27 September at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships 2009 in Barcelona.
Both UFC title contenders will compete in the -87.9kg division, along with “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (11-3). Sengoku judoka Kazuhiro Nakamura (13-9) and DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao (3-0).
UFC welterweight champ “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) will compete in the -76.9kg division, along with the UFC’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3), Japanese free agent “K-Taro” Keita Nakamura (15-4-2), and Brazilian free agent “Uirapuru” Marcelo Azevedo (3-5).
IFL Featherweight Champion Wagnney Fabiano (10-1) has signed with the WEC, reported Tatame Friday.
Fabiano was undefeated in the IFL, and knocked out Shad Lierley (2-2) in 0:37 in April in his only title defense.
He already has his eyes set on current WEC Featherweight Champion “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-1).
Fabiano said, “My goal is to fight for the belt and do my best.
“Faber is the best of the world now. To beat him, I think you have to be in good shape. He’s an expert fighter and he has good gas, it’s complicated to beat a guy like him. You have to set a good game plan and be calm and watch the elbows, because if he hits you it can change a whole fight.”
“Are you serious?”
That’s the query I’d pose to Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) if I was UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva after the former Silva put “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) to sleep in a minute in Las Vegas 19 July. “Are you serious about being the UFC champion at both 185- and 205-pounds?”
If “Spider” only wants to bulk-up to obliterate un-ranked light heavies for kitsch, fine.
But, if Silva wants to match “Hollywood” Dan Henderson’s (22-7) feat of holding major titles at 185- and 205-pounds simultaneously – if he’s serious – he deserves a serious challenge in his next 205-pound showing.
He could do it. Not with the Vaseline ease with which he ascended to the 185-pound crown, but it’s not an X-Files storyline either.
The determinant will be how Silva scales the mountain range at the top of the division.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (22-4), “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5), “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7), these beasts are all heavyweights with the work ethic to cut 40, 50 pounds or more and fight at 205 pounds.
Enter IFL Light Heavyweight Champion “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3)…maybe.
Read More About Monday Morning Matchmaker: Silva v Matyushenko…
You may have noticed that former IFL fighters competing on Ultimate Fight Night 14 Saturday night were accompanied by IFL fight highlights.
That wasn’t a temporary arrangement.
Fighters.com has confirmed that Zuffa, LLC has acquired certain assets of the International Fight League, including the IFL video library and fighter contracts.
The deal is similar to the buyout of the World Fighting Alliance in 2006 and allows Zuffa to get its hands on the valuable IFL video library and fighters without assuming the failed company’s debt.
Fighters.com broke the possibility of the acquisition Thursday. Since, there has been debate in the MMA media about whether the fighter contracts were transferrable.
However, the anonymous former IFL fighters who’ve confirmed to Fighters.com that they’ve been notified of the aqcuisition of their contract by Zuffa, LLC have also confirmed that their contractual obligations are now to Zuffa, LLC according to their respective managements and legal counsels.
Neither Zuffa, LLC nor the IFL have replied to Fighters.com requests for comment, nor have either made official announcements regarding the acquisition.
Unlike the WFA deal where the WFA announced it would cease operations upon the Zuffa, LLC acquisition of its assets, it’s unclear whether the IFL will put the “Out of Business” sign on its offices.
Fighters.com reports the following knowing and emphasizing it’s only a rumor, but a rumor among fighters and MMA insiders:
The rumbling from Anaheim, east of Los Angeles, where Affliction will premier Saturday, is that Zuffa is considering buying-out the IFL.
Requests for comment from Zuffa and the IFL respectively were ignored.
If true, the UFC would takeover the near-bankrupt MMA league, absorb its best fighters into it’s two promotions, the UFC and WEC, and kill off the IFL brand.
The idea puzzled one industry insider, who queried, “Why would they do that? It is worthless. They would have learned their lesson from PRIDE. Let it go another six months and it will die.”
The IFL announced on Tuesday afternoon the cancellation of its 15 August event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, just east of New York City, due to the company’s financial difficulties.
In addition to the cancellation, the IFL CEO Jay Larkin announced the promotion is downsizing its staff and exploring options that will allow it to continue its day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, it is working with other fight promotions to keep its roster of fighters active.
According to Five Ounces of Pain, the IFL may not have the finances to operate past October.
Friday in Connecticut, IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson (13-2) blitzed “Hillbilly Heartthrob” Brad Imes (11-5) at the bell to score a TKO in 2:55 and retain his title.
“Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-9-1) defended his IFL lightweight title in a five-round unanimous decision “W” over tough Lithuanian Deividas Taurosevicius (9-3).
Middleweight Dan Miller (8-1) blew through IFL Middleweight Champion Ryan McGivern (12-6). At 3:36 of round one, Miller sucked up McGivern’s right leg in a kneebar to tap the champ and take his strap.
On the undercard at the Mohegan Sun, “Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) tapped middleweight Mike Massenzio in a kneebar at 3:25 of round one.
Jorge Gurgel-trained lightweight “Pitbull” Josh Souder (7-2) dispatched Zac George (12-3) by TKO in 47 seconds.
Middleweight “Suave” Matt Horwich (23-10) won a unanimous decision over “Coyote” Joey Guel (13-6).
Welterweight “Doomsday” John Howard (9-3) TKO’d Nick Calandrino (4-1) at 2:24 of round three.
Light heavyweight Aaron Stark (6-4) won a unanimous decision over “Philly Bad Ass” Lamont Lister (4-4), fresh off his win at YAMMA Pit Fighting.
Lightweight John Franchi (4-0) remained undefeated tapping Frank Latina (4-2) in a rear naked choke at 2:19 of round one.
Former TUF finalist “”Hillbilly Heartthrob” Brad Imes (11-4) will challenge IFL Heavyweight Champ Roy Nelson (12-2) 16 May in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Imes replaced Branden Lee Hinkle (13-9) Saturday on the New Blood New Battles card at the Mohegan Sun Arena after Hinkle withdrew due to an injured rib.
Imes won a UD over James Jack (2-1) in March and is amidst a 6-1 run since losing his last UFC appearance Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked heavyweight “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-13) in April 2007.
Nelson has knocked off four straight victories himself since losing to heavyweight prospect Ben Rothwell (29-5) in April 2007.
Lightweight prospect Jim Miller (11-1) and “Morango” Fabricio Camoes (8-4) have also been removed from the card after Camoes pulled up lame during training.
Three IFL title-holders tightened the straps on their belts in the Izod Center just through the Lincoln Tunnel from New York City Saturday night.
“The Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), and Jay Hieron (15-4) all defended their respective titles with knockouts.
Lightweight standout Chris Horodecki (12-1) picked up a unanimous decision, while one-time top 155-pounder “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (28-11) continued his slide with a loss by unanimous decision.
Featherweight Fabiano set-up a right slobber-knocker to Shad Lierley (2-2) with just his reputation as a submission specialist.
“People think I’m just a jiu-jitsu fighter,” Fabiano explained after the fight. “Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan.”
The KO came after just 37 seconds.
Hieron, an Xtreme Couture 170-pounder, dispatched Mark Miller (8-3) in just 2:10.
“It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy,” said Hieron after his right hook set-up a single-leg takedown leading to a G’n'P finish.
“The Janitor” had the toughest time of the IFL’s three defending champions.
Hometown Jamal Patterson (4-2), who’s won exclusively by submission, cranked up striking flurries in the first round causing Matyushenko to duck-and-cover.
But, Matyushenko handed Patterson his ass in the second with a ground’n'pound barrage the required the ref to wave the fight finished at 3:35.
IFL newcomer Jim Miller (11-1) ran “Bartimus” ragged for three rounds, dumping the winless-in-three lightweight at will and filing through submission attempts like he had an extra limb. Palaszewski fought back valiantly with several crafty escapes, but Miller took all of the cards in his IFL debut.
Horodecki had a handfull named Nate Lamotte (6-3) to contend with in Horodecki’s return from his first loss to “The Lion” Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) in IFL’s Lightweight Grand Prix final.
Lamotte delivered some vicious G’n'P when he was able to catch Horodecki, but the IFL vet kept Lamotte at bay with a snapping jab and pin-pointed punches to take a UD by 29-28 times three.
And the rest of the story saw light heavyweight “Shark” Emyr Bussade (11-5) win his IFL debut with a kneebar of Jesse Lennox (6-1) at 1:25 of round two.
“Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) TKO’d “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno (13-5) at 1:50 of the third round of a welterweight matchup.
Featherweight LC Davis (10-1) kicked Rafael Dias (10-4-1) in the head for the KO “W” at 3:56 of round three.
Xtreme Couture middleweight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) eeked out a split decision over Brendan Barrett (3-3).
Finally, heavyweight Miletich fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz (13-3) cut Kongo-conqueror “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (7-2) with an unintentional headbutt in a fight declared a No Contest after 1:37.
The IFL returns 16 May in at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.