Gracie recently talked to MMA Fighting regarding the UFC’s upcoming return to Brazil, and here are the highlights: “I have no time now. I was planning to [fight at “UFC: Rio], I began the training, but my life is so crazy I couldn’t dedicate 100 percent to that… I hope Royce fights. To have a Gracie fight there would be great — great for the fans, to have someone from my family fighting.”

Royce Gracie has been a rumored addition to the UFC 134 card ever since it was announced. Gracie vocally campaigned for another shot in the UFC, even going as far as to say that he couldn’t picture a better way to officially retire than to go out fighting in the UFC in Brazil. At one point, several old-school UFC fighters including Dan Severn announced that they would be glad to fight Gracie in Brazil.

So far, though, the UFC and in particular UFC President Dana White have been opposed to this idea. Gracie last fought in the UFC all the way back at UFC 60 in 2006. Gracie’s opponent was Matt Hughes, and the fight ended in the first round with Hughes thoroughly dominating Gracie and Gracie mounting practically no offense. Gracie then fought one more time and has never fought since.

Recently, though, it’s been rumored that Royce Gracie’s return may be back on the table. Dana White seems a bit less hostile to the idea now, as seen in several recent interviews. This may have something to do with Royce publicly appearing at UFC events, at least one, in order to talk to Dana White. But of course, everything is still a rumor at this point.

I still contend that a UFC card in Brazil just wouldn’t be complete without a Gracie. This is a very important event for the UFC, as stated previously they’re returning from an absence of at least ten years. Both Brazil and the fight game have changed drastically since the UFC’s last show in Brazil, but what hasn’t changed is the Gracie name in Brazil. Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is one of the cornerstones of MMA, and that all started with the Gracies. There have been innovators that have adapted and tweaked the style so much and for so long that some choose to brand their style with a different name… but BJJ did not exist before the Gracie clan.

So, here’s what I continue to contend: what could it hurt? Win or lose, I’d like to see Royce Gracie fight in Brazil. Even if it’s a glorified “freak show fight”, I think Royce deserves it so he can retire in the promotion that he helped create. The UFC has been putting an end to old chapters and starting new ones a whole lot recently, thanks in no small part to the unparalleled successes they’ve had in recent years. But if they truly want to close the book on the old-school, I can’t think of a better way than to have Royce Gracie back in the Octagon one last time, fighting in front of tens of thousands of fans and friends.

Chris Liguori’s MMA career has been a wild ride — from early wars against Pete Sell in Ring of Combat to a quick call up to the UFC in 2003 to a return to ROC mixed with a marquee win in Elite XC along the way.  As part of the Ricardo Almeida Fight Team he trains weekly with Frankie Edgar, Almeida, Nick Catone, Eddie Alvarez, Renzo Gracie and an on-going cast of visiting MMA stars.  Now on a three fight win streak and facing an April 8^th fight in the Ring of Combat, Liguori is an evolved fighter, but it seems opportunities from the top organizations are still held hostage by the scars of his very early career losses, before he took the sport and training as seriously as he does today.

At 28, now fighting at lightweight, Liguori has seen it all in MMA and believes he is competing on par with the best in the sport and ready to return to the UFC. As one of Edgar’s primary training partners and corner men, he is not in awe of the flash and bright lights of the big stage and plans to keep winning fights wherever they happen until the call from UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, comes in.

Liguori, a New Jersey native, recently took time to review his career and the future ahead with Fighters.com.

Moody: You were scheduled to fight on the Bellator card when Eddie Alvarez fought Roger Huerta, but had to pull out … what happened there?

Liguori: I had a fight with Bellator, but hurt my back real bad, two weeks before the fight. I was trying to get through, see if I could train through it and it was just too bad.

Moody: You train with Frankie Edgar, Eddie Alvarez, Roger Gracie, Ricardo Almeida, Nick Catone, and Renzo Gracie among others.  Do you feel you are right there now skill-wise with these guys?

Liguori: Absolutely.  I know who I am, and how good I am. I know all that shit.  To me … I am not a whore to the game ya know.  A lot of these promoters want to say, ‘we will throw you a thousand bucks, it’s a great opportunity.’ I am way past ‘opportunity’ dude.  I got three daughters.  I need to make some money in the process.  I know I am going to get where I want to get, it is just a matter of constantly getting better.  I can fight a local show and be the main event and make quadruple what I would make on an under card on some other bigger organization.  They say oh ‘opportunity.’  I am past that. ‘Opportunity’ is for when you are 20 or 21 years old.  I have been through wars and give your f***ing life for the thing, you want to be compensated.  There are guys out there that are whores to the game.  They will fight for no money, last minute, and fight a fight that is not good for where they are trying to go.  That was me in the beginning of my career, fighting at 185lbs and for no money.  You got to win – plain and simple.

Moody: What are the biggest differences from when you were in the UFC in 2003?

Liguori: I am at a different weight. But the best way to sum it up is that … now I know how to fight.  Back then, ya know, I fought Pete Sell (at 185lbs) and had fought this good fight on the east coast; it was controversial at the end.  Originally, we were supposed to have a rematch in the UFC.  “Drago” was the big name back then.  Back then you didn’t think there was a future in it. You just thought, ‘let me see who is the toughest guy to fight.’ You didn’t think about wins and losses, weight classes, cutting weight. You never thought about cutting weight, I never really cut weight.

Moody: Your next fight?

Liguori: April 8^th at Ring of Combat. My original opponent just dropped out, so they are finding me a new opponent.

Moody: Do you have a full time job now?

Liguori: I work for ConRail.  It is a freight railroad.  I am a conductor.  It is phenomenal, with a great pension and benefits.  Better than anything out there and great for my family.

Moody: Do they mind you training?

Liguori: You know what it is with the railroad.  It runs 24hrs a day and there are three shifts a day.  They understand about the fighting, but I still have to do what I have to do.

Moody: How many fights have you won in a row now?

Liguori: I have won three in a row and five of my last six.

Moody: You and Frankie Edgar, together, joined Ricardo Almeida’s team.  When was that?

Liguori: It was right after Frankie lost to Gray Maynard in the first fight.  We went down, he fought Franca, Sherk, Veach and BJ twice since, so it has been like three years now.

Moody: Nobody knows Frankie Edgar like you do.  How have seen him grow?

Liguori: He has always had a ridiculous work habit.  At the beginning, it was me showing him shit, and he would pick it up and just do it that day. Now, it is at the point where he has top-flight coaches. And now, it is at the point where he is one of those dudes … everyone can play in the NBA but there is only one Michael Jordan.  That is kind of how it is …  there are unspoken things you can’t train for, like when Tyson Griffin caught him in the knee bar or in this last fight with Gray Maynard, 95% of the best fighters in the world would have been knocked out, but a guy like Frankie goes ahead and wins the next four rounds.

Moody: You were in Frankie’s corner in the last Maynard fight.  What were you thinking when he got rocked in the first round?

Liguori: He is not only my friend, but he is like my brother. Everything goes through your head as far as, scarred for him to lose, to get hurt.  It was bad, but he was constantly moving, rolling, defending.  I knew if he got out of that round he was going to be OK … he had more left in him.

Moody: Can you speak to what happened technically?  Why did Gray connect?

Liguori: He (Frankie) put his head back and he got caught with a left hook.  He just backed his head out and Gray did a good job of throwing that left hook.  It was almost like an off-speed pitch, ready for a fastball and he throws that looping off speed pitch. To Gray’s credit, he saw it and capitalized on it.

Moody: Finally, you are 28 now.  You have a very realistic, mature view of the realities in this sport.  Do you think in terms of where you want to be in a year or two given all the other obligations you have in your life?

Liguori: As long as the opportunity is right, I will fight anybody.  I have a lot of people to answer for.  I have my wife and my children. If the juice is not worth the squeeze, I can’t do it.  I can’t do it just cause I want to. … I don’t care if anybody knows my name, I want to get where I want to get. I want to make some money for my family.  I love to compete, but that is why I have a job and I have a job with a good future.

I see this game.  I see some of the best fighters in the world and in three years, it’s like, ‘where is this guy at.’  The rise and fall of fighters in the game is so quick, if you are not set up for afterwards, what are you going to do, you get stuck holding the bill.  That is not going to be me by any means.

Moody: Thanks so much for taking some time Chris.  Good luck on April 8^th at Ring Of Combat in Atlantic City.

–

Chris Liguori fans sound off.  How long until “The Story” is back in the UFC?

5. The UFC 126 “Super Bowl Super-Show”.

It’s not enough that the UFC is giving us Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, oh no. In addition to the mega-fight that’s been several years in-the-making, we’ve got Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader. Basically, we’ve got three fights that could each easily, and I do mean easily, headline an event on their own. And it all goes down during Super Bowl Weekend, where everyone is hosting parties and having fun anyway. UFC fans are in for a real treat with this one.

4. UFC in Brazil for the first time in over ten years.

Georges St. Pierre in Canada. That’s the kind of reaction I think the Brazilian fans will give if they get someone like Wanderlei Silva or Anderson Silva or even Renzo Gracie or Royce Gracie to compete at the upcoming UFC event in Brazil. From the beginning, from the moment the idea for the first UFC tournament popped into the head of Rorion Gracie, Brazil has been tied to the UFC. While the UFC will most likely forever be headquartered in Las Vegas, heading back to Brazil is almost like coming home. It should be an amazing show featuring an unbelievable atmosphere.

3. UFC in Toronto in front of over 60,000 fans.

But even the tentatively-titled UFC: “Rio” virtually pales in comparison to the UFC’s upcoming debut in Toronto. The UFC owes almost as much to Canada as it does to Brazil, Canada was the first major step on the road to the UFC becoming a global brand and it remains a key player in the UFC’s international development. And UFC’s debut in Toronto will be in the Rogers Centre, better known as the Toronto SkyDome, which can seat anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 people. I can hardly begin to imagine how epic the crowd alone will be, let alone the amazing card the UFC will likely put on in order to attract the most fans possible.

2. The thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”.

It’s been repeated so many times by so many fans and insiders that it’s practically a cliché, but it’ll always be true: “The Ultimate Fighter” broke the mainstream barrier and is perhaps the single most important thing to have ever happened to the UFC outside of its original founding. We’re heading into our thirteenth season of TUF, and things just keep getting better. No season is perfect, but the steady ratings and improved fight quality of Season 12 have left me incredibly pumped up for TUF Season 13. Even though I’m a bit sad that we won’t see Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva coaching against each other, there’s really no reason to miss out on Season 13.

And #1 on the list goes to…

1. Better per-event fight quality thanks in no small part to the influx of WEC talent and the addition of the Bantamweight/Featherweight divisions in general.

As a WEC super-fan, could I have really picked anything else to top this list? With two new divisions and a host of world-caliber talent, the WEC/UFC merger should begin paying out enormous dividends almost immediately. I have a great feeling that this is going to be a “best of both worlds” scenario, where we get the same great WEC action except on a much larger scale. Both the merger and the new weight divisions should give a lot of otherwise-underwhelming UFC events a big shot in the arm, especially the international events. It should be an awesome, awesome year of fights.

And that’s the end, fans and friends! My four-part “All I Want for Christmas” mini-series is now officially over and done with. I’d like to thank all my readers for their continued support, and once again I’d like to wish you all a very happy and very merry Christmas, and happy holidays in general. So, what about you? What are you looking forward to for the UFC in 2011?

Stay tuned to Fighters.com for Part 2 of our video interview where we talk about Matt Hughes, Ricardo Almeida, and the upcoming Frankie Edgar v. Gray Maynard lightweight title fight.  Coming soon.

Click through to watch the video.

This would be BJ Penn’s first fight at Welterweight since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in January 2009. Penn is 2-3 in his last five fights, with the loss to GSP coupled with two back-to-back losses to current Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar. This would be the third Penn/Hughes match. Penn made history in their first encounter back in 2004 when he ended the long reign of Matt Hughes, who at the time had held the UFC Welterweight Championship since 2001 and had made five successful defenses of it.

It would be another two years before the two warriors stepped into the Octagon against each other once again, and once again history was made. At UFC 63, Hughes became the first man in history to ever stop BJ Penn, TKO’ing him at 3:53 of Round 3 after Penn had suffered a rib injury. Matt Hughes, now a member of the UFC’s Hall of Fame, needs no real introduction. Hughes was and still is one of the most dominant wrestlers to ever compete in the UFC, and though he’s hit his low points in recent years, he’s now flying high with a three fight win streak and I personally have already written a piece on why I think Matt Hughes could make it to the top once again.

In regards to the fight itself, I think it couldn’t have happened at a better time for both men. Matt Hughes has hit his latest comeback trail and hit it hard, with a great TKO over Renzo Gracie and a shocking submission win over feared Brazilian Jui Jitsu artist Ricardo Almeida. The shadow of Penn’s serious rib injury still lingers, and if Matt Hughes can prove once and for all that he can beat BJ Penn at his best, I honestly believe that winning the third encounter will put Hughes directly in line for a title shot.

For BJ Penn, this is the ultimate test to prove that he still belongs at the top of the UFC in whatever division he chooses to compete in. Believe it: this will be Penn’s “make or break” fight. If BJ Penn can’t beat Matt Hughes, it will likely send him back to middle-level competition for the first time in what feels like forever. If he can beat his rival, he sets himself up for a possible run at Welterweight, and an inevitable return to Lightweight if he finds success. As the saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn, and if BJ Penn uses this fight to make a statement, we could be seeing yet another rebirth that results in a BJ Penn that’s better and badder than ever before.

And if you want my opinion? I honestly don’t know who to give it to. It’s a toss-up right now, especially when you consider the myriad differences between the two in both fighting styles and current career motivations. Penn is fighting to survive but coming up short, Hughes is fighting for the hell of it and being successful. I think it all boils down to what BJ Penn shows up when that cage door closes. If it’s the one that ran through Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, look for Penn to end the trilogy in his favor. But if it’s the one that got outwrestled by GSP and outmaneuvered by Frankie Edgar, look for Hughes to take a huge step forward in his quest for one more shot at the gold.

And what about you, fans and friends? It’s Hughes/Penn 3: who takes it and how?

A Renzo Gracie student, Almeida has made a successful transition to the 170 pound division after a well established career as a middleweight, which has seen him garner wins over the likes of Kendall Grove, Kazuo Misako, and perennial contender Nate Marquardt.

Matt Hughes, has had a long and storied career in the UFC. After making his debut nearly 10 years ago, a 20 second submission loss to nemesis Dennis Hallman, Hughes would then go on to capture the welterweight title with a knockout slam over then champion Carlos Newton, and would then go on to set the precedent for 5 consecutive defenses–the most ever cemented in the welterweight division.

While both have had successful careers, it’s Hughes who will be garnering the most attention come this Saturday, for several reasons dating back since 2000.

In 2000, Hughes was a participant in the Abu Dhabi competitions, where he crossed paths with Ricardo Almedia, winning on points in the grappling tournament. Six years later, at UFC 60, Matt Hughes defeated former multiple-time UFC tournament champion Royce Gracie, and made it look easy. After taking the fight to the floor–which most eluded to being the Gracie’s sweet spot with his obvious ground prowess–the two Hall of Famer’s engaged in what turned into a one-sided beatdown, with Hughes able to secure back mount, and after a failed submission attempt, settled for pounding the legend, before he was saved by the referee.

Thereafter, Hughes would go on to eventually lose his title to current kingpin Georges St. Pierre, and follow up the loss with another to top contender Thiago Alves, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over foe and former champion Matt Serra, and the aforementioned Renzo Gracie.

In the bout with Renzo at UFC 112, the bout saw Hughes take advantage of the aged Gracie, where after a sluggish start in the third round for the brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, would eventually signal the end, as the 35-year-old, Hughes would end the welterweight contest after crippling him with leg kicks, and ending it with powerful punches against the fence, marking the first time that the former two-time champion had ended a fight with strikes, on the feet.

While Almeida has attested that he requested this bout, not out of malice or out of a sense of “revenge”, it would be hard to imagine that while his master Renzo, and fellow idol Royce had fallen short to Hughes, that Almeida wouldn’t feel a sense of urgency, to reclaim what was lost.

While Matt is riding a two-fight win streak, and with a “win” over Almeida, it’s Ricardo who appears to have the upper hand. More athletic, explosive, competent striker is Ricardo over his predecessor Renzo, and with time on his side, it seems that Hughes’ run through the Gracie clan may be short lived.

Do you think Hughes still has the upper hand? Or will Ricardo reclaim the Gracie name, and exact revenge?

The ceremony took place during the UFC Fan Expo on the main stage at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. UFC President Dana White made a presentation of Matt’s achievements and then presented Matt with the award. Matt Hughes thanked the fans for the award.

“To be honest, it’s you guys that pay that admission that write my check, so I’ve got to take my hat off to you guys,” Hughes said.

Dana stated that Matt could have taken other offers to move to other promotions but he chose to stay in the UFC all these years.

“He’s acting very humble here; he’s been a great partner and been one of the people who have helped build this sport and the UFC to what it is today,” White added.

Hughes’ first fight inside the Octagon came at UFC 22 before Zuffa purchased the company. He defeated Valeri Ignatov (0-2) via unanimous decision. Since that time he has fought 22 more times in the UFC going 17-5.

His most recent fight came at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi where he beat Renzo Gracie (13-7-1) in the third round via TKO. This is his second win in a row after defeating former Renzo student and rival “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6).

Matt’s next fight will be against another Gracie pupil as he steps inside the Octagon to take on “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (12-3) at UFC 117 in Oakland, California.

Matt holds the record for the longest welterweight title run in UFC history with five consecutive defenses from UFC 34 to UFC 45. He lost the belt to “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (15-6-1) before regaining the title with a submission win over current UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (20-2) at UFC 50 and defended it another two times before Georges avenged the loss at UFC 65.

Matt Hughes joins Fellow UFC Hall of Famers Royce Gracie (14-3-3), “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock (27-14-2), “The Beast” Dan Severn (93-16-7), “The Natural” Randy Couture (18-10), “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-10), “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) and Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr.

How do you feel about current fighters being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and who do you feel should have been inducted?

Renzo Gracie announced the news about his black belt student making his way into the UFC.

Branch is an exciting fighter who turned pro in 2007 and since then has a record of 6-0 all coming via stoppage. Three were technical knock out (TKO) victories and the other three were submission wins.

It is rare to see a jiu jitsu black belt who also possesses good striking and knock out power so early on in his MMA career. This makes Branch a unique prospect who could end up making some big waves in the UFC considering their ability and willingness to bring a fighter along slowly.

Stay tuned to Fighters.com to find out when Dave will be fighting and who is first opponent inside the Octagon will become.

Matt Hughes was one of the most dominant fighters the UFC welterweight division. Matt has stepped into the Octagon 21 times and only tasted defeat a total of five times with three of those coming in the last four years.

The former champion controlled the Octagon like no other before him using his far superior wrestling which included highly dominant top control. That dominant control lead to a UFC record nine straight title defenses in which he beat a legend in Royce Gracie (14-3-3) at UFC 60.

I know that for many the fight between Royce and Hughes was hard to watch. It is difficult to watch the man many give credit to for bringing them into the sport and falling in love with jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) get thoroughly beaten. Enter Renzo Gracie to defend the family name.

Renzo has been involved in MMA for a long time now and as a Gracie, he feels the need to defend the family name. This is something we have seen time and time again from the Gracie family. When one man goes down another steps up to take his place. Renzo very well could be on the verge of revenge.

Royce was dominated in his fight with Hughes but that was almost four years ago. The Matt Hughes then is not the same Hughes we see today. This is a fight many would think would end up being a stand up war like so many fights between wrestlers and jiu jitsu guys. They cancel each other out and end up trading. I don’t think this is how this fight will go down though.

Hughes has said he needs to get back to what got him the title in the first place. That would be his wrestling and even though he seems to have lost a step, I believe he can get Renzo down. The problem is that Renzo works very well off his back unlike a former opponent Matt faced.

Matt fought “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) at UFC 98 where he won a unanimous decision. During that fight Hughes put Serra on his back often. Serra is a jiu jitsu black belt but rarely have we seen him work well off his back. Yet in that fight he did well off his back and some believe Serra could have won that fight. Renzo is a different beast altogether though.

Renzo will work to not just tie up Hughes on the ground but will be looking to use the infamous Gracie jiu jitsu to submit the man that beat his cousin.

This may be a fight between two men who are past their primes but how can one not be intrigued by another Gracie inside the Octagon looking to defend his families honor against a dominant ex-champion? Regardless of age or recent defeats, drama can be found in this fight and should be rather than be dismissed as a battle between two men who have no significance in the division at this time.

You also have to take into consideration that if Renzo wins this fight he will be looking to drop down to 155 so that he can work to avenge his own loss to the top-ranked and UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) which came at K1: World Grand Prix in 2005. Renzo dropped a decision in that fight and has talked of dropping down after this fight. A win will allow him to do that while a loss makes that possibility very slim even though BJ has talked about moving to 170 once again if he can get past “The Answer” Frank Edgar(11-1) on the same night.

As fans we must be willing to look past age, significance of the fight in the division and many other factors. We can always find something that makes the fight worth watching and something to look forward too.

Saturday will be round two in the battle between Gracie versus Hughes and I am one that is excited to see the results.

The beginning of the UFC saw a small stature man twisting his opponents into knots and putting them in moves most of the world had never seen before.
Royce Gracie (14-3-3) was that man. He introduced us to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or rather Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Fast forward to modern day and we had to sit in pain and watch him get beat senseless by Fighters.com eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (41-7) at UFC 60. Then at UFC 109 Rolles Gracie Jr. (3-1) put on what was a miserable and embarrassing performance in his defeat.

Enter Renzo Gracie who will face Matt Hughes, the man that beat his cousin, at UFC 112. Not only did Hughes beat his cousin but he also beat one of Renzo’s prized pupils in “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) after a long war of words leading up the fight.

Renzo told MMA Junkie Radio that his wife feels he is going through a mid-life crisis but rather than buy a sports car he is getting back inside a cage. Renzo said “I was able to set up all the goals I had before – to set-up my schools and tune-up my business so I could push my art to future generations of my family. I was able to do that, so now my business is running by itself, and I can just concentrate on myself for the first time in my life and just train to fight. I believe I’m going to surprise a lot of people.”

I am not sure he will actually surprise people as most of us still expect a lot out a Gracie, especially a well-respected and veteran fighter such as Renzo. What we can expect is for him to tep up and defend the family name.

When talking about the Matt Hughes that beat his cousin he states “I hope to fight that guy. That’s the guy I want to see in April – in that kind of shape. I want to test myself against the best that [Hughes] has ever been. I hope he’s in good shape. I believe where Royce came up short, I’m coming up to get the flag. We are a large family, and anywhere a Gracie comes up short, someone should be there to push that thing forward.”

This is what we have come to expect from the long line of the Gracie family. When one goes down another rises up to accept the challenge for the family. Excepting this challenge means Renzo will have to step inside the Octagon prepared to do more than work submissions.

Matt Hughes was an accomplished wrestler that used his wrestling to beat fighter after fighter, win the UFC welterweight title and become one of the most successful fighters in the history of the sport, cementing himself as a future Hall of Famer.

Renzo will need to utilize striking in order to get inside on Hughes. Trying to ignore the striking game and just go for broke with a take down would be a futile attempt against a Division I NCAA wrestler. “You cant take a wrestler down,” Gracie said. “If you’ve got a Division I wrestler, I’m not taking him down. I will need the striking to take him down. If I get him out of balance by striking, I’m able to shoot, and even a Division I wrestler will end up on his butt. But if you just go in, and he’s not afraid of getting hit by you, you’re going to be on your back every single time. How are you going to take a guy like Matt Hughes down if you’re not going to strike? That’s the reality.” said Renzo.

It seems like Renzo is in a good place in his life where he will be able to focus solely on him and his fight with Hughes. With a six-fight contract signed this is his first step in defending the Gracie name and taking the family back to the top of mixed martial arts.

“We were hoping to put together a fight in March, but now it looks like that may not happen. We might have to wait for April or May. Who knows if it will ever happen. Frank Shamrock and I have verbally agreed to fight each other, but from what I understand he’s being difficult in the negotiations. For whatever reason he may have, I think it’s too bad because I think it’s the type of fight that would draw a lot of attention. It would be two guys that were UFC champions and have done a lot for that organization, and now they’re involved with Strikeforce. I think it just made sense. But for whatever reason I think he’s having trouble pulling the trigger. He may be nervous about getting slapped around, but that’s the way it sits right now. Hopefully I can find someone else to fight if he doesn’t want to do it. I want to get in there before Summer.

I think he knows what is most likely going to happen. We’ve rolled before so I have a sense for what he’s got. Obviously I’ve watched him fight for years and he’s a talented guy, but I don’t think he has anything to hurt me with. Maybe he knows that.

He definitely doesn’t have the power to hurt me, he’s not going to submit me, he can’t out-box me, and he definitely can’t take me down. Maybe he’ll pull off something like he did in the Renzo Gracie fight so he can get out alive. Who knows.

I would prefer to fight at 170 pounds, but I’d fight Frank anywhere. I don’t care what the weight is. It doesn’t matter. But I think I’d like to try to snag something from somebody at 170 pounds. I look at the 170 pound rankings and I see a lot of guys that I can beat.”

This is a fight that makes sense for Strikeforce, Shamrock and Pat.

Strikeforce would be getting two ex-UFC champions that were scheduled to enter the Octagon is a super-fight over ten years ago. The UFC and Shamrock ran into contract issues and Frank ended up leaving so the fight never took place. Both men have done a lot for the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) and with the smack talk already coming from Pat, Frank will surely have much to say. Frank can sell a fight and Strikeforce would garner viewers to see his return to the ring as well as the return of Miletich.

Pat needs a good test and Frank is a perfect match for him. Hopefully Frank comes to terms with Strikeforce and the fight agreement gets signed because I am already looking forward to seeing these two legends go toe to toe.

The first fight that sticks out is “The Filipino Assassin” Phillipe Nover (4-2) versus “The Saint” Rob Emerson (9-8). This is a fight that has big consequences for both fighters. Both fighters are coming off of back to back losses staring at the three strike rule. When you have a fight in which one fighter must win to stay in the UFC, it tends to bring out the best in them. This is special because both men are trying to avoid getting the dreaded pink slip from Dana White and Joe Silva.

Emerson is a very aggressive fighter that loves to stand and trade shots with his opponent. Nover is no stranger to striking as he has trained in one martial art or another since he was ten years old. He has been focusing on his jiu jitsu for a while now and may want to try and end this fight early with a take down and submission. Now matter where the fight goes you can be sure that these two will leave it all in the Octagon in hopes of keeping their job with the most recognized MMA organization in the world. Fireworks should go off inside the Octagon during this one and sadly we may not see it.

The next intriguing match up you may not see is between Mostapha al Turk (4-4) and Rolles Gracie Jr. (3-0). Mostapha is a man who has not been able to have any success since his arrival in the UFC. He has been TKOed in both fights which I don’t think he will have to worry about in this match with UFC newcomer Rolles Gracie. Rolles is undefeated with all wins coming via submission which is not surprising being that he is a Gracie. I am always intrigued by the chance to see a Gracie step inside the Octagon. After all, it was another Gracie that many of us watched eyes glued to the television, as he submitted much larger men with moves most of us had never seen before. Now we have yet another Gracie entering into the UFC. Rolles has been splitting his time training between Greg Jackson’s MMA and Team Renzo Gracie (13-6-1). It will be interesting to see how far along his stand up game has evolved as most of the Gracie’s have lacked solid striking. However going against an admitted submission wrestler in al Turk, we could see the fight hit the mat very fast and witness the newest generation of Gracie pull off a submission reminding us all of Royce Gracie (14-3-3) and the start of the UFC.

The last fight that I wish was on the main card features “All American” Brian Stann (8-2) welcoming “Mr Wonderful” Phil Davis (4-0) to the UFC. I know Brian Stann has not come in with guns blazing since he came over from the WEC but the fact that he has transferred to Jackson’s Academy should intrigue anyone. Jackson has a knack for making average fighters become top ten fighters. Brian is very athletic and Greg Jackson is sure to have given him some new tools for his tool belt. Brian is also a fan favorite due to his hero status as a recipient of the Silver Star while serving in the Marine Corps.

Phil is one of the world’s top prospects in the sport being a four time All-American wrestler at Penn State University, a national champion and finishing his college career with a record 0f 116-20. These are major accomplishments that have the MMA world watching and waiting to see how he will fare in the sport. Training out of Alliance Training Center in San Diego he has managed to keep his record perfect even if it was only four fights.

All Star wrestler and world class prospect debuting against the Marine Corp Captain who many call an American hero. Intrigued yet? I don’t know about you but I get very excited to see fighters making their UFC debuts, especially when the guy happens to be such a major prospect. If he beats Stan his status of prospect becomes set in stone and he will sky rocket in popularity. That is if anyone other than those attending the event actually were to see the fight.

Those are three most intriguing fights we may not see at UFC 109. Is there a fight I did not mention that you feel belongs here? Maybe a fight I mentioned that you laughed out loud while reading about here? As always you can join me on MMA Gospel Radio every Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST by logging into www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. We have the “Cageside Chat” open where you can talk with our other listeners as well as myself and co-host. Hope to see you there.

According to the Brazilian magazine, Emirates Team leader Carlos Santos has been contacted by both fighters to use his training facility in Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to UFC 112.

The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, but Silva required surgery on his elbow forcing the rescheduling.

In the meantime, Fighters.com and UFC lightweight champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) also announced in a video at his website his expectation to fight at UFC 112, though no fight has been agreed to.

Recent UFC signee and former PRIDE champion “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) has been speculated as a potential opponent for Penn.

UFC 112 already features amatchup between Fighters.com seventh-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (43-7) and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1).

Having trained in jiu jitsu myself I am well aware of the hard work and dedication it takes to make your way up to the different belts. Reaching the status of black belt is one that, in the past, had been reserved for those that truly dedicated themselves to the style and that embodied all that jiu jitsu stood for as a fighting style. The belt system in jiu jitsu, for those that are not familiar with the style, starts at white belt. The lineage is as follows: white, blue, purple, brown and black. Most people who study jiu jitsu work at least 8 years to get to the level of black belt. Rashad started training in MMA in 2004 with Dan Severn before he made it to The Ultimate Fighter 2 on Spike TV in 2005. During his time on the show Rashad showed off his wrestling and not much else. His lack of a top game and lack of stand up was eveident on the show. We can infer from this that he had not trained in much jiu jitsu, if any at all at this point. Now he receives his black belt in just over 4 years which would lead some to believe that his jiu jitsu is on par with Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) who received his black belt in three years.

Rashad has shown none of the attributes of a true black belt in jiu jitsu. The sheer amount of technical knowledge a brown belt has to have in order to become a black belt is vast. I have never seen Evans, or some of the other fighters that are supposed black belts, actually show us a glimpse of this technical ability. The ability to pass guard and set up submissions is something we have never seen from Rashad. He has two submissions on his record and those are his first two pro fights, one of which was a submission due to strikes and then other is only listed as a submission. After that he has never even come close to pulling off a submission, or even looking for one from what I can remember.

This brings up the topic of training in a gi. A gi is the required uniform in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). The only way to get a BJJ black belt it to train in the gi. I know there are videos circulating on the internet with Rashad training in a gi. Does this make him a black belt? I do not think it does. BJJ black belts also need to compete. It is part of the process of learning and demonstrating the knowledge you are supposed to have obtained. This does not mean competing in MMA but rather in gi and no gi tournaments. I know Rashad rolls with many high level BJJ guys but this alone does not make him a black belt. If Rolles was a Lute Livre instructor than I could understand the promotion he just received. Is there another reason for belt promotions we are seeing today?

I will not go into the list of fighters that are supposed to be BJJ black belts but have shown everything but high level jiu jitsu. Instead let’s look why we could possibly see a Gracie or someone of equal value give a black belt to someone who does not compete in tournaments and has shown little in the way of true BJJ skill. Rolles Gracie has recently been training in MMA under Renzo Gracie in Holmdel, NJ and Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, NM. Notice I said Greg Jackson. The same place that Rashad trains. There is now a tie between the two fighters. This is something we have seen numerous times. Fighters get into a camp where there is a true black belt and we see them issued these belts. Could it be that Rashad has helped Rolles out with his wrestling or striking and in order to pay him back Rolles felt it would be nice to award him with a black belt? It is something to consider as many camps have issued black belts under similar circumstances while guys like Nate Diaz (10-5) just recently was awarded his black belt despite showing far superior ground skills than someone like Rashad.

How about the days of Pride when fighters from Chute Boxe were being rewarded with black belts despite avoiding the ground and once there looking very average? I believe we are seeing the true BJJ black belt become watered down. I feel the style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu should remain pure as should the lineage of black belts. In all fairness, maybe someone should start issuing black belts in MMA so we would see fewer guys feeling the need to bestow a once proud and labor intensive achievement on men who simply do not have the skill required.

Many will say I am not a black belt so how can I sit here and question the word of a black belt, specifically a Gracie. I say it is my job and duty as a fan and practitioner of the sport to hold it to the highest standards and if that means questioning a Gracie than so be it. I refuse to sit back and say nothing while the country becomes littered with McDojos and McBlackbelts. Helio Gracie would have wanted someone to speak up for his fighting style.

As always if you feel the need to yell at me or pat me on the back you can do so live on MMA Gospel Radio which airs Wednesdays from 8-10 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel You can join us in the Cageside Chatroom or call into the show by dialing 347-857-1337. Hope to see you there.

“I see that Dana has let the cat out of the bag,” Hughes said, referencing UFC President Dana White’s hint Thursday in Memphis about the matchup. “So I can tell you what I know, on April 10th I will be fighting Renzo Gracie in Abu Dhabi. I haven’t signed any paperwork and I don’t think Renzo has either; but I think this fight is going to happen.”

The future UFC Hall-of-Famer recently climbed from beneath consecutive losses to Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4).  The Illinois native and Miletich Fighting Systems alumnus put his record back on track with a unanimous-decision win over “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23.

Renzo Gracie has not entered a cage since February 2007 when he defeated former Strikeforce champion Frank Shamrock (23-9-2), though by disqualification. Prior to his meeting with Shamrock, Gracie scored a pair of victories over Matt Huges’ former coach, Pat Miletich (28-7-2) as well as “Ronin” Carlos Newton (13-13) in bouts for the now defunct International Fight League. Gracie was also a coach of the IFL’s New York Pitbulls.

Hughes, the longest-serving welterweight champion in UFC history, called the date “possible”.

The future UFC Hall-of-Famer recently climbed from beneath consecutive losses to Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4).  The Illinois native and Miletich Fighting Systems alumnus put his record back on track with a unanimous-decision win over “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23.

In November, Heavy.com reported that Hughes will fight PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) when Hughes returns to battle.

Renzo Gracie has not entered a cage since February 2007 when he defeated former Strikeforce champion Frank Shamrock (23-9-2), though by disqualification. Prior to his meeting with Shamrock, Gracie scored a pair of victories over Matt Huges’ former coach, Pat Miletich (28-7-2) as well as “Ronin” Carlos Newton (13-13) in bouts for the now defunct International Fight League. Gracie was also a coach of the IFL’s New York Pitbulls.

Not yet officially announced, UFC 109 is expected to take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight card will air on pay-per-view as the UFC’s annual Super Bowl weekend card.

Hughes, a future UFC Hall-of-Famer, recently climbed from beneath consecutive losses to Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4).  The Illinois native and Miletich Fighting Systems alumnus put his record back on track with a unanimous-decision win over “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23.

Hughes also owns a win over legendary former UFC champion Royce Gracie (14-3-3) at UFC 60 in Los Angeles in May 2006.  Renzo Gracie, also a member of the famed Gracie clan, is the son of Robson Gracie and the grandson of Carlos Gracie.

Renzo Gracie has not entered a cage since February 2007 when he defeated former Strikeforce champion Frank Shamrock (23-9-2), though by disqualification. Prior to his meeting with Shamrock, Gracie scored a pair of victories over Matt Huges’ former coach, Pat Miletich (28-7-2) as well as “Ronin” Carlos Newton (13-13) in bouts for the now defunct International Fight League. Gracie was also a coach of the IFL’s New York Pitbulls.

“We are interested in any comments,” said Lembo.  “All comments will be passed on to the Committee for their consideration.”

Topics on the Commitee’s agenda include:

Adding smothering of the nostrils or mouth as a foul (as per the Montreal document).

Removing manipulating the clavicle as a foul (as per the Montreal document).

Removing heel kicks to the kidney as a foul (as per the Montreal document).

Removing the allowance of stomps to the feet by two standing fighters  (as per the Montreal document).

Reviewing weight classes (as in the Montreal document).

Rules or prohibited strikes for amateurs.

Downward pointed elbow strikes.

Where strikes should be allowed to the back of the head.

Knees to the head on the ground.

And, scoring.

Comments must be submitted in writing by 17 September to:

Nicholas Lembo
State Athletic Control Board
Hughes Justice Complex
PO Box 180
Trenton, NJ 08625

The Association of Boxing Commissions Professional and Amateur MMA Rules Committee consists of the following members:

Chairman Nick Lembo, New Jersey
Jim Erickson, North Dakota
Andy Foster, Georgia
Dale Kilparchuk, River Cree
Keith Kizer, Nevada
Armando Garcia, California
Josef Mason, Colorado
Mike Mazzulli, Mohegan Sun
Bernie Profato, Ohio

In addition, Lembo has announced a fighters sub-committee consisting of:

“Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3)
Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)
Stephen Haigh (4-2)
“Gumby” Jeremy Horn (80-18-5)
Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7)
Tara LaRosa
“Croation Sensation” Pat Miletich (28-7-2)
Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

And, an industry sub-committee of:

Monte Cox, Adrenaline MMA promoter
John McCarthy, broadcaster and referee
Lou Neglia, Ring of Combat promoter
J.D. Penn, Rumble on the Rock promoter
Joe Silva, UFC matchmaker
Marc Ratner, UFC vice-president
Jared Shaw, EliteXC vice-president

Tickets went on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and are available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (201) 507-8900.

Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world.

Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago.  On April 4, Matyushenko will battle “The Suit” Jamal Patterson, a Colgate University graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career.

Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown.  His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller, a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL.

Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis in the featherweight championship in December.  He takes on Shad Lierley, a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki last year.

“I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations.  “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.” 

Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham and Emyr Bussade and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz and Lew Polley.  LC Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent.

The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius vs. “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski matchup.  Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD. 

Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card.

IFL East Rutherford, N.J.
Friday, April 4, 2008
(order TBD)

Additional Bouts
155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD

American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems
145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1)
170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3)
205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3)

Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy
155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2)
170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4)
*205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1)

Additional Championship Bouts
*170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2)
*145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1)

*Championship Bout
**Current Titleholder