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| UFC 88 poster for ‘Breakthrough’ in Atlanta September 6 Posted: 07 Aug 2008 08:11 AM CDT |
| ‘Rush’ to judgement: An exclusive interview with UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre Posted: 07 Aug 2008 02:27 AM CDT
At 16-2 and just 27 years of age, the Canadian phenom has already been through a meteoric rise and fall - and subsequent rise in the annals of UFC superstardom. “There were problems” the champ tells me when I ask him about the difficulties in his past, including his loss to Matt Serra. “But part of growing up is recognizing what is wrong and then doing what is right”. St. Pierre had the unenviable task of growing up in the public spotlight. And in that spotlight, sometimes you’re only as good as your last fight. Yet that seems to be an approach that ‘Rush’ has embraced heading into his fight against Jon Fitch at UFC 87. No more looking back on what he’s done. Conversely, no more looking ahead to what he might do. “Jon Fitch is my focus right now. Nothing else.” I spoke to the St. Pierre at 35,000 feet, en route to Minneapolis for his August 9 showdown with Jon Fitch at UFC 87: ‘Seek and Destroy’. We covered everything from training in Brazil to a possible showdown with Anderson Silva. And what about all that talk from BJ Penn about gunning for a rematch? Check it out. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Georges, first and foremost thank you for taking the time to talk with us again at MMAmania. Let’s get the requisite health question out of the way. How are you feeling physically? Georges St. Pierre: I am 110%. I am in the best shape of my life. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How good does it feel to have the two Matt’s (Serra and Hughes) finally behind you? Georges St. Pierre: It is a relief and it is good for my health, but I cannot relax because there are still so many challenges ahead of me. There is no resting anymore. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): On Saturday you’ll be facing Jon Fitch who trains with Josh Koscheck - one of the few fighters that took you to a decision. Does that put you at a disadvantage coming into this fight? Georges St. Pierre: I don’t see it as a disadvantage for me and I don’t see it as an advantage for him. I’m a different fighter than I used to be a year ago. Jon Fitch is going to find that out. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You recently spent time in Brazil training jiu-jitsu. Was that specifically for the Fitch fight or was it the next logical step in your evolution as a fighter? Georges St. Pierre: It was for my evolution. I constantly want to evolve and make sure I am ahead of the game. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How were you received by the Brazilian fighters? I’ve heard they can be a very tight-knit group. Georges St. Pierre: Oh very well. I got a lot out of them and even had some of their trainers come back with me to Montreal to help me prepare for this fight. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you have any plans to return? Georges St. Pierre: Definitely. I got so much out of the time I spent there it would be a waste of an opportunity to not go back. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What kind of difference has it made in your career to be aligned with Greg Jackson and his stable of fighters? Georges St. Pierre: Greg is very well organized and someone I can count on 100% as a trainer. For me he is the best trainer in the world and that gives me confidence in my fighting and my overall strategy coming into a fight. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): In my interview with fellow welterweight and former Jackson pupil Diego Sanchez, the “Nightmare” blamed you for his split with Greg Jackson - that you kind of ran him out of town with your arrival. Your response? Georges St. Pierre: (Pauses) Well, I don’t think so. I thought that Diego left because of his kid in California and for his family. I don’t know if it was for anything else. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Here is a direct quote from Diego: 'GSP could have gone to any camp he wanted. He knew that place was my home, my dream. That took a little something out of my heart. He’s training in the cage that I bled in, that I sweat in and cried in’. Georges St. Pierre: Well…he’s got to do what he’s got to do. I don’t have any angry feeling towards Diego Sanchez. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How do you respond to critics and even fellow fighters like Pete Sell who question your mental preparedness coming into a big fight? Georges St. Pierre: I might have had some issues before, but I’m more mature now and I have learned from my mistakes. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): BJ Penn has not exactly kept it a secret that he intends to eventually move back up in weight to rematch you for the welterweight title. Is this just a fighter’s mentality or does BJ seem overly consumed by your last fight? Georges St. Pierre: I think BJ always looks for the best challenge. I’m not afraid of nobody and I’m not going to dodge nobody. I will give a shot to anyone who deserves it. If that person is BJ, then so be it. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): It seems a big part of his motivation is the outcome of your first fight. Does he have a legitimate gripe or is this just sour grapes? Looking back on the fight, can you say you were a clear-cut winner? Georges St. Pierre: I truly believe that I won that fight. If he wants to do it again then I am up to it, I don’t care. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Thiago Alves has rocketed himself up the welterweight ladder with stoppages over Karo Parisyan and Matt Hughes. Yet Hughes isn’t convinced he’s a top five welterweight. Are you? Georges St. Pierre: Yes of course, I would put Thiago in the top five. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): EliteXC welterweight Jake Shields seems to be calling out anyone with a pulse and a bodyweight of 170 lbs. Does it frustrate you to hear trash-talk from a fighter who knows there is little to no chance of ever fighting you? Georges St. Pierre: When people call me out it makes me feel good because it means I am doing well. I take it as a compliment. I am always looking for a challenge so I’ll fight anyone who deserves a shot. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Without looking past Fitch, can you envision a scenario where you move up in weight to face middleweight champion Anderson Silva, should he be able to defend successfully against Patrick Cote? Georges St. Pierre: Well I still have a lot of challenges at 170 now, but it all depends on the timing of such a fight and how well I do on Saturday night. I don’t know what the future is but it’s definitely a possibility. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You’re as close to Cote as anyone. Does he stand a chance against “The Spider”? Georges St. Pierre: He’s very well prepared. He hits very hard and stands a good chance to win this fight. He has a good style to beat Anderson Silva. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you have any pre-fight rituals? Sometimes I see you spitting out water like Triple H. Georges St. Pierre: The only ritual I have before I fight is to pray. I pray for myself and my opponent that we both come out in good health. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What is your contract status with the UFC? Including Saturday, how many fights remain on your current contract? Georges St. Pierre: Two. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Well then negotiations are right around the corner. Would you consider fighting for another promotion? Assume a competing promoter could offer you double what the UFC could. Georges St. Pierre: Right now I am under contract with the UFC. This is my home and I’m very happy here. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What if that same promoter could guarantee all your fights would be in Canada? Georges St. Pierre: (Laughs) I am under contract with the UFC. Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): That’s good news for UFC fans and bad news for UFC welterweights. Thanks for taking the time Georges and we wish you the best of luck on Saturday. Georges St. Pierre: Thank you. For all the latest on UFC 87 click here. |
| Posted: 07 Aug 2008 02:14 AM CDT
RUMBLE IN HAWAII!! Two warriors … one title! From the famed Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil emerges the newly crowned EliteXC middleweight champion, Murilo “Ninja” Rua. Fresh off capturing the coveted title, “Ninja” immediately sets to defend his belt against the number one contender, Miletich-trained “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler! And coming off his legendary bout with Japanese champion Takanori Gomi, Nick Diaz makes his return to the cage as he takes on Hawaiian slugger, “Iron” Mike Aina. Female mixed martial arts superstar and American Gladiator Gina Carano goes head-to-head with colorful grappler Tonya Evinger. Rising welterweight, Jake “The American Dream” Shields takes on Hawaiian jiu-jitsu legend Renato “Charuto” Verissimo and it’s East versus West as Japan’s “Killer Bee” Riki Fukuda challenges tough-as-nails “Smokin’” Joe Villasenor. Let the battles begin! FIGHT CARD: BONUS FIGHTS: Running Time: 127 minutes EliteXC 'Uprising' is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here. To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don't see it in our store? Email us and we'll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time. |
| New beginnings: Affliction signs IFL lightweight Chris Horodecki Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:52 AM CDT
His latest score is lightweight superstar Chris Horodecki, who is sure to bring some fire to the land of big-name heavyweights when he debuts at Affliction ‘Day of Reckoning’ on October 11. Horodecki (12-1) debuted with the International Fight League back in June of 2006, going 8-1 and looking sensational in the process. At just twenty years old, Horodecki has already made a name for himself in mixed martial arts, evident in the courtship that followed the demise of the IFL. Among the suitors were WEC, Affliction and the American Fight League (AFL). Even World Victory Road got in on the action, who considered Horodecki as a potential opponent for lightweight diety Takanori Gomi at August’s ‘Sengoku’ event. While an opponent has yet to be named, Affliction still has plenty of options, both stateside and overseas. I would expect an announcement in the coming weeks, but with the way Affliction has been moving to get this card assembled, it could happen in a matter of days. Affliction "Day of Reckoning" takes place on October 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and features the main event of Josh "The Babyface Assassin" Barnett (23-5) vs. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski (13-5). Click here for all the latest on Affliction: ‘Day of Reckoning’. |
| Affliction ‘Day of Reckoning’: Paul Buentello vs Roy Nelson Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:10 AM CDT
Nelson (13-2) will try to prove his worth by facing former UFC heavyweight contender Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello at Affliction’s sophomore effort ‘Day of Reckoning’ on October 11. Buentello (26-10) is coming off a dominant performance over late-replacement Gary Goodrich at Affliction ‘Banned’ on July 19. Mr. “Fear & Consequences” is 5-1 in his last six fights, with 4 (T)KO’s. He’s a talented striker with ten years of experience. He’ll have his hands full against the heavy-handed Nelson, who was last seen dropping off UFC and TUF veteran Brad Imes on the corner of Lights and Out. His two losses were by decision and despite his radius knows a thing or two about submissions, having ended three straight via choke. Affliction "Day of Reckoning" takes place on October 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and features the main event of Josh "The Babyface Assassin" Barnett (23-5) vs. Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski (13-5). Also confirmed is the rumored middleweight showdown between Matt "The Law' Lindland (21-5) and Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (17-8) - pending Belfort’s medical clearance for his post-fight medical suspension from Affliction: ‘Banned’. More fights are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. |
| CSAC: Emelianenko was not and will not be cleared to fight Posted: 07 Aug 2008 12:40 AM CDT
At the time, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) Executive Director, Armando Garcia, was unable to elaborate on the situation due to California's very strict medical privacy laws. And since Gary Goodrich was able to step-up on such short notice to replace him, much of the fallout from Emelianenko's ban went by the wayside. Then last week, Emelianenko tried to further downplay the incident by going public with his side of the story. Perhaps it was to dispel rumors that he was afflicted with very serious medical problems. Or maybe it was just to clear the air and reassure fans that he intends on competing at Affliction: ‘Day of Reckoning’. Either way, it wasn’t very successful. It seems his simple explanation of missed deadlines and poor timing isn’t sitting well with Bill Douglas and the rest of the suits over at the CSAC, who fired back recently on the Figure Four Daily Radio Show. From Douglas:
Pretty strong words from the commission. Whether or not Emelianenko chooses to keep the rhetoric going is entirely up to him. But whatever he chooses, the CSAC sounds ready to refute him at every turn. If Emelianenko has some sort of documented proof that he was medically cleared, now is the time to show it. Otherwise, he might want to take a page from our book and plead the fifth. |
| Chris Leben video: The Evolution of an Icon (Episode 4) Posted: 07 Aug 2008 12:27 AM CDT |
| MMA Quick Quote: Tito Ortiz to Affliction MMA not official … yet Posted: 07 Aug 2008 12:18 AM CDT
– Michael Cohen, executive vice president of The Trump Organization, today tells Sherdog.com at an official Affliction MMA press conference to promote “Day of Reckoning” that no deal has been struck with Tito Ortiz … yet. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” however, was quoted yesterday in an SI.com article that the deal would be "like no other" and that it was “ground breaking.” In addition, the report indicates that Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio has not even spoken with Ortiz. This is certainly bizarre, but should not come as a surprise — it isn’t the first time Ortiz has bluffed to snag headlines. And it certainly won’t be the last. The UFC has the right to match any offer, which could be the reason behind this latest news. Even though it is incredibly unlikely that the promotion would re-sign him because UFC President Dana White has been very vocal about having no interest of being in the “Tito Ortiz business” any longer. |
| Elite XC at ‘The Pit’ in Albuquerque September 20 Posted: 06 Aug 2008 02:44 PM CDT
“The Pit” seats more than 18,000 fans, which makes this a rather ambitious decision for Elite XC, considering the promotion was only able to sling 3,701 tickets out of a possible 8,541 at last month’s “Unfinished Business” event in Stockton, Calif. Albuquerque is home to Greg Jackson’s camp (Jackson’s Submission Fighting), which includes Elite XC middleweight contender Joey Villasenor (26-6), who incidentally is rumored to be a part of the main event for this card. In fact, there have been some reports recently suggesting the main event will be a rematch between Villasenor and Brazilian Murilo “Ninja” Rua (16-8-1) in a possible number one contender match for a shot at division champ, Robbie Lawler. That match up, however, doesn’t appear likely. Not on September 20, anyway. The rumor mill also has Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Paul “Semtex” Daley (18-6-2) making his return to the United States on September 20 for this show. He is coming off a brief hiatus from the sport for personal reasons and hasn’t fought for Elite XC since a January 25 knockout of Sam Morgan on Showtime. Undefeated heavyweight Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0) is being talked about for the event as well, but no possible opponents have been named at this time. With events now scheduled for August 15, September 20 and October 4, Elite XC is looking at a very important next couple of months as far as the future of the organization goes. Ticket sales and television ratings need to go up. Can Elite XC deliver? |
| Report: Roger Huerta and UFC ‘far apart’ on contract extension Posted: 06 Aug 2008 01:58 PM CDT
“El Matador” has perhaps his biggest test to date this weekend when he takes on Kenny Florian at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 9. With a win he will likely distinguish himself as the clear-cut number one contender in the division. But he may never get to challenge for the title even if he does win if he can’t ink a contract extension, which is a very real possibility if things don’t change soon, according to Dave Meltzer at WrestlingObserver.com. Here’s his analysis:
UFC President Dana White will not allow Huerta to challenge for a belt until he re-signs. It’s policy that the promotion follows to ensure champions defend their titles and don’t bolt for another organization or tie-up the division with contract negotiations. In short, he can’t challenge for the title with just one fight remaining on his contract. This of course come on the heels of Huerta dropping a bombshell in Fight! magazine recently, revealing that he’s not pleased with his current arrangement with the UFC. In addition, he was apparently ticked that the promotion twisted his pre-fight interview to insinuate that his fight with Florian would be a “cake walk” (Huerta was actually comparing this fight to his rough and tumble upbringing). Indeed, there appears to be some trouble in paradise between the “golden boy” and the promotion that has attempted to build him as a cross-over cultural star. And things could go from bad to worse if he winds up with his hand raised in victory Saturday night. Florian, however, might be able to do something about that. |
Aleksander Emelianenko failed to meet medical licensing requirements and was scratched from his bout against Paul Buentello at the Affliction: Banned event on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
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