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| Evan Tanner: ‘For a better world’ unreleased videos Posted: 11 Sep 2008 08:24 AM CDT Part one: Part two: Check out the Associated Press news report and footage in the wake of Evan’s death after the jump.
(Thanks to BloodyElbow.com for the assist on the first two vids … real good stuff.) |
| Arianny Celeste: Maxim Hometown Hotties 2008 Finalist Posted: 11 Sep 2008 08:10 AM CDT
UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste is a Maxim “Hometown Hotties” Finalist for the 2008 contest. There’s not much else to say other than maybe vote and definitely enjoy. For more “material” on the Octagon siren click here. And there’s more pics after the jump.
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| Posted: 11 Sep 2008 07:49 AM CDT
On the heels of Sengoku 4 on August 24, World Victory Road has finalized its fifth installment that features a middleweight grand prix and a pair of grappling all-stars. Sengoku 5 will take place on September 28 at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Grand Prix participants include:
Kondo and Sasaki will be facing off for the first time, which comes as a surprise considering how many times they've battled under the Pancrase banner. In addition to having chewed some of the same dirt, each fighter will be looking to rebound from losses at Sengoku “Second Battle.” On the flip side, Santiago and Santos took victories in their Sengoku debuts while Nakamura is making his first appearance with World Victory Road after a 0-2 run in the UFC. Bahadurzada — "The Afghan Killer" — was recently choked out by Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku “First Battle” back in March. Bahadurzada may want to reconsider his nickname before appearing stateside. Logan Clark dropped a decision to Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 3 back in June, but who cares? I’ll watch anyone man enough to call themselves “The Pink Pounder”. And speaking of poundings, England’s Paul Cahoon is probably glad to be on any card that doesn’t feature nemesis Melvin Manhoef. Appearing on the main card is American Top Team's Jorge "GameBred" Masvidal (13-3) who will be taking on Ryan "The Lion" Schultz (20-10-1). Schultz was upset at Sengoku 4 last month when he was bounced out of the lightweight grand prix in the first round by underdog Mizuto Hirota. Also in action are jiu-jitsu all-stars Alexandre Ribeiro (0-0) and Roger Gracie (2-0). A four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, "Xande" rocketed to the top of the grappling food chain after defeating Gracie at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championships absolute divisions in 2006 and 2008. Now he gets the path of least resistance as he faces the aging Takashi Sugiura (1-2), while Gracie goes head-to-head with MMA legend Travis “Diesel” Wiuff (53-11), who eroded the iron jaw of Kazuyuki Fujita at June’s Sengoku 3. Looks like Gracie got the short end of the stick in that deal. Here is the finalized fight card for Sengoku 5: Heavyweight Fight: Roger Gracie (2-0) vs. Travis Wiuff (53-11)Light Heavyweight Fight: Xande Ribeiro (0-0) vs. Takashi Sugiura Lightweight Fights: Middleweight GP Series 2008 1st Round: |
| TUF Love: Keep your friends close … and your enemies closer (Video) Posted: 10 Sep 2008 10:18 PM CDT No, this isn’t a punchline! Join three of the most unlikely castmates from the original season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) as they find themselves face-to-face in a cramped rental car almost four years after all the drama on “reunion weekend.” While the addition of Bobby Southworth would have been pure gold, I’m more interested in how they determined who rode shotgun. Enjoy! BIG thanks to the good folks over at MARClothing.com for the exclusive video score. Head over to their Web site right now and buy something. Click HERE. |
| Fedor Emelianenko to compete at Affliction’s revamped ‘Day of Reckoning’ card for January 2009 Posted: 10 Sep 2008 10:13 PM CDT
Not since Jonathan Lansdale has a man had so much trouble with his hand. Affliction headliner and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko is set to return to action at the recently reconstructed fight card for Affliction ‘Day of Reckoning’ in January 2009 according to NBC Sports. Emelianenko was kept off the original ‘Reckoning’ card (previously scheduled for October 11 in Las Vegas) due to a serious hand injury - the second of his career - until some undermining by “unknown” meddlers forced Affliction officials to abandon The Thomas & Mack Center - and the home of the UFC - for a more welcome atmosphere. The postponement and subsequent transfer to Affliction’s home base of California may cost them money up front, but it may also bring greater reward with the inclusion of Emelianenko. That’s not to imply that Andrei Arlovski vs Josh Barnett isn’t a solid main event - it is, but the T-shirt giant didn’t shell out millions to have its marquee player riding the bench. Emelianenko does not yet have an opponent, but it’s not unrealistic to think of the crowned prince of Combat Sambo facing Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski. The two were set to do battle in October before the hand injury sidelined Emelianenko. While all of the combatants on the original ‘Day of Reckoning’ card are expected to compete in January, there may be some minor changes after the addition of Emelianenko. From Affliction Vice-President Tom Atencio:
Affliction is also preparing to make a blockbuster announcement about the future of the promotion during Boxing’s big lightweight title fight between Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez, which will air on HBO pay-per-view (PPV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, September 13. Fedor is here and Randy is gone, so that takes care of the obvious. For now, all we can do is speculate: MMA on HBO? Tito vs. Fedor? A Japanese alliance? Stay tuned! |
| Tom Atencio: Big announcement coming … could it be Affliction on HBO? Posted: 10 Sep 2008 08:40 PM CDT
Affliction MMA Vice President Tom Atencio has promised that an announcement will be made about the future of his promotion during at the big lightweight title fight between Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez, which will air on HBO pay-per-view (PPV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, September 13. Affliction today revealed that it has postponed its encore show “Day of Reckoning” — originally scheduled for October 11 — until January 17, 2009, leading some people to believe that the big-spending upstart promotion was already financially on the ropes. However, if an announcement is indeed made during the HBO telecast one would have to assume that some type of partnership is possibly in the works to air mixed martial arts fights on the premium cable channel. Take that, Jim Lampley. Stay tuned … nothing is official at this time. |
| UFC Fight Night: ‘Fort Bragg’ set for December 10 in North Carolina Posted: 10 Sep 2008 08:17 PM CDT
Similar to UFC Fight Night from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Miramar, Calif., on December 12, 2006, the event will be free for military personnel to attend and likely feature a fight card that is littered with veterans of the armed services who now compete in mixed martial arts. It’s going to be a busy month and an even busier week for the promotion — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale is scheduled for December 13 and UFC 92 is set to go off just two weeks later on December 27. Talk about ending 2008 with a bang (no pun intended). This will mark the first time the promotion has staged an event in North Carolina since the early (and dark) days of its existence. UFC 3: “The American Dream” took place way back on September 9, 1994, and UFC 5: “The Return of the Beast” was held shortly thereafter on April 7, 1995. Both events took place in Charlotte. Fort Bragg is known as the “Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces,” according to the official Web site. It also the home for the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. The US Army Special Operations Command and the US Army Parachute Team (the Golden Knights) also call Fort Bragg home. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the Fort Bragg event and its forthcoming line up … we hear good things. Get ready, Tar Heels. |
| Randy Couture book review: ‘Becoming the Natural’ Posted: 10 Sep 2008 07:07 PM CDT
Now relatively buried beneath the pile of news articles concerning Couture’s return to the UFC and his berth in the heavyweight title “tournament” between himself, Brock Lesnar, UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir, the book is nevertheless a good, quick read for those looking for everything-they-ever-wanted-to-know (and more) about Couture. The book recounts Couture’s life, from growing up in Washington State to his emergence as one of the top-ranked Greco-Roman wrestlers in the country, and eventually to his foray into mixed martial arts and his journey to becoming a six-time UFC champion. Couture’s lifelong search for a father figure has been pitched as being paramount to his progression into the world of mixed martial arts, but the narrative concerns itself just as much with Couture’s countless adulterous trysts and two failed marriages as it does his lack of a father figure. While I give Couture props for laying everything out on the table, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for his lack of restraint regarding his personal life. Despite me now knowing way more about Couture than I care to, the book was hard to put down. He talks about feeling an opponent “break” in the ring and knowing the end of the fight would shortly follow. Most intriguing were his accounts of dealing with UFC management (both pre- and post-Zuffa ownership.
Couture’s long-running feud with UFC ownership dates back to almost the beginning of his UFC career. Under former owner SEG, the UFC had pitted Couture up against its would-be future poster boy, Vitor Belfort. The “Phenom” was supposed to win, so that he could then challenge Maurice Smith for the heavyweight title. The only problem? Couture won, sending then-owner Bob Meyrowitz and top UFC brass into a tizzy. Without another alternative, the UFC was forced to grant Couture the title shot where he again upset the heavy favorite to capture the belt. Shortly afterward, the financial entanglements of the struggling SEG had finally caught up with the promotion, which according to Couture, reneged on its contract and tried to offer Couture $25,000 for his next fight — down from the previously agreed on $80,000. Couture walked, finding greener pastures in Shooto’s Vale Tudo Japan and in the RINGS promotion, where he would remain for six of his next seven fights. While this first brush with the UFC would not be Couture’s last, it does smack of the same “disrespect” Couture has alluded to for the past year in regard to his ongoing negotiations with the UFC. For him, it’s been a culture of disrespect, no matter who was writing the checks, SEG or Zuffa. This fact alone makes it all the more surprising to me that Couture recently signed a new, three-fight deal with the UFC. And if nothing else, the book sheds a very interesting light on how Couture feels about Dana White running the promotion. Around the time when the UFC was first taken over by Zuffa, Couture was managed by Battle Management, which comprised of Jeremy Lappen — an entertainment lawyer and producer — and Peter Levin, a longtime agent. These Hollywood boys knew what to make of bad deals, namely, Couture’s first Zuffa-made offer following his successful title defense against Pedro Rizzo (a fight Couture calls “the toughest I’ve ever had”).
Lappen and Levin explained to Couture the dangers of signing away his ancillary rights (which most UFC-signed fighters forfeit). They also didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with Dana White on a lot of things, saying that he behaved inappropriately in meetings: “He is so irrational and emotional, screaming and yelling and cussing.” In an effort to avoid Couture’s management, Dana White tried to reach out to the champ directly.
While the book strengthens Couture’s arguments that he has long been at loggerheads with the UFC, it doesn’t paint the picture as only black and white. There are indeed a lot of colors to their relationship, and Couture has good to speak of Dana White as well:
Couture also spends a significant amount of time reflecting on his last fight before retiring from the ring — UFC 57: “Liddell vs. Couture 3″ on February 4, 2006. While Couture would eventually come out of retirement a year later to reclaim the promotion’s heavyweight title, it was a big moment in his life, and one where the UFC again showed its support. After the tough loss to Liddell, Couture was met in the locker room by his wife Kim and several of his teammates from the Las Vegas gym. Shortly thereafter, UFC brass stopped by:
When Couture did decide to return to the Octagon a year later, he tried to do so on his own terms:
After a one-year layoff, Couture re-emerged from retirement to challenge UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia for the belt at the ripe young age of 43. After his win, the Couture story was perhaps the biggest it’s ever been, which only helped the sport gain even more attention in the eyes of casual sports fans. However, as documented by Couture, the hits kept coming. While Couture tirelessly made television appearances in an effort to promote the sport and himself as the promotion’s new heavyweight champion, more and more mainstream media outlets were starting to take notice, including ESPN The Magazine and Sports Illustrated.
Around the same time, Couture had heard rumors that Dana White was up in arms over Couture appearing on Spike TV’s “Pros vs. Joes” program which according to Couture, was because White “wasn’t sure that (Couture) was the one he wanted representing the UFC on the show.” Listing all of the “insults and disrespect” that Couture does in his book would take too much time, but suffice it to say, he details a recent case against the promotion. On October 11, 2007, he resigned from the organization after it failed to sign Fedor Emelianenko. At that stage in his career, Couture says, it was the only fight that made sense for him, and if the UFC couldn’t make it happen, he felt as if he had the right to try and make it happen on his own. As we’ve all read, what followed was a year’s worth of contract negotiations and threats of litigation. But at one point, Couture even offered a new deal: He was willing to never again fight for any other promotion if the UFC would shorten the one-year, non-compete period and forever be done with him. He was willing to give up his dream of fighting Emelianenko, if it meant avoiding litigation. That’s how badly Couture wanted to be done with the UFC “once and for all.” At the time the book went to press, Couture was still awaiting the court’s decision, and that’s pretty much where the book leaves us. What happened to make Couture change his mind in the time since, what precise negotiations occurred between Couture and the UFC, is anyone’s guess. But it appears clear — especially after reading his memoir — that “Captain America’s” clock is ticking, and desperate times call for desperate measures. At age 45, if Couture ever wants to fight Emelianenko — and be done with litigation brought forth by the UFC — the only alternative seems to be to keep his mouth shut and play ball. No matter what side of the debate you lean toward — the UFC’s right to protect its product, or a fighter’s right to call his own shots — Couture’s memoir only makes his current situation sound all the more desperate. And for that, here’s hoping he satisfies his new contract, the UFC butts out, and Couture gets the chance to fight Emelianenko once and for all. That would be the storybook type of ending that he more than likely would have preferred to close “Becoming The Natural.” Who knows … maybe he’ll pen a sequel. |
| Affliction broadcast team gets facelift with HDNet TV deal Posted: 10 Sep 2008 04:17 PM CDT
The two nuggets appear to be unrelated — the fresh blood in the ringside booth is thanks to a new television partnership with HDNet. Accordingly, “Big” John McCarthy, Jay Glazer and Frank Trigg will be replaced by the more established and accomplished broadcast crew comprising Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice and Ron Kruck. Rutten and Rice can also be heard handling the live commentary for the Japanese mixed martial arts organization DREAM, along with co-hosting the hour long “Inside MMA” weekly program which airs on Friday nights on HDNet. It’s no coincidence. As far as this writer is concerned, “El Guapo” is on the short list of great color commentators in this sport, ranking right up there with Joe Rogan. This is a solid decision for the t-shirt company/MMA promotion. Affliction selling more pay-per-views as a result of this change is pretty doubtful, but it will surely help them improve the quality of the event’s production. Thumbs up to Affliction. |
| Affliction: ‘Day of Reckoning’ October 11 Las Vegas show postponed until January 2009 Posted: 10 Sep 2008 01:35 PM CDT
Affliction “Day of Reckoning” has reportedly been postponed, according to MMARated.com. Scheduled for October 11, the follow up to Affliction’s debut “Banned” featured the main event between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski with the winner to meet WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko at a planned third event. Could the UFC’s alleged involvement have hindered the T-shirt giant in its quest to promote a successful MMA event in Las Vegas — home of the UFC? Affliction Vice President Tom Attencio courtesy of MMAWeekly.com:
Coincidence? Sherdog.com reports that the show will still go on; however, it will be in Anaheim, Calif., sometime in January 2009. MMAmania.com will have more on this startling development as more details become available. |
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