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MMA Quick Quote: Everybody will shut-up on October 4 Posted: 12 Sep 2008 03:01 AM CDT "That is absolutely what this (fight) is. I'm absolutely taking it as an insult, and I'm going to smash it back in their face. All I've got to say is that I apologize for my last couple of performances. I have no excuses. On October 4, I will shut everybody up and make amends for those [defeats] by putting Kimbo's lights out. When you fight a guy like Kimbo, experience is irrelevant. I'm not walking in thinking I'm smarter than him or that I'm going to outskill him. I'm going back to the old Ken Shamrock. I'm going to beat you down and ask questions later. I don't respect his power. The only time he's knocked anyone out is when they were tired. At this point, I have no respect for him at all. I'm going in there to whip his ass." -Ken Shamrock vents during a September 11 teleconference to promote his October 4 bout on “Saturday Night Fights” against heavyweight attraction Kimbo Slice at EliteXC "Heat" from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. Shamrock will try to upset the hard-hitting streetfighter when they square off on CBS - though I’m not sure he has the best gameplan, especially considering that seven of his last eight losses were by knockout.

DREAM 6 fight card finalized with the addition of legends & all-stars Posted: 12 Sep 2008 02:07 AM CDT DREAM Entertainment has finalized the main card for the conclusion of its middleweight grand prix at DREAM 6 on September 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will air live stateside on HDNet. Added today is practically a who’s-who of Japanese legends & all-stars including Keita “K-taro” Nakamura (14-3-2), Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa (40-28-8), Masakatsu Funaki (38-13-1), Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1) and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (32-8-2). It will be interesting to see if Sakurai and Nakamura can rebound from their disappointing losses earlier this year. “Mach” was upset by David Baron at Shooto back in May while “K-Taro” lost a split-decision against Rob Emerson at February’s UFC 81. Plenty of fans will be cheering for Minowa vs. Funaki, who combined may have fought every mixed martial artist on the planet - except each other. Both fighters came up short in their appearances at DREAM 2. In heavyweight action, former PRIDE superstar and UFC jetsam Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) will finally attempt to silence current Strikeforce heavyweight champion and perennial trash-talker Alistair Overeem (28-11). "Demolition Man" — who submitted Mark Hunt last month at DREAM 5 — has accused the Croatian of ducking him on more than one occasion - and of being a 'douchebag'. If that weren't enough, Saitamaniacs will also be treated to the much-anticipated return of Russian gladiator Sergei Kharitonov. The 15-3 'Kharit-top' has been homeless since pounding out Alistair Overeem at K-1 Heroes nearly a year ago but does hold victories over some of the bigger names in MMA, including current UFC title contender Fabricio Werdum. His opponent will be none other than Siala "Mighty Mo" Siligia (3-0). Like Kharitonov, Siligia was last victorious at K-1 Heroes after a first-round mutilation of Ruben "Warpath" Villereal. Don't let the 3-0 record fool you: Mo knows fighting. Aside from MMA, Siligia is an accomplished kickboxer with a devastating overhand right that he calls "The Right Hand of God". Concluding the middleweight grand prix is tournament favorite "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) who will be facing Jurojin pupil Gerard Mousasi (22-2-1). Manhoef is coming off a devastating TKO win over Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 4 back in June and is the winner of five straight - all by (T)KO. He won't have a free pass however as the "Armenian Assassin" Mousasi has been on something of a tear himself. Like Manhoef, Mousasi is also a perfect 2-0 in DREAM competition, including his opening round upset over potential tournament finalist Denis Kang at DREAM 2 earlier this year. The winner of Manhoef vs. Mousasi will have the unenviable task of facing either Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (9-1) or Zelg "Benkei" Galesic (9-3), who face off in classic striker vs. grappler match. Souza earned his spot in June by outpointing Jason "Mayhem" Miller at DREAM 4 while Galesic bagged and tagged Taiei Kin and the same event. Former PRIDE tomato Dong Sik Yoon (4-5) and Brazil's Andrews Nakahara (0-1) round out the grand prix with their reserve bout. Both fighters came up short in their last DREAM appearances but will try to use this opportunity to sneak into the finals. Also added to the card is a featherweight bout pitting the new and improved Hideo Tokoro (21-13-1) against Shooto and Pancrase veteran Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1). Tokoro was victorious in both of his DREAM appearances, recently defeating Takeshi Yamazaki at DREAM 5. Yamamoto is coming off a decision loss to Masakatsu Ueda at Shooto 8 back in January despite a strong performance. Here is the official fight card for DREAM 6: Main Card: Keita “K-taro” Nakamura (14-3-2) vs. Adriano Martins (9-3) Ikuhisa “Minowaman” Minowa (40-28-8) vs. Masakatsu Funaki (38-13-1) Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (32-8-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) vs. Masanori Tonooka (1-1) Mirko “Crocop” Filipovic (23-6-2) vs. Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem (28-11) Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Siala “Mighty Mo” Siliga (3-0) Hideo Tokoro (21-13-1) vs. Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1) Middleweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout: Yoon Dong Sik (4-5) vs. Andrews Nakahara (0-1) Middleweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals: "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) vs. Gegard "Armenian Assassin" Mousasi (22-2-1) Zelg "Benkei" Galesic (9-3) vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (9-1) Middleweight Grand Prix Final: Winner of Manhoef/Mousasi vs. winner of Galesic/Souza With so many names and histories, DREAM 6 looks to be an amazing night of fights. If a card of this magnitude cannot save the struggling promotion, nothing can. Here’s to hoping! For all the latest on DREAM click here.

‘MMA Live’ episode 18 video Posted: 11 Sep 2008 07:15 PM CDT The program starts off with a very well done tribute to Evan Tanner:

Quinton Rampage Jackson vs Wanderlei Silva 3 UFC 91 fight likely Posted: 11 Sep 2008 03:17 PM CDT Sources close to Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) have indicated that the explosive (and long-rumored) third showdown between “The Axe Murderer” and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (28-7) is indeed set, according to MMACanada.net. The blockbuster light heavyweight match up will co-headline UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15. Bout agreements have been distributed to both fighters and are just now awaiting signatures. Representatives from Silva’s management team, however, indicate that the Brazilian camp will have its end of the agreement signed and completed by the end of the day. “The Axe Murderer” and “Rampage” of course share quite a bit of history, fighting twice overseas in Japan under the Pride FC banner. Silva was victorious on both occasions and in rather convincing fashion — the fights ended with brutal knockouts. Since that time, Jackson has indicated that he was not necessarily competing on a level playing field. He and/or his handlers have hinted at everything from unchecked steroid use to crooked officiating. One thing is for certain — Jackson is now a much improved fighter who is dedicated to training with partners who can elevate his game. That was something that he was clearly missing in “The Land of the Rising Sun.” And now he gets to prove that with the right approach — and under strict supervision of a regulated sanctioning body — he can exact revenge once and for all. Silva’s last appearance was an absolute mauling of “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine at UFC 84: “Ill Will” back in May. He definitely looked like the “Axe Murderer” of old with a quick and vicious knockout. For “Rampage,” this will mark his first fight after his highly publicized run-ins with the law and his subsequent split with long-time trainer, Juanito Ibarra. He will also look to bounce back from his controversial unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” in July, which cost him his 205-pound title. This is definitely a huge fight that the hardcore fans have been dreaming about — Silva and Jackson have an epic feud and a real distaste for one another. This should definitely be another instant classic. To check out the latest UFC 91 fight card and rumors click here. This is already shaping up to be a downright monster pay-per-view (PPV) event.

Gone-ito Part Deux: Kongo leaves Ibarra for UK’s Wolfslair Posted: 11 Sep 2008 02:18 PM CDT Props: EuroSport.Yahoo.com Quoteworthy: “Quinton had a split from his coach and he knew what a good job we did with [Michael] Bisping so it was a natural move for him. His old management weren’t on great terms with the UFC, but we are very UFC-friendly here and have a lot of time for (UFC president) Dana White so we stepped in. It was the same with Cheick. He was having some problems negotiating his new contract with the UFC and was looking for somewhere to train so it was an easy decision for him to join his mates…. He has been training with Quinton for his last couple of fights, and we know that has not been a happy camp. We think he will be a happier fighter here; he is only a couple of hours from his home in Paris and we will be taking all the other distractions like sponsorship out of his hands.” When it rains it pours … just ask Juanito Ibarra. Cheick Kongo has now bolted from his camp, joining one of Ibarra’s other prized fighters, former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, overseas at the Wolfslair MMA Academy in the United Kingdom. Of course, Michael “The Count” Bisping is also a Wolfslair fighter and more than likely the person responsible for recruiting Jackson to join the gym after his differences with Ibarra emerged. No specific reason was given for the split between Kongo and Ibarra, but the “French Sensation” is now certainly closer to his native France.

UFC Quick Quote: Ed Herman to ‘put a beatdown’ on Alan Belcher at Ultimate Fight Night Posted: 11 Sep 2008 12:49 PM CDT “I think it’s a great match up for me. I know he’s going to come in good shape, ready to fight. I think my style matches up well against him. He’s going to come forward and try to engage, but if you’ve ever seen me fight, I like to attack and come forward pretty much non stop. He’s not real good backing up or when the pressure’s put on him. I think I’ll overwhelm him coming forward. He won’t be able to stop my takedowns or handle my ground and pound. So I look forward to putting a good beatdown on him.” – Ed Herman — middleweight finalist on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 — talks about his upcoming fight with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about his upcoming fight with Alan Belcher at UFC Fight Night 15 from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., on September 17. Both fighters will look to rebound from losses and not slide any further down the 185-pound ladder. The fight is guaranteed to air on the Spike TV telecast, which begins at 8 p.m. ET.

UFC Fight Night 15 results ‘Diaz vs Neer’ live September 17 Posted: 11 Sep 2008 09:44 AM CDT UFC Fight Night 15: "Diaz vs. Neer" is set go off in less than one week LIVE on Spike TV from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., on September 17. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card bouts, beginning with the 8 p.m. ET Spike TV telecast. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of the under card action at around 6:30 p.m. ET. Brace yourselves, Cornhuskers, because this is the first time ever that the promotion is set to invade the state. And it has put together a line up filled with a solid mix of popular fighters and regional talent from top to bottom. Here's what the UFC Fight Night 15 fight card looks like: Main event: 155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (9-2) vs. Josh Neer (24-6-1) Main card (Televised): 155 lbs.: Clay Guida (23-9) vs. Mac Danzig (18-4-1) 185 lbs.: Ed Herman (14-6) vs. Alan Belcher (12-5) 205 lbs.: Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Eric Schafer (9-3-2) Under card (May not be broadcast): 185 lbs.: Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Joe Vedepo (7-1) 185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen (13-4) vs. Wilson Gouveia (10-5) 155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon (16-4) vs. Kyle Bradley (13-5) 205 lbs.: Brad Morris (9-3) vs. Jason Brilz (15-1-1) 185 lbs.: Drew McFedries (7-3) vs. Mike Massenzio (10-2) 185 lbs.: Rob Kimmons (21-3) vs. Dan Miller (8-1) Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Spike TV broadcast to share their thoughts on the action. In the meantime, feel free to speak your peace and provide predictions in the comments section below. Remember that UFC Fight Night 15 will serve as the lead-in to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 season debut, which starts at 10 p.m. ET, featuring interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and former division titleholder, Frank Mir, as opposing coaches. Definitely tune-in next Wednesday night … it's going to be a jam-packed night of mixed martial arts action.

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