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Night of Combat II recap and complete results Posted: 12 Oct 2008 03:59 AM CDT By Mike Trask Tonight was a night many MMA enthusiasts had circled on their calendar. Las Vegas, the longtime home for the UFC, was scheduled to host Affliction ‘Day of Reckoning’. It didn’t get that. Affliction canceled the card, rescheduling it to January and relocating to Anaheim, Calif. Instead, Sin City was treated to Night of Combat II, a nine-bout card that served as a showcase for Xtreme Couture fighters, who won seven of their eight fights. Kim Couture, who promoted the event, did not announce the attendance total but several thousand fans showed up to the Saturday night card that featured an array of former UFC and IFL stars. “I know the house wasn’t full,” Couture said. “But I put this on for the guys and as long as they had fun it was worth it. I’d like to think we’re going to do more shows.” Couture said it hasn’t been determined if the fights would be held in Las Vegas or other cities with Xtreme Couture gyms. There are six Xtreme Couture training centers across the country. Only the main event — a battle between Rick Roufus (4-3), a six-time world kickboxing champion and UFC veteran Hector Ramirez (7-3-1) — did not feature an Xtreme Couture fighter. Ramirez won the fight via unanimous decision but Roufus landed several impressive strikes in the first round, including a spinning backfist that staggered the “Sick Dog”. Still, Ramirez was able to score a takedown late in the round for the steal. In the second, the kickboxer came out with a series of body kicks and dodged several strikes before being taken down. Ramirez worked hard for an arm bar from the side and unleashed some nice knees to the ribs. Ramirez scored another takedown a minute into the third round and worked Roufus from side mount. All three judges scored the fight 29-28. Ramirez added another win to his resume with his only losses coming against UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, and James Irvin. In the co-feature, Jay Hieron (16-4) won a bloody unanimous decision over Chris Kennedy (6-6). Kennedy made a valiant effort, surviving what was basically fifteen consecutive minutes of eating fists and elbows. “He’s a warrior,” Hieron said. “He was bloody and kept going.” It was his first time in action since April 4. Hieron was the IFL welterweight champion before the company went out of business and was scheduled to fight on the Affliction card. Hieron opened a cut on Kennedy’s forehead in the opening minute of the fight and followed it up with three rounds of ground and pound. A golf ball sized welt appeared on Kennedy’s forehead in the second and only got worse in the third. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to use my elbows,” Hieron said. “That’s my weapon.” All three judges scored the fight 30-27. Kennedy, a local Las Vegas fighter, stepped up on short notice after Bryson Kamaka, who had been scheduled to fight Hieron, tested positive for marijuana during pre-fight testing by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Mike Pyle (17-5-1) won via submission over Brian Gassaway (28-18-2). Pyle used a ground and pound attack before finishing with an armbar at 4:21 of the first round. Pyle, an Xtreme Couture fighter, was also supposed to fight on the Affliction card after winning a fight at Affliction ‘Banned’ back in July. “I made sure I got a good clean takedown,” Pyle said. “I kind of wanted to pound him out and make him quit, but I’ll take the submission.” John Alessio (24-11) knocked out Gideon Ray (15-10-1) 45 seconds into the first round with a looping left hook before finishing with four left hands as Ray remained helpless on the canvas. Alessio, a UFC and WEC veteran, last beat Pete Spratt in June at Night of Combat I when the trainer at Xtreme Couture broke his arm in that bout. Ray, an IFL and UFC veteran, has lost five of his last six fights. Alessio and Ray exchanged heated words at the weigh in on Friday. Following the loss, Ray threatened some Alessio supporters sitting ringside as he held an ice pack on his face. Josh Haynes (11-10) beat Sean Salmon (15-5), a UFC veteran and former Ohio State University wrestler at 2:49 of the second round with an achilles lock. Haynes appeared on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter, losing in the finals to season light heavyweight winner Michael Bisping. Haynes dropped Salmon with a left hook early in the first but Salmon hung on and scored a takedown late in the round. In the second, Haynes again dropped Salmon, this time with a straight right and Salmon again survived. The fight went to the ground in the second half of the round and Haynes took control. The fighters exchanged kneebar attempts before Haynes finished the fight. Haynes has won four of his last six bouts. JJ Mix (3-2) won a thrilling war against John Halverson (16-7) with a technical knockout at 4:25 of the first round. Both lightweights came out swinging. Mix scored a takedown and landed several unanswered punches from the mount. Mix got his Halloween on a little early and walked to the ring wearing a Grim Reaper costume. Kui Gonsalves (2-0) defeated Shawn David (4-2) via submission (kimura) at 3:15 of the second round in a 155-pound fight. In a woman’s bout, Elena Reid (2-0), who has fought more than 20 pro boxing matches, showed her vastly superior stand up with a technical knockout of Stephanie Palmer (0-3) in only 53 seconds. Ryan Hass (5-2) defeated Ian Omalza (2-1) via armbar submission at 3:09 of the first round in a bantamweight battle that opened the night. Omalza was the only Xtreme Couture fighter on the card to lose. The pre-fight festivities served as a carnival for MMA fanboys as several Xtreme Couture fighters, including Gina Carano, signed autographs in the concourse. It was the second Night of Combat event held at the Thomas & Mack Center, an arena on the UNLV campus. The first, held in June, featured the infamous Kim Couture fight in which her jaw was broken during the first round of a bloodbath loss. Tickets for Saturday’s event ranged from $18 to $58. Here are The Night of Combat II complete results: -Ryan Hass def. Ian Omalza via submission (armbar) - R1, 3:09. -Elena Reid def. Stephanie Palmer via TKO (punch) - R1, 0:53. -Patrick “Kui” Gonsalves def. Shawn David via submission (kimura) - R2, 3:51. -Jonathan Mix def. John Halverson via TKO (strikes) - R1, 4:25. -Josh Haynes def. Sean Salmon via submission (achilles lock) - R2, 2:49. -John Alessio def. Gideon Ray via TKO (strikes) - R1, 0:45. -Mike Pyle def. Brian Gassaway via submission (arm bar) - R1, 4:21. -Jay Hieron def. Chris Kennedy via unanimous decision. -Hector Ramirez def. Rick Roufus via unanimous decision.

UFC Quick Quote: An older, wiser Rampage ready for rematch with Silva Posted: 12 Oct 2008 03:29 AM CDT "I think this fight will be different because I think I'm more mature now. I'm a lot older, got a lot more experience. I fought Wanderlei both times when I was a kid, I feel like I was a kid in this sport. I got a little bit better skills now. I won't have to fight Chuck Liddell first, and this time there won't be so much pressure. We're not fighting for any championship, we're just going out there and fighting for money. I've got the best people around me. I'm a child of God. Ain't nothing distracting me, homie. Trust me." -Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson (28-7) speaks to MMAWeekly about his upcoming match against former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) scheduled for UFC 92 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Will “Rampage” be able to avenge his losses? Or will “The Axe-Murderer” make it three in a row? We’ll find out on December 27.

Joe Rogan on Adam Corolla talks UFC, MMA, Brock Lesnar and more (Audio) Posted: 11 Oct 2008 01:03 PM CDT Props: FreeFM.com (Part 1 here and part 2 here)

The World’s Most Apologetic Man: Ken Shamrock issues open letter of apology for playing hooky on October 4 Posted: 11 Oct 2008 12:41 PM CDT Courtesy of KenShamrock.com On October 4th, I was set to fight Kimbo Slice on the EliteXC/CBS Saturday Night Fights in a highly anticipated event. Unfortunately, because of a training accident and the intervention of the Florida State Boxing Commission, our fight did not happen.  I suffered a cut above my left eye that required six stitches, and the cut was significant enough to cause the Florida State Boxing Commission to refuse to allow me to fight. The scheduled bout with Kimbo on the EliteXC/CBS Saturday Night Fight card was a great opportunity, and it is unfortunate that I was unable to face Kimbo as planned. I want to apologize to all of my fans, and to the EliteXC and CBS executives who worked so hard to put this fight together.  I also want to apologize to Kimbo, Bas Rutten and their entire camp for what happened. I recognize that I put them in a very bad situation, particularly Kimbo. It's difficult to walk into the ring after training for one opponent only to find out hours before the fight that you have to face some you don't know or have never seen fight. Over the years there have been many great times as well as disappointing times and I know Saturday the fans were as disappointed as I was. I was worked up so I decided to train with my partners in order to stay focused on the fight. I was just doing a light roll to check holds when I got caught by a head butt. It was a freak accident and I didn't think anything of it until I saw drops of blood. It appeared to be a deep laceration so I had my physician look at it and we immediately went to the emergency room. When they said the cut would require stitches, my heart sank because I knew that the Florida Boxing Commission would not let me fight. I was disappointed because I knew this was an opportunity to give the fans, my friends, and my family something to cheer about.  It has been a hard couple of years for me, and for my fans.  I have suffered some disappointing losses.  I definitely regret my decision to train on the day of the fight. I promise that I will make this up to all my fans. I know that there is nothing I can do about what occurred, but I plan to get back into the ring soon. I would like it to be against Kimbo Slice. Hopefully EliteXC/CBS will still be able to put a fight together. It's is the right thing to do. The fans want it and I want it. I would also like to congratulate Petruzelli on his win. He did a phenomenal job. Seth not accepted the challenge of facing a new opponent; he also had to move up in weight class. He came in, dominated Kimbo and walked away with a great victory. To the fans, I appreciate all of your support. Thank you and God Bless. Ken Shamrock -Ken Shamrock apologizes via his official website for his inability to fight Kimbo Slice at EliteXC ‘Heat’ on October 4 after an errant headbutt opened up a severe laceration above his eye, forcing him to withdraw from the bout. UFC castaway Seth Petruzelli took his place and the rest (as they say) is history.

UFC 93: Tomasz Drwal vs Ivan Serati Posted: 11 Oct 2008 12:30 PM CDT Tomasz 'Travolta' Drwal (14-2) and UFC newcomer Ivan 'The Terrible' Serati (10-2) will be facing off at UFC 93 at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland, on January 17 according to Fighters Only magazine. Drwal was last seen at UFC 75: Champion vs Champion where he was stopped in the second round by the vicious Thiago Silva. That loss snapped a thirteen-fight winning streak that dated back to 2004. “Travolta” has a well rounded arsenal and only two of his fights have gone to a decision. Opposing him is the Italian slugger Ivan Serati. “The Terrible” is fresh off a brutal knockout of Claudio de Silva at the August 30 No Limits MMA event that saw him win is fourth straight. Serati is a powerful striker and has ended seven of his ten wins by (T)KO. UFC 93 is headlined by the monster showdown between Rich “Ace” Franklin (24-3) and Dan “Hollywood” Henderson (23-7), two of the world’s most elite 205-pound fighters. Also featured is the return of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua as he takes on UFC pioneer Mark “The Hammer” Coleman. It is the first-ever event for the promotion in the region, airing on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m ET. Stay tuned for more UFC 93 fight card updates.

Seth Petruzelli pockets knockout bonus BEFORE Kimbo Slice knockout Posted: 11 Oct 2008 12:14 PM CDT Props: MMAFanhouse Quoteworthy: "[ESPN and Sports Illustrated are] both wrong. We have given submission bonuses in the past but they're not as common as knockout bonuses. If the question is, 'Have we ever given submission bonuses?' The answer is yes. But we give knockout bonuses more often. We gave Seth a knockout bonus before the fight started. That was part of the deal." Elite XCs Jeremy Lappen attempts to clarify remarks regarding what the shady pre-fight situation was like before Seth Petruzelli knocked out promotion poster boy, Kimbo Slice, in 14 seconds. This “clarification,” however, sounds more confusing … and alarming.

Kim Couture: Jared Shaw ‘trying to sneak a peek’ at naked Gina Carano Posted: 11 Oct 2008 12:01 PM CDT

UFC Quick Quote: Chris Leben is blessed Posted: 11 Oct 2008 11:55 AM CDT “There are a couple things you can't really teach. One is being able to take a shot, two is having that knockout power. You can teach a guy technique until you're blue in face, and he'll never have that knockout power. Other guys will throw the sloppiest punch ever, and people fall down. It's just an ability you're blessed with.” – Chris Leben tells NBCSports.com that he has been blessed with the gift of knockout power — a God-given talent that he suggests his opponent at UFC 89: “Bisping vs. Leben” on October 18, Michael Bisping, lacks. In 22 professional mixed martial arts bouts “The Crippler” has 10 (technical) knockouts.

Matt Riddle vs Ryan Thomas UFC 91 fight official Posted: 11 Oct 2008 10:57 AM CDT The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 cast clown, Matt Riddle (1-0), will meet up with Ryan Thomas (9-2) inside the Octagon at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15. It’s unclear at this time if the bout will be contested at welterweight (170 pounds) or middleweight (185 pounds). Riddle — who on the show joked that he still lived with his mother, didn’t have a driver’s license and much more — is perhaps best known for shattering Dan Simmler’s jaw in the opening of the show, which coach Quinton “Rampage” Jackson quipped was the “Knockout of the Century.” He was bounced out of the tournament-style show courtesy of a Tim Credeur armbar. He rebounded to score a unanimous decsion win over Dante Rivera at the TUF 7 Finale back in June — the first of his professional fighting career. Riddle now trains at Arizona Combat Sports alongside WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner, CB Dolloway, Ryan Bader and others, proving that he is serious about improving his mixed martial arts skills. Thomas stepped up on short notice (12 days) to replace an injured Jared Rollins at UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” in August to fight Ben Saunders. He lost that fight via second round submission (armbar), spoiling his debut for the promotion. He is a 23-year-old part-time student at Eastern Illinois University who, prior to taking the Saunders fight, fought 14 times in 20 months. To check out the latest UFC 91 fight card and rumors click here. And to purchase tickets for “Couture vs. Lesnar” click here.

Dana White video on Elite XC shenanigans Posted: 11 Oct 2008 10:16 AM CDT Perhaps it’s just me, but I find this clip incredibly entertaining. Dana is visibly (and extremely) agitated about what went down last weekend in Sunrise:

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