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More UFC 91 preliminary drug tests come back clean from NSAC Posted: 04 Nov 2008 08:16 AM CST The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) yesterday confirmed that two additional fighters have passed initial screenings for drugs and illegal substances prior to their clash at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" on Saturday, November 15. Lightweights Mark Bocek and Alvin Robinson join UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, Nick Catone, Amir Sadollah, Aaron Riley and Jorge Gurgel as competitors who have been tested several weeks out from fight night to eliminate the possibilities of "cycling off" performance enhancers such as steroids. This is real good news after getting confirmation just yesterday that Chris Leben got popped with illegal steroids in his system after his fight against Michael Bisping in the main event at UFC 89: “Bisping vs. Leben” on October 18. It's a proactive and unique measure — often referred to as the new "out of competition" testing policy — that the NSAC has adopted to curtail and prevent the use of banned substances. If a positive test is returned early, which would essentially devastate a major PPV event such as UFC 91, "the commissioners would decide" on a course of action based on the results, according to NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer. These fighters — along with other random participants slated to compete on the card — will likely be tested again right around fight night. It is merely an extra layer of protection to ensure good clean fights when it comes time to bang. For all the UFC 91-related information you can handle be sure to hit up the MMAmania.com archive right here. To check out the latest UFC 91 fight card and rumors click here. UFC 91 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will air on pay-per-view (PPV), beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Matt Hughes criticizes Barack Obama; Barack Obama responds Posted: 03 Nov 2008 08:47 PM CST Our good friend Steve Cofield had the chance to interview Senator Barack Obama prior to Tuesday’s election and being the student of mixed martial arts that he is, was sure to sneak in Matt Hughes recent criticism of Obama regarding his patriotism and tax plan. From the former UFC welterweight champion: “I want the President to be a good role model, Senator McCain always addresses Barack Obama as Mr. or Senator Obama. Barack always addresses Mr. McCain as John McCain. I like the respect value that Mr. McCain always shows. I dislike that Barack seems to show no respect for Mr. McCain. Barack not putting his hand over his heart during the Pledge also falls under the respect factor.” Senator Obama’s reply: “I say two things, number one I call Senator McCain ‘Senator McCain’ all the time. There may be times where I have slipped in something else but generally speaking if you look at the tone of this campaign, I would argue that nobody’s been more respectful to Senator McCain regarding his heroism during World War II [and] talking positively about some of the work that he’s done. And in terms of that whole issue of putting hand over heart, that just wasn’t the case. There was one occasion when I was singing the [Star Spangled Banner] and didn’t put my hand over my heart but nobody is more patriotic than I am. My Grandfather fought in World War II and was in Patton’s army. He taught me early on about love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for country.” To hear the entire interview, including Obama’s rebuttal to Hughes critique of his proposed tax plan, head over to the MMA Experts Blog to hear the audio of Cofield and Obama breaking it down.

Viva la MMA! ESPN Deportes jumping on the MMA reality show bandwagon Posted: 03 Nov 2008 07:39 PM CST TUF: The Ultimate Flattery. If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then UFC President Dana White has to feel pretty good about himself. On the heels of the announcement that WEC is planning a 2009 reality show, Sherdog.com is reporting that ESPN Deportes is partnering with Bellator Fighting Championships to produce a 12-week MMA reality series featuring four eight-man tournaments from the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions. ESPN Deportes is the all-Spanish version of ESPN and as such will focus on fighters of Hispanic origin for its upcoming series, set to air as early as April 2009. Already being courted are popular Hispanic fighters Jorge Masvidal and Eddie Alvarez. How successful the show will be is of course impossible to predict. M-1 and Affliction will debut “Fighting Fedor” at some point in 2009 as well as the aforementioned WEC show, but ESPN Deportes is targeting a more specific audience, perhaps to test the waters in a smaller market to gauge the worth of future, more expensive MMA projects. From that standpoint, it should have to worry less about competition and more about quality fights. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if they’re off to the best start. Bellator Fighting Championships is run by former CEO and president of Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Bjorn Rebney. I don’t want to pass judgement right away, but the track record of boxing promoters in mixed martial arts is not a very good one. Just ask Gary Shaw.

Chris Leben tests positive for steroids and is suspended for nine months after UFC 89 loss Posted: 03 Nov 2008 03:27 PM CST Chris Leben has tested positive for the performance-enhancing illegal steroid known as Stanazolol in the wake of his unanimous decision loss to Michael Bisping in the main event at UFC 89: “Leben vs. Bisping” at The National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England, on October 18. As a result “The Crippler” will be suspended for nine months and fined one-third of his fight purse. The earliest he can compete again inside the Octagon is August 2009. It’s the latest in a string of setbacks for Leben who has battled with alcohol for more than 15 years. He served a prison sentence earlier this year for an old Driving Under the Influence (DUI) probation violation in Portland, Ore., to ensure that he would be cleared to leave the United States to fight “The Count.” Clearly, he’s not happy with himself after declaring major progress in his personal and professional lives, according to a statement release via UFC.com. Here’s a snip: "I've really done everything I can to turn my life around, and this is a huge setback for me, but it is something I will have to deal with. During my time off from fighting, I want to speak to kids about the dangers of using performance enhancing agents and let them know it just doesn't get you ahead in life. Of course this is a hard hit for me monetarily, but more so this is embarrassing for me and for all of my fans. I apologize to the UFC and everyone who supported me in my fight in England. I hope to work through this and get back to fighting soon." UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner — who is also the former Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director — is the man responsible for administering the tests because their are no official regulatory bodies overseas that can monitor the process. Therefore, kudos to the organization for policing itself and making the results public … it was certainly under no obligation to be so forthcoming. The report indicates that the “remaining 21 fighters on the UFC 89 card all passed their pre and post fight drug tests.”

Takanori Gomi loses Sengoku 6 fight, wins title shot Posted: 03 Nov 2008 03:26 PM CST How good is Japanese lightweight Takanori Gomi? Even when he loses, he still wins. “The Fireball Kid” will face Satoru Kitaoka, winner of the lightweight grand prix at Sengoku 6 last Saturday, at World Victory Road’s upcoming seventh event on January 4, 2009 according to Sherdog.com, despite losing a split-decision to Russia’s Sergey Golyaev at the same event. The winner of Kitaoka vs. Gomi will be crowned the Sengoku lightweight champion, a title that already carries a layer of baggage thanks to the efforts of Golyaev. After besting Gomi last Saturday, many wondered if Golyaev would be the one to challenge Kitaoka for the vacant lightweight crown. An idea that didn’t sit well with the former Pancrase warrior: "I have no need to fight that Russian fighter. If it was me in there tonight, I would have crushed that Russian in seconds. I had a tougher time than Gomi — my two fights tonight and my training for them — so that's why I said what I said [when I challenged Gomi in the ring]. Anyone have a problem with that?" Gomi was long considered to be one of the world’s best lightweights, but that position has recently been called into question after being submitted by the pot-smoking Nick Diaz at PRIDE 33 (a loss that was overturned by the NSAC) and a less-than-stellar performance against the inexperienced Sueng Hwan Bang at Sengoku 4. Now this loss leaves Gomi with something to prove, specifically that he belongs at the top of the lightweight food chain. Even with a win over Kitaoka on January 4, a rematch with Golyaev may be required before he’s accepted as champion by the court of public opinion. First things first - win on January 4.

Chael Sonnen on Paulo Filho WEC rematch video Posted: 03 Nov 2008 12:12 PM CST

Denis Kang signs four-fight UFC contract Posted: 03 Nov 2008 11:27 AM CST The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today bolstered its middleweight division by signing high-profile 185-pound standout Denis Kang to a four-fight contract to compete inside the Octagon. Here’s a snip from the official announcement: “Denis will now be able to showcase his skills to a whole new audience who hasn’t had the chance to see this exciting fighter in action. Denis has always expressed a desire to fight in the UFC and we are pleased we were able to help him get this deal done. Denis will bring a lot of excitement to the 185-pound division! Congrats Denis!” Kang — who has enjoyed success primarily in Japan and Korea fighting in the PRIDE and Spirit MC organizations — is on a two-fight win streak after losing back-to-back matches. He most recently defeated Marvin Eastman via first round technical knockout at Raw Combat: “Redemption” last month. The Canadian with South Korean roots was a participant in the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix 2008, losing to eventual tournament winner Gegard Mousasi via submission (triangle choke). He was an early favorite to win it all before getting upset by the slick Armenian. Kang was also the runner-up at the PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix 2006, losing to Kazuo Misaki via split decision. No fight date or possible opponent for Kang is known at this time. However, expect to see him make his Octagon debut sometime in early 2009. If he can get off to a good start don’t be too surprised to see him fighting reigning division champion Anderson Silva sometime very soon … Kang has great mixed martial arts skills and would be a nice test for “The Spider.” This is great news — the promotion had been trying to wrangle the services of Kang for more than a year. Job well done.

Pat Miletich vs Thomas Denny scheduled for Adrenaline MMA Dec. 11 Posted: 03 Nov 2008 10:28 AM CST Adrenaline MMA recently signed former UFC welterweight champion and world renowned trainer Pat Miletich (28-7-2) to compete against journeyman Thomas “The Wildman” Denny (26-17) at the Wireless Center in Moline, Ill., on December 11. Miletich founded the infamous Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) in 1997 in Bettendorf, Iowa. Fighters who have competed under his wing include, Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Jeremy Horn, Jens Pulver, Tim Sylvia, Spencer Fisher and many other top class mixed martial artists. As far as his own fighting career goes, Miletich won the original UFC lightweight (under 200 pounds) tournament at UFC 16 and later defeated Mikey Burnett at at UFC 17.5 to become the company’s first lightweight champion. When the weight divisions became more clear, it was the welterweight title that Miletich held. He defended his strap successfully four times before losing by submission to Carlos Newton at UFC 31 to relinquish the crown. In 2006, Miletich made a brief return to the sport in an International Fight League (IFL) super fight against Renzo Gracie. He was submitted in the first round by guillotine choke. When he faces Denny on December 11, it will have been more than two years since the IFL fight. Denny, on the other hand, has been very active over the past couple of years and is no stranger to tough competition. This will mark his fourth fight in 2008 and he competed four times in 2007 as well. His most recent fight was a second round technical knockout loss to Nick Diaz at Elite XC: “Unfinished Business” in July. “The Wildman” has also stood across the cage from top guys such as George St. Pierre, Joe Stevenson, Yves Edwards, Duane Ludwig, and Jon Alessio, among others. This should be a very technical fight. Both of these guys have seen it all in this sport and have been around forever. Its hould be a solid addition for Adrenaline MMA on December 11. The event will be the second in the young history of the Monte Cox-led organization. Also expected to compete on the card are “Big” Ben Rothwell, Ryan McGivern and others.

WEC champions Carlos Condit, Miguel Torres and Jamie Varner special appearances in Florida Nov. 4 Posted: 03 Nov 2008 10:05 AM CST

Brock Lesnar talks Randy Couture, UFC 91 as tonight’s featured guest on Pro MMA Radio Posted: 03 Nov 2008 09:34 AM CST UFC heavyweight superstar Brock Lesnar will be tonight's featured guest on MMAmania.com's exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio airing at 9pm ET. With less than two weeks to go before his epic showdown with UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 91, Lesnar breaks down his training for the fight, his thoughts on ‘The Natural’ and his shot at the title. Also, go behind the scenes of Brock's ESPN E:60 appearance and get his reaction to the Herring fight and post-fight celebration as well as the UFC interim heavyweight title fight between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. But first, MMA supertrainer and author of the book "Training for Warriors", Martin Rooney joins the show to talk about why so many fights are going to a decision or turning into stand-up battles and what can be done to turn things back up a notch and put that edge back into MMA. Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names. If you're looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that's already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn't for you. However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9pm ET for our exclusive live feed. See you tonight!

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