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| Fedor Emelianenko loses at 2008 World Combat Sambo Championships Posted: 16 Nov 2008 10:54 PM CST
A former WWE wrestler is the UFC heavyweight champion. Fedor Emelianenko got schooled at the World Combat Sambo Championships. Well now that we have two of the seven signs of the Apocalypse out of the way, we should probably go ahead and start sealing our doors and windows with duct tape and plastic wrap. From Brock to Barack, there seems to be a transfer of power in every corner of the world. Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the worlds top mixed martial arts fighter and king of Combat Sambo, lost to Bulgaria’s Blagoi Ivanov this past weekend by a score of 8-5 in the semifinals of the 2008 World Combat Sambo Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia. Emelianenko and Ivanov first met back in February of 2008 at Russia’s Presidents Cup where Emelianenko outpointed the Bulgarian for his ninth straight victory in Combat Sambo competition. Ivanov apparently used the experience to formulate a winning gameplan for their second encounter. Emelianenko was dominated from the outset and was in danger of losing 8-1 until the Russian scored a knockdown in the final minute of competition to add four points to his total. In the end the deficit was too great to overcome and the former PRIDE heavyweight champion had to settle for a bronze medal, his first since the year 2000. Emelianenko made no excuses for the loss, admitting that Ivanov beat him “Fair and square”, but this author wonders if Fedor’s time spent in Thailand filming “The Fifth Execution” with Michael Madsen and Rutger Hauer left him unprepared for the surging Bulgarian. Fedor was still in Thailand as recently as two weeks ago and has also been making the rounds as Affliction’s media darling, promoting the upcoming reality series “Fighting Fedor” and his pending battle with Andrei Arlovski at ‘Day of Reckoning’ on January 24 in Anaheim, California. Ivanov went on to win the gold medal after easily dispatching Germany’s Stefan Janos in the 100+ kg weight class. Hopefully this loss will motivate him for his future match with Arlovski, who in addition to being a vicious striker, happens to know a thing or two about Sambo himself. We’ll find out on January 24. |
| UFC 91 video blog with Dana White (Day seven) Posted: 16 Nov 2008 10:37 PM CST |
| Chuck Liddell vs Anderson Silva UFC 95 fight possible for main event Feb. 21 Posted: 16 Nov 2008 10:34 PM CST
UFC 95 was actually just made official today for the O2 Arena in London, England, on February 21. Liddell was supposed to collide with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 85: “Bedlam” earlier this year at the venue but injuries to both fighters forced them off the card, leaving British fans feeling a bit empty after shelling out their hard-earned Euros to see the “Iceman” headline a show. Perhaps this is the promotion’s way of making up for that unfortunate situation. The match up, if it happens, will more than likely be a little bitter sweet, considering Liddell has lost three of his last four fights — he’s no longer the same fighter who dominated the division for two years up until 2007. Nonetheless, he is still a huge draw and a very popular fighter who is very capable of putting on a great show. Liddell was most recently on the wrong end of a vicious knockout at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” courtesy of Rashad Evans. Before the loss, he had his sights on getting back in the title hunt after a thrilling unanimous decision win over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79: “Nemesis” on December 27, 2007. By the time he next steps inside the Octagon Liddell will be 40 years old. Silva has been unstoppable ever since he made his UFC debut in 2006, rattling off a ridiculous eight-fight win streak. He has not gone the distance, or beyond the third round for that matter, in any of those fights. “The Spider” essentially cleaned out the division and has now begun considering and taking fights 20 pounds north of his middleweight division limit to keep himself challenged. In fact, he thrashed James Irvin in his 205-pound debut via first round technical knockout at UFC Fight Night 14 this past July. Silva most recently defended his 185 title against Patrick Cote in a bizarre bout at UFC 90 last month, which ended when “The Predator” went down with a freak knee injury and could not continue. Before the collapse of the Canadian, Silva was bouncing, dancing and perhaps showboating, resulting in a negative reaction from several fans and critics. He’s eager to get back in the cage to remind everyone what he’s capable of … and Liddell could be the man that Silva takes out his frustration on if the bout comes together, which is not the most envious position to be in for Liddell. |
| Demian Maia: ‘Michael Bisping is a good fight for me’ Posted: 16 Nov 2008 09:36 PM CST
Props: Newsday Quoteworthy:
Demian Maia talks about a possible match up with Michael Bisping moments after he finished Nate Quarry via first round submission (rear naked choke) at UFC 91: “Couture vs. Lesnar” last night. It was the fourth win for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion inside the Octagon, all of which have come by way of submission. He is clearly ready to compete against the top in the division, including “The Count;” however, Bisping is slated to serve as coach on season nine of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Therefore, he will more than likely be tied up for most of early 2009 — TUF 9 begins taping in February. Thales Leites, Nate Marquardt and the winner of the UFC 92 bout between Yushin Okami and Dean Lister are also some good possibilities. Let’s see how this situation shakes out in the coming days and months. |
| Scott Smith vs Terry Martin Strikeforce fight booked for Nov. 21 Posted: 16 Nov 2008 08:26 PM CST
"This is one of the those matchups where there's no chance it won't be a great fight," said the 29-year-old Smith, a Sacramento native who has been eager to return to the cage since his loss to Robbie Lawler in the main event of the live CBS televised MMA fight card on July 26th. "A fight like Terry Martin – ever since I've watched him fight, I always thought he'd be an exciting fight for me. I like taking on guys that bring it and like to fight." Despite the short notice he was given for the meeting with Martin, Smith claims he will enter the fight in better condition that he did for the meeting with Lawler as he had already been preparing for a bout on November 8th that was subsequently canceled. "My teammates said you got to stick in there and be ready to fight at any time and that's what I did. I think fighting two weeks later is better for me and is perfect timing." Smith has become distinguished in the sport of MMA for his undying commitment to becoming a complete fighter with superior skills in all ranges of combat. His devotion is perhaps best exemplified through the five hours he spends on the road, three times each week, in order to train with one of the world's top Muay Thai kickboxing trainers, Ganyao Fairtex, who is based out of San Francisco. It is the kickboxing skills he has nurtured under Fairtex for the last three years that Smith believes will be critical to his success against Martin. "He's a better boxer and I'm a better kickboxer," said Smith. "I want to keep the fight standing. I know he likes to stand and bang so it's looking to be a slugfest."
While Smith is looking to rebound from a defeat, the heavy handed Martin is seeking his second straight win. The 28-year-old made a splash debut with Strikeforce by scoring a one punch knockout on rising star Cory "The One" Devela during the promotion's second event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills on September 20th. "Cory Devela was a tough guy and he fought a good fight. I just wanted to show people that I've got knockout power in both my hands," said Martin. "I'm looking to come out and bang in this fight, too." Martin is a testament to human fortitude and one's ability to overcome a troublesome past. A former gang member, he survived five gunshot wounds that nearly took his life at age 15 on the streets of his native Chicago, Illinois, and has since earned a bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University and pursued a dual career in professional boxing and MMA. He is on his way to receiving a master's degree in psychology. "When I was in the hospital recovering, I was around people who were shot in the same places as me, but who couldn't walk or who lost their limbs as a result of what happened," explained Martin of what drove him to make such drastic changes in his life. "Some of them even passed away. That really made me think twice and start hanging out in a different environment." Martin's determination and spirit caught the eye of another Chicago-based MMA champion in "Mr. International" Shonie Carter while Martin was wrestling competitively for his soon-to-be alma mater. Carter introduced Martin to the local MMA scene and, soon after, a new career was born. Amongst the notches under Martin's belt are wins over top contenders Chael Sonnen, Ivan Salaverry, and Jorge Rivera. "Fighting has always been a part of me. I come from a fightin' family," said Martin. "You have to be aggressive to make it in MMA. I'm aggressive and agile and I think I have a very entertaining style." Tickets for Strikeforce "Destruction," priced from $30, are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), and on Strikeforce's official website (www.strikeforce.com). World Muay Thai Champion Duane "Bang" Ludwig (17-8) will face fellow star Yves Edwards (34-14-1) at a catch weight of 164 lbs. Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion, Bobby Southworth (9-5), will put his title on the line against top-ranked superstar, Renato "Babalu" Sobral (30-7). Kim Couture (0-1), wife of mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Randy "The Natural" Couture, will make her Strikeforce debut against Lina Kvokov (0-1) in a 130 lb. limit contest. Joe "Diesel" Riggs (28-11) will make his return to the welterweight (170 lb. limit) division in a featured contest with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Luke Stewart (6-1). K-1 Dream veteran, Darren Uyenoyama (4-2), will return to action before his hometown fans when he meets Brad Royster (1-1). HP Pavilion doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for Strikeforce "Destruction" and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. The main card will commence at 7:30 p.m. The live HDNet telecast of Strikeforce "Destruction" will begin at 10 p.m. EST (7 p.m. PST). |
| Randy Couture: ‘I think Fedor would tear Brock [Lesnar] up’ video Posted: 16 Nov 2008 03:25 PM CST |
| UFC 95 tickets on sale soon for O2 Arena in London Feb. 21 Posted: 16 Nov 2008 01:57 PM CST
UFC 95 will take place from the O2 Arena on February 21 — just two weeks after UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7, three after UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ and little two weeks before UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7. Talk about starting the New Year off with a bang. Even though a main event is unknown at this time, as well potential match ups for the card, the promotion is moving ahead with ticket sales for the event. If the rapid sellout of UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland, is any indication of how fans oversease gobble up seats then this could be another quick one. Here is the UFC 93 tickets sales schedule (all times are local):
UFC 95 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). This will be the third event for the promotion at the O2 Arena, returning every 10 events since UFC 75: “Champion vs. Champion” in September 2007. Perhaps former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell — who has forced off the UFC 85: “Bedlam” card at the O2 Arena earlier this year because of injury — will be the headliner to make up for the last time around. Time will tell. For more on UFC 95 stay dialed in to MMAmania.com and remember to check out our event archive right here. |
| UFC 91 video blog with Dana White (Day six) Posted: 16 Nov 2008 08:53 AM CST |
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