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| WEC 38 announced for San Diego Sports Arena to feature Varner vs. Cerrone and more Jan. 25 Posted: 02 Dec 2008 08:45 AM CST World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) will kickoff its 2009 fight season by invading San Diego, Calif., for the first time ever at the San Diego Sports Arena on January 25. WEC Lightweight Championship Jamie Varner will defend his 155-pound title against undefeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a main event that is sure to spark major fireworks. And promotion poster boy, former featherweight champion and hometown hero Urijah Faber will co-headline the show in a rematch against Jens Pulver. Cerrone earned his opportunity at championship glory with a fantastic unanimous decision win over former division champion, "Razor" Rob McCullough, just last month. It was an absolute back-and-forth slugfest that has been mentioned as a "Fight of the Year" candidate. "Cowboy" — a member of Team Greg Jackson — has an undefeated record of (9-0) thus far in his career, having won all three fights under the WEC banner. The decision win over McCullough was the first time in his career he had been taken past the second round. Varner has been on a tear since making the transition from the UFC to the WEC, winning four consecutive bouts and finishing all of his opponents. Perhaps most impressive were his most recent stoppages of Marcus Hicks back in August and McCullough earlier this year. "The Worm" will look to keep the hot streak alive in Southern California and hand Cerrone the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career.
In the co main event, "The California Kid" (21-2) will once again challenge former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver – the pair first met in an action-packed five round scrap at WEC 34 back in June. In fact, the long-time Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS)-trained fighter — who recently switched camps — has dropped four of his last five fights. The soon-to-be 34-year-old veteran was most recently stopped early by Garcia in their showdown at WEC 36: "Faber vs. Brown" earlier this month. It's safe to say that this is a huge opportunity for Pulver to turn things around … fast. The only problem, however, is that he has to do it against a fighter who is widely regarded as among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. Faber held the WEC 145-pound title for two and a half years before getting caught by a well-placed, fight-ending right hand courtesy of the powerful Mike Brown in the first round of the WEC 36 main event three weeks ago. The loss was only the second of his career and the first since getting stopped in the third round by Tyson Griffin at Gladiator Challenge 42: "Summer Slam" in September of 2005. WEC 38 will air live on fight night (Sunday) at 9:30 p.m. ET on the Versus network. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more fight card updates. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Tim Sylvia wants to fight Ken Shamrock Posted: 02 Dec 2008 08:10 AM CST
– Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia talks about his desire to fight Ken Shamrock in a recent interview with Sherdog.com. “The Maine-iac” indicates that the bout was in the works for a small event to be held on December 20; however, the match was “postponed” until sometime in February. On the other hand, Shamrock representatives tell a different story, saying that the fight was offered and rejected. Sylvia has not competed since getting thrashed in 36 seconds by Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: “Banned” back in July. Shamrock, of course, was supposed to fight Kimbo Slice on the now infamous Elite XC: “Heat” main event before pulling out literally hours before showtime because of a cut sustained blowing off some steam. It was a total disaster for both Elite XC and Shamrock. Before a fight between Sylvia and Shamrock materializes (if at all), “Big Tim” has his sights set on competing in Japan at either K-1/Dream (Dec. 31) or Sengoku (Jan.4). |
| Strikeforce paydays and salaries for ‘Destruction’ Posted: 02 Dec 2008 07:55 AM CST MMAmania.com has received the fighter payouts for Strikeforce: “Destruction” from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for the year-end event for the promotion held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on November 21. Renato “Babalu” Sobral was the big winner on the night. Not only did he capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with his win over Bobby Southworth, but he also earned the fattest paycheck by pocketing a total of $50,000. The former champ, Southworth, took home $20,000 and a nasty gash in the loss. Former UFC fighters Scott Smith and Joe “Diesel” Riggs each took home $40,000 for their respective victories over Terry Martin and Luke Stewart. Here are all the Strikeforce: “Destruction” payouts:
Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. It also does not include deductions for expenses such as insurance, taxes, etc. The total base fighter payroll for the event, which drew a total attendance of 8,152 and a live gate of $321,520, was $319,000. For complete results and coverage of "Destruction" click here and here. |
| UFC 94 video trailer for ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′ Posted: 01 Dec 2008 10:24 PM CST |
| UFC 93 fight card bouts confirmed for Dublin Jan. 17 Posted: 01 Dec 2008 09:19 PM CST
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today confirmed several bouts for its first-ever event in Dublin, Ireland, on January 17, 2009. UFC 93: “Henderson vs. Franklin,” which will take place at The O2, features the highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and former Pride FC dual welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson. In the co main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) event, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will look to once again begin establishing himself as the top 205-pound fighter in the world when he rematches the most recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee, former UFC heavyweight champion and 2000 Pride FC Open Weight Champion, Mark Coleman. Here is the most recent official card:
The biggest surprise, of course, is the welterweight showdown between Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle is currently listed on the non-televised portion of the card. That doesn’t make much sense, considering it is a heavy favorite to capture “Fight of the Night” honors — “The Irish Hand Grenade” and “Lights Out” have told just about anyone who will listen that the welterweight tilt will be an all-out slug fest. In fact, the first man to take the fight to the ground will be branded a “pussy.” Hopefully, in time, it will be promoted to the main card where it should be in the first place. For all the latest UFC 93 information you can handle be sure to hit up our event archive right here. |
| UFC 91 drug test results come back clean from NSAC for ‘Couture vs. Lesnar’ Posted: 01 Dec 2008 07:55 PM CST
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today confirmed that the entire field of fighters tested for drugs and illegal substances prior to their clash at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" on Saturday, November 15, have all come back clean. UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, Demian Maia, Nate Quarry, Aaron Riley, Jorge Gurgel, Mark Bocek and Alvin Robinson were all tested several weeks out from fight night, as well as on fight night, to eliminate the possibilities of "cycling off" performance enhancers such as steroids. This is real good news, considering the spate of tests that have come back dirty in the past 12 months or so. Testing fighters so early and often before and on fight night is 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. It is merely an extra layer of protection to ensure good clean fights when it comes time to bang. UFC 91 sold 10,845 tickets for a live gate $4,815,675, according to the NSAC. The promotion dished out $1,118,000 in UFC 91 fighter salaries for the pay-per-view (PPV) event, as well as $240,000 in additional bonus money for four participants who delivered outstanding performances. Lesnar defeated Randy Couture via second round technical knockout to capture the heavyweight crown in the UFC 91 main event. Kenny Florian toppled Joe Stevenson with a first round submission in the co-featured bout of the evening, reinforcing his position as the clearcut number one title contender in the 155-pound division. In fact, UFC President Dana White guaranteed Florian a title shot against lightweight champion BJ Penn in the near future. For complete results and coverage of "Couture vs. Lesnar" click here and here. To check out the medical suspensions and injuries click here. And for the latest PPV buy numbers click here. |
| WEC predictions and preview for ‘Torres vs Tapia’ Posted: 01 Dec 2008 04:41 PM CST
While WEC 37 perhaps lacks the starpower and level of anticipation as last month’s WEC 36, this event is still poised to deliver several solid bouts. And it has plenty of potential with the talent involved to be an even more entertaining event than its predecessor. It also represents our first real glimpse into WEC 2.0 with no bouts on the televised card featuring fighters above the featherweight division weight limit. Indeed, after this event we will see more of the same as the promotion dissolves its middleweight and light heavyweight classes. Outside of former featherweight champion, company 135-pound title holder and top 10 pound-for-pound fighter Miguel Torres is the crown jewel of the company. He will put his belt on the line in the main event against Manny Tapia, which is a clash that will more than likely be an all-out barn burner. To help get you ready for the event we’ve taken a closer look at each of the main card bouts and looked into our crystal ball to provide some predictions. Check them out after the jump and provide your own thoughts on WEC 37 in the comments section below.
WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia Tapia is known as a ground technician, but lately has shown some power in his hands as well. He’ll need to come into this fight willing to mix it up both on his feet and on the mat, because as we all know by now Torres can beat you a number of different ways. If Tapia shows a weakness in any area, Torres will not hesitate to capitalize on it. Miguel has certainly earned his spot among the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, and is as well rounded a mixed martial artist as you’re going to find anywhere in the world. He has thirty five career fights with only one loss, but claims his real record should stand at an even more impressive (46-1). Either way, he’s clearly at the top of the food chain when it comes to 135 pound fighters. Tapia is dangerous and certainly has a chance to pull off the upset, but as stated above, Torres can beat you in so many different ways. Once Tapia realizes he wants no part of standing with Torres, he’ll more than likely look to take the fight to the mat. The only problem there, is that Torres is going to be longer, quicker, and better than anybody Tapia has had on the ground before. It’s a pick your poison for Tapia in this fight: Stand up and get knocked out or take it to the mat and get choked out. With the recent upset of fellow company superstar Urijah Faber last month, Torres will be on his toes even more looking to avoid a similar fate. Therefore, look for the champ to retain his gold and continue to reign atop the WEC 135-pound division. Prediction: Miguel Torres via technical knockout in round two. Brian Bowles (6-0) vs. Will Ribeiro (10-1) Ribeiro is coming off a hard fought split decision win over former bantamweight champion Chase Beebe at WEC 34 in June. The competition doesn’t get easier with this fight as he faces one of the top prospects in the division in Brian Bowles. Bowles on the other hand has steamrolled through three very tough opponents under the WEC banner. He’s stopped Charlie Valencia, Marcos Galvao and Damacio Page by second round rear naked choke, second round knockout and first round guillotine, respectively. In short, this bout is pretty much unofficially considered a number one contender eliminator match for the right to face the winner of Torres and Tapia somewhere down the road. Bowles has shown no reason for anyone to believe he’s going to lose this fight. He’s strong, has a solid chin, and is always looking to finish fights. Ribeiro will certainly pose a threat with his knockout power and ground skills, but Bowles is a very talented, hungry fighter, who has faced stiffer competition. He appears destined to face Miguel Torres sometime in early 2009. We look for Bowles to control the pace of the fight and wear the Brazilian down in the early going. Once he’s able to take a dominate position, his killer instinct will kick in, and he’ll choke Ribeiro out. Prediction: Brian Bowles via submission (rear naked choke) in the second round. Akitoshi Tamura (12-6-2) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (10-1) Fabiano was the International Fight League (IFL) featherweight champion when the organization went under earlier this year. He posted an undefeated record of (6-0) during his time there, and will be making his WEC debut on Wednesday night. Tamura is making his promotional debut as well. He’s a veteran of the Japanese circuit and has recent wins over Takeshi Inoue, Tenkei Fujimiya and Rumina Sato. He’s won most of his fights by decision, so we know he’ll probably be looking to take his time with Fabiano. If that’s the case, we could see a long drawn out three round decision between these two. Fabiano prefers his opponents to come at him so he can capitalize on their mistakes and get early stoppages. Tamura will be too smart to fall into an early trap, but Fabiano’s talent should prevail eventually in this fight. Look for this one to go the distance, but Fabiano should be the clear cut winner. Prediction: Wagnney Fabiano via unanimous decision. Joseph Benavidez (9-0) vs. Danny Martinez (12-2) Benavidez was very impressive in his win in Japan at DREAM 5 this summer. He defeated Junya Kudo in the first round of their fight. Afterwards his training partner Urijah Faber raved about his work ethic and talent, claiming he had a bright future in the 135-pound division. His first WEC fight won’t be an easy one though. Martinez is an extremely tough fighter who isn’t afraid to bang and also has finishing ability on the ground. He’ll come into this fight with some confidence and a whole lot of adrenaline with this being his first fight on a big stage, but in the end Benavidez will just be too athletic, too strong and too talented. We look for Benavidez to win this fight, and in the future be a real contender in this weight class. Prediction: Joseph Benavidez via submission (rear naked choke) in round one. That's a wrap. Remember that MMAmania will provide live coverage of WEC 37 on Wednesday night … so check in early and often. The event airs live on the Versus network beginning at 8 p.m. ET. |
| Octagon book tour with UFC fighters coming to a Barnes & Noble near you Dec. 15 Posted: 01 Dec 2008 03:20 PM CST
It only took a year and perhaps a struggling economy for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to finally distribute a version of "Octagon" that most fans can afford. The book, which has more than 800 four-color and black-and-white photographs, was printed and hand bound in Italy, weighing over 50 pounds. It ranged in price from $2,500 to $7,500, depending on the edition. The commercial edition, which has all the same pictures but comes in a smaller-sized book, will retail for about $40. And to kick-off the latest (and cheapest) version of "Octagon," the promotion is putting together a nationwide awareness blitz on December 15. Here are the details:
And here are the fighters appearing at a Barnes & Noble perhaps near you:
Stocking stuffer just in time for the holidays! For more information click here. |
| Posted: 01 Dec 2008 01:16 PM CST
Props: Ultimate Talk on Setanta Sports via MMA Experts Blog This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| UFC ‘Primetime’ to preview St. Pierre vs Penn 2 starting January 14 Posted: 01 Dec 2008 12:34 PM CST
The UFC has announced a new three-part series titled ‘Primetime’ featuring and in-depth look at the colossal UFC 94 welterweight title fight between current champion Georges St. Pierre and former welterweight and current lightweight champion BJ Penn. The debut episode will air on January 14 at 10:30 pm ET on SpikeTV and episodes two and three will air on January 21 and 28, respectively. Penn and St. Pierre have already met inside the Octagon at UFC 58: "USA vs. Canada" in 2006, which resulted in a controversial split decision win for St. Pierre. ‘The Prodigy’ brutalized St. Pierre for much of the first round, but ‘Rush’ was able to storm back and hang on in the final two frames to get the winning nod. Most at the time felt at the very least it should have been a draw because of the lopsided opening stanza; however, the judges ringside did not agree. Regardless, it was a great fight and the encore will likely be even better since both fighters have improved significantly over time. And that's a scary thing to say – these are two of the most gifted pound-for-pound talents in the sport going up against one another in the prime of their careers. Its historical significance cannot be overstated. UFC 94 ‘St. Pierre vs. Penn 2′ takes place January 31 live on pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and also features the highly anticipated showdown between light heavyweight unbeatens Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva. For more on UFC 94 click here . |
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