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| Josh Barnett vs Gilbert Yvel Affliction fight ‘confirmed’ for Jan. 24 Posted: 03 Dec 2008 07:59 AM CST Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel (35-12-1) is the latest opponent set to challenge former UFC heavyweight champion Josh "The Babyface Assassin" Barnett (23-5) at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on January 24. Brett "The Grim" Rogers and Aleksander Emelianenko have been mentioned as possible adversaries heretofore; however, this latest announcement has been confirmed by the good folks over at M-1 Global. That's far from official, but we'll entertain the possibility until official word comes down from Affliction. Perhaps the only problem with this potential match up is the fact that the Dutch mixed martial arts veteran could have a difficult time getting a license to fight in the United States. In fact, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) rejected his application to compete against Sergei Kharitonov at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas as recently as February 2007. That's because Yvel has a history of "dirty" behavior inside the ring — everything from assaulting referees to eye gouging to biting opponents. Therefore, it should be interesting to see if the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) for some reason has a change of heart if indeed the bout is booked. The Pride FC veteran is currently enjoying a seven-fight win streak, dating back to mid 2006. He most recently stopped Alexander Timonov via technical knockout (punches) in just 22 seconds at M-1 Challenge 9 just a few weeks ago. Yvel has been up against some of the best in the business during his 11-year career, including Semmy Schilt (win), Dan Henderson (loss), Vitor Belfort (loss), Wanderlei Silva (N/C), Igor Vovchanchyn (loss) and Cheick Kongo (win), among others. His opponent, "The Baby Face Assassin," is also on a nice little run himself. Barnett is coming off a one punch, highlight reel-type knockout over Pedro Rizzo at the first Affliction event back in July. Before that he competed twice in Japan on Sengoku cards against Hidehiko Yoshida and Jeff Monson, winning both bouts with a third round submission (heel hook) and a unanimous decision, respectively. The former Pride FC star and top-ranked heavyweight competitor will look to make it four in a row against a very tough but beatable opponent — Yvel has a suspect ground game, which Barnett could possibly exploit in short order if given the opportunity. That is, of course, if the fight happens in the first place. "Day of Reckoning," which was originally slated to go down on October 11, 2008, before being postponed, will feature one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the sport between WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC title holder Andrei Arlovski. Ten total bouts are expected to eventually round out the card, including a middleweight showdown between Matt Lindland and Vitor Belfort. Prior to the PPV broadcast, which will be produced and distributed by Showtime Networks Inc. in conjunction with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, several fights will be televised on the HDNet channel. In fact, a light heavyweight tilt between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Vladimir Matyushenko will headline the televised HDNet preliminary card that will serve as a lead in to the PPV event, which is slated to begin at 9 p.m. ET on fight night. To check out the latest Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" fight card and rumors click here. |
| K-1 ‘World Grand Prix 2008 Final’ preview Posted: 02 Dec 2008 11:58 PM CST
The card for K-1's last event of the year 'World Grand Prix 2008 Final' has been finalized and is set to go down this Saturday, December 6 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The live broadcast will begin Saturday at 3:00 AM ET on HDNet. The big fights are of course this year’s tournament finals, which will range from the quarterfinals all the way to the finals in the span of one night. First up in the quarterfinal bouts we have the aging veteran and former 3-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Peter Aerts. Now at 38 years old this could be one of his last outings and possible chances to win the Grand Prix for a fourth time. He'll have the unenviable task of taking on some of the new blood of K-1 in the form of Badr Hari, who is coming off a impressive display over everyone's favorite giant Hong Man Choi back in September. It should also be mentioned that Hari was the first and current K-1 Heavyweight Champion and Aerts certainly has his work cut out for him. Another factor is that all three of Aerts tournament wins came in the 90's, with the last in 1998. However he still managed to fight his way into the finals of the 2006 and 2007 Grand Prix, coming up short to Semmy Schilt both times. That said Aerts finally got revenge and knocked "Hightower" out of the tournament this year in the round of 16, which came as a shock considering Schilt had won the tournament an impressive three straight times before that. Perhaps there's still some gas left in Aerts tank. Next up we see more young prospects break through in what could be regarded as somewhat of a styles clash, pitting karate against Muay Thai when undefeated Brazilian karate phenom Ewerton Teixeira collides with 3-time Dutch Muay Thai champion Errol Zimmerman. This should be an exciting fight as both fighters have to lay it all on the line if they want to take the next step in their K-1 careers and claim the tournament crown. The third quarterfinal bout will pit Ruslan Karaev versus Gokhan Saki. Some fans may remember Karaev from his epic battle with Azem Maksutaj back in 2005. Since then he’s been fighting with mixed results but managed to turn things around and win five straight including an appearance in the final eight of this year’s K-1 Grand Prix. His road to the finals won't be easy though as Karev’s winning streak in comparison to Saki’s isn’t nearly as impressive. Saki has won a staggering 15 in a row and is dead set on winning the whole thing and abruptly shattering the dreams of anyone in his way. Watch out! Last but not least in tournament action we have two fighters who are no strangers to K-1. Jerome Le Banner, who’s been competing professionally since 1995 will face former 2-time Grand Prix winner Remy Bonjasky. They'll be facing off for a second time, with Le Banner getting the better of Bonjasky back in 2006. Will this fight be any different? Bonjasky certainly seems to think so and recently called for the retirement of Le Banner (half jokingly) who’s dropped four out of his last seven fights. To be fair, three of those losses were against the very formidable Semmy Schilt. Hopefully Bonjasky won't take Le Banner lightly because of those defeats. Despite his recent record, Le Banner is still a very dangerous fighter - even after the fight is over. Just ask Nicholas Pettas, who made the unfortunate mistake in post-fight confusion of raising his fist to Le Banner who then in one punch layed Pettas out cold. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Also in the very few mixed martial arts fights Le Banner has had, he still is the only person to beat Yoshihiro Akiyama, ending that fight with some deadly knees. I'm sure he'll be looking for a similar result come December 6. K-1 veteran and butt-kicking Hollander Melvin Manhoef returns to action after a brief retirement to face Paul Slowinsky in one of the two reserve fights. Many wondered if Manhoef’s retirement only applied to mixed martial arts and not K-1. Perhaps a win or a loss to Slowinsky will be the deciding factor. So in the end we have the old school versus the new. Who will come out on top? Will it be the seasoned veterans who have carried the sport for so long or will the new generation finally emerge and continue the evolution of the sport to a higher level? Or maybe an alternate will sneak in the back door and steal all the glory? Here is the official fight card for K-1 ‘World Grand Prix 2008 Final’: Main Card: K-1 World Grand Prix Final K-1 World Grand Prix Semifinals K-1 World Grand Prix Quarterfinals Preliminary Card Reserve Fights |
| HDNet Fights presents ‘Inside MMA’: Robbie Lawler vs Cung Le fantasy match-up Posted: 02 Dec 2008 11:55 PM CST |
| Posted: 02 Dec 2008 11:31 PM CST
PRIDE Bushido 12 (also known as PRIDE Bushido Survival 2nd Round) was a mixed martial arts event held by PRIDE Fighting Championships. The event consisted of the second round of the 2006 BUSHIDO Welterweight (183 lb) tournament. It took place on August 26, 2006, at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall. The winning tournament participants in this round advanced to the semifinals, which were held at PRIDE Bushido 13 on November 5th. Bushido 12 marked the beginning of PRIDE showing Bushido events for free in America. Bushido 12 was shown on free cable television in the United States through Fox Sports Net on August 27, 2006. This broadcast was, however, edited for content and for time down to two hours. Matches included:
Running Time: 140 minutes
PRIDE 33: Bushido 12 is available for purchase in our DVD store for $14.99 by clicking here . To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here . We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don't see it in our store? Email us and we'll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.
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| UFC Quick Quote: Rampage looking to avenge any and all losses Posted: 02 Dec 2008 10:39 PM CST
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson sounds off in an excellent article by David Samuels in The Atlantic about his history with Wanderlei Silva from their days in PRIDE. "Rampage" will face "The Axe Murderer" for a third time at UFC 92 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 12. |
| WEC 37 weigh-in results for ‘Torres vs Tapia’ Posted: 02 Dec 2008 06:32 PM CST
World Extreme Cagefighters tipped the scales today for the official WEC 37: “Torres vs. Tapia” weigh-in event at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike the Filho disaster at the WEC 38 weigh-ins, everyone made weight this afternoon without incident. Today’s event marks the last of the formalities leading up to tomorrow’s highly anticipated year end show for the promotion. WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (34-1) will defend his title against the undefeated ground technician Manny Tapia (10-0-1) in the main event of the night. For the champ, this will be his second title defense since capturing the gold back in February with a first round submission win over Chase Beebe. Torres is one of the biggest stars in the WEC right now and any event involving him should be considered a a must-watch. WEC 37 will also be the last event for the promotion in which they feature any fights above and including the middleweight division. The light heavyweight match between Mark Munoz and Ricardo Barros is the only fight on the card from one of the three weight classes being dismissed. Without further delay, here are the official WEC 37 weigh-in results:
*Fighters are allowed one extra pound in non-title bouts Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for all your WEC 37 coverage before, during and after the event. The main card bouts will air live on the Versus Network beginning at 8 pm ET on fight night. |
| Matt Wiman vs Jim Miller UFC Fight Night 16 fight planned with Frank Edgar hurt Posted: 02 Dec 2008 01:43 PM CST
MMAmania.com can confirm that "The Answer" had to withdraw from the contest at the last minute and Miller has stepped up on short notice to answer the call of duty. This will mark the second fight inside the Octagon for Miller — he scored and impressive third round submission (rear naked choke) over David Baron at UFC 89: "Bisping vs. Leben" on October 18 in his promotional debut. Prior to the big win, Miller plied his trade primarily in smaller shows throughout New Jersey. In fact, his only loss was a unanimous decision to none other than Frank Edgar. He holds a notable win over the very tough and experienced Bart Palaszewski via unanimous decision under the International Fight League (IFL) banner back in April. Wiman has been impressive since his stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5, finishing three of four fights and winning them all. He demonstrated dangerous knockout power with a second round upset of Thiago Tavares at UFC 85: "Bedlam" back in June of this year. He has four wins in five attempts inside the Octagon — his only loss was to Spencer Fisher way back when. UFC Fight Night 16: "Fight for the Troops" will pay tribute to the United States servicemen and women serving in the armed forces. The three-hour Spike TV broadcast will coincide with a telethon during which viewers will be encouraged to call in and donate money to support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The card features two welterweight clashes between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, as well as Mike Swick against Jonathan Goulet. It's likely that the match up between Wiman and Miller will be featured on the televised main card, which will begin to air at 8 p.m. ET on Spike TV. Keep in mind that the special event is designed to raise funds for the construction of The National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a treatment center for Armed Forces personnel who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. Therefore, donations are accepted and encouraged online at www.fallenheroesfund.org or by calling 1-800-340-HERO. For all the latest on UFC Fight Night 16 be sure to hit up our event archive right here. MMAmania.com will also provide detailed and live results of all the action on fight night right here. |
| BJ Penn show video pilot segment (Part one) Posted: 02 Dec 2008 11:56 AM CST |
| Deja vu: Matt Lindland vs Vitor Belfort Affliction fight set for Jan. 24 Posted: 02 Dec 2008 10:49 AM CST
Matt Lindland and Vitor Belfort are once again scheduled to collide in a middleweight bout at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning," which is slated for the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on January 24, according to several published reports. The fight was originally supposed to take place on October 11; however, "The Phenom" had to withdraw because of a broken hand sustained in his 185 pound debut when he stopped Terry Martin in the second round at Affliction: "Banned" back in July. It didn't really matter because the entire event was postponed shortly thereafter, giving the former UFC champion more time to heal his injury. Affliction, in the meantime, decided to go a different route and book Lindland against Renato "Babalu" Sobral at a catchweight of 195 pounds. That decision, however, was soon reversed when "Babalu" stopped Bobby Southworth a few weeks ago to capture the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. It now appears that the promotion feels more comfortable staging a true middleweight bout between Lindland and Belfort. Belfort looked great in his first fight at 185 pounds, taking out Terry Martin in the second round at Affliction: “Banned” with a nice combination that was set up by a flying knee. As we stated earlier, he suffered a broken hand in the bout, but it now appears that he will be ready to rock on January 24. Lindland, on the other hand, did not appear to be in the best shape against Fabio Negao despite a unanimous decision win at "Banned." Both fighters, in fact, were visibly gassed as the third round expired. Perhaps “The Law” — considered among the top middleweight fighters in the world — spent too much time on the campaign trail in Oregon rather than in the gym prior to the showdown. Belfort could make Lindland pay if he doesn’t come in top form early next year. In addition to the showdown between Belfort and Lindland, WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko is also confirmed to defend his title for the first time against Andrei Arlovski in the main event of the evening. To check out the latest "Day of Reckoning" fight card click here. |
| Jon Jones on Stephan Bonnar UFC 94 fight (Video) Posted: 02 Dec 2008 10:04 AM CST |
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