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UFC 94 poster for ‘St. Pierre vs Penn 2′ Posted: 09 Dec 2008 08:34 AM CST To check out the latest UFC 94: “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ fight card click here.

Josh Koscheck vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida UFC Fight for the Troops video fight talk Posted: 09 Dec 2008 08:18 AM CST

Patrick Cote: ‘I will beat’ Anderson Silva in a rematch Posted: 09 Dec 2008 08:11 AM CST Props: MMANews.com Quoteworthy: "I don't think I won either of the first two rounds but going into the third we were where we wanted to be. Going into the third it was time to pick up the pace. We'll never know what could have happened now. I was in very good condition and ready for five rounds…. He knew that I wasn't scared of him. He landed big shots and I was there coming forward and smiling at him. I wasn't in his head though so I don't know what he was thinking … we'll see what happens over the next six months. I know that if I get another shot at Anderson it will be more of the same only this time." Former number one middleweight contender Patrick Cote is confident that if he earns a rematch with 185-pound kingpin Anderson Silva that he will win. The pair fought for a bizarre 10 minutes at UFC 90: "Silva vs. Cote" in October, which saw "The Spider" possessed with happy feet for two rounds, engaging only in short bursts and timed intervals. Cote then came out for the third round and lasted just 39 seconds — he collapsed in a heap when the meniscus in his knee gave way. "The Predator" will have surgery to repair his injury this month and hopes to be back inside the Octagon by June 2009.

Ready for War: Jonathan Goulet UFC Fight Night 16 interview exclusive with MMAmania.com Posted: 08 Dec 2008 09:52 PM CST In a career that spans over 30 fights, Jonathan Goulet has seen it all. He’s faced some of the best of the welterweight division including Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett and holds wins over UFC veterans like John Alessio, Shonie Carter, Tony Fryklund, Jay Hieron and Luke Cummo. Most recently, “The Road Warrior” (22-9) added one more feat to his resume: Earning “Fight of the Night” honors (and the whopping $75K that went along with it) for his fantastic performance against Kuniyoshi Hironaka at UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre II.” Goulet now hopes to end the 2008 fight year by checking off one more goal on his list: Beating a top contender in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division. He’ll have his chance when he faces Mike “Quick” Swick (12-2) this Wednesday night, December 10, at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops.” The event takes place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC and airs free on Spike TV starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. It features the main event welterweight fight between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida as well as an exciting lightweight bout between Matt Wiman and Jim Miller. Goulet and Swick were originally slated to face off at Fight Night 11 back in September 2007 after Goulet had goaded Swick into taking the fight by calling him out on online message board. Swick however had to pull out of the fight due to a rib injury and was replaced by Dustin Hazelett. We recently caught up with Goulet to ask him about those online taunts, the bad blood (if any) between the two fighters and to find out what he has in store for his fans heading into 2009. Let’s do this thing. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your UFC 83 fight with Kuniyoshi Hironaka earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $75,000 bonus money. How did it feel to earn the extra scratch, while also getting the nod from the UFC that they liked your fight? Jonathan Goulet: That was really good. It was good timing because I needed the money, so that was fun for me. And for being honored by the UFC with the “Fight of the Night” is always good. With this, I know that I can keep my job. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You had to pull out of your UFC 85 fight against Paul Kelly. I’ve read that it was due to “undisclosed health concerns,” but I’ve also read that there was not enough time for you to prepare for the fight. What exactly happened there? Jonathan Goulet: I got injured. I got injured, and because of that, I was unable to prepare myself (in time) for the fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Okay, so it was due to injury? Jonathan Goulet: Yes. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): But you’re healed up now? Jonathan Goulet: Yes, 100%. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Good. For your next fight, have you been training at Tristar Gym in Montreal? Jonathan Goulet: Yeah sure. I’m training down there full time. I’m doing Muay Thai, MMA and wrestling. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you brought in any new coaches or training partners to help you prepare for this fight? Jonathan Goulet: Sure, I had private coaches for Muay Thai, wrestling and MMA. But I also train with my teammates, GSP, David Loiseau, Nordine Taleb and Denis Kang. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you train with Patrick Cote as well? Jonathan Goulet: Yes, but last time he re-injured himself, so I haven’t been able to train with him for this fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What’s it like to train with GSP, Loiseau and those other guys? Jonathan Goulet: It’s good because they always kick my ass and get me ready in training. Those guys are always helpful. They are strong, fast and have a lot of tools. And I am able to apply some technique on them. I’m very happy. It made my week (training with them). Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You were supposed to fight Mike Swick back at Fight Night 11 in September 2007, however Swick had to pull out due to a rib injury. When you called out Swick on the message boards to get that fight, it was largely seen as you goading him into a fight. Is that the case, or are there any hard feelings between the two of you? Jonathan Goulet: No, there are no hard feelings. You know, I went on the Web because … you know, when I received a call from my manager, Ken Pavia, he asked me if I wanted to fight Mike Swick. So I said, “Yes.” Then we received a call from his manager, and they did not accept the fight. So my manager called me back, and he told me that (Swick) didn’t accept the fight because I wasn’t as good as they wanted. So between those calls, I talked to David Loiseau and told him that I was going to fight (Swick). So when I received the call from my manager and said that I wasn’t going to fight him, Loiseau told me to write this on the Web … to write things on the Web. So I think one or two hours later, I got the call, because at that time (Swick) was mad at me. He was pissed off and wanted to fight me. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs.) Well, it was an excellent effort to help hype the fight. So the strategy worked. What problems, if any, do you see Swick bringing to the table for you? Jonathan Goulet: He is an aggressive fighter and has long reach. But I don’t see any problems because I can’t be surprised. All that he can do I saw all this on TV. So we have a good game plan for that kind of fighter. I worked too on my weaknesses, so I will be ready for the fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In order to counter his reach advantage, do you see going to the ground as a good strategy? Jonathan Goulet: It might be a good strategy. I won’t talk about my game plan. But I bring my Muay Thai coach (with me) here. I didn’t bring my jiu-jitsu or wrestling coach. (Laughs.) So I’m here to bang with him, and we’ll see if we go to the ground. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): With a win, Swick could really make a statement that he is a top contender in the UFC’s welterweight division. However, you are riding a three-fight win streak and have extensive experience in mixed martial arts dating back to 2001. What would a win over Swick bring for you? Jonathan Goulet: My dream. It would be a dream come true. He’s not in the top 10 (in the world) in the welterweight division. But I think after beating him, I will be near or in the top 10. It’s where I want to be before the end of the year. So it will be a kind of goal reached. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’ll be fighting as part of the UFC’s effort to help raise money for injured war veterans. What does that mean to you? Jonathan Goulet: It’s always important to be generous for people who need help. It’s like my sponsor, MMA Fight Shop . Without them, I wouldn’t be here to talk about my fights with you. So without us helping them, they might not be able to feed their children or pay their bills. So it’s very important, I think. I don’t really know things (the specifics) about that situation, but I think it’s a good thing for them. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’ve been fighting professionally since 2001. Looking ahead at 2009, what do you think needs to happen to get you to that next level where you are considered one of the elite welterweights in the game? Jonathan Goulet: I wish that I will be injury-free, knock on wood. I hope to be able to fight four or five times in 2009. I like to be busy. I don’t like to be sitting on my couch and doing nothing. I need goals, I need to have a contract and to have to deal with this. I need to see (what’s coming). I need to know who is going to be my next opponent and to train well and more, because that’s my job. That’s what I want. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well if you’re last fight with Hironaka is any indication of what the future holds, you always put on exciting fights. I was lucky enough to see that fight live in Montreal, and it was just a really exciting show. I look forward to seeing more of you. I wanted to leave you with an opportunity to thank any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans on what they can expect in your fight with Swick. Jonathan Goulet: I’d like to thank MMA Fight Shop . Without them, like I said before, I wouldn’t be able to be here, because they help me pay my coaches and everything. And for my coaches, I’d like to thank the Tristar Gym and Gia Sissaouri, my wrestling coach. My conditioning coach is Jonathan Chaimberg, the same as GSP’s. He is amazing. And also thanks to Olivier Renaud, my Muay Thai coach.

MMA Quick Quote: ‘2009 is the year for Semtex to arrive in the UFC’ Posted: 08 Dec 2008 07:13 PM CST "I’d love to fight at Affliction, they have shown some interest, but we have to wait on ProElite. Whether they keep my contract or they let me go…who knows if they’re even gonna still put on shows? It’s all unclear right now. But if they release me, I’ll fight for Affliction and win - and then hopefully the UFC will come calling. I think 2009 is the year for Semtex to arrive in the UFC." In a recent interview with Fighters Only Magazine, former Elite XC welterweight number one contender Paul Daley (19-7-2) sounds off on a possible future with Affliction and the UFC following the untimely demise of EliteXC earlier this year. "Semtex" is coming off a second round TKO win over John Alessio at a Maximum Fighting Championships event this past weekend in Canada. It was the first time in Alessio’s thirty-six fight career that he was defeated by knockout. The Nottingham native is considered one of the top 170 pound strikers in the world, but there have always been questions about whether or not his ground game would be good enough keep him competitive in the UFC’s deep welterweight division. Perhaps those questions could be answered sometime in the next 12 months.

‘Financial commitments’ force Antonio Silva to jeopardize stateside career for bout at Sengoku Posted: 08 Dec 2008 07:02 PM CST The year-long suspension handed down to the first and only Elite XC Heavyweight Champion, Antonio Silva (11-1), following his positive steroid test in July apparently won't keep the Brazilian giant from competing after all. The Japanese promotion World Victory Road has signed "Bigfoot" to compete on its next Sengoku event scheduled to take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on January 4. Yoshihiro Nakao (7-1) — the man who Heath Herring infamously knocked out before their fight even started after getting kissed — has been confirmed as his opponent. As of right now Silva is eligible to re-apply for a license to fight in the United States in July of 2009, but taking a fight in another country that doesn't recognize the suspension is not going to look good on that application. In fact, he could face an uphill battle in the future with this move. Reports have surfaced that the CSAC sent the Brazilian a letter claiming if he takes the fight in Japan that he’s risking a permanent loss of license in the state of California. There have also been rumors that other commissions, most notably the Nevada State Athletic Commision (NSAC) - would follow suit with a similar penalty. Silva was left with no choice according to manager Alex Davis. From his recent email to Sherdog.com : "Antonio has decided to fight, he really has no option. He’s innocent, he’s tried to prove it and it fell on unwilling ears, and he has financial commitments that to not meet would have serious consequences for him. In light of these, he has decided to continue his career in Japan until when and if his situation with the CSAC is resolved." Silva is still claiming his innocence and hoping that his name will eventually be cleared. Since the CSAC has already heard - and denied - Silva’s appeal, there’s no reason to believe they’ll suddenly change their minds. Silva is risking a lot, probably too much, to take this fight. We won’t know for sure what happens until he applies for another license in the states again icome summer 2009, but none of this sounds very good for Bigfoot in the long run.

Marcus Davis: UFC 93 bout against Chris Lytle ‘potentially legendary’ Posted: 08 Dec 2008 04:57 PM CST Props: Yahoo! Sports Quoteworthy: “Chris and I have spoken a number of times about this fight and we know the opportunity that it gives us. That’s why we were so desperate to get it organized. We’re aiming for more than just Fight of the Night. We think our styles and the way we fight match up really, really well and that this fight could potentially project us into a sort of legendary status. I want to be remembered in this sport, and this fight is my chance to make sure that happens.” UFC welterweight Marcus Davis (15-4) hypes his upcoming fight against Chris Lytle (26-16-5) at UFC 93: "Henderson vs. Franklin," which will take place at The O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland on January 17. Davis is calling in several radio interviews for Lytle to keep this fight standing, adding that whoever takes the match to the ground will be branded a pussy. Believe it or not neither the "Irish Hand Grenade" nor "Lights Out" have ever been stopped by strikes in their respective mixed martial arts careers. That could all change in early 2009 … at least for one fighter.

K-1 bad boy Badr Hari reacts to disqualification at World GP Final 2008 Posted: 08 Dec 2008 03:37 PM CST For an event recap and details of his controversial disqualification click here.

Georges St. Pierre UFC trading cards video from Topps Round 1 Posted: 08 Dec 2008 03:35 PM CST

UFC Quick Quote: Kevin Burns has a healthy hand and wants to hit Anthony Johnson with it Posted: 08 Dec 2008 01:52 PM CST “My hand is healed and I’m really, really, really excited to use it. ou have no idea. When I fought him, I had no uppercut, no left hook, no left jab. I threw a lot of really heavy rights. He’s going to be shocked when he gets hit with jab…. Unless he decides he wants to take me down, I’ll stand and bang with him,” said Burns. “He’s said in the past that he hates the ground. If that’s the case, let’s see who takes who down. I’m guessing he stands with me, I press him with a crazy pace, and he starts to get tired and tries for the takedown.” – Kevin Burns tells NBC.com that there are no more issues with his left hand, which led to a controversial result against Anthony Johnson at UFC Fight Night 14 earlier this year. "Rumble" lost to Burns via third round technical knockout in their first encounter; however, video replays of the stoppage show that Johnson was felled by an unintentional eye poke and not an uppercut. It was all because Burns had an injured paw going into the welterweight bout and had to use open hand palm strikes. The pair will run it back once and for all on the televised portion of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 13. Hopefully without incident.

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