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| Rich Clementi and Luigi Fioravanti release from UFC contracts Posted: 09 Feb 2009 11:24 PM CST Octagon veterans Rich Clementi and Luigi Fioravanti have been released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), following their most recent losses at UFC Fight Night 17: “Lauzon vs. Stephens” at the University of South Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 7, according to FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “No Love” is perhaps the biggest surprise — he was on a six-fight win streak before losing back-to-back bouts. Two of those six matches, however, were for other promotions. Even still, he was a 10-fight UFC veteran and former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4. This is actually the third time the Louisiana native has parted ways with the organization, which is perhaps the silver lining when all is said and done. He is talented and experienced enough to make another return. And he is known for taking fights on short notice when called upon. Clementi racked up notable wins against nemesis Melvin Guillard, Sam Stout and Anthony Johnson, among others, in his most recent stint with the promotion. Gray Maynard, Roan Carneiro and, most recently Gleison Tibau, are the key losses during that same span. Luigi Fioravanti — a former middleweight who made the trip south to 170 pounds — was taken out by Johnson in the first round at UFC Fight Night 17. He was looking to string together two straight victories after outpointing Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops” back in December. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t happen. The heavy-handed American Top Team (ATT)-trained fighter split his last four appearances inside the Octagon, losing to Diego Sanchez via technical knockout at TUF 7 Finale in June 2008 and besting Luke Cummo by decision earlier that same year. Fioravanti, too, had previously been released from a UFC contract like Clementi back in June 2007. Hopefully, the pair can keep busy outside the promotion and work their way back to the eight-sided cage. There’s also a certain promotion on the West Coast, Strikeforce, making big waves and is currently looking to hire. Either way, best of luck to both of them moving forward. |
| Strikeforce moves one step closer to ‘Carano vs Cyborg’ with exclusive signing of Cristiane Santos Posted: 09 Feb 2009 10:36 PM CST
MMAmania.com has been able to confirm that former EliteXC fighter and recent Strikeforce acquisition Cristiane Santos (6-1) has signed a four-fight exclusive contract with the California-based promotion earlier today. A date and opponent for her debut are yet to be named. “Cyborg” was originally scheduled to compete on the XMMA 7: "Inferno" card on February 27 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, against Dutch submissions artist Marloes Coenen. Under the terms of her new contract, that fight will no longer take place. Santos — the wife of former Pride FC fighter Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos — burst onto the scene in May of 2008 with a dominating performance against Shayna Baszler in her debut under the Elite XC banner. Like her husband, she's a product of the Brazilian Chute Boxe Academy, a style that's evident as soon as she steps foot in the cage. Her most recent fight was in October 2007 on the EliteXC "Heat" card. She out-pointed Yoko Takahashi on the judges scorecards for a unanimous decision. It was a hard fought battle, but another impressive win for Santos nonetheless. Since the fall of Elite XC immediately following “Heat”, Santos has been clear on the fact that she still wants to fight Gina Carano, the face of women’s MMA and one-time Elite XC headliner. And “Conviction” is more than happy to oblige. The only obstacle preventing the blockbuster fight from happening, however, was the confusion still left over from the Pro Elite fighter contracts. Now that Strikeforce is working diligently to secure Carano after acquiring her contract in the Pro Elite sale, that eventual superfight could happen sooner rather than later. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on this potential showdown as it develops. |
| UFC Fight Night 17 fighter paydays and salaries for ‘Lauzon vs Stephens’ Posted: 09 Feb 2009 10:16 PM CST
Florida State Boxing Commission today released fighter purses for UFC Fight Night 17: "Lauzon vs. Stephens," which was held at the University of South Florida (USF) Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, on Feb. 7. Veteran Kurt Pellegrino was the top earner of the night, pocketing a show-high $32,000 for a submission win over Rob Emerson in a 155-pound fight that didn’t even make the Spike TV broadcast. Heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez ($30,000), as well as welterweight powerhouse Anthony Johnson and lightweight prospect Gleison Tibau ($26,000 each), rounded out the top four paydays. Here is the complete list of UFC Fight Night 17 payouts (via MMAWeekly.com):
Joe Lauzon — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win) Cain Velasquez — $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win) Josh Neer — $18,000 ($9,000 to show, $9,000 to win) Anthony Johnson — $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 to win) Kurt Pellegrino — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win) Dan Miller — $18,000 ($9,000 to show, $9,000 to win) Matt Veach $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win) Gleison Tibau — $26,000 ($13,000 to show, $13,000 to win) Nick Catone — $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win) Matt Riddle — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win) 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. For example, the UFC often hands out extra cash for "Fight of the Night," "Knockout of the Night" and "Submission of the Night." To check out these figures for UFC Fight Night 17 go here. The total base fighter payroll for the extremely entertaining event, which attracted an unofficial crowd of 7,596 attendees for an approximate gate of $428,000, was $304,000. For complete results and coverage of "Lauzon vs. Stephens" go here and here. |
| Shane Carwin: Defeating Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 is the quickest path to the heavyweight title Posted: 09 Feb 2009 09:49 PM CST
Props: MMAWeekly Quoteworthy:
Up-and-coming heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin (10-0) talks about his toughest test to date when he faces Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 ‘Jardine vs. Jackson’ from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 7. The enormous Colorado native still has not made it into the second round of any of his professional mixed martial arts fights. In fact, Carwin averages around one minute per fight in his ten pro performances. A convincing win over “Napao” would surely elevate his stock tenfold. However, that’s easier said than done against the nasty Brazilian mauler. We’ll find out in less than a month. |
| Lyoto Machida video on big win at UFC 94 and more Posted: 09 Feb 2009 02:53 PM CST |
| Wagnney Fabiano may complicate Urijah Faber’s life at WEC 40 Posted: 09 Feb 2009 12:26 PM CST
Props: Tatame.com Quoteworthy:
Former IFL Featherweight Champion Wagnney Fabiano (11-1) prepares for a rumored showdown with former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber at WEC 40 in Chicago this April. The Brazilian is riding a seven-fight win streak, including a submission win over Akitoshi Tamurahis in his WEC debut back at WEC 37 last December. It looks as if “The California Kid” may have one last hurdle to clear before trying to regain his 145-pound title from either Mike Brown or Leonard Garcia, depending on the outcome of WEC 39. No question Fabiano will be looking to hand Faber another loss so that he can take his place. |
| Station Casinos seeking prepackaged bankruptcy Posted: 09 Feb 2009 11:49 AM CST
Station Casinos, owned by private equity firm Colony Capital along with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, proposed filing for prepackaged bankruptcy in a deal with lenders as a failing economy and stingy credit market have stifled Las Vegas area gambling profits in a report by Bloomberg.com. Publicly traded for 13 years, the Fertittas took Station Casinos private in 2006 after shareholders approved a $5.4 billion takeover bid. Station raked in $1.1 billion in revenue in 2005 and earned $309 million, more than 17 times what it made in 2002 and its stock was through the roof. Fast forward to 2009, when Station missed a scheduled $14.6 million bond interest payment last Monday after fourth-quarter revenue fell about 19 percent from 2007 to $290 million. Station is seeking to acquire $2.3 billion of existing bonds by offering investors 10 cents to 50 cents on the dollar in secured notes and cash. The casino group currently has about $350 million in cash to fund operations. Colony Capital (the Los Angeles-based real estate investment giant run by billionaire Tom Barrack) and Frank Fertitta, Station's chairman and chief executive and Vice Chairman Lorenzo J. Fertitta, will invest an additional $244 million into the company if investors approve the prepackaged bankruptcy plan.
From Fertitta:
Founded by Fertitta’s father in 1976 as nothing more than a bingo hall, Station now operates 15 off-strip casinos designed for Las Vegas locals and employs roughly 14,000 people. In addition to the decline in gambling revenue, Las Vegas home prices fell 41 percent through last November after peaking in August 2006. In addition, unemployment in Nevada, once far below the rest of the country, was a staggering 9.1 percent in December, compared with 7.2 percent for all of the U.S. It’s unclear at this time how — if at all — the UFC which the Fertitta brothers own a 90 percent share of, will be affected. UFC is a very profitable (and separate) business, achieving a market value that Forbes magazine estimates is upward of $1 billion. In addition, UFC 91, 92 and 94 were all record-breaking events for the promotion, meaning it’s likely safe to say that the UFC isn’t going anywhere anytime soon regardless of the financial crisis that appears to be plaguing Station Casinos. For what it’s worth, Station isn’t the only casino company feeling the squeeze. Tropicana Entertainment filed for bankruptcy last spring and rumors are swirling around the fate of the MGM Mirage and Las Vegas Sands. Even Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings, whose stock was down 94 percent, made a Yahoo Finance list of 15 companies that might not survive in 2009. A vote is due by March 2 on the proposed Station bankruptcy plan. Stay tuned. |
| HDNet and World Victory Road strike network deal to televise Sengoku events Posted: 09 Feb 2009 11:01 AM CST
DALLAS — HDNet Fights announced today that it has agreed to a long-term partnership with World Victory Road to exclusively air the Sengoku Mixed Martial Arts promotion on HDNet. The deal marks the first time that the promotion’s events will be seen in their entirety in North America. In 2009, HDNet will feature 25 events from Asia alone, due to the network’s partnerships with World Victory Road, DREAM, K-1, and K-1 MAX. “We’re very happy to announce this partnership with World Victory Road and to bring the action of Sengoku to HDNet,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “This continues our commitment to deliver the best MMA in the world. No one promotion or network can match the depth and breadth of MMA broadcast on HDNet.” “SENGOKU held its very first match in March 2008, and the upcoming competition on March 20 will mark the promotion’s eighth event,” said Takahiro Kokuho, Executive Managing Director of World Victory Road Co. Ltd. “The high quality of our fighters and our competition have earned rave reviews from many of our fans and the media, and we are honored to have created a partnership with a renowned American network such as HDNet. We look forward to sharing the ultimate martial arts form with the U.S. and MMA fans around the world, and we are confident that MMA fans will be excited as well. We look forward to taking unified steps to establish Sengoku as a top MMA brand in the U.S.” HDNet’s coverage will begin with World Victory Road’s Sengoku Seventh Battle at Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium on Friday, March 20. The event will feature Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal v. Ryo Kawamura in addition to the first round of a 16-man featherweight tournament. So far, eight of the 16 fighters in the tournament have been named. They are Hatsu Hioki, Masanori Kanehara, Tetsuya Yamada, Malron Sandro, Ronnie Ushiwaka, Chris Manuel, Nick Denis, and Jung Chan Sung. The stars of World Victory Road include Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago, Lightweight Champion Satoru Kitaoka, Takanori Gomi, Kazuo Misaki, Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, undefeated “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal. Past events have also featured Josh Barnett, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Dave Herman, and Antonio Silva. Air dates and times will be announced at a later date. |
| Posted: 09 Feb 2009 10:10 AM CST
Kenny Florian was widely regarded as the clear cut number one contender in the crowded 155-pound division following his win over Roger Huerta via unanimous decision at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" on August 9. But his second chance at championship gold never came. That's because current lightweight champion, BJ Penn, was set to rematch welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 31, putting the division strap temporarily on ice. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting his turn, Florian decided to keep busy. And he wasn’t taking fights with "slouches" or "cans" to ensure that he remained atop the title contender totem pole. On the contrary, he accepted a very dangerous fight against Joe Stevenson at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas back on November 15. It was high profile bout between two fighters who have each missed out on winning the vacant division title. Florian dominated “Daddy” in the first round, finishing the former TUF 2 winner via rear naked choke for his sixth straight win. Aside from his unanimous decision loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 ‘Unstoppable,’ Florian hasn’t tasted defeat since being overwhelmed by Diego Sanchez at the TUF 1 finale in April of 2005. Now that UFC 94 is in the books and BJ Penn is (hopefully) set to defend his title against the Boston native at some point this summer, Florian is hoping to take a page out of the St. Pierre handbook by traveling to Canada’s Tri-Star gym, headed by Firas Zahabi, to train with “Rush” in preparation for his title shot, according to The Fight Network.
Florian is based out of his own gym in Brookline, Mass., Florian Martial Arts Center, which he owns with his brother, Keith. In addition, Florian trains at F-15 Training Center with Peter Welch his boxing coach. His Muay Thai and MMA Coach is Mark DellaGrotte. The trip to Canada is a logical one. Vaseline notwithstanding, no fighter in history has been able to nullify the Hawaiian’s gameplan like St. Pierre did in their second outing. The welterweight champ dominated Penn in every round, forcing his corner to throw in the towel prior to the fifth frame in a surprisingly one-sided contest. The same strategies probably won’t work for Florian, who does not possess the physical abilities that St. Pierre does. Still, it’s easy to see the value in training with a fighter who has already faced (and beaten) your opponent on two occasions. The rest is up to Florian. |
| Thiago Alves video on fight against Georges St. Pierre and more Posted: 09 Feb 2009 08:33 AM CST (Thanks to BloodyElbow.com for the assist.) |
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