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| UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar 2 to be ’similar to the first’ Posted: 10 Feb 2009 11:05 PM CST
-- Interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir tells Mirror.co.uk that he expects his rematch against Brock Lesnar at UFC 98 to end in similar fashion — with his hand raised in victory after a submission. Mir tapped Lesnar with a kneebar back at UFC 81: “Breaking Point” in Feb. 2008. Lesnar went on to stop Randy Couture later that same year to capture the division title. Meanwhile, Mir scored a technical knockout win over Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira at UFC 92 in December to claim the interim title. The two will square off to declare an undisputed champion on the next big blockbuster show for the promotion in May. |
| Wagnney Fabiano vs. Fredson Paixao (not Urijah Faber) at WEC 40 in Chicago Posted: 10 Feb 2009 10:07 PM CST Tatame.com issued a new report today, indicating featherweight standout Wagnney Fabiano (11-1) will take on Fredson Paixao (8-2) — not Urijah Faber — at WEC 40: “Torres vs. Bowles” from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., on April 5. Fabiano was the last reigning 145-pound champion in the now defunct International Fight League (IFL). He put together six straight submission wins under the promotion’s banner, including his title-winning performance over L.C. Davis via first round submission (armbar) in December 2007. The only loss of his career thus far was to former WEC 145-pound number one contender Jeff Curran via split decision at APEX: “A Night Of Champions” in October 2006. He joined the IFL following the set back and hasn’t lost since. Fabiano made his WEC debut in December on the main card of WEC 37: “Torres vs. Tapia,” scoring a third round submission win by arm triangle over a very tough Akitoshi Tamura. It wasn’t a memorable performance, but it was effective. Paixao was supposed to take on top division player top Jose Aldobe at WEC 38; however, he was forced out of the bout at the last minute for an undisclosed reason. On fight night, it will have been nearly two years since his last professional contest — a match in which he scored a first round submission win over Thomas Denny at GFC: “Evolution.” He holds notable career wins over Rani Yahya, Masakazu Imanari and others. WEC 40 will feature a main event between bantamweight champion and Chicago resident, Miguel Torres, against challenger Brian Bowles. Joseph Benavidez and Jeff Curran will also meet on in the co main event to decide the number one contender in the 135-pound division. The main card of WEC 40 will air live on the Versus network at 9:30 p.m. on April 5. To check out the latest fight card and rumors for “Torres vs. Bowles” click here. |
| BJ Penn ‘Welcome Home Rally’ at Ala Moana Center in Hawaii on Feb. 14 Posted: 10 Feb 2009 09:41 PM CST |
| Josh Thomson fight against KJ Noons reportedly in the works for Strikeforce on April 11 Posted: 10 Feb 2009 06:55 PM CST
During a conference call today to promote the upcoming Strikeforce event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on April 11, which will air on on Showtime, the promoters hinted at a possible title fight between its 155-pound champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2) and former Elite XC lightweight title holder KJ Noons (7-2). Thomson captured the Strikeforce world title in June with a unanimous decision over then champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez at Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Thomson.” He’s fought once since then — a non-title bout against Ashe Bowman (first round technical knockout win) at “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” in September. “The Punk” is a worthy champion with an extremely versatile attack. Twelve of his 16 career wins have been by some form of stoppage (four technical knockouts and eight submissions). He holds notable career wins over Duane “Bang” Ludwig, “Razor” Rob McCullough, Hermes Franca, Nam Phan and Melendez. The predicted match with Noons would be his first official title defense. Noons became the first ever Elite XC 160 pound champion in November of 2007 with a first round technical knockout win over Nick Diaz at Elite XC: “Renegade.” He successfully defended his belt seven months later at “Return of the King” with a first round stoppage over experienced veteran Yves Edwards.
The powers that be at EliteXC decided after that match to book a rematch between Noons and Diaz for the title, but Noons felt that Diaz was undeserving of another shot at his gold, as well as the fact that he felt disrespected by the organization for the way he was being treated. After weeks of disagreement between the two sides, the promotion decided the best thing to do was to strip Noons of his belt and move in another direction. “King” Karl was rumored a few weeks back to be signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, but that rumor was put to rest with Strikeforce acquiring Noons’ contract from the defunct Pro Elite. KJ hasn’t competed in a professional mixed martial arts match since then. However, he did take a pro boxing match in November and scored a decisive unanimous decision victory over Alejandro Bogarin. He’s currently riding a three fight winning streak in MMA with all three bouts ending with a (technical) knockout. Nick Diaz and Frank Shamrock will face off in the main event of the night at a catchweight of 179 pounds. Gilbert Melendez, Scott Smith and Benji Radach are all expected to be in action on the card as well. |
| Nick Diaz rekindles Shamrock vs. Gracie rivalry with April 11 Strikeforce bout Posted: 10 Feb 2009 06:47 PM CST
When Nick Diaz takes on Frank Shamrock in the main event of the new-look Strikeforce debut show on April 11 in San Jose, California, for him there will be more on the line than just another notch in the win column. He’ll also be fighting to avenge a brutal 21-second knockout loss Shamrock delivered to the Stockton native’s mentor and trainer Cesar Gracie in front of, at the time, the largest live audience to witness a mixed martial arts event in North America with 18,265 fans in attendance. That fight remains Cesar Gracie’s one and only professional MMA match. During a conference call today to promote the April 11 event, Frank Shamrock talked a little bit about the back story. Here’s a snip:
Some of those words in question also came following Shamrock’s dismantling of Phil Baroni back in June of 2007, when a far from impressed Diaz told Gracie Fighter that he would ‘Whoop Frank’s ass.’
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker also talked about how the history between Gracie and Shamrock played into the match making and how the weight issue didn’t cause any hesitation because Diaz was set to compete as a welterweight for Strikeforce anyway. Here’s more:
Clearly there’s a compelling storyline here with the Cesar Gracie vs. Frank Shamrock background, but the size difference makes this match-up interesting as well. Even though Diaz competed as a welterweight in the early part of his career, he fought as a lightweight under the EliteXC banner. In fact, many believe the promotion bumped the division limit up to 160 pounds, instead of the standard 155 pounds, so that Diaz could make the weight cut. His trainer admits that he can’t make the cut down to 155 pounds anymore, and that was never more evident then when he failed to make even the 160 pound limit for his EliteXC match with Muhsin Corbbrey last June, missing his mark by nine pounds. There were questions when Strikeforce purchased his contract last week about which weight class he would be competing in. We now know that he’ll move forward as a welterweight with Strikeforce after this fight with Shamrock, which will be contested at a catchweight of 179 pounds. There has never been a welterweight champion in Strikeforce. The 170 pound title is vacant. At least for now. |
| WEC blows through UIC Pavilion in Chicago on April 5; Tickets on sale soon Posted: 10 Feb 2009 05:52 PM CST
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) today officially announced its plans for WEC 40: “Torres vs. Bowles,” which is scheduled to take place at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Ill., on April 5. It will mark the first trip for the promotion to the “Windy City,” as well as a homecoming of sorts for WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres (35-1). “Angel” is a graduate of nearby Purdue University in Indiana. He paid his way through college fighting on the underground mixed martial arts scene throughout the region, establishing a cult-like following and a reputation to take on all comers, regardless of size. Accordingly, Torres is set to headline the show and will defend his 135-pound strap against undefeated four-fight WEC veteran Brian Bowles (7-0). This will be his third title defense for Torres since the Chicago resident captured the crown with a first round submission win over Chase Beebe in February 2008. In the other match made official, former featherweight standout Jeff Curran (31-9-1) will make his bantamweight debut in a number one contender eliminator match against the training partner of Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez (9-0). Benavidez is coming off a unanimous decision win over Danny Martinez in his promotional debut at WEC 37: “Torres vs. Tapia” last December. He recorded three other wins in 2008 over Junya Kudo, Maurice Eazel and Jason Georgianna, each by submission. Tickets for WEC 40: “Torres vs. Bowles” are set to go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. CT. To check out the latest WEC fight card and rumors click here. |
| Frank Shamrock vs Nick Diaz tapped as Strikeforce main event for April 11 Posted: 10 Feb 2009 02:29 PM CST
Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock will return to action against Nick Diaz (18-7) in a 179-pound catch weight match that will headline the promotion’s show scheduled for the HP Pavillion in San Jose, Calif., on April 11. Shamrock today made the rumored main event official during a conference call to promote the event. "Nick Diaz is a guy who throws hands, talks trash and I'm going to knock him out on April 11," Shamrock said when confirming the bout. Since purchasing select assets from the defunct Pro Elite organization last week, which included a number of valuable fighter contracts, as well as inking a new deal with the premium cable network Showtime to air 16 live events, the San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion Strikeforce has been hard at work piecing together the first event of 2009. And it’s one the company’s Web site — StrikeforceUSA.net — is calling “the greatest fight card in Strikeforce history.” So far so good … and we're less than one week removed from the blockbuster announcement. Shamrock — who defeated Diaz' mentor Cesar Gracie in just 21 seconds back in 2006 – is coming off more than a full year on the sidelines. He has been on the shelf since a third round technical knockout loss to current Strikeforce champion Cung Le last March, during which his forearm was shattered blocking a head kick. Diaz, on the other hand, has fought three times during that time, winning all three matches by technical knockout. Weight could play a factor in this match, but so too might ring rust. Either way, both of these guys are very experienced and technically sound mixed martial artists. This should be a very compelling match-up for a card that is shaping up very nicely. Diaz’s last six fights since leaving the UFC have all been lightweight bouts, while Shamrock has been competing at 185-pound in the middleweight division. There will certainly be a size advantage for Shamrock, who is a former UFC light heavyweight champion. Regardless, Diaz has done well in the past as a welterweight and even holds a knockout win over the last reigning Elite XC middleweight champion, Robbie Lawler. He’ll no doubt be ready to fight at any weight, as well as do his fair of trash talking leading up to April 11 Let the war of words begin. |
| Karo Parisyan tests positive for painkillers after UFC 94 Posted: 10 Feb 2009 01:48 PM CST
Former number one welterweight contender, Karo Parisyan, has tested positive for several painkillers, including Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone and Oxymorphone, following his controversial split decision win over Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim at UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2" at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 31. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today passed along the results to MMAmania.com. "The Heat" has recently battled a nervous disorder, as well as injuries, which forced him out of a match against Yoshiyuki Yoshida less than 24 hours before showtime back in September 2008. Parisyan talked openly about his recent challenges during our recent interview with him, conducted on January 26, five days before the fight against Kim. He said that he was injury-free going into the Kim fight and that the sciatic nerve injury that prevented him from competing in the Yoshida fight was no longer an issue and hadn't been for quite some time. In his words:
He also confirmed that he had been prescribed medication (Xanax) to deal with the panic attacks, but that he thus far had avoided taking the medication:
Parisyan also stated that he hadn't had a panic attack for "about five or six months." To read more from Parisyan's perspective on his long-running battle with this disorder, including what he thinks triggers an attack, go here. The finding could be a serious one. Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (which is about six to eight times stronger than morphine) all come with relatively high levels of dependency for regular users. They are all prescription-strength painkillers. While there will no doubt be speculation about this recent turn of events, remember that Parisyan is innocent until proven guilty. He could face a fine and possible suspension by the NSAC, which he would be allowed to appeal. More on this breaking news as it becomes available. All of the other fighters tested from the UFC 94 event passed their respective screenings for illegal/banned substances. |
| Gilbert Melendez next fight for Strikeforce on April 11 Posted: 10 Feb 2009 01:41 PM CST
Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (14-2) will make his return to the cage on the promotion’s upcoming event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on April 11. An opponent has not been announced, but the options have been narrowed down to Mistuhiro Ishida — who defeated Melendez via unanimous decision in 2008 — and UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel. “El Nino” has not seen action since losing his title in a decisive unanimous decision to current champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson last June. The loss was only the second of his sparkling 16-fight career, which includes notable wins over Hiroyuki Takaya, Clay Guida, Tatsuya Kawajiri and others. His only other loss was a unanimous decision to Ishida at Yarennoka on New Years Eve 2007. Ishida has since signed with Strikeforce and made a successful debut for the promotion with a first round submission win over Justin Wilcox at “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” last September. He appears to be the most likely candidate; however, Gurgel was also mentioned as a possible opponent. There’s been a lot of talk about him testing his skills in the UFC’s lightweight division after his Strikeforce contract is up. In fact, Melendez told MMAmania.com during UFC 94 weekend that he is going to pursue other options after his current contract expires. “One more fight,” he said, referring to when he expected a possible introduction to the Octagon. However, a lot has changed in the two weeks since the Super Bowl weekend show — Strikeforce acquired select Pro Elite contract assets, as well as struck a coveted network television deal with CBS and a premium cable gig with Showtime. Regardless, the fight on April 11 is the last fight on Melendez’ Strikeforce contract … only time will tell what happens after that. We’ll have to wait to find out his opponent, but the addition of Melendez alone adds a ton of value to an event that Strikeforce is already calling, “the greatest fight card in Strikeforce history.” Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on the developing event. |
| Posted: 10 Feb 2009 10:38 AM CST
– Joe Stevenson talks to EuroSport.Yahoo.com about his upcoming 155-pound showdown against Diego Sanchez in the main event at UFC 95 at The O2 Arena in London, England, on Feb. 21. “Daddy” will welcome “Nightmare” to the lightweight division, which he feels will be to his advantage rather than letting him get comfortable with the drop in weight. He also feels that other changes that come along with fighting overseas will all add up in his favor. Who you got? |
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