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| UFC 96 video blog with Dana White (Episode two) Posted: 04 Mar 2009 04:15 AM PST |
| Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra made official for UFC 98 on May 23 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 08:32 PM PST
The UFC today confirmed that arch enemies Matt Hughes and Matt Serra will finally face off in the Octagon to settle their bitter score at UFC 98 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. Both former welterweight champions have been sidelined with injuries — Serra sustained an elbow injury in his loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2″ back in April and Hughes has been nursing a knee injury that he suffered in his loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 85: "Bedlam″ back in June. Complicating the situation even more — as if it needed it — is the fact the Serra and his wife are expecting their first child sometime in April, which is the reason it could not happen sooner. Serra and Hughes — who are about as opposite as two people can get — were opposing coaches in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 and were supposed to fight at UFC 79: "Nemesis" in December 2007. However, Serra had to withdraw because of a serious back injury. The trash-talking has not stopped ever since and will more than likely ratchet up again sooner rather than later with their bout now less than three months away. The good news this time around is that we now have a firm date, location and event number for the 170-pound showdown — important details that were absent prior to this point. Finally. |
| UFC 97 poster for ‘Redemption’ on April 18 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 07:16 PM PST
To check out the latest UFC 97: “Redemption” fight card click here. |
| Yushin Okami vs Dan Miller UFC 98 fight set for May 23 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 07:08 PM PST
Believe it or not, but UFC 98: “Lesnar vs. Mir 2″ just got better. Former number one middleweight contender Yushin Okami will return to the Octagon to challenge surging 185-pound stand out Dan Miller at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. Okami bested Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Dean Lister at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008″ in Dec. 2008, re-establishing himself as a top contender in the middleweight division. "Thunder" was the front runner to challenge 185-pound stalwart Anderson Silva for his division title before the Lister match; however, he was sidelined with a hand injury that temporarily derailed his championship aspirations. The Japanese import — who holds a controversial win over Silva under the Rumble on the Rock banner — has won seven of eight fights inside the Octagon. His lone loss during that span was to former champion Rich Franklin back at UFC 72: "Victory" in June 2007. With a win over a Miller — a very tough and underestimated competitor — Okami would certainly appear to be back in the hunt. In fact, UFC President Dana White already indicated at the UFC 92 post-event press conference that Okami had earned a crack at the belt … again. It appears that Miller may now be the only thing standing in his way. Miller was among several talented IFL fighters who Zuffa picked up when the promotion folded back in 2008. He was the last man to hold the IFL title; however, he was never able to defend the belt after defeating Ryan McGivern via submission (kneebar) to win it back in May. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, Miller defeated Rob Kimmons via first round submission in his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 15 in September 2008. Four weeks later he followed that up with an encore performance, stepping in for an injured Ricardo Almeida to topple Matt Horwich via unanimous decision at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote.” Most recently, Miller filled in again as a replacement to school blue chip prospect, Jake Rosholt, via submission (guillotine choke) at UFC Fight Night 17. It was another big win for the New Jersey native who trains at AMA Fight Club; however, Okami will certainly be his toughest test to date. This is a great match up that pits two of the best in the division against one another for the right to join Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt in the suddenly crowded 185-pound division title challenger picture. Indeed, the winner of this match could fly under the radar and emerge as a serious threat as the action all unfolds in the coming months. Better late than never. For the latest UFC 98 fight card and rumors click here. |
| UFC-bound Yoshihiro Akiyama is ready to face a middleweight Wanderlei Silva Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:19 PM PST
Props: MMAFighting.com Quoteworthy:
-DREAM and K-1 superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama comments on his recent signing with the UFC after a long and storied run on the Japanese circuit. The 12-1 “Sexyama” is a decorated Judoka capable of winning anywhere at anytime — none of his twelve wins have gone the distance. Look for the middleweight heel to get his proper introduction at UFC 97 on April 18 in Montreal, Canada, with an in-cage debut sometime in August — and it sounds like he’s already got some of the big guns at 185-pounds in his sights. |
| Shinya Aoki and Masakazu Imanari bond during training (Pic) Posted: 03 Mar 2009 05:58 PM PST |
| Sengoku completes Featherweight GP roster; adds York vs Thompson for March 20 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 05:43 PM PST
World Victory Road has added a heavyweight bout for its Sengoku 8 event, which takes place on Friday, March 20, airing live in North America on HDNet from the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Former PRIDE and EliteXC competitor (and the man who almost kept UFC 97 out of Canada) James Thompson will do battle with MARS veteran Jim York on the main card of Sengoku 7. “The Colossus” (14-9) has dropped seven of his last ten, but is probably most famous for his fight against Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson at EliteXC “Primetime” last May. Thompson exposed the ground game of Fergie with an easy takedown and proceeded to rain down 80-something elbows without drawing a stoppage. He would later get TKO’d on his feet in the third round with a credited assist from referee Dan Miragliotta. He’s a big and muscular brute who loves to charge head on and swing for the fences, which should be a welcome approach for York. “Big” (9-2) was in cruise control, winning nine straight fights until he was upended by Yoshihiro “I kissed Heath Herring and got dropped for it” Nakao at Sengoku “Second Battle.” York carries heavy hands but also has an underrated submission game. Don’t expect a long feeling-out process with these two.
Also on the card, wrestling phenom and breakout star Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (3-0) has been put to the task of facing current light heavyweight King of Pancrase Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2). The Team Quest standout has been on a ferocious tear since debuting at Sengoku 'Fifth Battle' back in September, demolishing veteran of the sport Travis Wiuff (54-12) with relative ease. In the span of just four months since his debut got underway, Mo has continued to dominate his opponents and boost his record to 3-0, entertaining fans along the way with his fighting style and colorful personality. Lawal seems right at home in Japan with his theatrics and thankfully he can back them up when it comes fight time. In his post fight speech after his last win at Sengoku 'Rebellion' on January 4 (a TKO victory over Yukiya Naito) "King Mo" stated that he wants to fight on every single Sengoku card of 2009. No arguments here. The full line-up for the Sengoku Featherweight Tournament is also complete with the addition of K-1 and DEEP veteran Kim Jong Man (3-5-2). He joins a field of 15 other fighters competing for the Grand Prix title. The tournament participants are as follows:
Stay tuned for more event updates for Sengoku 8 as they develop. In the meantime, get up to speed on all things Sengoku by heading over to our archive here. |
| Alessio Sakara vs Alan Belcher on tap for UFC 99 on June 13 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 04:37 PM PST
Veteran UFC workhorses Alessio Sakara and Alan Belcher, who have a combined 17 appearances inside the Octagon, are penciled in to duke it out in a middleweight bout at UFC 99 from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany on June 13 according to MMAWeekly. "Legionarius" is coming off a brutal knockout of Joe Vedepo via head kick at UFC Fight Night 15 back in September. It was an eye-opening finish from the heavy-handed former Italian boxer. Sakara was set to lock horns with Jake Rosholt at UFC Fight Night 17 on February 7, 2009, until a late shoulder injury forced him off the card. The former light heavyweight is currently (2-2) in his last four bouts and the same during his three-year career (4-4, 1 NC) with the UFC. Sakara – who historically struggles against higher-level competition — has been branded a gatekeeper of the division. That’s a title he’s probably ready to pass on to Belcher. "The Talent" is fresh off a comeback victory over PRIDE and Spirit MC standout Denis Kang at UFC 93. Belcher was taking his lumps before Kang got sloppy and ended up in a fight-ending guillotine. It was his fourth win in his last five attempts — a surprising technical knockout loss to newcomer Jason Day at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre 2" earlier this year is the only blip during that span. UFC 99 is expected to be headlined by former middleweight champion Rich "Ace" Franklin taking on ex-PRIDE smashing machine Wanderlei Silva in his middleweight debut. Heath Herring and Cain Velasquez as well as Mike Swick and Ben Saunders are also expected to hook 'em up. For more on UFC 99 click here. |
| Put up or shut your trap: Pete Sell exclusive UFC 96 interview with MMAmania.com Posted: 03 Mar 2009 01:54 PM PST
This Saturday at UFC 96, there's a bout a lot of folks have been talking about … and I'm not referring to the main event between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Keith Jardine. I'm talking about the fight between Pete Sell and Matt Brown that recently snuck onto the main card. In doing so, it pushed fights with Brandon "The Truth" Vera and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 winner Kendall "Da Spyda" Grove onto the undercard. To its credit, the UFC seems to be banking on all the potential for a slugfest that Sell vs. Brown promises to hold. Don't let their deceiving records fool you. "Drago" (8-4) has seen his fair share of battles inside the Octagon. In fact, his name is somewhat synonymous with memorable brawls, although he's just 2-4 in the UFC. Sell holds victories over Phil Baroni and Josh Burkman, and his TUF 4 Finale fight against Scott Smith had one of the most unique endings of any fight in history. In the other corner, "The Immortal" (8-7) has gone 2-1 for the promotion, scoring a technical knockout over Matt Arroyo at the TUF 7 Finale last June, losing a very close split decision to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 in September, and most recently submitting Ryan Thomas just two months later at UFC 91. At 8-7, Brown has been criticized for taking difficult fights for him early in his career. But all that's water under the bridge as far as the UFC is concerned. They've kept these guys around for a reason and are hoping that strategy pays dividends this Saturday night. We caught up with "Drago" to ask him about his recent win over Burkman that snapped a three-fight skid, how difficult it was to keep hope alive during that rough patch of his career, and how important this upcoming fight is for him, now that he's back to his winning ways. Let's get after it:
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You last faced Josh Burkman at UFC 90 in a "loser leaves town" fight. How important was that win for you? Pete Sell: Let me tell ya, that one was crucial for me as far as what are you going to do in life. It was a breaking point for both me and Josh. We went in there, man. I've fought in the UFC, I've had some tough breaks in the UFC, so for me to get that win was very important to me to get back on top. And plus, it was my new thing at 170, so I wanted to see how I was going to do. It was definitely a big win for me. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well you've been fighting in the UFC for a while, but hadn't had the best luck in the win/loss column inside the Octagon. Was that a trying time for you? I mean, did you ever find it difficult to keep hope alive and realize that those wins were going to come? Pete Sell: I tell ya, man, it's really a rough thing, because in the beginning of my career I went undefeated. I was 5-0 in the local circuit, in Ring of Combat and the local shows I was fighting in. And then I went into the UFC and fought Baroni. I won, and I was 6-0, man. I was partying, I was having a good time. Everything was going good for me, it was all positive. And then things just … BOOM … all of a sudden one day I start getting some tough breaks. Ever since then, it just spiraled out of control in a couple years. Even if I had some close fights or whatever, but still a win's a win, you know? A loss is a loss. Even though some guys I may have been beatin' the crap out of anyway, and it could have been my fight, but … Imagine if Quarry and Smith, imagine if those fights ended up on my end, you know? But you just gotta persevere past it. I've had a lot of positive people around me, like Matt Serra and Ray Longo and my girlfriend. I got a lot of good people around me to keep it all positive, and I just persevere past it all. Going through that two years of being in that slump, you start to think that maybe something's wrong with you. You start (thinking), "I'm a beast, man, I train hard, I know I'm a tough guy, I live to fight, so how come I can't get a win?" You start almost questioning yourself, like what the hell's the matter with me? Some crazy stuff. But going through that, I feel like it just built more character for me and just made me a tougher guy. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well it's definitely nice to have you back in the win column. Pete Sell: It's good to be back! Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) Let's talk about the Burkman fight. The fight started a little slow for you, but you definitely made up for it by taking the last two rounds. How do you think the fight went? Pete Sell: I think the fight went awesome! In the beginning, I was kind of stuck in his rhythm in the beginning. Things weren't going well. And talk about perseverance — we were just talking about coming from the losses and dealing with that while going into the fight — and then, I'm actually in the fight, and I'm losing the first round! When I got back to the corner, Matt (Serra)'s like, "Yeah you gotta do something. You gotta … you gotta pick it up, you gotta do something in the next round, or …" And it's like, all right. Well I made it to this fight, and I've already lost the first round, you know what I'm saying? (Laughs). So I was like, "I'm going out there, but I don't care if I die. I'm going out there this next round, and I'm taking what's mine. I'm going for it. If he takes me out, he takes me out." But I put too much into it, too much time and effort. I dedicated a whole life to it, especially coming back. It was so much for me to overcome. A lot of people even in my position — I spoke to a lot of fighters, and a lot of people told me, "Yo, honestly in your position, with all the close calls you've had, a lot of people aren't coming back from that." … A lot of people take the easy way out, but whatever. I stuck it out, I persevered and I got past it. Now it just makes me even more of a believer of if you put your mind to something you can do whatever you want. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Before the Burkman fight, you had a torn labrum in your right shoulder from 2007. Pete Sell: Yep. I did it after the Quarry fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That prevented you from competing for nearly a year. I read that you had something like 20 weeks of rehab on your shoulder. Pete Sell: Yeah, I had over 20 weeks of rehab and a cortisone shot. It was a lot. My shoulder was beat up. Eventually, we were talking about surgery, but I did it without the surgery, which I was happy about. I got mixed things about that, because I told a few people about it, and some people said it helped, and a lot of people said it made their shoulder worse. At the time when it first happened, I couldn't even lift my shoulder above my head. It hurt to do that. So it was a brutal time for me. 'Cause I fought a guy without fighting the bag, you know what I'm saying? I beat the crap out of Quarry for too long that fight. I thought I was doing good, and then the third round I got caught. I got careless a little bit. I shouldn't have. I got excited, I got a little too overzealous. (It was a lot of) on-the-job training, you know? All the on-the-job training that I've had, now I feel like I'm starting to come into my own and become the fighter that I should've been a while ago. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're due to face Matt Brown at UFC 96. Brown is known as a slugger, but half of his wins have come via armbar. You've never been submitted in your career. What kind of fight do you expect this to be? A brawl more than a grappling match? Pete Sell: I tell ya, man, a lot of people are asking me, "You going to go, you going to stand up with him?" And there's nothing to say to that. I remember when I landed Scott Smith, I was like, "Yo, you know what, I'm standing up with him" … And then I was stuck because I wanted to stick to my word. I'm not going to sit here and say that. I'm keeping it my own and go wherever … I've learned to be an MMA fighter and mix it up. Mix it up on the ground, and then go back to the stand up. Go back and forth. That's what MMA's really all about at a high level. You gotta be able to mix it up. By the same token, there's a guy who's getting ready to fight, and then I'm just like, "I came to battle, let's put on a show." Either get into that swinging round or we do it like that. We'll see how it goes. Either way, I hit hard, I got good submissions, and I think I'm a problem for anybody at 170. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You train with Matt Serra. Have you changed anything up, from a training perspective, for this fight? Have your brought in any new coaches or training partners? Pete Sell: No. As far as that goes, we got a real good team coming up now. We got Costa Phillippou, he's a pro boxer with 90 boxing matches. He's fighting for us now. Coach (Chris) Weidman, he's an Olympic-caliber wrestler. We got a lot of really good guys under our camp that are coming up. I have a lot of good people around me, I don't need to … I'm a loyal guy, I stick with my team. We have guys come in, but as of right now, I have good training for this fight. I'm happy here. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): This fight will be on the main card, over other fights that feature Brandon Vera and the TUF 3 winner, Kendall Grove. That's gotta be a good sign that the UFC likes having you around. Pete Sell: It's good to be back! I haven't been on the main card in a while. It's funny 'cause they always show my fights if I get Fight of the Night or whatever, so I get the air time anyway. But it's nice to be on a main card and get that recognition. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): UFC 96 will be held in Columbus, Ohio. Brown trains in Cincinnati and Columbus. You're sort of being put up against the hometown hero, which I guess makes you into the bad guy. Does that have an effect on this fight for you at all? Pete Sell: Let me tell you something, as far as dealing with that, I've been there, done that, as far as that goes. When I first fought in the UFC, nobody knew who I was. It was against Baroni. At the time everybody thought I was going to get killed, especially because I took the fight on short notice. I remember being at the weigh-ins and someone yelled, "You're a dead man." The whole crowd was laughing. You know what I'm saying, the whole weigh-ins crowd was laughing at ya. It was horrible. And I was just like, "All right. All right." The crowd's against me like that? It's almost like I like playing that role, you know? It adds fuel to my fire. I like playing that role a little bit. I'm definitely not worried about it. If anything, I like it better. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Now that you're back to your winning ways, as you look ahead to the rest of this year, and even beyond, what are your goals for your career? Pete Sell: As far as goals go, I'm taking it one step at a time, of course. And just work to get to the top 10 at 170. I want to be a top contender in there. I'm not going to sit here and call people out. I'm just trying to get back to a winning streak. I gotta take it one step at a time and do my thing. I'm not going to sit here and run my mouth or do this and that. For me, I've been so beaten down by this game. There's nothing that can be done to me that hasn't been done to me already. As far as (the physical), or living up to the people's hype, or whatever. I've been there, done that. I know all that nonsense people talk, the fans … there's nothing that can be done to me that hasn't been done to me already. So I'm ready for it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): UFC 96 features a main event fight between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Keith Jardine. Who do you like in that fight? Pete Sell: I gotta go with Jackson in that fight. He looked like he's rebuilt himself after the title loss, and he came back and he looked awesome against Wanderlei. And he came in against a guy who's knocked him out twice. That says a lot about a guy's perseverance. So I gotta give it to Rampage. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): There's been some back and forth in the New York legislature with respect to regulating MMA in the state. Now that Pennsylvania has agreed to regulate it, what do you think about the case for New York? Pete Sell: It's all over the place now. It's just a matter of time before it happens. Everybody knows that they're going to legalize it here, they just haven't had the live events yet. But that's pretty much it. Other than that, it's all over the billboards, it's all over everywhere in Times Square. I think once it gets here, it's going to be all crazy, I think it's going to just amp the sport up. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well let's hope we hear some good news soon. Pete Sell: I would love to fight in the Garden. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): That'd be a dream come true, I bet. Pete Sell: Yeah, for sure, man. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Pete, I really thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors, or do you have any parting words for your fans? Pete Sell: I gotta let my fans know that I'm here to stay. I'm just happy to be here. I get a lot of support from my fans. I'd like to thank Sprawl, Gamma-O and whoever else is sponsoring me, I don't even know yet. And to my teammates, Ray, Matt, Nick Serra, all of them. I got a lot of guys around me. My team's coming up. I'm happy to be part of the effort to legalize MMA in New York. |
| ‘Baby Fedor’ Kirill Sidelnikov tests positive for steroids … Posted: 03 Mar 2009 11:29 AM PST
Don’t really know what to think about that. Maybe he was young and stupid and his cousin injected the juice but didn’t know how to do it right. Another amateur hour, perhaps? Sidelnikov lost his bout to Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello via bruising third round technical knockout at Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” on Jan. 24. |
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