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MMA Quick Quote: Jason Guida and Bobby Lashley get into it at pre-fight presser Posted: 19 Mar 2009 05:39 AM PDT “I'm really pumped for it. I want to thank Bobby (Lashley) for taking the fight. I'm going to do it. Everyone's going to see a good show. We're going to do something March 21st. I didn't say half but meant all of it (quotes in the release that Lashley previously read)…. I've never seen you put anybody to sleep…. This is for real. How long have you been faking? How long in the WWE? How long has it been since somebody hit you on the chin for real?” – Jason Guida and Bobby Lashley get into a war of words at the final pre-fight press conference for "March Badness" — a hybrid mixed martial arts and boxing pay-per-view (PPV) event being put on by former boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. this Saturday, March 21, from the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. Guida stepped up on short notice to fill-in for the suspended Ken Shamrock (steroids) and has since kept a steady drumbeat of trash talk to help hype the match against the former WWE superstar and absolute shredded monster/collegiate wrestling specimen. Jones had to actually step between Guida and Lashley as the exchange became heated — Lashley pushed Guida as the exchange escalated. This is getting good.

Chuck Liddell video on ‘tightening’ his game at ATT for Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua UFC 97 fight Posted: 18 Mar 2009 08:31 PM PDT Props: UFC.com

Brandon Lee Hinkle vs Chris Tuchscherer to headline ‘Beatdown 4′ this weekend Posted: 18 Mar 2009 08:27 PM PDT NEW TOWN, North Dakota — The first Sovereign Nations Mixed Martial Arts (SNMMA) championship will be contested Saturday night, March 21 at "Beatdown 4" when Brandon "The Iron Lion" Lee Hinkle battles Chris Tuchscherer in the main event at 4 Bears Casino in New Town, North Dakota. UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is scheduled to make a special appearance. SNMMA links federally recognized tribes throughout the United States and Canada. SNMMA's mission is to develop, promote and help regulate mixed-martial-arts in a fair and professional manner by federally recognized tribes that are sovereign nations. Sherdog named Hinkle-Tuchscherer as one of its top 10 MMA fights for March. Hinkle (14-9-1, 8 (T)KO, 4 Submissions), fighting out of Columbus, Ohio, is a former NCAA, Division II wrestling champion. He is also 2-0 as a professional boxer. Tuchscherer (15-1-0, 5 (T)KOs, 6 Submissions), from nearby Fargo (ND), was a 2-time NCAA, Div. II All-America wrestler. Hinkle-Tuchscherer for the vacant SNMMA heavyweight title is scheduled for five, 5-minute rounds (all other fights on the card have three, 3-minute rounds). "What makes SNMMA different from other native organizations is that it's not based on race," SNMMA president Pat Packineau explained. "SNMMA has been created to draw awareness that tribal casinos host numerous mixed-martial-arts events every year and our new organization unites tribes in the sport by having our own championship belt. Boxers of any race may capture the SNMMA championship, as long as the title fight is contested on federally recognized land or have off-tribal sites approved in advance by the SNMMA board of directors. "The SNMMA's goal is to bring notoriety to Native American casino MMA events and recognize the athletes competing on Tribal Lands for SNMMA championships. We're excited to host the first SNMMA title fight at 4 Bears Casino." The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy will be represented by a large continent of Minneapolis and St. Paul based fighters on the card. Former UFC fighter Drew Fickett (36-10-0) takes on welterweight Nick "The Carnie" Lentz (14-3-1) in a much-anticipated co-feature. Fighting on the undercard is featherweight Clint Godfrey (7-1-1) vs. Rich Taylor (5-1-0), lightweight Marshall Martin (10-5-0) vs. Dan Casey (12-2-0), heavyweight Jessie Wallace (3-0-0) vs. Zak Jenson (6-2-0), lightweights Jon Knutson (2-3-0) vs. Pablo Garza (2-0-0), light heavyweight Jim Miltonberger (1-1-0) vs. Bruce Nelson (17-25-1), middleweight Josh Rosaaen (2-3-0) vs. Ryan Braun (2-4-0), heavyweight Seth Harrison (1-1-0) vs. Tyler Bartholemew (0-1-0), light heavyweight Dane Sayers (3-0) vs. Shane Dezee (8-3-0). All fights and fighters are subject to change. Tickets, priced at $20.00 (bleachers), $30.00 (floor) and $50.00 (ringside), are available at 4 Bears Casino's Players Club or by calling 800.294.5454 X4724. Go to www.4bearsfightclub.com or www.snbcmma.com for additional information. Minimum age requirement to attend is 21. SNMMA SNMMA is committed to serving the communities and advancing the lives and economic situation off all Native people, as well as all professional boxers, in a positive and professional manner. For more information about Sovereign Nation Mixed Martial Arts call 701.6277539, go online at www.snbcmma.com, or write to SNMMA, P.O. Box 5, Parshall, ND 58770.

Affliction Entertainment in talks to air third MMA event opposite UFC 100 on July 11 Posted: 18 Mar 2009 12:37 PM PDT Apparently there is still some fight left in “The T-Shirt Guys” over at Affliction Entertainment. Five Ounces of Pain is reporting that Affliction is taking a page out of the UFC counter programming handbook and contemplating a third mixed martial arts event this summer for Saturday, July 11 — the same day as the much anticipated UFC 100. According to the report, Affliction would consider hosting the event on network or basic cable television to avoid the very difficult task of trying to lure away potential PPV buys from Zuffa. And the UFC is no stranger to counter programming. They hastily assembled UFC Fight Night 14 to draw interest away from the debut of Affliction: "Banned" on PPV last July with a main event between Anderson "The Spider" Silva and James "The Sandman" Irvin. For Affliction's second effort, "Day of Reckoning" on January 24, the UFC answered with a replay of UFC 91 "Lesnar vs. Couture." The UFC also went up against the EliteXC debut show on CBS last May with a tribute to perhaps the most popular mixed martial artist on the planet, Chuck Liddell, called "Ultimate Iceman." Even the new-look Strikeforce is getting a taste. On the same night and at the same time as their April 11 event, Spike TV will debut UFC 94: "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2," which of course is now known simply as "Greasegate," thanks to some questionable tactics by the corner of GSP. It’s not unreasonable to think this third show could be the last from Affliction. The idea of going head-to-head with one of the biggest events in UFC history is more of an “F-you” than it is a step towards continued brand development. While still in the planning stages, it will be interesting to see what Affliction has in store for its third event and what impact it might have on the fighters who decide to participate in the broadcast. Being an accomplice to this kind strategy could be detrimental to a fighter who may be considering a UFC career down the road. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information as it becomes available.

Miguel Torres considers greener pastures in UFC lightweight division Posted: 18 Mar 2009 11:33 AM PDT Props: Versus.com Quoteworthy: "The future is bright for 135. I want to fight here for another two or three years, and once I have solidified myself at 135, I plan on moving up in weight. I can't fight forever. I can dominate 135 for the rest of my career and be comfortable, or I can test myself and be out of my comfort zone and try to make more money. I think fighting at a higher weight class, there will be bigger purses, bigger paydays and more high-profile fights. So, I am looking to do that in the future. To go to 145, I wouldn't get a huge bump (in pay), but if I were to go to 155 and get a three-fight deal (in the UFC), I am sure I could get a huge increase in pay. And then (I can) always come down to 135 or 145." – WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres talks about his legacy at 135-pounds and the potential paydays that could await him in the UFC lightweight division. Torres (35-1) is widely considered the best bantamweight in the world and has put together four straight wins under the WEC banner beginning with his debut for the promotion in September of 2007. He’s set to face Takeya Mizugaki (11-2-2) at WEC 40 on Sunday, April 5, 2009, at 9:30 p.m. ET on Versus from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

Programming reminder: ‘Sengoku 7′ to air live via HDNet on March 20 Posted: 18 Mar 2009 10:32 AM PDT Tune in this Friday, March 20 for “HDNet Fights Presents: World Victory Road: Sengoku 7″ from the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The stacked mixed martial arts event airs LIVE at 3:00 a.m. ET with a special encore presentation at 10 p.m. ET for all you sleepyheads and chislers who refuse to shell out the few extra clams for a DVR. World Victory Road’s “Seventh Battle” will feature Hatsu Hioki, Hideki Kadowaki, L.C. Davis, Nick Denis, and twelve other combatants in the first round of the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix - plus undefeated Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal takes on Ryo Kawamura in the main event of the evening. In addition, 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. The bout order for Sengoku 7 is as follows: Muhammed Lawal (3-0) vs. Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) Hatsu Hioki (17-3-2) vs. Chris Manuel (6-0-2) Nam Phan (14-5) vs. Hideki Kadowaki (13-8-2) James Thompson (14-9) vs. Jim York (9-2) L.C. Davis (13-1) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (4-7-1) Matt Jaggers (9-4) vs. Marlon Sandro (12-0) Kim Jong Man (3-5-3) vs. Masanori Kanehara (11-5-5) Jung Chan Sung (2-0) vs. Shintaro Ishiwatari (6-1-3) Tetsuya Yamada (3-0) vs. Ronnie Mann Ushiwaka (16-1-1) Nick Denis (6-0) vs. Seiya Kawahara (6-1) The Grand Prix quarterfinals will be held at Sengoku "Eighth Battle" on May 2 from the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The semifinals and finals are expected to take place this summer. To get up to speed on all things Sengoku, head over to our archive here.

BJ Penn: ‘We have to defend the (UFC) lightweight title’ Posted: 18 Mar 2009 08:51 AM PDT Props: Fighters Only Magazine Quoteworthy: We’re looking for a return, we have to defend the lightweight title. It’s been long, it’s been overdue since we defended the lightweight title. I had to heal up some of my injuries that I suffered from the Georges St. Pierre fight. I’m all good now so we’re gonna move forward with my same team, my same camp and we’re gonna make a run to defend the lightweight title — I think it’s either late July or early August. -UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn talks about returning to the 155-pound division just hours after his hearing in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) regarding the accusations he made about current welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre getting greased up in between rounds of their championship superfight at UFC 94 “St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ back on January 31. While the controversy is far from over, it’s refreshing to hear “The Prodigy” speak about getting back to business in the lightweight division — where a handful of contenders (including Kenny Florian) are eagerly awaiting his return. Check out the complete video interview after the jump.

Eliot Marshall vs Vinny Magalhaes added to UFC 97 on April 18 Posted: 18 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT With just one month until Anderson "The Spider" Silva storms Montreal, former Ultimate Fighter 8 contestants Eliot Marshall (6-1) and Vinny Magalhaes (2-3) are set to collide on the undercard of UFC 97: "Redemption" at The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18, according to Five Ounces of Pain. This news comes a few days after an MMAWeekly.com report that stated Marshall would face Mike Ciesnolevicz, who was scratched from the bout due to an undisclosed injury. Marshall cut his teeth in the 'Ring of Fire' promotion before making his debut on the eighth season of TUF. He would eventually fall to division winner Ryan Bader in the semifinals, but bounced back at the TUF 8 Finale with a submission victory over castmate Jules Bruchez. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, "The Fire" frequently trains with Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico and is very dangerous on the ground. Unfortunately for Marshall, his opponent is no slouch on the mat himself. Magalhaes subbed his way into the finals of the SpikeTV reality show before eventual winner Ryan Bader gave him a case of the stupids in the first round of their face off courtesy of an awkward head shot. It was “Pezao’s” second straight loss. Prior to TUF, the grappling wizard verbally quit in his match against Raphael Davis at Valor Fighting “Fight Night” back in March of 2008. UFC 97 main event features middleweight champion Anderson Silva, putting his 185-pound title on the line against number one division contender, Thales Leites. In the co-main event, Mauricio Rua — fresh off his less-than-thrilling victory over Mark "The Hammer" Coleman at UFC 93 — will challenge former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. To check out the latest UFC 97 fight card news and rumors click here.

UFC Quick Quote: Demain Maia likes Shogun’s chances against Chuck Liddell Posted: 18 Mar 2009 07:12 AM PDT “[Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is] super professional … He's away from Curitiba (Shogun's home town) and it's good for him to get more concentrated. He's on the right way, but [it is] still far from the fight, still has four weeks. He'll get to the top now. I don't know about Chuck, how is his preparation, but I think Shogun is very talented and, well trained, is hard to be beat…. I don't think that the fight with Coleman was bad. It was a very intense fight, maybe he got tired more, but I think he fought well. He got tired, that's normal. People forget that Coleman fought with Fedor few time ago and did a great fight, he is very tough… It's not because he's 45 that that you have to go there and kill him." – In an interview with Tatame.com undefeated middleweight contender Demian Maia talks about helping Mauricio “Shogun” Rua prepare for his upcoming 205-pound battle against former division champion Chuck Liddell at UFC 97: “Redemption” on April 18. Maia is perhaps the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist currently on UFC roster, winning all five of his fights inside the Octagon with insane submissions. He makes it look so easy. Might he be showing “Shogun” a thing or two to surprise the “Iceman” on fight night with a ground attack? We will see soon enough.

Thales Leites: ‘I can get that belt’ from Anderson Silva at UFC 97 Posted: 18 Mar 2009 05:54 AM PDT Props: UK.EuroSport.Yahoo.com Quoteworthy: “At the last WEC, I was there with my friend Jose Aldo, I was in his corner and I met Joe Silva. He came up to me and said ‘congratulations for your title shot’ and that when I continued to fight on after taking that illegal knee from Marquardt, at that moment, he thought ‘this kid deserves a title shot’…. It’s the biggest opportunity of my life. I know I am in the position now that everyone would like to be in. In my mind, I see a good fight. If I have to fight him in the stand-up then I will, and if he has to fight on the ground with me, I know he will fight me on the ground — that’s what makes it an interesting fight. He has a lot of skills, but he is not unbeatable; he is a man, like everyone else. I feel good. I don’t mind if people call me the underdog, if people don’t believe in me. The most important thing for me is that I believe in me, my family, my coach, my team. If they believe, I can do whatever I want. I have been training a long time for this. Something inside me tells me that I can do this. I will get out of that cage with the belt, no matter what happens. I can beat him, he can beat me; it will be a huge fight. But I believe I can get that belt.” Number one middleweight contender Thales Leites is certainly not short on confidence heading into his main event match against 185-pound champion Anderson Silva at UFC 97: “Redemption” from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18. The Brazilian also indicates that matchmaker Joe Silva was impressed with his ability to continue against Nate Marquardt after receiving a brutal illegal knee in a fight last year that clearly had him seeing stars. That may do little for those fans out there who feel Leites is undeserving of the opportunity to fight for a title. What say you?

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