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| Sengoku ‘Seventh Battle’ preview Posted: 19 Mar 2009 08:53 PM PDT
World Victory Road is set to present Sengoku 'Seventh Battle' taking place in just a few hours from the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. For fans in the United States it will be aired live early Friday morning on HDNet at 3:00am ET. Should you miss it you'll be able to catch replays at 10:00pm ET or Saturday afternoon March 21 at 4:00pm ET. The event will kick off the promotion’s first round of the 2009 Featherweight Grand Prix. At a glance it looks like they've decided to go down a different route than rival DREAM. Instead of having a plateau of established fighters it appears they'll give a chance to an abundance of fresh young faces ready to break out and make a name for themselves. Hatsu Hioki is being touted as the tournament favorite and is likely the most recognizable fighter to fans in Japan, though he did earn his name through the small circuits such as Shooto. His last outing was a beatdown on promotion legend Rumina Sato. I think it's safe to say he's outgrown their ranks and it will be interesting to see what he can do on a bigger stage. Though he's the favorite — it won't be a clear path en route to taking all the glory, there are certainly a few fighters in this tournament that can keep it competitive or even go on to upset him. He'll first do battle with undefeated American Top Team prospect Chris Manuel in their opening round bout. Hideki Kadowaki and Nam Phan are also set to collide and both fighters are coming off losses. Phan was piped at the post by Billy Evangelista (9-0) in a close split decision last June at Strikeforce 'Melendez vs. Thomson'. Kadowaki on the other hand would end up losing a decision in his Shooto Lightweight (143lbs) title bout to Takeshi "Lion" Inoue (15-3) last November at Shooto 'Tradition 4.’ These two will be given a chance to redeem themselves when they face off. Fresh off his win at Affliction 'Day of Reckoning' this January over Bao Quach is L.C Davis. He will duke it out with Michihiro Omigawa. Featherweight King of Pancrase Marlon Sandro has a chance to step out of the shadows and make an impact in his bout with King of the Cage veteran Matt Jaggers. Sandro will be looking to keep that perfect record intact and progress to the next stages of the Grand Prix in the process. The inconsistent Kim Jong Man will be given an opening to prove any naysayer's wrong when he butts heads with Masanori Kanehara. We haven't been able to see too much of Korean Jung Chan Sung seeing as he's only had two professional mixed martial arts bouts. But if his last one was anything to go off then we could be in for a treat. He scored a stunning knockout on Fanjin Son a mere 17 seconds into round one in their bout back at DEEP '39 Impact' last December. It could be too early to judge him solely on that performance but I for one am certainly looking forward to see if he can do it again. He takes on the formidable Shintaro Ishiwatari. British rising star Ronnie Mann will battle ZST fighter Tetsuya Yamada. Mann has been turning out some impressive performances back home and is now presented with the opportunity to get his skills recognized further by fans. He has also adopted the ring name "Ushiwaka" which should help endear him to the Japanese crowd. And last but not least, rounding out the Grand Prix opening round will be two up-and-comers in Nick Denis and Seiya Kawahara — which could promise a riveting stand up war. Expect fireworks in that one. James Thompson makes his return to Japan after two years away from the country. Since then and most recently he's had his fair share of notoriety and infamy by creating some controversy (perhaps not intentionally) in his last few fights. There was of course the Kimbo Slice debacle and most recently the Strikebox mess which almost led to UFC 97 having to relocate. Let's hope Thompson leaves that tornado of destruction and disaster that seems to be following him as of late at home when he heads to the land of the rising sun. Also on the card, wrestling phenom and breakout star Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal has been put to the task of facing current light heavyweight King of Pancrase Ryo Kawamura. 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. Here is the official line-up for Sengoku 'Seventh Battle': Featherweight Grand Prix Opening Round: Hatsu Hioki (17-3-2) vs. Chris Manuel (6-0-2) Non-Tournament bouts: Muhammed Lawal (3-0) vs. Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) Be sure to check back immediately following the live event for our complete recap. |
| Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Alan Belcher UFC 100 fight booked for July 11 Posted: 19 Mar 2009 07:23 PM PDT
Alan Belcher (14-5) will once again have the opportunity to introduce another stand out newcomer to the Octagon, agreeing to face middleweight superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1) to the Octagon at UFC 100 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11. "The Talent" is fresh off a comeback victory over Pride FC and Spirit MC standout Denis Kang at UFC 93: “Franklin vs. Henderson” earlier this year. 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" last year is the only blip during that span. He was supposed to challenger Alessio Sakara; however, it appears that the bout has been put on the backburner in favor of this match up, according to MMAWeekly.com. Akiyama recently signed an exclusive contract with the promotion, signaling that the UFC is serious about gaining a foothold in the Far East. He is fourth-generation Japanese-born Korean and has long been one of Japan's biggest heels. That’s because Akiyama went Exxon Valdez on Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba at K-1 Premium Dynamite!! in 2006. His technical knockout victory over the legend was changed to a “No Contest” after some questions were raised about his pre-fight ritual of getting freaky with a jar of Olay and a Japanese "Grease Gate" was born. After cleaning the clock of now-UFC middleweight Denis Kang at Hero's 2007, Akiyama made waves at Yarennoka 2007 when Kazuo Misaki turned his face inside-out with a brutal soccer kick. While originally ruled a knockout, an Akiyama complaint forced officials to review the tape and reverse the match to a “No Contest” as it was decided prior to the event that kicks to a downed opponent would be considered a foul. Fans were not pleased. Still, Akiyama is a talented fighter capable of winning anywhere at anytime — none of his twelve wins have gone the distance. In addition, he can finish in style with either a spinning back kick (Nagata) or an Ezekiel choke (Shibata, Ishizawa). The decorated judoka has now given the land of the rising sun yet one more reason to loathe him by signing with Zuffa, especially those still bitter by the dissolution of Pride FC. UFC 100 features two major title fights: Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir will tangle to declare an undisputed division champion and Georges St. Pierre will once again defend his 170-pound strap against number one contender, Thiago Alves. In addition, TUF 9 coaches, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, are slated to meet and determine who earns the right to challenge the reigning middleweight champion later in 2009. For the latest UFC 100 fight card and rumors click here. |
| Monkey business: Jason Mayhem Miller goes bananas for ‘Bully Beatdown’ Posted: 19 Mar 2009 06:52 PM PDT
Former Icon Sport 185-pound champion and one of the most popular and charismatic mixed martial artists on the planet, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, will make his television debut as the host of a new reality show dubbed, “Bully Beatdown,” on MTV this Sunday (March 22) night (check local listings). The basic gist of the show — from executive producer Mark Burnett, who is also responsible for other popular reality programs such as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice” — is for victims of abuse by high school bullies to enlist the help of Mayhem and his friends to give these ruffians a taste of their own medicine in the school of hard knocks. Mayhem gives these bullies an offer they can’t refuse by ponying up cash incentives to face professional fighters in a real MMA setting. It’s either that or live with looking like a coward on national television. Reality TV at its finest. Today, Mayhem took the time out of his busy schedule to talk with us in an exclusive interview. If you’ve never read an interview with Miller, he is definitely one of a kind. I could have gone on all night firing questions at a guy as funny as Mayhem, and had it not been for the real bullies at MTV cutting us off 10 minutes in, I’m sure we would have. But, being busy promoting the new show as well as preparing for an upcoming championship fight in two weeks with fellow former Icon Sport middleweight title holder Kala Hose in the newly formed Kingdom MMA promotion, it’s understandable that our time with Mayhem got cut short. Regardless, this interview was not without some classic Mayhem moments as well as some interesting foreshadowing toward what the future holds for the 28-year-old fighter. We talked about the show, the upcoming fight and whatever else was on Mayhem’s maniacal mind. You don’t want to miss this:
James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So what’s up with this show man? What kind of crazy stuff happens? Without giving anything away of course. Mayhem Miller: Man, even if I gave it away, it’s like a train wreck. If you don’t watch it you’re missing out. Everyone at school the next day is gonna go, “hahaha you missed out bro. It was a total train wreck and you totally missed it, hahaha.” And then you’re the dumb kid at school, and everyone picks on you and pulls your wedgies. And then you got to call Jason “Mayhem” Miller to beat up your bully for you. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So wait a minute, you get to beat up the bullies yourself? I thought you were just the host. Mayhem Miller: Naw, I’m just the host, but if it comes down to it I’ll pop some knuckles on people’s FACE! James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … did any of these bullies cross that line and maybe push your buttons a little too much? Mayhem Miller: Yeah, hell yeah! There were a couple of guys that I wanted to headbutt right in the FACE! Dude, I really considered it, then I just thought about it and I was like dude you’re just gonna lose all this MTV work that you’ve worked so hard for to headbutt a guy in the face. So instead I made it legit. I give them 10 g’s ($10,000) to step in the cage against one of my MMA fighters. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Did any of these bullies surprise you by putting up a good fight against one of your guys? Mayhem Miller: YEAH! Yeah, you know, I got to say, you got to watch the show to find out, but man definitely. There were some amazing moments in the fights. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Which MMA fighters did you guys pick to actually do the fighting, since you’re not the one headbutting people in the face? Mayhem Miller: Oh man, we got “The Hurricane” Huen, Conner Huen. We also got Tony “The Gun” Bonello, submission expert. That guy, man, he was really fun to work with. Oh, and of course, JAKE SHIELDS, the man that doesn’t need a nickname his name is so cool. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … you got Jake Shields? Mayhem Miller: JAKE SHIELDS! James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I can’t imagine those three guys are gonna be taking it easy on these bullies … Mayhem Miller: You’re gonna see grade A violence on an MTV scale. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): How many shows did you guys do? Mayhem Miller: We’re ready to go to air with eight. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): What else has been going on with you man? How was retirement? Mayhem Miller: I never said I was gonna retire. I said I was retarded. Somebody took it to the next level. The guy thought I said retired, and then he just blew it up on the website the next day, “Mayhem’s retired, Mayhem’s retired,” and I’m like okay, that was pretty funny. But at least people were talking about me. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Did you get affected at all by the Pro Elite contract drama? If I’m not mistaking you had some kind of contract with Icon Sport no? Mayhem Miller: You are MISTAKING sir! You are sorely mistaking. I had nothing to do with that drama. My name’s Paul and that shit’s between y’all. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Well what do you think about Strikeforce coming in and doing what they’ve done recently? Mayhem Miller: I think Strikeforce is a bunch of genius guys that run an event. I think it’s great for MMA to have an alternative here in America to UFC. So now you got, you know, they’re gonna do well and try to make a great event that’s comparable to the UFC the same way that Affliction has been attempting to do. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Have those guys been trying to pull you over to Strikeforce? Mayhem Miller: Yeah, you know, I’m definitely open to the opportunity. I’m definitely open to that opportunity. I think that Strikeforce can do some awesome stuff. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So what kind of contract do you have with Kingdom MMA? I’m assuming you’re not exclusive with anyone if you’re open to an opportunity with Strikeforce. Mayhem Miller: Hell no bro! I fight in Japan, how could I be exclusive with anyone? I have a contract with DREAM in Japan, so I fight for them as well as fighting for whatever comes up here in America. I’m kind of a unique fighter, a fighter that doesn’t sign exclusive to one thing. I kind of like to have a lot of girlfriends, you know? Make out with this one here, make out with this one there. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): So what made you come out of retirement or retardedment? Whatever you call it. Mayhem Miller: I told you, I wasn’t retired. I was retarded! James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … okay well now that you’re back from your retardedment, you’ve got a pretty big fight coming up with a dangerous and powerful striker in Kala Hose. What are your thoughts on him and how you guys match up? Mayhem Miller: We don’t love them Kala Hoes! Naw, I don’t know man. I take care of business bro. That’s what I do, so I’m gonna do it and do it up right as I order this latte. You know what I’m saying? But seriously, hold on a second, I’m really ordering a latte. [”Yeah, three big scoops of Splenda … haha”is audible in the background.] James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … you really are ordering a latte aren’t you? Mayhem Miller: Hell yeah man! I’m doing an interview and ordering a latte. Actually it’s not a latte. I drink Americana, less calories. I got to make weight, you know? James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … sure. So what’s up with the title Hose had in Icon Sport, a title that you once had too? Is that carrying over to Kingdom MMA? Mayhem Miller: No, we’re fighting for a whole new title. He don’t got nothing now! A brand new belt! Damn right! I’m gonna win three titles this year, watch. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Oh really? Who are the other two gonna be with? Mayhem Miller: Dude, I can’t tell you about that right now due to contract negotiations. You’ll see though, watch. By the end of this year I’ll have three belts and an MTV show. Screw you guys! James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Interesting, interesting. What about training? Everything still cool over there at Team Quest? Mayhem Miller: What about trannies? Dude, I’m not gonna talk about trannies with you. That’s really off base and off subject. If you want to talk about trannies, you can go somewhere else and talk about trannies. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Wow! Ok back to the fight with Hose. He seems pretty one dimensional. Are you going to try to expose him on the ground or are you gonna take the macho approach and try to stand with him? Mayhem Miller: I’m a Kung Fu master bro! Maybe you should just listen when I give it to you. I’m a Kung Fu master! James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Does that mean you’re gonna stand with him? Mayhem Miller: Don’t judge me bro. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Okay, I won’t judge you. I want to ask you about the Jacare fight in Japan, and … Mayhem Miller: I lost the decision because I’m an egotistical moron and I thought I should out-grapple that guy and I couldn’t because he’s way better at grappling than I am. But I would love to smash his face because I’m so angry at myself for being an idiot! Every night I have bad dreams about what I could have done, should have done and was supposed to have done. Such an idiot I am! Actually I should beat myself up. If I could fight me, I would fight me again and beat me up because I was out of shape and not in the best preparation for that fight. MTV lady (out of nowhere): James, he can take one more question and then I have to put him on another call. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): One more question? This is just starting to get good! MTV lady: We can call you back another time. We just have to get him on the phone with someone else. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Bollocks! Mayhem, tell us more about these three belts you plan on winning this year brother. Come on man, give me something good. Mayhem Miller: No dude! World domination ALL DAY! What, you want the scoop? James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): I want the scoop! Mayhem Miller: You can’t handle the scoop! Naw bro, but I can’t talk about it because if I talk about it, then, you know. But if you just check in with me every once in a while on my myspace, I swear I’ll give you the scoop. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Nick Diaz or Frank Shamrock? Mayhem Miller: Nick Diaz by bad attitude or Frank Shamrock by good looks. James Iannotti (MMAmania.com): Haha … nice. Thanks, Mayhem. Mayhem Miller: No problem, bro. |
| Complete roster for UFC Undisputed 2009 video game revealed Posted: 19 Mar 2009 05:15 PM PDT
More than 80 fighters past and present will be featured in the “UFC Undisputed 2009″ video game, which will be available on XBox 360 and Playstation 3 on May 19. GameSpot.com has the scoop for the THQ-produced offering — the first for promotion since Ultimate Fighting Championship: “Sudden Impact” back in 2004. And it has a few surprises, including a heavyweight division that looks nothing like it does right now. In fact, former champions Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, as well as Mirko Cro Cop and Fabricio Werdum, are all represented. Meanwhile, surging star Shane Carwin — even Randy Couture — are not. Some good news is the the late Evan Tanner will be included. And even former number one welterweight contender Jon Fitch — after a dust up that nearly cost his his job over a contract dispute — is also part of the line up. Have a look for yourself:
Heavyweights: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Brandon Vera (LH), Gabriel Gonzaga, Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo, Eddie Sanchez, Heath Herring, Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Crocop Fabricio Werdum, Tim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Antoni Hardonk and Justin McCully Light Heavyweights: Chuck Liddell, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Stephan Bonnar, James Irvin, Wilson Gouveia (MW), Houston Alexander, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Thiago Silva, Tim Boetsch and Ryan Bader (DLC). Middleweights: Anderson Silva (LH), Rich Franklin (LH), Dan Henderson (LH), Michael Bisping (LH), Kendall Grove, Chris Leben, Jason MacDonald, Nate Marquardt, Drew McFedries, Ricardo Almeida, Evan Tanner and Yushin Okami, Demian Maia, Martin Kampmann (WW), Amir Sadollah (WW) and Thales Leites. Welterweights: Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Matt Sera (LW), Jon Fitch, Karo Parisyan, Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, Mike Swick (MW), Marcus Davis, Thiago Alves, Chris Lytle, Ben Saunders, Josh Burkman, Kyle Bradley, Matt Arroyo and Anthony Johnson. Lightweights: BJ Penn (WW), Sean Sherk (WW), Kenny Florian, Roger Huerta, Joe Stevenson, Mac Danzig, Nathan Diaz, Spencer Fisher, Tyson Griffin, Gray Maynard, Thiago Tavares, Joe Lauzon, Rich Clementi, Mark Bocek, Hermes Franca, Frank Edgar and Efrain Escudero (DLC). KEY: Remember that former light heavyweight champion and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) inagural season 205-pound winner, Forrest Griffin, will be featured on the cover of the game sold in the United States and UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will be on the cover in Canada. For everything you need to know about UFC Undisputed 2009 click here. |
| ESPNs ‘MMA Live’ video on ‘Grease Gate,’ Kimbo Slice, ‘March Badness’ and more Posted: 19 Mar 2009 02:20 PM PDT |
| UFC 101: Philadelphias Wachovia Center in the crosshairs for August 8 Posted: 19 Mar 2009 02:12 PM PDT
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will likely head back to the tri-state area (sorta) for the first time since "Validation" in Nov. 2007 — not Portland, Ore., as previously rumored — for its yet to be announced pay-per-view (PPV) event tentatively scheduled for Saturday, August 8. While nothing is official at this time, MMAmania.com has learned that the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pa., which is home to the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL and Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, is under serious consideration to host UFC 101. There are currently no events planned for that night at the 20,000-seat venue. At the very least, it is now expected that UFC 101 will take place elsewhere on the East Coast if the Wachovia Center option does not pan out. It's likely that fans in and around the "City of Brotherly Love," however, will have their fingers crossed that it doesn’t go down like that. That's because it will mark the first time ever that the promotion has staged an event in the state — the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) just last month announced the newly-approved regulations for the sport of mixed martial arts that took effect on Feb. 27 of this year. In July 2007, the PSAC voted to approve draft regulations that would allow MMA events to be held in Pennsylvania; however, those regulations were required to undergo extensive review in accordance with the Regulatory Review Act by various House and Senate Committees and the Office of the Attorney General, as well as the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. Now with the regulations approved and in place, Pennsylvania-born stars like Eddie Alvarez, Mac Danzig and Josh Koscheck can look forward to eventually competing on their home turf. In the meantime, UFC 101 is expected to feature a major title fight, as well as a co main event between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture as he locks horns with former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Additionally, Thiago Silva and ex-205-pound kingpin Forrest Griffin are also expected to hook 'em up. For more on UFC 101 click here. |
| Roy Jones Jr. saves Jason Guida’s life at presser for March Badness (Video) Posted: 19 Mar 2009 10:30 AM PDT Don’t let him touch you dawg! |
| UFC Quick Quote: John McCarthy ‘never criticized the UFC’ Posted: 19 Mar 2009 10:20 AM PDT
– "Big" John McCarthy comments to Sherdog.com about the perception that he is anti-Zuffa following some comments he made about the promotion last year. McCarthy, who retired from mixed martial arts as a referee for a new career as an on-air personality and strategic adviser for The Fight Network (only to resign and return to officiating 11 months later at Strikeforce: "Destruction" in November 2008) — still has not re-applied for an officiating license in Nevada. |
| MMA Ring Girl search brings out the bust in local competition (Video) Posted: 19 Mar 2009 10:03 AM PDT Props: RawVegas.tv |
| Sengoku ‘Seventh Battle’ weigh-in results Posted: 19 Mar 2009 09:29 AM PDT
World Victory Road is set to air its seventh installment early Friday morning and will feature a featherweight grand prix along with the return of one of its biggest up-and-coming stars Muhammed Lawal. Sengoku 7 goes down tomorrow, March 20 from the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Mixed martial arts fans can catch the event stateside 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. At this morning’s scheduled weigh-in event, all fighters were able to hit their respective marks. "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 "King Mo" 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. Here are the official weigh-in results for Sengoku 7 (converted from kilograms):
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. Be sure to stop on by tomorrow morning for the Sengoku 7 quick results. In the meantime, get up to speed on all things Sengoku by clicking here. |
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