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| Unarmed Combat: Pedro Rizzo vs Gilbert Yvel reported for June 27 Posted: 23 Apr 2009 08:19 PM PDT
Former Affliction hired help Pedro Rizzo (16-8) and Gilbert Yvel (35-13-1) have been scheduled to face off on the main card of Prize Fight Promotions “Unarmed Combat” scheduled for the Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Miss., on June 27 according to MMAWeekly. The 34-year-old Rizzo, a four-time Brazilian Muay Thai champion, may be feeling a sense of urgency. "The Rock" still garners respect from his ability to hit like a wrecking ball, but he's not been able to demonstrate the kind of striking that made him famous earlier in his career. His knockout loss to Josh Barnett at Affliction “Banned” last July probably hasn't helped matters, but it looks like he'll get another chance to turn things around against Yvel. From a career standpoint, it could be now or never — against a fighter who has 30 (T)KO wins to his credit. Yvel was roughed up at Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., by former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett (24-5) on January 24. The Dutch Muay Thai specialist had a difficult time getting licensed to fight in the United States because of a history of "dirty" behavior inside the ring — everything from assaulting referees to eye gouging to biting opponents. In fact, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) rejected his application to compete against Sergei Kharitonov at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas as recently as February 2007. The California State Athletic Commission eventually pushed his license through, but suffice it to say “The Hurricane” was under the microscope when he faced Barnett. Prior to the beating he took against "The Babyface Assassin", Yvel was enjoying a seven-fight win streak, dating back to mid 2006. His last win was a stoppage over Alexander Timonov via technical knockout (punches) in just 22 seconds at M-1 Challenge 9. “Unarmed Combat” features a main event between colossal heavyweights Bob “The Beast” Sapp and former WWE headliner Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley. Affliction promoter Tom Atencio as well as UFC veteran Din Thomas are expected to appear in action as well. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card. |
| Jared Hamman replaces Renato Sobral against ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante on June 6 Posted: 23 Apr 2009 07:04 PM PDT
With a light heavyweight title fight between champion Renato Sobral and challenger Rafael Cavalcante off the table for Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields,” Sherdog.com reports that “Feijao” (7-1) would instead square off against fellow EliteXC veteran Jared Hamman (10-1) on the Showtime televised event from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri on June 6. It was just last week that “Babalu” announced he was pulling out of the fight to focus on the birth of his second daughter in May, but it’s proven to be a difficult task for Strikeforce to find a suitable replacement that was willing to face the dangerous Brazilian. In fact, just today there was news that former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman turned down the chance to take the fight. Hamman is probably best known for his two fights against Poai Suganuma featured as main event bouts on last year’s ShoXC Challenger Series cards. Hamman was handed the first loss of his career in the first matchup between the two on a controversial stoppage only 15 seconds into the first round. However, he came back with a vengeance in the rematch, handing his rival a first round knockout of his own — minus the controversy. That was last August, and Hamman hasn’t competed since then. He was one of many fighters (including Cavalcante) to get caught up in the Pro Elite contract dispute after the promotion went under last October.
Hopefully for the Vladimir Matyushenko student, Strikeforce remembers him stepping up to the plate for them like this, because it’s certainly not an enviable situation to be in. Having to face a dynamic guy like Feijao, who comes from a great camp and is as well rounded as they come, is a difficult task on its own. But to have to do it on just a little over a month’s notice is clearly not a formula for success. Still, Hamman has a great opportunity here to defeat the man who was widely considered to be not only the top 205-pound fighter on the EliteXC roster, but possibly the best overall prospect to come from the now defunct promotion as well. During his time with the organization, Feijao defeated John Doyle, Wayne Cole and Travis Galbraith, each by first round technical knockouts. His other four career wins were also early stoppages from strikes, and his only loss came on a disqualification in a heavyweight battle on an IFL card in 2007. He gets his day-to-day training from guys like Anderson Silva and Antonio Nogueria. He has good size for a light heavyweight and hits like a Mack truck. Factor in his solid jiu-jitsu background and you have a serious, serious individual. Jared Hamman will need the stars to align perfectly on June 6 if he’s to pull off the upset. If he can, he’ll steal Feijao’s title of Strikeforce number one contender, in turn earning himself a shot at Babalu’s belt sometime later this year. The event is set to be headlined by a blockbuster battle between former EliteXC middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler and ex-welterweight title holder Jake Shields. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on the developing fight card. |
| MFC 21: Bobby Lashley to debut against Mike Cook on May 15 Posted: 23 Apr 2009 05:13 PM PDT
One of the most dominating up-and-coming fighters in the world has signed on with the Maximum Fighting Championship. [Prior to his June 27 pay-per-view fight against Bob Sapp for Prize Fight Promotions], former WWE star Bobby “The Dominator” Lashley will step into the MFC ring on Friday, May 15 at MFC 21: “Hard Knocks” live from the River Cree Resort and Casino and airing live throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico on HDNet Fights. A chiseled and imposing figure at six-foot-three and 265 pounds, Lashley is the premier heavyweight prospect in all of mixed martial arts. “Bobby Lashley is a phenomenal athlete and a very impressive fighter who wants to make a big name for himself in mixed martial arts,” noted MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. “He is a very exciting prospect and he will get a monumental opportunity to break into the spotlight at MFC 21.” Lashley (2-0) won his debut fight with a 41-second TKO of Joshua Franklin in December 2008. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jason Guida in March. At Hard Knocks, Lashley will square off against Mike Cook (7-3) who is trained by legendary mixed martial arts persona Frank Shamrock. “We are excited to partner with the MFC to feature the network debut of Bobby Lashley on HDNet,” said HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon. “Bobby’s size, name recognition and collegiate wrestling background make him an unbelievable prospect in the heavyweight division.”
Lashley had a successful amateur background in wrestling, twice winning the NAIA college championship and then winning pair of U.S. Armed Forces titles. The Junction City, Kansas, native propelled his amateur abilities into the professional wrestling ranks with the WWE. During a three-year run, Lashley won three championships with the WWE, appeared on numerous pay-per-view events, and held prestigious spots on the WWE programs RAW, Smackdown!, and ECW. HDNet’s “Inside MMA” will feature Lashley on the May 1 edition in a no-holds-barred discussion of his transition from professional wrestling to his future in MMA. |
| ESPN ‘MMA Live’ Episode 50 with Frank Mir recaps UFC 97 (Video) Posted: 23 Apr 2009 12:29 PM PDT UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir joins the MMA Live panel to recap UFC 97 and take a look back at Chuck Liddell’s career. In addition, a review of Bellator III. |
| Kevin Randleman will fight anybody, anywhere, as long as it isn’t ‘Feijao’ Cavalcante Posted: 23 Apr 2009 10:50 AM PDT
Do you wanna be a f-ing fighter? So much for that heartfelt speech “The Monster” gave us at the post-fight press conference for Strikeforce: “Shamrock vs. Diaz” earlier this month. Former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman inked a deal with the San Jose-based promotion to make a return to mixed martial arts action and hinted at a June 6 debut in St. Louis — with plans to make an immediate impact. Here’s a snip:
Though according to Ariel Helwani over at MMA Fanhouse, “back up” is exactly what he did when Strikeforce officials presented him with the chance to fill in for a paternal Renato Sobral at the upcoming “Lawler vs. Shields” event at Missouri’s Scottrade Center. "Babalu" voluntarily withdrew from his first-ever light heavyweight title defense against former EliteXC superstar Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante because his wife is expected to have a baby around the same time as the event. Strikeforce brass have been scrambling for a replacement, and Randleman seemed (on paper) like a perfect fit — though apparently Randleman doesn’t see it that way. Talk about wasting an opportunity — a win over Cavalcante could put him in line for the 205-pound strap after Babalu is done changing diapers.
"The Monster" last competed on the second Sengoku card in May 2008, pulling out a unanimous decision victory over Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2). The fight was Randleman's first MMA bout since 2006 — a submission loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at Pride 32: "The Real Deal." It's been a pretty bumpy ride for ex-Hammerhouse fighter. In addition to surviving a SERIOUS staph infection that could have killed him if went untreated, Randleman — who is now training with XTreme Couture out of Las Vegas — was also stopped for Driving Under the Influence (DUI), intimidating a public officer and other charges in Sin City in late 2007. He satisfied a one-year suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which was issued for providing a non-human urine sample following his loss to Rua. The two-time NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion from Ohio State University defeated Pete Williams at UFC 23 in 1999 to capture the vacant heavyweight title. Randleman's title reign was brief, however, when Randy Couture stopped him the following year via technical knockout (strikes) at UFC 28 in round three of their championship bout. Now nearly ten years later, the 37-year old Randleman is looking to recapture some of that old glory. Perhaps someone from the old Hammerhouse crew can tell the hammerhead that in order to do that, you have to first accept an actual fight, and not just pound on a desk at a press conference. The real loser here is Cavalcante, an exceptional talent with no one willing to engage. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields” as it develops. |
| Dinki-di: UFC considers Australia venue for February 2010 Posted: 23 Apr 2009 10:13 AM PDT
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its quest for world domination with a recent inquiry into the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, according to Fighter’s Only Magazine. The venue, formerly known as the Sydney SuperDome, can seat up to 21,000 fans and was recently contacted by Zuffa about a possible date in February 2010, according to the report. The arena is probably best known for playing host to gymnastics and basketball for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as well as its frequent WWE wrestling shows. UFC President Dana White talked about Australia as a possible destination as recently as last week when he appeared on Toronto’s am640 to hype UFC 97. Despite the recent mention, the Outback has long been on Zuffa’s radar. White first commented on a possible trip down under to the boys at knucklepit.com during a media conference for UFC 84 back in early 2008. Here’s a snip:
Germany is already set for June 13 from Lanxess Arena in Cologne while a Philippines show is in the works. If an Australian event comes to fruition by next year, one has to imagine that Brazil and Japan are not far behind. And that’s a good thing. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Gina Carano would ‘probably’ choose the UFC over Strikeforce Posted: 23 Apr 2009 08:53 AM PDT
– Former Elite XC female mixed martial arts mega star Gina Carano provides MMA Fanhouse with an update on her contract negotiations in a recent interview. "Conviction" has not competed since a three-round drubbing of Kelly Kobold in October 2008, winning via unanimous decision and pushing her perfect record to seven wins versus zero defeats. She has long been rumored to meet up with Brazilian Chute Boxe-trained striker, Christian "Cyborg" Santos. However, the highly anticipated match up has never materialized on numerous occasions for various reasons. Santos recently planished Hitomi Akano at Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs, Diaz" on April 11 and Carano indicates the fight could finally happen if she eventually ends up in Strikeforce … or will she? (Photo courtesy of Esther Lin) |
| Wilson Reis vs Joe Soto on tap for Bellator FC featherweight tournament on May 8 Posted: 23 Apr 2009 08:19 AM PDT
The semifinal match ups for the Bellator Fighting Championships featherweight tournament have been set with the two fights set to go down at the promotion’s sixth event on May 8 in the state of Texas, according to Five Ounces of Pain. Former EliteXC 145-pound champion Wilson Reis (7-0) will do battle against fellow undefeated fighter Joe Soto (5-0) in the evening’s main event. The 24-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Reis advanced to the final four by outpointing Mexican fighter Henry Martinez on the judge’s scorecards for a unanimous decision win — the fourth of his career. Coming into the tournament as a former champion and decorated jiu-jitsu practitioner, Reis was considered the favorite to take home the Bellator championship. With that said, some people were a little disappointed in his performance against the lesser known Martinez. Don’t count Reis as one of those people. Here were his thoughts after the first round victory.
Soto made his way into the semis by defeating Ben Greer with some devastating first round ground and pound on the inaugural Bellator event back on April 3 in Hollywood, Florida. He’ll provide a very stiff test for Reis in this fight, and will certainly not be just some cupcake opponent. The two men have contrasting styles with Reis relying on his submission skills and Soto preferring to use his heavy hands and ground and pound game. It’s clear Soto will want to stay away from being on the mat with the black belt, but Reis will also have to be weary of being put on his back in this fight. Soto has proven to be very tough to fight off when he takes top position. It should be a great fight either way. In the other semifinal bout, first round winners Yahir Reyes (13-5) and Estevan Payan (7-1) will mix it up for the right to face either Reis or Soto in the final. Reyes took out Nick Gonzalez in the quarterfinals with an aggressive first round submission (rear naked choke) win — the eighth of his career. Meanwhile, Payan had a much tougher fight on his hands in his first round match up, squeaking out a split decision victory over Luis Palomino. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on the upcoming Bellator Fighting Championships May 8 event. |
| Rotten grapple: Fedor Emelianenko to tussle with Shinya Aoki at M-1 Challenge (Updated) Posted: 23 Apr 2009 08:11 AM PDT
Two champions from the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) will collide at M-1 Challenge on April 29 in Tokyo, Japan — despite being separated by four weight classes. WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko will square off against WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki in a special-rules exhibition grappling match with a proposed time limit of five minutes — designed as more of a crowd pleaser than actual competition. First reported by MMAFighting.com, Aoki confirmed the bout during a press conference earlier this morning. Emelianenko and Aoki are both considered to be two of mixed martial arts finest grapplers, irrespective of weight class. “The Last Emperor” earned a bronze medal in the Russian Judo Championship and has won gold in the Russian Combat Sambo Championship and placed first in the World Combat Sambo Championship in the heavyweight division and open-weight division. “The Tobikan Judan” (master of flying submissions) is a black belt in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo and owns two All Japan Jiu-Jitsu championships, a Japan Open Jiu-Jitsu championship, a Budo Open championship, and an ADCC Japan championship. While the idea of them actually fighting is silly, the exhibition grappling match should be seen for what it is: A chance to have two of Japan’s more popular stars roll around on the mat exchanging sub attempts. Subtitled "Third Edition," the April 29 M-1 Challenge event will feature a total of 30 fighters representing six countries in three head-to-head matchups resulting in a total of 15 fights. In addition to host country Japan facing the debuting Team England, the event will also feature Team USA West battling Team South Korea for supremacy in Group B along with a Group A matchup featuring Team France and Team Spain. The third edition will also include a bonus superfight featuring French phenom Karl Amoussou, who will be taking on an unnamed opponent. Full standings and results from the current season also available at www.M-1Global.com as well with the complete head-to-head fight card lineup consisting of the following: Japan vs. England (best-of-five series) Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Luiz Andrade (Japan) vs. Ian Butlin (England) USA West vs. South Korea (best-of-five series) Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): David Jansen (USA West) vs. Yui Chui Nam (S. Korea) France vs. Spain (best-of-five series) Lightweight (70 kg/154 lbs.): Makhtar Gueye (France) vs. Jose Luiz Zapter Aguirre (Spain) M-1 Challenge will stream live Wednesday, April 29 at 6 a.m. ET at the official Russian-language site for M-1 Global at www.Mixfight.ru as well as with our friends over at www.Japan-MMA.com. For more on M-1 Challenge click here. ***Update via official M-1 press release:
Stay tuned. |
| UFC 100 results and LIVE fight coverage for July 11 PPV event Posted: 23 Apr 2009 06:15 AM PDT
It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has finalized the line up for its historic pay-per-view (PPV) event for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 11. UFC 100 will feature heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, looking to unify the title against the division's interim title keeper, Frank Mir, to determine once and for all an undisputed champion. In addition, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will once again defend his 170-pound strap against number one contender, Thiago Alves. In addition, a middleweight brawl between The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) TUF 9 coaches, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, will determine big-time bragging rights, as well as who earns the right to challenge the reigning middleweight champion later in 2009. Here is the latest full UFC 100 fight card (subject to change):
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 100, beginning with the PPV telecast. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night. We're still a few months away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on UFC 100 in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event. Remember that UFC 100 tickets can still be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). For everything you need to know about UFC 100 feel free to also hit up our event archive right here. |
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