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- UFC 106: ‘Lesnar vs Carwin’ official for Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nov. 21
- WEC to air on Setanta Sports network in Australia starting with ‘Cerrone vs Henderson’ on Oct. 10
- UFC Fight Night 19 video: Steve Cantwell prepares for rubber match against Brian Stann
- UFC 107: Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant likely for Memphis on Dec. 12
- Gray Pride: An MMAmania.com UFC Fight Night 19 interview exclusive with Gray Maynard
- UFC Fight Night 19 video preview for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’
- TUF 10: Kimbo Slice is coming to knock a bleeping head off
- TUF 10 Finale: Mark Bocek vs Matt Veach on tap for Dec. 5
- Sengoku announces Satoshi Ishii vs Hidehiko Yoshida for upcoming New Year event
- Daniel Cormier vs Gary Frazier added to ‘Strikeforce Challengers’ Sept. 25 Tulsa event
| UFC 106: ‘Lesnar vs Carwin’ official for Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nov. 21 Posted: 14 Sep 2009 06:54 PM PDT
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today announced its "next big thing" in terms of blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) shows for the promotion. UFC 106: “Lesnar vs. Carwin,” which we knew was in the works for several weeks, is set to go down at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 21. As we already passed along, UFC 106 tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 12 p.m. PT. It will feature a main event heavyweight title bout between two absolute monsters as champion Brock Lesnar will look to defend his gold for the second time against his newest challenger, Shane Carwin. In addition, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz is also set to make his return to the Octagon against UFC Hall of Famer, Mark Coleman, after spending nearly a year and a half on the sidelines. Here’s what Lesnar had to say about his undefeated opponent in a recent press release:
And Carwin:
There are several other intriguing bouts currently in the works for UFC 106, including the promotional debut of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira against 205-pound heel, Luiz Cane, as well as several welterweight showdowns that could have major implications on the very crowded division. To check out the latest UFC 106 fight card click here. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more on the developing “Lesnar vs. Carwin” fight card. |
| WEC to air on Setanta Sports network in Australia starting with ‘Cerrone vs Henderson’ on Oct. 10 Posted: 14 Sep 2009 06:10 PM PDT
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) announced today that it has struck a television deal with Setanta Sports to air live mixed martial arts action in Australia, giving more than 80,000 viewers “Down Under” access to “the best lightweight fighters in the world.” Coverage of the promotion’s events will begin with the upcoming WEC 43: “Cerrone vs. Henderson” show on Oct. 10, 2009. That card will feature a lightweight interim title match between Greg Jackson product, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, and fast-rising stud, Ben “Smooth” Henderson. Here’s a snip from WEC Vice President, Peter Dropick, on the deal:
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is owned by the same company as the WEC (Zuffa), also had a deal with Setanta Sports that was signed back in January. It called for the network to air its events in the United Kingdom; however, that agreement was severed earlier this summer when financial instability caused the network to cease broadcasting in the market. Regardless, Setanta Sports is a well known and established sports provider in Australia that is responsible for offering a wide range of international sports, including soccer, rugby, boxing, Gaelic Games and cricket, among others. It can now list “the fastest growing sport in the world,” mixed martial arts, to its dynamic programming roster. For more information on WEC 43 click here. |
| UFC Fight Night 19 video: Steve Cantwell prepares for rubber match against Brian Stann Posted: 14 Sep 2009 05:05 PM PDT |
| UFC 107: Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant likely for Memphis on Dec. 12 Posted: 14 Sep 2009 12:45 PM PDT
Welterweights Kevin Burns (7-3) and TJ Grant (14-3) have verbally agreed to fight at UFC 107 from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 12, according to MMANews.com. Both fighters are coming off losses and will look to get back in the win column. Burns dropped a hard-fought unanimous decision to Chris Lytle at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 Finale back in June. He had the iron-chinned fireman rocked early in the opening frame; however, he was unable to put the “Lights Out” and went on to lose the following two rounds on the judges scorecards. It was the second straight defeat for “The Fire” — he absorbed a wicked Anthony Johnson head kick that had him out before he hit the canvas at TUF 8 Finale in Dec. 2008. The Des Moines, Iowa-based fighter is likely feeling the pressure to get back to his winning ways or risk possibly getting released from the promotion. Grant was on the wrong side of a unanimous decision at UFC 100: “Lesnar vs. Mir 2″ when he tangled with Korean import, Dong Hyun Kim, back in July. The Fit Plus standout, a submission specialist, made his Octagon debut with a split decision victory over Pride FC veteran, Ryo Chonan, in front of his hometown fans at UFC 97: “Redemption” in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Grant has been winning over audiences north of the United States border for quite some time and will look to continue that trend in “The Volunteer State.” UFC 107 will feature a main event between lightweight division champion BJ Penn defending his title against number one division contender Diego Sanchez, as well as a heavyweight showdown between former champion Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo. In addition, a lightweight attraction between stars Kenny Florian and Clay Guida was recently shifted to the card to compensate for the loss of the light heavyweight showdown between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans. For more on the developing UFC 107 fight card and rumors click here. |
| Gray Pride: An MMAmania.com UFC Fight Night 19 interview exclusive with Gray Maynard Posted: 14 Sep 2009 12:21 PM PDT
With UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn next due to face number one contender Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 on Dec. 12, speculation is already building around who might be next in line to stake his claim to the top contender position. Rising talent Gray Maynard is certainly making his case. He's undefeated in his career (7-0 with 1 no contest) and 5-0 in the UFC. He's the only fighter to beat another top contender under consideration, Frankie Edgar, ended Rich Clementi's latest Octagon hot streak and most recently stopped the eight-fight win streak of a very tough Jim Miller. Through it all he's relied on his Division I All-American wrestling skills, but against Miller, Maynard kept the fight standing, demonstrating an improved arsenal of stand-up tools that's earned him buzz as the next contender. Cornered by Randy Couture, Maynard next faces Roger Huerta (20-2-1), who hasn't fought since being on the losing end of a unanimous decision to Kenny Florian at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" in August, 2008, ending a 16-fight unbeaten streak. This will be the final fight on "El Matador's" contract, and it's widely expected that he plans to take a hiatus from the sport of mixed martial arts to pursue acting and modeling opportunities. We'll see if it's a happy goodbye this Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at Ultimate Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The night's main event features a match-up between two additional lightweights who have flirted with breaking into the upper echelon of the division, but who have come up short in the past, Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard. We recently got the chance to catch up with “The Bully” to ask him about his upcoming fight against the on-again, off-again Huerta, how he felt about not being offered main event status and if his 71.4% likelihood of winning by decision has hurt his chances of securing a title shot. Take a look.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): We last spoke before the Jim Miller fight, which you won via unanimous decision. You kept that fight on the feet, showing improved standup skills. Can you talk a bit about some of the work you put into that camp to prepare you for that fight and how it's progressed into your preparation for this upcoming fight? Gray Maynard: In camp you don't really improve. It's just hard training, making a couple of adjustments, but it was mainly all the time I put in with a guy named Gil Martinez. He's got a gym and some good … these kids are good. So I've been going with him now for about a year and a half. It takes time, it takes time. You gotta learn it. I've probably been wrestling since I was three, you know — it's ingrained, it's ingrained. So it's easy just to like, "I'm gonna do this, this and this." Boxing, it takes time, it takes work. I think after about a year — I've been going with (Martinez), about a year and a half now — it clicks a little bit. Obviously, it still takes some more time and there's still a lot of stuff to learn. Against Jim, it clicked a little more. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So that's in addition to your work at Xtreme Couture? Gray Maynard: Yeah, I have a couple of gyms. I'm over at Couture's a lot when I'm in camp. But when I'm not in camp, I try to learn, I'm jumping all over. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So in terms of preparing for this camp, have you been doing anything drastically different from your previous camps? Gray Maynard: Not too much, no. Just kinda keeping it going. I try to learn a lot when I'm not in camp, so camp is just more to … a lot of sparring, hard training, getting quick and stuff like that. There's nothing I would really change up going up against (Huerta), and there's probably only a couple of guys who I would change up a lot … not even a lot. Obviously against a guy like, maybe Penn, who is just — I mean, he's dangerous. So you gotta have a plan and change up some stuff. But Huerta? He has heart. He has a lotta heart. But technically? I think he has more heart. He just kinda … man, he comes in, bop, bop, bop. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well that ties into my next question. Given that Huerta does try to push the pace and he has shown a lot of heart, is that the type of opponent you like to face — one that can push the pace and keep coming at you, test your endurance? Gray Maynard: Yeah, that's great too. But I like to go up against whoever … whoever it is. If it's a guy who's fought datta-datta-da. You have to datta-datta-da. It's just like, that's fine, let's do it. You can't choose, "Well I like a type of guy," 'cause then it's going to get kind of ingrained and stuff. And then it's like, "Alright, well now you have (to fight) him, who's completely different (than your type)." You just have to be prepared for all, pretty much, all kinds of shit (laughs), everything … and enjoy it. I can't pick, "Well I only want to go up against smaller guys who do this and that." You know? Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Sure, sure. Well, you're now sitting on five UFC wins in a row. There's starting to get that talk of title contention. Were you surprised that you weren't going to be featured as the main event for the fight, given that Huerta has a strong fan base — I do recognize that he's on his way out with the UFC — but you have all this talk of title contention, and the people who got the main event, Diaz, he's on a two-fight skid, against Guillard, who's 5-3 in the UFC. Gray Maynard: Yeah, you know what, it didn't even cross my mind. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Really? Gray Maynard: Just because that's not what it's about. I mean, it'll come, of course. But you just gotta win and you gotta take care of everyday. So that's all I care about, it's just like, "Alright, What can I do today?" I gotta get good, I gotta do this, I gotta do that. I gotta take care of, you know … Again, I'm not doing this to be a star and stuff. It's just it's a great job, and I'm good, I like it, I love this job. It's a great sport. I wouldn't do anything else. So it'll come, it'll come. You just have to take care of stuff. You gotta go in the gym everyday, all day. And it'll come. You gotta win, though. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think that because you've had a lot of decision wins, as opposed to TKOs or submissions, do you think that that in any way has sort of hampered your rise to that title contention level? Gray Maynard: Okay, well, I'm going to ask you a question here: in the top 10 … okay, in the top eight guys at 155 pounds. Who is really a guy who has a bunch of KOs or a bunch of … even the tapouts … against good guys, though. Against top guys. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It's a good point. Gray Maynard: You know what I'm saying? If you're going up against the top guys, three rounds? It's hard to end him. I don't care if it's … Of course you might catch him and stuff, but the majority of it is you gotta prepare for three hard rounds. Championships, you start going after that, a lot of people they get tired, a little sloppier, you might be able to do that. GSP is running into the same thing, he's going up against tough guys now. He had a couple guys who, I mean, they're kinda over-a-hill a little bit. People have to understand, if it's a KO or all these flashy KOs and stuff like that, you gotta check out the opponent too. Heavyweights, that's what they're known for. There's a lot of weight behind it, that's what it's about. But if you want to see technique, if you want to see a good three-round scrap, watch the lightweights. Watch these guys. The top guys are tough, you know. Jim, I frickin' hit that kid hard with four-ounce gloves. Hit him HARD a couple times. He's just a game opponent. You're going to get that. Do I want to get KOs? Do I want to do that stuff? Does everybody? Yeah. But is it going to happen? We're dealing with three rounds, that's not much time. If it was 12, yeah, you can start working the body, his hands start coming down, boom! KO. Round eight. Or 10. … People need to start getting … I think they're getting to that point, but they have to start to understand there are a lot of aspects to this game. There are a lot of aspects. And the sport is evolving, which is good. There's a lot of good guys now. You've got a lot of good guys and that's perfect. You're going to see good fights now. There's going to be KOs, there's going to be all kinds of stuff. But if you're going to have two of the dudes who are good, they're coming in prepared, game plans … it's like, "I gotta win." Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well speaking of game plans, with all the talk of Huerta desiring this acting or modeling career, do you expect him to have his head fully in this game and come in well-prepared? Gray Maynard: I count on him to be 100-percent. Just 'cause you gotta do that. If you don't, there's a chance that it's like, "Wait a second, I got a surprise here." So I'm counting on him to be at the top. I've prepared hard. I'm not taking a chance of like, "Well, he's not going to be as prepared, so I'm going to chill out a little bit too." No way, uh-uh. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you expect that a win here could put you in title contention? Gray Maynard: You know what, man, again, I take it one day at a time. I've got Huerta, and it's a test, of course. It's kind of up to them. It's up the UFC. I'm not the type of guy who is … going to ask them, please, please, please, please. No. There's going to be a time, when it's like, "Hey, Gray, it's time." And I'll tell them yes, and that's when I'm going to get a chance. But as of now, I can't even think about that, just 'cause I gotta tough guy. I got Huerta coming up, so I don't know. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Gray, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Gray Maynard: Yeah, man. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I also wanted to give you a chance to thank any sponsors. Gray Maynard: Yeah, I'd like to thank, Everlast, CagefighterMMA.com, DPMSinc.com — just a whole bunch of guns, some cool guns — Hyperlight.com and Cash4Gold. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well thanks again, Gray. Do you have any last thoughts? Gray Maynard: Yeah, I appreciate everybody just kinda hanging. It does take some time to get good, of course. If it was easy then everybody would have a belt. There'd be a nice glossy belt around everyone's waist. So it does take time, and I'm trying hard. So I appreciate everybody who supports me. It's a cool sport, a really cool sport, so keep checking it out. And I appreciate the support. |
| UFC Fight Night 19 video preview for ‘Diaz vs Guillard’ Posted: 14 Sep 2009 12:20 PM PDT |
| TUF 10: Kimbo Slice is coming to knock a bleeping head off Posted: 14 Sep 2009 12:19 PM PDT
Props: SportsRadioInterviews.com Quoteworthy:
Former YouTube sensation and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) attraction Kimbo Slice heads into a tenth season opposite former IFL champion, Roy Nelson, UFC veteran Wes Sims and several former NFL players, among others. Will the artist formerly known as Kevin Ferguson prove Dana White (who predicted he would never win a TUF show back in Oct. 2008 when he first made the bold offer) and all the other doubters wrong — or can he hang with the big boys? Find out this Wednesday (Sept. 16) at 10 p.m. ET on Spike TV for the answer. |
| TUF 10 Finale: Mark Bocek vs Matt Veach on tap for Dec. 5 Posted: 14 Sep 2009 11:21 AM PDT
Scrappy UFC lightweights Mark Bocek (7-2) and Matt Veach (11-0) have been penciled in for a possible 155-pound brouhaha at the upcoming Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale from the Palms Casino Resort in Las vegas, Nevada on Dec. 5, according to MMAWeekly. Bocek, a five-fight veteran for Zuffa, hasn’t seen the inside of the Octagon since UFC 97 back in April, when he and his LCL decide to go their separate ways during his first round submission win over David Bielkheden on the undercard of “Redemption.” The talented Canadian is 3-2 for the promotion. Since his mixed martial arts debut in July of 2006, Veach has been a heart attack. 10 of his 11 wins have been by either (T)KO or submission, including his destruction of Matt Grice in his UFC debut at Fight Night 17 last February. Don’t bank on seeing the scorecards in this one. The TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show as well as a potential light heavyweight war featuring Jon "Bones" Jones as he inches his way closer to contention against Matt "The Hammer" Hamill. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more updates to the Dec. 5 fight card as they become finalized. |
| Sengoku announces Satoshi Ishii vs Hidehiko Yoshida for upcoming New Year event Posted: 14 Sep 2009 09:52 AM PDT
2008 Olympic judo gold medalist and prized MMA convert, Satoshi Ishii (0-0), will make his highly anticipated mixed martial arts debut at Sengoku’s New Year event. To compound the ripple effect of this electrifying news, Hidehiko Yoshida (8-7-1), a Japanese MMA mainstay and 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist, has been nominated as his opponent. In the press conference held today in Tokyo, World Victory Road announced the heavyweight showdown between two former Olympic golden boys. The New Year’s event is expected to take place on December 31 or January 3rd, depending on whether WVR chooses to counter-program DREAM/K-1’s annual New Years Eve “Dynamite!” show. The location of the event has yet to be announced. A highly decorated judoka who’s captured the All-Japan Judo Championships twice, Ishii punctuated his judo career on a high note, earning a gold medal in the 100+ kg category in 2008 Olympic Game in Beijing, China. He subsequently expressed his wish to retire from judo at the ripe old age of 21 and transition to mixed martial arts, much to the dismay of the Japanese Judo Federation.
Aiming for the apex from the outset, he declined an initial overture from Fighting and Entertainment Group to fight in DREAM and instead set his sight on the UFC. Dana White greeted him with open arms while he trained with elite camps and fighters such as American Top Team, building serious hype for his UOctagon debut. In the end, Ishii’s UFC career did not materialize, as he officially joined World Victory Road at a public signing event on June 1, 2009. Following the self-described “ronin” approach to training, Ishii has been trotting through various gyms in Japan and abroad to hone his wrestling, jiu jitsu and all-around MMA game. He hopes to showcase the fruit of his labor against Hidehiko Yoshida. Citing his respect for Yoshida, he said, “I have admired Yoshida since I was young, and am happy to fight him. It would be great to nail him in the chin with my punch, so I would like to put on an exciting fight.” Yoshida, who turned 40 earlier this month, last suffered a hard-fought split decision loss against Sanae Kikuta in WVR’s New Year show. Come fight time, he will have been away from the ring for a year. During the press conference, he hinted at his status as the veteran judoka-turned-MMA fighter as he expressed the intent to “show the challenge of fighting in MMA” to his younger counterpart, Ishii. Elsewhere in the press conference, WVR’s PR director Takahiro Kokuho, announced that Sengoku could undergo a name change beginning with the New Year show. There has been ongoing rumor regarding Sengoku’s possible deal with big time Japanese networks such as Fuji TV. Currently, Sengoku has a soon-to-expire contract with TV Tokyo, the smallest of the Tokyo stations. Perhaps the highly noteworthy bout between Ishii and Yoshida will mark a new beginning for WVR with bigger and better things on horizon, including a lucrative TV contract. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more news on Sengoku’s New Year’s Eve event as it becomes available. |
| Daniel Cormier vs Gary Frazier added to ‘Strikeforce Challengers’ Sept. 25 Tulsa event Posted: 14 Sep 2009 09:51 AM PDT
Two-time United States Olympic wrestler and former NCAA Division I national championship runner-up Daniel Cormier will make his mixed martial arts debut against fellow newcomer Gary Frazier at the Strikeforce Challengers event from the SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby, Okla., on Sept. 25, according to MMA Fanhouse. The Showtime card will feature a main event of Strikeforce and IFL veteran Tim Kennedy (10-2) vs. the undefeated Zak Cummings (10-0). Cormier trains at the famed American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) alongside Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson and UFC welterweights Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, among others. Frazier — also a wrestler — is a two-time state champion out of Oklahoma as well as a college football player at Oklahoma A&M. He won his amateur MMA debut via first-round TKO (cut) against Jessie Sinks back in June. Here is the Strikeforce Challengers ‘Kennedy vs. Cummings’ complete line up:
Strikeforce Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today's top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event. This event is slated to begin on Showtime at 11 p.m. CT on fight night. |
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