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- UFC Fight Night 20: Josh Koscheck vs Mike Pierce set for Jan. 11 in Virginia
- UFC 104 video: Aggressive ‘Shogun’ Rua a good opponent for Lyoto Machida
- UFC 104 official after party at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Oct. 24 with host ‘Fez’
- UFC 110: Demian Maia vs Dan Miller in the works for Feb. 6
- Report: Dan Henderson to Strikeforce after UFC contract negotiations falter
- UFC 108: Tyson Griffin vs Jim Miller under consideration for Jan. 2
- His terms: Joe Stevenson UFC 104 exclusive with MMAmania.com
- Sengoku 11 fight card shapes up with additions of Santiago, Randleman and more
- X-1 ‘Champions’: Wesley ‘Cabbage’ Correira and Ron ‘H2O’ Waterman featured at FightZone TV event
- Lyoto Machida video on Shogun, UFC Brazil and a Brock Lesnar superfight
| UFC Fight Night 20: Josh Koscheck vs Mike Pierce set for Jan. 11 in Virginia Posted: 16 Oct 2009 06:58 PM PDT
Top welterweight Josh Koscheck announced today via Twitter.com that he will return to action against Mike Pierce at UFC Fight Night 20, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in northern Virgina on Monday, Jan. 11, 2010. No venue is known at this time. And the promotion has yet to officially announce the Spike TV event. Nonetheless, expect those announcements to come soon. Koscheck is fresh off a first round technical knockout finish of former two-time 170-pound number one contender, Frank Trigg, at UFC 103 just last month. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) standout has expressed numerous times his desire to fight whenever, wherever and against whoever the promotion sees fight. This fight appears to be no different. Here’s a snip from “Kos:”
Pierce certainly fits that description. He recently stunned quite a few fans in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 19, registering a convincing unanimous decision over the super tough Brock Larson. It was just the third loss in Larson’s impressive career. And it marked six straight wins for the surging Pierce. Despite his recent success, Pierce will no doubt be a heavy underdog on fight night when he gets locked inside the cage opposite the 15-fight UFC veteran. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more on UFC Fight Night 20 as more details emerge in the near future. |
| UFC 104 video: Aggressive ‘Shogun’ Rua a good opponent for Lyoto Machida Posted: 16 Oct 2009 06:57 PM PDT |
| UFC 104 official after party at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Oct. 24 with host ‘Fez’ Posted: 16 Oct 2009 05:59 PM PDT
To RSVP for the official ‘Machida vs. Shogun’ post-fight bash click here. |
| UFC 110: Demian Maia vs Dan Miller in the works for Feb. 6 Posted: 16 Oct 2009 05:58 PM PDT
A middleweight battle between submission master Demian Maia (11-1) and hard-nosed Dan Miller (11-2) has been tentatively added to the UFC 110 card set for Superbowl weekend (Feb. 6, 2010) at a yet to be determined venue, which will likely be somewhere in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to MMAWeekly.com. Both fighters are coming off their first losses in the Octagon — Maia was laid out in the opening seconds of a potential number one contender eliminator match by Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 back in August and Miller was outpointed on the judges scorecards by Chael Sonnen at UFC 98 in May. Before their respective setbacks, Maia was enjoying a five-fight win streak in the UFC with all of his wins coming via submission. Miller, on the other hand, was on a three-match streak himself, which included two victories via tapout. Earlier this week Maia talked about upcoming fights and getting back into the UFC 185-pound title picture. Here’s a snip:
With this fight the UFC has certainly given the Brazilian his wish — the unheralded and unassuming Miller is as tough as they come. Maia will certainly have his hands full, considering Miller has never lost a fight by submission, too. As of right now there is no headlining bout set for UFC 110. The good news is there is still plenty of time left to put together yet another stacked Superbowl weekend show … the promotion is already off to a fine start with this potential match up. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card for early 2010. |
| Report: Dan Henderson to Strikeforce after UFC contract negotiations falter Posted: 16 Oct 2009 04:04 PM PDT
Get ready, Gegard. Former dual Pride FC middleweight and welterweight champion, Dan Henderson, could be headed to Strikeforce after he could not come to agreeable terms on a contract extension with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), according to Yahoo!Sports.com. UFC President Dana White had this to say on the stalemate:
The report indicates that Strikeforce officials could not be reached for comment. In addition, it’s unclear how soon Henderson would be able to compete for another organization — UFC often has the the right to match contract offers in a free agent situation. Regardless, this is certainly quite a turn of events. Especially since Henderson has mentioned numerous times recently that his goal is to remain a UFC fighter. However, the former number one middleweight contender seemed adamant that in addition to more money, he also wanted another opportunity to challenge reigning division champion, Anderson Silva. The latter didn’t seem like a potential deal breaker after White all but assured Henderson would rematch Silva after his sensational knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100. However, that was before Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, made the case that Henderson should take on Nate Marquardt first to determine a clear-cut contender. In addition, Vitor Belfort — who lost to Hendo at PRIDE 32 back in Oct. 2006 — was not on the roster. Now with Belfort in the fold he’s in talks take on Silva at UFC 108, which perhaps was a big blow to Henderson’s bargaining power at the negotiating table. More on this breaking news as it develops. |
| UFC 108: Tyson Griffin vs Jim Miller under consideration for Jan. 2 Posted: 16 Oct 2009 02:05 PM PDT
Surging lightweight contender Tyson Griffin (14-2) is in talks to take on the venerable Jim Miller (15-2) at UFC 108 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, 2010, MMAmania.com can confirm. The embattled Griffin finally notched himself a finish inside the Octagon after knocking off Hermes Franca at UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas. The talented Xtreme Couture product is the winner of a staggering five "Fight of the Night" bonuses but had gone to a decision in seven straight bouts dating back to 2006 and taking heat from fans and media alike in his inability to seal the deal — despite going 6-2 during that span. The veteran lightweight seemed to be keeping himself out of serious title consideration for his inability to finish, something likely to be forgotten — and quickly — if he can make it two stoppages in a row with a finish over the crafty wrestler. Miller is fresh off a technical knockout win over Steve Lopez at the same event, during which Lopez and his shoulder decided to part ways early into the second round, effectively halting the bout.
It was the fifth fight for the New Jersey product inside the Octagon and his fourth win. A unanimous decision loss to the streaking Gray Maynard at UFC 96 back on March 7 is the only blip during that span. His other wins include Matt Wiman and David Baron. UFC 108 is expected to feature a main event between 185-pound division deity Anderson "The Spider" Silva defending his division title against former light heavyweight champion Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort. Another former 205-pound champion, Rashad Evans, will also likely return to action against another Brazilian, Thiago Silva, in the co-featured fight of the night. To check out the latest UFC 108 fight card and rumors click here. |
| His terms: Joe Stevenson UFC 104 exclusive with MMAmania.com Posted: 16 Oct 2009 11:45 AM PDT
The year started off on a sour note for Joe Stevenson. In February at UFC 95, "Daddy" suffered a unanimous decision loss to top UFC lightweight contender Diego Sanchez. It was the second loss in a row for The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 winner and his third in four fights, albeit against some of the best lightweight fighters in the world — Sanchez, Kenny Florian and B.J. Penn for the then-vacant lightweight strap. In June, Stevenson had a chance to put things back in order at the TUF 9 Finale by squaring off against another TUF winner, Nate Diaz. And win he did, largely by out-wrestling the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt. Stevenson also picked up "Fight of the Night" honors in the process (his second in a row). Now 30-10, Stevenson now looks to string back consecutive wins and climb back up the contender ladder for his second shot at the UFC lightweight title. He'll get his chance at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" on October 24, 2009 when he meets the hard-hitting Spencer Fisher (23-4). The action gets underway from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. and airs live on pay-per-view (PPV). We caught up with Stevenson this week to ask him about his upcoming match against a fellow veteran in "The King" Fisher, find out how training at his new camp (Jackson Submission Fighting) is going, and see how he feels about a possible future rematch against Diego Sanchez or Kenny Florian (a fight he calls a "fluke"). Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You earned your BJJ blackbelt under Robert Drysdale about a year ago. Can you talk about what that means to you, especially to earn it under Drysdale, and how stylistically that might be different from other jiu-jitsu players? Joe Stevenson: Robert is one of the best jiu-jitsu competitors, and what people don't understand is he's also probably one of the best coaches out there in the game today. Just because of his ability to break down the jiu-jitsu for a particular person to help give him a better concept of what works for his body composition and size. So to have that blackbelt was one of the best moments of my life. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Back in April you teamed up with Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp. I read that you were invited by Rashad Evans to help prepare you for the Nate Diaz fight. Can you tell us a bit about how that works? I assume you are still affiliated with your other camps with Marc Laimon and Cobra Kai? Joe Stevenson: Yeah, Marc is a great friend of mine. My gym is called Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai. And honestly, you just try to tippy-toe around things such as, 'Oh, well I'm going to fight him from that gym or him from that gym.' … At Marc's, I really … launched my grappling, (he) really pushed me above and beyond what I thought I was capable of. He helped me believe in myself. And then with a team like Jackson's … I'm now put in a situation where I'm not a big fish in a little pond, but a little fish in a big pond. And every day I have to be on my top game and be prepared to go to work. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Will that impact which opponents you feel comfortable taking on, such as a Diego Sanchez rematch. I know he used to train with Jackson. Joe Stevenson: Honestly, you would have to talk to Greg about that. I am never going to be the person to put him in any type of awkward position, because he's such a friend and a good man to me. But, I … pretty much wouldn't mind fighting him again. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): (Laughs) Pretty much? (Stevenson holds his ground, saying nothing.) Okay. Well let's talk about the win over Diaz. Both of you were coming off losses. Was this a make or break fight for your UFC career, being that you were coming off two losses? Joe Stevenson: Well, in the fans' eyes perhaps, because of the fact that they just care about the two losses, and not the fact that they were against two top-ranked guys in the world — and one was close and one was a fluke. I would rather get caught and submitted or knocked out than lose a decision any day. Because in a decision you either lost because the guy's better than you or because you did something wrong. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Is that what you call the fluke, the fact that the decision didn't go your way or the fact that you did something wrong? Joe Stevenson: No, no, no. The fact that … I'm calling the fluke the fight with Kenny where I gave up my back and got rear-naked (choked). I'd rather get finished than lose a decision such as losing to Diego, just given the fact that when you lose a decision there's clearly something you could have done to affect the outcome in a different way, unless you were just dominated. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Right. Well, you beat Diaz largely by out-wrestling him. As gifted as the Diaz brothers are on the ground and on the feet, they have been criticized in the past for holes in their wrestling games. Was that the game plan going in? Did you think Nate was weakest in that department and you went in to exploit that? Joe Stevenson: Well, I was confident enough that I knew I wasn't going to get submitted. I knew that he had the ability to submit me, but if I were at no point in time to take him lightly or allow myself to think that he had no chance and always to assume that he was right there on my toes, (then) I would walk away with the victory. There's a moment that you overestimate, you just think it's in the bag, especially with someone like Nate, (then) you actually just get finished and caught. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, the unanimous decision earned you Fight of the Night honors. Were you surprised that the UFC gave out three Fight of the Night honors for that card, along with a KO and Submission of the Night? Joe Stevenson: A little bit, it was surprising, but also I was happy to see that you don't just have to strive for these bonuses, that there is more to it than that, that they are going to take care of you. Everybody's like, 'Oh, well they're making so much.' They're always complaining. Honestly, (the UFC has) gotta do it to ensure that the sport continues to grow. For them to do that at the point where they did, it was really awesome of them to do that. It was really cool. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Let's talk about your upcoming opponent, Spencer Fisher. Both you guys have been fighting for a while now. This is certainly a battle of well-versed veterans. How do you see the matchup? Joe Stevenson: I see the matchup being tough everywhere, all the way around. Spencer comes to bring it, and he brings it hard. I see everywhere that I have this fight that I'm going to need to push the pace. He's the type of fighter that pushes the pace, but I'm going to show him that that's not necessarily what's going to happen — that it's going to be because I dictate what happens. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): While he's certainly well-rounded, I would think that Fisher is probably more known for his standup. Do you think that stylistically he'll want to keep this fight on the feet? Do you think that he's not going to be too keen about going to the ground with you? Joe Stevenson: Honestly, I don't think very many people in the world are keen going to the ground with me, especially with me being the one that's on top … I have no idea what he's going to do. I have an understanding of what he wants to do, probably, an idea, more or less. I'm not going to focus on that. I'm going to focus on what I want to do to him, and overbearing him with my will. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Will you have any hesitation just keeping it on the feet? Joe Stevenson: I have no hesitation keeping it on my feet for a little bit. I have no hesitation keeping it there the whole time. I think he's well-versed. … (But if) the fight never went to the ground, I would dictate clenches on the feet and dirty boxing like Randy Couture. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You've been touted by many as having some of the best guillotines in the business. Was that a move that you actively sought out to make your bread and butter move, or did it just kind of happen by accident, you just discovered that you happen to be really good at guillotines? Joe Stevenson: You know what happened, everyone tells you, 'Oh man, be careful of his guillotine. Be careful of his guillotine.' Or, 'Oh, Joe's got leg locks and guillotines. Joe's got leg locks and guillotines.' And then eventually you believe it in yourself and you're like, 'Oh, that's what they're worried about?' And you start doing it more and more, and you see that it's very difficult to stop, and you understand it very well, maybe better than others. And so it does become a signature move. However, I would like to think that my ground game is much more than leg locks and guillotines. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): It wasn't all that long ago that winners from past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter were considered up-and-coming fighters, but today we see former TUF cast members as top contenders in almost every weight class — including yourself, Diego and Kenny Florian, who you mentioned, are both top contenders in the division. Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Koscheck, all those guys. As the TUF franchise continues to cement its legacy, does that make your accomplishment as the TUF2 winner any more special to you? Joe Stevenson: I think winning TUF was a great accomplishment in and of itself. What it's done for me is amazing, and what it continues to do will be at no point in time ever old to me. It's something that's as part of my life as my kids. It took six weeks away from my family. It will always be there in the back of my head. And yeah, it does help you appreciate a little more about it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Would you ever want to be involved in a TUF season again, as a coach, or would that take too much time away from your family? Joe Stevenson: Being a coach I would think I would be able to have my family with me. So I wouldn't really mind that as much as being on the show and being away from everyone. Being a coach would be an awesome experience and would allow me to focus on training even more than I already do, which would be an amazing time and good for everyone. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well, Joe, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. I wanted to give you a chance to thank any sponsors or if you have any parting words for your fans. Joe Stevenson: I'd like to thank all the fans … And I would like to tell anyone that is going to UFC 104 that I'm going to give everything I've got to have a very impressive win. And I'm so excited to be fighting in my backyard, in southern California! |
| Sengoku 11 fight card shapes up with additions of Santiago, Randleman and more Posted: 16 Oct 2009 09:41 AM PDT
Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov and Kevin Randleman vs. Stanislav Nedkov have been on the radar for a while as the fight cards for Sengoku – “Eleventh Battle” took shape. The World Victory Road has finally confirmed their addition to the Nov. 7 event that will take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Sengoku Middleweight champion, Jorge Santiago (21-7) will break a ten-month hiatus to step into the ring with Chechen-Polish standout, Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1) in a non-title affair. Santiago has been on a red-hot streak since his TKO loss to Alan Belcher in UFC in December 2006. He has strung together a nine-fight winning streak over the likes of Jeremy Horn, Trevor Prangley, Sean Salomon, and Kazuo Misaki, finishing all nine opponents. Earlier this year, he capped off his remarkable run through the Sengoku middleweight tourney by defeating Kazuo Misaki via rear naked choke in the fifth round of the inaugural Sengoku middleweight championship battle.
Khalidov has been tearing through the European promotions, most notably KSW. He introduced himself to the American audience when he defeated Jason Guida at the ShoXC – Elite Challenger Series last October. In his last fight, he notched the most significant victory of his career, knocking out the PRIDE veteran and Chute Boxe Academy member, Daniel Acacio at KSW 11. Like Santiago, Khalidov is a proven finisher, having earned 18 of his 19 victories via stoppage. Also, he is riding a 17-fight undefeated streak, not having lost since September, 2005. Former UFC Heavyweight champion and PRIDE staple, Kevin “Monster” Randleman (17-13) makes his return to the Sengoku ring and squares off withunbeaten Bulgarian prospect, Stanislav Nedkov (7-0). Randleman will fight for the first time since dropping a unanimous decision to Mike Whitehead at "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" in June. Returning after a year-long hiatus, Randleman looked tentative and sluggish throughout the three-round bout against Whitehead. He looks to bounce back from the lackluster performance and piece together the W's that has largely eluded him since upsetting Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in PRIDE in 2004. At Sengoku 11, he will make his second appearance in the promotion: He made his Sengoku debut at Sengoku: "Second Battle" where he notched a unanimous decision victory over Ryo Kawamura. Nedkov made his Sengoku debut on a high note in May at Sengoku: "Eighth Battle" by scoring a TKO victory over the grizzled veteran, Travis Wiuff. A fighter with strong wrestling base, Nedkov has reeled off seven consecutive stoppage victories in organizations such as Shooto, Pancrase, and now, Sengoku, since his pro debut in 2007. He will now look to add another high-profile name to his resume with a victory over Kevin Randleman. With the fight cards nearing completion, following is the line-up for Sengoku – “Eleventh Battle”: Hatsu Hioki vs. Michihiro Omigawa As it stands, Akihiro Gono is the only remaining fighter whose participation has been rumored but has not received an opponent. For more on Sengoku 11 click here. |
| X-1 ‘Champions’: Wesley ‘Cabbage’ Correira and Ron ‘H2O’ Waterman featured at FightZone TV event Posted: 16 Oct 2009 09:40 AM PDT
Honolulu, HI (USA): X-1 World Events, Hawaii's premier fight promotion, is pleased to announce a broadcast agreement with FightZone TV. The first event to be aired by FightZone TV will be X-1's "CHAMPIONS" event. X-1 has built a reputation as a world-class MMA promotional company known for delivering exciting live, arena-based entertainment events to fight fans all over the islands, and "CHAMPIONS" is no exception. Several X-1 World titles are on the line, and some of the fighters showcased at the event include UFC/Rumble on the Rock veteran Wesley "Cabbage" Correira, The Ultimate Fighter alum Anthony Torres, UFC veteran Falaniko Vitale, former UFC/Pride heavyweight Ron "H2O" Waterman, big-time female boxer Mia St. John, and well-known island fighters Eddie Yagin and "Sugar" Shane Nelson. In addition, a four-man tournament for the X-1 World Middleweight belt is also on the line, as Falaniko Vitale, Joey Guel, Ricky Shivers, and Kenny Ento all battle for the strap. "This agreement is the next step in the evolution of X-1. We are excited about the opportunity to bring Hawaiian MMA action to fight fans all over the islands and the rest of the United States ," says X-1 Owner & Promoter Mike Miller. "We want to show the rest of the MMA world that Hawaii deserves to be at the forefront of the national fight scene."
FightZone TV, one of the nation’s largest independent distributors of MMA programming, recently celebrated their 1000th broadcast TV airing. Entering their fourth year of MMA-related broadcasting, their content is now available to over 23 million homes on Fox Sport Net’s (FSN) affiliates SunSports, SportSouth, and nationally on DIRECTV, The Dish Network and AT&T U-verse, reaching over 20% of US homes with cable TV. More information on X-1 World Events can be found at http://www.x1events.com/, while more information on FightZone TV can be found at http://www.fightzone.tv/ |
| Lyoto Machida video on Shogun, UFC Brazil and a Brock Lesnar superfight Posted: 16 Oct 2009 09:22 AM PDT Props: Sherdog.com |
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