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- UFC 104 press conference video with Dana White on Dan Henderson, Rampage Jackson, Kimbo Slice and much more
- DREAM 12 preview for Oct. 25 ‘caged’ event at Osaka-jo Hall
- Reminder: UFC 104 contest to win FREE signed Cain Velasquez walkout tee and more
- Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua staredown at UFC 104 press conference (Pic)
- UFC 107: Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves rematch set for Dec. 12
- Dana White Oct. 21 video blog for UFC 104 (Episode 3)
- Programming alert: FIGHT CAMP 360: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ airs Nov. 3 on Showtime
- Cory Grant vs Rumina Sato for ‘Vale Tudo Japan 2009′ with Joe Warren injured
- Jeremy Stephens (not Efrain Escudero) possible for UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz
- Joe Stevenson: Spencer Fisher won’t know what happened until the fight’s over
| Posted: 23 Oct 2009 02:47 AM PDT Dan Henderson is asking to be “by far the highest paid fighter in the UFC:” |
| DREAM 12 preview for Oct. 25 ‘caged’ event at Osaka-jo Hall Posted: 23 Oct 2009 01:42 AM PDT
UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun” is not the only major mixed martial arts show set to go off this weekend — DREAM 12 is scheduled to take place at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday, Oct. 25. It will mark the first time ever that a major Japanese MMA event will take place inside a cage. DREAM 12, which will feature a trio of champions, is set to air exclusively throughout North America on HDNet, beginning at 2 a.m. ET on fight night. Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem, Bellator Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis are all slated to compete at DREAM 12. In addition, the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba is booked to take on Zelg Galesic, former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe will battle Yoshiro Maeda, and former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho is set face Yoon Dong-Sik. It’s going to be a fun early morning of fights to say the least. And to get you pumped for the festivities we put together a quick DREAM 12 preview of the top fights on the card. Let’s get cracking:
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Zelg Galesic The Japanese MMA icon, Kazushi Sakuraba, returns to the ring for the second time in a month to replace Melvin Manhoef against Zelg "Benkei" Galesic. At DREAM 11, Sakuraba came back from a 10-month hiatus to breeze through the former professional boxer and MMA debutant, Rubin Williams. Galesic also makes his return to the ring after a long layoff. He last fought in DREAM 6 in September of last year in a losing effort against Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in the semifinal round of the promotion's middleweight tournament. Like fellow Croatians Mirko Cro Cop and Branko Cikatic, Galesic is known for his striking. An ITF Taekwondo fourth degree black belt, he captured the middleweight title in now defunct Cage Rage promotion before fighting in K-1 Hero's, PRIDE and then DREAM. Besides striking, Galesic has also shown a flash of submission prowess against Curtis Stout and Taiei Kin; however, his submission defense remains a question mark, as he has proven vulnerable against accomplished grapplers such as Jacare, Dong Sik Yoon and Makoto Takimoto. This does not bode well against the "IQ Wrestler," Sakuraba, who is known for his submission artistry and valiant effort against hard-hitters who outweighed him by 20 pounds or more. For Sakuraba, Galesic should be a good measuring stick of how much fight he has left, given his age and wear-and-tear. Yoshiro Maeda vs. Chase Beebe The two WEC veterans square off to vie for a compelling victory. Blame it on Miguel Torres, but both fighters seek to snap their recent streak of losses and uninspired performances that started with their losses to the former WEC bantamweight champion. Both fighters fought in the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix. While Maeda defeated American Top Team prospect, Micah Miller, before falling to the eventual finalist, Hiroyuki Takaya, in the quarterfinal, Beebe suffered a deflating technical knockout loss to former Greco Roman world champion, Joe Warren, in the preliminary round. Beebe fought earlier this month against Mike Easton for UWC bantamweight title, losing a controversial split decision that was later overturned to “no contest.” Prior to the bout, he was on a three-fight losing streak. This potential fight-of-the-night candidate pits two scrappy fighters against one another. Maeda has demonstrated his striking prowess against opponents with a variety of stylistic stripes: He excels at piecing together crisp, punch-kick combinations. For all his aggression, however, his defensive liabilities have been his downfall in his seven career losses, all of which have come by technical knockout or submission. Before stumbling into current slump, Beebe kicked off his career in a high gear, running through his opposition with aggressive wrestling, complemented by his go-to finishing moves of rear naked and guillotine chokes. Eddie Alvarez vs. Katsunori Kikuno Eddie Alvarez returns to DREAM after his successful run in the first season of the Bellator Fighting Championship. He had a breakthrough run in DREAM Lightweight GP, dispatching Andre Amade, Joachim Hansen, and Tatsuya Kawajiri. In his last DREAM appearance on last NYE, he fell to Shinya Aoki via heel hook. He now brings his brand of explosive boxing-wrestling combo against the Tsuyoshi Kohsaka protégé, Katsunori Kikuno. Kikuno, who has cut his teeth in Japanese promotion, DEEP, where he captured the lightweight title, made a successful DREAM debut against Andre Amade at DREAM 10. A dedicated practitioner of Kyokushin Karate, he has turned heads with his crescent kick, which is rarely utilized in MMA. Against Alvarez, he looks to utilize his footwork and kicks to keep his opponent at bay and exploit the smallest of openings to land a finishing blow. Marius Zaromskis vs. Myeon Ho Bae The DREAM welterweight champion, Marius Zaromskis, returns to action for a non-title bout after his surprising breakthrough in the welterweight tournament. A Cage Rage veteran who trains out of London Shootfighters, Zaromskis entered the grand prix as a virtual unknown and considerable underdog: He sent a shockwave through the MMA world by upsetting tournament favorite, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, in the semifinal round with a high-kick technical knockout before dispatching Jason High with high-kick yet again to snatch the inaugural DREAM welterweight title. His opponent, South Korean prospect Myeon Ho Bae, is a veteran of MARS, M-1 and DEEP. He possesses a background in wrestling and has won seven of his last eight fights. Still an unknown quantity, Bae has an opportunity to gain instant recognition by upsetting Zaromskis. Paulo Filho vs. Dong Sik Yoon The resurgent Paulo Filho returns to DREAM to take on the slumping Dong Sik Yoon. After his ignominious loss of WEC middleweight title to Chael Sonnen and end of the undefeated run, Filho receded from the scene to recover from his bouts with depression and prescription drug abuse. Seemingly healthy and back in form, he submitted Melvin Manhoef at DREAM 10 and defeated Alex Schoenaur by decision at Bitetti combat in his native Brazil. Yoon started his MMA career with 0-4 record in PRIDE before evening his win-loss column. Since then, however, he has suffered another losing streak, dropping bouts to Gegard Mousasi, Andrews Nakahara, and Jesse Taylor. In his last fight against Taylor at DREAM 10, he suffered a leg injury in the first round that rendered him unable to continue. An underrated talent whose losing record does no justice to his actual potential, Yoon is known for his signature "dongbar," which he used to earn three of his four victories. He will face another stiff challenge in Filho; he may surprise Filho with his submission savvy, but is much more likely to fall prey to Filho's stifling top control. Alistair Overeem vs. James Thompson Alistair Overeem has been keeping himself busy lately, fighting in K-1, Golden Glory's 10th anniversary event, and now, DREAM. In other words, anywhere outside Strikeforce, or the United States, more specifically. His puzzling refusal to make the first defense of Strikeforce heavyweight title has stoked the suspicion of the use of a banned substance. Aside from the controversy, he has seen success in the ring. He comes off the first-round submission of Tony Sylvester at Ultimate Glory 11: "A Decade of Fights" only a week ago. Last month, he successfully outworked the grizzled K-1 elder statesman, Peter Aerts, in the K-1 World Grand Prix. James Thompson, on the other hand, has seen his career plummet since the dissolution of PRIDE. He has lost four consecutive fights, with all the losses coming via KO. He incurred one of the losses against Kimbo Slice in an infamous Elite XC bout in which his giant cauliflower ruptured into a bloody mess. Most recently, he was knocked out by "Big" Jim York in Sengoku earlier this year. As a last-minute nominee for Overeem's opponent, it looks like he may become a fodder for another highlight-reel knockout – effectively pulverizing his chin and allowing Overeem to pad his resume and "heal his right hand" before making his putative return to Strikeforce in 2010. Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Won Sik Park UFC veteran and newly minted Cage Force lightweight champion, Kuniyoshi Hironaka, returns to DREAM. After an unsuccessful UFC run during which he defeated Forrest Petz but fell to Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Jonathan Goulet, he picked up a win/loss pair in DREAM. Since then, he has dropped down from welterweight to lightweight and been on a three-fight winning streak. In his last fight, he fought for the vacant Cage Force lightweight title, previously held by Sengoku lightweight champion, Mizuto Hirota, and earned the first title of his career with a first round technical knockout. The reinvigorated Hironaka faces South Korean prospect, Won Sik Park, who has been on an eight-fight undefeated streak in DEEP, MARS, and M-1 since losing in his debut. A taekwondo practitioner, long-limbed Park possesses aggressive striking and competent grappling. A winner of numerous grappling competitions in his native Korea, he has only gone the distance twice in his nine-fight career. This bout looks to be a competitive one, as Park seeks to maintain his momentum against a veteran fighter in Hironaka. Hironaka is known for his submission skills, judo-bred throws and heavy hip, and ground-and-pound. With his move down to the lightweight division, he has also found power in his strikes, as evident in his last two fights — technical knockout victories over Katushiko Nagata and Yoshihiro Koyama. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tokimitsu Ishizawa Katsuyori Shibata recently snapped his losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Ikuhisa Minowa at DREAM 8. His opponent and fellow pro-wrestler, Tokimitsu Ishizawa, returns to MMA for the first time in nearly three years. A veteran of now defunct K-1 Hero's and PRIDE, Ishizawa notched the most significant victory of his career in 2000 when he defeated the outlaw of Gracie clan, late Ryan Gracie. Keisuke Fujiwara vs. Tomoya Miyashita Fujiwara, a featherweight ZST prospect, makes his leap to the big stage to take on DEEP veteran, Miyashita. Fujiwara has risen through the ZST ranks and made a name for himself as a hard hitter. Miyashita has earned most of his victories by submission: His weapon of choice is guillotine choke, which he boasts as the best among all Japanese fighters. He has won four of his last five fights. That’s a wrap, Maniacs. Remember that DREAM 12 will begin early morning Sunday (Oct. 25) at 2 a.m. and air LIVE on HDNet. An encore presentation is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Of course, MMAmania.com will provide the latest DREAM 12 results and provide a detailed recap of all the action as soon as it concludes. In the meantime, feel free to share your DREAM 12-related thoughts and predictions in the comments section below. |
| Reminder: UFC 104 contest to win FREE signed Cain Velasquez walkout tee and more Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:31 PM PDT
For those of you who may have missed last week’s announcement, MMAmania.com is featuring a UFC 104 contest give-a-way that began on Sunday, Oct. 18, and will run until Saturday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. ET. We will award several readers who enter the contest with Dethrone Royalty walkout t-shirts of surging heavyweight contender, Cain Velasquez. The grand prize winner gets a signed shirt, as well as a care package with more free swag (hats, etc.). What do you have to do to win? It's simple: Just provide your fight prediction for Cain's upcoming bout against Ben Rothwell at UFC 104 next weekend (ex. Cain defeats Rothwell via TKO in round 3 at 2:48; or Rothwell defeats Cain via KO in round 1 at 1:58). So it's winner, round, method and time. One entry per reader … so make it count! If you pick a decision be sure to include the official time, as well as guess the potential scores for each round (10-9, 10-9, 8-10, etc.) Use our contact form to submit your answers. To enter CLICK HERE. Do NOT leave entries/predictions in the comments section below. Be sure to submit correct contact information so we can contact you when you win — good luck! |
| Lyoto Machida and Shogun Rua staredown at UFC 104 press conference (Pic) Posted: 22 Oct 2009 06:57 PM PDT
Props: Las Vegas Sun |
| UFC 107: Jon Fitch vs Thiago Alves rematch set for Dec. 12 Posted: 22 Oct 2009 02:50 PM PDT
Jon Fitch wasn't kidding when he mentioned yesterday that a "big" fight was in the works after his opponent for UFC 106, Ricardo Almeida, bowed out of the contest after he sustained a major knee injury while training. Fitch is currently in discussions to rematch Thiago Alves at UFC 107 from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 12, setting up a fantastic 170-pound showdown that will prove once and for all how far both former number one contenders have come since their initial encounter back in 2006. Of course, Fitch came away with the win, scoring a convincing second round technical knockout of the Brazilian at UFC Fight Night 5. He would go onto win his next five fights, which earned him a crack at division champion, Georges St. Pierre, at UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" in Aug. 2008. He was overwhelmed by the Canadian for 25 minutes, losing a lopsided unanimous decision.
Alves, too, went on a tear after the loss to Fitch with seven consecutive victories over top-ranked opponents such as Matt Hughes and Karo Parisyan, as well as outpointing Josh Koscheck on all three judges scorecards at UFC 90 in October of 2008. However, St. Pierre would also end Alves' run with another five-round clinic at UFC 100 back in July. "The Pitbull" has not competed since that time (even though he was originally slated to take on Paulo Thiago on this same card — a fight that was apparently scrapped in favor of the Fitch-Alves match up). On the other hand, Fitch exacted revenge against submission specialist Paulo Thiago with a unanimous decision at UFC 100 and notched a similar result against Akihiro Gono earlier this year. So is Fitch still better than Alves more than three years later or has Alves matured to a point where his last loss is essentially meaningless because he is a totally different fighter? Tune in on Dec. 12 and find out once and for all. In the meantime, let’s hear what you have to say below. UFC 107 will feature a main event between lightweight division champion, BJ Penn, defending his title against number one division contender, Diego Sanchez. In the co-featured fight of the night, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir will "begin his quest for a third title" when he takes on Cheick Kongo. To check out the latest UFC 107 fight card and rumors click here. |
| Dana White Oct. 21 video blog for UFC 104 (Episode 3) Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:04 AM PDT |
| Programming alert: FIGHT CAMP 360: ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ airs Nov. 3 on Showtime Posted: 22 Oct 2009 11:02 AM PDT
NEW YORK (Oct. 22, 2009)-In the wake of the critically acclaimed debut of FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, SHOWTIME Sports® turns the spotlight to mixed martial arts with FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers. FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will feature unrestricted access to one of the most enigmatic professional athletes of today, Fedor Emelianenko and his next opponent, the undefeated Brett Rogers, as they prepare to headline “STRIKEFORCE/M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights” to be broadcast LIVE on Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will premiere on SHOWTIME® on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. The CBS Television Network will also make the show available to its 203 affiliated stations for broadcast in advance of the fight. From director Ron Yassen, who is embedded in Fedor’s training camp in Stary Oskol, Russia: “Fedor is beyond captivating as a fighter, and more so, as a man. It’s a pure joy to film him so intimately as he strives for perfection in life and sport with grace and charm. While training for this most important match, he kindly opened up his life to us in and out of the ring, without the ego that often comes with being the very best at one’s craft.” Produced in conjunction with Roadside Entertainment, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will showcase both fighters as they prepare for this historic fight. Nov. 7 marks the first time Fedor, widely considered the sport’s No. 1 fighter, will appear in front of a national broadcast television audience. Despite his iconic status within the sport, Fedor (30-1) remains shrouded in mystery, living and training in seclusion in a remote mining village in Russia far away from the spotlight afforded the sports’ very best.
Rogers lives and trains in Minneapolis, and enters the fight with an impressive 10-0 record after most recently dismantling former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Rogers, a quiet, soft-spoken giant outside the cage, who earlier this year quit his job as a tire technician at Sam’s Club, has the opportunity of a lifetime to dethrone the sport’s greatest in front of a national television audience. “The response to our inaugural episode of Fight Camp 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic chronicling the boxing tournament has been overwhelming,” said SHOWTIME Sports General Manager Ken Hershman, who commissioned the project. “Because of the subjects involved-the mysterious world champion set to fight a man living the American dream-we had to turn our lens in this direction. Special thanks to M-1 Global and STRIKEFORCE for affording us a level of access to both men that has been unparalleled in their respective careers.” Scott Coker, president of STRIKEFORCE, added, “This is a one of a kind opportunity for fans to go behind the scenes and take a close look at the extraordinary, number one fighter in the world – Fedor – and his opponent who has become a symbol of The American Dream.” Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME 2®. Tuesday, Nov. 3 9:30p (premiere) SHO Tuesday, Nov. 3 10:00p SHO2 Wednesday, Nov. 4 11p SHO2 Thursday, Nov. 5 10p SHO2 Friday, Nov. 6 10p SHO2 Saturday, Nov. 7 4:30p SHO Note: all times ET/PT |
| Cory Grant vs Rumina Sato for ‘Vale Tudo Japan 2009′ with Joe Warren injured Posted: 22 Oct 2009 10:10 AM PDT
Joe Warren, previously announced as the opponent for Rumina Sato, has been scratched from the line-up due to injury. According to sources close to Warren, the former Greco-Roman world champion tore a ligament in his left knee while practicing submission defense with his teammates at Team Quest. The injury likely will take a month to fully heal, thus rendering Warren unable to fight on the VTJ ‘09 card. For the last-minute replacement, Warren’s current teammate and fellow former UMich wrestler, Cory Grant, has stepped in to face Sato, the Shooto legend and former Pacific Rim 143-pound champion. During his decorated collegiate wrestling career, Grant has earned numerous accolades such as the All-American. Along with Warren, he joined the Team Quest in 2007 to commence his MMA career.
Nicknamed the “Savage,” Grant made his professional debut in 2008 and has since compiled a 3-0 record in Ultimate Cage Wars and King of the Cage. Warren, who will now relegate himself to the cornering role come Oct. 30, speaks very highly of Grant and believes a possible upset is in store — similar to his upset-of-the-year victory over Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto earlier this year. The following is the updated line-up for Vale Tudo Japan '09: Kenichiro Togashi vs. Willamy Freire For more on Vale Tudo Japan 2009 click here. |
| Jeremy Stephens (not Efrain Escudero) possible for UFC Fight Night 20 bout against Nik Lentz Posted: 22 Oct 2009 10:05 AM PDT
Grizzled UFC lightweight Jeremy Stephens (16-5) — not Efrain Escudero — will try to string together back-to-back wins inside the Octagon when he faces Nik Lentz (17-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 20, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in Fairfax, Virginia on Jan. 11, 2010. MMAmania.com was informed of the change to our original report earlier today — bout agreements were recently distributed but have yet to be signed. Escudero is still expected to compete on the main card against a yet-to-be-named opponent. "Lil' Heathen" recently improved his record to 5-4 in the UFC. He was last seen pounding out Justin Buchholz at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City back on Sept. 16 after dropping two straight to Hermes Franca and Gleison Tibau, respectively. Despite those back-to-back losses, fans have not forgotten his "Knockout of the Night" at UFC 91: "Couture vs. Lesnar" when he sent Rafael dos Anjos back to Brazil with a thundering uppercut that he threw from what appeared to be the center of the cage. It was among the most devastating finishes of 2008.
Stephens has really stepped up his training in anticipation of this event, calling on Josh Neer and Diego Sanchez to help refine every aspect of his offense and defense. It's sure to pay off come fight night. Lentz is on a eight-fight win streak that dates back more than two years. He is a Minnesota Martial Arts Academy product who has competed primarily on the local circuit for most of his career. "The Carnie" recently scored a unanimous decision win over Rafaello Oliveira in his Octagon debut at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort" back on Sept. 19 and also outpointed UFC veteran Drew Fickett at SNMMA: "Beatdown at 4 Bears" to make a name for himself earlier this year. A win over Stephens would undoubtedly leapfrog him into bigger opportunities — and some very stiff competition. Stay dialed in to MMAmania.com for more on UFC Fight Night 20 as additional details emerge in the near future. |
| Joe Stevenson: Spencer Fisher won’t know what happened until the fight’s over Posted: 22 Oct 2009 08:37 AM PDT
Props: FightHype Quoteworthy:
Staunch UFC veteran and 155-pound noisemaker Joe Stevenson sounds off on recent comments regarding Spencer Fisher’s strategy for their UFC 104 fight from the Staples Center on Oct. 24. “Daddy” makes no qualms about keeping it standing — nor does he hide the fact that takedowns will be the order of the day. The question is, now that both fighters know what the other plans to do, who will have the better success executing their game plan? We’ll find out this Saturday. |
The last-minute shuffling of fight card continues with Vale Tudo Japan 2009, scheduled to take place in a week on Oct. 30 at JCB Hall in Tokyo.
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