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- Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ could feature the return of Cung Le against Scott ‘Hands of Steel’ Smith
- WAMMA sanctions ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ Strikeforce fight; will unveil new championship belt and logo
- Sengoku 11 open thread and discussion
- Strikeforce Challengers: ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ recap and post-fight discussion
- Dan Henderson: I have not signed with Strikeforce — yet (Video)
- Strikeforce Challengers results for ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel LIVE tonight (Nov. 6)!
- Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ weigh in photos and gallery for Nov. 6
- Strikeforce weigh in results LIVE from Hoffman Estates for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’
- UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping wants to ‘take back respect’ against Denis Kang on Nov. 14
- Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza vs Matt Lindland booked for Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ on Dec. 19
| Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ could feature the return of Cung Le against Scott ‘Hands of Steel’ Smith Posted: 07 Nov 2009 12:49 AM PST
On the heels of his decision to vacate the Strikeforce middleweight title due to his budding Hollywood acting career, former 185-pound champion Cung Le could return to the San Jose-based promotion as early as next month for a war of attrition against the always-game Scott Smith. MMAmania.com learned of the potential match-up from sources close to the event earlier today. Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ has been announced by the promotion as its next televised Showtime event, set for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on Dec. 19. Le already has two movies set to be released in the near future, including the big screen version of the popular video game "Tekken" in which Le will play the role of Marshall Law. With three more movies in progress, the San Shou disciple was not expected to be back in action earlier than Spring 2010. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had considered creating an interim title in his absence; however, Le agreed to vacate the title altogether so that his part-time fight schedule no longer held the belt hostage. Now Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields will fight for that title tonight (Nov. 7) live on CBS. It's already been well over a year since Le captured the gold from Frank Shamrock in his hometown and one has to wonder if the 37-year-old Le still has the chops to compete in the new-look Strikeforce. Scott Smith could help answer that question if they do indeed throw down in December. "Hands of Steel" was battered and beaten before submitting to a rear naked choke at the hands of Nick Diaz at last June’s Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields” event in St. Louis, Missouri. The loss snapped a two fight win streak for the former UFC slugger. Prior to the Diaz fight, Smith lived up to his nickname by knocking out the hard-hitting Benji Radach with a little over a minute remaining in their three round slugfest. Smith was bruised and bloodied, but refused to back down and stunned "Razor" — and the rest of the crowd — with his thrilling come-from-behind win. A win over Le would certainly recapture some of that momentum. Strikeforce: “Evolution” is expected to feature an interesting match up of styles between Matt "The Law" Lindland (21-6) and Ronald "Jacare" Souza (10-2). Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0) and Josh "The Punk" Thomson (16-2) are expected to be in action as well. For the current Strikeforce: “Evolution” fight card click here. |
| WAMMA sanctions ‘Fedor vs. Rogers’ Strikeforce fight; will unveil new championship belt and logo Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:58 PM PST
CHICAGO, IL (Nov. 5th, 2009) – The World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA), today announced it will sanction the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight between undisputed WAMMA reigning heavyweight champion Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko and undefeated challenger, Brett "The Grim" Rogers, which will air live on CBS from Sears Centre Arena on Saturday, Nov 7th. "It's a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of this incredible fight card that our partners at STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global have put together," said WAMMA Rankings Chairman, Andrew Falzon. "It is another landmark night for the sport on national television and a rare opportunity for fans nationally to see top WAMMA-ranked fighters compete on free TV." STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global have welcomed the presence of the WAMMA title at the milestone event, which will air live across the country on CBS Saturday Night Fights on Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, ET live/ delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. Fedor's manager and M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein said "Putting a title on the line just provides the fighters with more incentive to perform at their best," said Scott Coker, CEO of STRIKEFORCE.
In addition to sanctioning the main event, WAMMA will also be unveiling a new design for the championship belt, and a new logo, which will be featured on the fight surface during the live telecast. "This is another sign of WAMMA's new direction and continued commitment to moving the sport of MMA forward," said Falzon. "We remain open to working with all promotions at all levels of MMA, so long as it is to the benefit of the sport." WAMMA publishes the sport's most comprehensive rankings that include an extensive panel of independent MMA media including CBSSportsline.com, ESPN's MMA Live!, Fox News Fight Game, FoxSports.com, MMA Fanhouse, Sirius Fight Club Radio, Sports Illustrated, The Calgary Sun Newspaper and The Fight Network. WAMMA has published its official November Rankings today online at: www.GoWAMMA.com/rankings. |
| Sengoku 11 open thread and discussion Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:50 PM PST
With the penultimate month of the year under way, World Victory Road (WVR) is set to host Sengoku: "Eleventh Battle" TONIGHT (Nov. 7) at the famed Sumo Hall, Ryogoku Kokugikan, in Tokyo, Japan. This will be the final event before WVR inaugurates the new "Sengoku Raiden Championship" banner on New Year’s Eve. Sengoku 11 will air LIVE via HDNet beginning at 2:00 AM ET. Besides boasting several marquee names, the fight card also serves as a prelude to the year end event: With at least three title contests scheduled on NYE, several fighters on the card will enter the ring for high-stake battles to earn the title shots. For those of you Maniacs following the fights as they go down (or those of you that are just along for the ride), go ahead and sound off in the comments section with any results, news, photos and videos — it's an open thread, so go crazy. Just try your hardest to keep it Sengoku related. Be sure to check back a little later this morning for our results and complete recap. In the meantime, have at it. We want to hear from you. If you need to get up to speed on what’s happening with this card be sure to check out our comprehensive “Eleventh Battle” preview here. |
| Strikeforce Challengers: ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel’ recap and post-fight discussion Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:49 PM PST
Strikeforce’s weekend of mixed martial arts action is officially halfway over as “Challenger Series IV” is now in the books from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Former UFC lightweight fighter and jiu-jitsu stud Jorge Gurgel squared off against hometown favorite Billy Evangelista in the night’s main event, and as expected it was an all out war. Gurgel is known for abandoning his ground game in favor of a more entertaining stand up fight, which usually means a good scrap for the fans and a close loss on the scorecards for him, which is exactly what happened again tonight. Evangelista traded blow for blow with the Cincinnati resident and used timely takedowns to squeak out a judge’s decision. Afterward, the undefeated hometown winner was asked how he felt about a potential match up with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson, and he surprisingly didn’t seem too warm on the idea, stating that he and Josh were friends but he would do whatever Strikeforce wanted. We’ll have to wait and see how the Strikeforce brass handles that scenario, but a Josh Thomson vs. Billy Evangelista title fight certainly sounds like it would be a fun one to watch. In the night’s co-main event, heavyweight Shane Del Rosario overcame an early knockdown by Brandon Cash “Money” to come back and win by submission (omoplata). At one point the onslaught from Cash appeared to be swaying the referee to step in for the stoppage, but Del Rosario hung in there and recovered nicely for the win. He’ll certainly be a player in the crowded Strikeforce heavyweight division moving forward. “Ultimate Fighter” castoff Jesse Taylor made his second appearance on a Strikeforce card in 2009, and for the second time he came up on the losing end. Luke Rockhold — a very talented wrestler and jiu-jitsu practitioner — fended off a powerful wrestling attack from “JT Money,” who came out of the gates looking for the takedown. Rockhold eventually worked his way into a dominate position and finished Taylor off with his patented rear naked choke, his fourth in a row. Merritt Warren and Zoila Frausto were also winners on the Showtime televised portion of the card, defeating Ousmane Thomas Diagne and Elisha Hellspur by first round heel hook and unanimous decision, respectively. To check out the complete results from Strikeforce: “Challenger Series IV” click here. That’s a wrap from the Save Mart Center in Fresno. The fifth installment of the “Challenger Series” is slated for November 20 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. That card is set to feature a main event between undefeated two-time All-American wrestler from the University of Missouri, Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley and Kansas City’s own Rudy Bears. The female version of the main event from UFC 105 is also scheduled for the card as Kim “Sugar Free” Couture squares off with Kerry Vera. Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for all your Strikeforce news and notes. And don’t forget to check in early and often tomorrow night for the blockbuster “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage as well. |
| Dan Henderson: I have not signed with Strikeforce — yet (Video) Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:48 PM PST |
| Strikeforce Challengers results for ‘Evangelista vs Gurgel LIVE tonight (Nov. 6)! Posted: 06 Nov 2009 06:02 PM PST
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: "Evangelista vs. Gurgel." If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main "Evangelista vs. Gurgel" results post and not this one. Enjoy the show, Maniacs! |
| Strikeforce ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ weigh in photos and gallery for Nov. 6 Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:50 AM PST
“Mayhem” Miller monkeys around at the Strikeforce weigh-ins earlier today for “Fedor vs. Rogers.” More exclusive pics after the jump.
Gegard has that look in his eye… Non-title bout. In pro wrestling that means the champ loses. “Bigfoot” hulking up. Will the victor face the winner of Fedor vs. Rogers? Vacant 185-pound title belongs to one of these two men. Can Rogers pull off the ultimate upset? The winner may have the unenviable task of facing “Cyborg” Santos. Kolosci vs. Bailey. Mark Miller hits the trademark Hulkster pose. Neace misses weight and Curran has words for the Commission. Pele in da house! Aoki appeared and mumbled something about wanting to fight in America. Be sure to check us out on Saturday night (Nov. 7) for more live Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Rogers” coverage from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. |
| Strikeforce weigh in results LIVE from Hoffman Estates for ‘Fedor vs Rogers’ Posted: 06 Nov 2009 11:49 AM PST
The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers" took place today (November 6) live from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. As usual, MMAmania.com was on the scene to get the scoop on all the happenings and aside from Dustin Neace, there was very little in the way of fireworks between any of the competitors, who all hit their respective marks without incident. Neace weighed in at 150.5 on his first attempt, 150 on his immediate second attempt and 149.6 on his final attempt after an hour of trying to squeeze out those last few pounds. In spite of his inability to hit his 145-pound mark, opponent Jeff Curran has agreed to a catchweight fight at 149.6 pounds. Neace will be forced to cough up 20-percent of his fight purse to “The Big Frog.” Here are the complete "Fedor vs. Rogers" weigh-in results:
*Neace will fight Jeff Curran at a catchweight of 149.6 and surrender 20-percent of his fight purse. It's going to be a fun night of fights so don't miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight "Fedor vs. Rogers" coverage you can handle. |
| UFC 105 video: Michael Bisping wants to ‘take back respect’ against Denis Kang on Nov. 14 Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:10 AM PST |
| Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza vs Matt Lindland booked for Strikeforce: ‘Evolution’ on Dec. 19 Posted: 06 Nov 2009 10:05 AM PST
Strikeforce will return home to the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 19, 2009, for its next major event titled, “Evolution,” according to promotion officials. While a headlining bout for the card is still up in the air, Strikeforce Director of Communications, Mike Afromowitz, confirmed an intriguing middleweight battle between 2008 DREAM middleweight grand prix runner-up, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2), and 13-year mixed martial arts veteran, Matt “The Law” Lindland (21-6), is set for the main card of the Showtime network event. Besides his impressive run through the DREAM tournament last year, “Jacare” is probably best known for his rivalry with the flamboyant host of MTV’s “Bully Beatdown,” Jason “Mayhem” Miller. The Brazilian defeated “Mayhem” in the quarterfinals of the DREAM tournament in a close decision. After numerous verbal jabs from both men, the pair agreed to a rematch in May of this year to erase any doubt about who is the better fighter. However, the encore also ended in controversy because Souza was unable to continue after an illegal kick from Miller cut him wide open. It was later ruled a “No Contest.” Then, this summer, both “Jacare” and “Mayhem” signed on with Strikeforce, making a potential third installment of their rivalry on U.S. soil a real possibility. However, Miller got the call to face Jake Shields for the company’s title, meaning “Jacare” would have to debut for the promotion against a different opponent. Apparently Matt “The Law” Lindland was eager to step up to that plate after sitting on the sidelines since a January loss to current UFC number one contender, Vitor Belfort.
Lindland has squared off against a “who’s who” of the MMA world throughout his storied career, from Fedor Emelianenko to Pat Miletich to Rampage Jackson. He’s also competed under numerous promotional banners, including the UFC, Affliction, IFL, BoDog Fight and others. However, this will be his first appearance for the San Jose-based Strikeforce. It’s an interesting match up of experience vs. youth and wrestling vs. jiu jitsu. “Jacare” certainly has his hands full with a well accomplished Matt Lindland. It’s going to be another in a long list of fantastic match ups in 2009 from Strikeforce. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card. |
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