Thursday, March 25, 2010

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

Gorgeous Georges and Dapper Dan face off at UFC 111 press conference (Pic)

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 08:26 PM PDT

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Poll
But who gets taken to the cleaners on Saturday night in Newark?

  2209 votes | Results

Programming reminder: UFC 'Unleashed' and 'Primetime' air tonight (March 24) on Spike TV

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:09 PM PDT

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Spike TV is loaded with UFC programming TONIGHT (March 24) beginning with a special presentation of  "Unleashed" beginning at 9 p.m. ET featuring four action-packed fights never-before-seen on television including two recent undercard bouts from the UFC on Versus event held this past Sunday night in Denver.

The special "UFC Unleashed" fight card includes:

155 lbs.: Clay Guida vs. Shannon Gugerty (UFC on Versus)
265 lbs.: Brendan Schaub vs. Chase Gormley (UFC on Versus)
155 lbs.: Jeremy Stephens vs. Justin Buchholz (UFN 19)
155 lbs.: Dennis Siver vs. Paul Kelly (UFC 105)

Stay tuned immediately following "Unleashed" for the third and final episode of  "UFC Primetime" beginning at 10:00 pm ET for the conclusion to the promotion's three-part series featuring an in-depth look at the upcoming UFC 111 welterweight title fight between current champion Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and number one contender Dan Hardy (23-6).

For more on UFC 111 click here.

UFC Quick Quote: Dan Hardy's 'anti-Chinese' tattoo airbrush removal explained

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:08 PM PDT

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"I'm trying to get into China. I don't need anti-Chinese government stuff on my fighters.... This thing popped up and I heard that it was anti-Chinese government, so I ripped that thing off it. I'm not going to put him on a poster with anti-Chinese government writing on it when we're trying to get into China.... I don't what this stuff means, so I've got to be safe."

-- UFC President Dana White today told fans at a question-and-answer session at Radio City Music Hall in New York, N.Y., about his reason for erasing Dan Hardy's stomach tattoo on promotional posters for UFC 111, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on March 27. White contends that the message is "anti-Chinese" and doesn't want anything jeopardizing his push into the Far East. "The Outlaw," meanwhile, explains that the ink is a Tibetan Buddhist prayer written in Sanskrit. Much ado about nothing it seems, considering the entire nation is not allowed to even search Google ... yey or ney?

Programming alert: Georges St. Pierre, Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar scheduled for ESPN SportsCenter

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 06:40 PM PDT

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UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and heavyweight contender Frank Mir will be appearing live on SportsCenter this Thursday (March 25) on ESPN. "Rush" is expected at 10:15 a.m. ET while Mir will be stopping by a little later at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Later in the week, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar will return to SportsCenter on Friday (March 26) at 10:15 a.m. to discuss his pending return to MMA.

St. Pierre and Mir are just days away from their respective fights at UFC 111 from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The Canadian will defend his 170-pound title against Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy while Mir tries to edge out Shane Carwin for the next shot at Lesnar on July 3 in Las Vegas.

To get up to speed on all things UFC 111 click here.

Dan Henderson talks Strikeforce, Jake Shields, UFC counter-programming and more (Video)

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 06:40 PM PDT

Hendo will try to win the middleweight championship in his "Nashville" debut on April 17.

ESPN 'MMA Live' graduates to television on ESPN2

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 05:52 PM PDT

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ESPN's wildly successful Web show "MMA Live" is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

MMAmania.com has learned that host Jon Anik, along with analysts Franklin McNeil and Kenny Florian, will soon bring their mixed martial arts news, highlights and analysis to the world's biggest sports network on ESPN2.

No precise details are known at this time, but the half-hour show is expected to air on Thursday afternoons -- new episodes are typically made available online on a weekly basis at this time.

An official announcement is expected to come from the network shortly.

Dana White: Junior dos Santos can fight again -- just not against Cain Velasquez

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 05:40 PM PDT

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Props: MMAFighting.com

Quoteworthy:

"Dos Santos got himself in the mix the other day. If you question whether he should be or not, he showed you the other night that he should be. The great thing is, a guy asked me out there, 'Are you going to do Cain Velasquez against dos Santos now?' The way I see it is, and the way my luck has gone lately, with injuries and stuff, I think you keep these guys in line. You've got Mir and Carwin fighting, whoever comes out, if the winner doesn't have any cuts or break his hand or anything like that, he goes right out and fights Brock Lesnar this summer. Then you've got Cain Velasquez waiting in the wings for the next fight. Then you've got dos Santos ready for the next one. I like having those guys in line and we'll have a lot of good fights -- title fights that people actually care about. (Dos Santos) can fight again. It's not like we're going to put him on the bench and say, 'Oh, we'll hold you here.' But you don't have him fight Cain Velasquez. If he loses along the way to somebody else, he definitely wasn't ready for Lesnar or whoever the champion is."

UFC President Dana White quickly dismisses any possibility of a heavyweight number one contender bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, despite their similar rise to power within the division. After Brock Lesnar defends his belt at UFC 116 against the winner of Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir at UFC 111, Velasquez will get his chance at the title while dos Santos continues to work his way through the current crop of aspiring heavyweights. Is the Brazilian getting a raw deal? Or is White simply doing what's best for the division?

Keep the pace: MMAmania.com UFC 111 interview exclusive with Ben Saunders

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 03:04 PM PDT

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Ben Saunders has been on quite a roller coaster of late.

After a heartbreaking loss to Mike Swick at UFC 99, he responded with the biggest win of his career to date. He knocked out Marcus Davis at UFC 106 courtesy of some of his patented clinch work.

Martin Kampmann, a consensus top-10 welterweight, was the reward for his dominating performance over "The Irish Hand Grenade." Unfortunately, due to a cut sustained in training, Jake Ellenberger was called to fill in as "The Hitman's" replacement.

The fight will remain on the main card at UFC 111 this Saturday (March 27).

"Killa B" took some time out of his busy schedule to discuss his multiple troubles leading up to the UFC 99 loss, his huge rebound win over Davis, what he expects from Ellenberger and the welterweight title picture.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Let's go back to UFC 99. You take a step up in competition to fight Mike Swick. What went wrong that night and what did you learn from the loss?

Ben Saunders: It's a touchy situation to talk about. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. All I'll say is that there was personal stuff going on in my life, emotional things happening that led me to want to take a fight quicker than I should have coming from my toe injury.

On top of that my last sparring session that occurred Friday night before flying out Monday morning I ended up getting a fractured or broken rib and I was told by my chiropractor at the time, "Oh yeah, you'll be fine." Needless to say, I didn't really have enough time beforehand to know the severity of the situation until I went out to Germany.

I went to my first training session, which I believe was on the Wednesday before I started cutting weight on Thursday. I was trying to work with Paul Rodriguez and Cole Miller and I couldn't even do anything. I kept telling myself, "Hey, once the fight starts and the adrenaline kicks in I won't feel it and it won't matter."

Unfortunately, that was not the case. I was unable to perform to the best of my abilities. The only thing I really regret more than anything is that it ended up being what I would consider to be the most boring fight of my entire career. I've never heard boos in my entire life. It was really frustrating.

There's nothing I look at that fight and say, "Man, I should have done this or that," because it was more or less circumstantial. It was pretty even. He really didn't do anything but maybe get one takedown and control top position while I was trying to hold him. He could never pass my guard. I couldn't move.

Anybody that tries to do anything with a rib injury knows what I went through. Those who don't maybe one day you'll find out. The fight prior to us had the crowd impatient. I tried win, lose, or draw to try to put on a show.

I got caught trying to press the action. My distance and timing was off when I through that outside low kick and I knew it. I was just trying to get something going. I was trying to get some kind of action so the crowd would enjoy it. At the end of the day I did do my job, because I ended up getting clipped for it and the crowd went nuts after that. In that sense, more power to Swick. I'm glad the fans ended up getting what they paid for.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): In hindsight, would it have been better to pull out of the fight or were you dead set on gutting it out?

Ben Saunders: There were two other things going on. One is personal and the other one being financial. Those are reasons why I still took the fight. I was also already in Germany by the time I found out everything about the situation. It was literally two days before the fight. It is what it is.

People always ask me, "What did you learn from the loss? What did you take from the loss?" I matured from that fight. I know my limitations. I've fought injured before in my career and I've been able to pull it out every single time. I felt like I was going to do it again.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Well you followed that up with an impressive showing against Marcus Davis becoming the first man to knock him out in his career. That must have been a pretty satisfying victory for you.

Ben Saunders: For sure, the biggest victory of my entire career. To go out the way I did performance-wise against Swick and then to come back and show everybody what I'm capable of when I'm healed and actually able to psychologically be there in fight mode was nice. I'm not scared to get hit. I'm not scared to go toe-to-toe with anybody. I felt I was able to prove it with one of the most feared strikers in the division.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): After the fight Davis said the following, "I did think it was going to be easy because I felt as though I had enough experience and because he was so thin, it was going to be easy to overpower him." What did you think about those comments?

Ben Saunders: I see where he is coming from because of my Swick fight. I was pretty much shunned from the MMA world after my performance with Swick. I went from being one of the top prospects after by (Brandon) Wolff fight to being basically blacklisted as a nobody. Unfortunately, Davis probably fell for that hype. If anybody would've looked at my Swick fight there were going to be sadly mistaken.

Like Jake Ellenberger - if he looks at my Swick fight and thinks that he's going to be able to take me down and control me he's out of his mind. I've never been controlled on the ground. That's part of my style is being aggressive with my jiu-jitsu off my back. When I started martial arts I was a striker to begin with and then I realized in mixed martial arts I was going to get taken down. What I strived to make the best was me fighting off of my back; whether it's going for subs, sweeps, or standing back up. I want to keep the pace, keep the action.

If you remember my fight with (Dan) Barrera on the TUF finale I wasn't expecting him to take me down because of how I am off my back. It's hard to finish somebody when you know all they're trying to do is hold on. He never once postured. He never once punched me. It's been over two years since that fight and I took a lot from that fight. There are people out there who aren't going to try to be aggressive and just control me. I won that fight because I was aggressive off my back.

That fight alone is probably one of the rarest cases you will ever see of someone actually winning a decision from being on their back. Granted, without a doubt I think Jake is much tougher, more experienced, and more technical than Barrera ever was. At the same time I'm a brown belt in jiu-jitsu now. I've trained long and hard to get where I'm at. I feel I'm very well-rounded. Everyone is going to see that in this fight coming up.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Ellenberger is a very good, strong wrestler. Do you expect him to come out and try to take you down early and often to avoid your strikes and your reach?

Ben Saunders: I think he is going to try to take me down because at the end of the day I am the taller, lankier fighter. If he stays on the outside I'm going to pick him apart. If he comes in he's going to have to deal with my clinch, which I've shown on numerous occasions to be dangerous. I feel his game plan is going to be to use his heavy hands and either be in and out and be real quick about it or be in and go for the takedown and try to ground and pound me.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You were booked to face Martin Kampmann but he backed out of the fight due to a cut he sustained in training. He would have been another big name opponent for you. When you hear bad news like that are you disappointed or do you have faith in Joe Silva that he will find another decent fight for you?

Ben Saunders: It was disappointing for one reason and one reason only. The fact that he's been on everyone's top 10 list. A win over Kampmann probably would have legitimately put me in a top 10 position. It would have been awesome because then I could hopefully get a top 5 in my next fight.

Now that I got Jake Ellenberger that is not 100% the case. At the same time I'm not too worried because I know Joe Silva and the UFC know what they're doing. I know they got plans for me. Whatever their plans may be I'm going with the flow.

A win over Ellenberger I believe is just as good as a win over Kampmann. If anything, Ellenberger probably has more experience and more fights than Kampmann does. I know Dana White, Joe Silva, and Lorenzo Fertitta all know this. That is why he ended up being the opponent they gave me as a replacement.

There are so many ways to get injured. Injuries are a dime a dozen. I've gotten them. My opponents have gotten them. This is by no means the first time I've needed a replacement. I'm fortunate and happy that I got someone of Ellenberger's status. I believe the UFC knows he's a top prospect.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Give me the name of a guy that would make sense for you to fight if you beat Ellenberger?

Ben Saunders: Anybody that is going to get me closer to that title shot. Whether it's a top 10 or top 5 guy or just a fight that the fans want to see it doesn't matter.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Would you be open to a rematch with Swick someday?

Ben Saunders: Of course. It's not something that's on my mind. I'm coming off a win and I'm going to be coming off a two fight win streak. He's coming off a two fight losing streak. At this point I really do feel for him. I know depressing it can be to come off of one loss.

To be so close to a title shot as he was and to be in the game as long as he is it can definitely be a frustrating experience. I've had my words with Swick and issues that have occurred. At the end of a day I respect him as a fighter. I hope the best for him. I hope he comes back and gets a win in his next fight.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): UFC 111 will be shown not only on PPV but also on various movie theatres across the country. How do you feel about that? I bet you never thought you'd be up on the big screen.

Ben Saunders: Yeah baby! Hell yeah man! That was like the coolest thing I've ever heard. I couldn't have even imagined that happening. There are certain things that I have been apart of with the UFC that have been history in the making. This sport is so new. On numerous occasions I've been apart of history with the UFC and it just blows my mind. I thank god every single day to do what I do and be fortunate enough to be blessed and to live my dream.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy are doing battle the same night as you with the welterweight belt on the line. Who do you have and why?

Ben Saunders: Hardy stands a chance because this is a crazy sport and there are so many ways to win. For instance, obviously the upset with GSP and Matt Serra. Matt Serra getting GSP to tap out to strikes was the craziest thing that anybody could have imaged in their lives going into that fight.

There is no way that I will ever count anybody out. If you want to go with statistics and on paper and also video footage I would say there is no way that Hardy is going to be able to stop GSP's takedowns. I don't believe that Hardy has the ability off his back to ground and pound or a submission.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What is your official prediction for your fight? You got a round in mind?

Ben Saunders: I'm hoping first round. That's my goal. I'm trying to take names and make examples of guys they put me against. I want to be considered one of the best in the world. Not all of us get the random big opportunities out of nowhere. For instance, the Paulo Thiago situation.

He pops out of nowhere and nobody knows who he is and he's fighting Koscheck, who's top 5 in the world. We all don't get that chance and for that reason I want to earn my chance and start taking people out in the first round. I'm legit. I'm no one hit wonder. After Wolff and then Swick I was a one hit wonder.

I want to make a stamp on this sport that I'm here to stay. I'm not just here to win I'm here to revolutionize the sport. My style is very unique. I'm unorthodox and my technique is odd for the welterweight class. I'm very tall and lanky. I'm not skin and bones though. I have muscles and I am strong for my frame.

Anybody that takes me lightly or thinks they're going to steamroll through me they're going to get a rude awakening. They're going to get knocked out or submitted in the first round.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Any shout outs or sponsors you would like to thank?

Ben Saunders: I want to say rest in peace Mask. You were an amazing person. You will forever be missed and remembered in this sport. On top of that everyone check out my website soon. It is still under construction. You can go to BenSaundersUFC.com. You can also hit me up on Twitter at @BenSaundersUFC or on Facebook.

Derek Bolender is a frequent MMAmania.com contributor. He is also a syndicated writer to FoxSports.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DerekMMAwriter.

Report: Yoshihiro Akiyama vs Wanderlei Silva booked for UFC 116 on July 3 in Las Vegas

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 02:49 PM PDT

Former DREAM and K-1 star Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1) may finally get the chance to test his sexiness against the ferocity of Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) when the two reportedly square off at UFC 116 on July 3 in Las Vegas.

Fighter's Only announced the proposed match-up earlier today.

A world class Judoka, Akiyama made his name in K-1 Hero’s, compiling an undefeated record of 11-0 with one No Contest. After FEG pulled the plug on Hero’s, he fought twice in the newly formed DREAM in 2008 before signing with Zuffa.

"Sexyama" made his Octagon debut a successful one, narrowly edging out Alan Belcher via split decision last July, but has been on the sidelines ever since.

Will he be sexy enough for one of the sport's most ruthless aggressors?

On the heels of his recent facial surgery, Wanderlei returned with a level of sexiness all his own, taking a unanimous decision win against Michael Bisping at February's UFC 110 event in Australia to bring his UFC record to 2-3.

"The Axe Murderer" has a technical knockout percentage of more than 70 in his 43 professional mixed martial arts bouts and even when he loses, he always comes to fight.

Expect fireworks in this one.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on the upcoming UFC 116 fight card, which is expected to feature the return of Brock Lesnar, as it becomes available.

Shane Carwin: I guarantee there's going to be a 'WOW' in this fight

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 01:39 PM PDT

But will it be him or Frank Mir who does the wowing?

UFC Quick Quote: BJ Penn looking for 'The Answer' to his future at welterweight

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 01:32 PM PDT

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"If everything goes well, I’d definitely consider moving up to 170. Not that it’s 100 percent guaranteed, but I’m thinking about it. If I do move, I’m going to move slow. I’m not going to rush anything. I’d think about it as testing the waters, maybe do something like Anderson [Silva] is doing [at light heavyweight]. There are a lot of good guys out there. All have a good shot at fighting for the title one day. I don’t want to make believe they don’t exist. At the end of the day, it will be [UFC President] Dana White who gives me the phone call and tells me what’s on the agenda for the next fight. Frankie Edgar’s not a guy to look past. This isn’t a guy to play around with. Anyone who looks past him is going to end up with a loss on his record."

Current UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn talks about an eventual return to welterweight during Tuesday's media teleconference (via Sherdog.com) but is careful not to look past Frankie Edgar in the process. "The Prodigy" had mixed results at 170-pounds but may find himself running low on suitable challengers if he successfully defends his title at UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi. The Hawaiian wants to start slow if he does go back -- any guesses as to who his first opponent would be?

Strikeforce Challengers VII open media workout photos gallery featuring Zoila Frausto and Lavar Johnson

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 01:17 PM PDT

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Pics courtesy of Sal Hernandez/Strikeforce. More after the jump.

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Bellator Fighting Championships signs Luke Zachrich for upcoming middleweight tournament

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 01:08 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (March 24, 2010) - Luke Zachrich, a longtime protégé of MMA legend Dan Severn, is the latest addition to Bellator Fighting Championships' upcoming Season 2 middleweight tournament roster.

Zachrich, a mainstay on the Midwest regional circuit, boasts an overall professional record of 10-1 with four wins coming via TKO and six coming via submission. All but one of the victories have come during the first round.

A native of Bryan, Ohio, he played varsity football at Bowling Green State University before graduating with a bachelor's degree in 2005. At around the same time, he began training with Severn, who has notched 92 career wins in the UFC, WEC, PRIDE and countless other promotions over the past 15 years.

"Luke is a great athlete who has learned MMA from great instructors," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "He's another strong addition to our 185 tournament."

Zachrich is the seventh confirmed participant in eight-man middleweight tournament, joining Bryan "The Beast" Baker, Jared Hess, Sean Loeffler, Matt Major, Ryan McGivern and Eric Schambari. The group boasts a combined overall winning percentage of .838 (78-15).

Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155 and 170 lbs. during its second season, with the winners in each division being declared No. 1 contenders to the current Bellator champions. Each of Bellator's 24 Season 2 and 3 events will be broadcast on FOX Sports Net, NBC, Telemundo and The Score sports network in Canada.

Though Zachrich made his pro MMA debut in 2006, he gained his first national notoriety in the spring of 2008 on The Ultimate Fighter where was a member of the team coached by Forrest Griffin. Zachrich defeated 5-1-1 Patrick Schultz in Episode 2, but fell to future UFC signee Dan Cramer in Episode 6. Since leaving TUF, Zachrich is a perfect 3-0.

Recently, in mid-2009, Zachrich left his longtime training camp in Cincinnati (Team George Gurgel) to train full-time in Columbus, Ohio, with Joe Heskett, a former four-time All-American wrestler at Iowa State who is now the assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State. Zachrich also continues to hold periodic training sessions with Severn and noted muay thai coach Dorian Price.

"I've been lucky enough to train with some of the best in the world and Bellator is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to show the results of that on the world stage," Zachrich said. "I love the tournament set-up that Bellator has and the middleweight field is really great-there's not a bad fighter in it. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. With that said, I wouldn't be in it if I didn't think I could win it."

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Bellator. For tickets, go to Ticketmaster.com.

UFC 111 pre-fight press conference airs today (March 24) LIVE on MMAmania.com at 3 p.m. ET

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 11:29 AM PDT

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UFC 111: "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" is set to take place this Saturday (March 27) from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey featuring a welterweight battle for the title between current champion Georges St. Pierre and brash hard-hitting challenger Dan Hardy.

In addition, heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin will square off in an interim title fight for the right to take on Brock Lesnar sometime later this year. And top welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves are set to throw down for a second time as each man looks to stake their claim to the number one contender spot.

In preparation for this weekend's showdown in the 'Garden State,' the UFC will hold a pre-fight press conference featuring the major players from the event including Georges. St. Pierre, Dan Hardy, Frank Mir, Shane Carwin, and of course, UFC president Dana White.

The press conference will air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com at 3 p.m. ET after the jump.

Live stream and replay courtesy of UFC.com.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 111, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

We’re still a few days away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "St. Pierre vs. Hardy" 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.

For everything you need to know about UFC 111 click here.

Shine Fights: Braulio Estima vs Rick Hawn set for 'Worlds Collide' on May 15

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 11:05 AM PDT

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Miami, FL (USA): Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) today announced the official signing of another main card bout for its upcoming "WORLDS COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS. THOMAS" event, as 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club 88-kilogram/Absolute division champion and Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Braulio Estima (0-0) will make his MMA debut against 2004 Olympic judo competitor Rick Hawn (6-0). The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 175 lbs.

"WORLDS COLLIDE" will emanate live at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 15th, and will be broadcasted on pay-per-view.

This highly-anticipated bout will pit two fighters considered to be amongst the best in the world at their respective crafts. Estima is a BJJ black belt, and is the head instructor and owner of the Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Birmingham, England. His submission competition achievements include winning the CBJJ World Championship in 2004, 2006, and 2009, the Absolute World Cup Championship in 2006, the European CBJJ Absolute Championships in 2006 and 2009, as well as being the ADCC 2007 silver medalist. At ADCC 2009, Estima won both the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships, defeating DREAM veteran Andre Galvao and Sengoku veteran Xande Ribeiro in the respective finals.

Called "the breakout star" of the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament by Sherdog, the 6'3", 190 lb. native of Brazil shocked the grappling community by submitting submission legend Marcelo Garcia, in addition to defeating Galvao and Ribiero on his way to the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships. Also labeled "one of grappling's most underrated and overlooked competitors" by Sherdog, Estima is a multiple-time World, European and Pan-American grappling champion.

 

In regards to his opponent, Estima said, "I've seen a couple of fights and he's a tough kid. He's very strong, very explosive. I'm not expecting an easy fight at all. He's a top judo player in the world, so he's an athlete himself. Whoever makes fewer mistakes will win. He already has experience in MMA, 6-0. He has a pretty good advantage in the cage, but I'm going to try work myself in a situation where this won't affect me."

The 33 year-old Hawn is also a celebrated grappler with many decorations and distinctions in his field of combat. The 5'9," 170 lb. Massachusetts native splits his training time between Pedro's Judo Center and Team Sityodtong. He placed 9th Place at the 2004 Olympic Games, and was a 2007 World Team member. His other grappling accomplishments include his being a four-time U.S. National Champion, a four-time U.S. Open bronze medalist, and garnering a 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medal. Hawn is also undefeated in MMA, and has finished four of his six opponents in the first round. He presents a very tall order for Estima's first MMA opponent.

About Estima, Hawn said, "I'm looking forward to the fight with Estima. Even though he is new to MMA, he has extensive ground skills that will require me to elevate my game. I am more than ready for the challenge. It's not much of a surprise that I want to keep the fight standing with him if possible. This is MMA though, and anything can happen. Either way, I'm going to be well prepared and take advantage of my experience and strengths."

Shine Fights is extremely elated to bring the MMA world a match between world-class grapplers such as Braulio Estima and Rick Hawn. "Braulio and Rick bring ground credentials to the cage that few can match. I expect this to be an amazing fight, and I think it's going to surprise many fight fans," stated Shine matchmaker Ron Foster. "Estima has been working diligently on his striking, and Hawn TKO'd four of his six opponents. ‘WORLDS COLLIDE' just got even more interesting!"

This ground-fighting dream bout joins the previously announced main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas as well as the co-main event between former EliteXC star Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Falaniko Vitale on the May 15th card. "WORLDS COLLIDE" is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will broadcasted starting at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

Dana White talks UFC in Canada, Fedor, Rampage and more at Toronto autograph signing (Video)

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 08:23 AM PDT

(Thanks to MMACanada.net for the tip)

UFC signs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to a six-fight contract according to Riddum.com. Guess he's not...

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:55 AM PDT

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UFC signs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to a six-fight contract according to Riddum.com. Guess he's not "done with the UFC" after all?

MMA Quick Pic: 'Stun Gun' Kim coming to UFC Undisputed 2010

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:46 AM PDT

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Thanks to THQ for the pics. More after the jump. To get up to speed on all the new features for UFC Undisputed 2010 click here.

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UFC President Dana White won't submit to Ontario Premiere on MMA sanctioning

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:34 AM PDT

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The name ... is Dalton.

UFC President Dana White joined Sam Stout and Krzysztof Soszynski yesterday (March 23) for an autograph signing at the Toronto Eaton Centre to help rally the troops for mixed martial arts sanctioning to one day happen in Ontario.

White expects MMA to eventually become the world's largest and most popular sport. Unfortunately that vision of global domination won't start in Ontario, Canada, as Premier Dalton McGuinty has indicated that MMA regulation was "not a priority."

Last year White was hoping to secure a show in Ontario at some point in 2010, setting his sights on Toronto's Rogers Centre in front of as many as 50,000 fans. Considering that one of the world's most popular fighters is a Canadian named Georges St. Pierre, that wasn't such an unrealistic goal.

Then again, nothing is possible unless the Ontario Athletic Commission lifts its ban on cagefighting, that while not a priority, could help generate millions of dollars for the local economy. Unfortunately McGuinty's vision of the future does not include the UFC.

More from the Premiere (via The Canadian Press):

"If I was to knock on 1,000 Ontario family doors and ask them for their top three concerns, I'd be surprised if anybody said, 'Well, my top three, one of those is we've got to start this new kind of mixed martial arts in Ontario - that's going to mean a lot for me and my family and our future together. So it's just not a priority for our families, so it's not a priority for me. In ultimate fighting, you can tap out. I'm tapping out on this."

While he doesn't share his personal opinion of mixed martial arts as a sport, it's no secret that a majority of legislative blowhards still envision the UFC of yesteryear, when grotesquely out of shape bar room brawlers would duke it out for the chance to be submitted by Royce Gracie.

No longer, reaffirmed White:

"We have a 10-year track record of safety. It's very successful every time we come into a market. It definitely helps the economy and creates more jobs. And this is a real sport. It's like asking should the NFL be allowed to come up here, should Major League Baseball be allowed to come up here. Absolutely we should be. And the biggest thing is we're running towards regulation, we're not trying to go around it. We're not trying to go to some province here that will let us do it without overseeing us ... There's no reason this shouldn't be regulated in Ontario. There's more fights at the Wiggles concert than there is at a UFC event. You want to be terrified? Go to a New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox game. You get killed there."

Ontario stands to make millions in profit and tax revenue should the UFC hold another Canadian mega-event in 2010, much like they will in Montreal in May and then again in Vancouver (hopefully) just a month later.

Like New York, Ontario may begin to feel the squeeze from its inhabitants if neighboring communities are raking in boku bucks while they cling to their holier-than-thou stance on MMA.

That may soon change for "The Empire State" and hopefully, Ontario.

Scott Coker: Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum scheduled for June on US soil

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 06:59 AM PDT

Fedor

Props: MMA Weekly

Quoteworthy:

"M-1 Global and Strikeforce entered into a three fight contract exclusive for Fedor to fight in a co-promotion between Strikeforce and M-1 Global, and as you know we did the first fight on Nov 7 in Chicago. Fedor is now scheduled to fight in June towards the end of the month in America against Fabricio Werdum."

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker reassures the mixed martial arts community that his co-promotion deal with M-1 Global is alive and well and that aside from a few delays, top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko is still booked for an upcoming bout opposite Fabricio Werdum. A planned fight card for June would mark three straight major events in as many months for the San Jose-based promotion. Do they have enough talent to support that kind of schedule?
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