Saturday, February 27, 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

Strikeforce Challengers: 'Kaufman vs Hashi' recap and final thoughts

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 11:46 PM PST

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Strikeforce has now officially crowned it's second female champion as hard hitting Canadian Sarah Kaufman captured the promotion's inaugural welterweight title earlier tonight in the main event of "Challenger Series VI" from the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California.

Here's how it all went down.

The Canadian brawler needed all five rounds and a judge's decision to claim her new crown, but make no mistake about it, she dominated Takeya Hashi tonight for all twenty five of those minutes.

The Japanese import proved to be resilient, showing a ton of heart by bouncing back numerous times from flooring right hands by Kaufman. But in the end, the grappler hand no answer for the striker.

Kaufman out-boxed Hashi all night long with jabs, combinations, and devastating right hands. She did a nice job mixing in the inside leg kick as well, which only helped in setting up her punches.



The undefeated Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts member's takedown defense deserves a mention as well. It was believed that Hashi would look to take Kaufman to the ground early and often in this fight, but Kaufman was able to keep the action standing for pretty much the entire fight by showing an excellent sprawl and by keeping good separation with her striking.

It wasn't the highlight reel knockout Kaufman was hoping for, but this win was still impressive for the new champion. After the fight she spoke about not being able to get the finish.

Here's a snip:

"She (Hashi) put up a great fight and was hard to finish because she was constantly moving. It was really hard to get a lot of clean shots consecutively on her, mostly because she did have good movement and she was kind of hard to pin in a corner and catch with the cage being as big as it was."

Regardless, Sarah Kaufman is the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight champion and the future looks bright for her in this sport.

In the co-main event of the night a promising slugfest between M-1 Global prospect Karl Amoussou and journeyman Trevor Prangley was brought to a premature and unfulfilling end when the Frenchman suffered an injury from an accidental eye poke by Prangley with less than a minute remaining in the first round.

The first four minutes of the fight weren't without some excitement and a few fireworks though. Both men, especially Amoussou, got off with some big punches. There's no doubt that the fight was on it's way to some sort of highlight reel finish.

Strikeforce will likely look to turn this unfortunate turn of events into a positive by booking the rematch for sometime in the very near future. Keep your ears open for that announcement. It seems like a no-brainer.

Highly touted American Kickboxing Academy product Luke Rockhold extended his streak of five straight wins inside the first round to six tonight with a technical knockout drubbing of former "Ultimate Fighter" contestant Paul Bradley. The AKA trainee used his height as an advantage by landing numerous kicks and punches that had the shorter and less skilled Bradley off balance right from the opening bell.

It was a dominating win for the San Jose resident who has now undoubtedly earned himself a step up in competition for his next fight. He appears to be the real deal and a potential force in the Strikeforce 185 pound class.

Expect to hear the name Luke Rockhold a lot more going forward.

Team Quest welterweight prospect Tarec Saffiedine had an impressive showing in his Showtime debut by picking apart San Jose native James Terry with a precise and technical stand-up attack. "Sponge" improved his overall MMA record to (8-2) and looks to be a solid addition to the Strikeforce roster.

And finally, in the opening bout of the Showtime telecast, undefeated fighers Yancy Medeiros and Raul Castillo went the distance in a three round middleweight contest. Medeiros dominated the fight with superior stand-up and excellent takedown defense, winning easily on the judge's scorecards.

That's a wrap from San Jose.

To check out the complete results and our coverage of the event click here.

Next up for Strikeforce is a return trip to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California for Strikeforce Challengers 7: "Johnson vs Mahe" on Friday, March 26, 2010, at 11 p.m. ET on SHOWTIME. Lavarr "Big" Johnson and undefeated prospect Lolohea Mahe will headline the event in a heavyweight battle.

Brazilian jiu jitsu experts Luke Stewart and Andre Galvao are also booked to clash in a welterweight affair, and Ron "Abongo" Humphrey, Miesha "Takedown" Tate, Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox and others will also be in action in Fresno.

Keep it locked to MMAmania.com for more on that developing fight card and all your Strikeforce news and notes. For Strikeforce Challengers: "Kaufman vs. Hasi" live results and play-by-play click here.

Wanderelei Silva very 'happy' with UFC 110 win over Michael Bisping (Video)

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 11:36 PM PST

MFC 24: 'Heat XC' results and quick recap

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 09:54 PM PST

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Maximum Fighting Championship held "MFC 24: Heat XC" at its familiar stomping ground of River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 26, 2010. The last event to be held at the said venue, MFC 24 signals an end of era of sort, as the promotion strives for further growth.

Despite a lack of marquee names on the card, the event did not disappoint, as the main card featured a rapid-fire series of quick knockouts.

Kicking off the main card, the Bodyshop Fitness fighter, Jesse Juarez rode his momentum to earn an ultra-quick finish over Nathan Gunn. As soon as the opening bell rang, Gunn charged forward, but missed his first strike. Juarez wasted no time to counter, and landed a devastating head kick that left Gunn motionless at 0:11 of the opening frame. This was Juarez's second appearance in MFC and he is now on a seven-fight winning streak since losing to Luke Stewart in Strikeforce in September, 2008.

The Southampton, England native, Tom "Kong" Watson scored the second head kick KO of the night over KOTC/Pride/Elite XC veteran and local favorite, Travis Galbraith. After a tentative start in which Galbraith struggled to take Watson to the mat, "Kong" exploded for a headhunting opportunity and landed a head kick that ended Galbraith's night at 1:56 of round 1.

In the co-main event of the night, Dwayne Lewis and Ryan McClain vied for the MFC Light Heavyweight title. From the opening round, both fighters engaged in a busy, striking battle. They exchanged combinations and mixed in a little clinch game, with Lewis likely coming out ahead on points at the end of round 1. Lewis continued his onslaught in round 2, landing a big punch that dropped McClain. Once on McClain's back, Lewis worked for crucifix position and battered his opponent with punches and elbows until the referee evenutally halted the fight.

Finally, in the main event of the night, the UFC and Pride veteran, Yves Edwards collided with fellow UFC veteran, Derrick Noble. After a tentative start to fight in which both exchanged kicks and landed occasional combinations, Edwards landed the first big strike, stunning Noble with a left hand. The pace slowed down once again and fighters got back to trading strikes piecemeal. With less than thirty seconds left in the round, Edwards pounced at Noble with a huge straight right. He then followed Noble to the floor and finished the fight at 4:44 of round 1 via TKO. With the victory, the self-proclaimed "thug-jitsu" expert has pieced together a three-fight winning streak since suffering back-to-back losses against KJ Noons and Duane Ludwig in 2008,

Full result:

Preliminary Card
Zach Blaber def. Eric Chouinard by submission (kimura) at 1:17 of Round 1
Garret Nybakken def. Chris Barber by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:30 of Round 1
David Letourneau def. Nick Hrynchyshyn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dami Egbeyemi def. Paapa Inkumsah by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Main Card
Jesse Juarez def. Nathan Gunn by KO (head kick) at 0:11 of Round 1
Dwayne Lewis def. Ryan McClain by TKO (ref stoppage due to strikes) at 2:08 of Round 2
Tom Watson def. Travis Galbraith by KO (head kick) at 1:56 of Round 1
Yves Edwards def. Derrick Noble by TKO (strikes) at 4:44 of Round 1

Che Mills and Denis Kang confirmed for Hidehiko Yoshida's retirement event; VIP seats sold out for 'Astra'

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 05:07 PM PST

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"Astra," the upcoming retirement event for the Japanese judoka-turned-MMA star, Hidehiko Yoshida, has generated massive interest since it was announced earlier this month.

The event, hosted by J-Rock - a sports and entertainment management company that houses Yoshida and other fighters from his dojo - will take place on April 25 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. There is no word yet on whether the event will be televised in North America.

At a press conference held on Friday, February 26, Takahiro Kokuho, the head of J-Rock, announced that the 164 VIP seats that went on sale for 100,000 yen have sold out.

In the wake of this intense publicity, fans and media have held their breath for the announcement of the fighter who will grace the ring in the main event opposite Yoshida.

For an update on the selection of Yoshida's opponent, Kokuho revealed that he and J-Rock have managed to narrow down the list of candidates. Nonetheless, the selection process has been difficult, as numerous fighters have expressed their wish to step up to the role. He said that he hopes to finalize and announce Yoshida's opponent by the time the Winter Olympic ends.

When asked what kind of a fighter would fill the bill for Yoshida's opponent in the farewell bout, Kokuho stated: "I have said earlier that I want a 'meaningful opponent' for him. For example, if we were to choose a younger opponent, someone like Satoshi Ishii, who will lead the future of MMA would be ideal.

If he were to try to avenge one of his losses, the opponent needs to be someone whom he absolutely must defeat in order to retire. Also, Yoshida is thinking about something along the line of 'Let's go Japan!' as the theme of the event, so he could face someone of his generation who still has an active career."

As for other fighters participating in the event, J-Rock has previously named four fighters from Yoshida dojo - Kazuhiro Nakamura, Makoto Takimoto, Michihiro Omigawa, and Tatsunao Nagakura. The additional participants who have been announced at the presser include Yuya Shirai, Che Mills, and Denis Kang.

Yuya Shirai, a veteran of DEEP, recently captured the promotion's welterweight title with a victory over Seichi Ikemoto. He made his debut in DREAM as a participant in the promotion's welterweight grand prix last year, and lost to the eventual semi-finalist, Jason High, in the preliminary round. Shirai, who has had close personal and professional ties to Yoshida, will face Che Mills in a welterweight showdown.

Mills, a native of Gloucester, England, has cut his teeth in the now defunct Cage Rage. He has garnered recognition among MMA fans for having defeated the DREAM welterweight champion, Mariusz Zaromskis twice. Against Shirai, he will make his Japanese debut and look to bounce back from his loss against the recent Bellator signee, Jim "Judo" Wallhead.

Pride and UFC veteran, Denis Kang, is scheduled to face Vernon White in the W-1 event next month in Montreal. He will opt for a quick turnaround to fight in Astra in April. Though his opponent has yet to be named, Kokuho stated that there is a possibility that he will be matched up with the fellow Pride and UFC veteran, Kazuhiro Nakamura.

Strikeforce Challengers results for 'Kaufman vs Hashi' LIVE tonight (Feb. 26)!

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:41 PM PST

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Strikeforce Challengers VI: "Kaufman vs. Hashi" is all set for tonight (Feb. 26) at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California. The five-fight main card will air live on the premium cable channel Showtime beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Strikeforce Challenger Series serves as a proving ground to promote up-and-coming (and lesser known) fighters. The events are similar to what Elite XC used to promote with its SHO XC: "Challenger Series" on Showtime.

Headlining the card will be hard hitting Canadian Sarah Kaufman and Japanese standout Takayo Hashi going toe to toe for the right to be named the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight (135 lbs.) champion.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of all the other under card bouts will begin to flow around 9:00 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Kaufman vs. Hashi."


Strikeforce Challenger Series VI QUICK RESULTS:

Sarah Kaufman defeats Takayo Hashi via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to capture the first ever Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Championship
Trevor Prangley and Karl Amoussou fight to a technical draw after an accidental eye poke at 4:14 of round one
Luke Rockhold defeats Paul Bradley via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:24 of round one
Tarec Saffiedine defeats James Terry via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Yancy Medeiros defeats Raul Castillo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Wayne Phillips defeats Eric Lawson via submission (armbar) at 4:27 of round one
Samuel Bracamnonte defeats Chris Stewart via technical knockout (strikes) at 0:59 of round three
Tristan Arenal defeats George Miller via technical knockout (strikes) at 0:30 of round two
Jesse Tobar defeats Phil Balducci via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:24 of round two
Renee Robinson defeats Lilia Salas via technical knockout (strikes) at 1:06 of round one
Steve Dickie defeats Alan Lummel via technical knockout (strikes) at 0:33 of round one
Ronald Carillo defeats Anthony De Los Santos via submission (armbar) at 1:20 of round two

Strikeforce Challenger Series VI PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:

James here!

Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1) Women's Welterweight Championship

Round one: We're underway with the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight title fight. Hashi misses with a leg kick. Kaufman shows a few jabs before finally connecting on one. Hashi with another leg kick. Big overhand right floors Hashi. Kaufman rushes in, but Hashi bounces by to her feet. Kaufman pushes Hashi's back to the cage and she's working some dirty boxing and knees from there. More knees to the body and legs from Kaufman. Separation from the referee now and Kaufman goes right back on the attack with the right hand. Now a right hand, leg kick combo lands for the Canadian. Big left hand, right hand combo lands for Kaufman and sends Hashi to the mat for a second time. Again she hops right back to her feet, but clearly Kaufman's power is an issue for here so far. Kaufman continues to stalk Hashi and lands another hard straight right hand that snaps Hashi's head back. Hashit is having a lot of difficulty landing punches in the exchanges, while Kaufman is landing at will. A kick from Hashi gets caught and Kaufman drills her with another straight right. She goes down again and Kaufman smothers her for a moment until Hashi somehow gets back to her feet. Leg kick misses for Hashi and Kaufman lands a left hook as the first round comes to an end. Kaufman easily took that round.  


Round two: Kaufman takes the center of the cage and show her jab again right away. Now a right hand. Hashi doesn't want to see that anymore and she avoids it easily this time. Leg kick lands for Kaufman and now for Hashi. Hashi kicks again and Kaufman catches it, following that up with another hard right hand that puts Hashi on her butt again. Right back to her feet and Kaufman continues to push forward. Hashit with a decent right hand. Kaufman swings hard and lands a left hook, but Hashi does a nice job countering with a right hand of her own. Inside leg kick from Kaufman. She's been lazily leading those out there to set up her right hand. Now she lands the right hand. Hashi responds with a kick. Again Kaufman catches it and lands the right hand. Again a counter right hand from Kaufman off a Hashi low kick. Leg kick from Kaufman lands loudly. Nice straight body kick from Hashi. Overhand right from Kaufman to a backpedaling Hashi. Jabs from Kaufman. Left hook just misses for Kaufman. Nice three punch combo from Kaufman as the bell sounds. Another 10-9 round for Kaufman there. 


Round three: High kick misses from Hashi. Kaufman on the attack now with a nice combo of punches. Hashi now with a nice one-two combo. Kaufman responds with another big right hand that floors Hashi again. But again the resilient Hashi is right back to her feet. She seems to be content with standing and trading with Kaufman even though Kaufman is clearly winning the majority of the exchanges. Another nice left hand, right hand combo lands for Kaufman. Inside leg kick, right hand combo from Kaufman. Double jab lands for Kaufman. Now a leg kick. Hashi throws a jab and eats another right hand. Leg kick from Kaufman. Now a hard leg kick from Hashi. Hashit leans in and eats another one-two combo from Kaufman. Another big right hand sends Hashi on the retreat. Inside leg kick now for Kaufman. Another right hand floors Hashi, but she's right back up. There is a pattern forming here. Kaufman with a left hand now. Hashi tries to initiate a clinch, but Kaufman is having none of that as she punches out with another hard right hand. Triple jab now from Kaufman and Hashi takes her first shot at a takedown. It's unsuccessful and the round comes to and end there. Kaufman 10-9. 


Round four: Another wild high kick misses from Hashi to start round four. Inside leg kick from Kaufman. Right hand, left hand combo now from the Canadian. Double jab. Again, double jab. Leg kick. Kaufman is picking Hashi apart. Hashi shoots for the takedown but Kaufman defends nicely. They stay in the clinch and both fighters are jockeying for position. Knees and dirty boxing from Kaufman and now a separation from the referee. More jabs from Kaufman. Hashi punches and misses. Leg kick from Kaufman. Triple jab from Kaufman. Kaufman seems to be taking the cautious approach here, likely trying to avoid being taken down where she could possibly make a mistake against the grappling specialist. On cue Hashi shoots and Kaufman stuffs the takedown attempt. Back to the clinch and Kaufman is working some more dirty boxing. Kaufman punches out now with a big right hand. Hashi shoots again right away, but Kaufman shows a nice sprawl. Ground strikes from Kaufman now as Hashi continues to try and pull guard. Kaufman pushes away and they're back on their feet. Leg kick lands for Kaufman. Now another right hand. Twenty seconds to go in the round. Jab from Kaufman. A combo misses from Kaufman as the round comes to a close. Kaufman is in complete control of this fight. Hashi needs a submission or a knockout to win.   


Round five: Hashi showing her jab to start the round and Kaufman nonchalantly lands a leg kick. Another. Hashi with a right hand, but Kaufman counters with one of her own. Left hook just misses for Kaufman. Double jab finds a home though. Again. Again. Again. Now Hashi shoots and again Kaufman shows a nice sprawl. Her gameplan execution has been on point tonight. She deserves to win this title if she does indeed close this fight out. One-two combo from Kaufman. Both ladies exchange leg kicks. Double jab from Kaufman. Hashi shoots and now she's trying to pull guard. She looks to have Kaufman's ankle for a moment, but the Canadian escapes and they're back on their feet. Very nice straight kick to the body from Hashi. Double jab from Kaufman lands again. She's scoring points with that, but not really looking to follow it up with anything big. More jabs from Kaufman and Hashi is complaining about an eye poke. There's a momentary stoppage before a restart. More jabs from Kaufman and Hashi shoots with thirty seconds remaining in the fight. Kaufman shrugs it off easily. Right hand from Kaufman lands. Hashi shoots again unsuccessfully and the bell sounds, bringing this fight to an end. Sarah Kaufman is easily going to take this decision. She is the first ever Strikeforce female welterweight champion.

Final Result: Sarah Kaufman defeats Takayo Hashi via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) to capture the first ever Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Championship 

Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)

Round one: Both fighters feeling each other out for a moment to start. Now there's a HUGE exchange. Prangley appears to have got the worst of it with Psycho landing a couple hard punches. They separate and now they're right back at it with both fighters swinging away. Again Amoussou looks to have got the better end of the exchange. He hits hard! Prangley with a nice takedown now. He gets half guard right away and he's looking to pass. A couple nice body strikes for Prangley as he gets warned by the referee to get busy. Amoussou looks to be stalling for a stand-up and now he gets it. Hard right hand lands for Psycho. Prangley tries to clinch, but Amoussou circles away. Nice leg kick lands for Amoussou. Prangley charges and eats another hard right hand from Amoussou. Prangley now with a wicked right hand right on the chin. Another wild combo from Amoussou. Another exchange and Amoussou appears to have been poked in the eye. There's a stop in the action as the referee takes a look. Amoussou's eye looks like it's closed shut pretty good and there seems to be some discussion about stopping the fight. And that's exactly what they do. Amoussou can't see out of his eye and this fight is over. What a shame, this was shaping up to be a decent slugfest. I'm sure we'll be seeing a rematch somewhere down the line as this one ends as a no contest.   

Final result: Trevor Prangley and Karl Amoussou fight to a technical draw after an accidental eye poke at 4:14 of round one

-end-

Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)

Round one: Rockhold just misses with a high kick, right hand combo. Bradley clinches and punches out. Lunging right hand misses for Bradley. Nice body kick from Rockhold. He's bringing some heat with his kicks tonight. Nice body punch for Bradley. Now a leg kick. Rockhold with another high kick attempt that gets blocked. Right hand lands right behind the ear for Rockhold. Bradley ends up on his back and Rockhold pounces! Bradley does a nice job recovering and now he's back to his feet. Very nice recovery for the All-American wrestler. Bradley throws an overhand right and Rockhold unloads with another huge right hand that sends Bradley flying to the mat for a second time. He jumps on the downed fighter again looking to finish him off but Bradley gets back to his feet. He looks rocked though and Rockhold continues to pour it on. He lands a big high kick followed by three knees to the body and that's it. The referee steps in and this fight is over. Another very very impressive win for Luke Rockhold. This kid is for real! 

Final result: Luke Rockhold defeats Paul Bradley via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:24 of round one 

-end-

James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)

Round one: Leg kick lands for Terry. Now a high kick gets blocked. Tarec comes in with a nice combo. Both guys looking very quick. Right hand misses from Terry. Nice left hand, leg kick combo from Tarec. Terry charges froward with a punch, but Tarec easily circles away. Nice kick and right hand from Terry lands now. Hard left hand from Tarec. Leg kick from Terry. Hard one-two combo lands for Tarec. Terry shoots, but gets drilled with a knee. Nice combos from Tarec are landing. He seems to be winning the majority of the stand up exchanges. High kick just misses for Tarec. Terry tries to respond with a kick of his own but misses as well. High kick lands now for Tarec, but surprisingly Terry is still on his feet and Tarec can't capitalize. Hard overhand left lands for Tarec. Another as he slips a Terry counter punch. Terry shoots and get's a very nice takedown. He's into Tarec's full guard, but Tarec does a fantastic job getting back to his feet. Terry charges and just misses with an uppercut. A hard right hand lands for Tarec now. Left hand, leg kick combo lands for Tarec as the round comes to and end. Entertaining round. Tarec should be ahead 10-9.

 

Round two: Terry charges forward right away and eats a combo. Tarec follows it up with another hard right hand. Body kick from Terry. Another. Leg kick now from Terry. Tarec is doing a nice job working combinations with his punches and kicks. His left jab has been effective as well. Terry is bleeding from his mouth now. Tarec with another very nice combination of punches. Big overhand right from Tarec. Terry is throwing counters, but he's not landing much. Tarec is dominating the stand-up. Leg kick lands for Terry, but he eats a hard right hand for it. More combos from Tarec. Terry misses on a high kick and connects on a body kick. Hard right hand lands for Tarec. Terry shoots, but Tarec easily pushes him off. Hard leg kick lands for Tarec. That was loud! Left hand lands for Terry. Tarec misses on a wild overhand right. Terry tries to score a takedown off the miss, but he's unsuccessful. Jabs lands for Terry now. Tarec answers with another nasty leg kick. Terry responds with a body kick and Tarec fires right back with a right hand. The round comes to an end there and Tarec should be up two rounds to one at this point.

Round three: Tarec takes the center and comes out aggressive with punches and kicks even though he's likely ahead on the cards. He clearly wants the finish as he continues to attack James Terry. Takedown attempt from Terry almost works, but Tarec is able to defend it. Jab from Tarec. Terry is bleeding bad from under his eye now. He initiates a clinch and punches out with a hard right hand. Tarec with a knee now and he leans forward with a couple more jabs that miss their mark. Thai clinch from Tarec and he unloads two hard knees. Hard leg kick lands for Tarec as he lets out a big scream. More jabs land for Tarec. Terry on the offense now with an uppercut and a few jabs. Both guys landing punches now and the left side of Terry's face is a bloody mess. Tarec lands a hard right hand right on the cut. Terry misses on a high kick but connects on a hard leg kick. Tarec lands on the cut again with a minute left in the fight. Nice one-two combo lands for Tarec. Terry tries to counter with some wild punches, but Tarec is too technical and won't allow himself to make any huge mistakes. Tarec catches a high kick now and slams Terry to the mat. He lands right in the full mount position and rains down the ground strikes until the bell brings and end to the fight. Tarec should take this one 30-27 although Terry showed a lot of heart.  

Final result: Tarec Saffiedine defeats James Terry via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

-end-

Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

Round one:  Gloves touch and we're underway. Medeiros takes the center and Castillo starts to circle around him. Medeiros jabs and connects. More circling and Medeiros lands another jab. Right hand, left hand combo now from Medeiros. Castillo lands a nice leg kick. Medieros swings wildly with a right hand, but Castillo ducks and shoots for the takedown. He gets it but Medeiros is right back to his feet. Castillo keeps the clinch though and he's working hard to get the fight back to the mat. Medeiros finally pushes out and goes on the offensive with punches. Castillo tries to counter with a takedown, but Medeiros shrugs off the attempt. Castillo now swinging like a madman but not connecting. Medeiros with another combo. Another combo misses and Castillo initiates another clinch. He's got a single leg attempt, but Medeiros is defending it nicely. He's got both legs now, but Medeiros pushes out after a trip attempt from Castillo. Medeiros back on the attack now with more punches. He lands a big right hand and Castillo is backpedaling. Knee now for Medeiros. Big punches landing for Medeiros and Castillo is in trouble. He shoots for a takedown as the bell sounds. Clear round for Medeiros.

Round two: Medeiros moving forward right away. He shows a jab and Castillo circles out. Castillo pays for a lazy takedown attempt with a nice knee from Medeiros. More punches and combos from Medeiros. Superman punch lands for Medeiros. Castillo continues to backpedal and circle away. He's not showing much offense. He tries a high kick that misses. Hard jab from Medeiros finds its mark. More punches and a nice front kick from Medeiros. Spinning backfist just misses. Medeiros is doing a nice job of taking his time and picking Castillo apart. Castillo just isn't doing much. Nice left hook lands for Medeiros. Another lunging left hook. Now a right lands on the chin. Body kick. Right hand. Medeiros is picking Castillo apart. Surprising jab from Castillo finds a home. Medeiros answers with more punches to the head and body. Medeiros swings hard and misses with a left hook. Castillo tries to capitalize with a takedown, but Medeiros does a great job staying on his feet and getting separation. Medeiros continues to stalk Castillo. Another takedown attempt goes nowhere for Castillo. The bell rings and that's another clear cut round for Medeiros.

Round three: Medeiros takes the center again and both fighters assume the same roles as the previous two rounds with Castillo circling away and Medeiros stalking him down. More jabs from Medeiros and he's landing with a nice flurry now. Castillo tries for another takedown, but again it gets stuffed. Medeiros is showing some very nice takedown defense in this fight. Castillo is working hard for it though as he is still latched onto Medeiros' leg. Finally the referee calls for a separation. Left hook lands for Medeiros. Nice three punch combo lands for Medeiros. Now a big knee lands for Medeiros. Castillo looks to be in trouble but now he's firing back and lands a knee of his own. Now Medeiros looks rocked. Wait, it was a low blow. Medeiros got hit below the belt with the knee and there's a momentary stop in the action. The ref strangely doesn't allow Medeiros is time to recover and forces the restart rather quickly. After a few seconds he looks to have recovered and now he's got Castillo in trouble again with a hard uppercut and right hand. Castillo goes down and pops right back up. Now he lands a right hand, but can't follow it up with anything else. He tries a high kick that gets blocked. He follows it up with another weak takedown attempt that again gets him nowhere. Straight kick from Medeiros. Big flurry from both fighters now with ten seconds remaining. Both fighters swinging for the fences as the fight comes to an end. Medeiros should win this fight 30-27. 

Final result: Yancy Medeiros defeats Raul Castillo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

-end-

UFC 111 video preview for 'St. Pierre vs Hardy' on March 27 (Extended)

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:40 PM PST

Strikeforce returns to CBS for 'Saturday Night Fights' on April 17 in Nashville

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 04:22 PM PST

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Strikeforce has finally locked in a date for their next CBS "Saturday Night Fights" event as Scott Coker and Co. travel to Nashville, Tennessee for a televised brouhaha from the Sommet Center on April 17.

Just don't plan on seeing Fedor Emelianenko strutting his stuff on free TV.

"The Last Emperor" is currently negotiating for a spot on the next Showtime offering when Strikeforce pits him against jiu-jitsu wizard Fabricio Werdum at some point in May. The good news is there's still the Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields middleweight title fight to fall back on.

Also expected for the promotion's first-ever trip to "Music City" is a light heavyweight grudge match between breakout stars Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal.

Strikeforce is expected to release the official CBS fight card on Monday, March 1.

While nothing is official at this time, Sherdog.com reports that Herschel Walker is penciled in to make his sophomore appearance inside the cage against an opponent to be named.

That's called the ratings game.

"Saturday Night Fights" did reasonably well when it debuted with "Fedor vs. Rogers" last November, averaging 4.04m viewers and winning its time period among adults 18-34 and men 18-34. The main event saw a peak of 5.46 million viewers, placing it in the top ten of most watched live fights in U.S. history.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com in the coming days for further developments surrounding the Strikeforce/CBS trip to Nashville.

UFC 115: Ben Rothwell vs Gilbert Yvel likely for June 12 in Vancouver

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 03:56 PM PST

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Now that Pat Barry has taken a step up in competition to face Mirko Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel will get the Croat's original opponent when Ben Rothwell joins "The Hurricane" at UFC 115 on June 12 in Vancouver according to MMAWeekly.

"Big" Ben was supposed to face "Cro Cop" at UFC 110 earlier this month before calling in sick. And you can bet he must have really been ill considering how anxious he is to erase the memories of his last fight.

The former International Fight League (IFL) standout contested the timing of his TKO stoppage loss against Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" back on Oct. 24.

The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown that consisted of Velasquez taking him down, controlling him on the ground and punching him in the face en route to a second round loss. Rothwell contends that he was finally back to his feet and ready to turn things around until referee Steve Mazzagatti robbed him of his chance to pull off what would have been nothing short of a miraculous comeback.

Like Rothwell, Yvel would like to leave MMA fans with a different memory after being stopped with a crushing left hook courtesy of Junior dos Santos at UFC 108 in his UFC debut earlier this year. Before succumbing to the explosive hands of Dos Santos, Yvel had won eight of his prior nine bouts, with his last win coming against Pedro Rizzo last summer.

He could conceivably get right back into the thick of things if he's able to finish Rothwell -- or he may be updating his resume if "Big" Ben prevails.

UFC 115 is expected to feature the third (and hopefully final ) dance between former light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, fresh off their coaching gigs at The Ultimate Fighter 11.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

Got Hype? Pat Barry in talks to face Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 115 on June 12

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 03:25 PM PST

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Just because he couldn't make the flight to Australia to face Mirko Filipovic back on Feb. 21 doesn't mean that rising heavyweight prospect Pat Barry still won't get the chance to test his skills against the Croatian striker later this year.

MMAScrapsRadio is reporting that "Get Hype" will return to the Octagon to face "Cro Cop" at UFC 115 when the promotion makes its debut in Vancouver. Bout agreements have not been signed; however, both fighters are reportedly in agreement for the heavyweight clash.

The stocky New Orleans native -- who was originally penciled in to face Gilbert Yvel on June 12 -- made some noise in his Zuffa debut when he creamed Dan Evenson into a TKO stoppage via punishing leg kicks. It was his fourth straight (T)KO stoppage in as many attempts.

Barry suffered the first loss of his professional career when he walked into a Tim Hague guillotine in the first round of their bout at UFC 98 last May. That loss was quickly forgotten when he finished former friend and training partner Antoni Hardonk at UFC 104 back in October.

Filipovic on the other hand has been up and down, well, mostly down since getting decapitated by Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 in just his second fight for the promotion. After some overseas shenanigans, he returned at UFC 99 last June and used Mustapha Al Turk as a human punching.

Many predicted the "Old Cro Cop" was back -- but Junior dos Santos wasn't boarding the war wagon. "Cigano" outstruck the former PRIDE star until the Croat called it quits in the third round of their heavyweight tilt at UFC 103.

He returned once again at UFC 110, beating up Anthony Perosh en route to a TKO stoppage when "The Hippo" took over due to the viral adventures of "Big" Ben Rothwell.

Can he make it two in a row for the first time in his UFC career? Or will he fall victim to yet another heavyweight prospect? Time will tell.

UFC 115 is expected to feature the third (and hopefully final ) dance between former light heavyweight champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, fresh off their coaching gigs at The Ultimate Fighter 11.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for future updates on this still-developing fight card.

Ladies First: MMAmania.com Strikeforce Challengers interview exclusive with Sarah Kaufman

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 12:11 PM PST

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Strikeforce will crown Women's Champion number two on February 26 at the Challengers 6 event set to take place at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, California.

The undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman (10-0) will take on one of Japan's finest fighters in Takayo Hashi (12-1) with the vacant 135-pound title up for grabs.

145-pound fighters Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gina "Conviction" Carano may have grabbed virtually all the headlines over the past few months when it comes to women's MMA, but now it is time for the 135-pounders to shine and for new stars to emerge.

The 24-year-old Kaufman took some time out of her busy training schedule to discuss her MMA background, using Greg Jackson as a consultant, how to approach Hashi, and her thoughts on Brock Lesnar's recent rant on the Canadian healthcare system.

Check it out:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): I want to introduce you to our readers. Can you give me a quick background on how you got into MMA originally and how long you've been training?

Sarah Kaufman: I started when I was 17. My coach Adam Zugec opened up his school Zuma Martial Arts right underneath my dance studio. I did ballet, tap, and jazz. It was kind of the full mix of everything. I started going to the gym for something fun to do but I have a very, very competitive side. For me, trying to excel in something that I was actually terrible at when I started was a big challenge for me. I really kind of took that on and then it led to me getting into the fighting.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you still train at Zuma today on a regular basis? Are they training you for your upcoming fight?

Sarah Kaufman: Yes, I'm still training at Zuma in Victoria, British Columbia. Adam has been my one and only coach in terms of my martial arts. He is the main coach for pretty much all of my MMA training. And then I have Tyler Goodale who does all my weights and conditioning. Greg Jackson hangs out with us as well, which is cool.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Does Greg help you out with your game planning and that aspect of fighting?

Sarah Kaufman: Adam pretty much does my game planning and then we just kind of talk with Greg to see if he has anything to add on top of that. We go back and forth with him.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Not too many people out there are familiar with your opponent Takayo Hashi. How would you describe her fighting style and her overall skill set?

Sarah Kaufman: I would say that I don't know a ton about her. She's pretty hard to find a ton of information on. She's ranked #2 and I'm ranked #1. On paper it looks like it will be a great fight. She is primarily from a grappling camp. I would expect her to probably come in and take me down and either go for a submission or hold me on the ground.  

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you have an official prediction for the fight?

Sarah Kaufman: I would like to finish this fight. My first eight were either KO or TKO and then my last two have been great fights, but decisions, so I would like to make it nine KO's or TKO's.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What would a Strikeforce belt mean to you?

Sarah Kaufman: I just think it is such a huge opportunity. For myself, it is a goal to win a title on a big stage. From a fighting sense that is what I want to do, put on the best fights that I can. I'm honored that I get the first chance to fight for the 135-pound title. I really think Strikeforce is doing an awesome job putting on these big women's fights, which will bring in even more females and make the divisions get bigger and bigger.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): You already have Hardcore Championship Fighting belt you earned after your sixth fight in Canada. Where do you keep it?

Sarah Kaufman: That is on a shelf right when you walk into our gym.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The winner of the 135-pound tournament will likely face the winner of your fight. Who do you think will be left standing once the tournament has concluded?

Sarah Kaufman: I really have no idea who is even going to be in the tournament. If they released all the names I'd have a better prediction. At this point I have no idea who they are going to throw in there.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): The first Strikeforce female champ is Cris "Cyborg" Santos. She's been rolling through everyone. There aren't too many contenders left at 145 pounds for her. Would you be willing to move up and fight her in the future if need be?

Sarah Kaufman: That is something that I would consider. I would consider it for kind of like a "superfight" kind of thing, but my main goal is to fight at 135 pounds and get that title. Then we can talk with Strikeforce and see if that is something that they want.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): What fighters out there, male or female, do you enjoy watching as a fan of the sport?

Sarah Kaufman: I enjoy a lot of different fighters ... BJ Penn. He is probably my favorite fighter - for so many reasons. I really like watching him. He is an awesome ground guy. He has great standup. He seems pretty cool. I really like watching everyone for different things. We actually have a couple of up-and-coming guys from our gym here that I just love watching in Diego Wilson and Tarek Gabali. They both have three fights and finished all three in the first round. Diego is more of a ground guy and Tarek has knocked everyone out.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Before I go I want to ask you about Brock Lesnar's recent thoughts on the health care system in Canada. He said, "It was like I was in a third world country." Would you care to comment on his statement?

Sarah Kaufman: I'm pretty lucky. Anytime I've needed something I've gotten it, so I can't really say it is a third world country. I think it works well for us. Sometimes there are delays but I'm lucky and don't get sick or injured too often. I haven't had too much experience with that.

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): Any message you would like to pass along to your fans out there or any sponsors you would like to thank?

Sarah Kaufman: At this point I'd like to thank TCB and Performance MMA. TCB means "taking care of business." They've both been very good to me signing on for this fight and hopefully for the future. I really hope fans watch this fight. It will be an exciting fight and I really want to pull myself away and really showcase what I'm capable of. Look out for this fight. I'm going to be fighting hard.

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

Georges St. Pierre will 'Protect This House' for Under Armour (Video)

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 11:58 AM PST

Take that Reebok birthday suit!

Andre Winner vs Rafaello Oliveira booked for UFC Fight Night 21 with Cole Miller hurt (Updated)

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 11:58 AM PST

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After an undisclosed injury forced Cole Miller out of his lightweight scrap against fellow Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Andre Winner, Rafaello Oliveira has agreed to step in and take his place at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 21 event from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 31.

MMAWeekly reported the change earlier today.

After falling to Ross Pearson on points at the finale of the Spike TV reality show last June, Winner came roaring back to knock out Roli Delgado at UFC 105 last November. The Brit is now 1-1 in his Octagon career.

So too, is "The Tractor," who rebounded from his debut loss at the hands of Nik Lentz at UFC 103 to take home the unanimous decision win against John Gunderson at UFC 108 earlier this year.

Both are hungry up-and-comers and it should prove to be an entertaining battle.

UFC Fight Night 21 will feature a main event with perennial lightweight contender Kenny "KenFlo" Florian welcoming Japanese superstar "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi to the UFC for the first time in his career.

In addition, Ultimate Fighter 10 Champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson tries to keep his momentum going against the up-and-coming Stefan "Hightower" Struve.

For more on UFC Fight Night 21 click here.

MMA Quick Quote: Paulo Filho no-showed Bitetti Combat 6 because it didn't pay what he deserved

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 10:01 AM PST

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"We didn’t have a financial agreement. The purse was too low comparing from what I’m used to receiving and it’s bad for the fighter’s career. [The media] said I’m having problems with drugs and medicines … You can test me and you’ll see … I’m great. I’m not worried with fighting in Brazil anymore. I like the event, Amaury is my friend, but this event doesn’t pay what I deserve ... If someone pays what I deserve, It’ll be my pleasure to beat him up"

Former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho tells Tatame.com that he wasn't getting paid enough to fight at Bitetti Combat 6 on Feb. 25 in Brazil, insisting his financial agreement wasn't worked out with the promoters beforehand, prompting him to no-show the event. The talented-but-troubled Filho has been all over the map, both figuratively and literally since his bizarre loss to Chael Sonnen at WEC 36 in November 2008 and hasn't faced a competitor even remotely close to his level of skill in over two years. Can he eventually reclaim his position as one of the world's top ranked middleweights?

Jon Jones: 'I don't feel inferior to anyone when it comes to MMA' (Video)

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 09:37 AM PST

Chuck Liddell naked workout video proves to be Reebok's latest viral marketing campaign

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 09:09 AM PST

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Although it's not too hard to fathom the idea of "The Iceman" and his girlfriend choosing to get buff in the... well, buff, the video that popped up yesterday featuring Chuck Liddell and his main squeeze Heidi Northcott exercising in the nude was indeed staged.

TMZ.com confirmed the video was shot as part of a viral marketing campaign for Reebok's new ZigTech sneakers.

And it looks like it worked. The video has spread like wildfire and even got a mention in Jimmy Kimmel's monologue last night. Aside from the hilarity that is Liddell working out nekkid, and for that matter the pure sweetness of Heidi Northcott joining him, we should take note of what a major coup this is for the sport of MMA.

The fact that such a well known and respected brand such as Reebok was willing to look to MMA to help push their latest Web 2.0 marketing endeavor should be viewed as another positive step toward the inevitable acceptance of our sport by the "big brands."

With the intense competition that is the sports apparel industry and the type of copycat strategy it demands, don't be surprised if we see GSP (who already has a deal with Under Armour) running bleachers sans clothing in a UA ad later this year.

Check out Chuck's video after the jump, as well as another must see ZigTech promotional video that features the former UFC light heavyweight champ and Chad Ochocinco kicking it with Pauly D and "The Situation" on a boat. GTL, kid!

 

DREAM 13 poster for March 22 Yokohama event

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 08:40 AM PST

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DREAM 13 card updates and fight news here.

Strikeforce roster fighting in April -- on episode of NCIS: Los Angeles

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 07:37 AM PST

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Strikeforce stars are heading to the small screen once again -- though it won't be for a Showtime or CBS "Saturday Night Fights" event. Sherdog.com reports that NCIS: Los Angeles will feature a mixed martial arts-themed episode that is expected to air this April.

Appearing will be a who's-who of current and former champions including newly signed middleweight Dan Henderson, lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, former 155-pound kingpin Josh Thomson, ex-middleweight champions Cung Le and Frank Shamrock and former Elite XC titleholder KJ Noons.

Even "Big" John McCarthy is getting in on the action. From CBS.com:

NCIS: Los Angeles is a drama about the high stakes world of the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals that pose a threat to the nation's security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets.

Starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, NCIS: Los Angeles airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Bellator Fighting Championships announces welterweight tournament match-ups

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 07:35 AM PST

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CHICAGO, Ill. (February 26, 2010) - With its Season 2 kickoff now less than six weeks away, Bellator Fighting Championships today revealed the Round 1 matchups for its much-anticipated, nationally-televised welterweight tournament.

The four first-round fights will take place as part of Bellator XIV on April 15th and Bellator XV on April 22nd. Bellator XIV will be broadcast live from the historic Chicago Theatre.

The welterweight (170 lbs.) matchups are as follows:

April 15th
Ben Askren (3-0) vs. Ryan Thomas (10-3)

April 22nd
Dan Hornbuckle (19-2) vs. Sean Pierson (9-4)
Jacob McClintock (6-0) vs. "Judo" Jim Wallhead (18-5)
Steve Carl (12-1) vs. Brett Cooper (12-5)

Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155 and 185 lbs. during Season 2 with the winners in each division being declared No. 1 contenders to the current roster of Bellator champions. Fighter pairings for the 145 lbs. tournament were announced last week. Matchups for the remaining two tournaments will be announced in March.

Each of the fights will be broadcast live in prime time on FOX Sports Net. Highlights will be shown the following Saturday night in special action-packed shows on NBC and Telemundo.

"I can't wait for our welterweight tournament to start," said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "It's turned out exactly as I had hoped it would: world-class talent and well-known names coupled with some tremendous prospects in a tournament that anyone could win. This is what a tournament should be about."

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

UFC 111: Matt Riddle vs Greg Soto booked for March 27 with Ricardo Funch hurt

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 06:50 AM PST

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The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 alum Matt Riddle (3-1) has been rebooked for the preliminary card of the upcoming UFC 111 event opposite Greg Soto (7-0) for the promtion's return trip to The Prudential Center on March 27 in Newark, NJ.

Soto replaces Ricardo Funch, who was forced to withdraw from the event with a foot laceration according to MMAWeekly.

During the Spike TV reality show, Riddle immediately made a name for himself by turning Dan Simmler inside-out via crushing knockout. It was a highlight reel finish that propelled him into the next round; however, his inexperience was exposed after getting submitted by eventual finalist, Tim Credeur.

Unfazed, Riddle found success inside the Octagon early and often, winning three out of his first four UFC fights since his professional debut at TUF 7 Finale, a unanimous decision win over rival house member Dante Rivera.

He followed that up with judge's nods over Steve Bruno (Fight Night 17) and Dan Cramer (UFC 101) before Nick Osipzcak put a violent end to his hot streak via technical knockout at UFC 105 last November.

Like his run in the TUF house, he now has a chance to rebound on March 27 and get back to his winning ways.

Standing in his way is Soto, who makes his UFC debut after remaining perfect through seven fights in his mixed martial arts career.

The New Jersey native and student of Kurt Pellegrino cut his teeth on the independent circuit in promotions like Ring of Combat and World Cagefighting Alliance. He has a well rounded arsenal with two (T)KO and three submission victories to his name.

He was last seen choking out Ray Steinbeiss at "Beatdown at 4 Bears 5" last October.

UFC 111 will feature a 170-pound title defense by promotion superstar Georges St. Pierre as "Rush" answers the call of British striker Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. Heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin are also set to collide in an interim title match while Brock Lesnar recovers from recent surgery.

To check out the latest UFC 111 fight card and rumors click here.
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