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Akihiro Ghono will send English fans home in tears after he beats Dan Hardy at UFC 89 Posted: 27 Aug 2008 08:45 AM CDT Props: Nottingham.co.uk Quoteworthy: “I am sorry for Dan Hardy’s fans, because I think the English are cool people, but I will be sending them home in tears after I beat him. This is the first UFC which has been shown in Japan for a while and I don’t want to let the Japanese fans down, like Hardy doesn’t want to let his English fans down. But beating Hardy in England will be great and I am working very hard in the gym to make that happen. To be honest I’ve never see him fight. I don’t know too much about him. I read somewhere he likes to stand and fight, has a hard left hook and is preparing for this fight in the USA. I am more experienced than he is, but he is eight years younger. I tried to get footage of his fights and it was difficult, but I know there are some on YouTube which I will be watching. I understand from reading about him he is an exciting fighter, and so I am, so this will be a great fight. My goal is to become the UFC welterweight champion of the world. I won my first UFC fight last November –- now I have to beat Hardy.” Akihiro Ghono is ready to spoil the Octagon debut of Dan Hardy — a top British welterweight prospect — in front of his hometown fans at UFC 89: “Bisping vs. Leben” at The National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England, on October 18. Unfortunately for us fans stuck watching the event of Spike TV and other networks, the bout is slated for the under card, which means that it is not guaranteed to air on the tape-delayed telecast. That’s too bad … this should be a very exciting match up between two talented fighters who could make some big waves real soon in the crowded 170-pound division.

Iceman Rx: Chuck Liddell vs. Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 (If all goes to plan) Posted: 26 Aug 2008 11:55 PM CDT It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world — especially for fans of mixed martial arts. Who could have ever predicted the career of Chuck Liddell would be sandwiched between two contestants from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF)? Yet that’s exactly what’s happened to the former light heavyweight champion, who’s had an interesting 2008. Liddell was originally scheduled to face PRIDE assassin Mauricio Rua at UFC 85 until “Shogun” re-injured his ailing knee and was forced to withdraw. TUF Season 2 winner and undefeated light heavyweight Rashad Evans answered the call to replace Rua, but this time it was Liddell who canceled after a devastating hamstring injury. Now fully healed, Chuck is set to honor his commitment by battling Rashad Evans at UFC 88 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, September 6. At that time of the announcement (June), it was sort of anti-climatic. After all, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was still the 205-pound champion. Defeating Evans meant a possible autumn superfight against Shogun Rua and not the title shot for which he was hoping. But boy have things changed since then. Jackson was narrowly defeated by TUF Season 1 winner Forrest Griffin at UFC 86 and spent some time after the fight ranting and raving on the highway like Dr. Miles Bennell. And Shogun somehow ended up bypassing Liddell altogether and could go straight to a Jackson rematch (from their PRIDE days) in November/December. That’s assuming he can make it that long without his knee folding up like George Jetson’s car. So where does that leave the Iceman? In line for a title shot against Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, according to his nutrition company Iceman Rx. Unless of course “Sugar” Rashad Evans has anything to say about it. Liddell will likely fight at UFC 92, but whether or not its for the gold all depends on his performance at UFC 88. At 11-0-1, Evans is no pushover and does happen to train with Keith Jardine — one of the few men to have a victory over the Icy one. To hype December’s fight, Iceman Rx is holding a sweepstakes starting on September 1 and ending on December 27 (to coincide with Liddell’s appearance at UFC 92). The winner receives a special edition Chuck Liddell Iceman Rx Hummer H2. See for yourself: There was a time when Chuck Liddell dismissed Griffin as a viable opponent. But that opinion has changed after the maturation of Griffin as both a fighter and a UFC ambassador. From the Man of Ice in his chat with UK’s The Sun: “So after [Evans] I want the title shot, yeah. I was asked about fighting Forrest when he won the Ultimate Fighter three years ago, and I said he's not ready and I'd beat him up. But he's ready now and it would be a great fight." Chuck has to beat Rashad Evans to get to Forrest Griffin. I almost can’t believe the words even as I type them. But that’s an indication of how far the sport has come and also how successful the TUF product has become. Successful enough to drive out established stars like Chuck Liddell? We’ll find out at UFC 88 in little more than one week … or possibly beyond on New Year’s Eve weekend.

UFC Quick Quote: Lyoto Machida predicts fast finish in Thiago Silva UFC 89 fight Posted: 26 Aug 2008 10:32 PM CDT “I believe this fight won't go to decision…. Thiago likes to fight aggressively, me too, he has good MMA techniques, so I believe this fight might finish before the third round. I'm training a lot, actually I hadn't stop training since my last fight. Now I'm doing a specifically training focused on Thiago, preparing my strategies and working on the physical preparation.… I'm very focused." – Lyoto Machida tells Tatame.com that he expects his light heavyweight showdown against Thiago Silva at UFC 89: “Bisping vs Leben” at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England, on October 18, to not go the distance. It’s a sensational 205-pound match up between two undefeated fighters with identical records. Whether it goes the full distance or not one thing is certain: someone will go home with a 13-1 record and the winner will likely be on the door step of a title shot in early to mid 2009. Perhaps even sooner, depending on what happens with Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 next weekend.

UFC 88 weigh-in details and information for ‘Breakthrough’ at Philips Arena Posted: 26 Aug 2008 08:17 PM CDT The official weigh-in event for UFC 88: "Breakthrough" is set to air LIVE online via streaming video from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, September 5 at 4 p.m. ET. Of course, MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of the UFC 88 weigh-in, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude for those who miss it on UFC.com. Here's the complete line up: Main event: Chuck Liddell (21-5) vs. Rashad Evans (11-0-1) Main card (televised): 205 lbs.: Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Matt Hamill (4-1) 170 lbs.: Karo Parisyan (18-5) vs. Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida (10-2) 185 lbs.: Dan Henderson (22-7) vs. Rousimar Palhares (8-1) 185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt (26-8-2) vs. Martin Kampmann (16-2) Under card (may not be broadcast): 155 lbs.: Thiago Tavares (13-2) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) 205 lbs.: Tim Boetsch (7-2) vs. Mike Patt (11-2) 170 lbs.: Matt Brown (7-6) vs. Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim (10-0-1) 170 lbs.: Roan Carneiro (12-7) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-8) 185 lbs.: Jason Lambert (23-8) vs. Jason MacDonald (20-10) For those in town for the UFC debut in "Hotlanta" remember that the weigh-ins are FREE to attend and open to the public. And for those who want to make the most out of the experience get there a little early for Harley-Davidson Fan/Fighter Photo Session at 10 a.m. local time. In addition, several fighters will be in attendance to sign autographs and pose for photos at a session that begins at 1 p.m. Of course, UFC Fight Club members will also be able to attend an exclusive Q&A session with a soon-to-be-named star at around that same time (1 p.m.). In addition to coverage of the weigh-in, remember that MMAmania.com will also provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Philips Arena on Saturday, September 6. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 8:30 p.m. ET. It's going to be a fun night of fights … check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight coverage you can handle.

Malaipet vs David Douglas Elite XC fight scheduled September 26 Posted: 26 Aug 2008 07:16 PM CDT A 160-pound fight has been signed between Malaipet “The Diamond” Sasiprapa (3-2) and David Douglas (3-1) for the upcoming Sho XC 8 event at the Chumash Hotel & Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif., on September 26, according to FiveOuncesOfPain.com. Douglas’ lone loss was the first fight of his career to world-ranked Jeff Curran in 2005. He took a two year break from competition after the loss and has reeled off three straight impressive wins ever since. He was a part of the swing bout for the July 26 second installment of “Saturday Night Fights on CBS” against Marlon Mathias. Despite handling Mathias in 12 seconds with a technical knockout from strikes, the bout did not make the telecast. He competed three weeks later at the Sho XC 7 on August 15 against William Jacobson. Again Douglas scored an early technical knockout victory, which apparently impressed the powers that be at Elite XC enough to earn himself some airtime on the September 26 Sho XC Showtime event. Malaipet has gone (1-1) under the Elite XC banner. The loss was to Thomas Denny at Sho XC 5 back in March. He was disqualified after illegally elbowing Denny numerous times to the back of the head. He was rumored to be a part of the July 26 “Unfinished Business” card, but was forced off with a minor injury. The bout against Douglas will be his first fight since the loss to Denny. Jon Murphy is also scheduled to face Shane Del Rosario in a heavyweight tilt on the same evening, and Bao Quach will challenge Wilson Reis for the company’s first ever featherweight title in the main event of Sho XC 8.

Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral vs Anthony Ruiz Strikeforce at Playboy Mansion Posted: 26 Aug 2008 01:12 PM CDT MMAmania.com today confirmed with the sponsorship team that represents Anthony Ruiz (21-11) — KO Dynasty — that the light heavyweight will replace injured 205-pound champion Bobby Southworth, taking on Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7) at “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on September 20. The champ’s injury is not known at this time, but we do know he is out and “El Toro” is in. Ruiz was the last guy to challenge Southworth for his 205-pound gold. He lost a unanimous decision in June at Strikeforce: “Melendez vs. Thomson” after repeatedly getting taken down by the champ. However, Ruiz does hold a previous technical knockout win over Southworth because of a cut in a non-title fight at a Strikeforce event last year. If you remember, Ruiz spoke about Babalu in an interview right here with MMAmania.com a few short months ago and had this to say: “The last time I did an interview with you guys, they were talking like they had Babalu and Vitor Belfort. I feel like I match up well with those guys. Babalu isn't as mentally tough as I am. Like I said, my cardio and conditioning are always a step up, so that's what I rely on to win. Some of these other guys like Babalu are good on the ground, Vitor Belfort are good standing up, so they rely on those things to win. I rely on conditioning. So now I can take a punch and eventually wear my opponent out. They get mentally drained and physically drained because they keep hitting me, but nothing is happening. So I think I have an advantage there. Both of those fights are ones I would love to take.” It was an interesting take on Babalu’s mental toughness. He’ll get his chance to back those statements up thanks to an injured Southworth — let’s see how he actually does match up against the tough Brazilian. Babalu has long been considered one of the better light heavyweights in the world. He was never able to take the UFC gold from Chuck Liddell, but there weren’t many who could; therefore, it’s hard to hold that against him. He did have that disappointing knockout loss to Jason Lambert at UFC 68. And Babalu was then booted from the organization for refusing to release a choke hold on a passed out David Heath at UFC 74 last August. Apparently Sobral has put all that behind him and is now looking to go after the Strikeforce world title. He’s won his last two fights since the David Heath incident, including a unanimous decision over Mike Whitehead at last month’s inaugural Affliction event. Babalu is a sick jiu-jitsu player, meaning Ruiz will have to keep his submission defense alert at all times to stay competitive in this one. On paper, Babalu should win relatively easy, but Ruiz is relentless and has a heart of gold. He’ll give the Brazilian all he can handle and look to use this huge opportunity against a big name opponent to garner some recognition for himself. Southworth vs. Babalu was believed to be the main event for this card, but that was unclear and it’s even less clear now. We’ll keep you posted on any news regarding “Strikeforce at the Mansion II.”

Karo Parisyan ‘trying to deal with’ panic attacks Posted: 26 Aug 2008 09:25 AM CDT Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy: “Basically, eight months ago, I was diagnosed with panic attacks. It's something I have been trying to deal with. I am trying to keep my head clear…. When I first got there (to Colorado), I couldn't eat or sleep. I just didn't want to be there. I struggled during camp (with panic attacks) and my conditioning wasn't there. That Karo that used to come out tenacious was not there…. I am not going to stress myself out. This fight [at UFC 88] is very, very important in so many aspects and in so many ways…. It's very simple. If I beat three bums, I get nowhere. If I beat Yoshida, I'm back in title contention. I've always said that if I come in shape, I can be the best at 170. Hopefully, if I can annihilate Yoshida, I can avenge some of my old losses to Thiago (Alves) and Diego Sanchez. Then I can annihilate those guys. I'm ready to show that I'm the best." Experienced mixed martial arts veteran and long-time Judo competitor, Karo Parisyan, reveals that he has recently been dealing with panic attacks. Being locked inside a cage with another man who wants to tear his head off — in front of a massive screaming crowd and television audience — is perhaps the worst place for someone with his condition to be. “The Heat” admits to feeling “girly” when the episodes emerge, but it seems like a step in the right direction to discuss and address them in the open — it must be extremely difficult for the the proud Armenian. Parisyan will take on the super tough Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 88: “Breakthrough” at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. Ga., on September 6. Let’s hope his mind is right because this is a very good fight, which will surely deliver the goods if both fighters are in top form.

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Criss Angel ‘Mindfreak’ and UFC President Dana White A&E episode reminder Posted: 26 Aug 2008 08:31 AM CDT Remember that the episode will debut at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 27 on the A&E network. For more details click here.

Matt Hamill receives UFC 88 ‘heros send-off’ from hometown Utica NY fans (Video) Posted: 26 Aug 2008 08:20 AM CDT Props: WKTV.com

Jens Pulver vs Leonard Garcia WEC fight video promo Posted: 26 Aug 2008 06:03 AM CDT It all goes down at WEC 36 on September 10 on Versus:

Jared Shaw: Nick Diaz back in November while KJ Noons to watch others become stars Posted: 25 Aug 2008 09:48 PM CDT Props: FightHype.com Quoteworthy: “Nick Diaz will be back in November on Showtime for an Elite show. His opponent will obviously be discussed and I really don’t know what’s next for KJ right now. Like I said, it’s getting close to him just pulling up a chair and watching Elite XC and a bunch of other fighters become stars. You sit there and whether you are questioning your own people or yourself about why you’re not becoming a star right now, especially when you’re the one wearing the gold around your waist…let’s be honest here, a belt means something. It means you’re a champion, and more importantly it’s a way for fans to identify the #1 fighter and if you’re not around, having a belt doesn’t mean anything because nobody can see it. He had the opportunity to be on a card that had Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano on. You’ve already seen what those two are capable of on May 31. Throw yourself and Nick Diaz in and you can only make it a bigger event. Elite XC Vice President Jared Shaw confirms that the lightweight championship rematch between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons is not happening on October 4 or anytime soon. As for Noons’ camps saying they didn’t believe Diaz was the number one contender and that Eddie Alvarez deserved the shot instead, Shaw stated that Alvarez was unavailable and that Diaz is in fact the number one contender. This is getting way out of hand. The champ said before the Yves Edwards fight that he couldn’t choose who his opponent was because as the champ you have to fight the best. He also said that it’s up to Elite XC to decide who the number one contender is. Well, according to Shaw, they’ve made their choice. Now it’s time for the champ to stop contradicting himself and get in there and fight the top guy … or not.

MMA Quick Quote: Takanori Gomi dissatisfied with Sengoku performance Posted: 25 Aug 2008 07:41 PM CDT My performance wasn’t good enough as the main event. I felt the pressure since the other lightweight fighters did a great job [in the grand prix]. It was the last fight in my twenties and I was very motivated to KO him. I didn’t have chance to KO him despite giving him pressure and I changed my game plan and focused on the win rather than the KO. In my next fight, I want to show that I can do better. – Lightweight sensation Takanori Gomi (29-3) discusses — via Yahoo! Japan — his less-than-dazzling performance at Sengoku 4 on August 24 against former DEEP champion Seung Hwan Bang (5-2). Gomi is expected to face the winner of the Sengoku lightweight grand prix later this year to determine the first-ever Sengoku lightweight champion.

Quinton Rampage Jackson charged; faces three-year prison sentence Posted: 25 Aug 2008 06:26 PM CDT Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has had his first day in Orange County, Calif., court for a bizarre incident in which he was involved after his unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” back in July. The Tennessee native — who was booked for several motor vehicle infractions, including reckless driving — faces two felony charges and four misdemeanors for the incident. If he’s found guilty on all charges the maximum sentence he can receive is three years in prison. The good news is that Jackson has been cleared of any criminal charges relating to the miscarriage one of the victims endured just days after everything went down. Here’s the skinny from TMZ.com: “… Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has been charged with six crimes in connection with the epic car chase in the O.C. The Orange County District Attorney has charged Rampage with one felony count of evading while driving recklessly, one felony count of evading a peace officer, three misdemeanor counts of hit and run, and one misdemeanor reckless driving…. If convicted he’ll face three years in prison…. He was NOT charged with DUI. And, a few days after the incident, a pregnant woman in the car he hit on the freeway lost her baby, but Rampage was not charged for that after an investigation revealed that the miscarriage was unrelated to the accident.” UFC President Dana White and the promotion have been behind Jackson ever since the charges were leveled. In fact, White beelined it to California on his private jet to bail out Jackson immediately following the arrest. His bizarre behavior, which included another brush with authorities just days after the arrest, has been attributed to a bout of “delirium” caused by a lack of sleep and an overabundance of energy drinks. Jackson also split from his long-time trainer, Juanito Ibarra, which may or may not have been a contributing factor behind the initial “rampage.” He emerged from relative obscurity on UFC 87: “Seek and Destroy” weekend earlier this month, claiming that he is indeed fine and is eager to return to competition. There’s no telling if his upcoming court dates will interfere with those plans. Jackson would like to return to the Octagon before the 2008 fight campaign expires. For more background on this issue feel free to get up to date by visiting our archive right here. (Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “kevin” for the assist.)

Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua vs Benji Radach Elite XC fight booked for CBS Posted: 25 Aug 2008 03:21 PM CDT A 185-pound bout between former Elite XC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua (16-8-1) and Benji “Razor” Radach (18-4) has been added to Elite XC’s October 4 event at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida on CBS. Radach is a three-fight UFC veteran and has a (5-1) record in IFL competition over the last couple of years. His last fight was a second round knockout loss to Matt Horwich at the IFL World Grand Prix Finals. “Razor” took almost a three-year hiatus from the sport after suffering a severely broken jaw at the hands of Chris Leben at a Sportfight event in June of 2004. A once promising career looked to possibly be over because of the freak injury, but Radach worked hard, recovered and now has his career in professional MMA back on track. The 29-year-old trains with one of the top camps around in American Top Team. He has a strong wrestling background, but has won 14 of his 18 wins by technical knockout, meaning he has a solid all around game. This won’t be an easy fight for Ninja. He’ll have to be on his toes on October 4 if he plans on avoiding the minor upset. He was rumored to be fighting Joey Villasenor in a rematch in Albuquerque on September 20, but that fight and event were both scrapped, leaving the CBS card in Sunrise as the most likely destination for the Brazilian. Rua was more than impressive in a first round technical knockout win over previously unbeaten Tony Bonello at Elite XC: “Return of the King.” He appears to be at the top of his game now a little less than a year removed for losing his title to Robbie Lawler. This should be a very competitive match up. Radach will look to prove himself on the big stage against a top guy. And Rua will look to take another step forward toward an eventual rematch with Lawler. Expect fireworks.

Patrick Barry vs Andre Walker Strikeforce fight set for October 3 Posted: 25 Aug 2008 03:08 PM CDT Undefeated mixed martial artist and K-1 kickboxing stud, Patrick Barry (3-0), will return to the cage at the Broomfield Events Center in Denver, Colo., at Strikeforce: “Payback” on October 3. Barry’s opponent will be fellow K-1 veteran Andre “The Silencer” Walker (2-3). Barry has made a successful transition from professional kickboxing to mixed martial arts. That’s something that even the best of the best in the kickboxing world have had trouble with (see Raymond Daniels). Here’s a snip from Barry on making the move to MMA: “I started off in kickboxing with the goal of being the world’s best kickboxer and, now, moving into MMA, I want to be the world’s best kickboxer in MMA. MMA is turning into kickboxing in the cage, pretty much. That’s just the way the sport has evolved.” Barry has not only been successful, but he’s been dominant. In his first MMA match, he faced off with 39-fight veteran Mike Delaney and was victorious with a first round technical knockout. In fact, he’s been able to stop all three of his opponents in the first round with his highly developed striking game. His opponent has not been as successful with the move to MMA. Walker has gone (1-3) in mixed martial arts, getting submitted in each of his three losses. However, his struggles in the early goings of his MMA career have not put a dent in his confidence: “I’m going all the way this time. I’m 100% better than I used to be and committed to becoming a champion.” This fight will more than likely be fought mostly on the feet. It’s doubtful that we will witness any high level jiu-jitsu holds or any Karo Parysian style judo throws, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to watch. Patrick Barry has been exciting in each of his MMA fights so far. And this one shouldn’t be any different — look for him to put on a show on HDNet come fight night.

Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock Elite XC main event fight October 4 Posted: 25 Aug 2008 01:16 PM CDT Ken Shamrock (26-13-2)– the 44-year-old mixed martial arts pioneer who has not won a professional fight in more than four years — is the next man to challenge Elite XC’s most coveted possession, Kimbo Slice (3-0), according to Sherdog.com. The bout will serve as the main event of “Saturday Night Fights” on CBS from the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on October 4. Shamrock was a among a short list of possible opponents for the Miami native that also included Sean Gannon — the only man to defeat the YouTube.com sensation in underground fisticuffs — and Brett Rogers. Out of the trio Rogers was far and away the most qualified and would have likely given Slice the stiffest competition. However, that could have been the problem — Elite XC matchmakers still feel the need to shamelessly build its biggest star. And what better way then to have him wallop an over-the-hill, past-his-prime UFC veteran on national television. Shamrock — a UFC Hall of Fame inductee — dropped his first and most recent bout under the ProElite banner, losing to Robert “Buzz” Berry via first knockout at Cage Rage 25: “Bring it On” earlier this year. That, too, was supposed to be a warm-up for the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” to groom him for a big money match down the road against either Slice, or his younger brother, Frank. It seems like it didn’t matter — at least one of those fights (Slice) is going to happen. Although a win against Berry would have made this appear (to the casual fan at least) to be somewhat of a fair fight. Shamrock has lost eight of his last 10 fights dating back to 2001 and he’s on a five-fight losing skid. The only thing in his favor going into this fight is experience and his submission game. Shamrock has won more than 80 percent of his fights via submission, which poses somewhat of a threat provided he can get close enough to Slice to take him down. Don’t count on it. But then again stranger things have happened … kind of like this match up in the first place.

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Kenny Florian: ‘People are still doubting me’ Posted: 25 Aug 2008 08:36 AM CDT Props: Sherdog.com Quoteworthy: "I wouldn't be surprised if I went out there and knocked out Joe Stevenson in the first 10 seconds and they were like, 'Kenny got lucky, and he still has to prove himself; he'll never beat Sean Sherk or B.J. Penn, and Tyson Griffin's a better fighter.'.. For whatever reason, people are still doubting me. It's normal." Even with five straight wins — and likely no need to take a fight anytime soon because he’s emerged as the top contender in the lightweight division — Florian still doesn’t feel the love. In fact, even if he scores a knockout over Joe Stevenson at UFC 91 in Portland, Ore., on November 15, Florian still feels the doubters will remain. Maybe he needs a tattoo (sarcasm).

Paulo Filho vs Chael Sonnen 2 video promo WEC 36 Posted: 25 Aug 2008 08:17 AM CDT

Matt Lindland vs Trevor Prangley Affliction fight possible Posted: 25 Aug 2008 07:55 AM CDT After Vitor Belfort was forced to withdraw with an injury, Matt Lindland (21-5) was left wondering who his opponent for Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” would be at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 11. Elite XC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields was atop the rumor mill as a possible replacement, but today Trevor Prangley (17-5) was announced as “The Law’s” opponent for the middleweight fight, according to a report picked up by BloodyElbow.com. Prangley — a UFC, Strikeforce, and BodogFight veteran — last competed in November of 2007 in a four man tournament at Strikeforce: “Four Men Enter, One Man Survives” where he was victorious over Falaniko Vitale in the first round, but lost to Jorge Santiago in the finals. The South African had put together an impressive five wins in a row heading into that tournament, including victories over some other top class fighters with tons of experience such as Yuki Kondo (48-22-6), Anthony Ruiz (21-11) and Andrei Semenov (28-9-2). The competition won’t get any easier for Prangley on October 11. Lindland has been widely considered to be a top 10 middleweight for most of his career. He has victories over Jeremy Horn, Ricardo Almeida, Phil Baroni, Travis Lutter and others in his 11 years as a professional mixed martial artist. His unanimous decision win over Fabio Negao at the inaugural Affliction event turned into a wrestling match, resulting in one of the more lackluster fights on the card. However, a win is a win and Negao is certainly no pushover. But Lindland will have to put on a better show this time around if he wants to continue to get recognition as one of the top dogs. And that won’t be easy against Trevor Prangley. Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” will air live on pay-per-view (PPV) on October 11 from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event is a number one contender eliminator match for Fedor Emilianenko’s WAMMA heavyweight title between Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski. To check out the latest “Day of Reckoning” card and rumors click here.

UFC Quick Quote: Anderson Silva vs Chuck Liddell? Posted: 25 Aug 2008 06:55 AM CDT “At the end of the day, this is a business, and [the UFC] needs to sell fights. They need to sell a lot of pay-per-views, and they need to sell tickets. So, we want to be involved with those types of fights. We're not looking past Patrick Cote, but I think we'll take one step at a time and see what happens. But yeah, if a Chuck Liddell fight came up, we'd take it. Whoever the UFC wants to put in front of us, he wants to fight the best, and whoever that may be at the time, that's who he wants to fight." – Ed Soares, manager of UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, makes it clear via MMA Weekly that “The Spider” is not content to just rest on his laurels and will continue to hunt down the best fighters in the world - including UFC icon Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. Megafight? Don’t expect to see that one on Spike TV.

UFC 84 DVD ‘ILL WILL’ Posted: 24 Aug 2008 09:35 PM CDT UFC 84: "Ill Will" was broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, May 24 and featured the much-anticipated grudge match between reigning lightweight champion BJ Penn and former belt keeper Sean Sherk as the main event. Also on the card, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva battled Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine while the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz made his final Octagon appearance against Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida during a very impressive night of fights. Here's the complete line up for UFC 84: Main Event: UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (32-2-1) Main card: 205 lbs.: Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) vs. Keith Jardine (13-3-1) 205 lbs.: Goran Reljic (7-0) vs. Wilson Gouveia (10-4) 205 lbs.: Tito Ortiz (15-5-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (12-0) 205 lbs.: Thiago Silva (12-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (14-2) Under card: 185 lbs.: Rousimar Palhares (7-1) vs. Ivan Salaverry (12-5) 205 lbs.: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-7) 155 lbs.: Terry Etim (10-1) vs. Rich Clementi (31-12-1) 170 lbs.: Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) 170 lbs.: Dong Hyun Kim (9-0-1) vs. Jason Tan (5-2) 265 lbs.: Shane Carwin (8-0) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3) UFC 84: ‘Ill Will‘ is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here. To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don't see it in our store? Email us and we'll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.

Dana White Playboy interview magazine MMAmania contest winners Posted: 24 Aug 2008 03:27 PM CDT A few days ago we proposed a new contest, asking our readers to provide us with reasons we should send them a free copy of Playboy magazine. We received more than 175 responses. And here are the winners (in no particular order): “I just broke up with my girlfriend. She said I ditched her for my "stupid fighting shows" on saturday nights. How could I miss a PPV with Brock Lesnar and GSP? Show me some love Mania!!“ – LiFt “I dont get the internet on the toilet.“ – kazanski “I'm a SINGLE father of two! No wife for me yet, God hasn't made a woman with the enormous sense of perversion and level of patience it requires to put up with me!“ – chefdaddy (for this and other related comments in the thread). “i want a copy of playboy cause im a true mma fan and would love to read more about it, and get to look at naked chicks. im a simple man, fighting and girls. thats all i need. but im poor, so please, give me a copy.“ – ryan Congratulations to all the winners. Please send us your contact information and address we can get the issues in the mail (go through the “Contact” page located on the top navigation). “Thorazine” please send in your address, too, with a shirt size — you deserve something for all that activity on the post, but there is just no Playboy ‘fer this guy! And thanks again to everyone who participated — apologies we could not give a free copy to everyone. In addition, we would like to extend another special thanks to the good folks over at Playboy Enterprises Inc. for being kind enough to provide MMAmania.com with several copies of the latest installment of America’s most coveted men’s magazine to giveaway to our readers FREE. Remember that you can go buy Playboy online right here.

Matt Hamill on Rich Franklin UFC 88 fight video Posted: 24 Aug 2008 01:33 PM CDT

UFC Quick Quote: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua rematch still possible at UFC 92 Posted: 24 Aug 2008 01:27 PM CDT "I'm back to training. I'm doing some Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu stuff, and thanks God everything is fine now. I'll be back in December … They said that I might fight with Quinton Jackson, but nothing has been signed yet. They (UFC) called me and offered a fight with him and I accepted, but they didn't say anything else more.” – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua tells Tatame.com recently the Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is still the likely opponent for his next fight. We first passed along the possible rematch almost two weeks ago right here. Shogun — who has not competed since UFC 76 in 2007 — has been sidelined with a serious knee injury. If the match up is added to the New Year’s Eve show on December 27 … watch out — this 205-pound fight would be insane.

Rob Kimmons vs Dan Miller UFC Fight Night 15 bout announced Posted: 24 Aug 2008 01:09 PM CDT The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today made official several bouts for its upcoming Spike TV special from the Omaha Civic Center in Omaha, Neb., on September 17, including a middleweight showdown between Rob Kimmons (21-3) and former IFL 185-pound champion, Dan Miller (8-1). Kimmons was successful in his debut for the promotion, submitting Rob Yundt with a guillotine choke at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale back in June. He has been all over the place throughout his five-year professional career, competing for organizations such as International Fighting Organization (IFO), American Bushido, Titan Fighting Championships (TFC) and Victory Fighting Championships (VFC), among others. The Kansas City-bred fighter is on a four-fight win streak, which also includes a submission victory (rear naked choke) over the super tough Tristan Yunker back in late 2007. Miller was among several talented IFL fighters who Zuffa picked up when the promotion folded. He was the last man to hold the IFL title; however, he was never able to defend the belt after defeating Ryan McGivern via submission (kneebar) to win it in May of this year. Miller — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt — is based out of New Jersey. His only career loss is to Mike Massenzio — a fellow Garden State resident who will also be making his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 15 against Drew McFedries. It should be real interesting to see how all the newcomers perform and whether or not any of them can make a big splash in their respective divisions. To check out the most recent UFC Fight Night 15 card and rumored bout click here.

Sengoku 4 results: Gomi; Trigg prevail Posted: 24 Aug 2008 11:18 AM CDT World Victory Road held its fourth installment under the Sengoku banner earlier this morning at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Lightweight superstar Takanori Gomi took his second straight victory for Sengoku with a unanimous decision win over Seung Hwan Bang in the main event. “The Fireball Kid” is expected to meet the winner of the lightweight grand prix later this year for the first ever Sengoku lightweight championship. Former UFC welterweight Frank Trigg also battled his way to a unanimous decision win when he outpointed a very game Makoto Takimoto while former K-1 star Peter Graham finds himself 0-2 in mixed martial arts after getting choked out by Moise Rimbon. Olympic judo gold medalist Pawel Nastula’s comeback was short-lived thanks to a second round TKO at the hands of twenty three year-old Yang Dong Yi. The former DEEP fighter is now 3-0 with three straight TKO victories. One of the night’s two spectacular knockouts belongs to Valentijn Overeem, who flattened Yoshihiki Takahashi with a flying knee in the first round. The other came courtesy of Mizuto Hirota when he uspet one of the grand prix favorites by going Man of Steel on Ryan Schultz and sending him to the land of eye crusties in round two. Clay French has always proven that only his eye is glass and not his jaw, but it wasn’t enough to keep Pancrase veteran Satoru Kitaoka from submitting him just thirty-one seconds into the fight. In a shocking turn of events, grappling phenom Rodrigo Damm was choked out in the first round by the wily Eiji Mitsuoka. Damm was expected to control the ground game but instead got a taste of his own rear naked medicine. Kazunori Yokata kept shame from the Grabaka name after decisioning Slovenia’s legend of Zelva. As expected, Yokata was better on his feet and advanced himself to the grand prix semifinals. Here are the Sengoku 4 complete results: Main Card: Takanori Gomi defeated Seung Hwan Bang via unanimous decision Frank Trigg defeated Makoto Takimoto via unanimous decision Valentijn Overeem defeated Yoshihiki Takahashi via KO (2:42-R1) Moise Rimbon defeated Peter Graham via submission (0:42-R2) Yang Dong Yi defeated Pawel Nastula via TKO at (2:15-R2) Lightweight Grand Prix: Mizuto Hirota defeated Ryan Schultz via KO (4:25-R2) Kazunori Yokata defeated Bojan Kosednar via unanimous decision Eiji Mitsuoka defeated Rodrigo Damm via submission (3:13-R1) Satoru Kitaoka defeated Clay French via submission (0:31-R1)

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