Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wreck MMA: Bad Intentions August 20th
The event will take place at the Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau and the main event of the evening will put two of the country’s top welterweights in the ring, as Cory Macdonald faces off with Simon ‘The Mutant’ Marini.
In addition to the main event, Wreck MMA is proud to announce some additions to the card. FIT MMA’s Louis ‘The Joker’ Carle makes his third Wreck MMA appearance as he steps into the ring against Adrenaline MMA’s Iraj ‘Cold Blooded’ Hadin. Despite a setback in his last fight against Marini, Carle continues to be one of the country’s brightest stars and is looking to get back on the winning ways against the extremely game Hadin.
After an impressive win at the last event, Anna ‘Smiles’ Barone steps into the ring against an experienced fighter out of Halifax, Tannaya Hantelman. Barone is looking to KO another opponent after her fight was awarded Fight of the Night and KO of the Night honours at the last event. Barone’s opponent at the last event was Sudbury BJJ's Jenn ‘Dexter’ Ricker who took the fight on short notice and put on a very spirited performance. With the heart and guts Ricker showed at the last event, Wreck MMA desperately wanted her to return and she will now face Adrenaline MMA’s Shannon Ludlow on August 20th. For the first time in Quebec professional MMA history, there will be two female bouts on the same event!
Making their highly anticipated MMA debuts are pro wrestler Devon ‘Hannibal’ Nicholson and Tapout Training Center’s head instructor and BJJ Blackbelt Pablo Santos. Nicholson is one of the most popular pro wrestlers from the region and is looking to take his wrestling and BJJ knowledge to the ring and add MMA to his successful career of entertaining fans. Nicholson will be facing Dragon Lair's Aaron Dupuis. Santos is a member of the historic Nova Uniao team and a multiple BJJ champion in Brazil. Santos is looking to make his debut just a few miles from his new home in Gatineau and looking to make an immediate impact in the sport.
WRECK MMA: BAD INTENTIONS
Date: AUGUST 20TH, 2010
Venue: CASINO DU LAC-LEAMY
Location: GATINEAU, QUEBEC
MAIN EVENT
Simon ‘The Mutant’ Marini (Regency Boxing, Hamilton) vs. Cory Macdonald (FIT MMA, Kingston)
Chance Whalen (Team Knockdown, Moncton) vs. Remi ‘Bam Bam’ Morvan (OAMA, Ottawa)
Iraj Hadin (Adrenaline MMA, London) vs. Louis ‘The Joker’ Carle (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
Tannaya Hantelman (Titans MMA, Halifax) vs. Anna ‘Smiles” Barone (FIT MMA, Ottawa)
Nick Portieous (Cornwall MMA, Cornwall) vs. Jeffrey Laughren (RAMA, Rockland)
Shannon Ludlow (Adrenaline MMA, London) vs. Jenn 'Dexter' Ricker (Sudbury BJJ, Sudbury)
Aaron Dupuis (Dragon’s Lair, Orillia) vs. Devon ‘Hannibal’ Nicholson (Coalition MMA, Ottawa)
Adil ‘Rambo’ Abbas (Adrenaline MMA, London) vs. Alex Ricci (M1 & Team Ricci, Toronto)
TBA vs. Pablo Santos (Tapout Training Center, Gatineau)
TBA vs. Jeff Harrison (OAMA, Ottawa)
*** Subject to change ***
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Cauliflower corner talks W1
Make sure to stay tuned for all the NEW and EXCITING developments on Cauliflower corner
Fighting Spirit MMA: Meltdown: James "Srcappy Doo" Haourt vs. Denis "The Bosnian Menace" Puric
This fight was to determine Fighting Spirit's top ranked 135lb
Bellator Season 2 Featherweight Champ Joe Warren recounts ‘12 hours from hell’ before stunning victory
CHICAGO, Ill. (June 29, 2010) — There were times last Thursday — in the hours leading up to his Featherweight Tournament Championship fight with Patricio Pitbull — when the people around Joe Warren began to wonder if the much-anticipated showdown would ever even take place.
Warren, the former NCAA all-American and two-time Greco-Roman wrestling world champion, couldn’t keep any food or water down for more than 12 hours before the fight, was vomiting nearly once an hour and was so dehydrated that standing up was beginning to pose a challenge.
But while others may have doubted whether he would eventually make it into the cage that night, the thought never once crossed Warren’s mind.
"There was absolutely no way I was not going to fight,” he said Monday, looking back on what he described as “12 hours from hell.”
“I coach youth wrestling and I tell my kids all the time that you’re never going to be 100 percent for every one of your fights, but that you’re going to have to battle through days like that if you want to be a champion. I thought about that on Thursday and it just really helped push me through.”
Warren says he woke up around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday with severe nausea that he later attributed to a Wednesday-night room service meal “that just didn’t sit well at all with me.” Charcoal tablets, Pedialyte and Gatorade did nothing to make him feel better.
“I hadn’t eaten one thing all day and I was just feeling terrible,” Warren said. “At one point in the afternoon, Heath [Simms], my manager, asked me, ‘Do you really want to do this tonight?’” At about the same time, I got a text message from my wife, Kristy, and it said: ‘Warriors don’t need to eat. You can do this. Stay focused and it will be OK.’”
Warren vomited yet again as his gloves were being taped, but, miraculously, by the time he entered the cage around 9 p.m., the nausea had dissipated.
Nevertheless, the grappling technician showed definite signs of fatigue and, at times, disorientation, during the first five minutes of the fight. At one point, he made the mistake of turning his back to Pitbull, opening himself up to a stinging right cross that dropped him to the canvass. Pitbull, meanwhile, quickly look Warren’s back, and delivered a flurry of hammerfists before the Round 1 mercifully came to close.
In the end, Warren went home with a split-decision victory, a check for $100,000 and a future date with reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Soto for the championship belt.
“What Joe Warren did on Thursday night is nothing short of remarkable. He showed huge heart and the kind of courage that’s not often seen in any sport,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “I was in constant contact with Joe’s team on Thursday and I can tell you that most people in his condition would have been in the hospital. But, as Joe’s said many times, ‘Losing was never an option.’ Joe has the heart of a warrior and watching his win over a world-class fighter like Patricio Pitbull was a true privilege.”
Warren, meanwhile, said he has now turned his focus to his impending title fight with Soto.
“I can promise you that I’m going to be 100 percent better by the time I face Joe Soto,” Warren said. “Joe’s a great fighter but it’s going to be tough to beat me. If nobody could beat me in the condition I was in on Thursday, I don’t know how anyone’s going to beat me when I’m 100 percent.”
Time for McKee to defend Super-skilled wrestler can’t be shelved any longer
Flip the pages on a calendar – it will take a while – but it has been that long since Antonio McKee suffered a loss.
The reigning MFC lightweight champion is a consummate pro and an intellectual fighter, but also a title-holder currently wearing an undefendable belt. The one opportunity McKee had to put his championship on the line came at MFC 22 but his foe, Carlo Prater, came in overweight and the five-round bout was changed to a three-rounder. McKee still scooted away with a clear-cut decision but it was not what he nor MFC wanted out of the night.
So what lies ahead for the organization’s first 155-pound champ? Honestly speaking, there would appear to be only one showdown in the works for McKee. Because of his spectacular skills as a wrestler (which go hand-in-hand with a phenomenal cardio gas tank) McKee is incredibly difficult to match up.
Selection of his opponent is critical and McKee is not an easy target. In the fight for the title, the only time McKee was ever in the slightest amount of trouble came when Derrick Noble was able to land strikes from the outside, in particular a cracking blow near the end of Round 1. But in tight it was McKee’s world and a dominating conclusion ensued.
Match McKee against a striker and he’s going to put his wrestling to use, pretty well exclusively to grind out a verdict as evidenced by 18 of his 22 wins coming by way of decision. That rationale leads one to assume that a clash between McKee and fellow veteran Yves Edwards wouldn’t be a good mix. Edwards, who is coming off a first-round mowdown of Noble at MFC 24, might get one chance to flatten McKee with a strike before he’s scooped up, dropped on his back, and smothered. McKee isn’t going to risk getting clipped on the chin and will neutralize Edwards to the point a dreary, dull decision.
So as McKee pointed out while sitting ringside at MFC 25, about the only way to force him into an exciting fight is to put him against a slick submission fighter.
McKee won’t want to mess around on the mat, fearing he could get caught in a trap which would make him more inclined to keep the fight on the feet. McKee does have a couple of TKO victories to his credit and is definitely the kind of guy who pushed into a sticky situation would come out swinging. In an interesting turn, a more aggressive showing in the ring by McKee may well spark a fight-first-wrestle-second mentality in the combatants he trains, specifically former MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton.
If anyone currently in the MFC stable has a shot against McKee, it would seem to be newly signed Brazilian Luciano Azevedo. Not yet a brand-name product, Azevedo has the jiu-jitsu repertoire – 12 of 16 wins via submission including five tapouts under the pressure of his triangle choke – that would take away most of McKee’s rival ground game, forcing both fighters to settle the issue throwing punches, kicks, and knees. The fight could very well wind up on the ground but it’s unlikely that a dull stalemate would result since McKee doesn’t own the mat in this fight – it’s Azevedo’s world down there too.
A tilt with Azevedo is a likely occurrence though the MFC is looking at a few other options including a talent search to the Far East in exploration of mining more lightweight talent. Whatever way the matchup bounces, it’s long overdue that McKee defend his belt.
From CFL to UFC: Tom Wright was the ideal choice to run UFC Canada
By MIKE JOHNSTONPreviously, at this time of the year, Tom Wright would be preparing for the start of the Canadian Football League season. However, these days he is preparing for a new era in combat sports north of the border.
With the recent announcement that the former CFL commissioner has joined forces with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts has taken a major step forward in its Canadian development. Wright was named Director of Operations for the UFC’s Canadian headquarters, which will be located and run somewhere in the city of Toronto, and Wright says it will be a similar set up to when he was with the CFL.
“We had to make a choice to where we should set up our national office, and not unlike the Canadian Football League, that competes in all the different cities across the country, the CFL is located here in Toronto and so will the UFC,” said Wright.
FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE OCTAGON
Wright is a genial, soft-spoken and astute businessman, and it seems as though he is the perfect fit to help the UFC grow their brand in Ontario and across Canada. “After a long search, talking to a lot of people, we feel like we found the perfect person,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta during a press conference at the Rogers Centre. “[Wright] brings a unique blend of business experience and sports experience.”
Wright said that his immediate goals are to continue to work towards having the sport sanctioned and regulated all across the country. Recently, Wright attended WEC 49 in Edmonton and believes that event was a step in the right direction for MMA expansion in Canada. Wright said they plan on taking both Zuffa promotions all across the country. "Edmonton [and WEC 49], I think, is a great example of how we can expand our sport, and the province of Alberta is really just like B.C. and Quebec and Ontario, a strong base for our fans," said Wright.
Wright mentioned plans to bring MMA shows, such as UFC Fight Nights, to smaller cities, not strictly major ones like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. “The other kinds of cities I was talking about, as it relates to Fight Nights, you can go across Canada and there are a lot of great sports cities in our country. Even in Atlantic Canada, you look at the Halifax's of the world, the Moncton's of the world, you go into Quebec and of course everybody thinks about Montreal, but Quebec City is a fabulous sports town as well," said Wright.
The national sport of Canada is hockey, of course, which seems to be a perfect fit for the UFC and the WEC, as those arenas can easily be converted into venues for the fights. Targeting those places, and a few others, Wright says will be in the plans for future events.
"Look at the hockey venues that are here, these hockey venues are perfect for our events," Wright said. "Not only UFC, but WEC as well. Rexall Place is a great facility in Edmonton, the Saddledome in Calgary, you look at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, or the Coliseum in Hamilton, the list just keeps on going and going. Winnepeg is another place.
"I was on a couple of Saskatchewan radio programs, and there's even been talk about a new stadium is going to be built there for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the CFL, and that could be a spot."
THE ‘WRIGHT’ MAN FOR THE JOB
Without question, Wright was the best choice for this position and will be a great ambassador to the sport for years to come. “After my family, the most important things and my passions really are sports and my country,” said Wright. “This is a tremendous opportunity for me to now join the world’s fastest growing sport with the number one brand and the number one business in that sport, not only here in Canada, but across the world.”
The plan to open a UFC office in Canada with Wright heading the operation had been in the works for a while according to Fertitta. “We’ve been talking about how important the Canadian market is to us now for about a year and a half, and it was in October of last year where we first met Tom,” said Fertitta. “He came out to the first fight between Lyoto Machida and ‘Shogun’ Rua in Los Angeles, and we had kind of our first discussions, started talking about what the opportunity was, got familiar with his background and continued to talk throughout. And it was about the first of the year that we said ‘you know what, we’re going to make a commitment, we want to have a presence in Canada.’ And after a couple months we came to an agreement, and Tom decided to come on board and here we are off and going.”
Prior to his role with the CFL, Wright was the President of Adidas Canada and President and CEO of Salomon North America. Wright is involved with several charitable organizations and is the Chairman of Special Olympics Canada.
For anyone who doubts Wright is the ideal man for the job, UFC President Dana White replies, “Did you hear his resume? He’s obviously the right fit, it’s perfect. We’re very confident that he’s the man to lead the charge up here.”
Monday, June 28, 2010
Zoila Frausto KOs her way into Bellator Fighting Championship Season 3
CHICAGO, Ill. (June 28, 2010) — Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto, who shocked the MMA world with her stunning KO of the world’s top-ranked and heavily favored Rosi Sexton at Bellator 23 last Thursday, has been added to Bellator’s upcoming Women’s Tournament.
Frausto, a 26-year-old Central California native who improved her pro MMA record to 7-1 with the highlight-reel knockout, replaces Sexton, who was forced out of the tournament due to a 60-day medical suspension from the Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority.
Frausto joins seven other female fighters who are all ranked among the world’s 10 best in their respective weight classes. The others are Japanese MMA sensation and the world’s No. 1 pound-for pound female fighter, Megumi Fujii, 12-5 Seattle submission artist Lisa Ward, 7-0 Southern California striker Jessica Pene, 8-4 New Mexico-based submission specialist Angela Magana, 5-1 Las Vegas-based powerhouse Lynn Alvarez, 9-0 Irish sensation Aisling Daly and 8-4 American Top Team product Jessica Aguilar. Overall, the eight women boast a career winning percentage of .835 (76 wins and 15 losses).
“With a highlight knockout that’s already generated over 70,000 YouTube views, Zoila stamped her ticket to our women’s Tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The purpose of our women’s tournament is simply to determine the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, and with such a dominant performance against the worlds’s No. 1-ranked 125 pound fighter, there was no way to not include Zoila in this line up. She earned her place by beating the best.”
Frausto’s shocking knockout came roughly two minutes into Round 1 of her fight against Sexton.
The left knee to the chin knocked Sexton her unconscious and dropped her to the canvas before the referee stoped the fight when Frausto delivered three right hands to the jaw. It was just the second career loss for Sexton in 12 pro MMA fights.
“I saw the opening and I just threw the knee up,” Frausto said after the fight, adding that she thinks she now deserves to be ranked No. 1 in the world at 125. “I've been shooting for No. 1 since I got into the sport. This is exactly why I got into MMA.”
In an interview with MMAjunkie.com on Friday, Frausto reiterated her desire to fight in the tournament.
“I've been doing this to fight the best, and I just beat one of the best,” she said. “So hell yeah, I want that spot.”
The tournament begins on Aug. 12 and will once again be televised LIVE in primetime every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.
Fighting Spirit MMA Meltdown Card : Clint "the Hammer" Kingsbury vs. "Itchy" Havoc Helsdon
Both Fighter's Making their Pro Debut
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Technique of the week with Meltdown winner Clint Kingsbury
For all you waiting to see Clint's Fight...it's coming, but til then here is a little more of Clint in this week's technique of the week
Sam Stout Interview: UFC Star and 3 Time Straight Fight of the Night Winner
Will Romero Bellator FC fighter Interview
Markhaile "Showtying" Wedderburn Interview following his big Win and Fight of the Night performance
This is not an interview you want to miss!
Fighting Spirit MMA 11: Meltdown Results
Results from last night's Fighting Spirit MMA show
Make sure to stay tuned for all the fights and interviews to be up this week as our editing team puts them together,
SUPERFIGHT
Alex "Pecker" Gasson vs Markhaile "Showtying" Wedderburn
Wedderburn
Split Decision
LOCAL ATTRACTION
Andy Smith vs Craig Renwick
Smith 1st round Submission(rear-naked choke)
Clint Kingsbury vs Richard Helsdon
Kingsbury 1st round submission(rear-naked choke)
Denis Puric vs James "Scrappy doo" Haourt
Haourt 1st round submission(armbar)
Jim Barber vs Chad Laprise
Laprise 1st round TKO
Joe Doxtator vs Chris Winstone
Doxtator 2nd round KO
Pete Brown vs Simonie Joannie
Brown 1st round Submission(Reverse arm-triangle)
Brandon Debono vs Jeff Sharkie
Sharkie 2nd round TKO
Fighting Spirit MMA: Meltdown Submission of the Night Winner: Pete "Muscle Beach" Brown
Brought to you by CanadianProFighter.com and Nancy's
The Fall of Fedor - The Last Emperor Cedes his Throne in Shocking Loss to Fabricio Werdum
By Elton “Hobbie” Hobson
Last night, for the hundredth time in Mixed Martial Arts, the impossible happened.
Over his long career, Fedor Emelianenko has fought an (almost) steady diet of some of the best and meanest fighters in the world, and he has never known defeat. He was riding a winning streak of 27 straight fights (going back to his only loss, a cut stoppage in a tournament). In today’s constantly shifting MMA landscape, such consistency was a rarity. Now it is consigned to the history books.
In front of 12,000 fans at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, the man many consider to be the greatest fighter in the sport’s history took to the cage to obliterate another hopeless, overmatched challenger. To most fans, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Fedor would win. Fedor always wins.
Almost immediately, the mythic Russian knocked “Vai Cavalo” off his feet with his signature power shots. He dove into Werdum’s guard to finish the fight, but the 2 time ADCC champion and BJJ black belt recovered quickly. He locked on an armbar, then transitioned fluidly into a triangle choke in the scramble.
Checkmate. Fedor was caught, and with one quick tap of his hand, the Last Emperor stepped down off his throne. Fans were shocked. Commentators were speechless. The internet imploded.
For ten years, Fedor Emelianenko stood in the center of the coliseum and conquered all challengers. Last night, the greatest gladiator in the game was, at long last, carried out on his shield. Fedor has lost. Quickly. Badly. Utterly.
There’s going to be a lot said about this loss in the coming days and weeks. What does it mean for the Heavyweight division? First and foremost, it means that Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin will now be meeting for the #1 ranking in the Heavyweight division when they clash on July 3rd. If Fedor loses while Brock Lesnar wins in the same week, I think we may have to put a lot of PRIDE fan boys on suicide watch.
For long-time haters and critics of Emelianenko, this loss is a goldmine, beyond simply the fact that the Russian lost. The last image most have of Fabricio Werdum is of him being run over by Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90, a loss which saw him cut from the UFC. Fedor has been accused of fighting UFC castoffs for years now, and actually losing to one is going to give plenty of ammunition to his detractors. Dana White is probably still in a diabetic coma.
And Strikeforce, once again, has shot itself in the foot. By rights, what should now follow is Fabricio Werdum vs. Alastair Overeem for the HW title, a rematch of a 2006 PRIDE fight. The problem is that no one in the world really cares about that fight, and the winner doesn’t have a hope of snatching the #1 title back from the UFC’s top crop of up and coming heavyweights. Simply put, a Heavyweight title fight without the Russian (or more to the point, without his mythic, living legend appeal, now forever shorn) is not a marketable proposition.
And that, kids, is why you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. What does Strikeforce do with Fedor now? He has one fight left on his contract, and has given every indication that he intends to retire following that fight. The only way Strikeforce could have hoped to keep him around was through a champions clause following a win over Overeem, which is clearly what Scott Coker and company were angling for. Now what?
Shockingly, sadly, if recent history with the Le/Smith series is any indicator, we’re going to get Werdum vs. Emelianenko 2. Fedor’s really too expensive to feature in a build up fight and really too expensive not to be considered an undefeated monster. Since Werdum can’t hope to draw interest in a title fight on his own, he’ll be forced to jump through the same hoop he just jumped through. They’ll book the rematch, hope Fedor actually wins this time, hope he reconsiders his retirement plans, hope he and M-1 don’t bend them over a barrel in contract talks again, and hope he can Alastair Overeem to come back from the land of K-1 and horsemeat to defend his belt.
So basically, right back where we started. Gotta love Strikeforce.
Fighting Spirit Meltdown: Fight of The Night
Fighting Spirit Meltdown: Fight of The Night
Alex "Pecker" Gasson vs. Markhaile "Showtying" Wedderburn
Brought to you by Canadianprofighter.com and Nancy's
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Alex "Pecker" Gasson vs. Markhaile "Showtying" Wedderburn
Brought to you by Canadianprofighter.com and Nancy's
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Fighting Spirit MMA 11: Meltdown KO of the Night
KO of the Night
Joe Doxtator
Brought to you by Canadianprofighter.com and Nancy's
Joe Doxtator
Brought to you by Canadianprofighter.com and Nancy's
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Strikeforce recap: Fedor Emelianenko loses, gets submitted by Fabricio Werdum in one minute
By MIKE JOHNSTONFor over ten years, Fedor Emelianenko was thought to be unbeatable. However, the widely considered best heavyweight in the world, and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, was submitted by Fabricio Werdum at 1:09 of the first round in their Strikeforce main event fight.
Just seconds into the bout, Fedor dropped Werdum with a left hook that caught the top of the Brazilian’s head. As the Russian was looking to ground-and-pound his way to victory, Werdum sunk in a triangle choke from the bottom. Fedor did his best to escape, but Werdum is a two-time Abu Dhabi world champion and forced Fedor to tap.
This upset has sent shockwaves throughout the MMA community (even though I predicted this outcome) and will undoubtedly shake up the heavyweight rankings. Fans in Canada expressed shock and awe on Facebook and Twitter. Fedor is extremely popular in certain parts of Canada. Those fans may wish to help themselves to a big plate Beef Stroganoff to help with the mourning process.
In other action, Cung Le did what he was unable to do in his first meeting with Scott Smith, finish him. Le came out with a smart, patient game plan and picked Smith apart. In the second round, Le landed a spinning heel kick to Smith’s solar plexus that put him away.
Also, the female edition of “Cyborg” Santos continued her destruction though the competition, defeating Jan Finney by second round TKO. The fight was a shellacking from start to finish.
In the first bout of the night, Josh Thomson displayed some impressive submission skills in his fight with Pat Healy. Thomson was well on his way to a decision victory when he sunk in a rear-naked choke that forced Healy to tap with less than one minute remaining in their fight.The 5 Most Important Questions for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
By Elton "Hobbie" Hobson
Watching the Strikeforce card tonight will probably feel like eating at a steakhouse run by a vegan - chances are you’re in for a strange experience.
Consider the card, which manages to be intriguing at the same time that it is mystifying (something Strikeforce pulls off regularly). Opening the show is a clash of proven Lightweight veterans that should answer some big questions and that has, of course, received not a lick of promotional and PR attention. Then, a marquee 145lbs Women’s title fight that will to most fans look like they picked a girl out of the crowd to fight Wanderlei Silva. Then Cung Le and Scott Smith throw down in the rematch no one asked for, and everyone will likely not want to miss.
And then Fedor. And for what feels like the millionth time, we are looking at the exact same story with the emotionless Russian juggernaut.
Making his bi-annual trip to the cage or ring, Fedor is once again shouldering all the promotional burden and focus for a promotion hoping to challenge the UFC‘s #1 spot. He’s also carrying what many consider to be the lineal Heavyweight title in MMA, his old PRIDE and RINGS heavyweight straps (which he was never defeated for), something called a “Wamma” title, and the hopes of hardcore fans and supporters the world over.
Opposite him is a fighter who legions of fans have proclaimed a worthy, top 10 challenger for the heavyweight king - and who an equally large legion of critics have dismissed as another UFC washout Fedor can pad his record with. The truth, as always, being somewhere in between.
Here are the five biggest questions for when the lights go down at the HP Pavillion in San Jose tonight. This piece is co-promoted today with our friends at M-1 Global, meaning that legally 2.5 of the questions are actually theirs, as well as the comments section, and all of my inbox for the next week. Crazy Russians, indeed.
Is Fedor Still the Man?
I know, it’s hard to get any more obvious then that as a first question.
Still, that question is THE question of the Strikeforce card tonight. It is THE question, in fact, that has driven pretty much all of Fedor’s exciting if somewhat questionable run in the post-PRIDE era. This question is THE reason you have for watching Showtime on a Saturday night - other then a chance lesbian scene in “The L Word”.
Anyone who knows MMA knows the name Fedor Emelianenko. His record reads like a who’s who of top Heavyweight fighters, all who failed to unseat the master. A decade spent on top of the sport, and Fedor still has yet to be actually beaten in a fight (his one loss coming via cut stoppage in a tournament). He has shown flashes of brilliance and moments of weakness in his fights in almost equal measure, but in the end it just doesn’t matter. He finds a way to win. Somehow. Always.
However, his career trajectory since leaving the demise of the PRIDE organization has been a big disappointment to me, and I’d be lying if I said it any other way.
Is it that I want him to fight in the UFC and nowhere else? No, though I’d love to see him in the sport’s biggest promotion. All I want is for him to show some inkling that he cares about his career and his legacy - which it is quite clear to see he no longer does. Having surrendered control of his career to M-1 Global, he’s happy to fight whatever comes and profit by M-1’s exorbitant contracts, hardball negotiating tactics, and “co-promotion“.
Is that such a bad thing? Fedor comes from a very poor background, growing up in the collapsing Soviet Union, and has always fought first and foremost to provide a better life for he and his family. Can you really blame him for seeking out the biggest pay cheque possible? It’s not a long list of guys who spend ten years in the formative era of this sport and make “set for life” kind of money. That’s all Fedor cares about, and he’s happy to do it with or without the UFC’s help.
It’s just a shame that he doesn’t care about really cementing his legacy or establishing his place in the sport anymore - if ever he really did. That is why, mystifyingly, he is fighting Fabricio Werdum in this fight instead of Strikeforce Heavyweight champion Alastair Overeem, who had a fight in the ancient era known as last month, against a guy Fedor just beat. Oh Strikeforce, you so crazy.
Is Fabricio Werdum the Heavyweight Matt Serra?
If you think about it, it’s not the world’s worst comparison. Both guys have world class BJJ backgrounds, both have solid if not spectacular skills on the feet, both have a record of coming up just short against the sport’s best, and oh yeah - both were given title shots that were widely considered suicide missions.
Matt Serra proved everyone wrong, of course. Now Fabricio Werdum will look to replicate that success, if not exactly that gameplan, against the invincible, all-mighty Fedor. The key defference between Serra and Werdum is that while Serra is a small welterweight, Werdum is both taller and heavier then Emelianenko. Not that size disadvantage has really mattered for Fedor, who has fought at 230-240 for most of his career.
Still, against Emelianenko you need every advantage you can get. Does Fabricio Werdum have a way to “Matt Serra” the sport’s top heavyweight? Honestly, I don’t think so. Serra’s victory came as a shocking moment in an otherwise slow fight to that point. If Werdum wants to win this fight, he’s going to have to work. Staying on the feet and looking to flash KO Fedor will only send you the way of Brett Rogers, Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia etc. And Werdum isn’t any better on the feet then any of those guys (ok, maybe Sylvia, but not in his prime).
Werdum is a two time ADCC Heavyweight champion, and his skills on the ground are beyond legit. To my mind, that is his best route to victory - get on top of Emelianenko and look to pass, then sub. He stands a better chance defending the submission on the ground then he does the overhand right on the feet.
As to how he gets it to the ground, well, I haven’t a clue. His takedowns have never been spectacular. If he tries clinching with Emelianenko, he’ll get Sambo’d to death. I recommend prayer, or slipping an LSB tab into Fedor’s pre-match ice cream cone. Hell, that might not even work. The man who can survive Kevin Randleman slamming him on his head laughs at something called “acid”.
Did Cung Le vs. Scott Smith 1 Never Happen?
Seriously, what’s the deal with the matchmaking in this fight?
Ok, I get what the deal is. The first fight was an absolute barnburner. For two rounds, Le teed off on the durable Smith with a wide array of San Shou kicks, sweeps, and takedowns. Smith spent two rounds as Le’s sparring dummy to the crowds delight. Then Le seemed to fade in the third, while the man come human meat golem Smith was as unyielding as ever. One well timed combination later, and Le was looking up at the lights.
For Le, it was a devastating defeat. For Smith, it was another signature fight - take an inhuman beating, survive said beating, and TKO a tiring opponent in turn. Call it the Homer Simpson gameplan.
Except now Strikeforce wants to pretend it never happened. I think that’s the only reason this fight was made - because Le is a Strikeforce cash cow, and having a KO loss on his record to Scott Smith holds him back from bigger and better things. After the loss, Le blamed his long time off making movies and ring rust for the 3rd round fade, asked for a rematch with Smith, and was granted it. An immediate rematch in this situation is almost unheard of, as there was no belt on the line. Having an immediate rematch is usually reserved for matches with a controversial finish - and there was nothing controversial about Smith cleaning Le’s clock.
There are stories circulating that Smith and his manager are pretty steamed at the matchmaking, and it’s hard to say I blame them. Now, it’s like the first fight never really happened. THIS is the one that counts now in the minds of fans. In essence, in order to move up the ladder, Smith must defeat the exact same man he just beat. What was the point of that first win, exactly?
Oh well, at the end of the day you can’t complain (unless you’re Scott Smith, and rumour has it his manager lobbied for a contract that included an automatic rubber match should Smith lose this fight. Smart move). This fight will be another rock-em-sock-em robots contest, with Smith likely the punching bag once again for Le’s badass arsenal of San Shou kicks sure to have the hometown San Jose crowd roaring. Whether or not Smith can survive that assault once again is the key question of this fight.
Can Strikeforce put Together a Credible Women’s Division at 145 lbs?
Jan who?
Seriously, that was my first thought when I heard who was going to be “Cyborg” Santos’s next title challenger. I don’t say that to slander Ms. Finney, a six year vet who’s been in with the biggest names in the sport. Still, the fact remains that she is 8-7, traditionally fights at 135 lbs, and is making her debut in the organization with this fight, a title bout. She is about as close to a red carpet as we are ever to see laid out in a title fight.
Wow, I’m being brutal to Jan Finney here, aren’t I? Or maybe just realistic. Opposite Finney is the most dominant woman in MMA right now, the only one who seems able to inspire fear and respect beyond just curious fascination. Put more simply, there are a lot of male fighters I would rather fight then “Cyborg”. If you say she doesn’t scare you, then you’re lying.
She’s been so head and shoulders above the competition over the last year or so that finding legitimate challengers might prove difficult. Still, Strikeforce didn’t even try, really. A girl making her debut gets put in with the She-Hulk? Really? With your Challenger’s Series cards, you could build up a stable of women fights and at least attempt to establish a title picture for the belt.
In fact, maybe that’s what your doing right now, meaning this fight is nothing more then the planned blowout you expect it to be. I guess it’s good to beef up the “Cyborg” highlight reel, but this fight is a waste of time in Santos’s career and a distraction to a women who could be the best in the world. Get it out of the way and then, please, give “Cyborg” a real fight. I recommend Sarah Kaufman cause, you know, Canada represent and all that.
Will Anyone Care About Thompson vs. Healy?
They should.
Josh “The Punk” Thompson is the former Strikeforce Lightweight champion who only recently lost his belt to reigning champ Gilbert Melendez. He hold notable wins over Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Hermes Franca, “Razor” Rob McCullough, and Melendez in their first fight. Opposite him is Team Quest standout Pat Healy, a nine year veteran with some serious wins of his own over the likes of Ryan Ford, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley and Dan Hardy. Together, these two men combine for quite an impressive resume, indeed.
So of course, no one cares about this fight. When I say that, I don’t mean to imply that ACTUALLY no one cares about this fight. Only that as far as Strikeforce’s promotional efforts are concerned, this fight has gone by almost unnoticed. Again, I think this is a mistake for the San Jose promotion, who should be trying to build up their own stable of fighters rather then push UFC castoffs and stars from other promotions. Sure, their biggest successes - Fedor, Gina Carano, Nick Diaz - have come from other organizations, to say nothing of Herschel Walker. Still, they have had some success building up their own fighters (Cyborg, anyone?) and it remains, to my mind, the only viable option for challenging the UFC.
Attention Scott Coker: I know selling the leftovers of other organizations works for short term gain, but the reason the UFC eventually moved beyond the one-off “freakshow” appeal (remember any of the Tito/Shamrock “fights”?) is because they groomed their own group of fighters who fans knew and could get behind. Strikeforce has all the tools to repeat this process and introduce their own stable of people fans can relate to, or at least recognize when they come on the screen.
Cauliflower Corner intro with Hosts Rowan "Liger" Cunningham and Jason Harkes
New Webshow intro: Cauliflower Corner with Hosts Rowan "Liger" Cunningham and Jason Harkes
We will be covering all things MMA with a specific look at Ontario MMA, Please stay tuned for our full episodes coming soon...
Let us know if you have any Ontario or Canadian MMA news that should be covered on our weekly shows, and we will try to put it on the agenda!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Fighting Spirit Competitor: Clint Kingsbury Interview
Make sure to come out to the Oneida Community Center for some Amazing MMA Action and support your local fighters!!
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP®CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS FOR UFC 116
Live from MGM Grand Arena – Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – This year, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® provides another reason to look forward to the Fourth of July weekend as the remaining bouts of UFC 116: LESNAR vs. CARWIN, presented by Bud Light, is now confirmed. UFC 116, which will consolidate the heavyweight titles held by Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, will be accentuated by some of the most notable fighters in the UFC®. The undercard bouts feature the following matchups: Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, Matt Brown vs. Chris Lytle, Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski, Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulous, Chris Tuchscherer vs. Brendan Schaub, Goran Reljic vs. Kendall Grove, Ricardo Romero vs. Seth Petruzelli, Dave Branch vs. Gerald Harris, Daniel Roberts vs. Forrest Petz and Karlos Vemola vs. Jon Madsen.
Tickets for UFC 116 are on sale now for $1000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100, not including applicable service charges, and go on sale Thursday, May 13, at 10 a.m. PT at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at UFC.com, http://www.mgmgrand.com/ or http://www.ticketmaster.com/.UFC 116 is available live on Pay-Per-View at 10pm ET/7pm PT on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).
Only two weeks after his impressive second-round TKO victory over previously undefeated Aaron Simpson, UFC veteran Chris Leben (fighting out of Oahu, Hawaii / 20-6) steps right back into the Octagon™ for the injured Wanderlei Silva and faces one of his toughest tests to date. The 29-year-old Portland, Oregon native has won his last two fights and four of his last six with three knockouts in the process. With legitimate KO power and a chin to go with it, Leben is a nightmare for many middleweight fighters. After a spectacular UFC debut a year ago, Yoshihiro Akiyama (fighting out of Osaka, Japan/13-1, 2 NC professional record) is set to make his long-awaited return to the Octagon. In his first fight, Akiyama won a split decision over Alan Belcher, while also taking home “Fight of the Night” honors in the middleweight contest. Throughout his mixed martial arts career, Akiyama has been known for his submissions and knockout power, and now he’ll definitely be getting another fighter that will test the power in those fists.
Featured in the “swing” bout of UFC® 116, Matt “The Immortal” Brown (fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio/13-8) has been victorious in three of his last four fights, including a TKO of James Wilks. Brown has excelled in his striking ability and conditioning, however his tenacity will be tested when he battles Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind./38-17-4). Lytle, a former professional boxer and a very experienced welterweight, is coming off two consecutive wins over Kevin Burns and Brian Foster. This fight should be very entertaining as both fighters do not fear exchanging blows for three rounds.
In a highly anticipated light heavyweight rematch, “The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev./14-7) looks to avenge his TKO loss at UFC® 110, which came due to a cut. Bonnar has been a highly recognized fighter in the UFC® since 2005 after his battle with Forrest Griffin in the finale of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter®. This fight is important for Bonnar to gain some much needed momentum. Krzysztof “The Polish Experiement” Soszynski (fighting out of Temecula, Calif. via Winnipeg, MB, Canada/20-10-1) is not only coming off the victory over Bonnar, but he has also won four of his five fights in the UFC. Not only does he possess the power that he displayed against Bonnar, but he also has an impressive set of submission skills, as two of his four UFC victories have come by way of arm-lock submissions.
Riding a four fight win streak that dates back to September of 2008, Kurt “Batman” Pellegrino (fighting out of Point Pleasant, N.J./21-4) has been a very successful fighter in the UFC®. Pellegrino’s background in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu have enabled him to become a highly technical fighter, with four of his seven UFC® wins coming by way of submission. His opponent George Sotiropoulos (fighting out of Vancouver, Wash./12-2) has also proved to be an Octagon standout, as he has defeated all five opponents he has faced. Making his debut at The Ultimate Fighter ® Finale 6, The Australian-born lightweight has shown to be a well-rounded fighter who can win through striking or submissions.
Chris “The Crowbar” Tuchscherer (fighting out of Fargo, N.D./18-2, 1 NC) has been able to translate a successful collegiate wrestling background into an impressive MMA record. A two-time Division II All-American and current training partner to UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, Tuchscherer is coming off a victory over Tim Hague at UFC® 109. With only two fights under his belt in the UFC®, Tuchscherer hopes a win over the up-and-coming Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub (fighting out of Denver, Colo./6-1) could be a stepping stone to future successes. In his short career, Schaub has impressed many after being the runner-up on the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter®. Schaub is coming off a TKO of Chase Gormley, who he defeated in just 47 seconds. This fight between these two prospects will be an intriguing heavyweight matchup.
After an intense battle with CB Dollaway at UFC® 110, Goran Reljic (fighting out of Zadar, Croatia/8-1) is up against another tough fighter at UFC® 116. Reljic has an impressive overall record, with two bouts in the UFC®. The Croatian fighter is a counter striker, with knockout power from his hands and feet, which is a dangerous combination for his opponent Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (fighting out of Maui, HI/13-7, 1 NC). At 6-foot-6, Grove has a reach that makes him a tough matchup for most middleweights. The veteran Hawaiian fighter has shown to be well-rounded, as his last three wins have come from three different methods (decision, TKO, submission).
Ricardo Romero (fighting out of North Brunswick, N.J./10-1) will be making his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut at UFC 116 in an attempt to take his MMA career to another level. Romero has accumulated 10 wins in his career and has shown he is not fond of leaving his fate in the hands of the judges, as nine of those wins have come by way of knockout or submission. “The Silverback” Seth Petruzelli (fighting out of Orlando, Fla./14-5) is a training partner of UFC veteran Tom Lawlor and makes his return back to the UFC. With a notable win over Kimbo Slice, Petruzelli’s first fight back has garnered plenty of buzz among fight fans.
Another fighter making his UFC debut is Dave Branch (fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y./6-0), who is undefeated in his short MMA career. He has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is a member of the Renzo Gracie fight team. His opponent Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (fighting out of Tulsa, Okla./15-2) has a wrestling background and uses powerful slams. Harris has defeated his last two opponents by TKO, most recently taking down Mario Miranda at UFC® Fight Night in March.
Daniel “Ninja” Roberts (fighting out of Tulsa, Okla./9-1) is a very athletic fighter who is a former college wrestler. He has combined his wrestling background with jiu-jitsu to post an impressive record, with most of his victories coming via submission. Now the Oklahoma product looks to get his 10th professional win against a very experienced opponent. Forrest Petz (fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio/24-7) will be making his return to the UFC. “The Meat Cleaver” has won five out of seven fights since 2007 and the Cleveland native looks to continue his winning ways back in the UFC.
With only seven professional fights under his belt, Karlos “The Terminator” Vemola (fighting out of Prague, Czech Republic/7-0) is not only a newcomer to the UFC, but also to the sport itself. Vemola has won all of his fights in his career, with three by knockout and four by submission. Jon Madsen (fighting out of Granite City, Ill./5-0) is another fighter who is undefeated through his short career. A former Division II National wrestling champion, Madsen has two victories in the UFC, most recently a unanimous decision win over Mostapha Al Turk at UFC 112.
Full Fight Card Below
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
BROCK LESNAR vs. SHANE CARWIN
YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA vs. CHRIS LEBEN
CHRIS LYTLE vs. MATT BROWN
KRZYSZTOF SOSZYNSKI vs. STEPHAN BONNAR
GEORGE SOTIROPOULOUS vs. KURT PELLEGRINO
BRENDAN SCHAUB vs. CHRIS TUCHSCHERER
KENDALL GROVE vs. GORAN RELJIC
SETH PETRUZELLI vs. RICARDO ROMERO
DAVE BRANCH vs. GERALD HARRIS
FORREST PETZ vs. DANIEL ROBERTS
JON MADSEN vs. KARLOS VEMOLA
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum Preview & Predictions
Sure, it’s not nearly as popular as the UFC, nor does it possess the production quality, however, Strikeforce does have some of the best fighters in the world signed to their roster. Plus, many fans in Canada consider this card to feature, arguably, the best male and best female fighters in the world. Heavyweight king Fedor Emelianenko takes on Fabricio Werdum, while Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos defends her women’s middleweight title against Jan Finney.
The card also features a rematch between exciting strikers Cung Le and Scott Smith. Le has a huge following in Canada and his popularity is growing since he has appeared in several feature films. Fans in Canada can watch Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on Super Channel or Showtime.
Here is a breakdown of the card:
THE ENIGMA THAT IS FEDOR
- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
Fedor is somewhat of an enigma in the sport of MMA. He is perceived as this unbeatable mystery, a man that lives in the woods whom no one can defeat. However, it is more the fact that Fedor is completely unconventional in his approach to fighting that sets him apart.
He doesn’t train with conventional workouts or diet; even when you see video of him hitting pads, he looks slow and amateurish. Compared to other mixed martial artist he looks relatively out of shape, yet he wins and finishes fights. And, it seems like Fedor does whatever his management says; a shill, owned and controlled by M-1 Global, not just sponsored by them. Couple all that with the fact he doesn’t fight top competition, and there you have the enigma of Fedor.
I think this is the fight that shows Fedor is overrated. Werdum is the first legit top-ten heavyweight the Russian has faced since Mirko Cro Cop in 2005. By the time Fedor fought Tim Sylvia and Andre Arlovski, they were over the hill and not the fighters they were when they held UFC titles. To have success, Werdum needs to come out with the same confidence he did against Gabriel Gonzaga, Brandon Vera and Antonio Silva, all the while being weary of Fedor’s power. Werdum is an enormous underdog, but since Fedor is such a question mark, it may pay off to lay down a couple shillings on the Brazilian.
Werdum in an upset.
- Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Jan Finney (for women's middleweight title)
Without sounding sexist, Santos fights like a man. She is explosive, aggressive and vicious when she’s in the cage, and many women can handle that barrage. Until a fellow female phenom arrives on the women’s mixed martial arts circuit, “Cyborg” will keep winning. Finney (8-7) will have her record bumped back to .500 as her four-fight win streak comes to an end.
Santos by death punch.
- Cung Le vs. Scott Smith
This is a rematch of Cung Le and Scott Smith’s dramatic fight from last December where Le was picking Smith apart with kicks, but Smith knocked Le out with less than two minutes remaining in the fight. This time around, Cung Le won’t have to deal with cage rust and his cardio will be improved. He hasn’t been sidetracked with as many extracurricular activities, such as filming movies. Smith has shown time and time again that he can come from behind to knock out his opponents in dramatic fashion, like he has done against Pete Sell, Benji Radach and Le in his last fight. Smith has the advantage with his hands, but Le has the edge with his feet. Le has arguably the best kicking arsenal in the sport, landing wheel kicks, heel kicks, and spinning kicks at will. Look for him to avenge his first career loss by wearing Smith down with his feet and shins.
Le.
- Pat Healy vs. Josh Thomson
Pat Healy is not well known to mainstream MMA fans, however he has fought the best in the sport for nearly nine years. Healy has aced a cavalcade of elite fighters including UFC veterans Chris Lytle, Dennis Kang, Brad Blackburn, Jay Hieron, Rory Markham, Mike Guymon, and Jake Ellenberger. He even holds victories over the likes of Dan Hardy, Paul Daley and Carlos Condit. In short, he is legit. His opponent Josh Thomson is one of the best lightweights not currently in the UFC. Thomson is coming of a decision loss to Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez and looks to win in his hometown of San Jose. His wrestling and pressure sure to be too much for Healy to handle for 15 minutes.
Thomson.
Alexander Shlemenko wins Middleweight Tournament, Joe Warren wins Featherweight Tournament as Bellator Season 2 ends in electrifying fashion
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 24, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships concluded its hugely successful second season with two more thrilling upsets on Thursday as middleweight Alexander Shlemenko scored a stunning TKO and featherweight Joe Warren won a hard-fought split decision to emerge as the Season 2 Tournament Champions in their respective divisions.
But the night undoubtedly belonged to Warren and Shlemenko, whose victories earned them $100,000 in prize money and the chance to fight reigning Bellator World Champions Joe Soto and Hector Lombard, respectively, in world title fights this fall.
Shlemenko, a 26-year-old army combat fighter known for his reliance on spinning back-fists and leg kicks, came out swinging in his typical style from the opening bell. But it was a far-more-conventional right hook to the jaw that eventually finished the heavily favored Bryan “The Beast” Baker roughly mid-way through Round 1.
The devastating punch left Baker (13-2) dazed and slowly crumpled him to the canvas before Shlemenko moved in for the finish with a flurry of punches. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight due to unanswered blows at 2:45 into Round 1. It was just the second time that Baker had suffered a loss as a pro with the other coming at the hands of UFC star Chael Sonnen more than two years ago.
“We had heard that Alexander Shlemenko was one of the best middleweights in Europe and he definitely proved that here tonight,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said afterward. “He beat a very, very talented fighter in Bryan Baker and he’s more than earned the right to face our champion Hector Lombard later this year.”
Shlemenko, for his part, said the win was also a statement on behalf of all pure strikers in MMA today.
“This victory means that strikers soon will be all over MMA and that Bellator Fighting Championships will be owned by the strikers,” he said through his translator.
Warren, meanwhile, took a far-more-circuitous route to his title. The 33-year-old former NCAA all-American and Greco-Roman wrestling world champion, appeared to be all but finished near the end of Round 1 when his opponent, the previously undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Patricio Pitbull, dropped him to the canvas with a right cross and then began a vicious ground-and-pound before Warren was saved by the bell.
But Warren rebounded in remarkable fashion during Rounds 2 and 3, digging deep and using his world-class wrestling skills to score points with a series of takedowns that were each followed by relentless ground-and-pound attacks punctuated with sharp elbows and stiff forearms to Pitbull’s head.
The split decision victory was even more impressive given that Warren spent much of the day battling a stomach virus that left him unable to keep food down or maintain his balance.
Rebney agreed, saluting Warren’s resilience and his will to win even in spite of his illness.
"He showed up tonight with a sickness that would have put a lot of people in the hospital and beat a world-class fighter and put on the kind of performance that you just can’t script,” he said. “What he did tonight was just epic and very, very impressive.”
Earlier, in the first televised fight of the night, Fresno, Calif.-based striker Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto scored a huge upset with a first round knockout of the world’s top-ranked 125-pound female fighter, England’s Rosi Sexton.
At just two minutes into Round 1, Frausto (7-1) landed a left knee to Sexton’s chin, knocking her unconscious and dropping her to the canvas before finishing her with three straight right hands to the jaw. It was just the second career loss for Sexton in 12 pro MMA fights.
“I saw the opening and I just threw the knee up,” Frausto said afterward, adding that she thinks she now deserves to be ranked No. 1 in the world at 125. “I’ve been shooting for No. 1 since I got into the sport. This is exactly why I got into MMA.”
Also Thursday, in what was billed as an “Eliminator Bout” to determine the latest entrant into Bellator’s forthcoming Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament, two-time Wyoming state high school wrestling champion Nik “Garfield” Mamalis scored his second consecutive Bellator victory to improve his pro MMA record to 10-4 and punch his ticket into the tournament’s eight-man field. The soft-spoken Mamalis used an aggressive attack to neutralize L.A.-based rising star Albert Rios (12-5) via TKO at 4:40 into Round 1.
Afterward, Rebney said that Mamalis had more than earned his place in the Bantamweight Tournament draw.
“That’s what Bellator’s all about,” Rebney said. “it’s about giving a guy like Nik who hasn’t had a chance on the big stage the opportunity to that and then he takes that opportunity by the throat.”
The evening also played host to four non-televised “Local Feature Fights” showcasing top rising stars from Louisville, Cincinnati and Southern Indiana. The results of those fights are as follows:
- Brent Weedman def. John Troyer via armbar submission – Round 1, 4:55
- Daniel Straus def. Chad Hinton via unanimous decision
- Stoney Hale def. Mike Fleniken via rear-naked choke - Round 2, 4:20
- Kurt Kinser def. David Overfield via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 2:30
Bellator returns to TV in August for its much-anticipated third season, which will feature eight-man tournaments at bantamweight and heavyweight as well as a first-of-its-kind Women’s Tournament showcasing eight female fighters ranked among the top 10 in their respective weight classes.
Each fight will once again be broadcast LIVE in primetime on Fox Sports Net and during special taped highlight shows every Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.
For more information, visit http://www.bellator.com/
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Bellator 23 post-fight press conference to stream LIVE at Bellator.com tonight
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 24, 2010) —
The live stream, broadcast from the Fourth Street Live entertainment district will begin at approximately 11 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. Pacific), one hour after the conclusion of Bellator’s LIVE Fox Sports Net broadcast.
Fans can participate in the press conference as well by e-mailing questions to info@bellator.com or through Twitter @BellatorMMA during the duration of the broadcast.
The press conference will feature Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as all eight fighters from tonight’s four televised bouts: Joe Warren, Patricio Pitbull, Alexander Shlemenko, Bryan Baker, Rosi Sexton Zoila Frausto, Nik Mamalis and Albert Rios.
For more information, visit Bellator.com
HDNET'S "INSIDE MMA" TO FEATURE LIVE BROADCAST OF THE "STRIKEFORCE-M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS. WERDUM" WEIGH-INS
DALLAS (June 24, 2010) HDNet's "Inside MMA" will provide exclusive LIVE coverage of the weigh-ins for "STRIKEFORCE-M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum," tomorrow night, Friday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Kenny Rice and "The Voice" Michael Schiavello will be joined by an all-star panel of MMA luminaries who will help break down the card and set the stage for the big event! And, Ron Kruck talks to the participants as the excitement of weigh-in Friday unfolds.
Fighters stepping onto the scale during the LIVE broadcast will include Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Jan Finney, Cung Le, Scott Smith, Josh Thomson, and Pat Healy.
"It's great to take 'Inside MMA' on the road - and straight to the fans," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "This Friday, watch the weigh-ins followed by two specials that solidify Fedor's place in MMA history."
Immediately after the live broadcast of "Inside MMA," HDNet will air a special edition of "HDNet Fights Vault" featuring Fedor Emelianenko, followed by an encore presentation of 'The Last Emperor" - a documentary about the legendary fighter.
The evening is capped off with the premiere of "HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championship 13" at 10:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to see the first television broadcast of the knockout that everyone is talking as Masanori Kanehara defends his Sengoku Featherweight Title against Marlon Sandro.
WEC star Jamie Varner loves Canada
After his main event fight with Kamal Shalorus at WEC 49 in Edmonton, Jamie Varner was limping severely due to groin shots and a broken foot, sporting a cast on his broken right hand, and his face was covered in bruises. Yet, none of that stopped the former WEC lightweight champ from addressing the media and thanking the Canadian fans at the post-fight press conference.
WEC General Manager Reed Harris said that speaks to the type of character Varner has. “Let me just say that Jamie was in a war. He’s obviously injured and yet he insisted on being at the press conference, and so that just shows you what kind of guy he is,” said Harris.
Despite being a fighter that has shown abundant heart and determination throughout his career, he is often booed in his fights since he is somewhat outspoken and that doesn’t sit well with every fan. However, the crowd at Rexall Place embraced Varner, cheering his name and applauding his courage.
“I love Canada, what can I say. The Canadian fans are so awesome, they’re not fickle,” said Varner. “It seems like you guys are more understanding out here. And, I don’t know if it’s in the States because we’ve got all of our crazy sports, and you know we see people with the outbursts and they’re looked at as like martyrs. But, out here you guys seem to be understanding. I don’t know if it’s hockey, you know, tempers fly, people get into hockey fights yet you cheer them when they get into fights.”
Varner’s fight with Shalorus ended in a controversial split draw, a rare occurrence in MMA, as the judges scored the bout 29-7 Shalorus, 29-27 Varner, and 28-28. Varner believes he won, as did the vast majority who watched the fight, but nevertheless was happy he could put on a show for his Canadian fans.
“Here, you guys came and you got to see a good fight. No matter what, every time I fight I put on a good show. I don’t go for the takedown, I don’t go for the easy way out, I try to put on a good show for you guys,” said Varner.
The Arizona native said he was overwhelmed with the support he received while north of the border. “I appreciate all the fans. I’ve gotten a great reception and when I was out here for the PR tour, when I went to West Edmonton Mall, just hanging out, the people here are just so friendly and kind,” said Varner.
In addition to being grateful for his fans, he said he feels blessed to be with an organization like World Extreme Cagefighting. “I feel really lucky to be a part of this,” said Varner. “I mean to have [WEC 49] with these studs on it, following that huge pay-per-view that the WEC had, I felt like we lived up to the hype. [The card had] some of the toughest guys that maybe aren’t the most well known, but yet they came down here and let it all hang out.”
Varner even gave props to one of Ontario’s best young fighters. “I mean, the guy that fought Chris Horodecki on a couple days notice (Danny Downes), dude that guy needs to be applauded because Chris is a tough, tough dude,” Varner said. “I’ve had my eyes on him for a couple years and the fact that guy took the fight on that short notice, I don’t think I would have done that.“
Varner went on to compliment all fighters that took part in WEC 49 including Horodecki, Mark Hominick, Yves Jabouin, Josh Grispi, Eddie Wineland and others, saying, “these are all studs man and I feel very fortunate to be fighting with these guys in the WEC.”
For more information on World Extreme Cagefighting visit wec.tv.
For more of Mike Johnston's work visit his Toronto MMA Examiner column.
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