Four Dramatic Finishes Highlight Bellator 36 with Chandler, Woodard, Imada, & Freire advancing to the Semi-finals

Shreveport, LA - (March 12, 2011) — The Bellator  Season 4 Lightweight Tournament kicked off with a bang at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, and the Lightweights left nothing to the judges with all fights ending with spectacular finishes.  The night saw Bellator’s Lightweight Tournament field get cut in half, with Michael Chandler, Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard, Toby Imada, and Patricky Freire moving onto the  Semifinals. Chandler kept his MMA record unblemished by defeating Marcin Held via a first round arm triangle submission in a battle between two rising MMA stars.  Chandler, the former Division I All-American, displayed a viscous ground and pound prior to submitting Held in the closing minutes of the first round.

This was just the beginning of an action-packed Bellator 36.

Lloyd ‘Cupcake’ Woodard impressed in his Bellator debut showing excellent balance and takedown defense on his way to a second round TKO of veteran Carey Vanier.  A Woodard left hook early in the second round left Vanier noticeably shaken, ‘Cupcake’ subsequently finished him with strong ground and pound to earn the TKO just 46 seconds into the round.  

Last minute replacement Josh Shockley was no match for 2009 Submission of the Year winner Toby Imada, as Imada displayed his superior ground game by submitting Shockley with a text book armbar in the first round.  Shockley had some success early when on his feet, but once the fight went to the ground, Imada dominated to earn the victory.

The night’s final fight was an absolute battle that ended with a Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire highlight knockout of ‘Razor’ Rob McCullough in the closing round.  Freire dominated McCullough early, but couldn’t put the veteran away.  McCullough came back strong in rounds two and three, but Freire answered with a huge right hand that sends the Brazilian to the semi-finals.

“We expected great fights tonight and we were not disappointed.  Our Lightweights put on a spectacular show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium tonight,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.  

Official Main Card Results:

Rob McCullough Patricky Freire def. Rob McCullough by TKO [3:11, Round 3]

Toby Imada def. Josh Shockley by Armbar Submission [ , Round 1

Lloyd Woodard def. Carey Vanier by TKO [0:46, Round 2]

Michael Chandler def. Marcin Held by Arm Triangle Submission [3:56, Round 1]

The UFC purchases rival MMA promotion Strikeforce

By Mike Johnston

@MikeyJ_MMA

Dana White and the UFC have announced that Zuffa has purchased rival mixed martial arts promotion Strikeforce. In an interview with Ariel Helwani of mmafighting.com White made the announcement that has the MMA community buzzing. This deal is different to when World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the UFC several months ago, and to when Zuffa purchased PRIDE in 2007. The UFC and Strikeforce will run as two separate entities.

White touched on the UFC’s plans to continue its expansion in Canada and across the world. “The UFC is the premiere brand of mixed martial arts. I’ve been saying for ten years, we have a plan to take this thing global and make this thing the biggest sport in the world,” said White. “We’re going into 55,000 seats in Toronto, Canada, we just sold out in Australia again and we plan on going to China… we’re going to Korea, we’re going to Japan, we’re going to India, we’re going to all these different places.”

“Up in Toronto, since we went up there and got Ontario done, there’s like 20 [upcoming MMA] shows scheduled just in Ontario now,” said White. “Strikeforce could end up in Canada and other parts of the world,” White added.

White repeatedly said in the interview that “it is business as usual” and that nothing will change in the near future. If a fighter is currently signed with Strikeforce they will not appear in the UFC. White also stated that co-promoting with Strikeforce is not something in the cards. White did however say that in the future they could make some “tweaks” to have the Strikeforce brand become more viable to a wider audience.

There were several key reasons as to why the UFC made the deal according to the UFC President: “Number one, we do acquire their library [of fight footage] and we have the largest mixed martial arts library on the planet. Number two is we continue to go into these other countries and we continue to grow and expand the business. I’ve been saying this for the past year-and-a-half, we need more fighters, we need to put on more fights.”

Strikeforce currently has some of the most high profile mixed martial artists in the world including: Nick Diaz, Alistair Overeem, Fedor Emelianenko, Gilbert Melendez, Dan Henderson, ‘Jacare’ Souza, and Canadian Sarah Kaufman.

To watch the entire interview CLICK HERE.

For more UFC and MMA news follow @MikeyJ_MMA on Twitter.

ZUFFA (UFC) Buys Strikeforce!!

Wreck MMA and The Score brings you: Tyler Hardcastle vs. Kyle Vivian

Wreck MMA and The Score brings you: Alka Matewa vs. Jesse Ronson

Wreck MMA and The Score brings you: Jordan Mein vs. Joe Riggs

Wreck MMA and The Score bring you Jesse Gross vs. Pablo Santos

THREE FOR ALL

 

UFC^® ANNOUNCES EDGAR VS. MAYNARD III

ON MAY 28 IN LAS VEGAS

 

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011

Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena - Tickets on Sale Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. PT

 

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Eight rounds have not been enough to settle the score between UFC^® lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and number one contender Gray Maynard. On Memorial Day weekend, they will get five more to prove to the world who the top 155-pound fighter in mixed martial arts truly is, as they meet for the third time in the main event of UFC^® 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, May 28, 2011 and presented by Bud Light.

 

“The last time Gray and Frankie fought, they put on one of the best fights of the year,” UFC President Dana White said. “It was the draw no one really complained about. I think a lot of people saw in that fight that Frankie Edgar is the real deal. This is the third and last time these two will come together and the stakes have never been higher.”

 

Plus, four highly-anticipated fights are on tap as former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson takes on Matt “The Hammer” Hamill, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir meets Roy “Big Country” Nelson, rising star Stefan Struve is pitted against Travis Browne, and “All-American” Brian Stann mixes it up with returning middleweight contender Jorge Santiago.

 

Tickets for UFC 130: EDGAR vs. MAYNARD III are priced at $800, $600, $400, $250, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges, and go on sale Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. PT at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino).  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at  http://www.ticketmaster.com or www.mgmgrand.com.

 

UFC^® Fight Club^™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, March 17 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, March 18, starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com .

 

UFC^® 130: EDGAR vs. MAYNARD III will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-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 and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

 

With two back-to-back wins over UFC legend BJ Penn and a memorable comeback against Gray Maynard in their draw at UFC 125 in January, UFC lightweight championFrankie Edgar (fighting out of Toms River, N.J. / professional record – 13-1-1) has won eight fights in the UFC. The only blemishes on the Summit, New Jersey native’s record are to Maynard - a 2008 unanimous decision loss and the New Year’s Day draw. With lightning-quick boxing and proven wrestling skills, the 29-year-old champion and former Division I college wrestler is focused on evening the score by pinning an “L” on the undefeated challenger’s record.

 

“I’m excited for our third fight and to have a definite winner,” Edgar said. “I want to go out there and prove that I am the best lightweight in the world. I feel honored to be a part of a trilogy like this. Like the Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture trilogy, I hope this is something fight fans remember for years. Our last two fights went to decision and I would love a finish this time so there are no doubts.”

 

On an amazing eight-fight win streak before the draw against Edgar, Gray Maynard (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 11-0-1, 1 NC) looks to keep his undefeated record alive and realize his dream of becoming UFC lightweight champion. The former three-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Michigan State has parlayed his success on the mat and has transitioned nicely into the Octagon^®. With wins over names such as Edgar, Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, Dennis Siver and Roger Huerta, Maynard has been in there with the best and has beaten the best.

 

“I’m very excited to fight Frank Edgar again at UFC 130,” Maynard said. “This is my chance to prove once and for all that I’m the best lightweight in the world. You’ll see me the most prepared and focused I’ve ever been. Nothing will keep me from holding the UFC lightweight belt on May 28^th.”

 

One of the most exciting and electrifying fighters inside and outside the Octagon, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (fighting out of Irvine, Calif. / 31-8) has never been short of words or talent as one of the most recognized fighters in the world. The former UFC and PRIDE^® champion is coming off a big win against ex-title holder Lyoto Machida at UFC 123 and is looking to recapture the light heavyweight crown. First, he meets Matt Hamill (fighting out of Utica, N.Y. / 11-2), who holds notable victories over Tito Ortiz, Mark Munoz, Tim Boetsch and Keith Jardine. Now the 34-year-old is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career. 

 

“Matt just took out Tito in his last fight and now he’s going after Rampage,” UFC President Dana White said. “He is really hitting his stride and he’s finally in big, marquee fights. He wanted this fight with Rampage and it should be really interesting.”

 

One of the most intriguing fights on the card, Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 14-5) vs. Roy Nelson (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 16-5) has the capability to be a slugfest or a technical ground war. Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, is coming off a huge win over mixed martial arts legend Mirko Cro Cop. The Las Vegas native knocked out the famed Croatian striker with a knee at UFC 119 and has won two of his last three including a submission victory over Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. Nelson, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt like Mir, has the submission skills to put anyone away in the UFC heavyweight division, but has won two of his last three fights by knockout, including two first-round stoppages over Stefan Struve and Brendan Schaub.

 

“This is a really fun fight,” UFC President Dana White said. “Mir vs. Big Country is a fight between two monster heavyweights with big knockout power and great submissions. They’ve both been around a long time and I’m excited for this fight.”

 

Two of the tallest fighters in UFC history, Stefan Struve (fighting out of Beverwijk, Netherlands / 25-4) and Travis Browne (fighting out of Honolulu, Hawaii / 10-0-1)will make the Octagon look a lot smaller on fight night. The 6-foot-11 Struve has put together a quality run in the UFC, which includes wins in five of his last six fights – highlighted by his back-to-back knockouts over Christian Morecraft and Sean McCorkle. At 6-foot-7, Browne is not used to looking up when fighting opponents in the UFC. The Hawaiian remains unfazed though and turned heads in his UFC debut with a first-round knockout over James McSweeney. He then went the distance with UFC veteran Cheick Kongo in a draw at UFC 120.

 

A real American hero, Brian Stann (fighting out of Scranton, Pa. / 10-3) has gone from fighting on the battlefields as a decorated Marine to fighting in the Octagon and making plenty of noise in the UFC. Winner of four of his last five fights, including a memorable knockout over the then-unstoppable Chris Leben at UFC 125, Stann has his hands full with returning veteran Jorge Santiago (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fl. / 22-8). Winner of 11 of his last 12 fights since his last UFC appearance in 2006, including victories over Jeremy Horn, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Kazuo Misaki, the well-rounded Santiago has become a legit 185-pound contender in the last four years, making the timing perfect for his return to the Octagon.

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE

FRANKIE EDGAR vs. GRAY MAYNARD III

 

ALSO FEATURING:

QUINTON ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON vs. MATT HAMILL

FRANK MIR vs. ROY NELSON

STEFAN STRUVE vs. TRAVIS BROWNE

BRIAN STANN vs. JORGE SANTIAGO

 

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Jimmo to defend title at MFC 29 against Newton

Rematch between light heavyweight rivals tabbed as Conquer co-main event

 A second spectacular title fight will be featured on the stacked lineup for MFC 29: Conquer.

Just six weeks after claiming the MFC world light heavyweight title, newly crowned champion Ryan “The Big Deal” Jimmo will defend his belt against former champ Emanuel

“The Hardcore Kid” Newton in the co-main event of the show slated for Friday, April 8 at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor. The bout is subject to OAC approval.

This title fight joins the scheduled battle between defending MFC world welterweight champ Douglas “The Phenom” Lima and “Dangerous” Terry Martin which tops the bill of the S.L. Feldman’s & Associates presented card airing live on HDNet Fights.

 The Jimmo-Newton clash will be a rematch between the two combatants. They originally squared-off at MFC 23 with Jimmo taking a unanimous decision.

 Jimmo (14-1), who also re-signed a new multi-fight contract, captured the organization’s 205-pound title at MFC 28 by topping Dwayne Lewis midway through the third round via a doctor’s stoppage TKO. It was the 14^th consecutive victory for the Halifax, Nova Scotia, product who now fights out of Edmonton, Alberta. Jimmo’s resume, which boasts six knockouts and two submissions, holds career wins over Wilson Gouveia, Marvin Eastman, and Jesse Forbes.

 Newton (14-6-1) was also successful on the same night as he returned to the MFC in dramatic fashion with a second-round submission win via rear-naked choke over Rodney Wallace.

 The Long Beach, California, native, who racked up an 11-fight unbeaten streak over a three-year period earlier in his career, claimed the light heavyweight crown at MFC 19 with a convincing decision win over Roger Hollett. But Newton’s reign was a short one as he dropped the title in his lone defense, falling in a five-round affair to Trevor Prangley at MFC 21.

 Newton’s career log boasts two wins coming by way of knockout and five via submission. Along the way, Newton has defeated the likes of David Heath and Kyacey Uscola.

UFC 128: Full Fight Card

 

 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

 

Tickets Are On Sale Now

 

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship^® is pleased to announce the remaining bouts for its return trip to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on March 19. The UFC^® again brings a star-studded lineup to New Jersey featuring must-see matchups in every division.

 

Having already announced the blockbuster headliner of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua defending his UFC light heavyweight championship against Jon “Bones” Jones and a co-main event featuring Urijah “The California Kid” Faber taking on Eddie Wineland in a battle at bantamweight, the UFC^® confirms 10 additional bouts for UFC^® 128: SHOGUN vs. JONES. 

 

The remaining bouts include: Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus, Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt, Mirko Cro Cop vs. Brendan Schaub, Luiz Cane vs. Eliot Marshall, Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani, Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle, Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau, Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland, Raphael Assuncao vs. Erik Koch and Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone.

 

Tickets for UFC^® 128: SHOGUN vs. JONES are on sale now and priced at $500, $350, $225, $150, $100 and $60, not including applicable service charges. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Prudential Center box office. 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 www.prucenter.com or ticketmaster.com.

 

UFC^® 128: SHOGUN vs. JONES, which is presented by Affliction, will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-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 and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

 

The Cane vs. Marshall and Barboza vs. Njokuani bouts will air live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Two additional bouts – Almeida vs. Pyle and Pellegrino vs. Tibau – will air onhttp://www.facebook.com/ufc at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

 

Having won six straight and eight of nine fights in his UFC career, lightweight Jim Miller (fighting out of Whippany, N.J. / 19-2) looks to continue his rise to the top of the division.  Once a collegiate wrestler at Virginia Tech, the New Jersey native also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is coming off of a Submission of the Night victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 124.  Miller will surely have home field advantage in his fight against unbeaten four-fight WEC veteran Kamal Shalorus (fighting out of Austin, Texas / 7-0-2).  A freestyle wrestler originally from Iran, the “Prince of Persia” is hoping to continue his winning ways and make a statement in his UFC debut in New Jersey.

 

In an exciting battle at middleweight, top Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama (fighting out of Osaka, Japan / 13-3, 2NC) is back in action for the first time since losing a close decision to Michael Bisping at UFC 120.  A Judo ace, Akiyama has strung together three-straight  Fight of the Night performances starting with his debut at UFC 100, and is hoping to get back on the winning path when he takes onNate Marquardt (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 33-10-2).  Nate “The Great,” a former challenger to the middleweight title, looks to put his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and heavy hands to good use in his first bout since UFC 122 in Germany.

 

Fan favorite Mirko Cro Cop (fighting out of Zagreb, Croatia / 27-8-2, 1NC) is back in action and looking to put his powerful legs to work.  The former kickboxing and PRIDE^® Grand Prix champion has seen his share of success overseas as well as in the UFC. With wins in three of his last five inside the Octagon^®, the Croatian will continue his quest toward the heavyweight championship againstBrendan Schaub (fighting out of Denver, Colo. / 8-1). “The Hybrid” is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121 and is hungry for more.  A winner of three straight overall, the former University of Colorado football player is planning on using his knockout power to secure another UFC victory.

 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luiz Cane (fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil / 11-3, 1NC) has used his aggressive style of fighting to find success inside the Octagon, including a Knockout of the Night performance in just his second UFC fight.  “Banha” is fighting for the first time since UFC 114 in May, and is hoping that he can get back in the winner’s circle.  He’ll take on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former The Ultimate Fighter^® season eight cast member Eliot Marshall (fighting out of Boulder, Colo. / 11-3).  Returning to the UFC for the first time in nearly a year, “The Fire” is hoping to make the best of it by claiming a win in his home state.

 

Edson Barboza (fighting out of Jupiter, Fla. by way of Nova Friburgo, Brazil / 7-0) is looking to continue the dominance he displayed in his UFC debut at UFC 123 in November against Mike Lullo.  The Brazilian nicknamed “Junior” impressed all with his vicious leg kicks that caused the TKO stoppage in round three.  The 24-year-old Muay Thai ace will take on former WEC lightweight standoutAnthony Njokuani (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 14-4). Originally from Nigeria, “The Assassin” has much to show for his seven fights in the WEC, including three Knockout of the Night performances. Having defeated Edward Faaloloto at WEC: Faber vs. Mizugaki in November, Njokuani is looking to continue the momentum in his UFC debut in the Garden State.

 

A veteran of 10 UFC fights, with the first one being at UFC 31, Ricardo Almeida (fighting out of Hamilton, N.J. / 13-4) knows what it takes to be successful inside the Octagon.  Coming off a unanimous decision victory over TJ Grant at UFC 124, “Big Dog” is ready to display his third degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt skills in a tough welterweight battle.  Standing in his way is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt and Xtreme Couture product Mike Pyle (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 20-7-1).  Having scored the upset decision victory over John Hathaway at UFC 120, “Quicksand” is looking to make it three in a row in Newark.

 

New Jersey native Kurt Pellegrino (fighting out of Point Pleasant, N.J. / 21-5) is known for his slick submission game. Having won both Submission and Fight of the Night awards in past bouts, the fighter nicknamed “Batman” expect fireworks when he takes on the explosive Gleison Tibau (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. / 31-7) in an exciting lightweight battle.  A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who trains with American Top Team, Tibau looks to continue his string of crowd-pleasing performances March 19.

 

A seven-fight WEC veteran who trains with co-headliner Urijah Faber at Team Alpha Male, Joseph Benavidez (fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. / 13-2) makes his UFC debut in Newark.  Benavidez already made a statement in the WEC’s bantamweight division by winning both Fight and Submission of the Night, as well as fighting for the WEC bantamweight championship. He hopes to impress UFC fans when he takes on Ian Loveland (fighting out of Portand, Ore. / 14-7). “The Barn Owl” is coming off of a dominating debut victory over Tyler Toner at The Ultimate Fighter^® Finale in December, and is looking to use his Tae Kwon Do to garner another win inside the Octagon.

Last winning a unanimous decision over LC Davis in November, five-fight WEC veteran Raphael Assuncao (fighting out of Atlanta, Ga. / 15-3) is hoping for the same victorious result in his UFC debut.  He’ll put his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to the test when he faces Erik Koch (fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis. / 11-1), who makes his long-awaited UFC debut at the Prudential Center on March 19.  The featherweight is riding a two-fight win streak that includes a Knockout of the Night performance in November. Now, the 22-year-old Iowan nicknamed “New Breed” is hoping to continue his dominance in the UFC 145-pound class.

 

Middleweight Dan Miller (fighting out of Whippany, N.J. / 13-4, 1NC) is currently riding a two-fight win streak, most recently earning a split decision victory over Joe Doerksen at UFC 124.  Like his brother Jim, Dan is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and has made great use of it in the past. Former NCAA Division I wrestler Nick Catone (fighting out of Brick, N.J. / 8-2) is standing in Miller’s way in this all-Jersey showdown.  Having recently beaten Jesse Forbes, “The Jersey Devil” looks to start UFC 128 off with a bang by defeating his opponent in style.

MAIN EVENT

SHOGUN VS. JONES

URIJAH FABER vs. Eddie Wineland

JIM MILLER vs. KAMAL SHALORUS

YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA vs. NATE MARQUARDT

MIRKO CRO COP vs. BRENDAN SCHAUB

 

ON SPIKE TV AT 9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT

LUIZ CANE vs. ELIOT MARSHALL

EDSON BARBOZA vs. ANTHONY NJOKUANI

 

ON FACEBOOK AT 8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT

RICARDO ALMEIDA vs. MIKE PYLE

KURT PELLEGRINO vs. GLEISON TIBAU

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ vs. IAN LOVELAND

RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO vs. ERIK KOCH

DAN MILLER vs. NICK CATONE

 

 

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

WRECK MMA: AFGHANISTAN Results

Here are the unofficial quick results from today’s WRECK MMA card at the Canadian military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan:

Bryan Edge submits Theo Toney by Scissor Choke in the 1st
Bojan Kladnjakovic submits Mike Reilly by Triangle in the 2nd
Brett Biederman KOs Chris Logan in the 1st
Chris St-Jean submits Joel Corbett by RNC in the 1st
Justin Smethurst submits Asa Stokes by armbar in the 3rd

Randy Turner’s fight was cancelled.

Sexy in Defeat: Is Yoshihiro Akiyama Fighting to Keep His Job At UFC 128?

Yoshihiro Akiyama is what would happen if you asked the women of Japan to design a professional fighter based on their sexual fantasies, minus any tentacle monster-related fetishes of course (this experiment has already been tried in Canada with great success).
The man is epic. Not the lame, frat-boy “my kegger is gonna be epic, dude!” sort of epic. Epic like a successful male model who also happens to be a badass professional fighter. Zoolander with a black belt kinda epic.
Maybe its his go for broke fighting style. Maybe it’s his “Ave Maria” entrance music, such a refreshing (and jarring) change from the usual diarrhea stream of nu-metal one endures at any MMA event. Maybe it’s the man’s impeccable taste in felt, dandelion-yellow trench coats.
Akiyama established himself as a superstar in his native Orient, the “Tiger Woods of Japan” according to Dana White (vicodin and fugly Denny’s waitress not included) before coming to America and carving a niche with fans in the UFC, where Japanese talent has historically struggled to catch on.

Now “Sexyama” needs to take a page out of Charlie Sheen’s book and start winning.
When he steps into the cage at UFC 128 on March 19th, he’ll be bringing a less then impressive 1-2 UFC record with him. This begs the question: should he lose (in what would be his 3rd consecutive loss), will Akiyama be facing the chopping block?
Dana White doesn’t think so. And that should be the end of the debate, but Mr. White isn’t exactly a paragon of integrity or consistency when it comes to these sort of promises.
He once promised reporters that he would never cut a guy as exciting as Jason McDonald – and then fired him the next day. Who dares venture to guess at the motivations of MMA’s evil mastermind?
Alright, I dare.
Results and cost motivate White, same as any big time CEO. If you’re cheap to keep around, you can afford to be wildly inconsistent (see Tuscherer, Chris).
If your contract has 5 zero’s on it, however, then you better be wary of putting one or two – let alone three – straight notches on the L side of your ledger.
Yet Akiyama might have a none to pick with Joe Silva on that score.
For being a highly-touted, much hyped prospect the UFC was hoping to leverage as a gateway to the Asian market, Akiyama has faced an absolute murderers row of fighters, each one tougher then the last.
Akiyama made his debut against Alan Belcher, who aside from having MMA’s worst tatoo is also a vastly underrated striker. He squeaked out a decision, then got Wanderlei Silva in a fight that would legitimately be big were it put on in Japan.
Unfortunately for Akiyama, it wasn’t put on anywhere, with Silva falling out with injury. Chris Leben stepped up on short notice, and his dramatic triangle choke victory halted Akiyama’s fledgling momentum.
Only not. After this loss, Akiyama was given Michael Bisping, who was ranked higher than (and held a win over) Chris Leben. Akiyama lost that one, so now he gets a nice, easy build up fight in…Nate Marquardt, an elite top-5 middleweight.
What gives?
Well Akiyama’s somewhat hefty price tag has a lot to do with it. He made a reported $45,000 against Chris Leben, and stood to make $70,000 with a win. That’s not exactly Chuck Liddell money, but if you add his “Fight of the Night” bonus money that he wlways wins, his sponsorship money and any “locker room” bonuses he might (and probably is) getting, well – Yoshihiro Akiyama got paid the entire salary of a “Strikeforce: Challengers” card to get triangled by Chris Leben.
So if you’re paying a guy that much money, the argument goes, he needs to be put in big fights. But there’s another argument that says you shouldn’t throw a prospect you’ve got a lot invested in into one meat grinder after another.
Those have been exciting meat grinders, though. Akiyama has won “Fight of the Night” in every outing. Its that fact more then anything that will keep Akiyama on the payroll in the event he loses to Nate Marquardt at 128.
He’s also an undersized MW, so he could always play the “drop a weightclass” card to keep his spot on the roster. In fact, 170 lbs is where many would like to see him ply his trade anyways, so maybe this loss if it happens could be a blessing in disguise.
Then again, for that money and hype the UFC probably wanted something more then a Japanese Kenny Florian with a killer “blue steel” look.
By Elton Hobson

Jon Jones MMA Debut

Jon "Bones" Jones- One of the fastest rising stars in the World of MMA with only a few sort years of training he is now fighting for one of the hottest contested Titles ever, the Light Heavyweight Title of the UFC!!
Here is Jones first try at MMA, quite impressive for a Debut!

AGGRESSION MMA RELEASES FINALIZED FIGHT CARD FOR “PUNISHMENT”

Event to be aired on the Score Television Network

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): Aggression MMA, Edmonton’s top MMA promotion, has released its finalized fight card for its upcoming event entitled “Punishment,” which includes the pairings of the first leg of its lightweight title tournament, as well as a main event featuring top Canadian welterweight Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford. “Punishment” will be held on Friday, March 11^th at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, with the first fight kicking off at 7 PM.

Also, Aggression is proud to announce that “Punishment” will be broadcast via tape delay on The Score Television Network, as part of the Score Fighting Series. The Score is a national specialty television channel providing sports news, information, highlights and live event programming in more than 6.8 million homes across Canada.

Tickets for “Punishment” are now on sale, and are priced at $55 and $75. Tickets are available at www.tnttickets.ca or via email at info@aggressionmma.com.

“We’re very excited to have a top talent like Ryan Ford headlining ‘Punishment,’ and when you add the lightweight title tournament…what an event it’s going to be!” exclaimed Aggression MMA CEO Harvey Panesar. “And with it being shown on a network like the Score, it shows that Aggression is part of the upper echelon of Canadian fight promotions, and that the sky is the limit from here.”

Here’s the finalized “Punishment” fight card:

Main event:

Ryan Ford (13-3) vs. Johnny Davis (15-3)

Diego Wilson (5-0) vs. Josh Hill (4-0) for the Aggression Bantamweight Title

Lightweight title tournament:

           

Shane Campbell (4-0) vs. Dave Mazany (5-3)

Trevor Wright (5-3) vs. Evan Sanguin (6-3)

Kurt Southern (9-3) vs. Brad Cardinal (12-5)

Adam Lorenz (8-1) vs. Will Romero (5-1)

Mukai Maromo (3-2) vs. Tim Tamaki (11-22-1)

Trent Thorne (6-4) vs. Jason Gorny (3-4)

Mike Scarcello (2-0) vs. Brandt Dewsberry (5-0)

Owen Carr (4-1) vs. Keenan Feeney (2-1)

Due to several injuries, the 4^th lightweight tournament bout will be held at an upcoming show. The three winners of the tournament at “Punishment” will square off at the next Aggression event, and the finals will be held at the following event. The tournament winner will get the lightweight championship, as well as a cash bonus.

Wreck MMA back May 6th with 2 Title Fights

Wreck MMA officially announces that they will be back at the Casino Lac-Leamy on May 6th, 2011 for Wreck MMA: Unstoppable. Scheduled to be featured on the event is a Bantamweight Title Bout between John 'The Haggis Basher' Fraser against Saskatoon's Eric Wilson. A second title fight will be on the card as Jesse 'The Ghost' Gross (who headlined Wreck's first Afghanistan trip) will be facing Brad Cardinal for theWreck Lightweight Title. Making his much anticipated return to Wreck is one of Ottawa's most popular fighters as Nabil 'The Thrill' Khatib will take on Markhaille 'Showtime' Wedderburn. Also scheduled to appear are Stephane Bernadel, Marc Lefebvre, Jeff Harrison, Lindsey Hawkes,Nathan Gunn, Mustafa Khalil and Pablo Santos.

Expect to hear from Wreck MMA very soon with an updated fight card and ticket information. The last event was a sellout and the talk of the region for weeks, so you do not want to miss the non-stop exciting action of Wreck MMA.

Bellator 35 Debuts on MTV2 as Good, Hieron, Hawn, and Weedman advance to Welterweight Semifinals

Lemoore, CA. (March 5, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships made its highly anticipated season 4 debut on MTV2, and the action certainly didn’t disappoint. The night saw Bellator’s Welterweight Tournament field get cut in half, with Brent Weedman, Rick Hawn, Jay Hieron, and Lyman Good moving onto the Bellator Welterweight Semifinals later this season.

“Weedman Nation” was on full display at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, and the Bellator veteran didn’t disappoint his fans, collecting a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle in a surprising upset victory.

The action rolled on as former Judoka Olympian Rick Hawk entered the cage against the UK’s own “Judo” Jim Wallhead. While fans expected a judo heavy fight, it was anything but as Hawn showed off his improved striking game, eventually earning him a Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) victory over Wallhead.

In what was the most controversial fight of the night, former UFC and Strikeforce veteran Jay Hieron locked horns with submission specialist Anthony Lapsley. The two welterweights traded blows early, but near the end of the first round, Hieron locked Lapsley up in what seemed like a tight rear naked choke. After limited movement by Lapsley on the ground, the cage referee declared Lapsley had been put to sleep, and awarded Hieron a technical submission victory. A wide awake Lapsley was stunned by the decision, but Hieron was awarded victory and will move onto the Bellator welterweight semifinals.

The night’s final fight saw former Bellator World Welterweight Champion Lyman “Cyborg” Good take on Chris “The Assassin” Lozano in the final welterweight quarterfinal matchup. Both fighters exchanged solid strikes early, with Good landing a hard hook to the left eye of Lozano that left “The Assassin” with a large mouse under his eye. While Lozano continued to battle, Good seemed to get stronger as the fight went on, and the judges agreed, awarding Good a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) victory. 

“We expected very close fights and that's exactly what we got at a sold out Tachi Palace live on MTV2,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. 

Official Main Card Results:

• Brent Weedman def. Dan Hornbuckle by Unanimous Decision [29-28, 29-28, 29-28]
• Rick Hawn def. Jim Wallhead by Unanimous Decision [29-28, 29-28, 30-27]
• Jay Hieron def. Anthony Lapsely by Rear Naked Choke [3:39, Round 1]
• Lyman Good defeats Chris Lozano by unanimous decision [30-27, 30-27, 29-28]

Bellator 35 Premieres Tonight, LIVE, On MTV2 from the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino

Lemoore, CA. (March 5, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships highly anticipated fourth season kicks off tonight when the promotion makes its debut LIVE on MTV2 beginning at 9 PM. The night’s action will feature four opening round welterweight tournament fights, with the winners moving on to the semifinals later this season.

“Tonight’s live Bellator premiere on MTV2 at 9:00 PM should be spectacular,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Our welterweight tournament is absolutely stacked, so our fans at the Tachi Palace and watching on MTV2 are in for a great night.”

The tournament includes "Judo" Jim Wallhead and former Judoka Olympian Rick Hawn squaring off in an explosive matchup, hard hitting Anthony Lapsley taking on highly touted Bellator newcomer Jay "Thoroughbred" Hieron, Dan "The Handler" Hornbuckle meets Brent Weedman in a quarterfinal fight, and the Bellator 35 Main Event pits former Bellator World Welterweight Champion Lyman "Cyborg" Good against fast-rising undefeated knockout artist Chris "The Assassin" Lozano. 

About Bellator Fighting Championships

This weekend, there’s no better place for action fans than the Arnold Sports Festival. It’s also where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met the STRIKEFORCE fighters and ring girls!

Click below to watch share and embed his interview with SHOWTIME Reporter Heidi Androl and Gov. Schwarzenegger

Don’t miss Saturday’s massive MMA event

FEIJAO VS. HENDERSON, Live on SHOWTIME, TONIGHT at 10pm ET

For more info visit sports.sho.com

WRECK MMA: AFGHANISTAN

Date: March 9
Location: Kandahar Boardwalk in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Wreck MMA is proud to announce that they are making their second visit to Afghanistan to entertain the troops with six professional MMA fights. Following the trip in October, the thousands of troops in attendance loved the event and couldn't wait for Wreck to return. Their wish will be fullfilled as the Canadian forces asked Wreck to once again step up and support our troops.

The fights will begin on the afternoon of March 9th, 2011 and headed to Afghanistan are two teams of six fighters ready to entertain the thousands in attendance. The first team will be coached by the Head Instructer of the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts, Pat Cooligan and the other by the experienced coach and fighter from London's Adrenaline MMA, Chris 'The Menace' Clements.

The main event will have Caledonia's Bryan Edge taking on Brampton's Theo 'The Poetic Hitman' Toney in what should be a highly contested and exciting tilt. Fighters from all corners of Ontario will fill out the rest of the card as fighters from Rockland, Woodbridge, Wallaceburg, Brantford, Windsor, Sarnia, London and Ottawa will be competing. All fighters and staff will once again be donating their time to support the troops who protect us every day. The fighters participating in this event deserve a lot of credit for stepping up and giving back to the troops.

One of those troops is Randy Turner. Turner is a two-time Wreck veteran who is currently stationed in Kandahar. As a special treat for his fellow soldiers, Turner will be competing on this event against London's Andrew MacAloney.

Wreck MMA could not bring you this event without the help of our sponsors and people who have supported this trip. They include The Martial Artist, The Score, Seiko, Cora Lee Williams, OYDN Leasing & Property Management, Dan Lavigne, Katie Robinson, Mike Wass, Craig Bushey and Barbuzz.net.

Coach Chris Clements vs. Coach Pat Cooligan

[145] Theo Toney (1-0) vs. Bryan Edge (3-1)
[135] Mike Reilly (2-0) vs. Bojan Kladnjakovic (0-1)
[170] Chris Logan (0-0) vs. Brett Biederman (0-2)
[170] Joel Corbett (0-0) vs. Christopher St-Jean (0-2)
[155] Asa Stokes (0-0) vs. Justin Smethurst (0-2)
[135] Andrew MacAloney (0-0) vs. Randy Turner (1-1)

RYAN “THE REAL DEAL” FORD TO HEADLINE AGGRESSION MMA’S “PUNISHMENT”

“I want 2011 to be the real deal!”

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (13-3, five KO/TKO’s, seven submissions) was recently announced to be part of the main event for the March 11^th Aggression MMA event, which is entitled, “Punishment.”Ford’s opponent at “Punishment” will be Johnny “JJ” Davis (15-3), a well-rounded fighter with a lot of experience behind him. Now a member of Edmonton’s top MMA promotion, Ford has carved out a reputation as one of Canada’s top young 170-pounders. A native of Edmonton, “The Real Deal” is set to make 2011 his year.

A multi-time veteran of The Fight Club and Maximum Fighting Championships, “The Real Deal” has defeated UFC veteransPete Spratt (twice) and CJ Fernandes, and has faced current Strikeforce combatant Pat “Bam Bam” Healy. Many consider Ford to be the top contender for the spot of Canada’s next breakout welterweight, following in the footsteps of current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. With twelve finishes in his thirteen wins, he is on the cusp of true superstar status, and is hungry to prove that he belongs amongst the elite of the North American fight scene.

Outside the cage, Ford launched his own clothing line, which he calls “G’d Up Clothing.” He is also a family man, having married his wife Nina in 2010, and has a young daughter named Bella. His motivation to be the best he can be is certainly in place.

“I want 2011 to be the real deal,” says Ford. “I want this to be the year that shows how my MMA game has evolved, and how I am one of the top guys at 170 lbs. in the world who is not signed by the UFC. And I want this year to begin and end undefeated, and with me as the Aggression MMA Welterweight Champion.

“And for my opponent at ‘Punishment,’ and my fans, be ready to see why they call me ‘The Real Deal.’”

In addition to the Ford-Davis main event, “Punishment” will feature its first ever eight-man lightweight tournament. The winner of the tourney will be crowned the Aggression Lightweight Champion. Fighters scheduled to participate includeShane “Shaolin” Campbell, Tim Jenson, Ryan Machan, Estavan Payan, Mitch Clarke, Trevor Wright, Brad Cardinal, and Kurt Southern. The four winners will square off at the next Aggression event, and the finals will be held at the following event. The tournament winner will get the lightweight championship, as well as a cash bonus. Fight pairings and other matchup announcements “Punishment” event will be released soon.

Tickets are on sale, and are available at www.tnttickets.ca or via email at info@aggressionmma.com. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.aggressionmma.com/  

Martin Kampmann Has Only Himself To Blame

Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez should be committed.
Nobody takes that kind of two-fisted buttkickin’ and keeps coming back for more. Nobody gets their bones broken and their face mashed like that and keeps swinging away like a cave man on 3 day cocaine Charlie Sheen binge.
For 15 minutes, the two men went at it tooth and nail in a fight that showcased heart, guts, and incredible versatility and range from both men.
But who wants to talk about that boring crap when there’s some controversial judging to get everyone’s hackles raised?
Diego Sanchez won the fight? Diego Sanchez? The guy who flopped to the mat like a carp in the opening round? The guy who went 1 for 14 on takedown attempts? The guy who looks like the Elephant Man just made out with a belt sander?
I half-expected Diego to start shouting “Adrian! ADRIAN!!!” during his post-fight interview.

To the MMA writer, “Reform the Judging System!” articles are the equivalent of comfort food. They’re the tub of Rocky Road ice cream waiting for you in the freezer, the comfy pair of old sweat pants with the mustard stain, the cold beer and nice cigar on the patio after a long day at the office.
So I would suggest that most MMA writers and media analysts have missed the true story of this fight – or at least a fair chunk of it – in their rush to burn the judges in effigy.
Folks, the judges didn’t rob Martin Kampmann of a win. The only one who did that was Martin Kampmann himself.
Which is a shame, because I think Martin Kampmann is the man, and I really don’t know for the life of me why he isn’t tearing up his division right now.
People talk about his “underrated ground game” all the time, but I think even that description falls short of the mark. Kampmann’s (MMA) wrestling game especially is world-class; anyone who can shrug off a Jake Shields or Diego Sanchez takedown like it was nothing is worthy of serious props.
Combine that with his national champion-level kickboxing creds, and Kampmann is surely one of the most well-rounded guys at welterweight.
Yet with the exception of Chael Sonnen, no one is better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory then the affable Dane.
Take last night. The first round of Sanchez/Kampmann was all Martin. He shrugged off every one of Diego’s vaunted takedown attempts, maintained good distance, and picked away at Diego at will.
Going back to his corner after the first round ended, I nor any one of the people I was watching it with gave Diego a chance in hell of winning the fight. It was as good as in the bag.
Then midway through the second round Kampmann switched it up on Diego. He stopped moving, sat back against the cage, and decided to go shot for shot with him like a bald, pale Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robot.
It was a turning point of the fight. Kampmann got rocked, ceded the initative, and never regained it.
So forget the CompuStrike numbers and the analysis for a moment, forget even the image of Diego’s battered visage after the fight. Watch the fight as a whole.
Kampmann may have landed harder, and more often. He busted the “Yes!”-xican wide open and broke his face. He even dropped Diego.
But by the time the buisness is transacted, Diego is the one attacking and Kampmann is the one retreating. Diego is pressing forward, Kampmann is backing away. Diego is fighting, Kampmann is surviving.
In my mind, Kampmann ironically won the competition – that is, came out ahead on my hypothetical scorecard. But Diego undoubtedly won the fight. And Kampmann has no one to blame for that but himself.


By Elton Hobson

UFC on Versus 3 recap: Sanchez and Kampmann go three bloody rounds

By Mike Johnston

@MikeyJ_MMA

Whether fans were watching in 3-D or 2-D, they witnessed a bloody show put on by Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann in the main event of UFC on Versus 3. Sanchez ended up winning a unanimous decision that was met with boos from the stands, as many believed Kampmann should have won. As always, UFC fans across Canada took in the night’s action and were active on Facebook and Twitter voicing their opinions.

“I don’t know what the judges were looking at in the main event,” said David from Montreal. “All you have to do is look at how damaged Diego’s face was and it tells you that Kampmann won the fight.”

In the co-main event, Mark Munoz made quick work of CB Dollaway, winning by knockout at just 54 seconds of the first round. Dollaway controlled the action early, but Munoz landed a right hand and followed up with ground-and-pound. “If you get caught with a Munoz right hand you’re going to sleep. I thought this fight was going to last a lot longer than it did,” said Bill from Toronto.

Also on the main card, history repeated itself as Brian Bowles submitted Damacio Page with a first round guillotine choke. “Wow! Bowles looks like a 12-year-old boy with a tattoo, but he is one great fighter. Glad to see him back from injury,” said Alex from Mississauga. And, Chris Weidman won another bloody affair in his UFC debut as he defeated Alessio Sakara by unanimous decision.

Fans watching on Facebook saw WEC vet Danny Castillo win a unanimous decision over Joe Stevenson in a lightweight bout. Cyrille Diabate won a one-sided decision over Steve Cantwell in light heavyweight action.

In preliminary action, Igor Pokrajac defeated Todd Brown by TKO at the end of the first round in their light heavyweight fight when he landed a knee in the clinch. “There’s no way anyone can take a knee to the head like that and keep going. Big time knockout. I’m so glad I’m not a fighter lol,” tweeted Erin from Alberta.

Also, Rousimar Palhares pulled off one of his patented leg locks as he submitted Dave Branch with a second round kneebar. Shane Roller came from behind to knockout Thiago Tavares in the second round of their lightweight bout. The win was Roller’s first in the UFC after coming over from the WEC.For more info visit ufc.com and follow @MikeyJ_MMA on Twitter.

Here are the complete results from UFC on Versus 3:

- Diego Sanchez def. Martin Kampmann via unanimous decision.

- Mark Munoz def. C.B. Dollaway via TKO.

- Chris Weidman def. Alessio Sakara via unanimous decision.

- Brian Bowles def. Damacio Page via submission.

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

- Cyrille Diabate def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision.

- Danny Castillo def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision.

- Shane Roller def. Thiago Tavares via KO.

- Takeya Mizugaki def. Reuben Duran via split decision.

- Dongi Yang def. Rob Kimmons via TKO.

- Rousimar Palhares def. Dave Branch via submission.

- Igor Pokrajac def. Todd Brown via TKO.anada/ufc-on-versus-3-recap-sanchez-and-kampmann-go-three-bloody-rounds#ixzz1FbTwmydI