Washington on board with MFC

Highly touted lightweight will make debut against Glover

One of the brightest lightweight prospects in all of mixed martial arts has signed with the Maximum Fighting Championship and will make his organizational debut at MFC 28: Supremacy.


Robert “The Beast” Washington (9-1), who is a member of the Matt Hughes-led H.I.T. Squad, has agreed to a multi-fight deal, and he jumps right into the mix by squaring off against Tyrone “T$” Glover (5-0) on Friday, Feb. 25 on HDNet Fights (10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT – check local listings for channel designation).


“I think every fighter’s goal should be to become a champion,” stated Washington. “I’ve never had the chance to be a champion and the biggest goal of my life is to fight for a belt. I want to be the best 155-pounder in the world and I train for that every day. I’m super excited to be in the MFC where I will get the chance to make that happen.”


It has been tough sledding for Washington to reach this point in his career, but he has ably managed a full-time job, being a single father, and developing his fight skills. While he is now solely focused on fighting, Washington’s early bout schedule and training were entwined with his role as a petty officer second-class with the United States Navy. The East St. Louis, Illinois, native originally got his feet wet in MMA while stationed in Guam, and then further immersed himself while anchored in San Diego where he also began a three-year stint with the Navy wrestling team.



“It took a lot of sacrifice,” Washington explained of his early foray into the sport. “I had to be at work with the Navy at 7:30 in the morning so I trained from 5 until 7:15. Then I’d be at work until 5 and then back to train from 5:30 to 7 at night – Monday through Friday. I never took any vacation. My vacation days were used to travel for my fights.”


The 27-year-old remains a member of the Navy reserves though now his focus is squarely on taking his abilities in the ring to a higher level. He’ll get a good test of his game against Glover, who himself is a highly touted prospect.
“He’s got a similar wrestling background. He’s got some very good jiu-jitsu but I’m not afraid to go to the ground with him,” Washington detailed. “I’m not going to shoot right in on him but I think I’ll be fine if it goes to the ground because he won’t be able to hold me down.


“But I wouldn’t mind keeping it standing with him. I think my striking is at a level where I can go toe-to-toe with him. I think it’s a good matchup and it’s going to be an exciting fight.”
Glover, who also recently inked a multi-fight contract to join the MFC’s lightweight ranks, echoed his high anticipation for the bout.
“He’s a tough opponent. I’ll be there on February 25^th to throw down and put on a good show for the fans,” added Glover.


MFC 28: Supremacy, which will be held live at the River Cree Resort and Casino, features the following main-card matchups:


Light-heavyweight title - Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo
Lightweight - Kajan Johnson vs. Richie Whitson
Light-heavyweight - Razak Al-Hassan vs. Rodney Wallace
Welterweight – Thomas Denny vs. Sheldon Westcott
Lightweight – Robert Washington vs. Tyrone Glover
A sixth and final main-card bout will added in the very near future along with the undercard.
VIP, Row 1 and Row 2 tickets for MFC 28: Supremacy are currently available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. All other tickets will be available via Ticketmaster shortly.

Local fighters Sean Pierson and Claude Patrick added to UFC 129 in Toronto

By Mike Johnston

UFC welterweights Sean Pierson and Claude Patrick call Toronto home and will get the opportunity to fight in front of their families, friends and fans at UFC 129, which takes place at the Rogers Centre on April 30.
Patrick is set to take on Daniel Roberts. Patrick is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over James Wilks and Ricardo Funch. Patrick is 13-1 overall and riding a 12-fight win streak with his only loss coming in 2002. Meanwhile, Roberts, who trains with UFC 129 headliner Jake Shields, has won three straight in the octagon. Roberts himself broke the news about this fight via his Twitter, tweeting, “I fight Claude Patrick at UFC 129 April 30th is in Toronto.”
The former Toronto police officer Pierson will face tough, aggressive welterweight Brain Foster. Pierson is coming off of a thrilling win in his UFC debut at UFC 124 when he defeated Matt Riddle. Pierson (11-4) is riding a six-fight win streak and looks to continue it in front of the hometown crowd.
Also, Canadian UFC veteran Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald has been added to the card. The Alberta resident appears set to take on Ryan Jensen in a middleweight bout. The last time MacDonald fought in the UFC was at UFC 113 in Montreal where he suffered a badly broken leg after he fell at an awkward angle in his fight with John Salter.
UFC 129 is turning out to be perhaps the biggest display of Canadian mixed martial artists ever. So far, there have been 11 rumoured fights announced and nine Canadians are set to participate. Here is the proposed fight card to date with Canadians appearing in bold:
- Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields (for welterweight title)
-Mark Hominick vs. Jose Aldo (for Featherweight Title)
- Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida*
- Phil Davis vs. Matt Hamill*
- Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson*
- Claude Patrick vs. Daniel Roberts*
- Rory MacDonald vs. Nate Diaz
- Brian Foster vs. Sean Pierson*
- Pablo Garza vs. Yves Jabouin*
- Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia*
- John Makdessi vs. Jonathan Brookins
- Jason MacDonald vs. Ryan Jensen

For up to date information about UFC 129 in Toronto follow @MikeyJ_MMA oon Twitter.

Bellator Signs Explosive Veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs to Middleweight Division

CHICAGO, Ill. (January 10, 2011) — Bellator Fighting Championships continues to add to their impressive stable of fighters, this time adding battle-proven veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs to its ever expanding list of talented fighters. Bellator Season 4 airs on MTV2 in March 2011. Having won six of his last seven fights, Riggs joins Bellator with an impressive 34-11 record that includes 31 stoppage victories.




A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Riggs began his journey to MMA when he picked up boxing at just 10-years-old before wrestling in high school. A two time All-American, Riggs met current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez at the High School National Championships. With a Golden Gloves boxing title under his belt and widely established as one of the top high school wrestlers in the country, Riggs' decision to make the transition to MMA was an easy one, and at the age of just 17-years-old he took his first fight and hasn't looked back since.



A true veteran of mixed martial arts, Riggs is a former WEC Middleweight Champion who has fought for the UFC and Strikeforce, with impressive victories over Strikeforce Champion Nick Diaz, and UFC veterans Phil Baroni, Chris Lytle, Kendall Grove, and Joe Doerkson. After winning his last two fights, including a submission victory over Louis Taylor in August for Strikeforce, Riggs looks to continue his winning ways with Bellator.



“Joe Riggs is a battle tested veteran who brings it in every fight. He is a great addition to our middleweight division, and I’m looking forward to seeing Joe in action during Season 4” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.



Admittedly anxious to return to action, Riggs promises a better “Diesel” than ever under the Bellator banner, stating, “This is the healthiest and the happiest that I can ever remember being in my life. I'm in the prime of my life, I'm injury-free, and things have just really come together in my life. I just can't wait to show everyone what I have.”



Riggs will certainly get his chance, as Bellator boasts one of the strongest Middleweight divisions in the sport. It was a fact not lost on the experienced Riggs.



“Bellator has a lot of well-rounded, talented guys in their middleweight division,” said Riggs. “Guys like Bryan Baker, Eric Schambari, and of course the Middleweight Champion, Hector Lombard. There are some really good middleweights for me to test myself against, and it was one of the reasons I came to Bellator.”

Strikeforce: Challengers Results

NASHVILLE, TENN. (Jan. 8, 2010) –Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley (8-0) continued his streak of perfection, earning a unanimous decision over Tarec “The Sponge” Saffiedine (10-3) in a highly-anticipated showdown of rising welterweight (170 pounds) stars and the STRIKEFORCE Challengers main event Friday night, live on SHOWTIME from Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The 28-year-old Woodley, a two-time All-American NCAA wrestler for the University of Missouri and St. Louis native, stuck to his game plan, pressing Saffiedine with repeated takedown attempts set up by aggressive strikes.  Saffiedine’s balance and takedown defense were strong as expected, however,

Woodley neutralized Saffiedine’s stand-up game, pressing Saffiedine against the fence and striking whenever possible.  Woodley’s ground game was superior for the most part as he remained in dominant position for much of the three round encounter.

“I did well,” said Woodley.  “He’s got some power and some pop.  I think I kept the pressure on him and got some strikes in there.  For me, it was about getting out of his range and getting in there when I could.  I think I did a good job tonight.”


Former University of Tennessee star linebacker Ovince Saint Preux (10-4) continued his recent surge, earning a unanimous decision over road warrior “Abongo” Humphrey (7-3) of Atlanta.  His start made the 27-year-old Saint Preux, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, the first fighter in history to compete in three consecutive STRIKEFORCE events.

“I knew I had to win the third round to get this fight.  He’s definitely a tough opponent,” said Saint Preux, a winner of seven straight bouts.

Saint Preux came out on fire in the opening round of action, mounting Humphrey three times while working aggressively on the ground.  In the second stanza, Humphrey scored a knee strike that stunned his opponent and Saint Preux countered with a flurry that hurt Humphrey, but was still unable to finish the fight.

Looking somewhat fatigued in the third, Saint Preux fought off Humphrey well enough to win the round and earn the nod from all three judges.

Two-time United States Olympic wrestling team member Daniel Cormier (7-0) extended his perfect record by dominating a far more experienced Devin Cole (18-9-1) for three consecutive rounds.

It was the first time in his MMA career that the 31-year-old Cormier, who competed five times in 2010, was taken the distance of a fight.  He displayed increased versatility in the cage, including a much improved kickboxing game, throughout the matchup.

Cormier was able to take Cole down repeatedly during the contest and control his opponent, but never able to finish Cole.

“He did an incredible job.  He can take a shot.  I landed some pretty decent shots on him,” said Cormier after the bout.  “I want to continue to improve and make my way up the ladder.”

Twenty-two year old Amanda Nunes (6-1) of Patterson, New Jersey by way of Brazil stunned the crowd by decimating fellow prospect Julia Budd (1-1) just 14 seconds into the first round of their meeting.

Both Nunes and Budd who hails from Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, came out swinging from the outset of the first round, but it was Nunes who landed the first big shot – a straight left hand, which put Budd flat on her back.

Nunes immediately pounced on her downed opponent, raining down on Budd with hammer fists until the referee stepped in and halted the action.  The stoppage was Nunes’ sixth consecutive win by way of KO.

United States Olympic Judo player Rhadi Ferguson (3-0) shined in his STRIKEFORCE debut against John Richard (3-2), submitting Richard with a heel hook in the second round (2:00) of their matchup.

Richard, a late replacement for Ferguson’s original opponent, Ion Cherdivara, scored a hard leg kick in the second round that staggered Ferguson and put him in noticeable pain.  After Richard charged forward, the fight went to the ground.

From his back, Ferguson looked for the submission, eventually working his way to the heel hook that forced Richard to tap out.  Despite the convincing result, Ferguson expressed disappointment with his performance after the fight, stressing his need to gain more experience in the cage.

“I get a D minus,” he said.  “I started my camp with a pulled groin and a pulled hamstring and John Richard was a tough opponent.  I’m a neo fighter in this sport – I’m young and humble.”

STRIKEFORCE returns to SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) on Sat., Jan. 29 with a world championship doubleheader at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.  In the main event, Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will put his title on the line for the second time against Evangelista Cyborg.  Middleweight Champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submission wizard “Jacare” Souza will risk his belt against superstar knockout artist “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler.

In other SHOWTIME televised featured action on Jan. 29, football legend turned MMA upstart Herschel Walker will make his second start in the cage  against Scott Carson in a heavyweight bout and unbeaten Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Roger Gracie, the latest offering from MMA’s first family, will square off with former South African National Wrestling Champion Trevor Prangley.

On Sat., Feb. 12, the historic, eight-man single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament will kick off live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) from IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, New Jersey.  In one of two tournament bouts on the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global promoted card, the legendary Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko will face off with streaking powerhouse Antonio “Big Foot” Silva.  In the other tournament contest, former world champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski will face Russian Sambo master Sergei Kharitonov, the last fighter to defeat reigning STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

Complete STRIKEFORCE Challengers Results:

Main Card:

Tyron Woodley def. Tarec Saffiedine via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ovince Saint Preux def. “Abongo” Humphrey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Daniel Cormier def. Devin Cole via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Amanda Nunes def. Julia Budd via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, :14
Rhadi Ferguson def. John Richard via submission (heel hook) – Round 2, 2:00

Preliminary Card:

Thomas Campbell def. Jeremy Wallace via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 1, 1:26
John Salter def. Casey Huffman via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:59
Dustin Ortiz def. Matt Horning via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:10
Dustin West def. Daniel Schmitt via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, :09
Charles McTorry def. Krishaun Gilmore via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 3:46
Chris Barnhizer def. Karl Willis via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:35
Jason Blackford def. Jeremy Boczulak via submission (heel hook) – Round 2, 1:54
Luke Sanders def. Josh Jarvis via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:15
Stoney Hale def. Gerric Hayes via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

OSP vs. Humphrey

Cormier vs. Cole

Budd vs. Nunes

Ferguson vs. Richard

Two more bouts expected for UFC 129: George St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields, Card Filling quickly

UFC 129 is still more than 3 1/2 months away but the bout announcements are rumors are rapidly becoming more and more frequent. Two more bouts expected for the Historical Toronto event are Canadian Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valencia, as well as a featherweight bout between one of theCanadian fight of the year recipients Yves Jabouin expected to face Pablo Garza who is 1-0 in the UFC.

With these bouts the UFC 129 card looks nearly complete with 7 bouts, will there be any room for the rumored Mark Hominick vs. Jose Aldo Title Fight?

Full Rumored fight card:

• Champ Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields (for welterweight title)
• Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida*
• Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson*
•  Ivan Menjivar vs. Charlie Valenica *
• Pablo Garza vs. Yves Jabouin*
• Rory MacDonald vs. James Wilks*
• Jonathan Brookins vs. John Makdessi*

TOMORROW’S/FRIDAY’S STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS EVENT TO BE AVAILABLE IN A RECORD 61 MILLIONS HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH SHOWTIME® FREE PREVIEW WEEKEND

This Friday’s STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on SHOWTIME® will be available in a record 61 million households through the SHOWTIME® Free Preview Weekend from Friday, Jan. 7 through Monday, Jan. 10.

The mixed martial arts event will air live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast.

In the main event from Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., undefeated welterweight and University of Missouri two-time All-American wrestler Tyron Woodley (7-0) will take on Tarec Saffiedine (10-2), who has won nine of his last 10 bouts.  In a featured bout, two-time U.S. Olympic wrestling team member Daniel Cormier (6-0) will face his toughest opponent to date in veteran Devin Cole (18-8-1).

The Free Preview weekend also includes the anticipated series premiers of two new SHOWTIME original series - SHAMELESS and EPISODES - the fourth season premiere of CALIFORNICATION and the premium television premiere of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON.  The weekend will also provide access to the critically-acclaimed SHOWTIME original series THE BIG C, CALIFORNICATION, DEXTER, NURSE JACKIE, UNITED STATES OF TARA and WEEDS, all available on SHOWTIME On Demand.

Undefeated Judo Olympian Rick Hawn Confirmed for Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament

CHICAGO, Ill. (January 06, 2011) - Bellator Fighting Championships today confirmed former U.S. Judoka Olympian and fast-rising MMA star Rick Hawn as a participant in Bellator’s upcoming Welterweight Tournament airing on MTV2 starting in March. The explosive Hawn burst onto the Bellator scene with an impressive first round knockout of LeVon Maynard at Bellator 33 which was set up with a spectacular Judo throw. Hawn will look to keep that momentum going when enters the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament for a shot at current 170 lbs. Bellator Champion Ben Askren.

Managed by American Judoka legend and former coach Jimmy Pedro, Hawn has amassed a collection of almost two dozen medals in major U.S. and international events, including a 9^th place finish in the 2004 Olympic games. Hawn has since made a seamless transition from the mat to the cage, compiling a perfect 9-0 professional MMA record with 7 KOs to his credit.

According to Hawn, Bellator's unique tournament format will not be that far of a departure from his Olympic roots, stating, “I'm definitely used to the tournament format due to my background in Judo,” said Hawn. “I've been competing in Judo competitions for many years with a very similar structure, so I'm definitely used to it, and I'm looking forward to doing it again.”

“Rick was incredibly impressive in his first fight with Bellator, and is a perfect fit for our Welterweight Tournament,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This tournament is shaping up to be one of our most competitive and talent-rich yet and I can’t wait to see who will be facing Ben Askren for our World Championship after all is said and done.”

A former Olympian himself in freestyle wrestling, Askren captured the Welterweight crown with a unanimous decision victory over then champion Lyman “Cyborg” Good in Season 3.

Entering a tournament stacked with talent, Hawn understands that he must take things one fight at a time, but admits a chance to fight a fellow Olympian is one he looks forward to.

“I'm looking forward to possibly getting the chance to fight Ben [Askren] for the championship,” Hawn said. “He's an Olympian, an incredible athlete, and the next time we see him I'm sure he's going to have improved tremendously. I think a fight between us would be a great clash of styles and I don't think two true Olympians have ever fought in the history of MMA.”

Before Hawn gets that chance, he is going to have to get through one of the toughest tournaments in Bellator history.