Consensus Top 10 Featherweights Marlon Sandro and Hatsu Hioki Collide; Plus UFC #1 Featherweight Contender Mark Hominick on Inside MMA - Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Friday, January 14, 2011
McKee to defend MFC crown against Fickett
Lightweight championship at stake as co-main event at Supremacy
Title-holder Antonio McKee will face the toughest test of his reign as the Maximum Fighting Championship’s lightweight champ when he comes into the ring at MFC 28: Supremacy.
At the same time, Drew Fickett’s first foray into the MFC will take him right into the deepest waters of the organization’s lightweight division.
It’s a perfect storm.
“No one – and I mean absolutely no one – gets an easy ride in the Maximum Fighting Championship,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.
“McKee wants to claim he’s still the man in the lightweight division … then go prove it against one of the hottest fighters on the planet. And Fickett says he’s coming to the MFC to choke out everyone. Great … now go do it against the champion who has lost only once by submission in 12 years.
“The winner will truly deserve the championship belt.”
Fickett, who joined the MFC earlier this week with a multi-fight contract, will ride a four-bout winning streak into the showdown with McKee. The pair has some interesting similarities through their respective well-established careers including a fair number of common opponents.
McKee, who represents his own Team Body Shop from Lakewood, California, earned the MFC’s 155-pound title in his debut fight, securing a five-round decision victory over Derrick Noble. Fickett began his 2010 resurgence, and ended a sour losing skid, with a second-round submission of Noble.
Both fighters have scored decision wins over fellow veteran Edwin Dewees, and both hold victories over Carlo Prater. McKee defeated Prater in what was supposed to be his first title defence but the bout was changed to a three-round affair when Prater missed weight. McKee went on to post a dominating three-round verdict. Fickett has topped Prater twice in his career, submitting him in the third round of a bout in 2004 by way of guillotine choke, and then needing only two minutes to beat him last year via rear-naked choke.
McKee is undefeated under the MFC banner. On top of his wins over Noble and Prater, McKee notched one of his most impressive victories when he earned just the third TKO win of his lengthy career thanks to first-round smashing of Luciano Azevedo at MFC 26.
The televised main card for MFC 28: Supremacy is finalized with:
Light-heavyweight title – Dwayne Lewis vs. Ryan Jimmo
Lightweight title – Drew Fickett vs. Antonio McKee
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 three-fight undercard will be finalized in the near future.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
UFC WANTS NEW YORK!
UFC representatives are looking for a piece of the Empire State. New York state is not within the realm of the mixed martial arts boom, atleast not yet, it will be added to the 44 other states that already are sanctioned, if Zuffa gets its way. Today the UFC execs made a plea at a press conference held at Madison Square Gardens, Thurs,Jan 13,2011 to bring the fastest growing sport to their state. In attendance were: Dana White,Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, a Jersey native and Scott O’Neil, president of Madison Square Gardens sports.
There have been fruitless attempts in the past by president of the UFC, Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to get mma regulated in the state of New York. White and Fertitta are confident they will find success in 2011, year of the rabbit. Which ironically is described as a “congenial time in which diplomacy and international relations will be given a front seat again. A year where people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force.” Which relates to the UFC’s focus on educating politicians and the general public on the economic benefits of sanctioning mma in their state.
Fertitta said during the press conference that they have talked about the economic impact. He spoke of an independent study that was done by a firm called HR & A, who’ve estimated that they would bring 23 million on an annual basis and create over 200 jobs, just by putting on 2 events a year. Which they promised the Gardens would be a chosen venue.
White and Fertitta have sought support from high ranking Garden personnel and state politicians and are not just relying on financial data to build support for the sanctioning of MMA.
President of Madison Square Gardens Sports, Scott O’Neil and New York State assembly man Dean Murray stood by White and Fertitta. Murray has already begun lobbying for the passing of Mixed Martial Arts legislation in new York. He has begun talks with newly elected Governor Andrew M Cuomo. To which he received positive feedback, he seemed open to the idea. A request has been put in writing to include the MMA legislation in his budget proposal.
While UFC awaits New York States decision on whether to legalize Mixed Martial Arts, the promotion will return to the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey to hold UFC 128,March 19,2011. To which White expects another profitable night and expects New York residents will represent a large percentage of the paying fans.Dana announced that tickets for ufc 128,Evans vs. Rua are on sale today Jan 13,2011. He told us that last event put on at the Prudential Centre in March, 2010 sold 17,000 tickets and took in 4 million at the gate with 30% of those tickets sold, were to New Yorkers.
Here’s to success of getting MMA sanctioned worldwide. One state at a time, one province at a time. Soon this will be a thing we look back at in disbelief. We will be telling our grandkids that we had to travel far and wide to see great fights and that “in my day” we had to fight to make this sport legal and available for everyone, everywhere!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Former Champion Lyman Good Returns for Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament
Lyman Good made his Bellator debut in April 2009, carving his way to Bellator’s inaugural welterweight tournament finals with impressive stoppage victories in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. In Bellator's first World Welterweight Championship fight, Good dispatched of Omar De la Cruz with brutal ground and pound, notching a first round TKO victory to become the first ever Bellator World Welterweight Champion, which you can watch here: http://bit.ly/foOR9a
“At just 25-years-old, Lyman has the talent, potential and the heart to climb back up the Bellator welterweight ladder and recapture the Title,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “However, he’s going to have to go through one of the most stacked welterweight tournaments in the history of the sport to do it.”
Born in Harlem and currently residing out of Manhattan, the explosive New York native brings an impressive 10-1 professional record to the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, with half of his victories coming via TKO or KO. Although now an established mixed martial artist, Good credits his difficult upbringing for making him the fighter he is today. Raised in Spanish Harlem, Good was surrounded by adversity growing up but turned to martial arts for a healthy outlet for his aggression.
Admittedly hungry to get back to his winning ways, Good says that his loss to Askren has served as a catalyst for change.
“I'm going to be unveiling "Lyman 2.0" this time around,” said Good. “In a sense you're going to see a newer version of me, but at the same time I will always have what defines me as a fighter.”
Good undoubtedly has his eye on the prize, but says he is also focused on the immediate task at hand.
“Being able to fight [Ben] Askren again was one of the biggest factors behind me entering this tournament. I can't walk away from an opportunity to avenge a loss to a person that I know deep down - with the proper amount of preparation - I can beat,” said Good. “But right now there are three bodies I'm going to have to get through before I focus on somebody that's walking around with something that belongs to me.”
Good is the fifth confirmed participant in Bellator’s upcoming Season 4 eight-man 170 lbs. tournament along with Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle, Rick Hawn, Brent Weedman, and Chris “The Assassin” Lozano.
Surprising twist of fate brings Fickett to MFC
Fickett (40-13) will make his organizational debut at MFC 28: Supremacy on Friday, Feb. 25 televised live on HDNet Fights (10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT – check local listing for channel designation). Fickett’s opponent will be revealed in the very near future.
Pavelich and Fickett were involved in a heated feud back in 2008 when the fighter had initially agreed to compete in the Maximum Fighting Championship. When Fickett ultimately did not fight, a massive controversy erupted that created a huge stir in the mixed martial arts world.
But now the buzz will be all about one of the hottest 155-pounders in rankings coming on board with the MFC.
“My biggest thing is that everyone deserves a second chance and everyone deserves forgiveness,” stated Fickett. “Mark and I had a quarrel but everything has been forgiven and I appreciate that he is giving me a shot.
“He called me with this opportunity even after we had such a big dispute. To me, that’s just beautiful ... it’s just awesome. I think Mark and I are now able to sit back and have a beer and laugh about all that past stuff.”
Fickett has turned over a new leaf. Re-incarnated and re-energized. Re-invigorated and re-focused. It has clearly had a profound effect on his personality.
“I’ve got a lot of love for a lot of people,” reflected Fickett, who turned 31 on Christmas Eve. “I’m really grateful for the people who are around me. I’ve got my daughter. I’ve got people who care about me. I’ve got a good girlfriend who supports me.
“I’m surrounded by good people and I’m away from the BS and the partying. It’s made me want to fight.”
And Fickett has fought with a great deal success since his turnaround following a disastrous 2009. In 2010, the Tucson, Arizona, product’s re-generation resulted in a four-fight winning streak that he will carry into his MFC debut. Two of those wins came over former MFC title contenders Derrick Noble and Carlo Prater, which added to Fickett’s impressive list of career victories.
Over the course of his 12-year run, Fickett has scored wins over such notables as Kenny Florian, Josh Koscheck, Josh Neer, Dennis Hallman, Kurt Pellegrino, Fabio Holanda, Charles Bennett, and Edwin Dewees. Taking a page out of what got him to those victories and erasing the nasty skid of ’09, Fickett has rebounded in fine style.
“No one can beat me now,” touted Fickett, who holds 29 career wins via submission. “Mentally I burned out and I didn’t really want to fight. Now I have a renewed passion for the sport and I have a re-invigorated spirit.
“I’m going to choke people out and people are going to get hurt. I’m coming to the MFC and I’m going to win the belt. It’s going to be awesome.”
Fickett’s bout rounds out the stacked main-card lineup for MFC 28: Supremacy featuring:
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
VIP, Row 1 and Row 2 tickets for MFC 28: Supremacy are going fast and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024. All other tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 14 via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Three Heavyweight Fights Added To Strikeforce World Grand Prix Kickoff In NJ On Feb. 12
ALL HEAVYWEIGHT CARD SET FOR
STRIKEFORCE WORLD GRAND PRIX KICKOFF
SATURDAY, FEB. 12, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
Top-Heavy: Shane Del Rosario-Lavar Johnson,
Chad Griggs-Gian Villante, Valentijn Overeem-Ray Sefo
At IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Tomorrow/Wednesday
NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2011) – Six additional hard-hitting heavyweight fighters have been called to action for the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promotion and historic kick-off of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The three fights are: Undefeated top prospect Shane Del Rosario (10-0) of Irvine, Calif., vs. hard-hitting Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3) of Madera, Calif., Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) of Tucson, Ariz., vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) of Bellmore, N.Y., and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) of Amsterdam, Holland, vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0) of Las Vegas.
“This event will showcase the depth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight roster,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “Shane and Lavar are two products of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series that has been instrumental in developing new talent. We are proud to welcome them to our championship series for the first time on Feb. 12 and excited to show the world that STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweights on the planet.”
The all heavyweight main card will be highlighted by two sensational quarterfinal bouts in the single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament.
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC), of Stary Oskol, Russia, returns against Brazil’s Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil in the main event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8), of Chicago by way of Minsk, Belarus, against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) of Moscow, Russia. Kharitonov is the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem.
The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, Calif.
“I’m looking forward to fighting again and fighting Lavar on Feb. 12,” said Rosario, a Muay Thai specialist whose longest fight lasted a total of 4:07. “We’ve both fought on Challengers and now we get to show what we can do on a big show. I’m excited about that. This will be a great fight between two hungry fighters.”
The heavy-handed Johnson has been triumphant in seven consecutive fights, winning all by (T)KO, including three straight on Challengers. This will be his third fight since returning to the cage after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. Johnson survived three gunshot wounds from a walk-by shooting that led to the death of his cousin. A father of two boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital fighting for his life and several more months rehabilitating.
“I want to be known as a fighter, not as a guy who got shot, and this is my greatest opportunity to do that,” said the 6-foot-3, 33-year-old who stopped Virgil Zwicker at 2:17 of the first round on Oct. 22, 2010. “I feel like I’m ready to move up to the big stage. Fighting a talented fighter like Rosario is a huge step and, with our records, there is no way this cannot be one of the most exciting fights of the night.”
Thirteen of Johnson’s 15 victories have come via either knockout or TKO.
Griggs, a winner in four consecutive fights, is coming off a bloody, upset second-round TKO (retirement) over former pro wrestling superstar and previously unbeaten MMA fighter, Bobby Lashley, on Aug. 21, 2010, in Houston, on SHOWTIME.
A fulltime Tucson firefighter and paramedic, the 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Griggs opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye in the first round after getting taken to the ground and ultimately outlasted the previously unbeaten MMA fighter in the second as a still-bleeding Lashley seemed to gas.
The courageous, come-from-behind triumph may have been the most noteworthy for a well-rounded, strong finisher known for quick endings and tricky submissions. Six of Griggs’ victories came in the first round, and he has scored knockouts in eight of his nine victories.
“It was a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and getting a super win in a big fight like that was huge for me,’’ Griggs said. “I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do again against another tough opponent.”
Villante is a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old grappling stud who was born and raised on Long Island. Before he wrestled and played football at Hofstra University, he was an All-State football player and All-American wrestler at MacArthur High in Levittown, N.Y.
After trying out with the NFL’s New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Villante turned to MMA in late 2008. “I got hooked the first time I went to an MMA fight card and saw one of my high school wrestling coaches KO some guy in a few seconds,” he said. “I was still a senior in high school but I got that feeling that I could maybe do this, and it was always in the back of my mind.
“I knew when my dream to play in the NFL ended that this was what I wanted to do. Now, fighting MMA has become more of a dream than football. I’m extremely excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. This is a tremendous opportunity and it is like a home game for me.”
Without the benefit of an amateur career, Villante turned pro on Feb. 20, 2009, and won his initial six fights. His lone defeat came when he dislocated an elbow in a bout halted in the opening round on April 16, 2010. Villante is coming off a 1:03, first-round TKO over Joseph Reyes on Dec. 3, 2010. It was his sixth success in the first round.
The older brother of Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu on May 21, 2010. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.
Overeem, who injured an elbow during training and withdrew from a match last Dec. 4 against “Big Foot’’ Silva, has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.
A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Alistair, Valentijn is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion last June.
Sefo is one of the most devastating knockout artists in the history of kickboxing and many are excited to see him return to STRIKEFORCE. This will be the native of Auckland, New Zealand’s first MMA start since he defeated (knee injury) Kevin Jordan in his STRIKEFORCE debut during a Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.
After turning professional and earning more than a dozen kickboxing championships, Sefo turned his focus to the mecca of kickboxing, K-1, in Japan. While competing under the K-1 banner, Sefo quickly earned a reputation as a power puncher with a penchant for knocking his opponents out. During his time with in K-1, Sefo notched wins over the likes of MMA notables Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef, 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Marvin Eastman and Gilbert Yvel along with scores of champion kickboxers.
The 6-foot, 39-year-old Sefo’s level of kickboxing is rarely seen in MMA, yet with just two pro MMA fights in five years he remains a question mark in a heavyweight division regarded as the best in MMA. Sefo, who went undefeated his entire career as an amateur kickboxer, won his MMA debut with a second-round KO (head kick) over Min Soo Kim on July, 6, 2005, in Japan.
A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com
Tickets for the Feb. 12 mega-event go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
SATURDAY, FEB. 12, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®
Top-Heavy: Shane Del Rosario-Lavar Johnson,
Chad Griggs-Gian Villante, Valentijn Overeem-Ray Sefo
At IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Tomorrow/Wednesday
NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2011) – Six additional hard-hitting heavyweight fighters have been called to action for the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promotion and historic kick-off of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The three fights are: Undefeated top prospect Shane Del Rosario (10-0) of Irvine, Calif., vs. hard-hitting Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3) of Madera, Calif., Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) of Tucson, Ariz., vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) of Bellmore, N.Y., and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) of Amsterdam, Holland, vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0) of Las Vegas.
“This event will showcase the depth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight roster,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “Shane and Lavar are two products of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series that has been instrumental in developing new talent. We are proud to welcome them to our championship series for the first time on Feb. 12 and excited to show the world that STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweights on the planet.”
The all heavyweight main card will be highlighted by two sensational quarterfinal bouts in the single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament.
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC), of Stary Oskol, Russia, returns against Brazil’s Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil in the main event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8), of Chicago by way of Minsk, Belarus, against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) of Moscow, Russia. Kharitonov is the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem.
The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, Calif.
“I’m looking forward to fighting again and fighting Lavar on Feb. 12,” said Rosario, a Muay Thai specialist whose longest fight lasted a total of 4:07. “We’ve both fought on Challengers and now we get to show what we can do on a big show. I’m excited about that. This will be a great fight between two hungry fighters.”
The heavy-handed Johnson has been triumphant in seven consecutive fights, winning all by (T)KO, including three straight on Challengers. This will be his third fight since returning to the cage after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. Johnson survived three gunshot wounds from a walk-by shooting that led to the death of his cousin. A father of two boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital fighting for his life and several more months rehabilitating.
“I want to be known as a fighter, not as a guy who got shot, and this is my greatest opportunity to do that,” said the 6-foot-3, 33-year-old who stopped Virgil Zwicker at 2:17 of the first round on Oct. 22, 2010. “I feel like I’m ready to move up to the big stage. Fighting a talented fighter like Rosario is a huge step and, with our records, there is no way this cannot be one of the most exciting fights of the night.”
Thirteen of Johnson’s 15 victories have come via either knockout or TKO.
Griggs, a winner in four consecutive fights, is coming off a bloody, upset second-round TKO (retirement) over former pro wrestling superstar and previously unbeaten MMA fighter, Bobby Lashley, on Aug. 21, 2010, in Houston, on SHOWTIME.
A fulltime Tucson firefighter and paramedic, the 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Griggs opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye in the first round after getting taken to the ground and ultimately outlasted the previously unbeaten MMA fighter in the second as a still-bleeding Lashley seemed to gas.
The courageous, come-from-behind triumph may have been the most noteworthy for a well-rounded, strong finisher known for quick endings and tricky submissions. Six of Griggs’ victories came in the first round, and he has scored knockouts in eight of his nine victories.
“It was a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and getting a super win in a big fight like that was huge for me,’’ Griggs said. “I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do again against another tough opponent.”
Villante is a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old grappling stud who was born and raised on Long Island. Before he wrestled and played football at Hofstra University, he was an All-State football player and All-American wrestler at MacArthur High in Levittown, N.Y.
After trying out with the NFL’s New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Villante turned to MMA in late 2008. “I got hooked the first time I went to an MMA fight card and saw one of my high school wrestling coaches KO some guy in a few seconds,” he said. “I was still a senior in high school but I got that feeling that I could maybe do this, and it was always in the back of my mind.
“I knew when my dream to play in the NFL ended that this was what I wanted to do. Now, fighting MMA has become more of a dream than football. I’m extremely excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. This is a tremendous opportunity and it is like a home game for me.”
Without the benefit of an amateur career, Villante turned pro on Feb. 20, 2009, and won his initial six fights. His lone defeat came when he dislocated an elbow in a bout halted in the opening round on April 16, 2010. Villante is coming off a 1:03, first-round TKO over Joseph Reyes on Dec. 3, 2010. It was his sixth success in the first round.
The older brother of Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu on May 21, 2010. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.
Overeem, who injured an elbow during training and withdrew from a match last Dec. 4 against “Big Foot’’ Silva, has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.
A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Alistair, Valentijn is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion last June.
Sefo is one of the most devastating knockout artists in the history of kickboxing and many are excited to see him return to STRIKEFORCE. This will be the native of Auckland, New Zealand’s first MMA start since he defeated (knee injury) Kevin Jordan in his STRIKEFORCE debut during a Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.
After turning professional and earning more than a dozen kickboxing championships, Sefo turned his focus to the mecca of kickboxing, K-1, in Japan. While competing under the K-1 banner, Sefo quickly earned a reputation as a power puncher with a penchant for knocking his opponents out. During his time with in K-1, Sefo notched wins over the likes of MMA notables Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef, 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Marvin Eastman and Gilbert Yvel along with scores of champion kickboxers.
The 6-foot, 39-year-old Sefo’s level of kickboxing is rarely seen in MMA, yet with just two pro MMA fights in five years he remains a question mark in a heavyweight division regarded as the best in MMA. Sefo, who went undefeated his entire career as an amateur kickboxer, won his MMA debut with a second-round KO (head kick) over Min Soo Kim on July, 6, 2005, in Japan.
A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com
Tickets for the Feb. 12 mega-event go on sale to the public on Friday, Jan. 14, at 10 a.m. ET at the IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Undefeated Chris “The Assassin” Lozano Confirmed for Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament
CHICAGO, Ill. (January 11, 2011) — Chris Lozano gave Bellator fans a taste of what he is all about last season at Bellator 31 with an impressive TKO-stoppage of UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida, and with the victory, punched his ticket to one of the most talent-rich tournaments the welterweight division has ever seen. “The Assassin” is now a confirmed participant in the Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament, which will air live on MTV2 beginning in March. Watch highlights of Lozano vs. Yoshida here:
Lozano brings a perfect 6-0 professional record to the tournament with all six victories coming by way of KO or TKO. Lozano’s fierce striking and ability to finish his fights is illustrated by his four fights ending within the confines of the first round.
“I fight to finish people. I don't fight to be nice. I understand that it's a sport, but at the same time, I'm in there to finish guys,” said Lozano. “I'm going to come into this tournament the same way I've come into every single one of my fights, and that's to put guys away.”
“It's hard to put a limit to Chris’ potential in the welterweight division. His skills and ability have shown through devastating stoppages time and time again,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “It will be great to watch Lozano face the toughest test(s) of his fast-rising career in our Season 4 Welterweight Tournament.”
Representing the Strong Style Fight Team in Cleveland, Ohio, Lozano believes that it was his destiny to become a professional fighter. Lozano began his journey to mixed martial arts at a young age, training in boxing and Taekwondo as a youth before transitioning to wrestling during his high school years.
Though he started training in mixed martial arts just four years ago, Lozano has grown quickly in the sport, dispatching all six of his opponents as a professional. Looking toward the tournament, Lozano is not intimidated by the prospect of competing in one of the most competitive Bellator tournaments to-date.
“I've always been hungry, but I'm hungrier than I've ever been right now. Knowing how stacked this tournament is going to be, and knowing how bad I want to win it, has really helped to elevate my game,” said Lozano. “From the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, there's only one thing on my mind, and that's being ready and prepared for this tournament.”
Lozano is the fourth confirmed participant in Bellator Season 4 Welterweight Tournament along with Dan “The Handler” Hornbuckle, Rick Hawn, and Brent Weedman.
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