Hello Everyone,
It is Jason fom Canadianprofighter.com, WE NEED YOUR HELP!! If you are an Ontario MMA fan or even a Canadian MMA fan, there is a poll on Canada AM web site asking should MMA be banned. Please click the link and vote No to banning mma this is the most public poll you will participate in. scroll down the right side and vote NO!
http://www.ctv.ca/canadaam/
A quote from Canada AM that I thought our viewers may like-
"Unlike wrestling, this sport is not staged nor phony, maybe that is why McGuinty and the politicians don't want it or can't relate to it."
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with UFC SUPERSTAR and title challenger PATRICK COTE at W1: BAD BLOOD event
W-1 MMA holds some pretty fantastic events and at all great events the stars come out, this event was no different. We were able to catch many of the stars on camera and were able to meet practicly all of them, but Patrick Cote and Rory Macdonald were the two interviews we snagged. Check out the embedded clip as Canadianprofighter.com administrator Jason Harkes catches up with Patrick Cote and talks with him about his injury, his next fight at UFC 113 with Alan Belcher, his last fight a title fight against pound for pound legend Anderson Silva and more.
Make sure you don't miss W-1's next event and be sure to bring your camera because their will be lots of Photo ops at W-1 Judgement Day June 19th in Montreal!!
Make sure you don't miss W-1's next event and be sure to bring your camera because their will be lots of Photo ops at W-1 Judgement Day June 19th in Montreal!!
UFC 111: It's Georges St. Pierre's Time To Shine
When the UFC announced that the second UFC Primetime series would feature Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy it became clear to me that the Zuffa brass have finally decided who they want as the new face of the UFC brand. It's Georges St. Pierre.
Considering that St. Pierre has been a pretty huge star for a number of years now, it seems strange to say that St. Pierre has just now become the new face of MMA, but although St. Pierre has been a pretty big star for a while, there's always been something else standing between him and superstardom.
On his way to his first UFC title, St. Pierre ran through a murderer's row of elite welterweights of the day, including Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, and BJ Penn. Before he won the title, many people including then-champion Matt Hughes declared that St. Pierre was the future of the division.
When St. Pierre defeated Matt Hughes, it appeared that St. Pierre was ready to settle in as the dominant welterweight in the world, but a loss in his first title defense to Matt Serra made people wonder if he they were wrong about St. Pierre.
Rather than solidifying himself atop the the UFC, St. Pierre's stock fell through the floor, and even after he reclaimed the UFC welterweight strap, two losses in title fights due to perceived mental lapses were enough to make people doubt.
Had St. Pierre not lost to Serra, he might already have solidified himself as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Instead, Anderson Silva was able to claim that title.
Questions about St. Pierre's mental abilities lingered all the way until the UFC 94 fight with BJ Penn. In the build-up to the St. Pierre vs. Penn rematch, the common saying was that St. Pierre had a physical advantage, but Penn would have the mental edge.
St. Pierre's dominant victory in the UFC 94 superfight was enough to ease some of the popular doubts about St. Pierre's mental state, but what could have been a real revelation of St. Pierre's talent was overshadowed by Penn's bitter greasing allegations.
St. Pierre's next fight would be against Thiago Alves, who looked like an absolute juggernaut against Karo Parisyan, Josh Koscheck, and Matt Hughes. St. Pierre dominated the Alves fight with surprising ease.
On any other night, the magnitude of St. Pierre's victory over Alves would have created shockwaves. Instead, St. Pierre's thunder was partly stolen by Brock Lesnar's postfight antics. The mainstream media provided far more coverage to Lesnar's antics than they did to St. Pierre's win over a pound-for-pound quality fighter.
In summary, over the past three years St. Pierre has now won six straight fights and erased the doubts about his championship mentality. He's endured the allegations of greasing, and he's now headlining one of the biggest fight cards of the year, so he's going to be ignored in favor of some Brock Lesnar pro wrestling tomfoolery. This time, barring a monumental upset, St. Pierre will finally have the spotlight all to himself.
Now that St. Pierre finally has the spotlight to himself, the possibilities seem limitless. As I've stated previously, St. Pierre represents MMA's greatest single hope to break further into the mainstream.
When it comes to looks, talent, work ethic, and whatever else you want to list, if you talk about the attributes of a mainstream star, St. Pierre has it. True, he's not going to be outrageous like Mike Tyson, or an outspoken civil activist like Muhammad Ali, but he's the right image that the UFC wants to represent MMA.
Yet although St. Pierre has the right attributes to possibly take MMA to the next level of popularity, he still needs to keep winning his fights, and satisfying the demands of an audience that is always going to have the "what have you done for me lately?" mentality.
As invincible and impressive as St. Pierre looks at first glance, the stumbling blocks are already laid out in front of St. Pierre. More on that in my next article.
Bellator Fighting Championships signs Luke Zachrich for middleweight tournament
Zachrich, a mainstay on the Midwest regional circuit, boasts an overall professional record of 10-1 with four wins coming via TKO and six coming via submission. All but one of the victories have come during the first round.
A native of Bryan, Ohio, he played varsity football at Bowling Green State University before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2005. At around the same time, he began training with Severn, who has notched 92 career wins in the UFC, WEC, PRIDE and countless other promotions over the past 15 years.
“Luke is a great athlete who has learned MMA from great instructors,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s another strong addition to our 185 tournament.”
Zachrich is the seventh confirmed participant in eight-man middleweight tournament, joining Bryan “The Beast” Baker, Jared Hess, Sean Loeffler, Matt Major, Ryan McGivern and Eric Schambari. The group boasts a combined overall winning percentage of .838 (78-15).
Bellator will also conduct tournaments at 145, 155 and 170 lbs. during its second season, with the winners in each division being declared No. 1 contenders to the current Bellator champions. Each of Bellator’s 24 Season 2 and 3 events will be broadcast on FOX Sports Net, NBC, Telemundo and The Score sports network in Canada.
Though Zachrich made his pro MMA debut in 2006, he gained his first national notoriety in the spring of 2008 on The Ultimate Fighter where was a member of the team coached by Forrest Griffin. Zachrich defeated 5-1-1 Patrick Schultz in Episode 2, but fell to future UFC signee Dan Cramer in Episode 6. Since leaving TUF, Zachrich is a perfect 3-0.
Recently, in mid-2009, Zachrich left his longtime training camp in Cincinnati (Team George Gurgel) to train full-time in Columbus, Ohio, with Joe Heskett, a former four-time All-American wrestler at Iowa State who is now the assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State. Zachrich also continues to hold periodic training sessions with Severn and noted muay thai coach Dorian Price.
“I’ve been lucky enough to train with some of the best in the world and Bellator is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to show the results of that on the world stage,” Zachrich said. “I love the tournament set-up that Bellator has and the middleweight field is really great—there’s not a bad fighter in it. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. With that said, I wouldn’t be in it if I didn’t think I could win it.”
For more information, visit Bellator.com
W1 MMA making Big moves to become Canada's TOP promotion
With W-1 recent signings and continuous support of Canadian fighters, it is clear they are looking to become Canada's Top MMA promotion. I for one love there style of shows and the fact that they sign so much high level Canadian Talent. Jason MacDonald, Carlos Newton, Denis Kang, Chris Clements, John Alessio, Nabil Khatib, and of course W1's newest signings Steve Bosse and Misha Cirkunov revealed at W1's Bad Blood event. Jack Bateman is clearly a man who is ontop of the Canadian MMA scene and I wish him and W1 continued success in bringing top quality shows to the World's greatest MMA fans CANADIANS. Make sure you don't miss their next event Judgment Day! June 19th in Montreal..stay tuned for the details at Canadianprofighter.com!!
UFC's toughest bout? Dalton McGuinty "Fighting was the first sport" says MMA boss Dana White during promotional tour stop at the Eaton Centre
RICHARD LAUTENS
KNOCKOUT TV
UFC is already a star on pay-per-view and becoming a good property on conventional television, but having events in Ontario would boost ratings even more.
"It would be great for the TV business and the economy in general," said Anthony Cicione, general manager of The Fight Network. "When you have an event like that in your city, it creates a buzz among advertisers and among viewers.
"Anytime you can create that kind of buzz and bring that kind of money to a province, it's a win-win for everybody."
The key is advertisers, many of whom aren't aware of the popularity of mixed martial arts.
Since the big Canadian ad agencies are all in Toronto, Cicione says, being exposed to an arena full of UFC fans would help drive them towards the sport.
UFC is already the top seller on pay-per-view in Canada, with more than 20,000 people paying upwards of $50 per fight.
On Sunday, Rogers Sportsnet showed a live event on two of its four channels and drew an average audience of 336,000.
—Chris Zelkovich
The world according to Dana White, few will be surprised to hear, is all about testosterone.
"Fighting was the first sport," the hard-nosed president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship told some 300 adoring fans at the Eaton Centre on Tuesday.
"Two men were put on this Earth, and somebody threw a punch. And if people were around, they watched it – you know what I mean?
"I don't care what colour you are, what country you're from or what language you speak – at the end of the day we're all human beings and fighting is in our DNA," White continued. "We get it and we like it." The problem for White – and Ontario fans of mixed martial arts – is that Premier Dalton McGuinty shows little sign of "getting it." The sport is banned in Ontario. And White's bid to promote it in Toronto Tuesday did little to move the premier.
"It's just not on the agenda for us right now," McGuinty told reporters, adding that it would be a "distraction" for the government to consider it.
"If I was to knock on 1,000 Ontario families' doors and ask them for their top three concerns, I'd be surprised if anybody said, `Well ... one of those is we've got to start this new kind of mixed martial arts in Ontario. That's going to mean a lot to me and my family,'" said McGuinty.
"It's just not a priority for our families and it's not a priority for me," he added.
Told of McGuinty's comments, White still found room for optimism. He suggested it's only a matter of time before Ontario legalizes what some have described as the fastest growing sport in the U.S.
"This is a real sport, with real athletes – it would be like saying the NBA shouldn't come here, or the NFL," White told reporters.
"I think fans here are frustrated. This is the Mecca, this is our biggest market," he said, referring to Ontario. "These are the people who travel all over the world to see our events, and they can't get it here in their hometown."
White said he would not meet with Ontario politicians while here.
The province insists the fighting style contravenes section 83 of Canada's Criminal Code, which bans the promotion and staging of "prize fights," except sanctioned boxing.
UFC officials have estimated that cards in Toronto would generate $23 million in spending, including ticket sales, $6 million more in salaries and $4 million in tax revenues.
The gospel according to White, 40, is what the crowd of mostly young males came to hear. They welcomed him like a rock star when White – bald, pumped up, and in fashionably torn jeans – hopped on the stage near the mall's Dundas St. entrance for an hour-long question and answer session with fans.
Many credit White's salesmanship with UFC's success.
A privately owned MMA circuit, UFC was valued by Forbes magazine in 2008 at more than $1 billion (U.S.) – a stunning achievement for a company that was more than $40 million in debt just five years ago. White owns a 10 per cent stake. UFC isn't the only company with a stable of fighters under contract, but it is by far the most successful.
White dismissed criticism about the low pay of some of his fighters, balked at calls to form a UFC women's loop – despite a young woman shouting, "Chicks kick ass" – and discussed negotiations for U.S. network TV rights. He even explained censoring a poster – he removed an anti-China tattoo from one of the fighters pictured – because he wants to expand into the Chinese market.
If there was a common concern among fans, it was that some still consider the sport "bloodthirsty," as one questioner lamented. Indeed, U.S. Senator John McCain once famously described it as "human cockfighting."
"There are more deaths and more serious injuries in cheerleading than there are in the UFC," White told the audience.
"Where did you get that stat?" a skeptical young woman asked.
As far as the male fans were concerned, the tougher the fight the better.
"It's a real adrenalin rush," said Eddy Haynes, 40, a roofer who had the day off due to rain. "It's a lot better than boxing. Once you go for the kill, that's it, you go for the kill."
But Anna Dinardo, 28, admitted to a sometimes uncomfortable feeling when she's attended fights with her husband, a UFC fanatic.
"I know some people think it's a little bit gory, but the rules they implemented make it not too barbaric from a woman's point of view," she said in an interview before White took the stage. "But sometimes, when it gets a little bloody, I do have to sort of turn away," she added.
UFC is already a star on pay-per-view and becoming a good property on conventional television, but having events in Ontario would boost ratings even more.
"It would be great for the TV business and the economy in general," said Anthony Cicione, general manager of The Fight Network. "When you have an event like that in your city, it creates a buzz among advertisers and among viewers.
"Anytime you can create that kind of buzz and bring that kind of money to a province, it's a win-win for everybody."
The key is advertisers, many of whom aren't aware of the popularity of mixed martial arts.
Since the big Canadian ad agencies are all in Toronto, Cicione says, being exposed to an arena full of UFC fans would help drive them towards the sport.
UFC is already the top seller on pay-per-view in Canada, with more than 20,000 people paying upwards of $50 per fight.
On Sunday, Rogers Sportsnet showed a live event on two of its four channels and drew an average audience of 336,000.
—Chris Zelkovich
The world according to Dana White, few will be surprised to hear, is all about testosterone.
"Fighting was the first sport," the hard-nosed president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship told some 300 adoring fans at the Eaton Centre on Tuesday.
"Two men were put on this Earth, and somebody threw a punch. And if people were around, they watched it – you know what I mean?
"I don't care what colour you are, what country you're from or what language you speak – at the end of the day we're all human beings and fighting is in our DNA," White continued. "We get it and we like it." The problem for White – and Ontario fans of mixed martial arts – is that Premier Dalton McGuinty shows little sign of "getting it." The sport is banned in Ontario. And White's bid to promote it in Toronto Tuesday did little to move the premier.
"It's just not on the agenda for us right now," McGuinty told reporters, adding that it would be a "distraction" for the government to consider it.
"If I was to knock on 1,000 Ontario families' doors and ask them for their top three concerns, I'd be surprised if anybody said, `Well ... one of those is we've got to start this new kind of mixed martial arts in Ontario. That's going to mean a lot to me and my family,'" said McGuinty.
"It's just not a priority for our families and it's not a priority for me," he added.
Told of McGuinty's comments, White still found room for optimism. He suggested it's only a matter of time before Ontario legalizes what some have described as the fastest growing sport in the U.S.
"This is a real sport, with real athletes – it would be like saying the NBA shouldn't come here, or the NFL," White told reporters.
"I think fans here are frustrated. This is the Mecca, this is our biggest market," he said, referring to Ontario. "These are the people who travel all over the world to see our events, and they can't get it here in their hometown."
White said he would not meet with Ontario politicians while here.
The province insists the fighting style contravenes section 83 of Canada's Criminal Code, which bans the promotion and staging of "prize fights," except sanctioned boxing.
UFC officials have estimated that cards in Toronto would generate $23 million in spending, including ticket sales, $6 million more in salaries and $4 million in tax revenues.
The gospel according to White, 40, is what the crowd of mostly young males came to hear. They welcomed him like a rock star when White – bald, pumped up, and in fashionably torn jeans – hopped on the stage near the mall's Dundas St. entrance for an hour-long question and answer session with fans.
Many credit White's salesmanship with UFC's success.
A privately owned MMA circuit, UFC was valued by Forbes magazine in 2008 at more than $1 billion (U.S.) – a stunning achievement for a company that was more than $40 million in debt just five years ago. White owns a 10 per cent stake. UFC isn't the only company with a stable of fighters under contract, but it is by far the most successful.
White dismissed criticism about the low pay of some of his fighters, balked at calls to form a UFC women's loop – despite a young woman shouting, "Chicks kick ass" – and discussed negotiations for U.S. network TV rights. He even explained censoring a poster – he removed an anti-China tattoo from one of the fighters pictured – because he wants to expand into the Chinese market.
If there was a common concern among fans, it was that some still consider the sport "bloodthirsty," as one questioner lamented. Indeed, U.S. Senator John McCain once famously described it as "human cockfighting."
"There are more deaths and more serious injuries in cheerleading than there are in the UFC," White told the audience.
"Where did you get that stat?" a skeptical young woman asked.
As far as the male fans were concerned, the tougher the fight the better.
"It's a real adrenalin rush," said Eddy Haynes, 40, a roofer who had the day off due to rain. "It's a lot better than boxing. Once you go for the kill, that's it, you go for the kill."
But Anna Dinardo, 28, admitted to a sometimes uncomfortable feeling when she's attended fights with her husband, a UFC fanatic.
"I know some people think it's a little bit gory, but the rules they implemented make it not too barbaric from a woman's point of view," she said in an interview before White took the stage. "But sometimes, when it gets a little bloody, I do have to sort of turn away," she added.
Warrior One MMA (W-1) signs Canada’s top MMA prospect( Misha Cirkunov) to exclusive multi-fight contract.
Misha has been highly touted as Canada’s next big MMA prospect. His world-class wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills combined with a black belt in Judo have brought him to the world of MMA and to W-1.
MMA fans will get the opportunity to watch Misha in action at W-1’s next event Judgement Day, scheduled for June 19, 2010 in Montreal. His opponent has yet to be announced.
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