DREW FICKETT NEWLY CROWNED SHINE LIGHTWEIGHT GRAND PRIX TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

Fighting is, well, a difficult thing to be a part of. And nerves are very much a part of that. Even with over fifty professional fights, I still find myself a bit nervous every time I head out to the cage or ring. Yet, I also feel at ease. There is a part of all of us, as human beings, that seems to give us a desire to fight. To me, it’s not about incapacitating another man, though. It’s about simply seeing that when it comes to using your fists, your body, I am the superior man. It’s so much more mental than physical.

Heading into the Shine Fights Lightweight Grand Prix, my career had been on a downward spiral, one which my personal life seemed to be mirroring. I had won my last bout, but before that, I had lost eight of my last ten fights. And without going too much into detail, one could say my personal life had been in shreds, too. To me, the Grand Prix was a way to right some wrongs in my career. Most importantly, it was a way for me to be able to see my daughter again. And that’s what it’s all about for me. Focus had come into my life. My past problems with the law…those were behind me. My mind and body were focused on training. I was thinking about my daughter every second I could, and that drove me to train even harder. When the night of the Grand Prix came, I was ready.

First up for me was Charles Bennett. “Krazy Horse,” as he’s most well-known, is not an opponent to take lightly. I was willing to trade, but I wanted the takedown. And I got it. He swept me, which surprised me, and when I latched on an armbar, he tried to spike me on my head. But nothing was going to stop me. I stayed focused. I saw his head in the right position, and I caught him in a guillotine. He again tried to slam me on my head, but I had it in and he tapped. I appreciate the fight Charles gave me, but right then I knew this would be my night. Everything was falling into place.

Next up for me was Dennis Bermudez. I didn’t know much about him, but I had heard he was a good wrestler. I saw very early in the fight that this was the case. He had no intention of striking, and went for a takedown pretty quickly. Unfortunately for him, his inexperience gave him away. I slipped to the mat, and I encouraged him to follow. To my shock, he actually followed me down. Big mistake. I was able to utilize my positioning to eventually get a sort of chin-in choke. Bermudez defended well, but I got the hooks in, and eventually a body-lock on. Bermudez is young, and I think he’s got a good career in front of him. But, again, I knew this was my night. I was prepared to fight forty minutes if I needed to. The thought of my daughter was spurring me on. And now I was in the finals.

My team had been behind me, my girlfriend was behind me, and I was ready to take the Grand Prix title home with me. In the final with me would be Carlo Prater, who I’d actually submitted once before, back in 2004 in another tournament. Carlo had lost earlier in the night, but was in the finals with me as an injury replacement. I like Carlo, but all I saw in front of me was the last obstacle standing in the way of me seeing my girl. I wouldn’t be denied, not tonight. Carlo is a tough guy, but he’d already fought two full fights. I saw my opening early on when the fight went to the ground. We tested our wills against each other on the mat. I was able to maneuver him into position for the rear-naked choke, and though he fought it, he had to tap. I had done it.

The emotion just started pouring out. I couldn’t help it. I wept, I smiled, I laughed, and ultimately I went over and paid my respects to Carlo. It was all so humbling. But I’d done it. Thanks to my team, my friends, my girlfriend, and most of all to my little girl. I’d be on the next flight to go see her. And I didn’t feel nervous about that at all.

In the end, I felt like I’d been raised from the dead. I felt…resurrected. And in a lot of ways, it was a factual way of thinking about it. I had redeemed myself as a fighter, and as a man.

San Francisco, CA (PRESS RELEASE) – STARS the Agency, a leading model talent agency with an almost 30-year history, is excited to announce the launch of its mixed martial arts branch, STARS MMA. Based out of San Francisco, California, the agency is committed to building fighter brands by extending their reach into television, film and print/commercial advertising while managing their fighting careers.


“STARS has had a Sports Management division for years and we have watched the sport of mixed martial arts grow from infancy into a world-renown behemoth,” says STARS the Agency President, Scott Claxon. “With the addition of our new MMA division we hope to enhance fighters’ already promising careers by bringing further diverse media opportunities that STARS has been providing for its model talent.”

Its Lead MMA Agent and former matchmaker of Shine Fight Promotions, Ron Foster, will operate the MMA division of Stars the Agency. An active member of the U.S. Army with a rank of Sergeant-First Class, Foster has competed professionally as a mixed martial artist and has trained at many of the world’s top gyms, including the 808 Fight Factory in Hawaii, Yamasaki Academy in Virginia, and Strong Style MMA in Cleveland, OH.

Holding the rank of brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Foster has always approached the sport from a fighter’s perspective and will continue with the same approach with STARS MMA. Having already worked with world-renowned gyms like American Top Team, Xtreme Couture, H.I.T. Squad, and the Brazilian Top Team in his previous position as the head of talent relations for Shine Fight Promotions, Foster plans to continue many of those relationships while in his role as one of the sport’s elite talent agents.

“I'm very excited about our new business venture with STARS MMA,” Foster said. “My goal is to get the best fighters that I can and help groom them into major stars not just in MMA, but in every way that I can. I have a great team around me and awesome fighters as well; look for STARS MMA to be the break out sports agency for 2011!”

STARS MMA has already developed a working partnership with the famed Chute Boxe Academy from Brazil and will represent certain Chute Boxe fighters in America, including PRIDE veteran Luiz Azeredo and submission phenom Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira.

“So far, we have been very pleased to have STARS MMA helping us with our fighters,” Chute Boxe director Augusto Oliveira said. “Ron is a very hard working person, honest, respectful and he puts all his efforts into everything he does. It's really a plus to have STARS MMA with us.”

Also part of the STARS MMA stable are fast-rising prospects Chris Lozano and Brian Rogers, both fighting out of Strong Style MMA in Cleveland and James “The Unbreakable Heavy Hitter” Warfield. Lozano, the current NAAFS welterweight champion, has signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator Fighting Championships and will debut with that organization later this month. In addition, STARS MMA created the matchup between Jorge Masvidal and Paul Daley, ranked as the number 2 Top Ten September Tussles To Watch by Sherdog.com.

“Ron is the man,” said Masvidal, fresh off of signing a six-fight contract with Strikeforce. “STARS MMA believed in me when nobody else would. They helped me get the biggest fight and the biggest paycheck of my career, and they helped get me out of a bad contract before that. I’m looking forward to working more with STARS in the future.”

Along with focusing on talent inside of the cage, STARS MMA is dedicated to advancing the sport into the mainstream media. Having worked with veteran actor Danny Trejo and ITN Films on the movie “Vengeance” by placing former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Suga” Rashad Evans and MMA veteran Light Heavyweight Houston “The Assassin” Alexander in roles opposite Trejo, STARS MMA is expanding the opportunities afforded most professional fighters. STARS MMA will aid fighters in branching out into television, movies, commercial/print advertising and modeling prospects.

For more from STARS MMA, visit http://www.starsagency.com/

UFC RETURNS TO GERMANY FOR UFC 122 NOVEMBER 13, OBERHAUSEN

Main Event: UFC Middleweight TITLE ELIMINATOR VITOR BELFORT v YUSHIN OKAMI

London, England - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organisation returns to Germany on November 13 when UFC 122 emanates from König-Pilsener-Arena in Oberhausen.

In the high-stakes main event, mixed martial arts legend Vitor ‘the Phenom’ Belfort will face Japanese powerhouse Yushin ‘Thunder’ Okami in a three-round contest to determine who will challenge for the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2011.

UFC 122 is the first UFC event to take place in Germany since the world’s premier combat sports organisation made its mainland Europe debut in Cologne last June.

UFC Managing Director of International Development Marshall Zelaznik said: “We are glad to be coming back to Germany with UFC 122 and to reward our loyal UFC fans in Germany. Both Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami are one win away from a shot at the UFC Middleweight Title and are coming to Germany with a great deal to win and lose. This is a sporting event with tremendous international significance, and we are delighted to have been able to bring this event to Oberhausen.”

Marek Lieberberg of MLK, the UFC’s promotional partner in Germany, said: “We are excited to bring the world’s most popular combat sport back to Germany, following our great event last summer. Mr Belfort and Mr Okami are two of the greatest martial artists in the world and this is an excellent main event attraction. Vitor holds a black belt in judo as well as jiu-jitsu and has competed as a professional boxer while Yushin is an outstanding martial artist in his own right.”

Tickets for UFC 122 are priced at €225, €145, €85, €65 and €45 and will be available on Monday, September 20 to UFC Fight Club members from Tuesday 21 to UFC and MLK Newsletter subscribers and to the general public from Wednesday 22 September. Tickets will be available from eventim.de, the arena box office and Bundesweite Ticket Hotline: 01805 – 570 000.

Please note tickets are only available to over 18s, and that ID will be checked at the arena on the night.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort, 19-8 a career which began in 1996, has earned his reputation as one of the greats in his sport. The 33-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has spent a decade and a half travelling the world and defeating a who’s who of mixed martial arts; ‘The Phenom’ holds wins over the likes of Tank Abbott, Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Randy Couture, and Matt Lindland, and he most recently stopped Rich Franklin in just three minutes.

Rightly considered a pioneer of MMA, Belfort believes he is also the future of the 185lbs middleweight division, and knows victory in Germany will put him in striking distance of becoming only the third man to ever win UFC world titles in two different weight divisions.

“It is a joy to go to other parts of the world and fight for fans there,” said Belfort. “I am here to regain my legacy as one of the best fighters in the world. I’ve accomplished so many things in my career, but I am always happy to be in the gym and working on getting better.

“The German fans will see a 100% performance from me against Okami. I am looking for the knockout, I always look for the knockout. I know Okami is the type of guy who can bang a little and also has that judo style, but I am on a mission to be the UFC Champion once again.”

Obe of the most feared fighters in the middleweight division since his UFC debut win over Alan Belcher four years ago, Kanagawa, Japan, native Yushin Okami, 26-5 in MMA, is finally in a position to force his way into title contention. ‘Thunder’ already holds victories over Mike Swick, Evan Tanner, Dean Lister and most recently Mark Munoz, and he knows a win over an icon like Belfort will cement his status at the top contender at 185lbs.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to fight a great like Vitor Belfort in the main event of a big card,” said Okami. “Vitor Belfort is still kind of my idol, so I am very excited. He will bring out the very best in me. Belfort is a great fighter but I feel I have certain advantages I can use in the fight. I will shock MMA fans around the world with my performance.”

Further bouts for UFC 122 will be announced shortly.

Ron “The Monster” Sparks and Greg Maynard square off at Bellator 30 in battle of undefeated heavyweights

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 20, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships today announced that undefeated heavyweight Ron “The Monster” Sparks will make his Bellator debut in his hometown of Louisville when he takes on undefeated ground-and-pound specialist and fellow Louisville product Greg Maynard at Bellator 30, taking place at Fourth Street Live! on September 23.

“We’re thrilled to give the Louisville faithful a heavyweight match of this caliber,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Both fighters are beloved in Louisville, and will give the fans at Fourth Street Live! a great show.”

Both heavyweights enter the fight sporting perfect professional records, Sparks is 5-0 and Maynard is 2-0 in their respective fighting careers. The massive 6'5” 265 lb Sparks has notched 4 of his professional victories by knockout, while his Maynard has won both of his outings from submissions due to strikes. The pair of hard-hitting heavyweights has finished a combined 6 of their 7 fights, which makes the odds of this heavyweight showdown making it to the judges very unlikely.

“This fight should end with a knockout,” said a confident Sparks. “Although I wouldn’t mind it going to the ground either. Everyone sees me as a huge stand up fighter, but I have taken my ground game to a whole new level, and I want people to see that.”

The biggest struggle “The Monster” has faced hasn’t been in the ring, but finding someone who is willing to take him on. After having his previous two fights cancelled or postponed, Sparks is truly thankful to be given this opportunity in his hometown.

“I’m just excited to get back into the ring,” said Sparks. “Bellator is a huge promotion, and to make my debut in front of all my friends and family just makes it even more special. The fans know I always provide a great show, and this won’t be any different.”

Tickets for the event - which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights - are on sale now at ticketmaster.com

For more information, visit Bellator.com

The 5 Biggest Upcoming Fights for Canadian MMA This Year

By Elton Hobson

It bothers me sometimes when people say MMA has yet to hit the
"mainstream". That may be true where you live - but not in Canada.

Yes, in the true north strong and free, MMA has definitely arrived, so
to speak. It the subject of everyday watercooler, busride, and
elevator conversation (yes, we have watercoolers, busses, and
elevators in Canada). MMA fighters occupy the same public facination
as our beloved hockey players. We pack the bars come fight night, and
always provide higher then expected PPV numbers in our major cities.

And if GSP is headlining you might as well just call a national
holiday - like a World Cup championship game, only twice a year
instead of once every four, and our team always beats the other by a
score of 50 to 45.

Yes Canada, we love our fights. We also love our fighters. The problem
is that with the exception of the aforementioned GSP, Canadian
fighters have been through a bit of a rough patch the last several
months when it comes to the world stage.

Luckily, things are starting to come around. MMA is sanctioned in
Ontario at long last, Vancouver is (back) on board, and the UFC is
making its second trip north of the border in a year this December.

The past is the past - time to look to the future. These are the 5
biggest fights for Canadian fighters as we head down 2010's home
stretch, important tilts that all Canuck fight fans do not want to
miss.

5)Mark Hominick vs. Leonard Garcia - WEC 51

World Extreme Cagefighting comes to Broomfield, Colorado at the end of
September and they're bringing with them their most stacked card yet.
When the lights go down, all eyes will be on Featherweight champ Jose
Aldo's second title defense. For my money, though, the most exciting
and intriguing fight of the night is the Hominick vs. Garcia bout that
will both open and I believe steal the show - as well as in all
likelihood providing the next title challenger at 145 lbs.

Garcia's legendary fight with Chan Jung Sung is already the WEC
equivalent of Griffin/Bonnar, and the promotion is clearly hoping to
build the Greg Jackson fighter up for a title shot down the line. But
they're not overlooking Hominick here either, who is riding an
impressive 3 fight win streak and is known for some exciting scraps
himself. In short, the WEC management is hoping one of these guys uses
this fight to make a statement.

In my opinion, this is a great poroyinity for "The Machine". Garcia
fights with a wide open, fan pleasing style, eschewing silly things
like head movement, footwork, and proper timing in favour of winging
haymakers with a grin on his face. Hominick may not have the power to
put away Garcia like Mike Brown did, but he has the technical striking
acumen and the hustle to outwork him over three rounds. If it goes to
the ground I believe Hominick will have the measure of Garcia as well.

Look for the London, Ontario native to launch himself into the title
hunt with a win here.

4) Rory MacDonald vs. Matt Brown - UFC 123

Coming into 2010, no Canadian prospect had more hype and interest then
British Columbia born Rory MacDonald. Only 21 years old, "The
Waterboy" was already a 5 year veteran who boasted an undefeated
record. Training for Mixed Martial Arts competition from the moment he
first stepped into a gym, MacDonald was said to be the prototype for
the "fighter of the future" and the next great Canadian hope.

For two rounds against Carlos Condit at UFC 115, MacDonald lived up to
all the hype, doing whatever he wanted to the former WEC champ. Then
Condit showed the heart that had made him a champion, storming back
from a points deficit to steamroll MacDonald and finish him with just
7 seconds remaining.

It was a heartbreaker for MacDonald without a doubt, but it was also a
valuable experience for the still young fighter as he went back to the
drawing board. Now he gets set to face another tough, respected
veteran in Matt "The Immortal" Brown at UFC 123 in Detroit.

The UFC has done MacDonald no favours with this matchmaking, and has
stuck to their usual "swim with the sharks or get eaten" approach to
fight booking. Rory faces a similar challenge to Condit in Brown, a
tough, well rounded fighter who can threaten MacDonald from anywhere.
In order to beat Brown, MacDonald will have to display an equal or
greater versatility, while showing he has the heart and the mind to
not let victory slip away at the last minute.

A loss could be devastating to his career. A win could establish him
as the new Canadian fighter to watch. Either way, there will be a lot
on the line for MacDonald when he steps into the cage this November.

3) Chris Clements vs. Jonathan Goulet - Ringside MMA 9: Payback

Let's step back from the larger promotions for a second to look at a
local Canadian scrap with some potentially big implications. For their
9th show, regional Quebec promotion Ringside MMA finally looks to
crown a welterweight champion as hometown favourite and recent UFC
castoff Jonathan Goulet takes on IFL and W-1 veteran Chris Clements.

For Goulet, this fight represents the last shot at the "big time" for
one of Canada's most well respected veterans. Frustrated against the
best in the world over his two stints with the UFC, "The Road Warrior"
needs a win here in impressive fashion in order to convince Joe Silva
to give him one more try - and with UFC shows coming up in Montreal
and Toronto, you better believe the UFC is keeping a close eye on
Goulet to possibly fill an undercard slot.

For Clements, this fight is about making his own name in the fight
world at Goulet's expense. Training out of Adrenaline MMA in London,
Ontario, "The Menace" has had 10 professional fights thus far in his
career but has yet to break out as a name fighter in his own right. A
win here would change all that.

The promotion is obviously hoping for a Goulet win in this one, but
Jonathan's less then solid chin has cost him a few fights over the
years, and Clements has the kind of power to put him away. Should be
an exciting scrap that will restore an old star or help establish a
new one.

2) Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor - UFC 121

Patrick Cote must have swatted one too many flies in a previous life,
as the the French-Canadian slugger has experienced a terrible run of
bad luck as of late.

First there was the unfortunate ACL injury costing him the Anderson
Silva fight. Then while rehabbing the knee, he reinjured the ligament
and had to go under the knife once again. Then he finally makes his
return to the UFC after more then a year away in front of his hometown
Montreal fans - only to get Tombstone Pildriver'ed into crushing
defeat at the hands of Alan Belcher.

From #1 contender to fighting for your job, all in the space of a
year. It is a harsh carousel indeed at the top of this sport.

Luckily, Cote has been given the perfect opportunity to rebound his
career when he faces Tom Lawlor on the televised prelims to UFC 121. A
highly entertaining fighter who also is fighting for his job following
back to back defeats, Lawlor is on paper the perfect opponent for a
healthy, non-ring rusted Cote to right his ship against.

Live in front of s basic cable audience, I expect Cote to be looking
to make a statement. If he displays the takedown defense he showed in
the Ricardo Almeida fight combined with his trademark KO power and
cast iron chin, expect Cote to pick up a big win and put some wind
back into the sails of one of Canada's most exciting 185'ers.

1) Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck - UFC 124

What more can be said of this fight that hasn't already been said.
When it comes to Canadian fights, anything but GSP in the #1 spot is a
joke, especially when the champ is facing perhaps his toughest rival
after a season of TUF induced trash talking.

Ask me what welterweight on paper has the best shot to beat GSP, and
the answer is Koscheck. A decorated NCAA Division 1 wrestler, Kos
theoretically has the wrestling acumen to stifle St. Pierre's
incredible takedowns - though we certainly didn't see that the last
time they did battle. He also has the athletisism to keep up with
St. Pierre, and the KO power to put him away. In short, he is the
perfect guy to implement the "Matt Serra" gameplan.

Whether he will or not remains to be seen. But you better believe all
of Canada will be tuning in to find out.

Bellator Inks Fast-Rising Undefeated Lightweight Prospect Michael Chandler

CHICAGO, Ill. (September 17, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships has officially signed undefeated up-and-comer Michael Chandler to its growing list of impressive lightweight fighters. Chandler enters the promotion with a fresh 3-0 professional record including a rear-naked-choke victory over Sal Woods at last May’s Strikeforce event.

“Michael Chandler is a great signing for us at 155,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He has unlimited potential in the sport, I’m excited to see him progress as a fighter under the Bellator banner.”

The 24-year-old Missouri native possesses an impressive wrestling pedigree, leading his junior and senior varsity wrestling teams as the captain both years. After high school Chandler wrestled under Bellator Season 2 Welterweight Tournament Champion Ben Askren and Strikeforce veteran Tyron Woodley at the University of Missouri, where he was also the captain the varsity wrestling team his junior and senior year. Chandler says he has been planning for this from the beginning.

“I started training MMA right out of college. I took my first training camp with the soon-to-be Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren. My first training camp was with Ben in Canada about three or four weeks after Nationals during my senior year,” said Chandler. “I always knew I was going to fight, even two years before I started training seriously.”

After a brief stint training at the American Kickboxing Academy, Chandler moved to Las Vegas where he currently trains with Randy Couture’s highly acclaimed gym Xtreme Couture.

Chandler believes it’s his ability to take it to the next level that separates him from other lightweights in the sport.

“I can push the pace harder than anybody at 155,” said Chandler. “My strength is my ability to keep up a hard pace and my ability to break people. I think it will be hard for anyone to keep up with me. I've been competing my entire life and now I'm focused on becoming the next Bellator Champion at 155.”

Chandler makes his Bellator debut on September 30 at Bellator 31 at the L’Auberge du Lac Resort in Lake Charles, LA.

For more information, visit Bellator.com

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE HOLDER BROCK LESNAR GRACES COVER OF UFC® MAGAZINE

The biggest and baddest man on the planet is featured in the most recent issue as he prepares to battle Cain Velasquez in his own backyard

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – With the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) heavyweight division better than it’s ever been, it’s nothing short of amazing that champion Brock Lesnar has been able to dominate with four straight UFC victories in the loaded class.

Lesnar took some time during his training to take a look at the cover of the newest issue, and the UFC heavyweight champion was truly honored.

“Wow,” exclaimed a smiling Lesnar, while looking at the cover for the first time. “This is my coolest one yet. It was a huge win for me, coming back from being sick. I took a major ass-whooping in the first round and to come back and seal the deal in the second – I’m very excited. That’s a cool cover. Thanks to the fans and thanks to the UFC.”

As Lesnar receives the honor of gracing the cover of UFC Magazine, he’s back working hard in the gym, getting ready for his toughest test to date against undefeated up-and-comer Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in Anaheim, California on October 23.

In addition to focusing on the Lesnar vs Velasquez clash, the cover story also rounds up the heavyweight division’s top contenders, including Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson, “Minotauro” Nogueira and Cheick Kongo.

Also in the current issue of UFC Magazine, a Q & A with UFC President Dana White conducted by the fans, a preview of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter®, featuring coaches UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and No. 1 contender Josh Koscheck, a look at former Girl Next Door and one-time Octagon Girl™ Holly Madison, a hero vs. heel story on middleweight contender Michael Bisping and a feature on longtime UFC cutman Leon Tabbs.

UFC Magazine debuted in June of 2009, and quickly shot up the retail charts to become one of the best-selling men’s magazines on the newsstand. UFC Magazine is sold at more than 40,000 different retail locations across the country.

In addition to Lesnar, previous UFC Magazine covers have featured UFC athletes Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson as well as UFC President Dana White.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com