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

THREE FOR ALL

 

UFC^® ANNOUNCES EDGAR VS. MAYNARD III

ON MAY 28 IN LAS VEGAS

 

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

UFC^® 130: EDGAR vs. MAYNARD III will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE

FRANKIE EDGAR vs. GRAY MAYNARD III

 

ALSO FEATURING:

QUINTON ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON vs. MATT HAMILL

FRANK MIR vs. ROY NELSON

STEFAN STRUVE vs. TRAVIS BROWNE

BRIAN STANN vs. JORGE SANTIAGO

 

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

Jimmo to defend title at MFC 29 against Newton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC 128: Full Fight Card

 

 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

 

Tickets Are On Sale Now

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Tickets for UFC^® 128: SHOGUN vs. JONES are on sale now and priced at $500, $350, $225, $150, $100 and $60, not including applicable service charges. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Prudential Center box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.prucenter.com or ticketmaster.com.

 

UFC^® 128: SHOGUN vs. JONES, which is presented by Affliction, will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

MAIN EVENT

SHOGUN VS. JONES

URIJAH FABER vs. Eddie Wineland

JIM MILLER vs. KAMAL SHALORUS

YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA vs. NATE MARQUARDT

MIRKO CRO COP vs. BRENDAN SCHAUB

 

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

LUIZ CANE vs. ELIOT MARSHALL

EDSON BARBOZA vs. ANTHONY NJOKUANI

 

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

RICARDO ALMEIDA vs. MIKE PYLE

KURT PELLEGRINO vs. GLEISON TIBAU

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ vs. IAN LOVELAND

RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO vs. ERIK KOCH

DAN MILLER vs. NICK CATONE

 

 

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

WRECK MMA: AFGHANISTAN Results

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

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

Randy Turner’s fight was cancelled.

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

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

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

Jon Jones MMA Debut

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