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News Flash
March 2010Round 5 Ultimate Collector Series 2!
Couture, Ortiz, Penn, Kimbo, Griffin, Bisping Figures Available In April.
Individual, high-resolution images of the Round 5 Ultimate Collector Series 2 are now available, revealing the look and detail and unique packaging of figurines of six UFC standouts.
Collectibles featuring the likenesses of UFC stars Randy “The Natural” Couture, Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz, B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn, Forrest Griffin, Michael “The Count” Bisping and Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson are due at retail throughout North America in April.
Ultimate Collector Series 1, which includes figures of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, George “Rush” St. Pierre, “Suga” Rashad Evans, Kenny “KenFlo” Florian, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, is now available at retail across North America.
In the U.S., the figurines can be found at Kmart, Target and Toys “R” Us, and in Canada at Walmart, Toys “R” Us and Zellers. A full list can be found at www.Round5MMA.com.
News Flash
March 2010Tune In Alert!
STRIKEFORCE MMA STARS TO APPEAR ON MTV2’S “ROCK N JOCK” THIS SATURDAY.
WHO:
MMA Star & MTV “Bully Beatdown” Host Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champ Josh “The Punk” Thomson
Hard-Hitting Heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson
Knockout Artist Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith
WHAT:
Count down the week’s top music videos on “Rock N Jock” on MTV2.
The STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) stars will be featured in the next two, all new episodes of “Rock N Jock” on MTV2, counting down the week’s top 10 rock videos as well as talking shop with and teaching host “Dirty” their mixed martial arts (MMA) tactics this Saturday, March 6 and next Saturday, March 13 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT.
Tune in this Saturday to hear what it’s like to fight at the Playboy Mansion, get training and fighting tips from some of the sport’s best, meet the beautiful STRIKEFORCE ring girls and see Mayhem’s personal music video pick.
The MMA stars will also give insight into what it’s like to fight a close friend in the cage, tips on how to survive a bar fight and how to stay in top shape to fight at the highest level.
WHEN:
Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on “Rock N Jock” on MTV2
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News Flash
March 2010Strikeforce Returns To Primetime!
ON APRIL 17 WITH AN EVENT FEATURING 3 TITLE FIGHTS.
CBS SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) return to network primetime television with a world-class lineup featuring three title fights and five of the top MMA fighters in the world from their respective weight classes, on Saturday, April 17 (9:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The event will be broadcast live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Dan Henderson (25-7-0), one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history, makes his STRIKEFORCE debut in the evening's main event against champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) as the two battle for the STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Title. Both Shields and Henderson are ranked as two of the top five middleweights in the world.
This event also marks the first time Henderson, who left the UFC and signed a four-fight deal with STRIKEFORCE in December 2009, will fight in front of a network primetime audience. A two-time United States Olympic wrestling team member (1992, 1996), Henderson is also the only fighter in the sport's history to simultaneously hold two different titles in two different weight classes (welterweight and heavyweight) for a major fight promotion (PRIDE Fighting Championships).
"We are excited about returning to CBS Primetime with a card featuring some of the top mixed martial arts fighters in the world, including three title fights and the STRIKEFORCE debut of MMA legend, Dan Henderson," said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE.
"CBS has shown a tremendous commitment to furthering the sport of MMA on network television and we appreciate the home they have given STRIKEFORCE to deliver world class cards for MMA fans everywhere."
In addition to the main event championship bout, the night will also include two additional championship title fights. Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1), arguably the sport's top light heavyweight, will face undefeated King Mo (6-0) for the STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight title. STRIKEFORCE champion Gilbert Melendez (17-2-0) puts his lightweight title on the line against DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki (23-4-0) in the evening's third title bout.
"When you have one event with three championship fights and this many top-ranked athletes, it's more than just a great card, it's a big night for MMA," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Primetime, CBS Television.
"Audiences are going to see a great range of mixed martial arts skills, styles and talent on one broadcast."
News Flash
February 2010Hawne Grabs Hard Fought Win!
Former Olympian Rick Hawne Wins At WCF 9.
World Championship Fighting action drew another packed house at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, Massachusetts Friday night (February 26th). Promoter Joe Cavallaro once again proved why his event is consider among the best on the east coast, putting on a show free from controversy in front of a well-behaved and excited crowd. There were a lot of twists and turns on the night, but little that affected the quality of the event.
Longtime KISS 108 Morning guy Billy Costa subbed-in, taking on the ring announcing duties. Seeming like a veteran of the MMA scene, Costa pulled it off in stellar fashion keeping the fights moving and the crowd energized. Several Boston Celtics were also in-attendance including Glenn Davis and Rajon Rondo. UFC Veteran's Marcus Davis and Dany Lauzon were also on hand.
With the State of Massachusetts preparing to begin overseeing mixed martial arts as of Monday under the new Massachusetts Athletic Commission, longtime WCF independent official Joe Esposito was also in attendance working his final fight for the organization. Esposito was named as a Commissioner (starting on the 1st), and is expected to fight to carry on the high integrity of the sport. Esposito is a very-well respected martial artist and the announcement of his appointment is being scene as a big win for Mixed Martial Arts.
One change on the night was the last minute canceling of the co-main event involving WEC Veteran Mike Campbell taking on Marc Stevens. Campbell was forced to withdraw with a knee.
The Main Event lived up to the hype, as former Olympian Rick Hawn took on Team Bombsquad's Tom Gallicchio in a battle that went the distance.
Hawn, who trains with Olympic Judo Bronze Medallist Jimmy Pedro and famed UFC coach Mark Dellagrotte of Sityodtong, came ready for a war and that what he got.
Gallicchio and Hawn had some heavy first round exchanges of punches and kicks before Hawn got it to the ground with a classic one-arm judo throw.
He followed it up with a little ground-and-pound that opened a cut on the top of Gallicchio's forehead.
In round two, a heel trip by Hawn put the action back on the mat, where position transitions along with strikes and a couple attempted submissions highlighted the round.
The third round saw an early period of a return of the stand-up battle, before a missed head-kick attempt by Gallicchio allowed Hawn to bring the action back to the ground, where it stayed for the remainder of the fight. Hawn took a unanimous the decision.
The scheduled fight between Renzo Gracie's John Benoit and Noah Weisman of BJJ Revolution stepped up to the Co-Main Event chair, and delivered the next best action of the night.
Benoit, a veteran of the WCF, avoided a near-triangle choke in the first round and maintained top position to control the round.
Benoit used a standing kimura in the 2nd to drag the fight back to the ground, cranking hard enough to come close to either a submission or a dislocation of Weisman's arm.
A scramble by Weisman freed the lock, but Benoit maintain top control, on route to a 2nd round unanimous decision win.
WCF 'forever-fan-favorite' Dan Bonnell took on Dragon Lair's Cesario de Souza. An opening accidental headbutt seemed to cause a small cut on Souza and held up the two fighters from engaging for a few seconds. When the action restarted a hard overhand by Bonnell dropped Souza flat on his back. A couple follow-up shots by Benoit was all the ref needed to see to call an end to the fight at just 32 seconds in to round one.
In the rest of the fast moving action;
Nelson Gaipou is victorious over Matt Johnson at 35sec in Round 1 via triangle choke
With both fighters looking for their first win, Joel Ly defeated Steve at 3:19 in Round 1 via triangle choke
Carlos Lovato overpowered Jerry Spiegel to take TKO win at 3:15 in Round 1
Stephen Stengel took the win over Mike Zichelle at 1:09 in Round 1 via triangle choke
Matt Martin defeated. Peter Colge at 1:40 in Round 1 via triangle choke
Robby Roberts topped Buster Crandell at 2:08 in Round 1 via armbar submission
Another crowd favorite, Jamie Campbell took a fast-moving TKO win over Andrew Nelson at 1:21 Round 1
News Flash
February 2010MMA For Charity!
Event Will Take Place On March 13-14 In Richmond, VA.
On January 12th, 2010, a vicious earthquake struck the country of Haiti. As of this writing, an estimated 3,000,000 people have been affected by magnitude 7.0 quake.
The Haitian Government has reported that between 217,000 and 230,000 people have died, an estimated 300,000 have been injured, and an estimated 1,000,000 are homeless.
What’s more, the death toll is expected to rise. The response from within the United States as well as the world has been overwhelming. Tens of millions of dollars have been raised in the U.S. alone, and aid has poured in from all over the world. But recovery efforts will be ongoing in the years to come, as Haiti attempts to rebuild itself.
On March 13th, a two-day seminar hosted by MMA Institute, located at 6145 Jahnke Road, Richmond, VA 23225, will commence.
The seminar will consist of grappling, striking, and MMA training, and the team of instructors will be made up of world class MMA fighters such as WEC lightweight contender “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone, UFC fighters Aaron Riley and “The Filthy Mauler” Tom Lawlor, former TUF competitor and EliteXC headliner Seth Petruzelli, Bellator fighter Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal, and 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) champion and recent Shine Fights signee Braulio Estima.
In addition, 50/50 Jiu-Jitsu owners Ryan Hall and Seph Smith will be teaching, and a kids seminar will be educated by the well-respected John Simons. All these great athletes will be donating their time, and merchandise will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going towards Haiti relief.
MMA for Charity is an organization conceptualized by MMA Institute Head Trainer Rick McCoy and Eric Callahan in order for the sport he loves to have an opportunity to respond to the tragedy in Haiti.
“When I saw the footage of all the suffering going on by the men, women, and children in Haiti, I just felt in my gut that I needed to do something,” explained McCoy.
“I spoke with some of my associates, and things quickly came together to form the organization. Now, the sport gets to show that it’s about more than what happens in the cage; MMA is filled with good, caring people. And through MMA for Charity, we’ll get to show that.”
For those interested in signing up for the seminar or further information, please visit http://www.MMAInstitute.com/ or http://www.MMAForCharity.org/
News Flash
February 2010Strikeforce Results!
SARAH KAUFMAN DEFEATS TAKAYO HASHI TO BECOME FIRST STRIKEFORCE WOMEN’S WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION IN HISTORY.
Before a sold out crowd of 2,322, former ballet dancer turned undefeated professional mixed martial arts (MMA) star Sarah Kaufman (11-0) became the first STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight (135 pounds) Champion in history by powering her way to a five-round unanimous decision over Japan’s Takayo Hashi (12-2) in the STRIKEFORCE Challengers main event at San Jose’s Civic Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 26, on SHOWTIME®.
Luke Rockhold (7-1) continued his climb up the middleweight (185 pounds) ladder with a stunning first-round (2:24) TKO over Paul Bradley (12-2). A middleweight contest between former South African national wrestling champion Trevor Prangley (22-5-1) and France’s Karl Amoussou (11-2-2) ended prematurely after Prangley accidentally poked Amoussou in the eye, leading to a doctor stoppage and technical draw being declared.
From the outset, Kaufman pressed the action with a stiff jab and one-two punch combinations, but was unable to finish Hashi who repeatedly backpedaled her way out of trouble. Kaufman landed her best shots in the first round, dropping Hashi with a straight right hand.
In the third stanza, Kaufman sent Hashi reeling back and nearly put down the Japanese fighter for a second time in the bout with a straight right hand. After a Kaufman jab snapped Hashi’s head back, Hashi responded by shooting for a takedown that Kaufman stuffed.
A chess match ensued for the remainder of the bout. Kaufman continued to score with her hands and right leg kick while Hashi retreated to avoid imminent danger. All three judges scored all five rounds in favor of Kaufman.
In the first round of their much anticipated matchup, Rockhold dropped Bradley with a right hand to the side of the head. Bradley fought his way back to his feet, but Rockhold quickly went on the attack, scoring a head kick and following up with three straight knee strikes to the body.
Badly battered from the series of blows, Bradley turned his back, prompting the referee to immediately stop the action.
As expected, Amoussou came out of the gates firing punches at Prangley, who covered up and countered the Frenchman’s assault with his own hands. Prangley scored a takedown, but was unable to advance his position from half guard.
After the referee stood up the fighters, Prangley, with an open left hand, accidentally poked Amoussou in the right eye. The ringside physician immediately entered the cage and examined Amoussou, who was unable to open his eye, and declared the fighter unable to continue at the 4:14 mark of the first round (According to MMA rules in the state of California, the ringside physician has the discretion to stop a bout in the event that an accidental foul causes an injury).
In other action Yancy Medeiros (5-0) of Waianae, Hawaii dominated Raul Castillo (6-1) at middleweight with continuous flurries throughout the matchup between the unbeaten fighters.
Medeiros stuffed Castillo’s repeated takedown attempts and continued to pour on the punishment with both hands, putting Castillo on the canvas with a right hand in the third round. After an exchange of shots brought the bout to a close, all three judges awarded the fight to Medeiros.
Like Medeiros, Tarec Saffiedine (8-2) maintained an all-out stand up offensive in a welterweight (170 pounds) fight with James Terry (7-2) for three straight rounds, opening a cut on Terry’s lower lip and bringing about a welt under Terry’s left eye.
Terry repeatedly attempted to bring the fight to the mat, but Saffiedine defended the takedowns well and responded with more strikes. After three rounds, Saffiedine was declared a unanimous points winner.
Amongst those in attendance at Civic Auditorium, was MMA's newest star, football legend Herschel Walker, as well as STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, and STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.
During an interview with STRIKEFORCE Challengers host Mauro Ranallo, Walker said, "(MMA) is the toughest sport there is. To step in the cage and go mano-a-mano, there's nothing like it. It is the toughest training I've ever done."
Regarding his future in the sport, the 47-year-old Walker said, "I will leave that up to my team at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy, San Jose) when I get back in the gym. We'll see if they say I am capable of going again. (If they do), we'll do it again."
News Flash
February 2010Super Channel To Air Sarah Kaufman!
EXCLUSIVE LIVE OFFER IN CANADA, TOMORROW, FEB. 26, AT 11 P.M. ET.
Super Channel, Canada’s only national pay television network, is proud to air Canadian Sarah Kaufman courtesy of SHOWTIME® as she headlines the STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event tomorrow/Friday, Feb. 26, in an effort to become the first STRIKEFORCE women’s welterweight (135 pounds) champion in history.
Kaufman (10-0, 2-0 in STRIKEFORCE), a former dancer turned undefeated MMA fighter, will fight Takayo Hashi (12-1) of Tokyo, Japan in a live HD offering on Super Channel beginning at 11 p.m. ET live from San Jose, Calif. The card also includes two middleweight (185 pounds) matchups - Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs Karl Amoussou (11-2-1), and Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1).
Though gaining respect and popularity, the sport of women’s MMA is still in its infancy. There are many firsts ahead for the athletes competing in the formative years of women’s combat sports. Nevertheless, some women have already made serious strides. One who has worked hard and attained numerous firsts is Victoria, British Columbia, Canada’s Kaufman.
At 17 years of age, Kaufman stumbled upon MMA when a school opened in the building where she was studying dance. She was supposed to meet a friend to check out ZUMA Martial Arts but the friend never showed and Kaufman went in anyway. Initially she enrolled in an aerobic kickboxing class but before long she was taking every class head instructor and BJJ black belt Adam Zugec offered.
Kaufman competed in tournaments to hone her skills and began fighting MMA professionally in 2006. Beginning her “road of women’s MMA firsts” was competing in the first women’s MMA bout held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when she beat Alexis Davis by TKO at the Ultimate Cage Wars show in April 2007. Her bout at TKO 29 in June ‘07, where she beat Valerie Letourneau with strikes in the second round, was the first women’s bout in the promotion’s history.
Her follow-up fight that year, yet another first, was competing for and winning the first Hardcore Championship Fighting women’s bantamweight (135-pound) title. There she pounded the experienced Ginele Marquez, stopping her with strikes in the second round. Kaufman defended the title five months later, beating down Molly Helsel and scoring her seventh consecutive career victory by KO or TKO.
Kaufman made her STRIKEFORCE debut last May as a late replacement for Kim Couture (1-2, 1-1 in STRIKEFORCE) in a bout with Miesha “Takedown” Tate (8-2, 0-1 in STRIKEFORCE).
In the opening round, Kaufman moved forward, landing lefts and rights and stuffing the takedown attempts of Tate to control the opening phase.
In turn, Tate dominated the second period after getting an early takedown and controlling Kaufman on the mat for the majority of the round.
In the third, Kaufman continued to stuff takedowns and landed a hard right hook midway through round. Kaufman dominated the remainder of the contest, landing strikes standing and on the ground, and took a unanimous decision victory.
Her second STRIKEFORCE bout last June was also her most recent “first.’’ It was the first women’s bout contested under five-minute rounds.
In round 1, Shayna Baszler got an early takedown and applied a unique Josh Barnett-inspired choke but Kaufman worked hard, released the pressure and gained top position.
Shayna was able to tie her up against the cage and avoid strikes in the clinch to close out the round.
In the second, Baszler again worked to control in the clinch but Kaufman found the range with her strikes and began to strike effectively. Using leg kicks and superior in-and-out movement, Kaufman had her way in round 2 and closed the round with a flurry of strikes.
The final round opened with Baszler’s frantic attempt to bring Kaufman to the mat. She successfully pulled guard but a follow-up sweep and subsequent kneebar attempt only led to Kaufman getting behind her and back to her feet. Kaufman’s confidence grew as she used distance effectively and flustered Baszler, tagging her at will. In the final 30 seconds, Baszler rolled for a kneebar but Kaufman stayed closed, avoided the submission and took a unanimous decision win to stay unbeaten.
At just 24 years old, Kaufman is 10-0 in a sport where many competitors don’t even have 10 fights under their belt. Now Kaufman prepares for the biggest first of her career; the STRIKEFORCE Women’s 135l-piound title. She must take on a skilled grappler in Hashi. And if successful, the victory will serve as not only yet another in a long line of “firsts” but also as a historic achievement.
News Flash
February 2010Mayorga V Thomas!
MAYORGA MADNESS INVADES MMA.
'The craziest man in boxing” is bringing his unique brand of insanity to MMA.
Some people call him “El Matador.” Others refer to him as “the Madman from Managua.” Sometimes, they use rougher language in referring to Ricardo Antonio Mayorga Perez, but everyone agrees that Ricardo Mayorga has achieved legendary status in boxing.
That would be enough for most athletes, superstar status in their chosen sport. But not for the swashbuckling character from Nicaragua.
Now the former WBA and WBC welterweight champion and ex-WBC junior middleweight king is out to conquer a second sport, mixed martial arts.
Mayorga, who owns a 28-7-1, 22 knockouts boxing record which includes two upset victories over the late Vernon Forrest and one over “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas along with losses to legends Oscar de la Hoya, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, and Sugar Shane Mosley, will make his MMA debut against UFC veteran Din Thomas on Saturday, May 15.
Promoted by rising MMA power Shine Fights (www.shinefights.com), Mayorga's MMA debut in WORLD’S COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS THOMAS tops an action- packed card loaded with MMA stars.
The show is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada.
The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available)
The MMA showdown will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/PT by MultiVision Media, Inc. on Saturday, May 15 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The suggested retail price for the MMA showdown is $29.95.
"I conquered the world in the boxing ring all the while I was puffing cigarettes and drinking beer, “ stated the boastful Mayorga.
“I won three world title belts, and I stood toe to toe with so many legends, beating some of them. Vernon Forrest, God rest his soul, was a great boxer yet I beat him back twice. I cannot be denied as I am a force of nature. Now I will shock the MMA fans and I know so many of my fans from boxing will follow me as I expand my repertoire. They can't deny me in MMA and I will destroy Din Thomas. I am going to smash him the way I smashed all the big superstars of boxing. To me, a fight is a fight in a ring, in a cage or on the street. Fighting is my middle name," added Mayorga.
Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.
“We at the Crown Center are extremely excited to be presenting Shine Fight Promotions Mixed Martial Arts event WORLD’S COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS THOMAS on May 15th in the Crown Coliseum. We look forward to working with Shine Fight Promotions to provide an evening of intense competition,” stated Frank Zaccaro, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Crown Center in Fayetteville, N.C.
Din Thomas, a top ranked Mixed Martial Arts fighter with a 25-8 record, feels he is defending the purity of MMA from the vultures of boxing, and is doing everything he can to make this fight as big as it can be. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with an impressive record, “Dinyero” has gained twenty of his wins via stoppage, including fourteen by submission. He has faced some of the top lightweights in the world, and will look to add the former world champion boxer to his list of victims.
Thomas stated, "I respect what Ricardo has done in boxing. He fooled many opponents with that smoking and drinking shtick but he won't fool me. I train night and day and I know he works hard also. But I will send him back to boxing, crawling back to boxing. He is about to get a violent education about the skills he needs for MMA and they are skills that an old dog like Mayorga cannot learn. I will be taking this cat to school, trust me," added the highly respected blackbelt.
Devin Price, CEO of rising promoter Shine Fights stated, “We're excited and delighted to be able to put on this great card with Mayorga testing himself in MMA against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt expert Din Thomas. Ricardo truly believes he can be a superstar in boxing and MMA so he is stepping up,” Price said.
“We think Mayorga’s fans are just that, his fans and they will follow him to MMA. Many boxing fans are out there who can become fans of both sports and that's our target here. Mayorga inspires passion and that's what we're looking for, ” added Price.
"In my opinion, boxing and MMA are not in some knockdown, dragout war. It's not all one and none of the other. The sports have so much in common, especially when it comes to the courage and fighting heart of the athletes. There is room in the marketplace for both boxing and MMA and seeing a big boxing name like Mayorga cross over without abandoning boxing is proof of this. It's all about an open mind because fans of one sport can learn to love the other. I really feel this," Devin Price, CEO Shine Fights stated. “All that boxing versus MMA nonsense is ancient history."
News Flash
February 2010WCF IS ON!
World Championship Fighting Takes New England By Storm!
Come on.... a little snow? The Fights are on! The weather man is saying it will turn to rain by Friday.
Get Tickets Now http://wcffighting.com/
Former Olympian and undefeated MMA fighter Rick Hawn is scheduled to fight New Jersey native Tom Gallicchio on WCF 9, which takes place Friday, February 26 2010 from the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA.
Hawn is a four time national champion in Judo, and finished in the top 10 at the 2004 Olympics. He trains under both Jimmy Pedro and Mark Dellagrotte, and has started his MMA career at a blistering pace, going 5-0 is less than a year.
Gallicchio has won 7 out of his last 8 fights, and has the majority of his wins by submission. He represents a step up in competition for Hawn, and the crowd is sure to love this one.
News Flash
February 2010Bailey V Wilcox!
STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS MARCH 26.
A winner of four in a row, Shamar Bailey (10-1), of Chicago, will face Justin “The Silverback’’ Wilcox (8-3), of San Jose, Calif., on a stacked STRIKEFORCE Challengers mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Friday, March 26.
Bailey is a replacement for Bryan Travers, who withdrew from the fight with a shoulder injury. The three-rounder between the promising prospects will be one of five fights featured on STRIKEFORCE Challengers live on SHOWTIME® (11:45 p.m. ET/ PT, delayed on the West Coast) and will be contested at a catch weight of 160 pounds.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event, priced from $30, are on sale at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
“I think this is a fantastic matchup for me and I am excited about the opportunity to be able to showcase my skills,’’ said Bailey, who won his STRIKEFORCE debut with a unanimous three-round decision over John Kolosci on the undercard of STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Nov. 7, 2009.
“I have a lot of respect for Justin. I know he’s been winning (Wilcox has won three straight and seven out of eight) and I think we’re both well-rounded fighters with a lot to prove. But I believe that when you have two fighters of equal ability going at it, the bigger guy holds the edge and he is a natural 155-pounder and I fight at 170.
“I am really looking forward to showing off more striking skills than I did in my last fight.’’
In the main event, heavyweight Lavar “Big” Johnson (13-3), of Madera, Calif., takes on unbeaten Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) of Wailua, Maui, Hawaii. Johnson’s start will be his first since he was nearly shot to death at a family barbeque during the last July 4 holiday.
Other televised fights: “Abongo” Humphrey (5-1), Atlanta, Ga., vs. George Bush III (5-1), Columbus, Ohio, at light heavyweight (205 pounds); Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luke Stewart (6-2), San Francisco, Calif., vs. Andre Galvao (3-1), Brazil, at welterweight (170 pounds); and undefeated Zoila Frausto (2-0), Fresno, vs. Miesha “Takedown” Tate (7-2), Olympia, Wash., in a women’s scrap at 135 pounds.
Save Mart Center doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 6 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 6:45 p.m.
News Flash
February 2010Hawn V Gallicchio!
Co-Main Event For WCF 9.
World Championship Fighting today announced that former Olympian and undefeated MMA fighter Rick Hawn is scheduled to fight New Jersey native Tom Gallicchio in the Co-Main event of WCF 9, which takes place Friday, February 26 2010 from the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA.
Hawn is a four time national champion in Judo, and finished in the top 10 at the 2004 Olympics. He trains under both Jimmy Pedro and Mark Dellagrotte, and has started his MMA career at a blistering pace, going 5-0 is less than a year.
Gallicchio has won 7 out of his last 8 fights, and has the majority of his wins by submission. He represents a step up in competition for Hawn, and the crowd is sure to love this one.
Also added to WCF 9 is a classic striker vs. grappler match up between fan favorite Jamie Campbell and Colin Schrader. Both fighters are undefeated, and both intend to keep it that way on February 26.
Campbell was last in action at WCF 3 when he knocked out Jose Valentin in the first round. Schrader makes his much anticipated WCF debut, but has won his 2 pro fights by submission.
As previously announced, the card is headlined by Mike "The Beast" Campbell vs. Marc Stevens.
WEC Veteran Mike Campbell is fresh off a win at WCF 8, and is 7-2 overall with 2 first round TKO wins for World Championship Fighting.
Campbell is moving down to his optimal fight weight of 155 pounds to take on his toughest opponent to date at 155.
Stevens is a dominant wrestler with fantastic ground and pound, and was 4-0 in 2009 (12-4 overall) with big wins over Hitalo Machado and "Mr. Big" Al Buck.
Stevens is currently ranked #2 in New England at 155 lbs. and he looks to continue his rise to the top on February 26, but standing in his way is "The Beast."
The current fight card was also announced, and those fights are listed below:
Mike Campbell (Sit Yod Tong) vs. Marc Stevens (Jui-Jitsu Nation)
Rick Hawn (Sit Yod Tong) vs. Tom Gallicchio (Bombsquad)
John Benoit (Renzo NH) vs. Noah Weisman (BJJ Revolution)
Dan Bonnell (Renzo NH) vs. Cesario de Souza (Dragon Lair)
Mike Zichelle (MMAT Center) vs. Stephen Stengel
Jamie Campbell (Execution) vs. Colin Schrader (Bombsquad)
Dan Simmler (Simmler BJJ) vs. Robby Roberts (Brute Force)
Matt Martin (USMMA) vs. Peter Cole (Bombsquad)
Nelson Gaipo (Dragon Lair) vs. Matt Johnson (SSSF)
Carlos Lovato (Premier Fight Team) vs. Guillermo Echuaca (Zulu)
Joel Ly (Guy Chase) vs. Steve Beck
News Flash
February 2010Shine Fights Sign Nick Thompson!
Debut Expected to Take Place in Early 2010.
Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) is excited to announce the signing of UFC and StrikeForce veteran and former Bodog Fight world champion Nick “The Goat” Thompson.
Thompson broke into the national MMA scene in October 2005 with a rear-naked choke victory over UFC veteran Josh Neer at Extreme Challenge 64. A rough matchup for any fighter, Thompson then defeated another tough guy in Keith Wisnewski at UFC 56 less than a month later.
With over 50 pro fights in just six years, Thompson is one of the more experienced fighters in the world. Prior to 2009, “The Goat” was riding a 22-2 streak as a welterweight, with wins over current UFC contender Paul “Semtex” Daley and current Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
Despite a gaudy record and a minuteman attitude that allows him to take any fight on any notice, Thompson was unable to find competition at 170 pounds and was forced to move to the middleweight division to take a tough fight with fast-rising prospect Tim Kennedy in StrikeForce.
His willingness to fight and an offer from a growing promotion in Shine prompted Thompson to sign on the dotted line:
“Over three years I’d gone 22-2 at welterweight, and I couldn’t get a fight. It was really frustrating…if you look at my record, I had 50 fights in five years, and all of a sudden I’m going down to two fights in a year. I’m going out of my mind.”
Despite riding a two-fight losing streak, the well-rounded Thompson is still a force to be reckoned with:
“I can submit you from the top, from the bottom…I’ve knocked out world-class strikers, and I think that’s one thing that sets me aside is just my well-roundedness.”
A quick rundown of Thompson’s resume and the names that it contains proves why he is one of the more respected fighters in the world. On top of the aforementioned victories over Daley, Alvarez, Neer, and Wisnewski, “The Goat” has defeated the likes of former Cage Rage contender Mark Weir, and UFC veterans Ansar Chalangov and Chris Wilson. The impressive veteran has also faced the likes of Bellator welterweight Dan Hornbuckle, StrikeForce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, “The Ultimate Fighter” season three runner-up Ed Herman, and UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami.
Now setting his sights on the Shine roster, Thompson plans to make it back into the top ten in his weight class:
“I want to be the number one ranked guy in Shine Fights, plain and simple.”
“Nick is a world-class fighter, and we’re extremely excited to feature him in our shows,” said Shine Fights matchmaker Ron Foster.
Thompson will fight in the Shine Welterweight division and a debut is expected in 2010.
News Flash
February 2010MMA BIG SHOW!
Dave Hess, Roger Bowling, & Mojo Horne To Compete Live On February 20th.
MMA Big Show, one of the top fight promotions in the Midwest, will present one of its biggest shows ever when it brings “TRIPLE THREAT” to the Belterra Casino on Saturday, February 20th.
In the main event, MMA Big Show heavyweight contender Dave Hess (3-1) will battle UFC veteran and Indiana native Jake O’Brien (11-3) in a bout that will certainly have future title implications.
Featured in the co-main event, MMA Big Show Welterweight Champion Roger Bowling (6-0) will fight for the final time before he makes his StrikeForce debut.
He will defend the Big Show belt against rising newcomer Jerrod Appenzeller (1-0 - pro, 7-1 - amateur).
Also showcased will be former MMA Big Show Middleweight Champion Mojo Horne (7-2) as he takes on tough, experienced StrikeForce veteran Lucas Lopes (18-8).
In addition, local favorite TJ Ball will make his long-awaited pro MMA debut, and MMA Big Show Amateur Lightweight Champion “The Samurai” Chris Bennett (17-1) will fight in a special welterweight attraction.
Tickets for “TRIPLE THREAT” are priced at $25, $40, $45, and $75, and are available through Ticketmaster, as well as http://www.mmabigshow.com/. 21 and over only, please.
Dave Hess will face a tall task when he battles the 6’ 3” 240 lb. former amateur standout Jake O’Brien.
But Hess is no small man himself, and the submission expert has been presented with a huge opportunity to cement his place in the heavyweight ranks on February 20th at “TRIPLE THREAT.”
Coming off the first loss of his pro career, Hess will look to add a big-name fighter like O’Brien to his resume.
Indiana native O’Brien, for his part, attended Franklin Central High School where he wrestled for four years, earning IHSAA 215 lb. State Champion honors three years in a row from 2000-2003.
Over that time, he compiled a record of 125-4 on the mats.
O'Brien also attended Purdue University where he wrestled for two years.
He is a seven-time UFC veteran who has faced top fighters such as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, current UFC heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez, and former PRIDE superstar Heath Herring, who he defeated at a UFC event in 2007.
He’s gone through a rough patch recently, going only 1-3 in his last four fights in the UFC, which lead to his release.
He will look to get back to his winning ways against up-and-comer Hess. What does he think about fighting in MMA Big Show?
“I’ve been to their show before, and they put on a great show. So I’m excited to fight in front of my hometown fans again. I’m just excited to fight again.” What does O’Brien think about facing Hess? “I wrestled him in high school, actually. But I’ve only seen him fight once. So I assume he’s good wrestler with a ground-based attack, as far as I know. But he chose a bad time to face me. I’ve been off for awhile, so I’m excited to get back in there and put on a great show for the fans.”
Recently signed by StrikeForce, “Relentless” Roger Bowling is on the cusp of greatness in the sport of MMA.
Before he can embark on the journey in one of the top promotions in MMA, he will defend his title once again in Big Show against newcomer Jerrod Appenzeller.
The 23 year-old Appenzeller checks in at 5’9” 170 lbs., and holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
An Iowa native, he is a solid wrestler with an exciting style. But he will have his hands full with the undefeated champion. Bowling, who has yet to go to a decision or even see the 2nd round in his career, is considered by many to be one of the top welterweight prospects in MMA.
Known for his cardio, brutal strikes, and excellent wrestling, he is expected to make his StrikeForce debut soon after “TRIPLE THREAT.”
He holds quality wins over former IFL fighter Seth Baczynski and current StrikeForce fighter Shamar Bailey, and his last fight was a victory over Devon Plaisance via TKO at Big Show’s “Unstoppable” event last July.
Sidelined by injuries since then, Bowling is itching to get back in the cage and show why he is a future superstar.
“I have been lucky enough to have one of the most supportive fan and family bases, which has helped me get to where I am today,” stated the undefeated Bowling. “Without them, I wouldn't have worked as hard to be able to do what I've done so far, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunities I’ve had. I won't let the fans down; you can count on that.”
An ex-training partner of Rich Franklin and a former MMA Big Show Middleweight Champion, Mojo Horne was glad to put 2009 behind him, as he suffered the first losses of his pro career.
However, he ended the campaign on a high note, as he submitted Kevin Barkdull in the first round at November’s “ONSLAUGHT” event.
Now back to his winning ways, Horne is looking to target his title once again in 2010.
Standing in his way will be extremely experienced veteran Lucas Lopes. A veteran of 26 MMA fights, Lopes has fought well-known competitors Sean Salmon and StrikeForce fighter Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, and has defeated UFC welterweight contender Thiago Alves and former UFC fighter Antonio “Samuray” Mendes.
Lopes is on a four fight-winning streak, including two straight wins in StrikeForce.
Certainly, this will be a difficult test for Horne, but he’s ready to go out there and prove that not only can he beat a veteran like Lopes, he is deserving of a shot at “his” belt.
“I’m hoping that if I win this fight, that I’ll be able to fight for my title again. From there, once I get my title back, Jason says he has some plans for me. So I’m excited about that.” What does he think about facing a competitor like his opponent? “I’ve seen some footage on him. He looks like more of a standup fighter…don’t know much about his ground. The fight footage on him doesn’t show much about the ground. But I’m a firm believer in fighting the fight, not the fighter. So I’m just gonna go in there and do my thing.” And to the fans, Mojo had this to say: “I’m going to do my best for you guys, as I always do. Hopefully, I get the KO or submission, and everyone get’s their money’s worth.”
Also featured at “TRIPLE THREAT” will be former light heavyweight TJ Ball, who will drop down a weight class to make his pro debut against Brandon Barger (2-1), in addition to shooting star and MMA Big Show Amateur Lightweight Champion “The Samurai” Chris Bennett in a special welterweight fight against the bigger Muhammed Abdullah. The full fight card for “TRIPLE THREAT” is as follows:
Dave Hess vs. Jake O'Brien
Roger Bowling vs. Jerrod Appenzeller
Mojo Horne vs. Lucas Lopez
TJ Ball vs. Brandon Barger
Chris Bennett vs. Muhammad Abdullah
Brian Francisco vs. Kawika Smith
Ethan Ott vs. Brandon True
Brad Balmer vs. Marcus Lewis
Mitch Charbeneau vs. Nathan Campbell
Will Northern vs. Sebastian Giovannini
Trevor Riley vs. Cliff Watson
Jake Bello vs. Liko Mahoe
Rob Egan vs. Robert Marshall
Andrew Zinser vs. Kirk Miller
Anas Ford vs. Casey Jones
Joe Pegg vs. Chad Rynn
News Flash
February 2010World Championship Fighting!
Huge Punchers & Exciting 125 Pounders Added To WCF 9.
Don't blink in this one. Two of the areas lightest and most talented fighters have been added to WCF 9. USMMA's Matt Martin is set to take on Bombsquad's Peter Cole at 125 pounds.
Matt had a recent win for WCF over Nik Patnaude, in a fight in which he used his wrestling and Brazilian Jui-Jitsu to out work Patnaude and win a unanimous decision.
He's currently ranked among the top 5 fighters in New England under 135 pounds. His opponent, Peter Cole is a fireball and swings for the fences from the opening bell, and his fights are always exciting.
Two huge punchers have been added to the card as well. Former pro boxers Carlos Lovato and Guillermo "William the Conquerer" Echuaca are set to face off at 205 pounds.
Both guys have BIG KO power in their hands, and both are looking to end this fight by knock out.
BJJ ace Dan Simmler has also been added to WCF 9, and he is set to take on veteran fighter Robby Roberts.
Robby will have a big reach advantage and will look to keep Simmler on the end of his punches and Simmler will look to close the distance and finish the fight with one of his signature submissions.
New fights are being released weekly, and this event keeps getting better and better. Get your tickets Now! The full fight card is expected to be released in the next week, and a few more BIG fights are expected to be announced.
World Championship Fighting
Friday, Feb 26 7:30 PM
Shriners Auditorium
99 Fordham RD Wilmington, MA
Get Tickets Now http://wcffighting.com/
News Flash
February 2010Shine Fights Sign Braulio Estima!
SHINE FIGHTS AGREES TO TERMS WITH ABU DHABI GRAPPLING WIZARD BRAULIO ESTIMA.
Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) has secured the services of another top-level grappler, as they have signed the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club 88-kilogram and Absolute division champion Braulio Estima (0-0 MMA) to an exclusive contract in the United States. Other terms of the agreement will not be released. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace is expected to make his debut in 2010.
Estima is considered one of the world’s very best grapplers. The head instructor and owner of the Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Birmingham, England, Estima is a black belt who currently trains alongside Renzo Gracie.
His submission competition achievements include winning the CBJJ World Championship in 2004, 2006, and 2009, the Absolute World Cup Championship in 2006, the European CBJJ Absolute Championships in 2006 and 2009, as well as being the ADCC 2007 silver medalist.
At ADCC 2009, Estima won both the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships, defeating DREAM veteran Andre Galvao and Sengoku veteran Xande Ribeiro in the respective finals.
Called “the breakout star” of the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament by Sherdog, the 6’3”, 190 lb. native of Brazil shocked the grappling community by submitting submission legend Marcelo Garcia, in addition to defeating Galvao and Ribiero on his way to the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships.
Also labeled “one of grappling’s most underrated and overlooked competitors” by Sherdog, Estima is a multiple-time World, European and Pan-American grappling champion.
Estima’s grappling credentials rival those of any fighter in MMA. Here is a list of his achievements:
ADCC 2009 88 kg and Absolute Champion
Absolute World Cup Champion - 2006
Absolute World Champion - 2002
World Champion - 2004, 2006, 2009
Grand Slam Capital Challenge Jordan - 2008 heavy weight and Absolute Champion
Pan American Champion - 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006
Absolute Pan American Champion - 2003
Pan American No Gi Champion - 2008
Absolute Pan American No Gi Champion - 2008
European Champion - 2007, 2009
Absolute European Champion - 2007, 2009
Champion of the International Team - 2003, 2007
Champion's Challenge BRAZIL X USA - 2003
ADCC Silver Medalist - 2007
World Silver Medalist - 2008
3rd placed on the World Championship - 2003
3rd placed on the World Championship - 2001
Shine Fights is extremely elated to have brought a world-class grappler like Braulio Estima into the fold. “Braulio is such an amazing grappler. It will be interesting to see how he translates his grappling skills into the MMA world, but I’m glad that Shine will be facilitating his debut,” stated Shine matchmaker Ron Foster. “We believe that he will excel in MMA as he has in the grappling world.”
An opponent has not yet been determined for Estima, but he is expected to make his debut at Shine Fights III, which is tentatively scheduled for April 2010.
News Flash
January 2010Strikeforce Results!
HERSCHEL WALKER WINS MMA DEBUT.
Nick Diaz (21-7) of Stockton, Calif., won his sixth straight and the first-ever STRIKEFORCE welterweight championship with a 4:38, first-round TKO over Marius Zaromskis (13-4) of London, England, and the first and only STRIKEFORCE Female lightweight champion, Cris Cyborg (9-1) of Curitiba, Brazil, successfully defended her 145-title for the initial time with a third-round TKO over Marloes Coenen (17-4) of Deventer, Holland, in the co-featured matches of an action-packed mixed martial arts card before 8,156 at BankAtlantic Center Saturday on SHOWTIME®.
In other results on the main portion of Strikeforce’s first event in 2010, former pro and college football superstar Herschel Walker of San Jose, Calif., made his pro MMA debut at age 47 a winning one, registering a third-round TKO (2:17) over Hungarian-born Greg Nagy (1-2) of Phoenix, Ariz., former two-time world champion “Ruthless’’ Robbie Lawler (17-5, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., rallied from the brink of defeat to score a spectacular 3:33, first-round knockout (punches) over Melvin Manhoef (24-7-1) of Amsterdam and unbeaten Bobby Lashley of Coconut Creek, Fla., won his Strikeforce debut and improved to 5-0 with a 2:06, first-round TKO over Wes Sims (22-13-1, 2 NC) of Lancaster, Ohio.
The event, presented by SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE, aired live simultaneously on SHOWTIME® and on the Web (Strikeforce: All Access) at http://strikeforce.sho.com. The SHOWTIME telecast began at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast); the Strikeforce: All Access webcast went at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
In a fight streamed live on EA SPORTS™ MMA website (www.easportsmma.com), Jay Heiron (19-4) of Las Vegas took a unanimous three-round decision over Joe Riggs (32-11) of Phoenix to put him in position to possibly fight for the Strikeforce welterweight title.
Southpaw Diaz, a talented, Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, mostly outclassed Zaromskis in the match for the vacant world title. Diaz decisively defeated the Dutchman at his own game: striking.
“I’ll fight anybody,’’ said Diaz, who has been victorious in seven of his last eight and hasn’t lost in more than two years. I felt real good fighting again at 170. But the guy I really want is Gegard Mousasi.’’
Cyborg had to work hard to defeat the courageous Coenen, who at no point seemed intimidated by the powerful Brazilian bomber and fought like it. She certainly wasn’t totally overwhelmed and presented Cyborg with more problems than the vast majority of Cyborg’s opponents.
In the end, Cyborg was too tough and rough.
“I’m very happy to win this fight,’’ said Cyborg shortly the heated scrap was stopped at 3:40 of the third.
“It was a good fight. I think I could have done more but she was the toughest fighter I’ve faced and has a great heart. I admire her a lot.’’
Coenen, a strikingly attractive submission whiz who couldn’t take down Cyborg, wanted the fight to continue.
“This is extremely disappointing to say the least,’’ she said. “This was for a world title. It should have been allowed to go a little longer. I wanted to fight.’’
A native of Wrightsville, Ga., Walker was satisfied with his performance in his highly-anticipated, much-publicized debut. Endurance-wise, he didn’t fight like a man his age. He was still breathing easily during the post-fight interview.
“I feel good but I didn’t do many things right and I still have a lot to learn,’’ said Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and a two-time Pro Bowl competitor.
“The experience itself was exciting and I thank my opponent for fighting me. It’s tough to fight an old man. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
“I thought I'd be more nervous. I'm an MMA fighter now. I earned a little bit of a stripe tonight. This is one of my biggest athletic achievements ever.’’
Nothing was going right for the left-handed Lawler for more than three minutes as the highly regarded Manhoef had his way. But a savage overhand right rocked Manhoef and a left that caught him on the way down ended matters almost immediately.
“I knew this guy was really a killer, but I knew I would catch him,’’ Lawler said.
“When he looks to finish, he really loads up. I just lured him in and got him.
“He was chopping and chopping and he was really hurting me with the leg kicks. When I felt the first one land, I knew I could get one more in and finish, and that's what I did.’’
Lashley, who wants to fight for a world title, said Saturday’s exercise against the 6-foot-10-inch Sims was an excellent learning experience.
“Anytime you win and learn something, it’s a good night,’’ he said.
“Sims is a tall guy who came in with nothing to lose, almost like he didn’t care, and those are the guys that are usually the hardest to fight.
“I want to continue to step up.’’
Hieron outpointed Riggs by the scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28:
“I wanted to beat Joe and show that I am a top fighter,’’ Heiron said.
“I want to fight the winner of Diaz-Zaromskis. Actually, I hope it is Diaz but I don’t care.’’
STRIKEFORCE: Miami will be available On Demand beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3.
Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with MMA expert Stephen Quadros and MMA superstar Frank Shamrock serving as expert analysts.
In Saturday’s non-televised results: Pablo “The Hurricane’’ Alfonso (5-1), Jacksonville Fla., submitted (armbar) Marcos “Parrumpinha” DeMatta (8-1), Coconut Creek, Fla., at 1:47 in the first round (140 pounds); Hayder Hasan (3-1), Coconut Creek, KO 2 (2:42, punches) over Ryan Keenan (3-1), Orlando, Fla., at 170 pounds; John Kelly (4-0), Miami, submitted (rear naked choke) Sabah Homasi (2-0), West Palm Beach, Fla., at 2;48 of the second round (170 pounds); Michael Byrnes (1-2), Port Saint Lucie, Fla., won a majority decision (30-27 twice and 29-29) over David Zitnik (4-7), Sunrise, at 155 pounds; David Gomez (1-2), Miami, won a unanimous decision (30-27 three times) over Craig Oxley (0-3), Miami (145 pounds); ad Joe Ray (1-0), Miami, TKO 1 (3:14, strikes) over John Clarke (0-1), Hollywood, Fla. (170 pounds).
News Flash
January 2010Lavar Johnson To Make Return To Cage!
ONCE FIGHTING FOR LIFE, HEAVYWEIGHT LAVAR JOHNSON READY TO MAKE MIRACULOUS RETURN TO THE CAGE.
Six months ago, Lavar Johnson lay in a hospital bed, clinging to his life after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday.
On Friday, March 26, the 32-year-old will enter a new chapter in his incredible recovery when he restarts his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers fight card at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California on Friday, March 26.
The heavy-handed Johnson (13-3), a 6-foot-4 inch, 250-pound resident of nearby Madera, will face off with another highly touted prospect, undefeated Lolohea Mahe (4-0-1) of Wailua, Maui in the STRIKEFORCE cage.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event, priced from $30, go on sale on Monday, Feb. 1, at the Save Mart Center box office and select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
“My health is great and I’m almost back to where I was,” said Johnson.
In his last start in the cage, Johnson crushed Carl Seumanutafa in just 18 seconds with a single punch at the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at Save Mart Center on May 15, 2009.
After being struck down by the gunfire that also led to the death of a cousin, Johnson, a father of two boys, ages eight and five, spent one month in hospital care and lost approximately 60 pounds.
Months of physical rehabilitation followed and, one month ago, Johnson was cleared by a physician to return to training with trainer Jasper Tayaba and Team Buhawe in Fresno
“(The experience) made me realize how fragile life is and that every day I’m here is a blessing. It has also made me take MMA more seriously.”
In other action on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers card, “Abongo” Humphrey (5-1) of Atlanta, Ga., will square off with George Bush III (5-1) of Columbus, Ohio, at light heavyweight (205 pounds).
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Luke Stewart (6-2) of San Francisco, California will make his long-awaited return to action against Andre Galvao (3-1) of Brazil in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.
Unbeaten Zoila Frausto (2-0) of Fresno will face off at 135 pounds with another one of the top prospects in the women’s field, Miesha “Takedown” Tate (7-2) of Olympia, Washington.
American Kickboxing Academy bred wrestling stud Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (8-3) of San Jose, Calif., will do battle with Bryan Travers (13-1) of Bakersfield, Calif., at lightweight (155 pounds).
Save Mart Center doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 6 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 6:45 p.m.
The live SHOWTIME® telecast will begin at 11:45 p.m. ET/ PT (delayed on the west coast).
News Flash
January 2010Second Round 5 UFC Series!
Round 5 UFC Series Include Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, B.J. Penn, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping & Kimbo Slice.
With its first series of collectible UFC-branded figurines due to hit shelves throughout North America by next month, Round 5 today unveiled the members of its UFC Series 2, as announced by Barron Lau, Round 5 CEO and co-founder and Damon Lau, president and co-founder.
Figurines for UFC stars Randy “The Natural” Couture, Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz, B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn, Forrest Griffin, Michael “The Count” Bisping and Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson are scheduled to be available at retail in the second quarter of 2010.
As with UFC Series 1, the six Series 2 collectibles will be presented in a UFC-themed packaging that includes action photos of each respective fighter's memorable moments as well as a short biography.
Round 5 collectible figures may be purchased at leading North American retailers; a list can be found at www.Round5MMA.com.
“We wanted to follow up our initial UFC Series with another set of names that spread across the spectrum of the sport,” said Damon Lau.
“We're excited to include some of the most popular fighters ever in guys like Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and B.J. Penn, as well as Kimbo, who has attracted a whole new set of fans to the sport.”
“We have taken great care in selecting this important UFC Series 2,” said Barron Lau.
“In addition to the standard figurines, we are planning some Limited Editions and other versions of these athletes that we think collectors will really enjoy.”
Couture is one of the sport's most enduring and popular figures, having begun his career more than a decade ago. His imprint on the UFC is indelible, not just through his multiple Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Championships but the many fighters who he has influenced and the legions of fans who continue to follow him. He is scheduled to face another MMA pioneer, Mark Coleman, on Feb. 6 at UFC 109.
Penn has won titles at both lightweight and welterweight and has headlined some of the most-anticipated cards ever. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion is the current UFC lightweight beltholder, and has victories over some of the biggest names in the sport's history. Hugely popular, Penn was a quick study in Jiu Jitsu, earning his black belt in just three years, and rose through the UFC ranks quickly, earning a title shot in his fourth pro fight and winning the belt in his ninth.
Known for his exciting, explosive fighting style and high-profile lifestyle, Ortiz held the UFC light heavyweight championship for more than three years, successfully defending it five times. He continues to compete, and it was recently confirmed that he will be a coach in The Ultimate Fighter 11 and will fight Chuck Liddell at the end of the season.
The MMA world was first introduced to the personality and punching power of Griffin in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, beginning a road that led to a light heavyweight championship at UFC 86 and appearances at the top of cards. He has forged a 17-6 MMA record, and his patented “sprawl and brawl” style has led to numerous UFC “Fight of the Night” honors.
Once the “hope of British MMA,” Bisping dominated the competition on the way to The Ultimate Fighter 3 light heavyweight championship, then showed he'll be a force in the UFC middleweight division for years to come. Sometimes controversial, often polarizing but always exciting, the brawler has an 18-2 record, solidifying his stature as a notable fighter in the States as well.
Slice burst on the fight scene in 2007, bringing the reputation he gained from millions of Internet viewings of his backyard brawls into the cage. He hit the big stage with nationally televised, prime-time broadcasts, then earned a UFC bout by competing in the latest edition of The Ultimate Fighter, winning his debut in the promotion last month.
UFC Series 1, which includes figures of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, George “Rush” St. Pierre, “Suga” Rashad Evans, Kenny “KenFlo” Florian, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, will be available in stores across North America by February.
News Flash
January 2010EA Sports To Stream Riggs V Hieron!
FREE, LIVE ONLINE STREAM.
For the first time in history, Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) will offer live mixed martial arts (MMA) fight action online with a free of charge stream of the highly anticipated STRIKEFORCE welterweight (170 pounds) matchup between wrestling powerhouses Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-10) and Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron (18-4) from BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida this Saturday, January 30.
The live stream of the STRIKEFORCE: Miami preliminary bout will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on the official EA SPORTS™ MMA website (www.easportsmma.com), the online platform for EA SPORTS forthcoming MMA video game title in which STRIKEFORCE will be featured as a premiere league. The stream will precede the live SHOWTIME® telecast of the event’s main fight card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Riggs, a 27 year old native of Phoenix, Arizona, will attempt to extend a four fight win streak that began with his second round (2:05) TKO of Luke Stewart in a STRIKEFORCE: Destruction bout at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on November 21, 2008.
In his last effort under the STRIKEFORCE banner, Riggs dominated hard-hitting “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni for three consecutive rounds of action before walking away with a unanimous judges’ decision victory at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center on June 6, 2009.
Hieron, a former nationally ranked NCAA wrestler for Hofstra University, has been victorious in each of his last six starts. The Long Island, New York native made his STRIKEFORCE debut in his last effort, earning a unanimous decision win over Jesse “J.T. Money” Taylor at HP Pavilion on August 15, 2009.
A former troubled teen, Hieron has since become an inspiration, winning a world title with the now defunct International Fight League (IFL) and relocating to Las Vegas in order to train with the fight squad headed by MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture.
Slated for release later this year, EA SPORTS MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world. EA SPORTS MMA will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in 2010.
The game will feature a host of STRIKEFORCE fighters, the six-sided STRIKEFORCE cage, the commentary team of Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo, and ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. Legendary mixed martial arts referee “Big John” McCarthy will preside over the in-ring action and bring his in-depth knowledge of the sport to help deliver a truly authentic MMA experience. [confirm we have signed agreements and marketing rights to mention these people]
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: Miami are on sale at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office and Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 as well as online at www.Ticketmaster.com and www.Strikeforce.com.
In the live, SHOWTIME televised main event, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (20-7) of Stockton, California will square off with fellow MMA superstar and DREAM champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-3) of Siaulial, Lithuania for the STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight Championship.
STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Lightweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg (8-1) of Curitiba, Brazil will put her title on the line against top ranked Marloes Coenen (17-3) of Deventer, Holland.
Football legend Herschel Walker (0-0) will make his highly-anticipated MMA debut against 26-year-old Greg Nagy (1-1) of Phoenix, Arizona.
Knockout artists “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) and Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (24-6-1) will face off with each other in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.
Undefeated heavyweight and former WWE champion Bobby Lashley (4-0) will make his STRIKEFORCE debut against Wes Sims (22-12-1).
Doors at BankAtlantic Center will open for the event at 6:30 p.m. The first non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m.
News Flash
January 2010Strikeforce Challengers Series!
Sarah Kaufman To Battle Takayo Hashi For First STRIKEFORCE Women’s 135-Pound Title.
World championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE will return to its roots when it brings its Challengers fight series to The Civic Auditorium in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 26. Topping the card will be a middleweight (185 pounds) contest between wrestling powerhouse Trevor Prangley (22-5) and Karl Amoussou (11-2-1).
Undefeated power puncher Sarah Kaufman (10-0) will clash with Japan’s Takayo Hashi (12-1) in the first STRIKEFORCE women’s world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship matchup in history while Luke Rockhold (6-1), one of MMA’s brightest up and comers, will take on Paul Bradley (12-1) at middleweight, in one of the featured fights.
Tickets for the first STRIKEFORCE Challengers event of 2010, priced from $30, go on sale at 10 a.m. PT tomorrow/Friday, Jan. 22, at The San Jose Civic Auditorium box office, Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) and online at Ticketmaster.com and STRIKEFORCE.com.
Since 1993 when STRIKEFORCE was founded as a kickboxing series, The San Jose Civic Auditorium has played host to numerous events produced by the organization that more recently emerged a leading promoter of MMA contests.
Prangley, a former national wrestling champion for South Africa who ventured to The United States years ago in order to further his wrestling career, will put on the line a five-fight win streak that began with a unanimous decision over Anthony Ruiz during STRIKEFORCE’s event at the world famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2008. The 37-year-old also finished as runner up in STRIKEFORCE’s four-man tournament, the first sanctioned single elimination MMA event in California state history, on Nov. 16, 2007.
The 24-year-old Amoussou, known for his devastating knockout power and unorthodox fighting style, hails from France and is an expert in Judo as well as Savate. He brings a three-fight win streak with him to the STRIKEFORCE cage.
Kaufman is a 24-year-old former professional ballet dancer who stumbled upon MMA after a martial arts school opened underneath her dance studio in Victoria, Canada. Her mellow demeanor outside the cage is a stark contrast to her ferocity inside it, which has helped her knock out 8 of her 10 opponents.
In her last effort, Kaufman earned a unanimous decision over Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler during the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at Kent Washington’s ShoWare Center on June 19, 2009.
The 32-year-old Hashi of Honbu, Tokyo, is a former champion of Japan’s Smackgirl MMA promotion.
Since suffering the only defeat of her career to Hitomi Akano on Aug. 17, 2005, Hashi has reeled off eight straight victories, including a revenge win over Akano on Sept. 6, 2007.
In other action, James Terry (7-1) of San Jose will square off with Tarec Saffiedine (7-2) of Temecula, Calif., in a welterweight (170 pounds) bout while Raul Castillo (6-0) of Half Moon Bay, Calif., will face fellow unbeaten middleweight Yancy Medeiros (4-0) of Waianae, Hawaii.
San Jose Civic Auditorium doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE event at 5:15 p.m. PT. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8.00 p.m.
The live SHOWTIME® telecast of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
News Flash
January 2010STRIKEFORCE QUOTES!
Nick Diaz, Marius Zaromskis, Cris Cyborg & Marloes Coenen.
Superstar Nick Diaz, DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis, STRIKEFORCE 145 pound Women’s Champion Cris Cyborg, and submission expert Marloes Coenen discussed the upcoming STRIKEFORCE MIAMI mixed martial arts (MMA) fights scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., LIVE on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The 26-year-old Diaz (20-7), a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and native of Stockton, Calif, will take on DREAM welterweight (170 pounds) champ Zaromskis (13-3) in the main event and first STRIKEFORCE welterweight championship bout in history. Diaz, who will put a five fight win streak on the line, is making his first start since he submitted hard-hitting Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith on June 6, 2009. The highly explosive, 29-year-old Zaromskis, who hails from Siauliai, Lithuania, has won his last three fights on first-round knockouts via head kick.
STRIKEFORCE 145-pound women’s champion Cyborg (8-1) will defend her crown against submission expert Coenen (17-3). Cyborg made history on Aug. 15, 2009 when the 24-year-old native of Brazil stopped superstar Gina Carano with a punishing barrage of strikes in the first round of their meeting to become the first-ever STRIKEFORCE women’s champion. The long-awaited showdown between Carano and Cyborg also marked the first women’s main event in the history of any major MMA promotion. The 28-year-old Coenen, a member of Holland’s Team Golden Glory and mixed martial artist since the age of 14, made a successful STRIKEFORCE debut and avenged one of her three career defeats by overpowering and submitting Roxanne Modafferi with an armbar in the first round (1:05) on November 7, 2009.
Also on the STRIKEFORCE: MIAMI card, football legend Herschel Walker will make his professional MMA debut as he begins the next stage of his athletic career against once beaten Greg Nagy. Undefeated heavyweight Bobby Lashley (4-0) will face an opponent to be announced.
What the athletes had to say:
What’s it like dropping back down to 170?
NICK DIAZ: “I’m very happy to fight at that weight. I look the best at that weight. I like it, I feel the best at that weight. I’ve been waiting for a long time to fight in here at this weight class. Those last two fights weren’t my idea. I’ve fought at welterweight most of my life, so this isn’t a new thing to me. I’m happy to fight at welterweight.”
A lot of people feel like you jumped ahead of the line for a title shot against Nick Diaz. What are your thoughts on that?
MARIUS ZAROMSKIS: “Well, I don’t really think much of it. They told me to fight, so I’m fighting.”
Jay Hieron thinks you’re trying to duck him. Do you have a response to that?
DIAZ: “Ditto. I’m just fighting who they want me to fight. Whatever. That’s how it is. I’m just fighting who they want me to fight. I try not to open my mouth.
Do you anticipate that matchup happening at some point?
DIAZ: “I’m ready to fight anybody. If they can make it, then let’s do it. I’m ready to fight Jay Hieron and everybody in this weight class to get to the top. Whatever, I’ll do it.”
Cris, you beat Gina Carano, who was the face of women’s MMA fighting. I guess now you are the face of women’s MMA fighting. Do you like that role?
CRIS CYBORG: “I wasn’t thinking about who is the face of MMA when I fought Gina. Gina was just another opponent like anyone else. With me being the face of women’s MMA or not, I’m just going over there and doing my job, making sure I’m training hard and leading up the pack for all women in MMA.”
I read that she was thinking about posing in “Playboy.” Is that true or not? Also, that video of you choking out a reporter, was that real?
CYBORG: “The Playboy thing, I was literally horrified one morning when I found out everyone found out about it. I’d prefer not to talk about that right now and just focus on my fight. With the video thing, the reporter actually asked to see how strong I was and he wanted me to choke him out, so I did it.”
Is there too much of an emphasis on appearance and looks in women’s MMA coverage and what do you think it will take to get beyond that?
CYBORG: “It’s just like with anything else that women do, their appearance is very important. However, it’s not what’s going to make you win a fight or not. It is your talent and what you’re doing in the ring that matters the most. I hope we move past that.”
MARLOES COENEN: “I agree with Cris. I think it’s because it’s just a young sport and people don’t understand it’s a sport that everyone can do. Women can do it, men can do it and you can start at a young age. With women, we’re always judged by our appearance, and you see that in tennis with (Anna) Kournikova. It’s almost like Gina is the Kournikova of MMA. I hope there will be girls out there and our level of fighting will increase that much where people talk about our fighting skills instead of the beauty that we do or do not have.”
You mentioned it’s a sport anyone can do, do you see boys and girls getting into this sport at a young age?
COENEN: “I’m from the Netherlands, and MMA is getting way more popular every year. You see children doing fights at 8-years-old or 10-years-old, so by the time they’re 16 they’ve got like 50 fights under their belt.”
And that’s for boys and girls,
COENEN: “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Nick and Marius, can you both assess your opponent’s strengths and weakness?
DIAZ: “I think he’s a good fighter, whatever. Anybody who is willing to fight at this level is a good fighter.”
ZAROMSKIS: “I think Nick is a very well rounded fighter. He has strengths in both boxing and grappling, just all around. I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for me. As far as how the fight will go or what I’ll be able to do, I don’t want to predict that. We’ll just have to see it in the ring.”
Nick, after the problems that arose on the STRIKEFORCE: Carano vs. Cyborg card, would you ever consider fighting in California again?
DIAZ: “I didn’t know there were any problems. I’ll fight wherever.”
Marius, despite being the DREAM Champion, Jay Hieron turned down a fight with you because he said you have little name recognition. Do you feel vindicated that STRIKEFORCE offered you a title shot?
ZAROMSKIS: “I don’t really care if I’m vindicated or not, because I don’t pay attention to that. I feel that a fighter should fight whoever they put in front of you, whether he’s famous or not. If Jay Hieron doesn’t feel that I’m famous enough to fight him, then I guess he’ll just have to wait until I get famous and I’ll fight him.”
Marius, is there a timeframe on when you’ll return and defend your DREAM title?
ZAROMSKIS: “No, right now I don’t know.”
Cris, what is your ultimate goal in MMA?
CYBORG: “I’m already married, I already have a good life. I want to build a family, not right now though whatsoever. In the future, hopefully. I just want to continue fighting and continue to hold my belt as long as I can. I want to make sure I continue to get better and train harder, and eventually build a team, have students fight, have a regular mixed martial arts career.”
Your style is very aggressive, how would you describe your personality?
CYBORG: “It would surprise you, but on a daily basis I am sometimes pretty aggressive. I’m a person that likes to have goals and looks towards the goals and achieve them. I’m calm some days, aggressive some days. I have a varying personality, but I definitely set my goals high and I like to do whatever it takes to achieve them.”
Marius, can you talk about your finishes in your last few fights (KO head kicks)? Is that something you go for?
ZAROMSKIS: “I don’t really look for a high kick, because when you look for something you end up being the one who’s getting knocked out. If I see it there in a split second I’ll take advantage of it. If it’s not there then I’ll use some other weapons. But, I do not look for a high kick.”
Why are your high kicks so effective?
ZAROMSKIS: “I kick (inaudible) a lot with my legs, so I’ve got power in it.”
Did you look up to Mirko Cro Cop at all? Or is your style completely independent?
ZAROMSKIS: “I was doing high kicks before. I’m not trying to imitate Mirko, I’m not inspired by Mirko. But, Mirko has a very devastating high kick, so if there’s something I could learn from him I definitely wouldn’t mind.”
Are you always constantly looking to do different things?
ZAROMSKIS: “It’s not something I look for, I just kind of do it. In a way, it kind of energizes me. I just do it for myself, but I guess fans find it interesting. I’m not doing it to be entertaining in a fight, I just do it to energize myself.”
Cris and Marloes, what do you expect to see in the ring?
CYBORG: “I don’t really think much about what’s going to happen. I just go in prepared for whatever comes. She can bring it, so hopefully she’ll be prepared for war, too.”
COENEN: “It will be a tough fight because Cris is an amazing athlete, a real powerhouse. I know that everything I do is good. My standup is OK, my ground game is OK. I really think we’ll both bring it and go toe-to-toe and give the audience what they’re expecting.”
What are your thoughts on the future of women’s MMA?
COENEN: “Well, my goal is that I hope I never have to do office work again. I just want to stay a professional athlete. It’s very important that women start fighting. When I grew up, it wasn’t an option for a girl to fight. There was some judo, but not too much around here. I think it really helps women. If you start fighting, you feel stronger in your mind and physically you’re stronger than you thought you were. That will help you in daily life. I just think it’s very important that we have some messengers like Gina, like Cris and, hopefully, myself that will inspire women to do it, to think that ‘if they can do it, I can do it,’ and start working out.”
CYBORG: “Every woman that’s working with MMA right now and every woman that’s fighting plays a very important role in the sport and where the sport is going to take them. I really hope that I have a lot of fans out there and I hope to train little Cyborgs all over the world. I’m just excited to be part of it.”
Cyborg, do you look at this as a nationalistic battle (Brazil vs. Netherlands), or is this just one women against another?
CYBORG: “I look at Marloes as a fighter and as a woman. I look at her as just another person competing with me and trying to take my belt away. Basically, I’m always defending my country no matter where I’m fighting, so I’m always defending the flag.”
Nick, do you get sucked into the challenge of trying to beat people at their own game?
DIAZ: “No, I just do it all, you know. I try to take the easiest direction. A lot of times, it’s easier to beat (inaudible) than it has been in the past. I’ll just do whatever it takes.”
Marius, what do you plan on doing to minimize the reach that Nick has with his punches?
ZAROMSKIS: “As far as Nick’s reach, Nick obviously has a reach advantage because he’s taller. But, I don’t feel like the height difference is so drastic between the two of us to really worry about it too much. Of course, I’m concerned about the reach and I have some plans to address that. It’s not like I’m 5 foot 6 and he’s 6 foot 9. I think it’s something I can handle.”
Marloes, can you talk about what it would mean for you to win this title?
COENEN: “Winning the title? I won my first title in the ‘90s in Tokyo, and ever since then I haven’t got a nice title. I’m very eager to get this title. I hope it’s a good start to my career in America.”
Worldwide, what do you think your profile is? Do you want to be as well known as Gina and Cris?
COENEN: “To be honest, I don’t think I’m on the same level as Gina and Cris are, but I hope this fight will change that.”
Do you think people would consider it an upset if you were to win?
COENEN: “I don’t know. I know I’m considered the underdog, but I think hardcore MMA fans know what I can do and what I’m capable of. I hope that my last fight was a demonstration of that. To be honest, I don’t really care what people think. I will show them in the cage.”
How would you have to win this fight?
COENEN: “Differently. I know people are really focusing on my ground game, but I know my standup is really good and my striking is really OK because I dropped Roxanne (Modafferi) with one punch and I’ve KO’d girls before with just one punch. I know my standup is OK and I know Cris will find out about it.”
Nick, is there any different preparation for you going into a championship fight?
DIAZ: “I do extra pushups and I run extra miles. I kick the heavy bag a lot, a lot. I just do the best I can. I learn more and more as I go. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve got the same partners, so we’re always working on new things together. I’m just getting good help by Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez and my brother, everybody training for this fight.”
Marius, have you been working on anything specifically on the ground because Nick has a big advantage in that department.
ZAROMSKIS: “I’ve prepared as well as I can on the ground because Nick has a superior ground game. But, this is MMA, this is not kickboxing. I train in all of it. I train in grappling, the fighting, the wrestling, the same for all fighters. I pretty much do everything my trainers tell me to do. If they say do more ground, I do more ground. If they say do more standup, I do more standup.”
Cris, how do you feel Marloes stacks up as an opponent as compared to Gina Carano?
CYBORG: “I don’t really compare any other opponents at all. I basically take each fight individually and look at whatever issues come up.”
Marloes, based on your style, as more of a ground oriented fighter, do you think a five round fight benefits you?
COENEN: “I don’t consider myself as a ground fighter. I consider myself as a complete MMA fighter. I’m training for a fight, I’m training for five-five minute rounds. I’m ready for everything.”
Cris, how has your life changed since you beat Gina Carano?
CYBORG: “Regardless of being a women or not, a belt changes any athlete’s life. The athlete’s goal is to get a belt, I got the belt. It would have changed it regardless. Life has changed for the positive and I’m happy with it.”
Marloes, are you looking forward to a standup fight with Cris? Do you think it will go five rounds?
COENEN: “I don’t think it will go five rounds at all, because of the person she is and the person I am. If you put that together, it will not go to the fifth round at all.”
Do you train with other women, or do you just train with men?
CYBORG: “I only train with men. I usually hurt the women.”
COENEN: “For me, I usually train with men because there are not that many good women that do MMA here.”
Marloes, this fight was supposed to happen a year ago. Has the extra time off helped you prepare more?
COENEN: “No, I’m always ready to fight. I was ready a year ago and I’m even more ready now.”
Cyborg, Strikeforce recently announced a women’s tournament at 135 and 145 pounds. What are your thoughts on that?
CYBORG: “I’m definitely going to analyze all the girls from different divisions, up and down to see who’s coming near me. It’s going to be very fun for the sport to have other divisions and other belts.”
News Flash
January 2010Lauzon Eyes UFC Debut In Boston!
Looking To Return To The Cage This August.
Despite losing a decision January 2 to Sam Stout, popular lightweight Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon (18-5, 5 [T]KOs, 13 submissions) hopes that his next fight will be this August in UFC’s debut in Boston.
Lauzon, a native of E. Bridgewater (MA), would certainly be a hometown favorite fighting at the Boston Garden.
“We’ll see how it goes but I certainly want to fight at home in Boston,” Lauzon said.
“I’d like to fight before that, where my fight against Stout was my first in 10 months, but not if it risks fighting in Boston this August.”
Sidelined for 10 months after undergoing knee surgery to repair his ACL, Lauzon re-entered the Octagon against Stout in Las Vegas, participating in the UFC 108 Pay-per-view “Fight of the Night.”
“I’m obviously disappointed in the result,” the star of The Ultimate Fighter 5 television reality show said.
“It was an entertaining fight, but that’s not what I want to be known for. I focused on the health of my knee and it held up. I didn’t concentrate on my overall condition and I was a little rusty. I trained like a maniac six days of the week, twice a day, and then I couldn’t do too much for six months (due to his knee surgery).
“I definitely thought I had Stout in the first round but he had other plans. I felt his shoulder pop and I really thought that I had him. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I expected him to be tough. His takedown defense was better than I thought. I thought I’d have an easier time on the ground, too. He came to fight with a perfect game plan. Give him credit for a good fight. I’d like to fight him in a rematch but, then again, I’d like to fight anybody I’ve lost to but that doesn’t happen very often and is out of my control.”
The 25-year-old from Massachusetts, who has a computer networking degree from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, came out of his fight against Stout a little sore and sporting a black eye. He’s already back training at his gym, Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater.
“I really want to fight on the first UFC show in Boston,” Lauzon concluded.
“It’s a natural and would be a dream come true for me.”
For more information about Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon go online and visit www.joelauzon.com or send him a message at Twitter.com/JoeLauzon.
News Flash
January 2010Rua V Vitale!
MURILO “NINJA” RUA V FALANIKO “NIKO” VITALE.
Shine Fights is pleased to announce the official signing of a bout between former world champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua (17-10-1) and tough Hawaiian fighter Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-9). The bout will take place at a yet-to-be announced Shine Fights III event, which is tentatively scheduled for spring 2010.
Ninja and Niko are both well-known to casual and hardcore MMA fans. Rua was a PRIDE mainstay, fighting in Japan’s premier MMA organization a total of 13 times, and his brother is UFC light heavyweight contender Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Vitale is noted for his time in the UFC, where he defeated Matt “The Law” Lindland, as well as his experience in StrikeForce.
In addition, both fighters share a common opponent in “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, and both have battled top MMA competition. This will be a huge fight for the combatants, as a victory will help propel the winner towards bigger and better fights, while the loser will head back to the drawing board.
Born and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, Rua is the brother of UFC light heavyweight contender Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Ninja began his career in his home country, running off four straight stoppage wins.
His impressive beginning to his career earned him a call from Japan, and he soon began to make a name for himself as an athlete that finishes fights.
After his time in PRIDE, Ninja moved to England’s Cage Rage promotion, before making his way to the United States.
Since then, he has competed in both EliteXC and StrikeForce, while still making appearances in Japan, England, and his native Brazil.
Over the course of his nine year career, he has faced many of the top fighters in MMA, including PRIDE/UFC veteran Akihiro Gono, former PRIDE Middleweight and Welterweight Champion Dan Henderson, former PRIDE contenders Sergei Kharitonov and Ricardo Arona, StrikeForce fighters Benji Radach and Kevin Randleman, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Fihlo, UFC fighter Denis Kang, Japanese fighter Riki Fukuda, and the aforementioned Lawler.
Ninja has defeated notables such as Mario Sperry, Alex Stiebling, Mark Weir, Xavier Foupa- Pokam, and Joey Villasenor, who he beat for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship belt.
15 of his 17 wins have come either KO/TKO or submission, and he always puts on a show for the fans, win or lose. And Ninja expects to continue to show that in his fight with Vitale:
“I'll try to impose my game and come out with a great win, so I can start off [my career with] Shine Fights in the right way. I'll always try to give great performances, making it for great spectacles for my fans and if God helps, try to win a belt, which will certainly be another great dream for me.”
What separates him from his opponent?
“My pace, my cardio and my will to enter the cage and look for the win all the time!” And Ninja has a message for the fans:
“I would like to first of all thank all the fans, and tell them that I'll be there [at Shine III], with a great appetite to seek the win for me and my family. I’ll be even more motivated cause I'm going to be a father for the second time, so I need this win badly! If God helps me, this will be a great gift for me and my family. Finally, I want to thank Shine Fights for the effort of promoting our sport and giving me this chance of being part of it!”
Hawaii native Niko Vitale is an experienced athlete who recently celebrated ten years as a professional fighter. He represents the 808 Fight Factory, one of the toughest fight gyms on the Islands, and has fought for some of the most well-known promotions in the world.
Fans of King of the Cage, Rage in the Cage, SuperBrawl, Icon Sport, the IFL, StrikeForce, and the UFC have all seen his skill set exhibited.
As with Ninja, Niko has taken on top names in the sport, including Lawler, recent StrikeForce Middleweight title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Miller, MMA pioneer Jeremy Horn, StrikeForce/UFC veteran Trevor Prangley, and UFC fighter Frank Trigg.
He has beaten notable fighters such as UFC vet Aaron Riley, former UFC Middleweight Champion Dave Menne, UFC middleweight contender Yushin Okami, and the aforementioned Lindland. And he plans on adding Ninja to his list:
“We match up well in this fight. We have similar styles: we both like to fight on the ground. I haven’t seen him fight on his feet all that much, but I’m sure I’m better there. I think I have what it takes to beat him. I’ll be stronger on the ground, and stronger in my standup.”
While Vitale has respect for his opponent, he’s ready to prove himself.
“I’ve been waiting for a big win over a big opponent, and I consider Ninja to be a big-time opponent.”
But for Niko, the bottom line is putting on a show for the Shine fans.
“Expect this fight to be really good, really explosive. We’re both extremely experienced, and we’ve both knocked out and submitted guys. It’s going to be a great fight to watch.”
“MMA fans better be ready for this one,” said matchmaker Ron Foster. “Ninja and Niko are going to throw down. There’s a lot at stake here, and we expect fans to benefit.”
News Flash
January 2010Campbell V Stevens!
WCF 9 February 26TH.
Fresh off a win at WCF 8, WEC Veteran Mike "The Beast" Campbell is set to headline WCF 9 when he takes on tough NY native, Marc Stevens. Campbell is 7-2 overall, and is 2-0 in the WCF with 2 first round TKO wins.
Campbell moves down to his optimal fight weight of 155 lbs. to take on his toughest opponent to date in the new weight class.
Stevens is a dominant wrestler with fantastic ground and pound, and was 4-0 in 2009 (12-4 overall) with big wins over Hitalo Machado and "Mr. Big" Al Buck. Stevens is currently ranked #2 in New England at 155 lbs. and he looks to continue his rise to the top on February 26, but standing in his way is "The Beast."
Also recently added to WCF 9 is a match up between two of the areas most exciting & popular middleweight fighters, undefeated Mike Zichelle and Stephen Stengel. Neither fighter has ever been in a boring fight, and they are likely to steal the show on February 26. Both have KO power, and this one won't go the distance.
Riding a 4 fight winning streak, Aniss Alhajjajy makes his return to WCF when he takes on the very slick Chris Chappell. Chris is making his WCF debut, but comes in with a 4-2 pro record. Aniss has looked great, winning 3 out of his 4 fights by submission, but he faces his toughest challenge to date in Chappell, who may be the first fighter he's faced who can match him on the ground.
New fights are being released weekly, and this event keeps getting better and better. Get your tickets Now!
News Flash
January 2010MMA BIG SHOW!
Saturday Card Now All Amateur.
MMA Big Show’s next event, “New Dawn,” is scheduled to take place this Saturday in Indiana. In a now well-known and much-publicized move, “New Dawn” headliner Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge decided to take a last-minute fight in Japan against StrikeForce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi on New Year’s Eve at the “Dynamite!!” show. As a result of his TKO loss, the Indiana State Athletic Commission has decided not to license Goodridge. As of this past Monday, it was understood that Goodridge would still be allowed to fight. However, that has obviously changed.
Furthermore, due to the actions of the understaffed Commission, MMA Big Show Owner/Promoter Jason Appleton has made the difficult decision to pull the professional bouts off the card. “New Dawn” will continue with a full amateur card, and discounts for Feb 20th will be awarded to ticket-holders. Below is a letter from Appleton:
“Anytime you have a new commission put in place, there are always pitfalls and lessons to be learned. As of December 1st the new commission was activated in the state of Indiana. With a very small staff of 3 commissioners for an entire state, as well as no state funding for their efforts, it's created more new issues than problems solved. As such there are many lessons to be learned here. As a promoter who has put on some of the best events in the region for 3 years, I've never dealt with something quite like this:
#1: Gary Goodridge secretly took a last-minute fight in Japan of which he lost by TKO. Even though the event was overseas and not under any U.S. regulatory body, the Indiana Commission still felt obligated to cancel his fight - Strike 1
#2: Paperwork that is typically handled by commission reps at the weigh-ins for fighters, which the commission usually regulates, were put on me, the promoter, to be done prior to the event. During Christmas and New Year, it's an impossible task which could easily have been remedied at the weigh-ins by the commission, as should be expected. However, due to the commission being understaffed, they weren't going to be at the weigh-ins, and therefore couldn't manage the paperwork - Strike 2
#3: Due to not getting the bout agreement in a timely fashion with one of the other pro fighters, his fight wasn't going to be allowed either - Strike 3
So, the pro fights have been pulled off of the January 9th event, but the show will continue with amateur bouts.
Let's face it, a fight is a fight, and [matchmaker] Greg Hupp has put together some very exciting matchups in the amateur division. We lost 3 fights. Though frustrating, it's not the end of the world. Some of our fans have purchased pre-sale tickets to the event hoping to see one or more of the scheduled pro fights and as such, everyone who has purchased a ticket up to this point will be able to bring their ticket stubs to the sales window and get tickets for February 20th's TRIPLE THREAT at a $10 discount. It's something I feel must be done at my own loss to make up for the present situation. I care deeply about Big Show fans and this promotion’s reputation as a whole; however, some things are simply out of my hands.
I hope everyone still views this event as something well worth attending, as the Big Show staff and crew have worked extra hard to bring this event together under mounting odds. We will pull through, and we hope the fans in attendance will enjoy it with us.
The February 20th MMA Big Show event will feature Dave Hess vs. UFC veteran Jake O'Brien, as well as StrikeForce welterweight “Relentless” Roger Bowling and former Big Show Middleweight Champion Mojo Horne taking on opponents to be determined. It will be an amazing night of fights, and we will be going all out to make up for the frustration this January event has caused us all. This will be everyone’s last opportunity to see Roger Bowling before his StrikeForce debut. Fans won’t want to miss it!
Thank you all for supporting our efforts at MMA Big Show, and we are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Its garbage and I know it. I'm just as angry. The staff at the Indiana Commission isn't all to blame. I've spoken with several of them through the past couple of weeks, and they are all under the mercy of state law, no matter how wrong or frustrating it is for them. They are good people who have worked hard to help try and make this all work, but it just wasn't possible for this event.
We hope to see all our fans this Saturday for what will still be an exciting event, and we look forward to the Feb 20th event as well.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason Appleton”
News Flash
January 2010STRIKEFORCE!
LAWLER V MANHOEF & RIGGS V HIERON.
Knockout artists “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) and Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (24-6-1) will square off with each other in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest at the STRIKEFORCE: Miami mixed martial arts (MMA) event at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida on Saturday, January 30. Wrestling powerhouses Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-10) and Jay “The Thoroughbred” Hieron (18-4) will face off at welterweight (170 pounds).
The 27-year-old Lawler, one of MMA’s most explosive punchers, will attempt to rebound from the first round (2:02) submission (guillotine choke) he suffered at the hands of Jake Shields in the main event the first-ever STRIKEFORCE fight card in St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, June 6, 2009.
One fight prior to the meeting with Shields, Lawler, who hails from Granite City, Illinois, thrilled millions of fans when he unleashed his wrath on Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith in the main event of the live, CBS primetime televised event held in Stockton, California on July 26, 2008.
Born in San Diego, California, Lawler relocated with his family to Bettendorf, Iowa where, at the age of 16, he became a protégé of MMA legend Pat Miletich. Just three years later, Lawler exploded onto the MMA scene, emerging victorious in his first seven starts.
Lawler’s second round KO of Steve Berger at UFC 37.5 on June 22, 2002 made history when it became the first MMA fight ever to air on cable television during an episode of Fox Sports Net’s The Best Damn Sports Show, Period.
A seven-time veteran of UFC action, Lawler also made a splash in the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships when he scored a crushing knockout on Joey Villasenor with a flying knee a mere 22 seconds into their matchup at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Thomas and Mack Center on October 21, 2006.
Manhoef, one of STRIKEFORCE’s newest signees who hails from Amsterdam, Netherlands, notched his latest conquest just days ago at the annual New Year’s Eve K-1 “Dynamite!” event in Japan when he scored a first round (1:49) TKO on former top 10 ranked Kazuo Misaki with a barrage of punches.
His arrival in STRIKEFORCE comes after Manhoef reached the semifinal round of the 2008 DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix tournament by scoring first round TKOs on Dae Won Kim and legendary champion Kazushi Sakuraba on May 11, 2008 and June 15, 2008 respectfully.
His well-known battle cry “When I fight, I am willing to die” has translated into Manhoef’s explosive style of fighting, one that has helped him earn 22 of his 30 career MMA wins and 27 of his 45 career kickboxing victories by way of knockout.
Manhoef’s tenure in K-1, the world’s premiere stand-up fighting league, dates back to February 24, 2002. During his tenure with the Japanese promotion, he has triumphed over the likes of former K-1 tournament champions Stefan Leko and Ruslan Karaev, whom Manhoef crushed with a left hook only 31 seconds into their meeting in Amsterdam on June 23, 2007.
Riggs, a 27 year old native of Phoenix, Arizona, will attempt to extend a four fight win streak that began with his second round (2:05) TKO of Luke Stewart in a STRIKEFORCE: Destruction bout at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on November 21, 2008.
In his last effort under the STRIKEFORCE banner, Riggs dominated hard-hitting “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni for three consecutive rounds of action before walking away with a unanimous judges’ decision victory at St. Louis’ Scottrade Center on June 6, 2009.
Hieron, a former nationally ranked NCAA wrestler for Hofstra University, has been victorious in each of his last six starts. The Long Island, New York native made his STRIKEFORCE debut in his last effort, earning a unanimous decision win over Jesse “J.T. Money” Taylor at HP Pavilion on August 15, 2009.
A former troubled teen, Hieron has since become an inspiration, winning a world title with the now defunct International Fight League (IFL) and relocating to Las Vegas in order to train with the fight squad headed by MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: Miami are on sale at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office and Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 as well as online at www.Ticketmaster.com and www.Strikeforce.com.
In the main event, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz (20-7) of Stockton, California will take on fellow superstar and DREAM welterweight (170 pounds) champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-3) of Siaulial, Lithuania at welterweight.
STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Lightweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg (8-1) of Curitiba, Brazil will put her title on the line against Marloes Coenen (17-3) of Deventer, Holland.
Football legend Herschel Walker (0-0) will make his highly-anticipated MMA debut against an opponent that has yet to be determined. Undefeated heavyweight and former WWE champion Bobby Lashley (4-0) will make his STRIKEFORCE debut during the event.
Doors at BankAtlantic Center will open for the event at 6:30 p.m. The first non-televised, preliminary bout will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The live SHOWTIME telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Miami will begin at 10 pm ET/PT (delayed on the west coast) and will include as many as five bouts.
News Flash
January 2010Goodridge V Sparks!
January 9th.
2009 was a big year for Midwest-based fight promotion MMA Big Show, which was recently chosen by ULTMMA.com alongside Art of Fighting, Shark Fights, and Rage in the Cage as this year’s top local promotions in the United States.
Now, the promotion Big Show is looking to enter the next phase of its evolution, as “NEW DAWN” will start the New Year off right for fight fans.
The event will emanate live from the Belterra Casino in Belterra, Indiana on Saturday, January 9th, and will feature the Big Show debut of UFC/PRIDE pioneer heavyweight slugger Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge (23-19-1).
The MMA legend will be taking on “The Monster” Ron Sparks (5-0) in a true clash of the titans.
In the co-main event, former TUF competitor Luke Zachrich (10-1) will battle undefeated up-and-comer Byron Sutton (5-0) with the MMA Big Show Light Heavyweight belt on the line. Tickets for “NEW DAWN” are priced at $25, $40, $45, and $75, and are available through Ticketmaster, as well as http://www.mmabigshow.com/. 21 and over only, please.
Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge burst onto the MMA scene in his debut in 1996, making it all the way to the finals of the UFC 8 tourney. In one of the most memorable finishes in UFC history, Goodridge trapped both the arms of his opponent in a crucifix hold and proceeded to deliver multiple elbow blows to his head, ending the bout in 13 seconds.
He also competed at the very first PRIDE event, knocking out MMA great Oleg Taktarov with three seconds left in the first round.
“Big Daddy” became a mainstay in PRIDE, fighting there 19 times. In 1999, Goodridge began his kickboxing career, which culminated with him becoming the 2005 K-1 World Grand Prix in Hawaii champion. He has faced some of the top competition in both MMA and kickboxing.
Fighters like Mark Coleman, Marco Ruas, Igor Vovchanchyn, Tom Erikson, Ricco Rodriguez, Heath Herring, Paul Buentello, Alistair Overeem, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Fedor Emelianenko have faced the wrath of “Big Daddy,” with talent such as Taktarov, Don Frye, Andre Roberts, and Dan Bobish going down in defeat.
And Goodridge is ready to add another victim to his list when he faces Ron Sparks on January 9th.
“I’m doing my research on Ron. He’s a big muscle-bound guy, he’s very entertaining to look at, and it’s going to be like a young buck taking on the old lion. I know Ron has a really good right hand, so I’ve been training with boxers quite a bit, including a Canadian boxing champ. I have my game plan, and I’m going to try to stick to it, but everything changes once you get hit,” said the UFC/PRIDE veteran. In a bit of gamesmanship, he added: “The show should be called anger management.”
“NEW DAWN” is all about the arrival of the fresh and exciting, and “The Monster” Ron Sparks certainly fits into that category. The undefeated super-heavyweight is very aptly named, as the 6’5” 285-pounder packs quite a wallop.
Sparks, with his freakish girth and power, has finished four of his five opponents by KO/TKO. His calls for bouts with Kimbo Slice and Hong-Man Choi have gone unrequited, and so the massive “Monster” has set his sights on the extremely experienced and dangerous Gary Goodridge.
“Trust me, we’re going to go down swinging. There will be no tap-outs, and it will be a quick one. We’ve both been training hard, so stay tuned, and don’t blink,” he said about his bout with “Big Daddy.”
Sparks obviously has a lot of respect for his opponent, and isn’t shy about showing it.
“It’s an honor to get it on with him. He’s a UFC vet, a legend, and I’ve been a big fan of his. I’ve watched him for a long time, and I’m going to do my best to win. I don’t talk a lot of trash, and I believe in being respectful of the guy getting in there. It’s definitely an honor to be in the cage with Gary Goodridge.” And “The Monster” is looking forward to more with MMA Big Show: “I’m really excited about being featured on MMA Big Show, and hopefully there will be more to come.”
Luke Zachrich is one of the most underrated fighters in MMA today. Sporting an outstanding 10-1 record, the light heavyweight has developed a reputation as a great all-around fighter with a crowd-pleasing penchant for ending his fights decisively. He’ll be fighting for the MMA Big Show Light Heavyweight title, and with the belt, his record, and his reputation on the line, Zachrich is taking his fight with Byron Sutton very seriously.
“I’ve seen some of his fights. He hasn’t been fighting for a long time, but he’s fought a lot in that time. From what I’ve seen, he’s even fought on a bi-weekly basis at times. And I heard that he’s recently been training with Chris Lytle.” But though Zachrich is taking the fight seriously, the veteran is confident.
“From what I’m seen, I’m not too impressed with the kid. He’s got some skills, but with my experience, I don’t think there’s anything he can do that I haven’t seen. But he’s tough, explosive, and fast, and anything can happen. It’s a tough fight for me, no matter what.”
This fight will be Zachrich’s debut with MMA Big Show, and he’s elated with the opportunity to entertain the fans.
“I lived in Cincy for three years, but I was never able to make it down for a show before. But I’ve trained with [current MMA Big Show Welterweight Champion “Relentless” Roger] Bowling and [former MMA Big Show Middleweight Champion] Mojo [Horne], and those guys talk very highly of the promotion and [owner] Jason Appleton. I was at the Browning-Cornwell fight, and I was very impressed. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but it was such a quality show. I was very, very impressed, and I’m very excited to fight for Big Show. I’ve fought on huge shows and small shows, and I can’t wait to get out there and put it all on the line for the Big Show fans.”
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