Rogers vs. Kimbo a Go for October

By: Sam Caplan - fiveouncesofpain.com

According to a report by FightLine.com, a much anticipated heavyweight clash between Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Brett Rogers is set for October.

“This fight will happen in October,” EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw is quoted as saying in the article, although he was uncertain whether the fight would be televised on SHOWTIME or CBS. However, the report indicates that the Slice vs. Rogers matchup will most likely take place on CBS’ October telecast, which is also likely to feature a rematch between K.J. Noons and Nick Diaz as well as a possible fight involving Gina Carano.

When contacted by FiveOuncesOfPain.com on Wednesday while seeking a comment regarding whether Rogers would be involved with EliteXC’s next CBS telecast on July 26, a source within Rogers’ camp indicated that all comminications with the promotion have pointed to Rogers’ next fight taking place in October against Slice.

Both Rogers and Slice were victorious during EliteXC’s CBS debut on May 31. In the first-ever fight televised on network television in primetime, Rogers recorded a first round knockout against Jon Murphy. In the night’s main event, Slice was declared the winner in the third round against James Thompson in what was considered by many to be an early stoppage.

Following the show, an altercation between Slice and Rogers took place at the post-fight press conference for the event. Rogers was critical of Slice’s performance and didn’t hide his feelings and when Slice stood up upon taking offense, the two nearly came to blows.

Affliction VP says Edwin Dewees could replace "Tiger" White

by John Morgan MMAjunkie.com on Jun 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm ET

The July 19 "Affliction: Banned" event recently suffered its first card casualty, as K.O. Dynasty Management confirmed that Vernon "Tiger" White had been pulled from the event.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the organization now has its sights set on UFC veteran Edwin Dewees (35-12-0) as a possible replacement to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3).

"We're interested in Edwin Dewees," Atencio said. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him, but I know somebody's reaching out to him, and hopefully that will work out. But we're in talks right now."

As we reported earlier today, White was pulled from the card after testing positive for a banned diuretic after a May 31 Xtreme Fighting Association event in Las Vegas. Atencio said no sanctions have yet been levied on White, but he also said that Affliction could not wait until a decision was issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

"I haven't talked to [White], but I know that he has a hearing on the ninth of July," Atencio said. "We just can't wait that long to find out what's going to happen to him."

In his place could step Dewees, a Lions Den fighter who spent two thirds of his career with the Arizona-based Rage in the Cage organization. Recently, after winning five of six fights, the 25-year-old fell into a four-fight losing skid. However, he rebounded in April for his most recent win: a first-round submission victory over Richard Blake at a NoLimit Fighting event.

Although he was hardly the biggest name on a star-studded card, the loss of White comes on the heels of the UFC's announcement that it will hold a card featuring middleweight champion Anderson Silva on the same evening as the "Affliction: Banned" event -- and air it on Spike TV for free. Although a portion of the Affliction card also airs on basic cable via FSN, the main card comes with a $39.95 pay-per-view price tag.

However, Atencio remains confident that the drawing power of the evening's fighters will still attract MMA's hardcore fans.

"Anybody that was going to buy our pay-per-view, I think they're still going to buy it," Atencio said. "I think the people that weren't going to buy it, [the UFC event] just gives them something to do now. I don't think it really changed the hardcore fans' outlook."

The Affliction executive also hinted at a still-to-come major marketing push that the organization hopes will bring in the casual audience as well.

"Right now, we haven't even broken water (on marketing) yet," Atencio said. "We're waiting until the push because we know a lot of people, especially the casual fan, they'll forget about it if we push too soon. ... We've sold about 8,000 tickets so far, and that's with minimal advertising."

Featuring three ex-UFC champions, both Emelianenko brothers, and the greatest assembled cast of recognizable names on a card outside the UFC, Atencio believes his card will stand up to any challenges between now and July 19.

"July 19 pay-per-view -- it's going to be the biggest MMA card in history," he said. "There's no denying that."

Carlo Prater VS Brock Larson on Aug 3 WEC

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

The welterweight division in World Extreme Cagefighting continues to bolster itself as past opponents of current champion Carlos Condit will battle it out on Aug. 3 when the last two fighters he’s faced, Carlo Prater and Brock Larson, square off. The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Tuesday.

Carlo Prater has long been thought of as one of the most underrated fighters in the sport, carrying an impressive record and an array of skills that have gained him much respect amongst fighters in the industry.

Debuting with the WEC in February, Prater looked to pick up his second win over Condit, having defeated him in 2004. The second go around did not go his way as Condit was able to submit Prater in the first round of their championship match-up.

Since the loss, Prater has taken two fights outside of the WEC, picking up unanimous decision wins over Marcelo Brito and, most recently, Garett Davis in June.

Now he returns to the promotion to face another top welterweight contender in Brock Larson, who is coming back after suffering a broken jaw in his last fight out against John Alessio in March 2008.

Larson received an illegal knee strike from Alessio as he was going for a takedown. Because Larson's knee was down at the time, Alessio’s strike was deemed illegal and because of the injury the fight was stopped and Larson was declared the winner by disqualification.

A melee ensued after the fight and since that time it’s no secret that there is little love lost between Larson and Alessio, but that grudge will have to wait for another day.

Now Larson looks to get back on track towards another shot at Condit, and his first blockade happens to be Prater.

The welterweight showdown will take place on Aug. 3 as a part of the WEC’s return to Las Vegas and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Phil Baroni vs. Scott Jansen at Cage Rage 27

June 25, 2008 By: Adam Morgan Category: Scott Jansen, Phil Baroni (fiveouncesofpain.com)

Earlier this week it was revealed that Phil Baroni would be dropping a weight class to welterweight to change things up for his career and see where 170 lbs. can take him. At the time it was unknown who Baroni would face in his first fight at welterweight but it seems now that question has been answered.

According to The Fight Network, Baroni will face off against Cage Rage Contenders veteran Scott Jansen, who is 3-2 in his MMA career with all three of his wins coming by way of KO or TKO. It would seem that Jansen is tailor-made for a guy like Baroni, who is known for his one punch knockout ability.

If Baroni loses this one, there’s no telling where his MMA career goes from here. This is as big of a “gimme” fight that he’s ever had in his career. It would be wise for him to hit the gym, hit it hard, work on cardio and make the best of an opportunity.

Loiseau and Prater Victorious at Raw Combat: Resurrection in Calgary

Raw Combat: Resurrection
By Steve Rowbotham (mmaCanada.net)

Mike Rowbotham vs. Mike Zvonick

They touch gloves and Zvonick bullrushes Rowbotham into the fence. They clinch for a bit, then Rowbotham puts Zvonick to the mat, but he pops up quickly. Zvonick throws connects with a nice overhand punch that sends Rowbotham backpedalling with Zvonick in pursuit still throwing bombs and connecting with some. Rowbotham is covering well and shoots for a double leg out of desperation but Zvonick sprawls and takes Rowbothams back, but Rowbotham is having none of it and spins into half guard, and eventually into guard. Zvonicks pace has slowed and as he postures up, Rowbo throws a leg over his shoulder and locks in a loose triangle, Zvonick slips the choke but falls right into an armbar and is forced to tap at 2:14 of Round 1.



Adam Farr vs. Dami Egbeyemi

Both guys come out aggressive throwing hard kicks and punches. Dami is landing kicks to the ribs of Farr and his side is RED, but Farr keeps on coming. The fight went three rounds, about 13 mins on the feet, and 2 mins on the mat. Dami had the better of Farr in both aspects and took a Unanimous decision.



Nathan Gunn vs. Max Dalsin

Dalsin is the hometown kid and has won his last two fights in dominating fashion. Gunn is a tough kid from Thunder Bay, ON. Gunn immediately takes the fight to Dalsin putting him on his back and dropping elbows on his face. Dalsin gives his back and Gunn locks in a fight ending rear naked choke at 4:02 of the first round. Impressive win by Gunn.



Kurt Southern vs. Charlie Zac

I didnt know much about either fighter going into the event. After some feeling out, Southern shoots in on Zac and slams him hard to the canvas. Zac is deducted a point for elbows to the back of the head. The fight restarts with Southern on top and he starts dropping bombs, one of which hits Zac in the eye and he verbally submits and immediately runs from the cage. Southern wins by verbal submission at 1:57 of round 1.



Len Tam vs. Chris Desaultels (LFC Featherweight Title)

Desaultels has a huge reach advantage and he comes out pumping his jab very effectively before taking Tam to the mat. Tam seizing opportunity locks up an Omoplata for the win at 3:00 of round 1.


Kajan Johnson vs. Douglas Evans

Both fighters come out aggressive throwing punches and kicks. Head kicks miss for both fighters and they clinch against the cage for a while. Evans scores a takedown but doesnt do a lot with it. The round ends. Good round. 10-9 Evans
The second round begins and Kajan comes in like a bat out of hell and rocks Evans putting him to the ground. He works for Evans back and locks up a rear naked choke at 0:57 of round 2. Big win for Kajan!


Carlo Prater vs. Garett Davis

They clinch against the cage for the entire first round. Seriously. 10-9 Prater for control. Round two sees much of the same but Prater is unloading with standing elbows on Davis. 10-9 Prater. Round 3 both fighters come out swinging, but again Prater gets the better of davis and earns the Unanimous decision.



Bibiano Fernandes vs. Juan Barrantes

Bibiano is a 5 time world BJJ champion, and Barrantes is a jitz fighter with lower credentials, and as much as I love Juan, it showed. First round, Bibiano puts Juan down and unloads a barrage of elbows cutting Juan's head open in like 4 different spots. He dominates the remainder of the round with grappling but Juan defends well. Round 2 Juan drops Bibiano but he recovers well and spends the next two rounds putting on a grappling clinic on Juan, but again, Juan defends, and Bibiano easily earns a Unanimous Decision.



Travis Galbraith vs. Martin Desilets

Very intense staredown that ends with Desilets shoving Galbraith. They come out swinging and they end up clinching against the cage. They seperate and Galbraith is throwing bombs! He catches Desilets in a standing guillotine but Martin works out of it and takes Galbraith to the mat. Galbraith locks onto a triangle choke forcing Martin to tap at 4:14 of round 1.


David Loiseau vs. Andrew Buckland

Both fighters touch gloves and back away. Buckland lands a nice leg kick before being FLOORED by a Loiseau right hand. He gets up to his hand and knees and another shot puts him back out. The official time is 0:20 of round 1. Impressive win by Loiseau.



Dan Hornbuckle vs. Nabil Khatib (Raw Combat Welterweight Title)

Nornbuckle puts Nabil on the matt early and works for submissions. Nabil shows good defense, but eventually Hornbuckle finds the rear naked choke at 3:58 of round 1. Impressive win by Hornbuckle.

Phil Baroni to Welterweight 'to be a World Champion'

By: James Iannotti (mmamania.com)

After dropping four out of his last five bouts at middleweight — albeit to pretty good competition (Kazuo Misaki, Frank Shamrock, Kala Hose and Joey Villasenor) — Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni has decided to drop down to 170 pounds for the first time ever and try his luck at welterweight.

It’s a 15-pound decision that he hopes will help him become a world champion in the near future.

Here are his exact thoughts:

“Im making the move because I want to be a World Champion. I dont fight for pay day’s or fame, to be on tv or chick’s. I got into MMA because I wanted to be the best fighter in the world. This is what I feel at this point in my career I need to do. Im feel Im a better fighter than Ive shown in the ring esp as of late. As far as the move to Welter Weight goes I feel great. Im more athletic. Im in much better condition, my hand speed is back, an I would go as far as to say Im a lot quicker than I was at my previous best. I feel just as strong physically if not stronger do to much greater flexibility. Im not going to make any predictions or promises. Ive been very humbled as of late. Ive been handed a real wake up call. Im going to give it my all 100% and do my best. Its Do or Die for me. Im All In! I love to fight. Im a real fighter, an like I said the day I dont think I can be a World Champion is the day Ill retire. Im not done yet, I have alot of fight left inside me. I have alot to prove to myself an alot of people to prove wrong. NEVER SAY DIE !!!”

Baroni — who has heavy hands and “one punch knockout power” — would certainly be a dangerous opponent for anyone at 170 pounds. The former bodybuilder, however, has often been criticized for his lack of dedication in the gym before fights, which would also have to change if he plans on having any success regardless of weight class.

And “The New York Badass” will waste no time in testing the welterweight waters.

He’s been signed to fight on the July 12 Cage Rage 27: “Step Up” card against an unknown opponent. Cage Rage promoter Dave O’Donnell had this to say about Baroni in a recent MMAWeekly.com interview:

“Baroni will be fighting on the July 12 show, but I can’t release the name of his opponent yet. He will be a British guy and it will make for an exciting fight, as we all know how Baroni likes to go about things. We are talking to a few people now, but until contracts are signed, I won’t be mentioning any names.”

Baroni is 10-10 in his professional mixed martial arts career — essentially a clean slate. Perhaps the timing for a change could not be better. Time will tell.

Ivan Salaverry Retires from Competition

by Mike Sloan for sherdog.com (msloan@sherdog.com)

Middleweight standout Ivan Salaverry (Pictures) has hung up his gloves for good and will no longer compete as a professional fighter. The decision came almost a month following his last bout -- a first-round submission loss to Rousimar Palhares (Pictures) at UFC 84 "Ill Will" in Las Vegas. Salaverry retires with a 12-7 career record.

"Basically, I am just not prioritizing fighting anymore," Salaverry told Sherdog.com. "Even though I love fighting and I had a great run and I enjoyed it, I've transitioned to other things. There are quite a few variables as to why I stepped away and not just one. I'm older now; I'm 37 and not 27. I also have some injuries that are just not recovering, too. And within that scope, I have my school and my two kids. Fighting is not just a priority anymore."

Salaverry's decision to step out of the spotlight shouldn't come as a surprise. His fight with Palhares was the last under his contract with Zuffa, parent company to the UFC, and the Seattle resident hinted beforehand that his performance against Palhares would greatly influence his next move.

Salaverry lost in surprising fashion to the highly touted Brazilian prospect via a deftly executed armbar, though the Chilean-born Canadian cites additional considerations that came into play with his decision to call it a day.

"The loss (to Palhares) had a portion of my decision to retire but it wasn't the main reason why," he said. "The nature of this sport is that the new, younger guys come in and beat up the older guys. That's just how it is. I think that once you lose that focus to continue fighting, that hunger, it's time to let it go. I'm not going to be that 40-year-old-plus fighter struggling through small promotions and hanging on for dear life to those few remaining athletic years."

Salaverry had an eventful run inside the sport he cherishes, with a career that spanned nineteen fights in just under nine years. An expert submission specialist, Salaverry burst onto the UFC's scene with an upset TKO win over Andrei Semenov (Pictures) at UFC 37 in 2002. Semenov, imported out of Russian from the Red Devil team, was one of the hotter prospects at the time.

After absorbing a unanimous decision loss to Olympic wrestler Matt Lindland (Pictures) at UFC 39, Salaverry returned to the Octagon in 2004 with a memorable victory over former Miletich-bred fighter Tony Fryklund (Pictures), scoring with a rarely seen body lock submission at UFC 50. A win over Joe Riggs (Pictures) followed at UFC 52 in 2005, but Salaverry was unable to get past three of his next four opponents in the span of three years.

In that time, the affable Salaverry also became a father and opened his own gym in downtown Seattle.

"The last few years have definitely changed me with being a father and running my gym," said Salaverry. "It's given me an entirely different perspective as to how I look at MMA now. I know I can help other fighters because I know so much more now, but it's very hard to find out where or how to start. I will at least have more time now that I'm not going to be fighting and I think I can make a difference."

In his tenure as a competitor, Salaverry was a vocal proponent of fighter's rights, something he said he plans to continue in his new capacity within the sport. Salaverry is passionate about organizing a pension or investment program for fighters when they retire, so they'll have something to fall back on. He believes too many of the sport's elderly statesmen have fallen heavily into debt or can't treat their injuries properly because they can't afford it.

Salaverry also hopes to contribute as a coach guiding the sport's next generation.

"I hope my fans enjoyed everything and there will be a lot more coming," said Salaverry. "Not from me directly, but there are so many new young fighters coming up who are going to elevate the sport. I want to thank everybody for inviting me into their lives, their homes, their hearts, and allowing me to do what I did and hopefully MMA will continue to grow even more while I'm gone."

To find out more about Salaverry's gym in downtown Seattle, visit www.ivansalaverry.net

"Rumble" Johnson unfazed by recent UFC date change

by John Morgan for mmajunkie.com on Jun 23, 2008 at 9:27 am ET

No stranger to fighting on short notice, UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was recently forced to adjust his training schedule. The UFC moved Johnson's bout with Kevin Burns from UFC 87 on Aug. 9 up three weeks to the newly announced UFC Fight Night 14. But Johnson says that's just fine; the results will still be the same.

Johnson discussed the upcoming bout while a recent guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"Sometimes when things come knocking at your door, you just got to open it and just accept what it is," Johnson said. "I would rather have (fought at) UFC 87, but if [the UFC] needs me for July 19, I'll be ready for that, too. It's whatever to me. I'll take either month, any event that comes my way."

"Rumble" last fought in April, stunning "The Ultimate Fighter 6" runner-up Tommy Speer with a devastating barrage of punches that ended the bout in its first minute. And while Johnson knows his exciting style has scored points with fans, he is also aware it's not yet his turn to call the shots.

"It's more like a favor," Johnson said. "I'm not big enough to be saying, 'Hey I want this and I want that.' I'm just staying humble. Hey, they're giving me an opportunity, so I'm taking it."

Burns is making a quick return to the octagon as well, having upset Roan Carneiro earlier this month at UFC 85. That performance earned Burns a hefty "Submission of the Night" bonus. Johnson explained his strategy for outlasting Burns on the ground.

"I'm just a blue belt (in jiu-jitsu)," Johnson admitted. "I'm not going to say I suck on the ground, but I'm not great. I'll hold onto you for dear life, but you're not going to see me putting on any submissions. I'd rather punch you in the face."

Johnson was impressed by Burns' debut performance, but he feels up to the challenge.

"He's a tough guy," Johnson said of Burns. "A lot of people doubted him just because it was his first UFC fight. But I don't doubt any opponent that I fight. Anything can happen. There's always a puncher's chance. Something crazy can happen. I'm just ready for Kevin. I'm ready to do this fight now.

Johnson, who burst into the UFC with a lightning-fast, 13-second victory in his UFC debut a year ago, also offered some advice to his upcoming opponent.

"I just hope Kevin keeps his chin tucked, because if he doesn't, his head is going to be sitting in somebody's lap in the audience."

Johnson also discussed his childhood, amateur wrestling career and how he feels about being referred to as a "Young Vitor Belfort." To hear the full interview, download Thursday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

BARONI MOVING TO WELTERWEIGHT AT CAGE RAGE 27?

Saturday, June 21, 2008 - by Lee Whitehead and Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com


It appears Phil Baroni will be looking to bounce back from consecutive losses on July 12 at Cage Rage 27 “Step Up” against an opponent to be determined. Cage Rage promoter Dave O’Donnell revealed to MMAWeekly.com that EliteXC has granted a path to the U.K. as means of getting the New York brawler back on track and to provide some much needed international star power for the upcoming card.

“Baroni will be fighting on the July 12 show,” revealed O’Donnell, adding, “but I can’t release the name of his opponent yet. He will be a British guy and it will make for an exciting fight, as we all know how Baroni likes to go about things. We are talking to a few people now, but until contracts are signed, I won’t be mentioning any names.”

According to Baroni’s manager, Ken Pavia, they are deep into negotiations with Cage Rage for the bout and a deal appears likely, but it has yet to be finalized.

Pavia did say, however, “Whoever Phil’s next fight is, it will take place at 170 pounds.” He said that in surveying the MMA landscape, there aren’t many fighters in the welterweight division with the one-punch knockout power that Baroni possesses, presenting an opportunity for Baroni to move into the weight class for the first time in his career.

“He’s going to fight at 170,” said Pavia. “He’s at 182 (pounds) right now.”

Baroni is known as an exciting hard hitter, but is currently on a three-fight slide following a devastating TKO loss to Joey Villasenor at EliteXC Primetime last month, when the promotion made its debut on CBS Television.

Should it be finalized, his appearance at Cage Rage should appeal to all those fans looking for a slugfest. The confirmation of his bout on England’s shores will finally mark the appearance of a fighter who was originally mooted to appear back at Cage Rage earlier in the year following his clearance from suspension due to a failed drug test in California. If he wins, he heads down the rebuild path, and if he loses, his opponent will be catapulted to the main spotlight.

Cage Rage has appeared to be in a transitional phase of late with rumblings over losing SKY TV and facing budgets cut, but according to O’Donnell there are many things in the pipeline. “What surprises me is that everyone is quick to read into the negatives of something that isn’t there. Our contract with SKY TV reached its conclusion, it wasn’t cut. We are currently negotiating a new deal with them and when it is done we will let you know,” he commented.

“Until then people will still be able to watch Baroni fight on live TV. We have a one-show deal in place for Cage Rage 27 and it will be announced shortly. It won’t be terrestrial TV and it will still be provided by the SKY carrier service.”

James Thompson's and Phil Baroni's "PRIMETIME" tattoos

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jun 20, 2008 at 5:52 pm ET

Soon after the May 31 "EliteXC: PRIMETIME" event, MMAjunkie.com heard rumors of main-card fighters James Thompson and Phil Baroni sneaking some temporary body tattoos onto the CBS nationally televised event.

Obviously, when mentioning "temporary tattoos" in the sports world, it's hard not to conjure up images of big and gaudy Golden Palace Casino logos stuck to the backs of boxers, competitive eaters, and even Dennis Rodman when he took part in the 2004 Running of the Bulls.

After a little digging, though, we learned that the fighters were, in fact, adorned with temporary tattoos, but they were far more subtle than the monstrosities that the online casinos used to favor.

After a few phone calls, we tracked down Joe Lear, the founder and CEO of Big Boxing. He calls himself a "professional middle man," and he's also the man who brokered Thompson's and Baroni's tattoo deals.

Lear realized what a golden opportunity it would be for a sponsor to reach a huge, national TV audience. So he pitched the idea to a couple companies. And with the Ed Hardy brand and designer Christian Audigier offering the fighters a lucrative sponsorship deal, Baroni and Thompson agreed to be the guinea pigs.

"They were having trouble getting completely sponsored for the event," said Lear, who was part of the early boom of online casinos and sports books. "I told them they were looking at it the wrong way. I told them to sell it as product placement on CBS. ... Within a week, we have a meeting with Christian Audigier. He said, 'Here's some money. Get creative. Run with it.'"

The Ed Hardy brand may be familiar to MMA fans. Based on the work of tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy, the trendy clothing company has been making inroads into the MMA community. The EliteXC event and millions of at-home viewers was a perfect fit, Lear said.

So, the company sent two of its best artists to New Jersey for the event. They applied the tattoos prior to the weigh-ins. Apparently, though, the fighters took a don't-ask-don't-tell policy and never asked for permission to wear them.

They, of course, went unnoticed, and not until after the event did anyone realize that Baroni and Thompson had pulled a fast one (though the fact that the tattoos were perhaps a little too unobtrusive may have played a part in it).

In any manner, there are more guys like Joe Lear out there looking for the next big deal. So don't be surprised if some savvy marketers find new and unique ways to sponsor fighters. After all, the focus is now on MMA.

"MMA is where it's at," Lear said. "There's no more competition. Boxing is B-level now. MMA is the big show."

(Photos courtesy BigBoxing.com and MMAAgents.com)

UFC Signing IFL Talent Blackburn and Andy

by Luke Thomas (www.bloodyelbow.com) on Jun 20, 2008 11:10 AM EDT in News

In a move that strangely acknowledges just how talented the IFL's roster is or at least once was, the UFC has been signing several IFL fighters recently and not all of them standouts. To wit:

The inclusion of Andy and Blackburn is very intriguing, as they were two of the IFL’s better fighters. In the past, it has been said that the UFC has such a bias against the upstart New York-based fight promotion that it wouldn’t sign any of its fighters.

However, there doesn’t appear to be a bias, as in recent months the UFC has selected former IFL fighters such as Gerald Harris, Mike Dolce, and Dante Rivera for the cast of its seventh installment of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality TV show. Now, with the recent signings of other former IFL fighters such as Blackburn, Andy, and Andre Gusmao in recent weeks, the anti-IFL theory has been blown completely out of the water.

That "Andy" is Reese Andy and the "Blackburn" is obviously Brad Blackburn, two former IFL aces. On top of that, Sam Caplan is reporting the UFC recently signed Rory Markham, a Miletich product with explosive boxing and heavy hands, who could make his UFC debut as early as July 19th.

One could argue that it's merely the fevered push to get a July 19th show together that's forcing the UFC to reach for the most available and usable resources. In other words, it's not from a strategic standpoint that the UFC is seeking fighters who've competed and done at least moderately well in the IFL. That argument could be true and until we see what sort of contracts these fighters have or how quickly they are cut if they lose, we don't yet know. But there's clearly some merit to the position. You have to think the UFC wants Vera to trounce Andy and much of July 19th's undercard will be filled with newcomers and virtually anonymous IFL stars.

But the interesting thought here is what would happen if a similarly positioned "rival" league went belly up. Would EliteXC's stars be snatched up by the UFC? Maybe, maybe not. Some of those fighters in EliteXC are stars that simply haven't made their way to the UFC yet like Jake Shields. But others - Scott Smith, Robbie Lawler - are either UFC washouts or fighters who chose to leave the UFC for more hospitable pastures. Ultimately it speaks strongly of the IFL's roster that so many, so quickly are making their way to the UFC and other promotions. One has to wonder how many of the top talent in the IFL are chomping at the bit for Zuffa to give them a call. Wagnney Fabiano, anyone?

Newcomes Dale Hartt and Shannon Gugherty to meet at UFC Fight Night 14

by Dann Stupp on Jun 20, 2008 at 6:00 am ET

Two more UFC newcomers have been scheduled to fight at next month's UFC Fight Night 14 event.

Lightweight fighters Shannon Gugherty (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Dale Hartt (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have agreed to meet in an undercard bout at the July 19 event. A source from Gugherty's camp alerted MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the bout, though Hartt's agent, Ken Pavia, could neither confirm nor deny the fight.

UFC Fight Night 14 takes place at The Palms Las Vegas and airs live on Spike TV.

Gugherty, a longtime veteran of the Total Combat organization, fights out of San Diego with City Boxing. He's currently riding a six-fight win streak, which includes six stoppages (four of which came in the first round).

Gugherty kickstarted his career with a victory over WEC contender Cub Swanson, and in his most recent fight, he delivered Johnny Torres (5-1) his first career loss.

Hartt, who's competed recently for Full Force Productions in Massachusetts, trains under UFC welterweight Marcus Davis in Maine. The 29-year-old is a perfect 5-0 with five stoppages since turning pro in 2004.

UFC Fight Night 14, which was officially announced just this week, will go head-to-head with Affliction's debut card. "Affliction: Banned," which features a star-studded lineup with headliners Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia, kicks off on FSN before jumping to pay per view for the night's main card.

Gugherty and Hartt join a number of other UFC newcomers tentatively scheduled for the July 19 event, including Johnny Rees, Nate Loughran, Reese Andy, Brad Blackburn and James Giboo.

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 14, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Dale Hartt, courtesy www.myspace.com/dalehartt)

Riggs Replaces Carter at Strikeforce

by Loretta Hunt (lhunt@sherdog.com)

Extroverted welterweight Shonie Carter (Pictures) has withdrawn from a co-featured bout against Luke Stewart (Pictures) at Strikeforce "Melendez vs. Thomson" on June 27 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Strikeforce middleweight Joe Riggs (Pictures) has agreed to step into the vacant slot on a week's notice. The bout will be contested at a catch-weight of 178 pounds, confirmed Strikeforce representative Mike Afromowitz.

Carter told Sherdog.com that he shattered a knuckle in his hand while training and was fearful he wouldn't pass the California State Athletic Commission's physical examination next week to proceed with the bout.

One of the more seasoned figures of the game, the 36-year-old Carter has clocked in over 60 MMA bouts to his name, which includes six UFC appearances and two recent victories in the WFC and the Palace Fighting Championship.

One-time UFC welterweight contender Riggs made waves last September with a dominating performance over Eugene Jackson (Pictures) at Strikeforce's star-studded event at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

A feared competitor for his knockout hands and powerful ground-and-pound warfare, "Diesel" was temporarily derailed by Cory Devela (Pictures), when the Washington native threw Riggs onto his back at "Strikeforce at the Dome" last February. Riggs, who had previously undergone back surgery, was forced to tap out on impact. Riggs underwent a second surgery that month to repair spinal cord damage.

Stewart has been touted as one of the more promising up-and-comers in the Strikeforce stable. After cinching five bouts in a row, the San Francisco jiu-jitsu stylist was finally stopped by Tiki Ghosn (Pictures) via decision at Strikeforce's "Shamrock vs. Le" event last March.

In the main event, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) will defend his title against revered American Kickboxing Academy proudct Josh Thomson (Pictures).

Highly Touted Prospect Johnny Rees Set for his UFC Debut

by Dann Stupp on Jun 19, 2008 at 6:40 pm ET

Johnny Rees (10-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Nate Loughran (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), two UFC newcomers with a combined 18 stoppage victories in 18 career fights, will meet at UFC Fight Night 14.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed the July 19 bout with Rees' management.

The fight takes place at the The Palms Las Vegas and airs live on Spike TV.

Rees, a veteran of the Indiana-based Legends of Fighting and United Fight League organizations, turned pro in October 2005 and has reeled off 10 consecutive victories -- eight via submission and seven in the first round. He'll now fight for the first time since a November 2007 victory over Jeremy Wingler (7-3) at LOF 22.

Loughran, a veteran of Gladiator Challenge and Palace Fighting Championship, has posted eight consecutive victories -- seven via submission and six in the first round. In his most recent fight, he picked up the PFC middleweight title with a second-round submission victory over Kenny Ento (9-4).

"The winner of the fight will be the fans," said Ken Pavia, Rees' agent. "Between the two of them, they are 18-0 with 18 definitive finishes. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva did a great job with this fight. I am excited for Johnny because a win over Nate really puts him on the map and puts him closer to his dream of wearing a UFC strap. The kid is legit."

Rees and Loughran are the latest UFC newcomers added to the July 19 card. MMAjunkie.com previously reported that Reese Andy, Brad Blackburn and James Giboo will also make their UFC debuts at UFC Fight Night 14, an event that was quickly put together to counter "Affliction: Banned." The debut show for Affliction also takes place July 19 and features a main event between former PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC title-holder Tim Sylvia.

For the latest UFC Fight Night 14 card, check out the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Thompson Talks Elite XC

by Chris Cork (InsideFighting)

Like many mixed martial artists James Thompson is open and honest when discussing his career. The unassuming nature of fighters is one of MMA’s greatest qualities, and is a refreshing change from the clichés and platitudes churned out by an infinite number of pretentious athletes participating in more established sports.

In the wake of several dubious refereeing decisions over the past few weeks, ‘The Colossus’ was as candid as ever as he highlighted what he believes is a lack of consistency with officiating of the sport.

The British heavyweight was defeated by Kevin ‘Kimbo Slice’ Ferguson at last month’s EliteXC show amid all manner of controversy, and is still bitterly disappointed with the outcome.

“A win would have been a big boost,” says the 29-year-old. “It would have put my career back on track and given me the ‘W’ – I really want to get back in the win column. All the hard work I put into the fight would have paid off. I feel gutted that I lost the fight in the manner I did, but it’s nice that 99 per cent of people are on the same page as me with how they feel about it. I’m gutted but it’s bitter sweet because it was a good all-round performance by myself, and I haven’t come out of it too bad.”

Having taken the fight to the ground in round two, Thompson moved to a dominant side-control position where he was promptly stood up by referee Dan Miragliotta to the bewilderment of many. Taking Kimbo down again later in the round, Thompson pinned the former street-fighter against the cage and began delivering strikes to his head. This time Miragliotta warned ‘The Colossus’ that he had to keep working or the fight would again be stood up, apparently neglecting the precarious position Kimbo found himself in.

Then there was, of course, the now infamous conclusion to the contest that left Thompson believing he had been robbed and many viewers querying not only the timing of the stoppage, but the legitimacy of the fight.

“I think Kimbo was given every chance to survive and carry on the fight, but I wasn’t given that chance,” he explains. “As soon as he landed a couple of shots – and even though the referee said my ear popping had nothing to do with the stoppage – I think he saw the blood and thought ‘that will do’.

While the fallout from the fight has generally focused on Miragliotta’s decision-making and EliteXC’s handling of the situation, the effect a win would have had on Thompson’s career has been largely overlooked.

The PRIDE veteran has had his fair share of ups and downs, and he concedes that he was essentially hand-picked by EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw to act as a sacrificial lamb for the ultra-popular Kimbo. Desperate to kick-start his career, Thompson refused to read the script, however, and used the underdog tag as a motivational tool, producing a strategic performance that surprised and impressed those who had become familiar with his habitually reckless style.

“I think they (EliteXC) thought my biggest weakness would play into Kimbo’s biggest strength, and they thought it would be a pretty easy victory for him,” says Thompson. “I’ve watched the fight on tape and there are some things I’m pleased with and some I’m not, but on the whole it wasn’t too much of a bad performance under very pressurized circumstances.”

On a night that was clearly designed to supply new fans with exciting stand-up fights and knock-out finishes, Thompson declined playing into Kimbo’s strengths and repeatedly put the brawler on his back. Although this proved a successful approach, it evidently did not endear the Brit to EliteXC vice president Jared Shaw, who was said to have been screaming at Miragliotta to stand the fight up during the second round. Thompson – who has two fights remaining on his EliteXC contract – believes such behavior is a ‘conflict of interests’, but says he is unconcerned by Shaw’s apparent displeasure.

“I’m not bothered what they (EliteXC) think – it’s MMA not a boxing match. If I choose to go for a flying armbar or whatever, it’s up to me. If it works I get the credit, if it doesn’t I look like an arse. So whether they’re happy or not because I decided to take it down doesn’t bother me really,” Thompson says.

Defeat is always a bitter pill to swallow, especially for a fighter who has suffered his disappointments, yet continues to work hard in the gym. With a record 6.51 million viewers watching on CBS, Thompson could have been just minutes away from recording arguably the most important victory of his career when it was cruelly snatched away from his grasp by a referee’s call.

‘The Colossus’ appreciates that officiating is a thankless task. It is no exaggeration to say that when the cage door closes a referee has the fighters’ lives in his hands. Stopping a fight is a subjective decision and no referee wants to see a fighter injured because they allowed the action to go too long.

While choosing to err on the side of caution when stopping fights is entirely understandable, it is in the best interests of the sport, the fighters and indeed the officials to allow a fight to come to a definitive conclusion, with the fighters themselves determining the outcome rather than the referee. Of course, this is not always possible as referees are often required to use their judgment to stop fights and sometimes they get it wrong. Thompson believes the problem lies with the consistency – or should that be the inconsistency – of stoppages.

“If referees are making consistently bad decisions they shouldn’t be doing their job,” he says. “Stopping a fight is always a judgment call, that’s why being a referee is hard – you’ve always got to make these judgments. I just thought I wasn’t given the chance really. The fight followed a certain pattern. I took some shots from Kimbo in the first and second rounds, but eventually I reversed things and took the fight to the ground, winning both rounds. I believe round three would have gone the same way; eventually I would have taken him down, but we’ll never know.”

Adding to the heavyweight’s frustrations was Miragliotta’s decision to halt the Brandon Vera vs. Fabricio Werdum fight just a week later at UFC 85.

“Whether a referee makes a bad decision or not is not really the point,” Thompson reasons. “The point is he stopped a fight where the guy (Vera) took a few shots from mount but with my fight he didn’t stop it when I had side control and was dropping elbows. There’s no consistency there and that’s what I’ve got a real problem with.”


What are your thoughts? Editor@insidefighting.com

Brad Blackburn Makes his UFC Debut at UFC Fight Night 14

By: MMA Junkie's Dann Stupp on Jun 19, 2008 at 10:18 am ET

James Giboo (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Brad Blackburn (12-9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will meet at the recently scheduled UFC Fight Night 14 event, which is headlined by UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin in a non-title light-heavyweight fight.

Giboo and Blackburn, UFC welterweights newcomers, recently agreed to the bout, sources close to both fighters tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

The event takes place July 19 at The Palms Las Vegas and airs on Spike TV.

Giboo, an Iowa-based fighter who's fought in the Midwest's top regional promotions, is currently riding a six-fight win streak. The 30-year-old has balanced a fighting career with duties as a high school biology teacher and wrestling coach. The noted ground fighter has finished nine of his 11 career victories via submission, most by rear-naked or triangle choke.

Blackburn, a former IFL fighter based out of Seattle, trains under Maurice Smith with Andy Reese, who will meet Brandon Vera at the same July 19 event. The 31-year-old has lost just once in his past five fights, which included a victory over highly touted IFL welterweight Jay Hieron in June 2007.

UFC Fight Night 14 was announced just this week. It'll counter Affliction's debut show, which features a main event of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia. The "Affliction: Banned" card airs first on FSN, and then the main card will be available on pay per view ($39.95).

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 14, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Anthony Johnson vs Kevin Burns UFC Fight Night 14 fight booked

By: MMAmania

Welterweights Anthony Johnson (5-1) and Kevin Burns (6-1) are set to do battle at UFC Fight Night 14 at The Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 19.

MMAmania.com learned about the match up this afternoon.

Johnson destroyed The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 finalist, Tommy Speer, at UFC Fight Night 13 via first round knockout. “Rumble” also made quick work of Chad Reiner in his Octagon debut with a 12-second first round knockout at UFC Fight Night 10 back in June 2007.

Sandwiched between those fights Johnson lost to Rich Clementi at UFC 76: “Knockout” via submission (rear naked choke) in a catchweight bout that was contested at 177 pounds because it was scheduled on short notice.

Burns — a banker by day and fighter by night — burst on to the scene with an impressive submission win over veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, Roan Carneiro, at UFC 85: “Bedlam” earlier this month on just two weeks notice.

That’s impressive.

He’ll likely look to take this fight to the ground as soon as possible to avoid the heavy-handed attack of Johnson.

Stay tuned for more details on this developing card, which features UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva taking on James Irvin in a non-title light heavyweight bout in the main event of the eving.

Reese Andy vs. Brandon Vera at UFC Fight Night 14 fight set

By: MMAmania


As expected, former heavyweight contender Brandon Vera (8-2) will make his light heavyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 14 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, July 19.

“The Truth” will take on Octagon newcomer and International Fight League (IFL) veteran Reese Andy (7-1) in the Spike TV special co main event, according to Sherdog.com.

It’s a quick turnaround for Vera who just competed at UFC 85: “Bedlam” on June 7, losing to Fabricio Werdum via first round technical knockout. However, the stoppage appeared to happen a bit too soon — Vera protested the call almost immediately.

Regardless, it marked his second straight defeat in the division after a unanimous decision loss to Tim Sylvia at UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” in October 2007 the fight prior. And the loss to Werdum more than likely forced his hand to dip down to 205 pounds, which should not be a difficult cut for the Muay Thai specialist.

Andy is on a four-fight win streak, including impressive victories over Krzysztof Soszynski, Justin Levens, Mike Ciesnolevicz and others. He also has a win over Icon Sport Middleweight Champion Kala “Kalohe” Hose earlier in his career.

Like Vera, Andy is accustomed to fighting at heavyweight. However, this will certainly mark the biggest test to date for Andy — Vera will likely come in ticked off and faster than ever. He can make some serious waves in the loaded UFC 205-pound class.

And it all starts on July 19 … maybe.

To check out the rapidly growing UFC Fight Night 14 card click here.

Jake O'Brien vs. Cain Velasquez scheduled for July 19 UFC card

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jun 17, 2008 at 7:54 pm ET

In a move surely to delight this site's readers, the UFC has re-signed UFC heavyweight Jake O'Brien (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and scheduled him to fight Cain Velasquez (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at the recently announced UFC Fight Night 14 -- an event that features a headline bout of Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin.

A source close to O'Brien today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the fight has been agreed upon and will be announced as official soon.

The re-signing of O'Brien comes just two months after he was dropped from the organization.

O'Brien, who has lost only to Andrei Arlovski in his professional career, was shocked in April when he was dropped from the UFC with two fights remaining on his contract. He initially called the move "very surprising," and his camp confirmed that he had no idea that his UFC career was on the line during the comeback fight.

With an upset victory over veteran fighter Heath Herring in January 2007, O'Brien pushed his UFC record to 4-0. However, a few months after the fight, he underwent surgery because of "stingers," a painful nerve injury that originates in the spine. O'Brien went under the knife, and doctors entered through his neck to implant a medal rod and cadaver discs in his spine. At first, doctors feared the injury might be career-ending. However, O'Brien underwent physical therapy and returned from a 14-month layoff to fight Arlovski, but he suffered a second-round TKO.

With the new UFC contract, O'Brien has pulled out a planned July 18 Palace Fighting Championship fight. He signed a two-fight deal with the PFC just days after being dropped by the UFC.

He'll now take on Velasquez, a product of the American Kickboxing Academy who made his UFC debut in April at UFC 83. There, he scored a first-round TKO of Brad Morris -- his third consecutive first-round knockout since turning pro in October 2006.

Velasquez, a former Arizona State University wrestler, will meet a former Purdue University wrestler in O'Brien.

UFC Fight Night 14, which airs on Spike TV, goes head-to-head with "Affliction: Banned," the debut card for the MMA clothing company turned promoter. The Affliction event, which airs on pay per view, features a main event between former PRIDE heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC title-holder Tim Sylvia.

For the latest on UFC Fight Night 14, stay tuned to our MMA Rumors section or just check out our initial report from earlier today.

An Interview with Brett "the Grim" Rogers

There aren’t a lot of 6-foot-5, 265 pound people on the planet. Brett “The Grimm” Rogers, currently of Team Bison in Minnesota, is one of them. There also aren’t many 7-0 MMA fighters of that size.

Thus, you’d think that Rogers might be a little full of himself. However, you’d be wrong.

Yes, Rogers is confident, as he should be after scoring a knockout victory over Jon Murphy at the inaugural EliteXC- CBS Saturday Night of Fights. Sure, he’s been calling Kimbo Slice out. Still, what comes across about Brett Rogers when you really sit down and talk with him is that he is not conceited; he’s convinced. Along with this, he won’t tell you he’s the “top dog” out there right now. He also won’t tell you that he’s an ‘A’ level grappler yet.

What he will tell you is that he is working very hard toward achieving those things and more. He wants to reach the top of the heap, folks.

And lucky for fans, Rogers recently took the time to talk with MMAFighting.com’s Robert Rousseau about Kimbo Slice, the early years, and more.

MMAFighting.com: Congratulations on your recent victory over Jon Murphy.

Brett Rogers: Hey, thanks man.

MMAFighting.com: Did it go down like you thought it would?

Brett Rogers: Yeah, a little bit. I didn’t expect it to be so quick. But I definitely was expecting that ‘W’, you know what I’m saying?

MMAFighting.com: How did it feel fighting on such a historic card? Were there any nerves or were you pretty calm coming in?

Brett Rogers: You know what, I was almost pretty calm. I was trying to tell myself— ‘calm down; don’t get overexcited.’—because once you let your nerves get to you, anything can happen.

MMAFighting.com: Definitely. You know, one thing I don’t know a lot about—something I think our fans would be interested in—is to know more about your fighting background. Can you tell me a little bit about how you came to be a fighter?

Brett Rogers: You know what? (You) sort of have to come back to the neighborhood that I was raised in. I’m from Chicago. I’m living in Minnesota now, but back in the day south side, west side Chicago wasn’t no joke. As a youngin, you got to grow up a little faster than normal (there) especially when you’re out on the streets. . . Coming up here, I’m still in the bad neighborhoods and the neighbors— (I) didn’t get along with them (either)— and I felt that I needed to get into something. Otherwise I’m going to be in somebody’s jail. . .

I used to watch it (MMA) and I’d look at guys and be like, ‘you know what, that guy’s a punk; I’ll fight him.’ You know what I’m saying? A lot of other guys would say the same.

It went down from there. (Met) one of my MMA managers, Mike Reilly, and got up and went to his gym. It went from there, you know?

MMAFighting.com: Obviously, you’ve received a ton of questions on Kimbo and James Thompson and your thoughts on their fight. My question would be more about the chances that you’ll be seeing Kimbo in a cage shortly. Any word at all at this point on if you’ll be the next guy in line for him yet or no?

Brett Rogers: There’s a lot of talk saying that we’re going to be fighting in October. I still haven’t signed anything yet; that’s all I can say.

MMAFighting.com: He’s received some criticism for his ground skills. Forgetting that, how do you think you match up with him in a striking sense?

Brett Rogers: In a striking sense, I feel that me and him can go toe to toe. I’m going to test him with everything, just because of some (of the) words that he said. . . One thing that really ticked me off, he lied about the tapping issue (in the James Thompson fight). I know for a fact he did (tap) and he said he didn’t. So, I may have to show it to the world. You know— yeah, Kimbo does tap.

So if I get him in that situation, I am going to definitely try to break him off a little something— something.

MMAFighting.com: You talked about seeing MMA, how it got you interested, and how it was also a way for you to get out of what could have been a bad situation for you. Were there any MMA fighters that you may have looked up to in the past, or anyone that kind of influenced you to get involved in MMA?

Brett Rogers: Oh, man. . . I was a big UFC fan. . . I was ecstatic to see Tank Abbott; I like Rampage. A lot of top fighters. Mostly (it was) the light heavyweights that primarily caught my attention. . . Rampage, Chuck Liddell.

MMAFighting.com: Guys who like to hit a little bit. Have you met Rampage at all?

Brett Rogers: No. I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the chance to see him.

MMAFighting.com: What are your MMA goals at this point? What are you looking to do in the end?

Brett Rogers: In MMA, I’m just trying to stop off at the top. If not topping it, once I’m finished (I want to) at least be that guy that everybody can respect, fighter to fighter, and say you know what— ‘Brett wasn’t no joke, he came in, he played hard and is deserved as any (to be) in the MMA world.’

MMAFighting.com: Forgetting Kimbo, are there any fighters that you’d like to mix it up with in your weight class, whether they’re in EliteXC or not? Is there a guy that you’d really like to get in a ring or cage with?

Brett Rogers: Right now, as I’m growing as a fighter, I feel like this—I do want to fight only the best from here on out. I haven’t really tested myself. . . Just looking at Elite—Rodriguez or Silva, those guys I have respect for in the heavyweight department because they’re well rounded. Anybody that is well rounded and can put it together, I’m definitely trying to fight so I can put myself on that pedestal as a fighter. As a top ten fighter, you know what I mean?

MMAFighting.com: Sure. I don’t know a lot about Team Bison. How is it training there?

Brett Rogers: The training is good. We definitely crawled and then walked. It started out in a garage and now we have a gym on Arcade in St. Paul, Minnesota. . . We get in and we work hard and then we leave. I try to get in the gym at least three times a day, now that it’s full time. My main goal right now is to get bigger, stronger, more conditioned, (and) technique—crisp. Especially for this next fight because I want him to look at me (and just think) damn.

MMAFighting.com: In the last couple of fights I haven’t gotten a chance to see your ground skills. What are your ground skills like?

Brett Rogers: Ground skills? I give myself a B or somewhere in there. I’m not going to say, A— tops (or) top dog— because that would be a big lie. I got jiu jitsu skills; I have a little wrestling skills. I’m real good with the defensive sparring on both. So I mean, obviously I’ve got to put the offense together. I feel comfortable. If somebody were to get me to the ground and lock me there then I could work from the ground. But I prefer, obviously, to stand and strike.

MMAFighting.com: Last question for you—anything you’d like to say to the fans out there?

Brett Rogers: To the fans out there, just keep looking out for me and watching my skills grow. I’m not trying to talk like I’m top dog or the number one heavyweight in the world. Just keep looking out for me. You’ll see that I’m that guy wants to be champ in whatever organization I’m in. I’m in Elite right now, but who knows down the line— I might be in UFC or somewhere else. You know, WEC doesn’t have a heavyweight department so I’m pretty sure they might need that down the line. Just keep a look out for me. You see me on the streets— say ‘what’s up?’

If you look up my info on MMAAgents.com or Brunettes—(by the way) I’ve also got a website DaGrim.com— without a doubt leave me a letter and I’ll get back at you.

Before I leave I also want to say thanks to my sponsors—Big Black, thanks for representing and holding me down, I appreciate the help. . . OTM, my mouthguard sponsors— Pure Power mouth guards— I appreciate all the help. Without the sponsors, I wouldn’t be nothing.

RAW COMBAT - LOISEAU vs BUCKLAND Headliner

Originally posted by - Jeff Meszaros - jeffmeszaros@shaw.ca

A hometown hero on the verge of breaking into the big time. A former
world champion fighting to get back to the top. A match to decide
whose dream will become reality.

It sounds like a story from a Hollywood movie - but it won't be coming
to your local theatre. Instead, on Friday, June 20 at the Max Bell
Centre, you can watch it live as Calgary's own Andrew Buckland and
former UFC title contender David "The Crow" Loiseau meet for the
biggest fight in cow-town's mixed martial arts history.

As one of the feature matches at Raw Combat: Resurrection, the battle
marks an important milestone for both fighters. For Buckland, it's a
chance to test himself against truly top-shelf competition in front of
his hometown Calgary crowd. For "The Crow", it's about proving that
he's still one of the top 185-pound fighters in the world.

"There haven't been a lot of fighters to come out of Calgary,"
Buckland explains. "There aren't a lot of big camps here. From
Edmonton, there's Jason MacDonald. From Lethbridge, there's Jason Day.
In Calgary, there just aren't schools that have produced world-class
fighters."

It's a statistic that Buckland plans on changing. With a record of
9-1, a win over Loiseau could thrust him onto the world stage for the
chance to make Calgary's mark in the big leagues of MMA. For the home
of an NHL hockey team and a CFL football team, having a world-class
MMA fighter to call their own would be a welcome addition to their
already rich sports heritage, to be held alongside the world-famous
Calgary Stampede as an example of the rough and ready prairie town's
hard work and determination.

If there was a fighter for the town to embrace as one of their own,
Buckland is certainly it. Surrounded by oil fields and farmlands,
Calgary is a city where people know all about working with their
hands, and it would be difficult to find a finer embodiment of that
blue-collar grit than the young 27-year-old.

"I have my own business," he says. "I'm a carpenter and a framer. I
build houses so I work eight or nine hours a day, then I go train at
night."

It's a daily routine that would kill most people inside of a week, but
Buckland has been keeping the long hours ever since he started
fighting - although he admits his career as a professional MMA fighter
is still in its early stages.

"It's not very long," Buckland admits. "I've only been doing it for
about three years. I went to a King of The Cage show, and watched it
live and I thought 'I would destroy these guys' so then I just went in
and started training and I had my first fight after a few months of
training. I won that one, and I just kept on going from there.

With one win under his belt, the Calgary native went on to dominate a
long list of opponents, including fellow Alberta native Dan "Torture"
Chambers and Brazilian Lucas Rota. Today, a loss to American Dan
Hornbuckle stands as the only blemish on his career - and if Buckland
has his way, revenge might not be far around the corner.

First though, Buckland must deal with "The Crow" - a fight he agrees
is a huge step up in competition from the opponents he has faced so
far. "He's a veteran," he says. "He's obviously going to be talented.
He's been in the game for a long time. But I've got a bigger heart and
I've got more determination than he does. I think that's something
that he's lost."

While Buckland's comments could be chalked up to pre-fight trash talk,
he's not the only one who thinks that Loiseau has lost his edge since
his days in the UFC, but "The Crow" isn't letting the critics get to
him.

"I don't really care," he says. "I don't pay attention to all of that.
I'm a veteran of this game. I fought the best guys on the biggest
stage. I was the main event when I fought in Las Vegas in front of
20-thousand people."

"Now I'm on my way back. No matter what happens in my career, in life,
i just roll with the punches, stay strong, stay focused. This is how I
live. I just never quit. When you keep working hard, and you stay
positive in life, things turn around for you."

For "The Crow", staying positive is critical. Just as a win over
Buckland could propel him back to the big leagues, a loss to the
Calgary youngster would be a devastating setback to a storied fighting
career that began nearly a decade ago.

Like his training partner, Georges St. Pierre, "The Crow" exploded
into the octagon with a list of Canadian MMA credentials and an
impressive combination of technique and athleticism. But while St.
Pierre was able to spin his talents into a UFC championship belt,
Loiseau fell painfully short of his goal.

"I started fighting in 2000 and I became a Canadian champion with the
UCC," he says. "I also became a TKO World Champion. I went to the UFC
and I won my first fight. I lost my second, but I came back to put the
wrong things right like the Crow always does and I became the number
one contender for the UFC world championship."

Loiseau earned a shot at the belt by dominating UFC veteran Evan
Tanner in 2005, cutting his opponents' face to ribbons with a vicious
series of elbows.

"A lot of people forget something about this fight," he says. "Before
I cut him, I hurt him. I hit him straight in the face from his guard.
I did some nasty ground and pound. I body kicked him, head kicked him.
There was a lot of damage that was done, you know."

"When you get cut, you go to the ref and say 'don't stop it, don't
stop it.' Tanner didn't say anything. He just sat down. He was done.
That had nothing to do with the cut. I beat him down. People think it
was stopped on cuts. Pay attention to the fight, and look at his face.
Look how much damage he takes before the ref stops it."

Leaving Evan Tanner bloody and battered in his wake, "The Crow" went
on to face then middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 58: UFC vs.
Canada. Competing in the main event in front of 20-thousand fans, the
explosive fighter from Quebec seemed unable to mount an offense
against the champion and suffered a 5-round unanimous decision loss.

"I had an off night," Loiseau explains, "I had a bad day at work but I
never quit. A week after the fight, I started working out again."

Since fighting for the UFC world championship belt in 2006, "The Crow"
has had a few more off nights, losing three of his last five matches -
including a controversial split decision to Jason Day in Hardcore
Championship Fighting : Destiny. While many fans say that "The Crow"
should've been awarded that win, Loiseau looks back on the fight as a
learning experience.

"It was a pretty good fight," Loiseau says. "Even Jason admitted that
he lost the fight. When they raised his hand, he looked at me and said
'David, you just got robbed.' I was mad, but I was the one who left it
up to the judges. The person to blame is me, not the judges. I didn't
finish the job. I don't really care, though. Things happen for a
reason."

After the disappointing loss to Day, the veteran from Montreal moved
on to his next challenge: a match against British Columbia's Todd
Gouwenberg at Hardcore Championship Fighting: Crow's Nest in March of
2008, where he won a unanimous decision.

"I just moved forward," he explains. "I proved to myself that I could
perform like I performed back in the day. I just went out there and
fought and enjoyed myself. It was pretty intense and it was me from
the old days, throwing elbows, being versatile with takedowns, very
spectacular kicks. It was a spectacular fight. I gave the fans what
they paid for."

Now "The Crow" is ready to give Calgary fans another show, as he
prepares for his match with Buckland.

"I'm preparing just as I would if I were fighting the UFC world
champion. It's the same thing as if I were going against Anderson
Silva. I'm training hard. I just got back from Denver, Colorado where
I trained with Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and Georges St. Pierre.
Georges just left for Brazil, so now I'm training with my team here,
Patrick Cote and Jonathan Goulet - so everything is all good."

While Loiseau works out in Montreal, Buckland is putting in his
training time at two gyms in Calgary, and is drinking in the knowledge
from his trainers.

"I train with Josh Russell at Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu," he says. "I've
only been there for about three months and that's strictly a jiu-jitsu
academy. I do all my groundwork there, and then I train at Dynamic
Martial Arts under Vince Gentile and that's where I do all my stand-up
and cardio."

Heading into the fight, Buckland admits that Loiseau will have the
experience advantage, and a size advantage as well.

"He's going to be a lot bigger than me physically," he admits. "I walk
around at pretty much 185 pounds so he's going to have the advantage
of being bigger, but I'm a strong 185 so we'll see what happens. It
should be interesting."

At least Buckland will have the hometown crowd behind him, right?

Not necessarily, he says.

"I like fighting here," Buckland explains. "It's good to have the
support, but when he fought here last time, he had a lot of support
too just from being recognized from fighting in the UFC. He had a huge
ovation when he came out, so it's not like I'll have a huge advantage
that way. A lot of people like that guy. He's one of the best fighters
to ever come out of Canada."

Still, the tough carpenter says he's ready to put his hands to work on
"The Crow".

"I asked for this fight," he says. "They didn't offer him. Mentally,
I'm prepared because I'm going into a win-win situation. It's going to
be a fun fight for me. I'm going in there and whatever happens,
happens. There's no pressure, so it's a great situation for me. To
beat him would be amazing - but just to fight him is a great
opportunity. It's an honor to fight that guy."

So what's the strategy?

"I'm going for a fast knockout." Buckland explains. "I can't go in
there and wait for him to do what he does. I have to push him. If I
let him take control, that's bad. When he's on the defense, backing
up, he fights worse."

Of course, Loiseau has no plans of backing up.

"I'm a veteran, a former champion and this is my job," he says. "I'm
not getting caught up in the hype. He's from Calgary. I'm from
Montreal. I don't care about that hype. I'm about getting the job
done."

"I'm just going out there and performing," he continues. "I predict
myself dominating, imposing my style. I'm not talking smack. He's a
very game opponent. He comes in to fight but I'm ready to do my job
and my job is to destroy him. Right now, I just eat, sleep, breathe
Andrew Buckland and he should be scared of that."

Affliction adds Belfort vs. Martin, Ambrose vs. Pyle to "Banned" card

Originally posted by Dann Stupp on Jun 11, 2008 at 10:35 am ET

An intriguing, star-studded July 19 "Affliction: Banned" card just got a little deeper.

The clothing company turned MMA promoter has added added a preliminary-card bout between Vitor Belfort (16-8) and Terry Martin (16-4). Additionally, J.J. Ambrose (9-1) and Mike Pyle (16-5-1), who were originally scheduled to face Patrick Speight and Brett Cooper (respectively), will now fight each other.

The "Banned" event takes place July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Longtime PRIDE heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko meets former UFC title-holder Tim Sylvia in the night's main event.

Belfort, a former UFC light heavyweight champion and the current Cage Rage light heavyweight title-holder, had suffered three consecutive losses in 2005, which resulted in a departure from the UFC. Since then, though, he's 4-2 and will now go for his third consecutive victory. However, he hasn't fought since a September's Cage Rage 23 event, where he defeated James Zikic.

Martin, who was recently competing in the UFC, suffered losses to Chris Leben and Marvin Eastman, which snapped a four-fight win streak. Martin recently made his pro boxing debut (with a first-round knockout) and is also scheduled to meet Daiju Takase this weekend for the debut Adrenaline MMA show.

The main card for "Affliction: Banned" airs live on pay per view, and a few fights will air on FSN as a lead-in to the event. The full fight card now includes:

MAIN CARD (PAY PER VIEW)

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento
Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
PRELIMINARY CARD (FSN)

Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Vernon White
PRELIMINARY CARD (MAY NOT BE BROADCAST)

Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin
Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens
J.J. Ambrose vs. Mike Pyle
Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young

HDNet to preview "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson"

Originally Posted by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jun 10, 2008 at 10:09 am ET

HDNet, the all-high-definition cable station that is home to a growing amount of MMA content, has produced a preview show for the June 27 "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" event.

The 30-minute show, "Unfiltered: Melendez vs. Thomson" debuts this Friday, June 13, at midnight ET (9 p.m. PT) on HDNet.

The upcoming Strikeforce event features a headline fight between Strikeforce world lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson. The June 27 event takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and airs live on HDNet.

Back in February, HDNet and Strikeforce announced a three-event deal. The June 27 event will be the second of the three events to air live on the channel, which is owned by Mark Cuban.

In addition to Melendez vs. Thomson, the upcoming event features a title fight between Strikeforce world light heavyweight champion Bobby Southworth and challenger Anthony Ruiz. Veteran Shonie Carter also meets Luke Stewart.

For the latest "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" fight card, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Cyrille Diabate's June 27 ShoXC debut postponed

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jun 06, 2008 at 6:42 pm ET

A June 27 ShoXC event that MMAjunkie.com first reported in May has been postponed.

The outdoor event had been scheduled for the Sycuan Casino and Resort near San Diego and was expected to feature the promotional debut of highly touted Judoka Hector Lombard.

However, according to our friends at fiveouncesofpain.com, EliteXC officials had difficulty securing the venue, but they are looking to reschedule the event for a later date.

The cancellation was first reported by Mauro Ranallo on Fight Network Radio.

The event, which was set to air on Showtime, was also supposed to feature a King of the Cage middleweight fight between title-holder Keith Berry and Reggie Orr. Cyrille Diabate had also been slated to take on Jaime Fletcher.

ShoXC, which launched in 2007, is EliteXC's smaller event circuit that's designed to showcase prospects and big-show newcomers. Six of the events have been held to date and have featured fighters such as Eddie Alvarez, current EliteXC lightweight champ KJ Noons, and EliteXC-CBS main-card participant Jon Murphy.

Razor Rob Learns from Defeat

By Mike Russell Originally Posted on the Fight Network

http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news/mma/226/wecs_mccullough_learns_lesson_in_defeat

"The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to salvation is hard." - Katha Upanishad

Sometimes the hardest lessons in life are learned by dealing with a loss. Just ask "Razor" Rob McCullough.

Three months ago, the Huntington Beach, Calif., native was on top of the world. He was the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion, the promotion's poster boy, and he was set to defend his title for the second time against Jamie Varner at WEC 32 in Albuquerque, N.M.

The fight did not go as he had planned.

McCullough's eardrum was ruptured in the first round by a left hook from Varner, but he managed to shake off the injury and continue the fight. He rocked Varner in the third with a solid right cross that sent his mouthpiece to one corner of the cage while its owner slumped in the other.

Varner absorbed a handful of shots, scrambled to his feet and was granted a 28-second timeout to retrieve and clean his mouthpiece. One minute and forty two seconds later, Varner's left-right combination caught McCullough, and in an instant, his title was lost.

Once a regular fixture at the Playboy Mansion, McCullough decided a change was in order. He retreated to former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz's training center in Big Bear, Calif. There, McCullough cam to the realization he would have to sharpen his mind and body if he wanted to wear the WEC lightweight belt again.

"I kind of sat back and tried to figure out what the big deal is about training up there," McCullough says. "They got the high altitude, but everything else is the same as at home. Tito said, ‘Yeah, but everyone is always coming in and bugging you at home, watching you train and asking for autographs while you're training. That's why I do it. I have to get away.' The more I thought about it, I thought maybe he's right, maybe's he's on to something here."

McCullough will face Kenneth Alexander - the man who handed him his first professional defeat in 2002 - at WEC 34 on Sunday at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. He returned home from Big Bear last week but continued to put in the training hours, as he brought in Strikeforce lightweight title contender Josh Thomson and UFC welterweight standout Jon Fitch to shore up his weaknesses.

"I've just been doing my job, eating real healthy, going to the gym," McCullough says. "Then I go home and go to bed. That's been my routine for about the last nine weeks."

McCullough has moved past his loss to Varner. He learned how to overcome adversity at an early age. Living on the streets at age 13 would toughen even the softest kid. After he left home to help ease the burden on his mother - she was also raising six daughters - McCullough soon found himself fighting for respect.

"I wasn't a big kid and I never started fights, but I was the guy who always stuck up for my friends," McCullough says. "The other day, my girlfriend and I were walking around downtown Huntington Beach, and I was like, ‘I got in a fight there before.' Later on, I was like, ‘I remember fighting over there.' She was like, ‘Do you know that on our walk, you've pointed out pretty much every block and said you've gotten into a fight on it?'"

In order to make ends meet, McCullough took odd jobs under the table and admits he knew little about the value of a dollar. When his lifestyle started to outspend his means, McCullough realized he had to find another way to pay the bills.

"I never wanted fighting to be my job because I never wanted to hate it," he says. "I got to the point where I was doing K-1, which is the pinnacle of kickboxing. I was on TV doing well, and I was only making $5,000. I was like, ‘How long is this going to last me?' The way I was spending money, I knew it wasn't going to be long."

The 9/11 attacks forever changed McCullough's career path, as he spurred him to try mixed martial arts.

"Everyone in the house [in Big Bear] was tripping out over what was going on like the world was going crazy," he says. "Tito says, ‘There's a fight that's opened up. Do you want to take it?' I was like, ‘Yeah, let's do it.'"

McCullough added wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to his arsenal and won seven of his first 10 professional fights, losing only by decision. He reeled off seven more victories before he was stopped by Varner.

Known in the Muay Thai world for his flashy knees, elbows and punches, McCullough has taken a more measured approach to MMA.

"I think I've become more well-rounded," he says. "[Those strikes] look really cool, but at the same time, they put you in some dangerous positions. As I learned more about grappling, I didn't take those techniques out of my game; I learned when and where to use them. I've definitely become a lot smarter fighter."

"Razor Rob" wants WEC title-fight rematch with Jamie Varner

Originally Posted by John Morgan on Jun 05, 2008 at 9:15 am ET

WEC lightweight "Razor" Rob McCullough (16-4) was able to avenge the first loss of his career with a split-decision victory over Kenneth Alexander this past Sunday night. Now the 31-year-old hopes to avenge a more stinging defeat: the February loss of his WEC lightweight title to Jamie Varner.

McCullough talked about his victory and a shot at redemption on Tuesday's edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

"It felt great," McCullough said of his performance. "At one point I realized I got this fight, dude. He's moving backward and away from me. I wanted to rush in and clip him. You know, do something stupid. Then I went, 'Eh, I'll just wait for him to shoot and try and knee him in the face.'"

The cautious performance earned the Huntington Beach fighter the victory, but it did little to win over the fans in attendance. McCullough said he was too focused to notice the booing coming from the ARCO Arena seating.

"In smaller arenas, when I fight it seems like I can hear people in the crowd," McCullough explained. "I hear random people saying stuff and I can really listen to them. And before, I'd hear booing and I'd be like, 'Oh, I've got to pick up the pace here.' And that's when I would do something like a flying punch or something. I kind of was like so in the zone for this one. I was so focused that I kind of cut everything out when the bell rang. ... So, everything went out the window, and I was zoned in on him, and I didn't really hear too much. So that was kind of a good thing."

McCullough attributed the slow pace of the fight to Alexander's unwillingness to engage.

"[Alexander] is awkward; I give him that," McCullough said. "He didn't fight orthodox. He kept moving his hands all weird. He didn't throw any combinations. ... He didn't really want to fight, though. It was more back-peddling on roller skates. It's hard for me to plant and try to get anything solid. When he did stop, I would kick him, and then he would move again."

With the win, McCullough feels he is close to earning a shot at reclaiming the belt he once held. And he knows exactly who he'd like to beat in order to get it.

"I'd like to get another 'W' and go for that belt," McCullough said. "(And) I'd like to get it from Jamie Varner if he can hold on to it. I'd like to rematch that guy for sure."

McCullough also discussed the value of holding fight cards in Las Vegas rather than traveling around the country, as well as his take on the busy weekend in MMA. To hear the full interview, download Tuesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.

This story, written by John Morgan, was produced by TAGG Radio specially for MMAjunkie.com. The show -- which is hosted by fighter/broadcaster Frank Trigg, Gorgeous George and ace producer Goze -- books some of the biggest names in MMA. Download all the former episodes at www.taggradio.com, or tune into TAGG Radio's live shows Monday-Friday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully planned for UFC 86

Originally posted by Dann Stupp on Jun 02, 2008 at 3:39 pm ET

Former top UFC heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will likely return from the first back-to-back losses of his career when he meets Justin McCully (8-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC 86.

Sources close to both fighters tell MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the heavyweights recently accepted the bout and that it should be finalized shortly. The fight was first reported by our official radio partner, TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com).

UFC 86 takes place July 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and airs live on pay per view.

Gonzaga, who began his UFC career with a 4-0 record, hasn't fought since a January second-round TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80. The televised bout was a rematch from their September 2003 meeting at Jungle Fight 1 in Brazil. Werdum TKO'd Gonzaga in that event, as well.

Prior to the loss, Gonzaga fought at UFC 74 in August 2007 and suffered a third-round TKO to UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture.

McCully, meanwhile, will return to action for the first time since his April 2007 unanimous-decision victory over Antoni Hardonk. McCully, part of Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment, had been a rumored opponent for Frank Mir, but the bout was apparently scrapped when the former champ was selected to coach opposite current champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on the upcoming eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter."

For the latest rumored UFC 86 fight card, which features a main event and title fight between "TUF7" coaches Quinton Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.