5 Oz. Exclusive: Entire Aug. 15 ShoXC card includes Diabate and Morgan
Posted by Sam Caplan - fiveouncesofpain.com
EliteXC’s next card will be a ShoXC event scheduled for August 15 and will feature five bouts to be televised on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET from the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, Calif.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the finalized card after speaking with EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Shaw, the card will feature two light heavyweight bouts with Jared Hamman and Po’ai Suganuma rematching each other in the night’s main event and Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate making his EliteXC debut against Jaime Fletcher.
Shaw indicated that the winners of the 205 pound fights could find themselves in line for an opportunity to fight light heavyweight sensation Rafael Feijao.
Also added to the card is a 160 pound lightweight match featuring Fabricio Camoes taking on Sammy Morgan. The promotion is said to be very high on Camoes and a win could catapult him onto a spot on a future EliteXC card.
Four other fighters will be making their EliteXC debuts as well, with Debi Purcell and Rosi Sexton set to do battle in a female MMA fight and Keith “K.O.” Berry and Reggie Orr set to scrap.
Berry is recognized as the King of the Cage middleweight champion but the bout is only scheduled for three rounds so it’s unlikely that his title will be on the line.
Meanwhile, Orr was one of 32 middleweights brought out to Las Vegas by the UFC and Spike TV earlier this year to fight in qualifying bouts in order to make the final cast for the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Hector Lombard had been tentatively scheduled to make his EliteXC debut on the card but a lingering wrist injury will prevent him from being healed in time.
“The Road Warrior” Goulet Continues to Play Waiting Game
By Kelsey Mowatt - fcfighter.com/news
He has yet to establish himself at the top of the UFC welterweight rankings, but like training partner, long time friend, and current 170lb. champ, Georges St. Pierre, Jonathan Goulet staunchly believes he is more than capable of doing so. Problem is, he’s not sure when or who he’s fighting next. After quickly submitting to an armbar by Dustin Hazelett at UFC Fight Night 11 last September, the Quebec fighter has won three straight, including back to back wins over Paul Georgieff and Kuniyoshi Hironaka at “The Ultimate Fighter” 6 Finale and UFC 83 respectively. If Goulet were to win in his next Octagon appearance his UFC record would sit at 5-3.
“No I don’t know yet,” said Goulet when asked if he knew when he might be competing again. “My manager is trying to find me something for maybe the end of September. I had some big goals for this year, but right now I’m not fighting, so I might have to go for them next year. I wanted to be in the top ten by the end of this year so I hope that my next fight will be the best one of my career.”
Reaching the top ten in the welterweight rankings is no easy task especially when one considers how many talented fighters currently compete for the UFC at 170. At this stage in his career Goulet realizes that he will have to defeat some of the division’s more notable fighters if he hopes to move into this exclusive club.
“I want to fight someone like Diego Sanchez or Karo Parisyan,” said Goulet when asked for names of some fighters he would be interested in fighting. “I would like to fighter either one of those guys. I haven’t really looked at it; I’m just hoping to get a really good match for me.”
Goulet is hesitant to “call out” fighters now after he publicly challenged Mike Swick to a bout last year, was ultimately given the fight, but then lost to Hazelett, when Swick was forced to withdraw due to injury. Swick has gone on to win back to back fights over Josh Burkman and Marcus Davis since he made the move to the UFC welterweight division.
“I hope so,” said Goulet when asked if a bout with Swick might come to pass. “I called him out before but then I lost to Dustin Hazelett, but I think that maybe he would be a good opponent for me before the end of the year, or maybe in Montreal sometime next year.”
Goulet is no stranger to fighting in front of a Montreal crowd, due to the fact the fighter came up competing for Quebec’s TKO promotion, but his most recent win over Hironaka at UFC 83, which took place in the city’s Bell Centre, holds a special place in his heart.
“I would say that was the most beautiful day in my career,” Goulet told FCF. “That was the first time the UFC came to Canada, it was a historic moment, and I was part of history. You know I also got Fight of the Night too, so, it was amazing.”
Of course UFC 83 also featured Georges St. Pierre reclaiming the promotion’s welterweight crown, when he avenged his prior loss to Matt Serra, a moment that Goulet concedes also made the event very memorable for him. GSP will look next to defend his title against Swick’s training partner Jon Fitch at UFC 87 on August 9th.
“Jon Fitch has been built by the UFC,” Goulet said when asked to asses the upcoming bout between his friend and Fitch. “So I don’t see him giving GSP a big challenge on August 9th. Even me, I think I would be able to beat him. We have two opponents in common who I also beat, so yes, I think could beat him. I think Jon Fitch will be another number for Georges.”
In the meantime as Goulet waits to see who and when he will be fighting next, he has been spending time in New York working on his jiu-jitsu game with the highly accomplished Renzo Gracie.
“I haven’t been training that much with the gi,” said Goulet when asked about why he made the decision to head south and train with Gracie. “So I’ve been kind of stuck as a blue belt, but I’ve been improving a lot, I improved a lot when I went to Brazil, and I’ve been training it a lot in Montreal. So I think really soon I’m going to have my purple belt.”
The Razor’s Edge: Rob McCullough’s MMA Blog (July 29)
July 29th, 2008, 1:57 pm · 1 Comment · posted by Carlos Arias OCregister.com - punch.freedomblogging.com
BLOG NO. 4
It was another week in the life of a guy who used to think he was normal.
After thinking about my training, I decided I was lacking the one thing that got me here: STRIKING!
So I called up my good friend and trainer, Colin Oyama.
I told him I was fighting Sept. 10 and could use some good-old-ass-kicking training.
Colin told me to be at No Limits Gym in Irvine at 5:15 p.m. to train.
I was there at 5:15 on the dot and, man, it was like old times. I saw a bunch of my buddies I trained with and some students who switched gyms.
The training was intense. I started by jumping rope for 15 minutes. Then I stretched for another 20 minutes. I did a 30-minute striking drill. I moved to different station every three minutes, from one guy holding a kicking shield to Thai pads and focus mitts.
After the 30 minutes was up, Colin instructed me to suit up and get ready spar. I put on my shin pads, knee pads, head gear and gloves and went another 30 minutes straight. I switched opponets every three minutes. I worked on taking some down and I started on the ground for others. The rest of the time I was on my feet kickboxing.
I did this kind of training all week along with my morning workouts, which includes a four-mile run and doing Jiu-Jitsu for an hour.
In the afternoons, I got in a couple full-body weightlifting circuits, too.
One of my main training partners and Rampage Jackson’s head wrestling coach, Zach Lyte, also fought on Friday in the City of Montebello. It was a star-studded event for the Sparr Star Promotions at the Quiet Cannon Country Club. Zach came out and banged with his opponet, dropping him with a big hook but not finishing him. They had a great exchange of punches and Zach was getting the better of the standup. But he was also getting a large gash on his forhead, leaving him a little out of his game. Zach ended up losing his first fight but he learned a lot about his striking abilites. “Live and learn.”
After that, I went home and rested up before my flight to las vegas to watch Bryce Krause, who is one of my sparring partners and first fighter I ever trained to fight, at the Las Vegas Hilton. on the card was also Romei Adanza, Jared Lara and No Limits Gym’s Shane Del Rosario were also on the card. Shane was fighting for the I.M.T.C. heavyweight title.
As I sat and waited for the guys to fight, I thought about all the history at the Las Vegas Hilton and all the times I’ve been in huge fights either getting ready to fight or cornering one of my boyz. And I thought … hmm … I guess it could’ve been worse. Unfortunately, the night was an upset except for Shane stopping his guy in the second round.
I spent the rest of the evening texting my friends and fellow combatants, inspiring words of wisdom. Vegas isn’t the same when you’re sober and in training mode, so I spent the rest of my time playing blackjack in the high limits area at the Hard Rock Hotel.
Now, I’m just counting the days and preparing for war in September. It looks like my fight will be at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Fla.
Well, I’m off to the gym to train and to get some more orders shipped out of MMA apparel from my clothing company, Razorclothing.tv. Until next time and if you are bored go to you tube.com and watch my hightlight reels.
Bloodyknux.Com presents: 1 on 1 with WEC Star "Razor" Rob McCullough
One of the more recognizable names in the WEC organization is Huntington Beach California native "Razor" Rob Mccullough. Recently Bloodyknux.Com's Tyler Horton was fortunate enough to catch up with the Razor and talk training, racing in the Baja 1000 endurance race and all things WEC. Listen in and enjoy.
Pro MMA Exclusive: Inside the Mind of “The Wildman”
http://promma.info/?p=740 by promma — published on July 29th, 2008 by: Jack Bratcher
If you saw Elite XC: Unfinished Business this past Saturday night on CBS you were most likely very impressed with what you saw. One of the best fights of the night and to me, one of the top fights of the year was Thomas “Wildman” Denny vs. Nick Diaz. Denny went into the hometown of local Stockton favorite, Nick Diaz, stood toe to toe with him and let it all hang out. Prior to this fight, many newer MMA fans may not have been familiar with “The Wildman” because even though he’s a veteran of the sport, pretty much all of his fights had been in the smaller regional organizations. Those days are over. The world has now witnessed what the hardcore MMA fans have known for years; that Thomas “Wildman” Denny comes to fight. He’s colorful, he’s exciting, and I would imagine a promoter’s dream. “The Wildman” has worked a long time to get to where he is now and the future is looking very bright. Thomas was nice enough to take the time to talk with us at PRO MMA and every one I have talked with says he is always very friendly and cordial to them as well. It’s very refreshing when you find out someone you look up to is actually a cool person. If you don’t know, now ya’ know…Thomas “The Wildman” Denny:
PRO MMA: How’s it going Thomas? I’m honored to get to speak with you and appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. You’ve been in this fight game for a long time. I can’t even imagine all you must have seen and the stories you must have after all these years. Do you remember the first professional fight you had those many years ago and when you walked into the ring; how does it compare to what you experienced this past weekend at Elite XC on CBS when you walked into that ring? THE WILDMAN: Thanks for the kind words but I am nobody thank you for taking time to interview me. To the fight every single one is different and wow this one was completly different I have never been so hated in my whole career.
PRO MMA: Where are you from originally Thomas and what kind of kid were you? What were you into? THE WILDMAN: I was born in Huntington Beacch I had a very poor and miserable childhood so I have blocked a lot of it out but I was always a hyper kid.
PRO MMA: As you got older as a teenager what was Thomas Denny doing and what was life like? THE WILDMAN: It wasnt a teenage life thats for sure I left home and started paying rent at age 14 so I grew up quick you can say. Trying to work have fun and enjoy the little things in life.
PRO MMA: What kind of MMA training have you had over the years who have been some of your inspiration and teachers and where do you currently train? THE WILDMAN: I was like a lot of kids my hero was Bruce Lee. I started boxing then kickboxing then Jiu Jitsu with Joe Moirera and started fighting cause it looked like a great release in life in ValeTudo Pele Landi became a hero of mine.
PRO MMA: Your fight with Nick Diaz was amazing. It reminded me of some of those legendary wars we’ve seen through the years. How do you feel about the fight and how it went? What are your thoughts concerning your performance and Nick’s performance? THE WILDMAN: I fought raw and no holding back and my central nervous system shut down about 4:30 in the 1st I was balls to the walls and forgot it was a 15 min fight. I fought off emotions and not my game plan.
PRO MMA: Would you say that was the biggest fight of your career and if so why? THE WILDMAN: Nick Diaz on CBS self explanatory
PRO MMA: How does Nick Diaz rank compared to everyone else you have fought throughout your career? THE WILDMAN: The toughest. It was just such an emotionally charged fight for me I learned a lot about myself.
PRO MMA: What did you do after the fight Saturday night? Are you doing ok physically? THE WILDMAN: Went and ate some good ass Thai food and chilled with my friends and fam. I had no injuries at all I was just exhausted.
PRO MMA: Where do you go from here Thomas? You have already been in this game for so long, how much longer do you want to keep fighting professionally and do you have any more fights signed with Elite XC as of now? THE WILDMAN: I think the fight showed everyone I belong in there I am a great fighter and I have came a long way I will continue with Elite XC and I signed a 5 fight deal over 2 yrs.
PRO MMA: Where will Thomas Denny be in five years? What will he be doing? THE WILDMAN: Dont know. I am not a whack job fortune teller. I will be in the game but probably a coach instead of a fighter and still loving MMA.
PRO MMA: Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of MMA? What other kinds of activities are you into? THE WILDMAN: Anything Extreme Skydiving, Motocross, Strip Clubs, and when I want to relax a good game of golf.
PRO MMA: Do you have any closing thoughts or words of wisdom you would like to leave us with? Any shout-outs or thank-you’s? THE WILDMAN: Thank you once again for the support. The one thing I will say about Diaz like him or not, he’s real and isn’t two-faced like a lot of others. People should follow that instead of being nice to your face and then talking crap behind your back. Thanks to all the MMA fans that like me or not and continue to help the sport grow. Thanks to mmaagents, Tapout, Jesus didn’t tap, Rockstar, Bloodfist Battlegear, Toe2Toe, and all the Wildman fans and family.
You can check out Thoams “The Wildman” Denny’s website at http://thomasdenny.com
In a message to his fans on a bulletin Thomas "The Wildman" Denny released a statement tipping his hat to Nick Diaz and commented on the 209 Stockton crowd. Denny came into the fight looking to get the best out of Diaz by closing the gap on him to try and avoid his long accurate jab. The gameplan worked for most of the round until Diaz began to land shots inside and get separation from Denny.
"The fight was Krazy I fought way to explosive and emotional. I put everything I had into 4:30 instead of 3x5min rds. I couldn't hear my corner at all it was so loud in there the chants of You Suck and 209 b**ches and your a f***ot was all I could hear.That is the best I have seen Nick fight I take my hat off to him maybe someday we will get to do it again......Thomas"Wildman"Denny"
As we all know Denny was critical of Diaz and has been looking for a chance to prove himself in front of the national CBS audience. Both figthers came into the fight looking to get a step closer to KJ Noon's lightweight title possibly for EliteXC's October card. We will let you know of any news we hear in the upcoming days about possible fights.
FCF Radio features Carlo Prater, Anthony Johnson, Thomas Denny, Jake O'Brien, Reese Andy, and MORE
In this episode, Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and Kelsey Mowatt run down the latest news in mixed martial arts. Then, Canadian wrecking machine Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge stops by to talk about his recent fight in Affliction and his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko. Brazilian Carlo Prater is also on the show to discuss his upcoming fight against Brock Larson in World Extreme Cagefighting.
Check out the interview at http://fcfradio.fcfighter.com/ (copy and paste the link)
I want to give a special thanks to the guys at ProMMA.info. Make sure to check out their website. Keep up the good work!
PRO MMA Exclusive Interview with Brett Rogers
by promma — published on July 28th, 2008
Brett Rogers was in attendance at Unfinished Business on July 26, this time as a spectator. PRO MMA got the opportunity to speak with the Elite XC heavyweight and discussed his future with the organization and the possibility of a Kimbo fight. He also discusses Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and what he thinks about his performance this past weekend. You can view other exclusive footage in our Video Vault (check that out promma.info).
Pro MMA's interview with Bryan Caraway and Meisha Tate
Here’s another PRO MMA exclusive interview, this time with Bryan Caraway and Miesha Tate. Bryan talks about his fight from earlier in the night at Elite XC: Unfinished Business, his contract with Elite XC, and how he got hooked up with MMA agent, Ken Pavia. Miesha talks about what the future may hold for her and how it feels to be in a relationship where both are fighters.
The First Couple of MMA: Bryan Caraway & Miesha Tate
Exclusive: Steve Mazzagatti Apologizes to Anthony Johnson
By Raj Giri - fightline.com
Scott Smith and Robbie Lawler weren't the only ones settling "Unfinished Business" last night at EliteXC: Lawler vs. Smith II. Anthony Johnson ran into Steve Mazzagatti last night for the first time since Johnson's controversial TKO loss to Kevin Burns last Saturday night.
FightLine.com was on hand when Johnson approached Mazzagatti at ringside during last night's event. Mazzagatti and Johnson shook hands and hugged. Mazzagatti apologized to Johnson and noted that it was "a bad call" and Johnson immediately accepted, saying it was all good.
Johnson's eye was inadvertently gouged by an open hand strike from Burns during their fight last week, which resulted in Steve Mazzagatti calling the fight and awarding a TKO victory to Burns. Johnson underwent surgery on his injured retina earlier this week. Johnson's agent Ken Pavia has said that he will be formally appealing the loss.
PRESCOTT VALLEY - The attraction to mixed martial arts for many is, of course, the brutality.
States that sanction MMA regulate it through boxing and athletic commissions to make the sport safe while still violent.
The regulations in Arizona are different than most and this frustrated the fans at times at Saturday night's Rage in the Cage event at Tim's Toyota Center.
The first 14 of the night's 20 fights were amateur fights, meaning they couldn't use closed-fist strikes to the head and had to slap instead.
This drew boos from the crowd as fighters would get in position to do damage, but were unable to capitalize.
Howard James, competing in the second fight of the night and the first of four competitors from Prescott Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/Mixed Martial Arts lost his fight by decision.
James had his opponent mounted - meaning he was on top with total control - in position that usually leads to a lot of damage to the man on the bottom. But he was unable to finish with open-handed strikes.
"I kind of went away from it because I didn't think they would be good enough," James said of striking. "It makes you want to take it down to the ground because you really can't punch."
James lost but still got the cheers from his hometown crowd. He and his fellow fighters struggled at times with the restrictions, but still pushed the pace to keep the fans into it.
James' teammate Danny Hilton, 21 and fighting for the first time, won by a guillotine choke - trapping his opponent in a head lock and wrapping his legs around him - early in the second round.
"It threw my whole game off," Hilton said of the striking rules.
Even though he is inexperienced, he, like the other fighters, is used to training with closed-fists. But while it's frustrating, most of them understand.
"It's probably a good thing I didn't get hit with a fist," Hilton said after his first experience in the cage.
The announcer would say things to the crowd like "do you want to see a knockout?" But it didn't seem likely until the pros came out later in the night.
Then came Prescott's Bill Burke.
The 36-year-old Burke, fighting in his second fight, got a quick takedown in the first.
After he and Richard Cruz got back to their feet, they clinched and Burk picked up Cruz and dropped him with a thunderous slam.
After a couple more slams and escaping a potential choke, he caught Cruz with a right-hand slap that rocked him and sent him to the ground.
He got on top but could not finish the fight with open-handed slaps as the round ended. But between rounds, the referee called the fight, declaring a technical knockout.
"I didn't see it coming," Burke said of how he won. "My wrestling was a little better, I had some good slams there. But I stepped into it, I let it go and it worked out. I got pretty lucky there."
For Burke and his team from Prescott BJJ/MMA, it was their first taste of the Arizona rules, usually fighting in nearby states like New Mexico.
"We had to train more specifically for this event," said Jon Kessler, head instructor and corner man for the Prescott gym. "It's a little hard for the guys who are kickboxers to box with open hands."
By the end of the night as it got into the professional fights with closed-hand strikes, a good number of fans had left, either because of the late hour or the rules, which many were complaining about during the intermissions.
While the fights picked up even more with the pros, the rules came into play again with Prescott fighter Travis Degroat.
Degroat was controlling his fight with Daniel Madrid, repeatedly taking him down and working from the top.
In the second round, he caught a high kick from Madrid, put him down again and started to hit him.
Only open-handed strikes are legal to the head of a downed opponent, even for the pros, and no elbows are legal at any time.
The referee warned Degroat and deducted a point for hitting Madrid with his forearm. In the third round, the same ruling led to a disqualification for Degroat who was obviously upset.
Even Madrid seemed disappointed to win that way and raised Degroat's arm, acknowledging his performance.
"They said I was hitting him with my forearm," Degroat said. "My hand was open. Who gets disqualified from a cage match for playing too rough?"
The rules are going to change to the "Ultimate Fighting Championship rules" on Aug. 1. Rage in the Cage is likely to return to Prescott Valley by the end of the year so while the crowd was into Saturday night's event, the boos could be a bit more scarce next time.
Joe Riggs, an eight-time UFC veteran with a professional record of 39-9, won the main event with a rear-naked choke in the second round - locking his arms around Matt Dempsey's neck from behind and forcing him to tap out.
It was not Riggs' first time fighting under Arizona rules, but the effects were obvious even for him at times, in dominant positions but unable to inflict damage.
But the night still ended with a crowd-pleasing finish rather than a decision. Even the UFC gets booed for lack of action sometimes. But there were plenty of cheers on Saturday as well.
Carl Seumanutafa Makes a Statement in Elite XC Debut
Sherdog.com
Brandon Tarns (Pictures) vs. Drew Montgomery (Pictures) Round 1 Tarns attempts a superman punch into the clinch. Montgomery reacts with a solid knee to Tarn's body before he's violently taken down. Tarn wades in guard, then flies in with a punch “Shogun” Rua-style. Tarns lands sporadic head shots, but switches to Montgomery's body and begins to chip away. Montgomery escapes to his feet when Tarns re-sets, and Montgomery attacks, landing wild hooks and uppercuts. Tarns dives for Montgomery's legs and salvation. Tarns can-open's Montgomery to break his guard and lands a couple more shots at the bell. 10-9 Tarns.
Round 2 Tarns shoots and Montgomery sprawls, but Tarns completes the takedown into guard. Tarns is landing elbows and opens a cut over Montgomery's left eye. Montgomery locks up Tarns' arms to stay alive. Referee Herb Dean stands the pair for inactivity. Montgomery takes advantage, lunging in with connecting shots, before Tarns gets it to the ground again. Montgomery gets to his feet once more, but time runs out before he can get anything going. Tarns 10-9.
Round 3 Tarns shoots for a single-leg and is in Montgomery's guard once again. The crowd is unimpressed with the show and it’s re-stood. Montgomery nails another punch and Tarns again goes for the takedown. But this time Montgomery reverses once its hits the canvas and lands in mount. Montgomery is teeing off and Tarns turtles. Montgomery tries to hook into Tarns' back, but loses position and Tarns settles back into Montgomery's guard. Referee Dean stops the action to check Montgomery's profusely bleeding cut. It's re-started on the mat. Montgomery is red from his head to midsection, with Tarns trying to work through the blood. Tarns is also bleeding form a cut on his scalp, which referee Dean also stops to check. Doctors recommend the bout be stopped. Montgomery def. Tarns -- TKO (Doctor's Stoppage- Cut) 4:22 R3
Mike Cook (Pictures) vs. Carl Seumanutafa Round 1 Cook with two outside kicks before Seumanutafa dumps Cook to the mat. Cook reverses into mount, but Seumanutafa wrangles Cook into his guard. The pair get to their feet, Seumanutafa is bear hugging Cook from behind. In the scramble to the ground, Cook is knocked unconscious with a slam. Seumanutafa follows up with hammer fists that are not needed. It's over at 1:21.
Wilson Reis (Pictures) vs. Bryan Caraway (Pictures) Round 1 Caraway connects with a body shot. They pace around, till Reis finds a leg and snaps a quick takedown. Reis is tight in Caraway's guard, then passes to half guard. Reis moves easily to mount, then opts for side control. Caraway briefly takes back guard, but Reis is constantly in motion to get to half. Caraway backdoors out and they're up. Caraway lands a one-two hook combo, but Reis is circling away. Reis ducks under a hook and gets the takedown again, passing to half guard immediately. Reis is in top mount again and lands one punch before Caraway gives his back. Reis loses his hooks as Caraway fights to his feet. Again, Caraway has to fight off a takedown but is unsuccessful. An active round for both, with Reis scoring a 10-9 for cage control.
Round 2 Reis with a quick takedown to half-guard, but Caraway is wising up and gets to his feet fast. Caraway lands a big knee as Reis dives for another takedown and Carway gets into top position, while Reis fends off punches and goes for a leglock. They spill to the mat and Reis takes Caraway's guard again. Caraway is looking for the triangle choke, but Reis is not threatened. Again, Caraway fights to his feet, and Reis is again at his leg, stalled at the fence. Caraway wrangles Reis to the mat and has top position for the first time all night. Reis reverses though and floats from half guard to side control. Reis takes Caraway's back just as he rises, and tries to land a flying knee just at the bell. Reis 10-9.
Round 3 Caraway corners Reis on fence and keeps him at bay with a couple of knees, before Reis again finds a takedown. Reis is busy hunting for position, landing a sporadic shot here and there. From half guard, Reis gets mount, but Caraway reverses and throws a sharp elbow. Reis again reverses into guard, but Caraway wants it back on its feet. Reis is happy on the canvas though, and that's where it goes. Caraway manages to his feet one more time, but is quickly dumped again. Sherdog.com scores it 30-27 in favor of Reis. All three judges concur with Sherdog.com.
Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (Pictures) vs. Travis Galbraith (Pictures) Round 1 Calvacante throws a punch to get the clinch and Galbraith pushes him to the fence. They trade knees and Galbraith lands an elbow as they separate. The pair intertwine again and Galbraith works for a trip, but Calvacante reverses the attempt and Galbraith is on his back. They're up again in close quarters and Calvacante lands a vicious hook, then a series of knees that finally drops the Canadian. Referee Josh Rosenthal steps in to stop the action 3:01 in.
Antonio Silva (Pictures) vs. Justin Eilers (Pictures) Round 1 They circle, Eilers answering with a punch to Silva's outside kick. A minute and a half in and no man has claimed the cage. Eilers lands a nice jab. Silva goes for the double-leg and gets it. Eilers turtles and the Brazilian giant is all over him. Silva throws a punch and is penalized a point for striking to the back of the head. They begin again and Eilers lands square on Silva's chin, but slips in the exchange and falls. Eilers turtles, but manages to his feet again, shaking it off. A clinch on the fence and Silva has double underhooks. Eilers wiggles out, but pays with punches. They move out to center and tag each other well. Eilers is holding his own in the standup, but is overwhelmed by Silva's sheer size each time it hits the canvas. Sherdog.com scores the round 9-9.
Round 2 Silva attacks with his first one-two and Eilers' mouthpiece goes flying. Silva lunges forward with knees and more punches, and Eilers turns, then crumbles on the cage. Referee Herb Dean lets it go a few seconds more just to give Eilers the shadow of a doubt, but this one is all over. Silva is the new EliteXC heavyweight champion 19 seconds into the second round.
Shayna Baszler (Pictures) vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (Pictures) Round 1 “Cyborg” comes out banging with kicks, knees and punches. Baszler gets a trip takedown and goes to a kneebar. She transitions to a toe hold, but Santos escapes to her feet. Cyborg stands over her opponent throwing left handed power shots. The Brazilian enters Baszler’s guard and attacks the face with short hammer fists. The three-minute round ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Cyborg
Round 2 Cyborg against starts a round strong as she attacks with straight punches from both hands. Santos tees off with a right straight and a knee to the head. Baszler, who is gassed out and breathing with her mouth open, is trapped against the fence and eating leather. Cyborg throws continuous left and right straights until Baszler collapses to the canvas. Cyborg thinks the fight is over as she runs and jumps on top of the cage, celebrating with both hands raised. Referee Steve Mazzagatti struggles with the language barrier but eventually Santos comes down from the cage and restarts the one-sided brawl. Santos jumps right in with punches straight down the pipe. Baszler falls face first at 2:48 of the second frame. Impressive performance from Cyborg.
Jake Shields (Pictures) vs. Nick Thompson (Pictures) Round 1 Shields throws a stiff body kick and gets a fast takedown. Shields wastes little time in advancing to mount. Thompson uses his legs to almost get to half-guard, but Shields drops his base and remains in the dominant position. The Cesar Gracie-trained fighter locks on a one-armed guillotine that turns Thompson’s head bright red. Thompson taps out shortly after at the 1:03 mark of the opening frame.
Nick Diaz (Pictures) vs. Thomas Denny (Pictures) Round 1 The Stockton crowd gives the hometown boy Nick Diaz a warm welcome. Denny and Diaz start with straight punches from the inside. Both fighters land but nothing connects solid. The fighters clinch and Diaz goes to a standing Kimura. Denny escapes the position and an armbar transition on the ground. Denny hits the head with his right hand before standing to his feet. Punches from Denny find their target. Diaz answers and backs his opponent up with a jab followed by a right straight, left hook combination. From the clinch, Denny roughs Diaz up with uppercuts. Diaz again answers the assault and hurts Denny with a straight left. Denny falls backwards but stands to eat another left. The last 30 seconds of the round is spent in the center of the cage with Diaz blasting away on the fatigued Denny with a constant flurry.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Diaz Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Diaz
Round 2 Both fighters come out guns blazing to kickoff the second stanza. Denny is throwing back but getting hit on the button. Diaz is swinging with both hands down, not worried about getting hit. A right hook sets up the beginning of the end. Diaz tags Denny with two left hooks and a right that knock Denny to the floor. The Stockton native stood over his prey and delivered three right-handed power shots to seal the deal. Referee Josh Rosenthal steps in at 0:30 of the second.
Robbie Lawler (Pictures) vs. Scott Smith (Pictures) Round 1 Smith targets Lawler’s lead leg with a low kick. Lawler goes high with a kick of his own, but it is easily blocked. Smith rushes forward with short punches and finishes the combination with a kick aimed to the head. Both fighters are content to kick out of range in a slow start to the first period. Lawler pushes Smith to the fencing and lands an elbow on the break. The final minute of the round sees more action as both fighters connect with hard punches. Smith is bleeding on the bridge of his nose and Lawler had to shake off a right hand.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 for Smith Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 for Smith
Round 2 A war ensues in the second, Smith cuts Lawler on top of the head with a standing elbow and the trade fest is on. Both fighters landing power shots. The cut on Lawler’s head is pouring crimson fluid. From a Thai clinch against the fencing, Lawler lands three hard knees to the body that drop Smith to the canvas. Lawler kicks the body twice and punches the head, forcing referee Herb Dean to save the fallen fighter at 2:35 of round two.
David Douglas (Pictures) vs. Marlon Matias (Pictures) Round 1 Matias starts strong, backing Douglas up across the canvas. The tables turn in the flash on an eye though, as Douglas begins to fire back wild shots that ground Matias and knock him unconscious. It's a TKO only 12 seconds in.
Jeremy Freitag (Pictures) vs. Anthony Ruiz (Pictures) Round 1 Both men size each other up, but quickly plunge into a feverish trade. They clinch, and Ruiz thwarts a takedown, Freitag as a single hook in, and knees Ruiz's body. In a lull, referee Steve Mazzagatti re-starts the fighters, and they swiftly end up along the fence again. Freitag is given a moment for an unintentional low blow and the fight resumes. When Ruiz lunges forward with a strike, Freitag takes his back standing, then wrestles Ruiz down. Freitag takes a turtled Ruiz's back, but with one hook in, his position dissolves. Freitag attempts a standing guillotine as they rise to no avail. 10-9 Freitag.
Round 2 Ruiz lands a series of wild punches along the fence, but Freitag circles out. Freitag can't resist the takedown though, but later reverses to mount, then takes Ruiz's back. Ruiz fends off the choke and maneuvers into Freitag's guard. Ruiz causes little damage till the bell. Ruiz 10-9.
Round 3 Ruiz shoots and gets the takedown. Freitag circles his hips, but the armbar slips through his fingers and Freitag is left in a precarious North-South position. Freitag works his way out of danger the pair stand, but the bout is again stopped by a low blow from Ruiz. A re-start and Ruiz secures a takedown, attempting to break Freitag with punches from half guard. Freitag again finds the armbar setup, but can't execute. Ruiz lands his cleanest shots at the bell. Ruiz 10-9. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Anthony Ruiz.
By URDirt The Narcisist on 1:19 PM - urdirt.blogspot.com
A few weeks back we came across an interview that said Martin Kampmann's knee had been injured and he would be out until 2009 at the very least. The report turned out to be bogus as we finally got a hold of Martin and he told us. So we are glad to clear up the situation and inform our fans.
"Ok, no problem I'm not reinjured. I'm training and I can fight as well. No problem. But I have had minor issue with my meniscus for a longer period of time and eventually it will require a smaller surgery. I have not decided whether to get a fight first and get it done after that. Depends on the possible fights. Nothing planned so far. Coming back to USA real soon."
We also got a chance to get a interview with the rising UFC Middleweight who has won 9 fights in a row now and asked him a few questions so we can share with you.
How do you feel coming off of such a long layoff and winning in such convincing fashion at UFC 85 over Jorge Rivera?
I feel very good about that. It's always nice to win, but especially after such a long time not fighting. I was very happy about that win.
You have won 9 fights in a row 17 of 19 overall, how close do you feel you are to a title shot or a step up in competition?
Actually my pro record is 13-1. Sherdog has got it mixed up with some of my amateur fights. More accurate you can find on shootersmma. com or fc fighters database. A title shot is no rush, as long as I win all my fights I'm happy. Eventually I would love to get a title shot though.
Who would be your ideal opponent to fight right now?
I couldn't say, there's so many good fighters at 185, anyone in the UFC is tough. Right now I'm focusing on 185, but that sounds like a good fight and a good opportunity so of course I would consider. :)
What did you think of Anderson Silva's performance at Ultimate Fight Night?
I think he looked great. He's one of my favorite fighters to watch, and he's the champ for a reason.
You currently train out of Xtreme Couture a camp that has some of the best MMA talent in the world. How much has training there improved you and your skills?
I feel I learn something new everyday, there's a lot of people to work with and a lot of people to learn from. It's a pleasure being part of the team.
You come from Denmark what is the perception of mixed martial arts in your home country? Is it well known? Do you get noticed often in the streets?
Very few people in Denmark know much about MMA. It's getting better and we're having small events. But compared to the US it's still a very new sport, and it doesn't get much media attention.
Where do you see yourself as a fighter 5 years from now?
If all goes well at that time I'll be the champ. :)
Do you have anything to say to your fans?
Thanks to everyone supporting me, and thanks to all the fans supporting our sport! Thanks a lot for this interview Martin I really appreciate it.
Kobold-Carano Possible Matchup for October, Kampmann's Injury Status Unclear
by Mike Sloan (msloan@sherdog.com) - Sherdog.com
Gina Carano (Pictures) is expected to return to the EliteXC cage at the promotion’s Oct. 4 show, likely to be televised on CBS, her management has confirmed with Sherdog.com. Though no opponent has been named, Bodog Fight veteran Kelly Kobald (Pictures) is believed to be the leading candidate.
The unbeaten Carano (6-0) last fought as part of EliteXC’s CBS debut on May 31. She won by TKO against the tough Kaitlin Young (Pictures) when ringside doctors deemed Young’s left eye was too swollen for her to continue. Carano missed weight by several pounds and said she would gladly give Young a rematch. She has also called out fellow female terror Tara Larosa (Pictures), who recently signed with the American Fight League. Carano informed Sherdog.com by text message that she has “been traveling a lot” and expects to be back in the gym in a week or two.
Based at the same Minnesota Martial Arts Academy at which Young trains, Kobald (16-2-1) kicked off her professional career with a 17-match unbeaten streak but has lost back-to-back fights to Larosa and Julie Kedzie (Pictures).
The Pit eyes Las Vegas location
Southern California houses many famed fighting academies, including The Pit. Home to such strikers as Scott Lighty (Pictures) and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell (Pictures), The Pit, a state-of-the-art MMA school, has long been considered one of the country’s premiere fight schools.
According to founder John Hackleman, The Pit will soon branch out and open a new facility somewhere in the heart of Las Vegas. Hackleman was in Las Vegas on Sunday, scouting various locations, but “The Pit Master” has not zeroed in on a spot just yet. He said he has his sights set on an area on or near the busy intersection of Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard in Las Vegas. A site just off the Strip, possibly near the industrial district near Sunset Boulevard in Las Vegas, and a location in Henderson, Nev. -- the city directly to the southeast of Las Vegas -- are also being considered.
Hackleman hopes to break ground on The Pit in Las Vegas sometime in the next three months and has designs on opening two facilities in Sin City, one for professional, hardcore fighters, the other for beginners, kids and families.
Kampmann not as injured as reported, or is he?
It was reported in last week’s “Sin City Sentinel” that UFC middleweight contender Martin Kampmann (Pictures) was set to undergo routine arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a lingering injury and would be out of commission until at least October. However, according to both Kampmann, and his manager, Ken Pavia, that might not be the route the Dane takes.
“I’m not injured or nothing,” Kampmann told Sherdog.com through his MySpace account. “I can train and fight, too. I have a minor problem with my meniscus that needs to get taken care of eventually -- maybe now or maybe after one more fight. It’s a minor thing but will still require some weeks off once I choose to get the surgery. So far, I’m undecided as to when to get it, but if I fight first, I will still kick ass, no problem.”
It remains unclear whether or not the popular Danish middleweight will move forward with the procedure. Luckily for Kampmann and his fans, the injury is not as serious as first thought. A decision will likely be made in the next few weeks.
The 26-year-old Kampmann returned from a year-long absence from competition and submitted Jorge Rivera (Pictures) with a first-round guillotine choke last month at UFC 85 in London. He has won nine fights in a row and is the only man to hold a victory over Brazilian Thales Leites (Pictures).
Quick Hits
• Xtreme Couture’s Gray Maynard (Pictures), still rehabbing a right wrist injury, told Sherdog.com via text message that he will likely fight at UFC 90 on Oct. 25 in Rosemont, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago. Maynard admitted a few names have been thrown around as possible opponents but stopped shy of commenting on who his next foe might be.
• Las Vegas fight fans have another Saturday filled with fistic action ahead, as there are three events from which to choose this weekend. A major boxing event featuring Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito has grabbed all the headlines, but for those who prefer to avoid the sweet science, Dennis Warner and In Sync Productions will deliver another stellar night of professional muay Thai at the Las Vegas Hilton. In addition, muay Thai instructor Master Toddy will host an amateur smoker at his training center in the afternoon.
• Kit Cope (Pictures), the popular former muay Thai champion who has crossed over into MMA, told Sherdog.com that he expects to return to action sometime in August, though nothing has been finalized. Recovered from reconstructive knee surgery and separated ribs, Cope last fought on May 30 when he submitted Dave Lehr Cochran (Pictures) with a triangle choke at a World Fighting Championships event in New Jersey. The organization for which Cope will compete next remains unclear.
'Wildman' is preparing for the biggest fight of his life
Posted by Robert Rousseau - MMAfighting.com
When Thomas “Wildman” Denny takes on Nick Diaz at the second CBS- EliteXC Saturday Night of Fights set to take place on July 26th, there is likely to be a lot of emotion in the ring. First off, anyone with a nickname like Wildman—and keep in mind that Denny’s nickname is deserved as it relates to fighting—no doubt fights with a lot of fervor anyway; and of course, Nick Diaz has never been one to come into the ring with a stoic expression and a ho-hum attitude. Second, Denny has been outspoken in regard to Diaz’s inability to make weight in his last fight against Muhsin Corbbrey, citing, “if you sign a contract that says you're going to weigh 160, you should come in at 160, not 169 (the weight that Diaz came in at). So, I don't know, I just think it's unprofessional.” Thus, Diaz probably isn’t thrilled with his opponent to begin with.
And finally, the stakes couldn’t be much higher. For Diaz, a victory would likely allow him another chance at current EliteXC Lightweight Champion K.J. Noons, a fighter that was winning the stand up battle against him rather decisively when a cut forced the referee to stop the fight in Noons’ favor. Further, this fight will take place in Diaz’s hometown, adding even more pressure to the mix.
But for Denny this fight may represent something even bigger. Nick Diaz has been in several huge fights on large organization stages against the likes of Noons, Takanori Gomi, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, and Robbie Lawler before, so the magnitude of it all is nothing new. Denny, despite a strong 26-16 overall MMA record with seven (T)KO’s and 14 submission victories to his credit, has fought Yves Edwards (WCNHBC), Duane Ludwig (Shogun- 1), and Georges St. Pierre (UCC 12), but has never done so on a large market stage. What’s more, he caught all of those fighters rather early in their careers.
“Obviously it's the biggest stage I've been on,” said Denny. “I've been fighting in this game for nine years, busting my hump, raising a family and having a gym and everything else that I do. This is just a real huge opportunity. I'm glad to be a part of it. It's been a long time coming.”
Denny is known for a fast paced, aggressive style that often bears fruit (he’s stopped 21 opponents) and sometimes goes the other way (he’s been stopped seven times himself). But it may be that kind of inner toughness; that desire to put on a show and come after an opponent regardless of the consequences that could carry him to a strong showing with the pressure on.
“I've been training my butt off. I'm going to go out and bring it. I am going to set a high pace.” And as for the pressure of this being the biggest fight of his career, Denny seems un-phased. In fact, he believes that Diaz fighting in front of his hometown may work against his opponent pressure- wise.
“Obviously he's going to feel a little more pressure than I am, because that's all his friends and fans. They all hate me as it is. So do I have pressure? Not really. I think if you look at it, he's going to be the one dealing with a little more adversity than I am. I'm expecting them to throw bottles at me, cuss at me, flip me off, everything else. If he goes out there and loses in front of his hometown, he's the one that's going to be shunned upon. I feel he has more pressure than I do.”
Even with that, Denny knows that he’s about to take on a formidable and tough opponent. “The guy, he takes a beating, you know what I mean? He’s a real durable guy. He doesn’t care if he’s bleeding and bloody and swollen, he just keeps coming. I think it's going to make for a really good fight.”
In the end, these two were supposed to fight several times but something always seemed to get in the way. Now, finally, it’s going to take place on July 26th. In the biggest fight of Denny’s career, he certainly realizes the stakes, believing that win over Diaz, “shoots me to the top, man and hopefully sets me up for a fight against KJ or Yves (Edwards). I would love to fight KJ for the belt. That's a lot to ask for. But, hopefully, I go out and shine like I feel like I should and maybe I'll get recognized enough to get the title shot.”
Talk about a big fight for Thomas Denny. We’re all finally going to get to see him fight on the stage that he always wanted to be on.
Phil Baroni Scheduled for Icon Sport Card on Aug. 2nd
By: Sam Caplan - fiveouncesofpain.com
“The New York Badass” Phil Baroni is slated to return to the ring for ICON Sport promotion on Aug. 2 when he competes during the promotion’s “Hard Times” card in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Blaisdell Arena.
Baroni will be fighting Ron Verdadero on the card in a 175 pound bout. For Baroni, it will be a quick turnaround, as he fought on July 12 in England at Cage Rage 27. Making his debut at welterweight, Baroni needed just 3:18 into round 1 to knockout Scott Jansen.
ICON, which is a subsidiary of ProElite, Inc., will also be promoting featured fights between Bao Quach and Mark Oshiro for the North American 140 pound title as well as ICON Sport middleweight champion Kala Kolohe vs. Rolando Dominique in a non-title fight contested at 180 pounds.
For Hose, this will be the second consecutive non-title fight he’s been involved in. He won the then-vacant title from Baroni in March via fifth round TKO, but then lost his next fight on June 14 against Bubba McDaniel in a non-televised bout during EliteXC’s “Return of the King” event. Kolohe was submitted just 0:41 into round 1 during the non-title affair.
The 140 pound title fight between Quach and Oshiro is extremely intriguing. The winner of the bout could find themselves on a collision course against the winner of Saturday’s 140 pound fight between Wilson Reis and Brian Caraway that is scheduled to air on SHOWTIME an hour before Saturday Night Fights airs on CBS.
As of now, a national television partner has not been announced.
Jul 22, 2008 6:08 PM John Chandler - www.MMAonTap.com
Fresh off his successful welterweight debut earlier this month, Phil Baroni will attempt to stay undefeated in his new weight class when he faces former World Extreme Cagefighting mainstay Olaf Alfonso at the Palace Fighting Championship’s scheduled “Explosive” event on September 26th.
MMA on Tap confirmed the main event matchup with PFC promoter Christian Printup over the weekend. The card will also feature a number of notable fighters in action including WEC veterans Antonio Banuelos and Charlie Valencia as well as a PFC welterweight title fight between Bryan Travers and Morris Aldaco.
Baroni dropped down to welterweight for the first time in his career just two weeks ago and knocked out scrappy England native Scott Jansen in the first round of their fight at Cage Rage’s recent ““Step Up” show at the Wembley Arena in London. Prior to his bout against Alfonso, Baroni is scheduled to take on Ron Verdadero at ICON Sport’s “Hard Times” event on August 2nd.
Alfonso snapped a dreadful six-fight losing streak with a surprising knockout of lightweight prospect Casey Olson at a PFC boxing/MMA card in February. He followed up with a quick stopage of Chris Solomon in less than 30 seconds at another PFC show in May. Regardless of the outcome of his fight against Baroni, PFC officials intend on offering Alfonso a shot at the promotion’s lightweight title later this year.
The Razor’s Edge: Rob McCullough’s MMA Blog (July 22)
July 22nd, 2008, 5:24 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Carlos Arias
BLOG NO. 3
I’m starting to realize my life just isn’t as normal as I thought it was.
Maybe, because I have to sit here and write down everything it makes me think about it all.
I mean, this week my boy (Quinton) “Rampage” (Jackson) had some issues. I’m still trying to deal with the loss of a baby and now my girlfriend and I have to keep it all together to train for my upcoming fight.
Life is weird. It really is what you make it though.
I’ve been training hard for my upcoming fight Sept. 10. My buddy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, and his boy, Ryo Chonan, came in this week to train with us at H.B. Ultimate Training Center. It was a good mix of high-level fighters to train with.
One of my training partners, Zach Lyte, who is one of Rampage’s coaches, is preparing for his fight so he has been staying at my pad and we’ve been doing two-a-day training sessions, which includes a 3-mile jog at 10 a.m. Then we do stretching and Jiu-Jitsu, lunch, weightlifting and then relax until we go back at 6 p.m. to do either MMA sparring or mit work, Thai pads or focus mitts. He has been a great motivater and has really helped to get my mind off of everything else but training.
We went to the Affliction fights on Saturday night at the Honda Center. With a packed arena, the fights kind of just went by fairly quick with a pretty desecent card. I thought Fedor (Emelianenko) smashing Tim Sylivia in 36 seconds of the first round was the most exciting of the fights.Well, back to the gym for me and then getting RAZORCLOTHING gear all shipped out. Until next week.
-Razor Rob
Check out Razor Rob’s clothing line at razorclothing.tv and check out his gym at hbutc.com.
LEMOORE, CA. — A Palace Fighting Championship title belt did not change hands during the PFC 9 mixed martial arts show Friday night at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.
But Isaiah Larson felt like that would have happened if a freak event had not halted his PFC light heavyweight title match vs. champion Jorge Oliveira.
The scheduled five-round bout was declared a no contest after Oliveira suffered a rib injury early in the third round.
"My game plan was working very well,'' Larson said. "I was doing everything I wanted to do.''
What Larson (6-1) wanted to do early in the third round was score a takedown against the ropes. But when he lifted Oliveira, the latter slipped through the ropes and both fighters fell on to a rail outside the ring. Larson landed on top of Oliveira, who took several minutes to regain his feet and then declared he could not continue.
Since the bout did not go three full rounds — the number needed to render a technical decision via the scorecards — Oliveira (6-2-1) retained his title via the no contest. The bout officially ended at 0:36 of the third.
"Isaiah Larson and Jorge Oiveira will rematch in November at PFC 11. Jorge was legitimately injured during their spill out of the ring. You never want to see something like that in a championship bout, one that was shaping up to be a great fight but it can happens," PFC President Christian Printup said. "Isaiah Larson is a tough dude, we knew that coming in. He wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to challenge for the title if he wasn't championship material. In November, they can finish their business."
Larson, a St. Paul, Minn. fighter, wasn't sure the fight-ending incident was purely an accident.
"I felt like he was giving in, like he was trying to get out of the ring to avoid a takedown,'' Larson said.
Larson gave up four inches in height to the sleek Brazilian, but he was surprisingly effective trading blows at long range and more than held his own on the ground with Oliveira — a Muay Thai/Jiu Jitsu specialist.
"I know people thought I was some patsy from Minnesota, but I'm nobody's patsy,'' said Larson, who controlled part of the first round, most of the second, and the early seconds of the third.
Oliveira apologized to the fans over the public address system for not being able to continue, and said he had been prepared to go the five-round distance.
"I was just getting warmed up,'' Oliveira said. "There were still two more rounds to go.''
That’s the word according to this post on the Underground Forum.
If you are not familiar with the situation. Anthony Johnson fought Kevin Burns at the Ultimate Fight Night event this past Saturday night. The fight was competitive with Johnson more than likely leading on the scorecards. However, several times during the fight…Burns poked Johnson in the eye’s as he was attempting to throw punches. In the 3rd and final round…Burns poked Johnson in the eye again with a jab and then followed with an uppercut that barely glanced Johnson if it connected at all. Johnson immediately went down and screamed that he was poked in the eye to the referee. However, the ref stopped the fight and awarded the TKO win to Burns.
Even Burns admitted that he poked Johnson in the eye…and gave explanation as to why it kept happening over and over. To Johnson’s credit he gave Burns his due as a tough fighter and didn’t complain about the decision. However, it looks as if Johnson’s agent…Ken Pavia is looking appeal the decision. In my opinion, the fight should have ended in a no contest…or a DQ win for Johnson. I suppose we’ll have to wait until the final verdict is given on the appeal.
Interview with EliteXC Fighter Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway
By: dwizzlesworld.blogspot.com
Here is D Wizzle's interview with MMA fighter Bryan "KidLightning" Caraway. Caraway is a featherweight fighter from the state of Washington. He has a 10-2 professional record and is coming off a big win against Alvin Cacdac at the last Strikeforce show in June. Nine of his wins have been by submission.
This interview was done before it was announced that Caraway's next fight would be against the highly touted Wilson Reis at EliteXC's next big show on July 26 in Stockton, California.
Hey Bryan, how's it going? Congratulations on your win at Strikeforce!
Thanks! I was stoked to be fighting for Strikeforce.
Your style of fighting was listed as "Cowboy Karate" at Strikeforce. Can you give me a definition of that?
Yea, we are from the Northwest so we're a bunch of tough country dudes with technique! It's really just supposed to be funny and it keeps everyone guessing.
You looked really good against Alvin Cacdac. You were on him from the start and eventually forced him to tap from the rear naked choke. Did you expect to have such an easy fight?
I never expect to have an easy fight but I trained really hard for it, and I knew he was a stand-up guy so I figured he couldn't hang with me on the ground. It actually went EXACTLY how we planned it.
Your girlfriend Miesha Tate fought on the card and won also. Is that the first time you guys were on the same card together?
Yea, it was pretty cool!
Were you more nervous about your fight or her fight?
A different kind of nervous for her. I always throw up before my fights because I'm so competitive, and I hate losing more than anything. But for her, I'm worried about her getting hurt or jacked up!!
The crowd booed when you won since Cacdac was from San Jose. How did it feel to win against the hometown fighter with the crowd booing you?
Well, winning always feels awesome, but that adds a little zing to it! (laughs)
Do you have a nickname?
Yea, it was "The Kid" for a long time because I started fighting when I was only 19 so Dennis Hallman nicknamed me "The Kid" but everybody I trained with said I'm lightning fast so now its "KidLightning."
How is the MMA scene in Washington?
The amatuer MMA scene has blown up huge and the pro scene is growing as well with Strike Force coming here. As far as the Northwest, MMA is huge in general and I believe we produce the toughest fighters around.
Where do you train at and who are some of your trainers and training partners?
Well I trained at Yakima MMA with Rich Guerin while I was in college for about three years so he was really influential in who I am today as a fighter. I originally started with Hallman for a little while, and then he introduced me to Rich because he was a lot closer to where i went to school. But now, I moved back over to the Olympia area a few months ago and I'm training with Dennis Hallman again. I have some good training partners like Eddy Ellis, Matt Lininger, Wesley Welch, Cory Devela, and just recently Mike Joy. I also go and train with Lyle Beerbohm, Sterling Ford, and Cody McKenzie. We make trip up to Ivan Salaverry's gym, and drive down to Team Quest a lot and I train with some real tough guys there like Matt Lindland, Chael Sonnen, Ryan Shultz, Ian Loveland, Zack George, Dave Jansen, Nathan Coy, and Ed Herman. All the Quest guys are cool.
Of all your wins so far in your career, which one was the most satisfying?
Uh, I don't know... probably the Strikeforce show is up there when I dominated Noah Thomas. Noah was supposed to fight Josh Thomson, but Josh got cut so they called me up on short notice, and I was supposed to get beat up but it was totally the opposite. He then got on TUF 5 so that makes it even better that i beat him.
Are there any opponents that you would like to fight next?
I just wanna fight who ever is gonna get me to that next level and noticed that much more!
What part of your game do you think you need to work on the most?
I like to think I'm pretty well rounded but probably if I had to pick, it would be stand-up.
How is your stand-up?
My stand-up's actually pretty slick so I'm told, but being a wrestler forever, I'm more comfortable on the ground. I just need to get more confidence in my skill on my feet.
Thanks a lot for your time Bryan. Congrats on the win again and I hope to see you fight again soon. Do you have any final words for the fans out there?
Just watch out for me! I'm gonna be coming up for sure. I live, eat, and sleep fighting. Training is all I do. I'm focusing my whole life on fighting so you better believe I'm gonna be the champ!! Thanks for the interview! Stay up.
Former Rage in the Cage heavyweight and middleweight title holder Joe “Diesel” Riggs will make his return to the promotion next month, headlining a scheduled event on August 26th at the Toyota Center in Prescott, Arizona.
Riggs replaced fellow longtime veteran Edwin Dewees, who was slated to fight in the night’s main event, but was granted contractual relief by the organization to challenge former PRIDE standout Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at this weekend’s Affliction: Banned event. Riggs will take on Matt Dempsey, who has not fought professional since March of 2005 when he submitted Troy King at a Courage Fighting Championships event.
Meanwhile Riggs was recently slated to take on rising welterweight prospect Luke Stewart at Strikeforce’s “Melendez vs. Thomson” event last month but was denied licensure by the California State Athletic Comission after disclosing his recent use of prescription drugs to state officials, of which Riggs was previously addicted to earlier in his career. He has not fought since injuring his back against Cory Devela in February.
The show’s co-main event will pit Lyle Steffens against Sal Azuela in a RITC light heavyweight title eliminator. The winner of the bout is expected to take on reigning champion Matt Lucas at a yet-to-be-announced event before the end of the year.
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 20, 2008 at 12:00 am ET
UFC Fight Night 14's main event offered little surprise as UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva successfully made his light-heavyweight debut with a quick first-round knockout of veteran fighter James Irvin.
The bout capped off Saturday's UFC Fight Night 14 event at The Palms Las Vegas, which aired live on Spike TV.
The event, a late booking put together to counter Saturday's debut event for Affliction Entertainment, concluded in predictable fashion as Silva, largely considered the world's top pound-for-pound fighter, easily disposed of Irvin in just 61 seconds.
Silva, who's stormed the UFC's middleweight division since taking the title from Rich Franklin in 2006, struck early and often. He ultimately checked a body kick and popped Irvin with a straightright. The blow forced Irvin to the mat, and after a barrage of follow-up punches from Silva, the bout was halted.
Silva, who will likely return to the middleweight division after tonight's victory, has been on the hunt for a challenge. After a proposed boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. was vetoed, Silva instead got the opportunity to move up a weight class.
But there was no challenge. The world's top fighter looked very much like it as he secured his eighth consecutive victory -- all via stoppage.
Many have long clamored for Brandon Vera's light-heavyweight debut, and though the move was met with victory over little-known UFC newcomer Andy Reese, there was only marginal success.
Vera looked flat, somewhat slow and was all but void of the explosiveness that carried him close to the top of the UFC's heavyweight division. The fight was booed for nearly the full 15 minutes as both Vera and Reese were slow to engage. The bout repeatedly stalled against the cage, and the pace only worsened as the fight wore on.
Vera did enough to earn the unanimous-decision victory (30-27, 29-28, 30-27), but he fell far short of making a splash in an already stacked division.
Rebounding from his first professional loss, Frankie Edgar picked up a unanimous-decision victory over former top contender Hermes Franca.
Franca, fighting for the first time since a failed drug test after a title loss to then-champ Sean Sherk last summer, looked flat in his comeback fight and was repeatedly taken down with ease.
Edgar, who suffered a loss to Gray Maynard earlier this year, rolled through submission attempts and connected on numerous punches that had Franca's face bruised and swollen. The victory was lopsided, but Franca forced it to a decision.
Edgar won it with 30-27 scores on all three judges' cards.
Highly touted heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez once again met grand expectations with a quick and dominant win over Jake O'Brien, a recently undefeated fighter now stuck in a two-fight losing streak.
After reversing his opponent's takedown attempt, Velasquez smoothly transitioned O'Brien into the crucifix position and rained down an all-too-long onslaught of punches. O'Brien looked as though he was knocked in and out of consciousness on multiple occassions until the stoppage mercifully came at 2:02 of the first round.
An entertaining bout between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns ended in controversial fashion after what appeared to be an accidental eye poke. After out-slugging Burns through the first two rounds, Johnson was forced to turtle up when he was blinded by a grazing left hook that caught his eye.
After some initial confusion, Burns was ultimately declared the winner via TKO stoppage at 3:35 of the third round. Referee Steve Mazzagatti's decision didn't go over well with a less-than-pleased crowd.
Humble in defeat, Johnson urged the crowd not too boo Burns, who's now 2-0 in the UFC after upsets of Roan Carneiro and Johnson.
Since disappointing back-to-back losses to eventual show winner Amir Sadollah, "The Ultimate Fighter 7" runner-up C.B. Dollaway secured a crafty submission victory with a win over Jesse Taylor.
After a few solid reversals, Dollaway took advantage of Taylor's four-point position to force the tap-out from a rare Peruvian necktie. The choke forced a stoppage at 3:57 of the first round.
Preliminary card
Tim Credeur def. Cale Yarbrough via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 1:54 Rory Markham def. Brodie Farber via KO (head kick) -- Round 1, 1:37 Nate Loughran def. Johnny Rees via submission (triangle choke) -- Round 1, 4:22 Shannon Gugerty def. Dale Hartt via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 1, 3:33 Brad Blackburn def. James Gaboo via TKO (strikes) -- Round 2, 2:29
I still have not seen UFC Fight Night 14 in its entirety, however, I’ve been able to view a good chunk of it. The biggest storylines of the night were obviously Anderson Silva’s dominant debut at 205 pounds as well as Brandon Vera’s successful debut in the same weight class.
But a big storyline that hasn’t gotten as much play as it deserves, and likely because MMA media sites only have so much staff and space to devote to coverage, is Kevin Burns’ controversial third round TKO victory over Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
First, the fight between Burns and Johnson was excellent. Burns proved his win over Roan Carneiro was no joke and that he belongs in the UFC. Credit goes to UFC V.P. of Talent Relations Joe Silva for unearthing yet another diamond in the rough.
That said, the outcome of the bout should be appealed by Johnson’s camp and overturned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Throughout the course of the fight, Burns kept getting his fingers caught on Johnson’s face. Johnson pointed this out several times and referee Steve Mazzagatti warned Burns multiple times about the infraction. However, that did not stop Burns from poking Johnson in the eye in the third round as he put out his hand to jab. Just like any normal human being taking a direct poke to the eye and feeling blinding pain, Johnson hit the deck and covered up. From the live angle, it almost looked as if Johnson went down from a punch and was truly TKO’d. However, replays from a better angle clearly showed that Johnson had taken a direct poke to the eye.
The fight was called to a stop and there was a delay. Mazzagatti was talking to several officials at cageside and the Spike TV showed zoomed in replays of Johnson taking the poke. It seemed like a done deal that Burns was going to lose via disqualification but when it came time for the official announcement, Burns was pronounced the winner via TKO.
I was shocked and amazed at the outcome. I can understand why there might be some initial confusion after Mazzagatti called a stop to the fight. But why did he get the decision wrong even after conversing with people around the cage? It makes little sense but something needs to be done. Rarely does it make sense for a fighter to appeal the outcome of a fight but in this case, it does. If Johnson raises hell, I don’t see how NSAC doesn’t overturn it.
My biggest problem might be with Burns’ repeated use of his fingers. After the fight was over, Burns said during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that he has to jab with an open hand because he’s fractured the hand three times in the last 18 months. That’s a valid excuse, except for the fact that I thought open palm strikes were illegal? Why was he allowed to routinely attempt an illegal punch? Maybe Burns has a medical reason for using the method, but rules are rules.
To Burns’ credit, he was contrite about the infraction and said he believes Johnson deserved a rematch. It almost sounded as if he had a problem with the outcome as well. Hopefully the commission gets involved and justice is served.
LEMOORE, Calif. -- A tough Phil Collins (Pictures) challenged but couldn't topple former WEC light heavyweight champion Doug "The Rhino" Marshall (Pictures) in his backyard return at the Palace Fighting Championship 9 "The Return" at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino.
A game Collins caught Marshall off-guard and wobbled him with a right-left combination in the first round. Marshall tried to back off and catch his balance, but Collins jumped onto his back and worked for the choke. Marshall shook the underdog off, then took Collins down and landed punches as the bell rang.
In the second round, Marshall looked the fresher of the two and came out aggressive. Marshall attempted a high kick that was blocked by Collins but Marshall followed with a big right hook at the end of a flurry to drop Collins to the mat. Marshall followed him down and landed two more big shots before the referee stepped in to stop the fight at 40 seconds.
PFC light heavyweight champion Jorge Oliveira (Pictures) and challenger Isaiah Larson waged a competitive bout until both fighters fell out of the ring in the third round from a Larson takedown. Oliveira landed on the media table and held his ribs for nearly five minutes.
Referee Herb Dean (Pictures) waved off the fight as it was obvious Oliveira would not be able to fight on. Since the injury took place early in round three, the fight was ruled a no contest.
by Alton Dunham on Jul 20, 2008 at 4:00 pm ET - MMAjunkie.com
For some fighters, rebounding from a loss can prove to be a difficult proposition. For Joe Riggs (27-10 MMA), just getting a fight to put himself on that comeback trail has proved to be an even bigger challenge.
The Arizona native, who has seen his last five scheduled bouts fall apart, discussed his frustration about not being able to "provide for his family" while a recent in-studio guest of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
Riggs most recent challenge was being denied licensure for a scheduled bout on the undercard of "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" after admitting to taking the prescription pain medication Tramadol, which the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) classifies as a blood thinner.
"(My manager) Ken Pavia told me to disclose all the medications I had taken," Riggs said. "I told [the CSAC] I took [Tramadol] a few days prior, so the chances it would be in my urine was about five percent. I wanted to be honest. They still said no.
"I [begged] (Commissioner) Armando Garcia. 'Please, I have a family. Please.'"
A two-time high school wrestling All-American, Riggs feels he was unfairly denied a license in a power play by Garcia.
"I would have a rebuttal for the things [Garcia] would say, but he would just continue to say a stern 'no,'" Riggs explained. "I was in tears. I think he just like to throw his weight around a little bit."
According to Riggs, his inactivity due to previous canceled appearances and the decision to deny his license has taken a huge financial toll on himself and his family.
"I mean, it's in the $100,000 range, those fights," Riggs said.
"Diesel" is now cleared to fight in California, and he plans to get back on track at the next Strikeforce event. First, however, Riggs plans on taking a warm-up fight in his home state.
"I am fighting in my hometown in Phoenix, and then my next big fight will be at the Playboy Mansion (in late September)," Riggs said.
Riggs said he believes he will again be matched up with Luke Stewart, whom he was slated to fight at "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" before he was pulled from the card.
"I hope [Strikeforce] will give it to me," Riggs said. "It's not necessarily an easy fight but definitely a good fight for me."
With all the ups and down Riggs has seen this year, the heavy-handed fighter is anxious to get back to work and earn his paycheck. And according to Riggs, we shouldn't expect to see him doing anything else to put food on his family's table.
"[Fighting] is the only thing I know how to do."
In a very candid, colorful interview, Riggs also discussed some amazing recollections of previous fights outside the cage, as well the possibility of fighting in multiple weight classes. To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
UFC newcomer Johnny Rees joined us on MMARated Radio to talk about his Octagon debut at Ultimate Fight Night 14 against Nate Loughran.
Some highlights from the interview include:
* How he found out that he will be competing on the card
* How close he was to fighting for the UFC in the past
* His approach to this fight
* His thoughts on his opponent Loughran
* His thoughts on the UFC/Affliction war
* Training with Jake O'Brien for this bout
* His thoughts on O'Brien getting released after his loss to Arlovski
All that and more from "The Hater Hurter" (seriously, that's his nickname)
Copy and paste this link to hear the full interview. http://mmarated.com/articles/article/news/20080718/radio__johnny_rees_is_ready_for_his_closeup-15317.html
Ultimate Challenge: Hesperia MMA fighter Thomas 'Wildman' Denny gets ready for big fight
July 19, 2008 - 5:05PM By PETER DAY - hesperiastar.com Star Editor
Holding a stop watch in one hand, timer Dustin Rhodes is transfixed on a spirited mixed martial arts bout taking place in the chain-linked center ring of Universal Training Facility.
“Now’s the time. Dig deep,” yells Rhodes, himself a black belt in jiu-jitsu. “Keep going. Go, go, go! Looking good!”
The man Rhodes is urging onward is Thomas Denny, a Hesperia resident whose take-no-prisoners approach to ultimate fighting has earned him the nickname “Wildman.” This day, Denny, with the protection of padded training gloves, is punching and kneeing sparring partner Sam Mateo. While only a training session, both fighters are immersed in sweat on a sweltering summer day.
On Saturday, July 26, Denny will fight one of the biggest fights of his long career in the ring. The nationally-televised CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights event will pit the veteran against an impressive new MMA fighter, Nick Diaz.
Mike Phillips, who writes about MMA in the Victor Valley for the Daily Press, was on hand to observe the training session.
“It’s huge. Huge,” Phillips, who maintains a Web site dedicated to the local ultimate fighting scene, said of the upcoming event.
And the fighter agrees.
“I’m more excited for this fight than any fight in my career,” Denny said following the workout. “I’m ready to shine.”
While Denny doesn’t train with hanging sides of beef, there are other similarities to “Rocky.” Coming into the fight with a record of 39-13-0, the 37-year-old is facing the talented Diaz, a 24-year-old with a record of 17-7. And the odds are with the younger fighter.
“No one’s expecting me to last past the first round,” said.
But that doesn’t bother Denny. In fact, it pumps him up. When asked how he likes the odds, he answered, “I love them. I think a lot of people are going to make a lot of money on me.”
The reason is simple: Denny believes he can win because his technical strengths will be hard for Diaz to overcome.
“I think I’m a bad style for him. I hit hard. I have a lot of cardio (cardiovascular conditioning). I think I’m bad for him.”
To the untrained eye, Denny certainly looks ready. Possessing a six-pack’s worth of hard-body abdominal muscles and seemingly not a speck of fat, Denny has earned his tip-top conditioning the hard way. Earlier in the day, he ran five miles, lifted weights, and then took a well-earned nap.
He also eats a diet that is “lean and clean” by concentrating solely on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. The fighter completely ignores breads, rice, pasta and other starches.
“I’m on a very strict diet. I’m very fit right now.”
Normally fighting in the 170 pound class, the 5’9” Denny will lose 10 pounds this week and weigh in at 160 before the fight.
