David Loiseau: MMA Rated Exclusive Interview

PRO MMA Exclusive: Razor Rob McCullough

Originally posted by promma — published on August 27th, 2008
by: Jack Bratcher

In February of this year, “Razor” Rob McCullough lost his WEC lightweight title to Jamie Varner in an upset. The odds were stacked against Varner but he was able to pull out the win and take home the title. Four months later “Razor Rob” stepped back into the cage and got back on the right track with a win over Kenneth Alexander at WEC 34.

“Razor Rob” wants that title back. As far as he’s concerned, the loss to Varner was a fluke that never should have happened. On September 10, Rob will face one of his toughest fights to date and it will be the deciding factor if he gets an immediate title shot or has to climb back up the ladder. PRO MMA got the opportunity to chat with Rob and he explained just what this fight means to him and what kind of fireworks we can expect to see.

Rob also lets us in on some personal details about himself you may not have known such as who he would most like to fight and what is one of his favorite books. The answers might surprise you.

PRO MMA: Thank you Rob for taking the time to speak with us at PRO MMA.
Razor Rob: Hey anytime.

PRO MMA: When I as an MMA fan think of Huntington Beach a few names pop in my mind…..Tito, Tank, and Razor Rob. Were you born and raised in Huntington Beach?
Razor Rob: Why thanks. I take that as an honor. Yes, I was born and raised in Huntington Beach and have the tattoo to prove it.

PRO MMA: Punishment Athletics is one of your sponsors is that right? How long have you known Tito and what is your relationship like with him these days?
Razor Rob: Yes Punishment is one of my big sponsors. Tito and I have known each other since high school. He’s a little older than me but I lived with friends in high school and Tito’s girlfriend, Heather, at the time had a brother named Mike who I lived at their house. So Tito and I ran into each other often. Nowadays he and I train at Huntington Beach Ultimate together on ocassion and we are currently shooting a new reality T.V. show called “Any Town Beat Down” soon on the G4 channel. Other than that, he’s one of my best friends and mentors.

Click here to read the rest of the article on promma.info

The Razor’s Edge: Rob McCullough’s MMA Blog

Originally posted by the OCregister.com

BLOG NO. 6

Well, since the last time I wrote I’ve still been training my butt off, watching movies, hosting Razor Clothing parties at clubs and just trying to take over the world.

My boy Josh Thomson has been staying with me and helping me train for my next fight. Josh is currently the Strikeforce lightweight champion and a great training partner.

We’ve been training two times a day and running sprints in the sand on Saturdays. At night, we usually hit Main Street to get some sushi with the rest of my friends like Tiki and my boy “Flave.”

Since the last time I blogged I’ve seen the movie “Tropic Thunder” twice, just because it was that funny. I also saw “Step Brother” and “Pineapple Express,” which were also super funny.

I had my friend Tracy Lee from combatlifestyles.com come to a Razor Clothing party at Silveras steak house.

Tracy ended up catching us on our last training session of the day on Friday before we headed out for the night.

The guys that trained with me were Josh Thomson, Zach Lyte, Tiki Ghosn and my buddy, Steve Moon. We met at H.B. Ultimate Training Center at 6 p.m., ran a quick-paced 3.2 miles and then did 25 minutes of bag drills, including ground bag, knee bag, standing body bag and a medicine ball drill I hadn’t done before. We switched stations every minute for 25 minutes.

Tracy took photos of the whole thing and then went with us to the Razor Clothing party afterwards. The party was awesome. There were a lot of people and a really good DJ played. All my friends were very happy with the outcome, so stay tuned for the next Razor Clothing event.

Saturday morning came too early for me. Before I knew it we were running sprints at the beach, which Tracy also got pictures of. If you want to see her photos, go to combatlifestyles.com or if you want to order some of my new gear, go to razorclothing.tv.

Well, until next time, be safe, wear your seat belt, don’t drink and drive, and do something nice for someone you dont know.

-Razor Rob

Click here to read this article and more at punch.freedomblogging.com

Rogers Releases Statement on Shamrock-Slice

EliteXC heavyweight contender Brett Rogers, and his camp, Team Bison, have released an official statement concerning EliteXC’s decision to match up Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson against UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock on the organization’s October 4 show on CBS.

Rogers was expected to be Slice’s opponent at the event after their altercation following Slice’s controversial win over James Thompson on May 31. At the post-fight press conference, Rogers slammed Slice’s performance, calling it “garbage”. Slice took exception and a near brawl would have occurred if it weren’t for cooler heads prevailing.

Click here to read the rest of the article and statement at mmaontap.com

A day with Rob "Razor" McCullough

Originally posted by Tracy Lee, combatlifestyle.com

For once in my life, I had no clue where I was going, or what I was going to do.. It was Friday morning, and I had woken up at 7am... I had been busy running around the state of California like a chicken with my head cut off. I often go and do everything on a whim, and somehow end up in the right place at the right time. Well, it was friday morning, I got my blog online from my time with Jason Lambert, and I was at a loss on what to do with myself. I knew that I had to be in Fresno by 7pm Saturday evening for Cage Combat, but there was over 24 hours left to fill until then.

So Rara and I went and had lunch with my friend Jim from One More Round. He was in North Hollywood and we made the 15 minute drive from West Hollywood to meet he and Alex for thai food. See, told you I keep eating thai! I need to stop because as much as I love the stuff, it's so filled with oil and not great for the diet of a person that travels so much. As we were sitting there conversing over a great pad thai and some sticky rice, I got a text from Razor Rob. "If you're in the area again, i'm having another Razor Rob clothing event."

Yes! I had a plan! Huntington Beach was quite a distance from where I was at, but after a few more texts I made the decision to head down and meet Razor at Huntington Beach Ultimate Training center to shoot him training as he prepared for his fight on September 10th against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. It was about 3 pm and we were just finishing lunch (I ate SOOOOOO much sticky rice!!) I didn't have much time to get on the road because it was about to be everyone's worst nightmare, RUSH HOUR!! I dropped Rara off and grabbed my mobile home (my luggage and my backpack) and got on the freeway.

Click here to read the rest of the article at combatlifestyle.com

Brett Rogers slated for Nov. 8 Elite XC

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com
by John Morgan and Dann Stupp on Aug 26, 2008 at 11:59 am ET

Four top contenders are scheduled for EliteXC's Nov. 8 return to Showtime.

EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) late Monday that middleweight contender Joey Villasenor (26-6), heavyweight title hopeful Brett Rogers (8-0), lightweight contender Nick Diaz (18-7) and top light heavyweight Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante (7-1) are all scheduled for the event.

The show takes place Nov. 8 and airs on Showtime.

Opponents have not been determined for any of the fighters.

Click here to read the rest of the article at MMAjunkie.com

Exclusive: Rogers To Face Winner Of Shamrock-Slice

Originally Posted by Ariel Helwani for MMArated.com

MMARated.com has learned that despite the fact that Ken Shamrock was chosen over Brett Rogers to face Kimbo Slice on the next EliteXC on CBS card on October 4th, Rogers' camp has been told by EliteXC officials that he will face the winner of that fight sometime in the future. In addition, EliteXC officials have invited Rogers to sit ringside for the October 4th card to get a better a look at his next opponent (like he really needs it).

Click here to read the rest of the article at mmarated.com

Radach to Fight ‘Ninja’ at EliteXC-CBS Event

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

by Danny Acosta

Benji Radach (Pictures) will fight Murilo “Ninja” Rua (Pictures) on the Oct. 4 EliteXC card, Radach has told Sherdog.com.

The bout bolsters a lineup packed with star power. Kimbo Slice (Pictures) and Gina Carano (Pictures), in addition to Jake Shields (Pictures)’ title defense against Paul Daley (Pictures), will headline the event, which will air live on CBS from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

“I expect to do well,” said Radach, whose scrap against Rua (16-8-1) will be the first on his three-fight deal with EliteXC. “I hope to win this fight and prepare myself better for the next couple of fights.”

Click here to read the rest of the article at sherdog.com

Ex-UFC Middleweight Radev Turns Up at M-1 Challenge

Originally Posted by Chad Edward for fighters.com on August 23rd, 2008

Bulgarian wrestler Jordan Radev (13-3), whose UFC career consisted of getting knocked out in 33 seconds by “Massacre” Andrew McFedries (7-3) and losing a UD to “Boogieman” Dean Lister (11-5), will fight Japanese middleweight Yuya Shirai (12-6) as a member of Team World at M-1 Challenge in Korea 29 August.


Click here to read the rest of the article at fighters.com

Hallman teams up for Cagesport

Sunday, August 24, 2008 - Originally posted by MMAWeekly.com Staff

A new fight organization will soon debut in the Northwest called CageSport, which will combine the talents of promoter, Brian Halquist, and a matchmaker in former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, Dennis Hallman.

Halquist and Hallman teamed up to promote their first MMA show together on June 8, 2008 at the Emerald Queen Casino, which resulted in a sold out crowd. Due to the success of the show, Hallman and Halquist decided to form the new promotion set to debut in the near future.

“This is a great opportunity for both Brian and I to build CageSport as a major market competitor in the MMA community,” said Hallman. “It’s good to be working with a fellow wrestler. Our strengths together will make for a very competitive company in MMA.”

Click here to read the rest of the article at mmaweekly.com

Exclusive Interview: MMA Super-Agent Ken Pavia

Originally Posted by Cagepotato.com

THE EARLY DAYS

You were a sports agent for 12 years after graduating from the Miami School of Law. Did you focus on any sport in particular?
I primarily represented baseball and hockey players, though I did have a couple basketball players and a football player. I had my own firm from about ’91 through ’03 or so.

And you’ve said you retired because you got bored. Was there more to it than that?
I don’t know if it was so much boredom — I was a boutique firm competing against larger, much better capitalized corporate firms, and capitalization was ultimately a stumbling block in my ability to maintain higher-profile guys. I’d recruit a football player coming out of college, and it’d be about six to nine months before he saw any money, and he’d want a couple-hundred-thousand dollar advance. After a while I needed a break from recruiting and the daily grind.

So what did you plan on doing with the rest of your life?
Well, I took a couple years off and sat on the couch, watched sports, ate bon-bons, and went through a divorce. I was semi-retired and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Eventually I opened up an auto auction and I met Ricco Rodriguez, who dragged me into the MMA game.

Was Ricco your first client?
He was. A mutual friend introduced us, and Ricco sat me down and said “We need mainstream agents to cross over and help the fighters get the kind of compensation that the owners are getting.” I had been a fan of the sport — I think I’d seen pretty much every UFC event — but Ricco’s the one who convinced me to get in from a business standpoint.

How did you go about finding and attracting clients in those early days?
Having the former UFC heavyweight champion was sort of a high-profile thing, and being in Huntington Beach — which was a hotbed for MMA talent at the time — I was able to find a couple of local guys with Ricco’s help. I’d take Ricco to fights, he’d meet the up-and-coming talent, and they’d pretty much come to me. I was blessed that the talent was seeking us out as opposed to the grind I had in other sports.


THE BIZ

These days, is there a formula involved in how you decide which clients to take on?
We’re pretty picky. I’ve got 50 guys, and I’m not necessarily looking to expand that roster. Probably 20 guys a week come to us, and a lot of them say “Yeah, I was the toughest guy in high school, and I beat up everybody at the bar now, I’m 30 years old and I’m going to start training.” But some of them are, “Hey, I’m 9-1, I fought in the local circuits and I knocked everybody out, and I want to get in the show.” We look for a level of success, dedication, a background that’s like Division I All-American wrestler, or world-championship kickboxer — guys that have strung together some wins, and just need some representation to get them to the bigger shows. I think that’s our niche.

Is it true that Phil Baroni turned down an offer to fight in the WEC because he wanted to hold out for the UFC?
The UFC was inquiring about what it was going to cost to get him, but it wasn’t a formal offer — they felt him out a bit to see if a formal offer was in order. Currently, we have six offers on the table for Phil Baroni. All six are very lucrative, every one of them is very attractive, and he’s just weighing one against the other to determine which is in his best interest. [Ed. note: EliteXC announced yesterday (after this interview took place) that they had signed Baroni to a multi-year contract. Mazel tov to the New York Badass.]

How often do you have to drop fighters who just aren’t working out?
I’ve only had to do it a couple times. I’m very selective when I take guys on, and I try to figure out what they want to do with their careers, and then what we can do for them. So it’s very infrequent that we have a problem where guys need to be dropped from the roster.

What would a fighter have to do to get on your bad side?
When guys don’t show up for fights, that reflects poorly on themselves and us. Or guys that repeatedly turn down good opportunities — if we provide really good opportunities for guys and they don’t want them, then I don’t know what we can do for them. If a guy doesn’t want to be a serious, professional fighter, then the match is no longer there. We bust our humps every day to get the guys opportunities, and the ones who are grateful take advantage of them.

Who’s the biggest pain in the ass of all your fighters?
There are a couple guys I represent who I have a love/hate thing with, but the underlying respect is there with all the clients, and the moment it breaks down there’s problems. I probably have a couple clients that don’t like me some days, and I don’t like them some days. But we need each other, and we respect each other. I’ll give you an example. Joe Riggs is a character, and Joe Riggs has actually done interviews where he’s said “Pavia’s full of baloney, he’s an egomaniac,” and at the end he goes “but he’s my agent, and he’s great.” Joe will probably tell you I’m a whack-job, I’ll tell you he’s a whack-job, but ultimately we’re really good for each other because he is the hardest working guy. Him and Phil Baroni are so focused and dedicated to the sport, and I respect that.

THE POWER OF THE PAV

What’s an example of something you do that goes beyond the call of duty for an agent?
My phone’s on literally seven days a week from about 10 in the morning until 3 in the morning, and it rings non-stop. I’m the friendly confidant when a guy’s confidence is down, and I make sure that when a guy gets in trouble, there’s somebody in that city, wherever he is in the world, that could help get him out of that trouble. We have a full staff of six, we work seven days a week, and all of us are on call non-stop. We’re just always there for our fighters.

Judging from your MySpace page, you like to party. Are you the swinging, unattached bachelor type, or does the party end when your girlfriend calls and makes you come home?
[Those MySpace pictures] come from babysitting after the event. Very often, fighters will have post-fight parties, and when I’m at those events I’m in work mode and I don’t consume alcohol. Do I enjoy the company of females? Who doesn’t? But ultimately I know what I’m there for, and that’s to take care of the client.

Could you define “The Power of the Pav”?
I joke about it a lot, but I think it’s the ability to get results. It’s almost like a Jedi mind-trick — it’s the ability to make things happen, to solve problems, to never to quit on something. The California Athletic Commission said Sean Salmon will never fight again because of his concussion situation. And I didn’t accept that. First of all, if he’s not physically fit, he won’t fight again, but I believe he is, and we’ve got numerous experts proving that. We’ve got an appeal going in front of the commission now, and I believe that he will get licensed again, and that’s an example of the Power of the Pav. I didn’t take no, I fought through it, and we got results.

In your columns for MMAJunkie about your experience with Luke Cummo’s life food diet and training regimen, you admitted that you were a touch homophobic. Doesn’t taking coffee enemas make you at least 10% gay? And how hot was the coffee?
The “homophobic” thing was to set up a joke. I’m not really homophobic. And the coffee was made and refrigerated overnight. It was miserable and painful, though. I mean, it was 2 liters of coffee. The tube is so tiny you can’t even tell, but having two liters of it in your intestines really freakin’ hurts.

For more on Ken and his agency, visit MMAagents.com

Click here to read the more at cagepotato.com

Anthony Johnson Aiming for October Return

By Tom Ngo
(5thRound.com)
August 22nd, 2008

Up and coming UFC welterweight, Anthony Johnson, is currently on the lonely road to recovery since suffering from an accidental eye poke in his last bout. Johnson is regarded as one of the division’s most exciting young fighters and a controversial loss like that certainly hasn’t hurt his standing within the UFC.
Johnson was dominating the entire fight until his opponent, Kevin Burns, accidentally landed a thumb to Johnson’s eye in the 3rdRound. Johnson immediately fell to the canvas. On replay, the poke was clear and referee Steve Mazzagatti has received quite a bit of grief regarding the missed call, however Johnson was one of the few that didn’t blame Mazzagatti.

“Everybody was hating on Mazzagatti because of the call, but he was on the side I was blocking on, so he actually didn’t see the guy eye gouge me,” Johnson told MMAWeekly about the maligned referee. “All he saw was the uppercut … he called what he thought he saw and I respect him.”

Click here to read the rest of the article on 5thround.com

"Questions with Kalawi" Joe Riggs

Posted by Joe Kalawi - Intern at MMA Agents.

As an intern with MMA Agents, I've had the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of mixed martial arts. My experience with the company has allowed me to demonstrate my interpersonal and technical abilities while breaking into the industry. I recently caught up with Joe Riggs to discuss his involvement in the sport as well as his upcoming main event fight at Stikeforce Playboy Mansion II on Septemeber 20, 2008.

Joe Riggs has been fighting professionally for the last 8 years. His deep skillset has allowed him to compete against top level competition in the largest fight promotions in the world including the UFC, WEC, K-1, ROTR, IFC, RITC, and Strikeforce. Riggs, who used to compete at Heavyweight, is now a contender in the middleweight and welterweight ranks.

8/22/2008


JK: How long have you been fighting and what brought you to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts?
JR: I've been fighting pro for 8 yrs. It has been something I wanted to since I was a child. I wrestling since I was 10 and boxed since I was 8. I was bred to do this.


JK: How did you get started with MMA Agents. What are some of the benefits you've realized having represenation?
JR: I had a friend who used to work with the organization. I've been represented for the last 2 yrs. Its always good to have someone on your side working for you so you can get more money for your fights as well as sponsorship deals. Represntation allows you to do your job and focus on fighting and training.


JK: Who is your next fight against and in what promotion?
JR: I am excited to be fighting against Kazuo Misaki in the main event for Strikeforce on September 20th at the Playboy Mansion.


JK: How did you get the nickname Diesel?
JR: Well, my last name is Riggs so Diesel came naturally.


JK: What is the most memorable match you've had?
JR: I have had 4 Fight of the Night awards in the UFC so it is hard to choose. I think it would have to be when I beat Nick Diaz at UFC 53.


JK: What are your top 3 favorite fights that you've seen?
JR: Spencer Fisher v Sam Stout (1).
Matt Hughes v Frank Trigg (2)
Tim Sylvia v Wesley Correira


JK: Do you have a favorite fighter?
JR: Jeremy Horn.


JK: What do you enjoy other than MMA and training?
JR: I enjoy spending time with my wife and 1yr old son as well as my father. I am very family oriented.


JK: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.
JR: If I didn't become a fighter I would probably have been a police officer.

JK: Thanks for your time. Good luck at Strikeforce on September 20, 2008 at the Playboy Mansion!
JR: Thank you!

Any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this interview and future ones can be sent to Joe@mmaagents.com

Martin Kampmann Interview: 'KO, round three'

Originally posted on MMAfighting.com by Robert Rousseau 08/21/08—10:23 AM

In a division with Anderson “The Spider” Silva reigning supreme it’s sometimes hard to notice anyone else. After all, The Spider certainly has been dominant. But as Silva readies for a UFC 90 bout with Patrick Cote, another fighter continues to impress at 185. That fighter’s name is Martin “Hitman” Kampmann.
Kampmann’s 13-1 overall MMA record, according to Sherdog, is only part of the story. The fact that he’s rattled off four straight victories in the UFC over Crafton Wallace (rear naked choke), Thales Leites (decision), Andrew McFedries (arm triangle choke), and Jorge Rivera (guillotine choke) doesn’t tell it all, either.

However, when you discover that Kampmann is a former Cage Warriors middleweight champion, FB-Submission Wrestling Tournament Champion, Battle of the Vikings Thai Boxing Superfight Champion, and Danish Thai Boxing Champion the tale on his well-roundedness begins to be told. You see, Kampmann can knock you out (six of his MMA victories have come by that route) or submit you (four of his MMA victories have come via those methods). In other words, he has the kind of skills that can land him victory in multiple ways in the Octagon, something that is sorely needed in order to have championship caliber success in the UFC these days.

Click here to read the rest of the interview on mmafighting.com

KNOXX VIDEO: Anthony Johnson talks about how he started mma, Tommy Speer and how he feels before he fights

Click here to see more at knoxxgear.wordpress.com

10 Questions With Sean Salmon

10 Questions With Sean Salmon (by Darrick Patrick)

Sean Salmon is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, King Of The Cage, Strikeforce, Fight Festival, Hardcore Championship Fighting, North American Allied Fight Series, International Fighting Organization, Legends Of Fighting, Xtreme Fighting Organization, Diesel Fighting Championships, Full Force Productions, and Hammer House Cage Fighting. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Mitch Whitesel at the NAAFS Columbus Night of Pain 4 on September 19th, 2008.

Darrick: What was the journey that led you to professional mixed martial arts competition?

Sean: I started as an amateur wrestler. UFC veteran Rex Holman was one of my coaches at Ohio State and was helping me quite a bit with my freestyle wrestling career when he decided to try MMA. I was one of his workout partners and fell in love with it. I had my first fight after one month of training and realized that I enjoyed mixed martial arts more than wrestling.

Darrick: Any words of advice for other individuals looking to train in MMA?

Sean: Get the right coaches, take your time, and develop all of the necessary skills. I did nineteen fights in twenty-four months right out of the gate. In hindsight, that might not have been the way to do it.

Click here to read the rest of the interview on livejournal.com

Kelly Kobold Gavin Interview with Fight Hype

Originally posted by Fight Hype.com
By Percy Crawford | August 20, 2008

PC: How is everything going Kelly?

KK: Everything is going great. I'm training a lot.

PC: How is training going for your fight with Gina Carano in October?

KK: Training couldn't be going better. I have a really good training partner that has already fought Gina (Kaitlin Young). I have some great training partners and an amazing training camp. I'm training with Brett Rogers, the heavyweight from Elite XC and Team Bison, and I'm also training with former UFC champion Sean Sherk and also Brock Lesnar at Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy as well. I couldn't have a better group of people to train with.

PC: How much will you take from Kaitlin's fight with Gina as far as seeing some of the mistakes she made and not committing the same mistakes, as well as utilizing some of the things she had success with?

KK: I'm going to use film from all of Gina's fights. Gina hasn't had a fight that I don't have film on, unless you're counting Muay Thai fights, but I have all of her MMA fights. I can definitely see her progression as an MMA fighter and the improvements that she's made and I can also see mistakes that she made in her first fight that she was still making in her last fight and hopefully I can capitalize on them. I think her fame kind of works against her in a sense that I could get so much footage on her.

PC: It seems Gina's weight is an issue in every fight. Are you prepared to deal with the weight issues that never seem to go away with Carano?

KK: Absolutely, I am prepared.

Click here to read the rest of the interview on fighthype.com

Top 10 MMA Bloodbaths

Originally Posted by Cagepotato.com

...........

6. Edwin Dewees vs. Gideon Ray
(The Ultimate Fighter 4, episode 2; original airdate 8/24/06)

Occasionally, tremendous blood loss will work to a fighter’s advantage. Such was the case with the first middleweight quarterfinal match on The Ultimate Fighter 4, when Gideon Ray elbowed a hatchet-wound into Edwin Dewees’s forehead. After it was determined that a “sudden victory” round would be necessary — and that Dewees could continue fighting, despite already leaving a couple pints on the ground — “Babyface” spent much of the last frame on top of Ray, with blood squirting from his head directly into the nose and mouth of his opponent. Ray was visibly freaked out, and was unable to mount an effective offense; Dewees got the decision win and advanced to the semis. Though most UFC fans have seen this infamous match, videos and photos of it are scarce on the Internet, so if you know of any good links, please share ‘em in the comments section.

4. Chris Lytle vs. Josh Koscheck
(UFC 86, 7/5/08)

What do you get when you mix Koscheck’s formidable ground-and-pound with Lytle’s willingness to fight through copious amounts of blood loss? How about a very slippery canvas and a fight that makes even some hardcore fans cringe. Despite being cut directly above his eye, Lytle was allowed to continue all the way to the final bell, and even managed to put a scare into Koscheck late in the fight. Both men proved that they weren’t the squeamish type, and Lytle seemed no more than slightly annoyed at bleeding into his own eye. Koscheck walked away with yet another decision victory here, though his bleached blonde hair turned plasma pink before it was over with. It was a significant improvement.

Click here to read the rest of the article on cagepotato.com

Kampmann: My toughest test

Originally posted by Ben Blackmore, 18 August 2008

There are some fighters, not all – but a special a few, who make you sit up and remember the first time you ever watched them. Martin Kampmann is one such man, and he is preparing for the biggest fight of his life at “UFC 88: BREAKTHROUGH” – live on Setanta Sports.

The first time the author of this article clapped eyes on Denmark’s “Hitman” in the flesh (not on TV), he turned to the guy next to him and asked ‘who’s your money on?’ The reply was short and brilliant: ‘Kampmann, first round, submission’.

Five minutes later, a clinical Kampmann had tied Jorge Rivera in knots, choking him out in round one. The moment sticks in the mind, as does the knowing smile of the guy who had predicted correctly.

Some fighters are so accomplished at what they do that their brilliance is in how routine they can make a fight look. Kampmann did that against Rivera, with a show of Jiu-Jitsu that showed he now has a ground game that maybe even surpasses his stand-up.

“I’ll take the fight wherever I feel I have an advantage over my opponent,” Kampmann states ahead of his fight with Nate Marquardt at UFC 88.

Click here to read the rest of the article on setantasports.com

Kampmann Climbing Middleweight Ladder

By Tom Ngo
(5thRound.com)
August 17th, 2008

Martin Kampmann will be resuming his UFC career September 6th at UFC 88 against his toughest opponent to date in Nate Marquardt. Kampmann will be back in action just three months removed from his impressive win at UFC 85 over Jorge Rivera, after having to sit out 15 months due to injury prior to that fight.
Kampmann will not only look to test himself, but also his surgically repaired left knee against Marquardt. After posting wins in his first three UFC fights, Kampmann found himself on the sidelines, riding the rehab trail for over a year in 2007.
“It was a bad injury,” Kampmann told UFC.com. “I was very worried about it. I had it reconstructed and replaced and it was some serious [expletive]. There was so much doubt in my mind. I had plenty of bad days and days where I felt like [expletive], but I just had to hang in there.”
The knee is never going to be 100%, but Kampmann has accepted that and forged ahead regardless. He has made up for the explosiveness that he lost from the knee injury by becoming a more well-rounded fighter.

Click here to read the rest of the article on 5thround.com

Post Injury, Anthony Johnson Plans Return

Originally posted by MMAweekly.com

Fresh off of a knockout victory over Tommy Speer in April, Anthony Johnson seemed to have the upper hand towards a decision victory against Kevin Burns at the July 19 UFC Fight Night. With just 90 seconds left in the fight, however, he suffered an inadvertent poke to the eye that went unnoticed by referee Steve Mazzagatti, but left Johnson on the losing end of a TKO with a detached retina.

Johnson has since undergone surgery to repair the injury. “I had laser surgery to reattach my retina and I got stitches in my eyeball right now,” he recently told MMAWeekly.com. “The laceration on my eye was from one end of my eye to the other.”

Johnson’s manager, Ken Pavia of MMA Agents, has been working on an appeal of the outcome, but Johnson doesn’t seem to let the result faze him all that much.


Click here to read the rest of the article on MMAweekly.com

UFC veteran Ivan Salaverry: Retirement comes with no regrets

by Kelly Crigger for MMAjunkie.com on Aug 18, 2008 at 3:40 pm ET

When famous athletes retire, they get interviewed by Bob Costas in a luxurious hotel room with big lights, multiple camera angles and complementary Fiji water at the ready. They reminisce about their bygone glories as woeful fans abuse the Kleenex box and beg their hero not to fade away just yet.

Ivan Salaverry got me, Kelly Crigger, a part-time writer who happened to be in Seattle just days after the announcement that he would no longer grace the octagon. Hardly fitting for someone with such a distinguished MMA career. In a time when old-timers live in a state of perpetual denial and continue to embarrass themselves while trying to cash in on their name, Salaverry has voluntarily bowed out of competition to pursue other interests and give his time back to the people who matter in his life -- his family and students.

Click here to read the rest of the article on MMAjunkie.com

Diego Saraiva to be featured in AFL debut PPV

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com

Within the next couple months, the American Fight League will attempt to find a success in a place most MMA organizations haven't: pay per view.

The Kentucky-based organization, which garnered some headlines earlier this summer with the signings of notable free agents such as top female fighter Tara LaRosa and former World Wrestling Entertainment star Bobby Lashley, will makes it PPV debut this fall, and the fight card is starting to take shape.

AFL Director of Public Relations Sean McClure today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the organization is close to an official event announcement.

"We've determined a date, and a location is being finalized," McClure said. "We'll announce the details very soon."

AFL officials previously stated an October date was likely, but with the UFC, EliteXC, Affliction and Adrenaline MMA booking major shows that month, the AFL event may be bumped back till November.

McClure said the PPV fight card will feature many of the organization's biggest names, including LaRosa, Lashley, UFC veteran and AFL lightweight champ Diego Saraiva, welterweight champ Brent Weedman, middleweight champ George Lockhardt and possibly former UFC fighter Dan Christison.

Click here to read the rest of the article on MMAjunkie.com

Martin Kampmann Working his Way up the Middleweight Ladder

Martin "The Hitman Kampmann" has a big fight upcoming against Nate Marquardt. The winner will factor heavily in the Middleweight title picture. Here's an article on UFC.com about "The Hitman".

Click here to read the article on UFC.com

The MMA News Interview with Brett "The Grim" Rogers

Originally Posted by the theMMAnews.com

Those people who follow MMA know who EliteXC rising star Brett”The Grim” Rogers is, but more mainstream viewers regard him as the man that got into Kimbo Slice’s face and called his performance “garbage.” With all the media attention, one can overlook the 8-0 record Rogers has amassed with 4 KO’s, 3 TKO’s and a submission due to strikes. The heavy-handed hitter recently had time to do an interview with The MMA News, here it is:

The MMA News: How’s your training going, and are you going to have a fight coming up or not?

Brett Rogers: As of right now, still up in the air. I want October, but they want to go another direction. I’m not sure.

The MMA News: Is your contract exclusive to EliteXC?

Brett Rogers: Right now it’s exclusive for one more fight, then everything will be open. I’m hoping for an extension.

The MMA News: How have you found the change of leadership at EliteXC with Gary Shaw and Doug Deluca?

Brett Rogers: Gary was good with Gary. Now that Jeremy’s taken over it’s still good.

The MMA News: Are you able to financially do MMA all the time, or do you have to supplement your income?

Brett Rogers: Eat, drink and live MMA. It can always be better financially, but as an up and comer I can’t complain.

The MMA News: Have you been talked to death about the potential October fight with Kimbo Slice?

Brett Rogers: Absolutely, without a doubt.

The MMA News: Do you find the media carries a negative slant. In the case of Kimbo Slice did you find the media “sensationalized” the situation or did they call it “straight”.

Brett Rogers: I’m half and half. He had every right to say whatever, but at the same time the media pushed it a bit. I learned that if you don’t have that “fame” you kind of have to be silent, but I’m going to break that code.

The MMA News: If you don’t fight Slice, will you be looking at Antonio Silva?

Brett Rogers: I don’t think that will be my next fight, but I’m looking at one or two more fights and then I’ll go for the title. I want the belt, but if anybody deserves the belt right now it’s him.

The MMA New: Regardless of weight, which fighter are you most impressed with?

Brett Rogers: GSP is my inspiration. If I can fight like him for as long as him, I’m doing fine. My goal is to be top 5, not top 10.

The MMA News: How’s the ground game?

Brett Rogers: I’ve been working on it quite a bit. I was planning on giving “Mr. I don’t tap out” a suprise. He was going to tap that night for sure.

The MMA News: Let us know about your sponsors.

Brett Rogers: Without my sponsors it would be very hard for me to do what I’m doing. My sponsors are Hitman Fight Gear, PPM(Pure Power Mouthguards), Big Black Security, Rockstar Energy Drink, VAS(Victory Amongst Soldiers).

The MMA News: The MMA News would like you to give the last word, first to the fans, and then to your next opponent.

Brett Rogers: For the fans, please believe I’m going to bring the KO’s to the fight, and for my enemies you better watch out, I’m coming for you.

The MMA News, Interview.

Click here to see this article and more at theMMAnews.com website

THE MMARated Radio Show: Cyrille Diabate

It's Friday and that can only mean one thing. No, not ShoXC, but rather another edition of "THE MMARated Radio Show." Rejoice!

This week Ben Fowlkes and I welcome EliteXC light heavyweight fighter Cyrille Diabate just hours before he faces Jamie Fletcher on tonight's ShoXC card.

We also discuss several issues surrounding the ShoXC concept, Affliction's second offering, GSP vs. BJ Penn, the evolution of Brock Lesnar, MMA Live on ESPN, Matt Hughes' recent comments towards GSP and much more.

Enjoy.

Click here to listen to the entire radio show on MMArated.com

Diabate Dominates in Long Awaited Return

Originally posted by Ricardo Mendoza - MMAWeekly.com

FRIANT, Calif. – Jared Hamman avenged his only career loss on Friday night as he stopped Poai Suganuma in front of a packed house at the Table Mountain Casino.

These two met at the same venue in April with Suganuma winning amidst controversy after the fight seemed to be stopped a bit prematurely. Like the first fight, Suganuma started out strong taking the fight to Hamman again with a furious barrage of strikes. On this occasion though, Hamman remained composed and weathered the storm as he landed a strong combination of his own that stunned the Hawaiian, who was forced to go for a takedown. Smelling blood, Hamman began to drop vicious strikes that eventually put out Suganuma at 2:34 of the opening round.

Highly touted Brazilian lightweight Fabricio Camoes made quick work of UFC veteran Sam Morgan, submitting him with a rear naked choke. Camoes immediately took Morgan down with a powerful slam, quickly transitioning to mount as Morgan gave up his back with Camoes sinking in the choke 47 seconds into the first round.

Pride veteran Cyrille Diabate returned to action after a year and half off as he faced off with Californian Jaime Fletcher. From the start it was clear that Diabate was the superior striker, as he seemed to have no difficulty in tagging Fletcher with an array of strikes both on the feet and on the ground. Fletcher rarely got any offense going in the fight except for a couple of takedowns that didn’t amount to much. As the fight entered the final round it seemed that Diabate had the fight in the bag as Fletcher mounted one last comeback, almost locking in a guillotine choke, but the Frenchman escaped and returned the favor with some brutal strikes. At the end of the day, Diabate earned a unanimous decision from the judges with scores of 30-27 on all three scorecards.

Click here for the rest of the article on MMAweekly.com

Martin Kampmann a Special Guest Panelist on Inside MMA

Originally Posted by MMAjunkie.com

This past weekend's UFC 87 event will be discussed thoroughly on tonight's edition of "Inside MMA," which airs at 9:30 p.m. ET on HDNet.

Joining hosts Bas Rutten and Ron Kruck are this week's panelists: UFC middleweight Martin Kampmann, "The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah and fiveouncesofpain.com writer Gary Herman.

Click here for the article on MMAjunkie.com

ProMMA.info's Full Interview with Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate

Cyrille Diabate Interview with Cory Brady from PRO MMA
Uploaded by prommainfo

Click here for the article on proMMA.info.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson Live Chat!

Posted by MMARated

Anthony Johnson - What's up everyone! Glad to be here. Let's do this!
5:01

[Comment From Guest]
2 parter....is there an ongoing appeal to the NSAC regarding the Burns decision? I can understand Mazagatti not being in position to see the eyepoke, but for the replay to clearly show that the fight was ended by an illegal strike and the commission to do nothing about it is a bit ridiculous. Also, I'm aware of your wrestling background, and your striking has been on dispay in all your UFC fights, but I haven't heard much about your BJJ background. I've heard/read that you train(ed) with Rigan Machado, and I was curious as to how long you've trained BJJ and what belt rank you've reached. Anyways, I just wanted to say that your actions after the Burns fight showed nothing but class, and mma needs more fighters like you. You're exciting to watch, and you've shown massive potential.....best of luck in the future.

5:02
Anthony Johnson - First off, there is an appeal going but the court date isn't until September. I am letting my agent Ken Pavia at MMA Agents handle everything so I am just waiting for something to happen.

5:03
Anthony Johnson - I am a blue belt in BJJ. I am not a purple belt or brown belt that people claim I am on the forums. I have trained with Rigan for a while. I have trained BJJ but it's not great yet.

Click here for the rest of the chat on MMArated.com.

Jordan Breen Show: Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate

Jordan Breen returned to the Sherdog Radio Network Thursday with a preview of the weekend of MMA ahead, and was joined by Hawaiian light heavyweight prospect Poai Suganuma (Pictures) and French striking specialist Cyrille Diabate (Pictures).

Suganuma joins Breen to talk about his forthcoming rematch with Jared Hamman (Pictures) on this Friday's ShoXC card, live on Showtime. Suganuma talks about his beginnings in the sport, training and fighting in Japan, and refining his game in Hawaii. The 205-pound Hilo blue-chip also talks diet, ukelele playing and the experience of being a wedding singer in Japan.

"The Snake" discusses his bout, also on Friday's ShoXC card, with Jaime Fletcher (Pictures). Diabate talks about his time in the gym over the last two years, refining his skill set, and shopping for a big-fight deal. Diabate, one of the sport's trailblazers in Europe, also discusses the process of legalizing the sport in his native France, and the potential for France in producing MMA talent in the future.

Breen also discusses Greco-Roman wrestling regulatory woes, and breaks down fights from this weekend's ShoXC, Deep, KOTC and Purecombat cards.

Education and regulation on the Sherdog Radio Network!

Click here for the interview on sherdog.com.

Joe Riggs' plan: Move to 170 pounds, return to the UFC

Originally posted by MMAjunkie.com

by John Morgan on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:40 am ET

With a September bout with highly regarded middleweight Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) on the horizon, Joe Riggs (28-10) on Thursday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) it will be his last in the division.

The Riggs vs. Misaki bout is one of a handful of matches that have been officially announced for "Strikeforce at the Mansion II," scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Riggs, who has fought from 170 pounds all the way up to heavyweight in his seven-year career, said the decision was made based on the way his 25-year-old body has developed.

"I'm going back to 170 because, for one, my body weight is just adjusted," Riggs said. "When I used to cut to 170 -- back when I fought Diego (Sanchez) and those guys -- it was a really, really tough cut. My body has adapted. Now it's easier."

Before making that drop to welterweight, Riggs must first fight a very tough Misaki. Riggs, who had an eight-fight stint in the UFC, believes the win is important to re-establishing himself among the world's elite.

"I'm at the point in my career where I want a big fight," Riggs said. "I need a big fight like that to push myself back into the top 10. Styles make fights, and this is a good style for me.

"[Misaki] likes to stand up and throw. He's more of a counter-fighter. I'm going to keep it on the feet. I'm going to press forward and keep going. He likes to rely on his speed, and I'm faster than he is. Technical-wise I'm better than I've ever been in my career."

Riggs, who has two fights remaining on his contract with Strikeforce, also hopes a win against such a noteworthy opponent could propel him to signing with a larger organization.

"The reason I want to fight somebody like Misaki more than a lesser opponent is because I'm not as young as I used to be," Riggs said. "I'm 25 (years old). I'm not old or anything. I'm just tired of stagnating.

"I want to jump back up there. When I leave Strikeforce I want to build up the momentum and carry that over to my next contract -- whoever that may be with. Like the UFC or something."

Riggs said he is open to the idea of returning to Strikeforce when his contract expires, but the desire to fight again on a grander scale is currently driving the Arizona resident to succeed on MMA's biggest stage.

"You never know," Riggs said. "I've got to weigh my options. Strikeforce is a cool company. I like (Strikeforce promoter) Scott Coker and those guys. They pay me good money. But I miss fighting on those (bigger) shows.

"I asked for my release from the UFC (in 2007), and they gave it to me. After that, sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I do miss fighting in the UFC."

While Riggs will have to wait to finalize any changes in his contract status, the decision to drop to 170 pounds has already been made.

"I'm going to be in the sport for many more years," Riggs said. "I'm only 25 (years old). I've got a decade left to go. Maybe when I do get older it might be hard to get that weight off me. I might go back to 185 (pounds) in later years. But for the next couple years to come, 170 (pounds) is definitely where I'll be at.

"I'm really excited. I can't wait to get going."

John Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.

Falaniko Vitale vs. Frank Trigg announced for Oct. 3 Strikeforce

Originally Posted by MMAjunkie.com

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Aug 15, 2008 at 10:14 am ET
UFC veteran and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" cast member Pete Spratt (18-4) has been booked for Strikeforce's Oct. 3 event at the Broomfield Event Center near Denver.

Strikeforce made the announcement late Thursday but did not reveal "The Secret Weapon's" opponent.

The organization also announced a Frank Trigg (16-6) vs. Falaniko Vitale (26-8) fight that MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported on Thursday, but as one fighter told us, the bout isn't a done deal.

"I plan to fight for Strikeforce on Oct. 3, but I don't want to commit and then not be able to fight," said Trigg, who said he's received -- but not signed -- a contract with Strikeforce. "I definitely want to fight, but I just don't want to make that promise and then not be able to compete because of an injury or something from [next week's] fight in Japan. ... I don't even want to talk about the October fight."

Trigg meets Makoto Takimoto (4-4) on Aug. 24 at World Victory Road's "Sengoku 4" event. It'll be Trigg's first fight in more than eight months.

"I won't even look at the contract until I get back from Japan because I want all of my focus to be on Makoto Takimoto," Trigg said.

Vitale is a nine-year veteran who's competed for the UFC, ICON Sport and many of the world's other top promotions. The Hawaiian won five of his past six fights -- the loss came to Trevor Prangley at a November 2007 Strikeforce event -- and he owns previous victories over the likes of Matt Lindland, Yushin Okami and Dave Menne.

Spratt, meanwhile, most recently suffered a second-round submission loss to John Alessio at a June boxing/MMA show in Las Vegas. Prior to the loss, Spratt had won three of four fights, which included victories over Jason Von Flue, Tristan Yunker and Anthony Waldburger.

For the latest on "Strikeforce: Payback," which features a main event of Colorado native Duane "Bang" Ludwig vs. Sammy Morgan, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Exclusive interview with Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate

By Alberto for UrDirt.blogspot.com

We were pumped this week when we got a text message asking us if we wanted to interview Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate (14-6). Many hardcore fans here and overseas know the very dangerous French Muay Thai striker from his days in Deep, Cage Rage, 2H2H and Pride. We got a chance to pick The Snake's mind about his thoughts on his fight tonight on Showtime with Jaime Fletcher (9-3), training with Team Quest and becoming an all around great mixed martial artist.

Your fighting Jaime Fletcher on ShoXC how do you feel you match up with him in this fight?
I have all the tools to beat him so I am pretty confident I will win this fight, and I will win this fight before the third round.

The fight is in California where Fletcher is the fan favorite how does it feel coming into a hostile environment?
I am used to it, I have traveled all over the world to fight always coming from the outside. It won't affect me much.

Are you still training with the Snake Team or Team Quest?
I'm still with the Snake Team, I was with Team Quest to help train with Dan Henderson for his fight against Anderson Silva. I am going to be going back and forth to train with him because it went well. I want to go back so I can personally improve on my wrestling, they are one of the best wrestling teams in the sport. I have one of my guys going down to train with Thierry Sokoudjou for his upcoming fight in the UFC.

Is there anything that you are training for in this fight in particular?
No I am still working on my weaknesses, my take down defense and grappling. I am always trying to put it all together.

You normally have fought in Japan and England what are the surprises and differences fighting here in the US for the first time?
I wasn't expecting the amount of press coverage it is getting now in the US. It has definitely come a long way in a couple of years its quite surprising to see how much attention you get when you are a MMA fighter here.

So is it actually surprising to see how much the press knows almost every detail about you?
Yeah, its quite amazing actually.

Is it the same in England and France walking around the streets do you get noticed by fans?
No, no, its really underground in France not really known about the UFC or Pride and stuff like that. So even when your a professional fighter in MMA all around the world, its not like you get calls from journalists.

You have not fought in over a year is there any particular reason why, did you need time off to heal or just take a break from the sport?
I needed better management, so the first step was to get a good manager. I think I have one of the best in Ken Pavia I signed with him last year and straight away he was giving me opportunity to come to the US. We took our time I had a injury, I broke my ankle. When I was preparing for my first fight in the US. After that I took some time to train with Team Quest headed back to France and I haven't stopped training since then.

Did the time off benefit you?
Yeah, definitely it gave me time to get my skill set and I am now looking forward to fighting to see what. To show people I have been working hard, who think I am just one dimensional and just a striker to expect more from me.

You have won 5 of your last 6 fights how far do you feel you are from fighting EliteXC's 205 pound fighters like Rafael Feijao?
Well it depends on what happens tomorrow if the ring rust has affected me and I don't think it has. I can be in there with the top 205er's in EliteXC so why not be in a title fight as soon as possible. So why not be in a title fight by the second fight. I have proved I can hang in there with the best fighters in the world, so why not have the title fight?

Any predictions for your fight?
I think I am going to win by Knockout fairly soon, maybe the first or second round.

Anything you would like to say to fans and supporters who have followed your career in England and Japan?
Thank you very much for all the support it means a lot being in France where the sport is not legal and underground. So we have not got a lot of support from other countries. Thank you very much for that.

You can watch Cyrille begin his road to a title shot with EliteXC tonight on Showtime's ShoXC Challenger Series, check your local listings for times. Thank you to Kenny, Cyrille and Sean for the interview we really appreciate it.

PRO MMA Exclusive: Cyrille Diabate - The Return of the Snake

by: Cory Brady

Cyrille “The Snake” Diabate will be making his United Staes debut on Friday night when he faces off with Jamie Fletcher at ShoXC live on Showtime. Diabate is no stranger to the big show. This native of Paris, France is a Pride FC, Cage Rage and DEEP veteran that has impressed many MMA insiders as being one of the best strikers in the game today. Taking some time off to develop a better rounded skill set, Diabate looks to showcase a new and improved version of The Snake on Friday and hopes to prove that he belongs with the best fighters that the 205 pound division has to offer. PRO MMA was able to catch up with Diabate recently to talk with him about his upcoming fight and what the future hold for The Snake.

PRO MMA: So you’re fighting this Friday night live on Showtime’s ShoXC series. What do you know about your opponent, Jamie Fletcher, and how do you feel you guys match up?
Cyrille: I’ve seen a couple of his fights. He’s a decent kickboxer and he’s got some grappling as well. I think I’m more experienced than him in kickboxing and grappling so I think that’s going to make the difference.

PRO MMA: Will you be looking to stand and bang with Fletcher or do you have a preference of where this fight ends up?
Cyrille: You know people see me as a one dimensional kickboxer so if it goes to the ground or I get a takedown I feel I can go for the submission or ground and pound him. I’ll do whatever, I’m not focused on one kind of win. If I can knock him out good, if I can submit him I’ll go for whatever.

PRO MMA: Who have you been training with for this fight?
Cyrille: After coming back from Team Quest in March I’ve just been training with my team in Paris, The Snake Team. I’ve got a couple of really talented fighters out there and even though they’re not really well known in the U.S. we’ve been making a name for ourselves in Europe so we have decent stuff over there.

PRO MMA: This will be the first time a lot of American fans have had the chance to see you in action, how important to you is it to put on a good performance on Friday night?
Cyrille: I’ve fought in Japan quite a few times, this is going to be my first mma bout in the U.S. You know mma is getting really big here so it’s very important to me to have a good showing and to show people an entertaining style. So that’s going to be my main objective, to win, but give people an entertaining fight.

PRO MMA: This will mark the first time you have fought in over a year, do you anticipate any ring rust going into this fight or is that not something that really concerns you?
Cyrille: I’ve had fights where there were long periods of time off in my career. Where I had a year or two off and I’ve always done well on my comeback fight. So I don’t think I’ll suffer from ring rust, I don’t think so.

PRO MMA: Many consider you one of the best pure strikers in mma, how has your ground game been coming along?
Cyrille: I’ve shown a couple of times that I can win by submission. People think of me as a pure kickboxer that has weaknesses in all different areas apart from kickboxing but that’s one of my objectives today, to show that I’m not one dimensional. I can wrestle and I can grapple as well so I’m looking to mix it up more in my future fights, that’s for sure.

PRO MMA: How many fights do you have on your EliteXC contract?
Cyrille: I have three fights and if I do well in those three fights I have three more. So three for now.

PRO MMA: Is fighting on CBS something that may be in your future?
Cyrille: Exactly, that’s my plan. This first fight on ShoXC is to get the public to know me better. If I have a good showing and I’m entertaining on Friday night I’ll go on to EliteXC and why not CBS.

PRO MMA: Who do you consider some of the top fighters in the world at 205?
Cyrille: Obviously Rampage, Forrest, you know all the top guys in the UFC right now are probably at the top of the pack. I think Shogun if he comes back from his injury and he’s motivated I think he could come back to the top as well. Sokodjou is an awesome fighter. There’s a couple of guys out there that could probably beat any one of the top five so it’s very difficult to choose a top fighter at 205 because it’s such a talented division. Any top ten guy could beat any other top ten guy so it’s very hard to say who’s the best.

PRO MMA: Which mixed martial artist impresses you the most with their striking abilities?
Cyrille: Definitely Anderson Silva. He’s precise, he doesn’t get hit when he’s standing. He’s very mobile and a very clever guy. Lyoto Machida as well. He’s a very tricky fighter, very nimble, very agile and a great counter puncher. So those two guys are probably the best strikers because they have the brains and they have the skills and they put them together very well.

PRO MMA: Who are some of the guys you may want to face in the future?
Cyrille: I’m just happy to be back in the cage fighting and looking forward to the future. I’ve been out a year and a half just improving on my skill set. I’m hoping to show people the new Snake, you know, the new skills. So I’m looking forward to my future fights. I don’t really have a specific opponent I want to face, I just want to show people who I am.

PRO MMA: So whoever they put in your way you’re going to take care of?
Cyrille: Yeah , exactly. If I prove myself and they put the top 205′ers in front of me, that’s the plan. I’m going to show that I belong with the best.

PRO MMA: So we can look forward to seeing the new and improved Cyrille Diabate on Friday night?
Cyrille: Exactly.

PRO MMA: Hey Cyril, thanks so much for your time, we really appreciate it. Are there any sponsors you’d like to thank before I let you go?
Cyrille: I’d like to thank MMA AGENTS, my manager Ken Pavia and all the guys from The Snake Team that helped me out with my training.

The MMA News Interview: Cyrille Diabate

Originally posted by the theMMAnews.com

With the upcoming ShoXC event scheduled for August 15 at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, Califorina just around the corner, The MMA News was lucky enough to have Cyrille Diabate give us a few moments of his time. Diabate(11-6-1) is scheduled to take on Jaime Fletcher(6-3-0) in what would be Diabate’s first MMA foray in North America and the 6′6″ international fighter is looking to come out strong.

When talking to Diabate most of the conversation turned towards his upcoming match with Fletcher, and how things would go down:

“I’ve seen a couple of his fights, he’s a tough guy and he comes to fight. I don’t expect an easy fight, but I think I’ve got too much experience for him. I’m tall, I’m mobile. He’s going to have a lot of problems getting me to the ground and if he wants to strike with me I’m a lot better at the striking. It doesn’t matter where the fight goes, whether it’s a quick win, or not. I can’t really say how I’m going to win, but I’m going to win. I just want an exciting match.”

Diabate has been appreciated by MMA hardcore fans for his ability to let his hands and legs fly, and his lean, tall build makes for interesting style match-ups. EliteXC is looking for big things from Diabate, and has signed him to a three fight agreement but the Frenchman isn’t looking past his first fight:

“I’m completely focused on this fight. I’m not taking it lightly. I’m confident but I’m going to be careful of what I do. I’m going to take my time, enjoy my time, and entertain. After that I look forward to fulfilling my contract and getting more acquainted with the public and….. have them get used to my style. I’m an exciting striker; I hope the fans will like my style.”

As with most MMA fighters, sponsorship is a big deal and Diabate was quick to thank Full Contact Fighter, RBP(Rolling Big Power), Lexani(Luxury Wheels), OTM(OTM Fight Shop) and Rockstar Energy Drink.

As always the MMA News asked Diabate to give final comments, both for his fans and his opponent Fletcher.

For the Fans: Thank you very much for all the support from the US. I haven’t fought here in MMA before but I’ve got a few fans here and it’s great to have the support. I hope the fights as entertaining as I like it to be.

Jaime Fletcher: Come prepared.

The MMA News, Interview.

Strikeforce makes Colorado debut on Oct. 3; Morgan vs. Ludwig, and Baroni booked

By Dann Stupp for MMAjunkie.com on Aug 13, 2008 at 2:00 pm ET

The California-based Strikeforce organization will continue its national expansion when it makes it Colorado debut on Oct. 3 for "Strikeforce: Payback."

The event takes place at the Broomfield Event Center near Denver, Colo., and airs on HDNet, Strikeforce Vice President Mike Afromowitz today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

In a featured bout, Duane Ludwig (16-8) gets his long-awaited rematch with Sammy Morgan (19-10), and Phil Baroni (12-10) and Frank Trigg (16-6) are also tentatively scheduled for the event.

The Colorado event will be just the second show Strikeforce has held outside California. The organization held an event, "Strikeforce at the Dome," in Washington earlier this year with a headline bout of Jan Nortje vs. Bob Sapp.

Ludwig and Morgan, both Strikeforce and UFC veterans, first met in April 2005 at a Ring of Fire event in Colorado. In the night's main event, Morgan scored a first-round, 52-second knockout of Ludwig.

Ludwig last fought in March at World Victory Road's debut show, where he suffered a first-round TKO to highly ranked lightweight Takanori Gomi. Morgan, meanwhile, has lost his past two fights, though the losses came to notables Cung Le and Paul Daley.

Baroni, who recently dropped to welterweight, is also expected to fight at the event. The UFC and PRIDE veteran has already fought four times in 2008 -- twice for ICON Sport and once for EliteXC and Cage Rage -- and he's slated to fight Sept. 26 for Palace Fighting Championships. With just one week between the PFC and Strikeforce events, it's unclear which one will take precedence.

Additionally, Trigg, who returns from an eight-month layoff next week at World Victory Road's "Sengoku 4" event, is tentatively scheduled for the Strikeforce event. However, the veteran fighter today told MMAjunkie.com that he has not yet signed a contract with Strikeforce and that the Oct. 3 bout depends on how he feels after his Aug. 24 bout with Makoto Takimoto.

"However, I would like to fight three times before the end of the year -- once next week for World Victory Road, Oct. 3 for Strikeforce, and then on New Year's Eve in Japan," he said.

Strikeforce will be the second major MMA organization to hold an event in Colorado this year. The UFC held its UFC Fight Night 13 event at the same venue on April 2.

For the latest on "Strikeforce: Payback," stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

ANTHONY JOHNSON: "FITCH FINISHED THAT FIGHT ON PURE HEART"

By Percy Crawford for FightHype.com | August 13, 2008

"Hopefully I can fight in October in Chicago; that's the one I would really like to get on. I think that's UFC 90. I want to fight there, but if they want me to fight on Spike TV, I'll fight there too...I will finish my next fight by knockout," stated UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson as he talked about his recovery from eye surgery and when he hopes to return to the Octagon. Check out what else he had to say as he talks more about the eye poke, St. Pierre's dominating win over Jon Fitch and much more.

PC: How is your eye doing my man?

AJ: It's doing good man. I go back to the doctor on the 27th. I don't have on the patch anymore and it's not as red as it was before so it's healing up pretty good. I still have stitches in it. I can feel them on my eyeball still and I can actually see them in the mirror, but it's coming along good.

PC: He got you pretty good in your eye. At the time of the incident, did you think it was this bad?

AJ: No, I didn't know. I had no idea. I knew he poked me in the eye and they said I had a cut on my eye, but I didn't know I would have to have surgery.

PC: You've pretty much had to operate using one eye only. What is your vision like right now and are the doctors saying you will have your full vision back?

AJ: Oh yeah. I will recover 100%. Right now though, it's like you say, I only got one good eye. It's coming along. I had bad eyesight anyway, but since I had that surgery, it's made my eye sight even better, but you know, we'll see.

PC: Did the doctors say if you will have any lingering affects from the eye poke?

AJ: No!

PC: You ran into Steve Mazagatti at a local fight. What was said at that encounter?

AJ: He just said he apologizes and as soon as he saw the replay, he knew he made the wrong call. I didn't hold it against Mazagatti because he was on the opposite side of the eye gauge; the last one. I don't have any hard feelings against Mazagatti. I knew if I was in his situation and had the angle he had, I would've made the exact same call. He was on the opposite side. The side that I actually blocked, which is my left side, he was on that side.

PC: Burns threw an uppercut that didn't land, but at first sight, I could see him thinking that was the shot that dropped you and there is no instant replay in MMA.

AJ: Yeah, he threw the uppercut and that's why I blocked with my left because I saw the uppercut coming from a mile away because he swings real wild so I knew he was coming with an uppercut and that's why I had my left hand up and I twisted my body a little bit to protect my chin from the uppercut and it left my eye wide open. He hit me with the eye gauge and it sent me back. If I was in Mazagatti's situation at the time of the fight, I would've made that same call.

PC: I read where people feel you should be pissed at the UFC, Mazagatti and Kevin Burns, but you told me you didn't see a need for that. Can you explain that a little more?

AJ: The UFC is just the organization that's hosting the fight. Mazagatti did his job. If he could, he would reverse the call, but he can't; that's in the rule books. Once an official makes a call, they can't reverse the decision. I wish he would've warned him earlier, besides just the one time, about poking me in the eye. I could be bitter against Kevin, but he did what he did. I ain't hating on him, but one day, we're gonna fight again and hopefully his hand will be fixed so he don't have an excuse. The next time we fight, I'm going to knock him out.

PC: I was going to ask you if you were over the Kevin Burns situation or would you still like a rematch?

AJ: I'm over it dog. I have been over it. In the interview…I watched the fight last night actually and he told Joe Rogan he's willing to fight me again. I'll fight him again, but it's really no point. I was beating him, but if he wants that rematch, then I'll give it to him. I won't say no to the man. I won't ever back down from somebody.

PC: You're going to the doctor on the 27th, but what's the timetable on you training again?

AJ: I'm actually starting back today even though I only got one eye. I might just be doing cardio and hitting the bag because I'm assed out on the contact end still, but we'll see. I'm hoping at the beginning of September, I will be able to get back in there and take a beating like I used to. Hopefully I can fight in October in Chicago; that's the one I would really like to get on. I think that's UFC 90. I want to fight there, but if they want me to fight on Spike TV, I'll fight there too. Spike TV has helped me out more than the PPV shows and all of that stuff so whichever one comes first.

PC: Do you have to go in front of the Commission or is this something that has to be resolved in court?

AJ: I know me and my managers at MMA Agents, Ken Pavia and those guys, have to go to a Vegas court and appeal it in front of a Commission I guess. I don't think it would be right to keep it as a loss on my record. I know a fight is a fight and things happen, but if you know you can't close your hand all of the way, why would you put another man's career at risk and fight anyway. We come to fight, not play patty cake, so if you can't close your hand, you shouldn't fight just to be fighting. Why fight?

PC: What has the reception been like for you when people see you out?

AJ: The fans have been so supportive. I was at the MMA Expo in Long Beach with my boys from MMA Jacked and Soldier Fight Gear and I was getting a lot of love. I didn't hear any negative comments. Even when I'm out around here in San Jose and Hayward, I have been getting a lot of love so I appreciate that.

PC: Great welterweight fight Saturday at UFC 87. What did you think of the GSP-Fitch fight?

AJ: Man, look, Fitch finished that fight on pure heart. I try not to be a nuthugger of any fighter, including myself, but Fitch has my respect. Everybody knows the talent and the type of raw athlete GSP is and Fitch could probably sense he wasn't on his level, but he finished the fight on heart. GSP has been putting guys away and he didn't put Fitch away. Fitch looked beat up after the fight, but he finished it and that says a lot. I give props to GSP for defending his title because he's never done that before. Serra ruined it for him last time and since that fight, it's like he's determined to lose. GSP has been where Fitch is before. When he lost to Matt Hughes, he came back, dominated Hughes and became a world champion. Fitch will probably be the same way. I think Fitch will be a champion some day. I look forward to being in the division with both of these guys man.

PC: As always my man, it's great to get a word with you. I'm glad to hear that your eye is healing on schedule. Anything you want to say to the fans that have been sending you get well wishes?

AJ: I want to thank everybody. My mom, my dad; to my fans, I'm sorry I couldn't finish the fight because of the eye poke, but I will finish my next fight by knockout. I want to give a shout out to my boys at MMA Jacked, Soldier Fight Gear, Tapout and RBG (Royal Blue Generations Kennels).

NEW EPISODE OF FULL CONTACT FIGHTER RADIO: JOE RIGGS

In this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, host Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and co-host Kelsey Mowatt share their thoughts on the results of UFC 87: Seek and Destroy. Then, Joe "Diesel" Riggs joins the show to talk about his fight against Kazuo Misaki, coming up soon at Strikeforce. Also, Riggs discusses why he hates Matt Hughes and runs down in disturbing detail the time he and Nick Diaz got into a fight at a hospital. You have to hear this one!


Parental discretion advised for strong language.

Check fcfradio.com to hear the full interview.

Jonathan Goulet: The Road Warrior

by Dorothy Willis for BleacherReport.com

I met a very polite and open young man on a fight site to which I belong. Okay, it is Fightbook, and I just love the people and the site because I have been able to communicate with some of my favorite fighters there and have made numerous friends in Canada.

This came after losing a lot of grey matter when I subjected myself to Sherdog by masquerading as a man. (No one on that site can accept the fact that a 63-year-old woman loves MMA. I mean, how ridiculous would that be, and what could such an old woman possibly know about the sport?)

Well, I retreated to much calmer and friendlier waters. The fighters who started the site have been so courteous to me that when I am not on Bleacher Report, Fightbook is my home. If anyone wants to find me there I have a very lovely page with lots of family pictures and blogs. Consider yourselves welcome to visit.

Most likely it has not escaped readers' attentions that I am all about asking questions. I asked David Loiseau if he liked the poem I had written for him and he was quite the gentleman when he reassured me that he did.

In a spontaneous moment of which I am not particularly proud, I asked young Mr. Goullet a very rude question which he could most understandably ignore. But just like his comrade David, he was completely polite and answered my question without criticizing me for my rudeness or resenting me for asking.

Consequently, we are friends on other sites as well now and I enjoy him so much that I feel like I have a newly adopted son—one who frequently confuses me by his fluency in French, since I am not. But he is not snubbing me, just over-estimating my intelligence, which certainly isn't a crime.

I may actually pick up a little bit of the French language in spite of myself—you never know with an old dog like me.

As I was saying, I really enjoy learning about Jonathan's fights, family, and life. He is an interesting and outgoing person, and just the kind of friend everyone would like to have.

So, as with my other favorite fight guys, I decided to write him a poem.



The Road Warrior

"The Road Warrior" sounds so romantic

For a young fighter displaying ads in his hair

In the ring where the action is frantic

He throws strikes that rip through the air.

In a tuxedo his image is handsome

Not of the fierce man in the ring

Deceptively warm and charming

Who can revert to a tiger-like thing

. And then when the fight is all over

And the referee raises his hand

A glimpse of the mischievous boy

Is revealed by the smile of the man.



Hopefully I won't have embarrassed Jonathan by publishing my sloppy sentiments. His is a friendship I value very much. Perhaps if I am around long enough I will finally meet him in person. And if I ever meet him, the first thing I will do is apologize for being such an annoying old lady.