UFC's Chris Lytle undergoes successful knee surgery, expected to be out six months
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
With no surprises or complications, UFC welterweight Chris Lytle today underwent successful knee surgery.
Lytle, who injured his knee while preparing for a UFC Fight Night 19 bout with Carlos Condit, was scratched from the Sept. 16 card earlier this week, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported.
Lytle underwent surgery near his home in Indianapolis. Doctors replaced his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and repaired his medial meniscus, his agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, today confirmed via text message.
Veteran welterweight Dennis Hallman returning to UFC, signs four-fight deal
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Twelve-plus-year veteran Dennis Hallman (41-12-2 MMA, 1-3 UFC) will soon fight in the UFC for the first time in more than four years.
The 34-year-old submission ace, who debuted for the UFC in December 2000 at "UFC 29: Defense of the Belts," recently signed a new four-fight deal with the world's largest MMA promotion.
Hallman's agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the new deal.
Perhaps best known for his two submission wins over former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes – which came in a combined time of 37 seconds – Hallman's UFC 29 win was his only victory in the UFC. The Washington native dropped decisions to Jorge Rivera and Jens Pulver and suffered a TKO loss to Frank Trigg in his other three UFC appearances.
Brad Blackburn signs new four-fight UFC deal, sidelined till early 2010 after shoulder surgery
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
After a 3-0 start in the organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has secured welterweight Brad Blackburn's services by offering the fighter a new four-fight deal.
Blackburn (15-9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who had one fight remaining on his previous deal, inked the new contract on Tuesday, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed with his agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com.
However, it's not all good news for Blackburn; recent shoulder surgery will keep the IFL veteran out of action until at least early 2010.
Blackburn recently underwent the knife for what was expected to be a minor surgery. However, his injury proved more severe than doctors first thought once surgeons began operating on the bothersome shoulder, and Blackburn will now be sidelined approximately six months while he heals.
MMAjunkie.com Radio will today be joined by MMAagents head Ken Pavia, as well as "The Sunday Junkie" winner, Bob Webb.
Pavia, whose management firm handles over 50 clients, will discuss a project close to his heart, the First Annual Ryan Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament, which takes place Aug. 11 at Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, Calif. Bob will also call in to discuss his opinion on why Fedor Emelianenko's recent signing with Strikeforce may have been a positive for the UFC.
Female mixed martial arts fighter, Erin Toughill, will have to wait a little longer to make her Strikeforce debut. Toughill was once slotted to compete on Strikeforce's August 15 card, but the organization's director of communications, Mike Afromowitz, confirmed with FanHouse on Thursday that she is only being reserved as an injury replacement in case Gina Carano or Cristiane Santos get injured prior to their 145-pound title bout scheduled for the same card.
Toughill (10-2-1) is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. According to her agent, Ken Pavia, she was offered a fight against Santos on Strikeforce's April 11 card, but wanted a little more time to train for it and had one fight left on her Palace Fighting Championship contract.
Toughill also has an 8-2-1 boxing career, although she hasn't boxed since 2006. Interestingly enough, she lost to Muhammad Ali's daughter, Laila Ali, in 2005 and fought Joe Frazier's daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, to a no contest in 2002. She also appeared on the second season of "American Gladiators" as "Steel."
Korean Media's Q&A with Super Agent Ken Pavia of MMAagents.com
1. please introduce yourself, and what you do. My name is Ken Pavia and I own www.MMAagents.com the preeminent Mixed Martial Arts Sports Agency. Our US staff including Attorney and Agent Nate Brodnax, Director of Fighter Endorsements Danny Lagafuaina, and Director of Fighter Compliance Julian Gregorio and our four interns represent 54 elite level MMA fighters. For a living we make dreams come true.
2.whats your relationship with john han and what are you & john planning to do? MMAagents has three international branches. Jon Han runs the Korean affiliate. We are very excited to have Jon and his brother as part of the team and are excited to be able to tap into the Korean MMA market. We look forward to working with Jon to bringing Korean fighters to the United States and to bring US televised fights into Korea.
3. how is it like to work as an mma agent worldwide? In 2008 our clients fought in 35 organizations in 8 countries. We have exceeded those numbers already this year. We are very excited to be a part of the international expansion of MMA and it is so rewarding to see fighter get to live their dreams and see other countries and cultures in the process. Despite living out of a suitcase, I really love what I do.
4.give me your best fight. favorite fighter and why. Asking me to choose a favorite fighter is like asking a father to choose a favorite son. But certain fights have given me very emotional responses. Justin McCullys victory over Antoni Hardonk moved me to tear because I had seen Just work as a training partner to Tito Ortiz and Ricco Rodriguez for years. That fight was his opportunity to shine. I also found myself in exuding emotion at fights which is out of character when Razor Rob fought Olaf Alfonso, Phil Baroni won with KOs in Pride, and most recently when Brett Rogers KOed The Pitbull.
5.are we going to see any korean fighter in the ufc or any other events near future? Well we already have Stun Gun, Dennis Kang, and Sexyama and that is a good start. They are representing their nation well. With their success I believe you will soon see Strikeforce and Bellator reaching into the Korean talent pool and the UFC will continue to scout there as well.
6. who do you have in your roster? (not everyone give us names everyone might know) Some of the bigger names as Martin Kampman, Chris Lytle, Anthony Johnson, Phil Baroni, Brett Rogers, Benji Radach, and James Thompson. Please visit out web site for the complete list.
7. heard you are very close to scott coker, ceo of strikeforce, and he is half korean. do you have any plan to have your korean fighter in that show? Scott is a very close friend. He would very much like to have Korean fighters on his show and has even talked about some day doing shows there. His mother is Korean and he was actually born there. He is very proud of his heritage.
8. i give you a word, express what you think of it in a word, or short sentence.
FEDOR- The greatest fighter who has ever lived, but he is ready to lose to a new star (hopefully Brett Rogers!)
DANA WHITE- Very confident and a pioneer of our sport.
TITO- The best at marketing an image that the US market has ever seen.
AKIYAMA(SEXYAMA)- Such a talented person. He will be very successful in the UFC.
UFC- The Gold Standard that all others strive to achieve.
KEN PAVIA- Dedicated to his clients and the sport. And he makes dreams come true… everyday.
9. any last words to korean mma fans? On behalf of MMAagents and in conjunction with Jon Han we are honored to help further the careers of Korean fighters. In the short time we have been involved with Korean MMA it has become evident that there is an enormous amount of talent and fan interest. It is our desire that our talents will be symbiotic and we will be able to bring value and entertainment to the Korean MMA community.
There was a proposed Pavia-Curty last year, but it was scrapped when the card was postponed. Will this fight ever happen? Here's an MMAHawaii.com Exclusive Interview w/Dirty Curty
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida slated for UFC 104 in Los Angeles
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
A bout between Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and fellow welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will take place in October at UFC 104.
A source close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.
UFC 104, which features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and airs on pay-per-view.
Johnson, who's posted back-to-back knockout victories over Luigi Fioravanti and Kevin Burns in his two most recent fights, had been slated to fight hard-hitting Matt Brown at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June. However, Johnson suffered a knee injury prior to the bout and was forced off the card.
Upon his return, the former JUCO national wrestling champion (Lassen Community College) will go for his fourth win in five fights and his fifth consecutive win via knockout.
SD- Erin, speak about your background in combat sports.
ET- I was an athlete my whole life. I started playing soccer at 4 years old then basketball, softball, all at very high levels throughout my adolescence. I started in BJJ with the Gi when I was about 18 or 19. I had been doing low level striking training before that. But I started getting VERY serious when I was about 21, and I had my first pro fight when I just turned 22, in 1999. So I found martial arts a little later in life, but I started fighting way before it was the "cool thing" to do...like it seems to be why people fight today.
SD- When did you start training for MMA specifically
ET- When I was 21. I never knew women did MMA. I was going to kickbox but overseas it was a big thing for women. So my career started there & I never looked back. SD- How has your family reacted to you being a fighter?
ET-My family always, always supported me. My Dad didn't like that his little girl was getting punched in the face lol but he knew I was a go-getter and if I was going to fight, it was so I could be the best. He knew my dedication and he respected that. My mom typically goes to all my fights. My sister and Dad were my biggest fans, and although they're not here physically anymore, their spirits are always with me, pushing me to be the best.
********
SD- Thank you Erin. We will continue to monitor your career and look forward to the event on August 15th.
ET- I wanted to thank Neil Melanson and my sponsor, Cage Fighter. Of course MMA Agents and all the boys who work with Ken Pavia and Nate Brodnax. I am just trying to get the casual fan to know me, and I hope I can prove women can bring a great deal to this sport. Go to www.erintoughill.com and myspace.com/erintoughill for info on me.
Fighters Forever Banned From The UFC For Being In EA Sports MMA?
Originally posted on MMAconvert.com
I hate to post anything that originates on a message board, but apparently the source is legit and Ken Pavia confirmed it, so here it goes…
According to user Golden Boy on the UG, the UFC is threatening to forever ban any fighters who sign to be in EA Sports MMA.
I hear that all mma managers were informed that if any of their clients not currently under contract with the UFC….. sign to be a part of the EA game…….the will forever be banned for fighting in the UFC.
MMA agent Ken Pavia:
It’s true. And they told me want the word out.
At this point, this is just a rumor, but if Pavia’s right, it sounds like we’ll be hearing confirmation soon.
Chris Lytle's post-UFC career could include political run in Indiana
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Fulltime firefighter, professional boxer, star mixed-martial-arts fighter, devoted family man.
Could Renaissance Man and UFC welterweight Chris Lytle's list of job responsibilities soon include rookie politician?
On Monday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), the longtime fighter mentioned interest in entering the political ring once his career in the cage runs its course.
"I've been talking to some people in my state about it, trying to use whatever popularity I have from my name to help me run for some sort of political office," Lytle said.
Lytle, a fan favorite who's stand-and-bang style and no-nonsense interviews have earned him a home in the UFC for nearly a decade, joked about another qualification.
"I can lie with the best of them, my friend," Lytle joked.
Lytle wouldn't be the first well-known MMA fighter to make a run at office. Late last year, former U.S. Olympic wrestler and veteran MMA fighter Matt Lindland won the Republic primary for the Oregon House of Representatives 52nd district by a solid 14 percentage points. However, he fell short to a Democratic candidate in the general election by 16 points.
One Lytle supporter is already making the pitch.
"He could launch his (political) career using the UFC name recognition and obviously using his talents to get him into the office," said Lytle's agent, Ken Pavia. "I think he'd be a great politician."
MMAjunkie.com Radio: TUF9 Finale's Chris Lytle and agent Ken Pavia (in studio), TSJ winner
Chris Lytle, who defeated Kevin Burns at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in a co-"Fight of the Night" bout, is an in-studio guest with his agent, Ken Pavia, on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.
Also slated as a guest is "GP," whose winning entry for The Sunday Junkie focused on "The Ultimate Fighter 9."
Lyle Beerbohm's called shot at Strikeforce just latest chapter in unusual story
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
With a nickname like "Fancy Pants," it's fairly easy to conclude that Lyle Beerbohm (10-0) is not your typical fighter.
At Friday night's "Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg," Beerbohm added another chapter to his quickly growing legend, borrowing a page from baseball history.
Reminiscent of Babe Ruth's pointing to centerfield, Beerbohm picked a finishing move before his preliminary card fight began, then went out and did it, choking out Duane Ludwig (18-9) with a schoolyard choke at 4:27 of the first-round.
The move was actually in answer to a challenge by Beerbohm's equally colorful manager, Ken Pavia, issued while the two talked backstage before the fights.
"I was acting cocky backstage, and I told [Pavia] to name the finishing move," Beerbohm told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following the bout.
Pavia said he originally suggested a head kick, but then settled on the schoolyard choke after Beerbohm declared the original suggestion to vanilla.
"I picked that move because it was hard to pull off," Pavia said. "You never see that."
Unfortunately for Pavia, he happened to request his client's specialty in the gym – so much so that "Fancy Pants" himself calls it "The Beerbohm Choke."
"If Pavia would have said something else, I would have been in trouble," Beerbohm said. "But it was perfect for me."
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic’s sudden UFC return brought a hero’s welcome from hundreds of Croatian fans perched in Lanxess Arena. The UFC 99 bout’s ending and aftermath were a different story.
In real time, Cro Cop hurt opponent Mustapha Al-Turk with a punch and finished him off against the cage. But after referee Dan Mirgliotta waved the bout off, a replay revealed an inadvertent eye poke had taken Al-Turk out of the game.
Al-Turk’s manager, Ken Pavia, told Fighters Only he would contest the decision.
“We are going to appeal that. We don't think it's right that it should be a TKO,” said Pavia. “The referee should have got onto the eye poke. Look at Henderson vs. Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin. Franklin got a timeout when he got eye-poked.”
UFC drops middleweight Xavier "Professor X" Foupa-Pokam after back-to-back losses
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Xavier Foupa-Pokam, who signed with the UFC earlier this year and went 0-2 in a one-month span, has been released by the organization.
His agent, Ken Pavia, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the fighter's release from the UFC's roster of middleweight fighters.
The French fighter, a kickboxer better known by his nickname of "Professor X," dropped to 20-11 with the two losses.
Foupa-Pokam first joined the UFC in January when he agreed to meet notable Denis Kang at UFC 97. Facing a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was a tough test for Foupa-Pokam, who is primarily a stand-up fighter. Foupa-Pokam ultimately suffered a unanimous decision loss, but it was only the fifth time in 32 professional victories that an opponent took Kang, a former Spirit MC champion and PRIDE veteran, to a decision.
Despite the three-round fight, Foupa-Pokam agreed to fight again for the UFC just five weeks later at UFC 98. On just three weeks' notice, he replaced an injured James Irvin and suffered a 37-second TKO loss to Drew McFedries. (Foupa-Pokam initially protested the stoppage despite the significant damage he incurred during the fight.)
Pavia said he was initially going to fight to keep Foupa-Pokam in the UFC, but after speaking with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, he realized the fighter's best option would probably be a clean break from the organization.
"I started to request to keep him under contract to the UFC and maybe take some fights outside the organization, but [Silva] reminded me that it's very restrictive with what they allow outside the UFC and that it's probably in a fighter's best interest to be released and to take fights with no restrictions," Pavia said. "The UFC is booking fights six months in advance, so he could have been on the sidelines for a long time. Additionally, even the worst fighter in the UFC is a great fighter, so he'd have a very tough fight when what he really needs is a chance to regain his confidence."
Martin Kampmann vs. TJ Grant In Works For TUF 9 Finale
Originally posted on MMAnews.com
Fresh off his UFC debut on April 18th in Montreal Canada with a win over Ryo Chonan, newcomer TJ Grant will return to action on June 20th at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV and his rumored opponent is Martin Kampmann.
Grant confirmed the bout via his facebook page earlier today while Kampmann's agent, Ken Pavia confirmed the bout was in the works with MMANews.com hours later.
Kampmann is coming off a win of his own, defeating Carlos Condit via a split decision in early April to spoil the WEC stand out's debut in the big show. Both fighters would take Fight of the Night honors that evening.
