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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

MMAjunkie.com Radio: MMAagents head Ken Pavia

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.

Catch MMAjunkie.com Radio Monday-Friday at 12:05 p.m. EST (9:05 a.m. PST) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch the show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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.

Your chance to do live radio with the stars of the UFC

Courtesy of Steve Cofield
One of the real class guys in the fight media, Al Bernstein (pictured with 2008 host Floyd Mayweather Jr.) is rolling out his 24-hour talk show to benefit The Caring Place of Nevada. The "longest radio show ever" takes place on July 24th and 25th and honors Nevada's Sportsman of the Year. For 2009, it's UFC president Dana White.

Whether you live in Las Vegas or can be in Sin City that weekend, it's your chance to bid on a hour of radio with the stars of the UFC and the Las Vegas media. The donation is tax deductable and 100-percent of the proceeds go The Caring Place, which is a cancer assistance charity:

To support, educate and empower individuals, children and families on their journey with cancer, in order to enhance their quality of life. The Caring Place provides FREE programs and services designed to complement conventional cancer treatments.
The 24-hours of radio will be broadcasted on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas. Bidding can be done at ESPN1100.com through this Friday July 17th.

Here is the schedule:
10 a.m. - Al Bernstein - Showtime Boxing
11 a.m. - Forrest Griffin - UFC
Noon - UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger and former coach Charlie Spoonhour
1 p.m. - Stephan Bonnar - UFC
2 p.m. - Amir Sadollah - UFC
3 p.m. - Brandon Vera - UFC
4 p.m. - Randy Couture - UFC
5 p.m. - Chuck Liddell - UFC
6 p.m. - Dana White and Kevin Iole Yahoo! Sports - UFC
7 p.m. - Rashad Evans - UFC
8 p.m. - Matt Serra - UFC
9 p.m. - Arianny Celeste - UFC Octagon Girl
10 p.m. - Carlota (KOMP 92.3) and Steph (97.1 The Point)
11 p.m. - Brian Blessing FoxSportsRadio 920
Midnight - Jason Feinberg and Lorraine Blanco FOX 5 Las Vegas
1 a.m. - Las Vegas TV sports anchors
2 a.m. - Fantasy Girls Luxor
3 a.m. - Ball Park Frank FoxSportsRadio 920
4 a.m. - Mitch Moss ESPNRadio1100
5 a.m. - Mitch Moss and Johnny Salami (KOMP 92.3)
6 a.m. - TBA
7 a.m. - Mike Hamrick, UNLV AD and football p-by-p voice Dave McCann
8 a.m. - Mike Swick
9 a.m. - Al Bernstein

The Triangle Choke: Erin Toughill Interview

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.

Click here to read the entire article

Exclusive Interview With Dennis Hallman

Originally posted on MMArising.com

In an exclusive interview with MMARising.com, two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis "Superman" Hallman discusses his fights with Hughes, his UFC title bout, which fighters he would most like to face and why he'd like to return to the UFC.

A head trainer at the respected Victory Athletics camp in Washington, Hallman works with many of the sport's future stars and guides them with his 12 years of experience in MMA. He has competed against many of the biggest names in the sport during his storied career, including a pair of quick and dominant victories over long-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. Now refocused and hungry to compete for another major title, Hallman discusses his plans as he looks ahead.


MMARising.com: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Dennis. To begin, can you provide a bit of background information on yourself and when you first took an interest in competing in mixed martial arts?

Dennis Hallman: I have wrestled since I was 8 years old. I wrestled through high school and won the Washington State 135-pound title in my Senior year. I decided to wrestle at a local community college, but during the preseason training, I broke my leg. The injury sidelined me for the season. December (1995) came and I was healing up from the injury. A guy that attended my high school was sending tapes to Battlecade to get on their show. Being that I was a well-known wrestler in my small city, the guy called and asked if I would fight him.

I was confused, but after a little explaining, I agreed to fight the guy. I won our match by guillotine in 30 seconds. The guy was frustrated with the loss but convinced me that, if I trained a little, I would be good. Three weeks later, I competed in my first exhibition match. I had my first sanctioned "Pankration" match on May 18th, 1996 at a Matt Hume show in Kirkland. I defeated a Japanese guy that was training with Hume at the time.



MMARising.com: Newer fans to MMA may not be familiar with your career, but your 41-12-2, 1 NC record includes fights with many of the sport's top fighters. Still just 33 years old, do you feel that you can make a run at another major title in the future?

Dennis: I have been fighting for a long time and have a lot of experience. I think that, with the right fights, I can re-establish myself as a top contender and maybe get a shot at a title.



MMARising.com: Your nickname, "Superman," has been with you for most of your career. When did people first start calling you that and what initially sparked the name?

Dennis: When I was an amateur, I used to have a lucky sweater that I wore before each fight. A local promoter by the name of Aric Wiseman was promoting an amateur event and put my photo on his event poster with my name simply written as "Superman." I have carried the name ever since.



MMARising.com: While you have battled many of the best, you are still most famous for scoring two victories over long-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes, in a combined total of just 37 seconds. Hypothetically, if you were to face Hughes again, now almost ten years later, would you expect a similar outcome?

Dennis: I will beat Hughes every time we fight. He can never beat me.



MMARising.com: Was there ever any animosity between Hughes and yourself, or was it simply a matter of proving that you were the better fighter?

Dennis: I had no problem with Hughes until he wrote snide comments about me in his book. I mean, what a whiner. He should just accept that he had his ass handed to him and move on.

*********

MMARising.com: Do you have any final comments or shout-outs to sponsors or fans?

Dennis: Thanks to Vicious Fight Gear, MMA Agents, Suplay.com, kirkwhitewrestling.com, Eric Herrholz and Fight.tv. May God Bless everyone.

Click here to read the entire article on MMArising.com

PRO MMA exclusive interview with King of the Cage heavyweight Liron Wilson

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

PRO MMA: How long have you been with MMA Agents and have you noticed a difference since being with them?
LIRON: Just a couple of months now. Yeah, stuff just keeps popping up. The TUF tryouts popped up, this fight popped up, another fight might pop up in a couple of weeks. I mean stuff just starts coming in more and more, faster. So a big thanks to those guys.

PRO MMA: How important is it for a professional fighter to have a manager?
LIRON: If you have the right manager, it’s a great opportunity. If he has the same goals you have, it’s great. If he has other goals than you, there might be problems. I’ve seen it happen in the gym a lot. You have to sit down and talk and make sure you are on the same page when you pick a manager or agent and everything should be great, cause you’ve gotta have the same goals and set the same standards and that’s what you both want. But when you both have different ways of thinking about things, there will be problems between you and the manager.

PRO MMA: I wish you the best of luck in your fight Saturday night. Do you have any final words you want to share or do you want to thank anyone?
LIRON: Yeah, I would like to thank Phil from Cold Forged for sponsoring me, also Mike from Booyaa for getting me this fight and for sponsoring me. I’d like to think Jason, Nate, and all the guys at MMA Agents, all the guys at Millennia MMA who help me train, Matt Durant at the University of La Verne who is my strength and conditioning coach, and anybody else who has helped me out over the years…Logan, everybody.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info.

Aaron Tru with Ken Pavia: Female MMA Tate, Toughill

UFC 98 Spotlight: Xavier Foupa-Pokam “Professor X” - PRO MMA exclusive interview

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

On April 18, 2009 an ominous Xavier Foupa-Pokam entered the UFC cage for the first time and battled veteran Denis Kang to a decision. On May 23 Xavier Foupa-Pokam, better known as “Professor X”, will make his second appearance inside the Octagon as he takes on Drew McFedries at UFC 98 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

26-year-old Snake Team member “Professor X” is an extremely athletic 6′1″ middleweight from France; a Cage Rage veteran and muay-thai specialist who is also dangerous on the ground. He carries a professional MMA record of 20-9 with 11 (T)KOs and 7 submissions. Rarely will you see a “Professor X” fight go to decision. In 2007 he appeared on the History Channel’s “The Human Weapon” as a Savate instructor.

PRO MMA (promma.info) recently had the opportunity to speak with the Professor about a number of topics including his opinion of his UFC debut performance, his upcoming fight at UFC 98, the Snake Team, MMA in France, the origin of his nickname, the UFC Middleweight Champ, his future, and more. PRO MMA (promma.info) proudly presents the mysterious “Professor X.”

PRO MMA: Xavier, thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at PRO MMA (promma.info). How are you doing and how are your preparations coming along for your upcoming fight at UFC 98 against Drew McFedries?
XAVIER: I’m doing very good. I’m still very disappointed of my last fight, so I’m looking forward to this next one to do a better job.

PRO MMA: Have you seen many of Drew McFedries’ fights; what is your opinion of his skill and how do you see yourself matching up with him?
XAVIER: I’ve watched some of his fights. He’s a tough guy with heavy hands. But my boxing is faster, more precise and less predictable than his. And if he tries and takes me down, I’ll submit him.

*********

RO MMA: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans and would you like to thank any sponsors?
XAVIER: To my fans, I’d like to say that my last fight was an accident. Just wait and watch the next one. It’s just the beginning of a very long story… I want to thank my manager Ken Pavia and all his MMAagents team. They do a very good job for me. I also want to thank Cyrille Diabate, my trainer, for all he’s doing for me every day and all my guys from the Snake Team; especially Jimmy Riah and Olivier Ancely, our physical conditioners. I want to thank all the guys of the Sankuno; and specially David Pierre-Louis. I also want to thank all my guys from the Team Quest; Dan Henderson, Thierry Sokoudjou Reameau, Kristoph Sozinsky, Jason “Mahyem” Miller, Heith Sims, Lew Polly, Pantcho and all of you guys. Then, I also want to thank the Private Coach centers, Serious Pimp, Hayabusa and Karl Kany for supporting me.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

MMA Agents to hold charity golf tournament on Aug. 11 to benefit the Ryan Bennett Foundation

Originally posted on FiveOuncesofPain.com

MMA is a very political industry with its fair share of cliques. However, there is a cause that never fails to bring unity to the MMA community, and that is the memory of the late Ryan Bennett.
Bennett died tragically in a car accident on May 31, 2006 at the age of 36, leaving wife Tonya and four children behind.

A professional sportscaster who worked for several local NBC affiliates and hosted talks shows on sports radio stations such as ESPN 1280 and Sports Radio 570, Bennett is most familiar to MMA fans as the co-founder of MMAWeekly.com and as a former UFC announcer.

On Aug. 11, Ken Pavia’s MMAagents fighter agency will hold its first-ever charity golf tournament at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana,Calif. And Pavia’s agency has chosen a worthy cause for its maiden voyage as proceeds will be donated the Ryan Bennett Foundation.

“Ken has always had tremendous admiration for Ryan Bennett,” said MMAagents Associate Jason House, who is helping organize the event. “They were good friend and Ryan had a tremendous impact on the industry… He was beloved by fighters, promoters, and the entire industry.”

Click here to read the entire article at FiveOuncesofPain.com

Anthony Johnson Interview

Originally posted on MMAbay.co.uk

Hi Anthony,

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions:

MMABay - Ok, so you were last in action in February, defeating Luigi Fiorivanti in the first round. Can you tell us how you felt the fight went for you that night?

Anthony - The fight was ok, it was pretty good, but he had a pretty good game plan, he stayed out of my reach pretty good and I really couldn’t hit him solid like I wanted to. But I still got the result I wanted but not the way I wanted it.

MMABay - Your striking has improved massively over the past year, do you put that down to training with the likes of Cung Le?

Anthony - Cung is helping me out a lot with my striking, my kicks. Overall the whole team and my coaching staff have helped me improve 100%. I still have a lot of improving to do but from the time I first got involved with mixed martial arts to now, improvement with my overall skills has come up tremendously.

MMABay - Many people won’t know this but you did try out for season six of the ultimate fighter, why were you not on the show?

Anthony - I think in my opinion it was just my size overall, they thought I couldn’t make the weight. They didn’t want to embarrass themselves, me and the sport with me not making weight for the show. I don’t think want another repeat of what Gabe Reudiger did and embarrass the show like that. I think they made a good decision.

MMABay - Your next fight is against Matt Brown in what could be one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Do you have a strategy to deal with the type of aggression?

Anthony - I just do my thing and I’m sure Matt is gonna do his thing. I mean my strategy is to just go in there and win and that’s what I plan on doing. I mean I’m me, I’m not really trying to change. I’m trying to improve but not really try to change my thing with my kicks and my striking and my wrestling, I’m not trying to change any of that but I’m just trying to get it better. I’m still gonna kick and punch and do my take downs whenever I want to.

MMABay - Were you impressed by his performance last time out against Pete Sell?

Anthony - Matt keeps improving. He’s one of the fighters I can say keeps improving every time he steps in the ring. His striking has got better his kicks have got better. Matt is tough so I take nothing away from the man I actually like him. He’s aggressive and he makes this sport look good and he shows what hard work and dedication can do for you. It makes you a better person; it makes you a better fighter.

**********

MMABay - Are there any sponsors you would like to mention before we wrap it up?

Anthony - Yeah, I'd like to thank Tapout, Knox, my agent Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, my team and Cung Le, Josh Thompson and my coach Arron Marravella and Triple X Racing Fuel and anyone whos just supported me and I'd ven like to thank you guys for hitting me up for this interview.

MMABay - Thanks again Anthony

Click here to read the entire interview at MMAbay.com

Ryan Bennett Golf Benefit Being Held

Originally posted on MMApayout.com

A charity golf tournament on Aug. 11, at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, Calif has been organized as a benefit for the Ryan Bennett Foundation. Ken Pavia’s MMA Agents agency are organizing the benefit and you can learn more about the event by visitng the website at http://mmaagents.com/golf.php

Bennett was known in the MMA world for being a co-founder of the MMA Weekly website as well as with his announcing duties with the UFC. Ryan Bennett died May 31, 2006, and left behind a wife and four children. The Ryan Bennett foundation was started to help support his children.

Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Pat Miletich, Mark Coleman, and Dan Henderson are among the multitude of names that have committed to the event. The wide range of people and personalities looking to contribute to the event are a testament to how highly Bennett was thought of in the MMA community. Bennett was a widely respected and much loved figure in the MMA community and the MMA world lost one if its best with his passing. Please help the cause if possible.

Click here to read the entire article at MMApayout.com

Brett Rogers Interview: On Overeem, Werdum, more

Originally posted on MMAfighting.com

"I'm definitely first and foremost trying to hurt you."- Brett Rogers

Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers is one big man. Along with this, he's had to cut weight to get to the heavyweight maximum before every one of his nine victories (all of which came by way of stoppage). In the end, if this undefeated fighter were just big, fighting him wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately for would-be opponents, Rogers is also a very heavy hitter that showed some takedown defense capabilities in his last fight.

Bad news for all those guys hoping to defeat him with jiu jitsu.

So coming off of his ninth consecutive professional MMA victory, MMAFighting.com's Robert Rousseau got the chance to ask Rogers about his recent battle with Abongo Humphrey, the possibility of fighting Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum, and more. And you won't want to miss his responses.

MMAFighting.com: How are you feeling since the Humphrey fight?

Brett Rogers: You know what, I'm feeling good. No injuries or anything like that. I'm moving on for the next one.

MMAFighting.com: Did that fight go down how you thought it might?

Brett Rogers: Yeah, actually it did. I knew Abongo wasn't going to be somebody just to walk in punch one time and fall down. I definitely respected him as a fighter, you know. As far as everything else goes, the outcome was as expected. I just wasn't expecting it to go into the second round.

MMAFighting.com: You lost a point for hair pulling somewhere in there. What went down to cause that? Was it just that his hair was so long?

Brett Rogers: His hair was long and thick. I have some big fingers, and it's just like a comb, you know? You start using the comb, you're going to pull the hair a little bit, right? It was a bad situation. . .

It's just kind of motivated me even more to knock him out. . .Plenty of situations where a guy in a fight loses a point and it costs him at the end. So I wasn't trying to have that happen.

**********

MMAFighting.com: Anything else you'd like to say to fans? Anything else coming up for you?

Brett Rogers: Put it to you like this, anybody that's out there listening that's gonna try to tangle with me, please believe I'm coming to grab you. I'm not in the game to be around, hang with celebrities and all that there. I'm coming out there to put on a show. I'm definitely first and foremost trying to hurt you. If you don't come in there with your A-game on, might as well sit down, lay down, pretend that you're dead, one of the two. Also, I'm gonna thank Mike Reilly, MMA Agents, Tapout, they've definitely been helping me out. VAS, MRO, thank you much.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAfighting.com

Never has beauty been so dangerous - PRO MMA exclusive with Erin Toughill

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

ina Carano may have been dubbed “the face of women’s MMA” and she gets a lot of attention because of her talent and let’s face it, her looks. Props to her for taking advantage of the opportunities set before her and achieving all she has. However, there are other female MMA fighters who have more experience than Gina, are easily just as pretty, but have not yet garnered the same amount of publicity.

MMA is still young, and as the sport progresses, more of these women who have paved the way and paid their dues will also start to get more recognition. One such lady is Erin Toughill. She is a fighter, MMA trainer, artist, fitness model, and works with charities.

Erin’s first professional fight on record was a Vale Tudo match in Aruba in 1999. Her record now stands at 9-2-1 and she has fought all over the world. She is currently on a three fight win streak and is coming off a first round knockout of Karen Williams at Palace Fighting Championship in February.

Erin is deep in training for her upcoming fight, but thankfully took a few minutes to speak with us at PRO MMA (promma.info) about a number of topics including how she matches up with her undefeated opponent, the current state of women’s MMA, her opinion on Gina and Cyborg, Cyborg’s female problems, and more.

Never has beauty been so dangerous, we give to you Ms. Erin Toughill…

PRO MMA: Hello Erin, thank you for taking the time to speak with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). How are things with you?
ERIN: Really well. I am just focusing on my May 8th fight for the PFC (Palace Fighting Championship).

PRO MMA: I know you have been involved with MMA and combat sports for a long time now. You are a real veteran of the sport and yet you are only 31-years-old, is that correct?
ERIN: Lol, Yes. I had my first pro fight when I just turned 22, in Sept 1999.. As of Sept 2009, I will have been pro for ten years. In June, I turn 32. I would not change it for the world. And the Erin now would beat the crap out of the Erin back then lol.

************

PRO MMA: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). Is there anything we left out you would like to discuss? Any final thoughts? Words of wisdom? - Would you like to thank any sponsors or send a shout out to anyone?
ERIN: There are two motto’s I will always stand by: “Hard Work Pays Off” and “Excellence is Always Rewarded”. I have worked really hard to get where I am, and each year I try to better myself as a person and as a fighter. I believe in giving people the best you have to offer, and the best rewards will come back ten fold. The same goes with the opposite. I fully believe in karma. Thank you so much and please stop by www.erintoughill.com to see what’s new with me. Id like to thank MMA Agents and Palace Fighting Championship for believing in me. Thank you to fans and friends and the people I train with.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

PRO MMA rising star: Kyle Dietz

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

Kyle Dietz is a 22-year-old young man who grew up in Iowa and is living his dream. No, he did not win as a contestant on American Idol and he is not a well-known actor reaping the benefits of fame and fortune.

Kyle Dietz is an undefeated professional mixed martial arts fighter who has finished his last four opponents in the first round with a combined total time of under six minutes. He has fought in the “Extreme Challenge” and “Courage Fighting Championshps” organizations and is currently teaching out of Spencer Fisher’s new Evolution Gym in Moline, Illinois.

He is living the dream of making a living as a professional athlete. Sure, he has not received a multi-million dollar Gatorade endorsement or fought for a UFC Title…yet. But there are whispers a WEC contract could be in his near future and he is definitely in the right camp and has the right people behind him to make things happen. It is for all these reasons Kyle Dietz was our pick for the “PRO MMA (promma.info) Rising Star of the Month.”

PRO MMA: You train out of Spencer Fisher’s camp is that right?
KYLE: Yeah, I used to be at Miletich Fighting Systems but Spencer Fisher just opened his own gym so I’m teaching and training there now.

PRO MMA: What is the name of Spencer’s new gym and where is it located?
KYLE: Evolution MMA in Moline, Illionois.

PRO MMA: Where are you from Kyle?
KYLE: I’m from Davenport, Iowa.

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PRO MMA: How do you think you match up with Miguel Torres?
KYLE: I think stand up wise it will be great, it’ll be a great fight. On the ground he’s a black belt, he’s been on the ground a lot longer than I have. That’s probably where I need the most work. If it was standing up, I think it would be great, it would be a great muay thai match, stand up kickboxing, boxing, I think that would be a great match. We’re both aggressive. We both like to mix it up I would say. Training with Spencer, he teaches a lot of combos normally you wouldn’t see. So I think it would be a great match up.

PRO MMA: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). Do you have any sponsors you would like to thank?
KYLE: I want to thank Hitman Fight Gear, Bodybag MMA, Iceman RX, Cageside MMA, and MMA Agents.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

Martin Kampmann: Fight Hype Interview

Originally posted on FightHype.com

"I'm glad I won, but I feel like there are a lot of things I could have done a lot better, but I wanted a more exciting fight. I'm happy the victory went my way, but there's a lot more I could have done. It just gives me more stuff to go back to the gym to work on," stated UFC welterweight Martin Kampmann as he talked about his win over Carlos Condit, his future plans and much more. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on the win over Carlos Condit.

MK: Thanks!

PC: How do you feel about your performance my man?

MK: I'm glad I won, but I feel like there are a lot of things I could have done a lot better, but I wanted a more exciting fight. I'm happy the victory went my way, but there's a lot more I could have done. It just gives me more stuff to go back to the gym to work on.

PC: How is the weight cut to 170? You looked very comfortable at that weight.

MK: The weight cut is very easy. I'm still coming in kind of light for 70, so I'm working on putting more muscle on and getting used to fighting heavy. I'm not used to cutting weight. I'm still kind of new to it, so I'm learning all of the proper ways to do it still and I should have it down to a science this year.

PC: Condit was a top 10 welterweight, but we hadn't seen him in the UFC before your fight with him. Were you surprised at how tough he was?

MK: I knew he was tough. I was expecting a war. Like I said though man, it was a lot of stuff that I wanted to do differently. I didn't think my standup was all that well in that fight. I had been working on my wrestling a lot too and that worked well for me, so I was happy about that. I wanted to finish the fight and win decisively. I didn't want to win a split decision, even though that's a way to win and I'm happy it went my way. If we were to fight again, there is a lot of stuff that I would correct. We learn from our mistakes right?

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PC: Great fight. I thought you did what you had to do to pull it off in the 3rd. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

MK: I want to thank all of the fans for supporting me. I want to thank Hitman Fight Gear, MMA Agents and Xtreme Couture, and you for taking the time to speak with me.

Click here to read the entire article at FightHype.com

Erin Toughill Part II: ‘Be prepared to be hit, and hit hard’

Originally posted on fiveouncesofpain.com

Once widely respected as one of the best female mixed martial artists and professional boxers at the same time, Erin Toughill has recently rebounded from a two year retirement stint in MMA and expects to cause some serious shock waves in the not so distant future of Strikeforce’s female division.

Much like most of the other mixed martial arts fans that happened to follow the sport way back in 1999, Toughill had no clue that there were actually other females out there that were involved with this type of thing. A true pioneer of female mixed martial arts in very sense of the word, Toughill jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself.

“I actually was not aware women even did MMA,” revealed Toughill in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “I had been watching the UFC from its first show, and thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. I met my first Trainer, Sean McCully, through mutual friends. At eighteen, I had gotten into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but trained with Sean on and off for a while after. He saw something in me and asked if I wanted to fight. I figured I’d be doing KickBoxing, but he asked me to participate in an MMA fight in Aruba when I was barely twenty two. I said, “What the hell!” And it unrolled from there.”

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“I will be signing with Strikeforce this summer and we will see what unfolds. Whether it’s Gina, Cyborg or anyone else, I take no one lightly. When I first started, because of how I looked, people took me lightly. And then when I beat them, they probably thought different. You never know what a person will bring to the ring, but you need to be prepared no matter who it is.”
“I would like to Thank Ken Pavia and the rest of the boys at MMAAgents.com. They have all really worked hard for me, and have been a great addition to my life and career. I would like to thank Warrior Wear and GreenMedica.com. I want to thank Brian Rauchback, Josiah & John Marsh, from Lotar, helping me and dedicating their time to me so I can be the best. I want to thank My Mom and friends who have been there for me. Last but not least, I want to thank Mo Lawal who has become a great friend and training partner for me. We’re probably two of the most opposite people [laughs], but we have a great friendship. Go to: www.erintoughill.com and www.myspace.com/erintoughill for pics, bio and info on my career!”

Click here to read the entire article at fiveouncesofpain.com

Erin Toughill Part I: “Be grateful, because things can change in a second”

Originally posted on fiveouncesofpain.com

If you aren’t already familiar with the name Erin Toughill you will become extremely familiar very soon. The former top ranked professional boxer recently returned to the cage after a two year retirement stint with a unanimous decision victory over a very tough Jan Finney in November of 2008.

Outside of a disqualification loss due to the illegal use of elbows in 2004, Toughill has not suffered a mixed martial arts loss since her third professional fight way back in 2000.

Toughill recently revealed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that she will be signing with Strikeforce very soon and expects a match -up with the fearsome Brazilian striker Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos sometime in 2009. They say that three’s company, well current female contenders for the Strikeforce championship Gina Carano and the previously mentioned Cyborg can expect company very soon.

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“I would like to thank Ken Pavia and the rest of the boys at MMAAgents.com. They have all really worked hard for me, and have been a great addition to my life and career. I would like to thank Warrior Wear and GreenMedica.com. I want to thank Brian Rauchback, Josiah & John Marsh, from Lotar, helping me and dedicating their time to me so I can be the best. I want to thank My Mom and friends who have been there for me. Last but not least, I want to thank Mo Lawal who has become a great friend and training partner for me. We’re probably two of the most opposite people [laughs], but we have a great friendship. Go to: www.erintoughill.com and www.myspace.com/erintoughill for pics, bio and info on my career!”

Click here to read the entire article at fiveouncesofpain.com