Fulltime Fighter: Sean Salmon's overseas trip to Wolfslair, Part III

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Well, I certainly am going to have a crazy month.

I have been here at Wolfslair in Windes, England, for the past two weeks training with Paul Kelly, Michael Bisping, Cheick Kongo and the rest of the crew of tough-as-nails fighters. And for the past week, an old wrestling friend of mine turned Cage Fighter (www.mmaauthentics.com) exec Tommy Rowlands was out here as well.

It was cool to be able to catch up with him, and we got to experience a bit of English culture this past Friday night when we found ourselves at Concert Square in downtown Liverpool after a very big soccer game. Crazy, just crazy is all I can say.

It has been a great experience so far here in England. I have learned a ton on every aspect of the game from the ground to simple footwork drills that have already improved my stand up 100 percent. I'm even starting to understand what these Brits are saying a bit better. If you have ever been over here, you know that they do speak English, but they speak much faster than we do, and some of their accents make it hard to catch the first time. (Not to mention their slang is completely different, but I am picking it up.)

Onto the next month of my life. Well, I fly out of Manchester Airport today and land home in Columbus, Ohio, around 7 p.m. On Friday, I will drive up to Cleveland to defend my NAAFS (www.naafs.tv) middleweight belt on the organization's "Fight Night at the Flats V" card, which I am very excited about. I drive back to Columbus on Sunday to catch a 5 p.m. flight back to Manchester. I will be back at Wolfslair on Monday morning training my ass off, getting Kelly and Kongo ready for their fights at UFC 99, as well as helping Bisping for his UFC 100 fight. On June 17 we fly from Manchester to Las Vegas for the remaining three weeks of his camp. I will then finally fly back home to Columbus on July 12.

It is very tough being away from my family, friends and comfortable surroundings for so long, but I can't imagine any other situation where I can learn and improve more than being involved with some of the best coaches and fighters in the world at one of the greatest gyms in the world 24 hours a day. If someone knows of an easier way, please let me know.

This past week here has made it kind of tough preparing for my own fighting, getting my weight down, and training as hard as they need me to in order to help get these other guys ready – while the whole time doing my best not to get injured or cut. If you have ever trained MMA, you know that a cut that requires stitches is a common thing and can happen very easily and unexpectedly. And it can get you pulled from a fight card – especially if that cut happens the week of a fight. So the past week has been a little stressful, but I survived and will be on a plane for the U.S. in a couple hours.

I am very excited to put my new training to use and see just how far I have come. So, if you live in the Cleveland area, make sure to get to the Nautica Pavilion, and for the love of God, cheer for me this time! (Those Cleveland fans can be brutal.)

As always, make sure you support the companies that support the athletes in this sport so we can continue to entertain you as best as we can.

For me that means Cage Fighter (www.mmaauthentics.com). They are growing by leaps and bounds, and I can tell you first hand, they care very much about the athletes. Make sure you go to YouTube and check out the "UFC Fighter Paul Kelly is sang to by Mike DiSabato" video (I promise you will laugh). With TFSupplements.com (www.tfsupplements.com), I will keep saying it: If you buy supplements, check them out first. I promise they will be cheaper and get it to your house quicker. My new team, KOBC (www.kobc.tv) – great guys with a great passion for the sport (also, very cool designs). Of course, my chiropractor Jim Viers of Viers Chiropractic on the corner of Hamilton and Johnstown roads in Columbus. And finally, if you are here reading this, you already know about the greatest MMA website in the world: MMAjunkie.com. Wow, you guys have come a long way from that first dinner meeting we had in Cincinnati just over two years ago. I love it!

I will check back in during my layover in New York on Sunday night, hopefully with news of a victory!

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Fulltime Fighter: Sean Salmon gives an inside look at a week of training in Wolfslair

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Here we go, back again from Liverpool, England. I'm just going to ramble on about what has been going on and what we've been doing and hope some of you find it interesting.

As I discussed in my column earlier this week, I recently left Ohio to come over here to Wolfslair to help with some of their fighters, including Michael Bisping, who meets Dan Henderson in July.

So after the workout here at Wolfslair this past Friday, I was told that staying at the gym over the weekend would make me want to kill myself. They said not many people train during the weekend and that I'd pretty much be here by myself.

Thank God for Ricco Rodriguez. (Which is a sentence I never thought I would say in my life.)

Ricco took me back to a very nice apartment in downtown Liverpool to stay there for the weekend. I am not much for sightseeing or experiencing different cultures, but it was nice to run through downtown Liverpool and see things that I would never otherwise get to experience.

Anyway, we started training again Monday morning. I learned very quickly that they do not mess around on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at Wolfslair. It is hard sparring, hard conditioning, and no one is very nice. We beat the hell out of each other for a solid hour and a half in the morning and then another hour at night. I think I took more lumps in those two workouts than I have in all my professional fights combined.

The best part about it is that everyone over here is so friendly (when they're done punching you in the face). This is a real team that wants everyone around them to succeed, from the top guys to the new guy at the gym, and they work very hard to achieve those goals.

I was very happy to learn that Tuesdays and Thursdays are a bit more about technique and gameplanning than beating the crap out of each other.

So, right now I am back staying at the gym for the week of tough training with Paul Kelly (a very cool scouse), Tommy Rowlands (an old friend and Cagefigheter employee) and LeeRoy Barnes.

My skill level has already improved by 100 percent. You can't be around a guy like Bisping and not get better (or at the very least, raise your level of intensity).

I also don't think I mentioned how perfect this training camp works out for me personally. I am fighting next weekend, June 6, in Cleveland, Ohio, for one of my favorite organizations, the NAAFS (www.naafs.tv). I am hoping finally to get a few cheers from the Cleveland crowd; for some reason, I always get booed mercilessly in Cleveland. So if there is anyone reading this from Cleveland, please come to Fight Night in the Flats at the Nautica Pavilion (formerly the Plain Dealer Pavilion) on June 6 and cheer for me in my home state!

Once again, if there is good feedback and you guys are interested, I will continue to give Wolfslair updates throughout the week.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Full-Time Fighter: Fighting for Ring of Combat and thoughts on Chuck Liddell

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Once again, it has been some time since I last wrote, so here is the quick update.

I just fought this past weekend in Atlantic City for one of the best, most well-run promotions I have ever fought for: Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat, which is based out of the Tropicana Atlantic City Casino and Resort. In fact, of all the different promotions that I have fought for, ROC is right there next to Kim Couture's Night of Combat and Greg Kalikas's NAAFS promotion.

Those are the three promotions that have gone above and beyond what I expect out of a promotion as far as being taken care of and making things easy on me.

My brother Danny and I got to Atlantic City on Wednesday morning, April 15, and we had to go straight from the airport to the hospital to get all the medicals (eye exam, CT scan, EKG, blood work and physical) done. We got all that knocked out in a couple hours, checked into the hotel, and then started the 30 or so hours of making weight. I finally have gotten my diet and training down to the point in which I am getting as low as 193 pounds before dehydrating myself. It really has made my life as a middleweight a lot easier dieting the right way.

Heading into a fight after dropping your previous two in a row is a very nerve-racking experience. I was prepared, I was motivated, and I felt great, but thinking about losing three in a row really freaked me out.

My gameplan was to keep the fight standing and work on some of the things I have been training to gauge my improvement. But all that went out the window the second Dan Miragliotta said "Fight!" All I could think about was not losing this fight. I went to what I know best, takedowns. I took down my opponent, John Doyle, in the first minute of all three rounds, maintained sidemount and punched him.

He was a tough opponent, but I really feel that I could have finished him had I not been told when I got to Atlantic City that ROC does not allow elbows to the head of a grounded opponent, which is obviously my weapon of choice once we go the ground.

I settled for a unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27, 30-26 and 30-25. Right when the fight ended, I was disappointed that I wasn't able to finish, but since watching the tape, I feel I did do some good things. And going all three rounds offers a lot of footage to examine and from which to improve, so I am not as disappointed as I was.

I got back to Columbus on Saturday evening and was so worn out that I didn't even stay up to watch UFC 97 later that night. I checked the results right when I woke up and watched it later that day.

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

Finally, I want to (as always) thank my sponsors: TF Supplements (www.tfsupplements.com), the cheapest place to get any supplement you need, and Cagefighter (www.mmaauthentics.com), where Mike and Adam DiSabato, as well as Jake Castle, have been taking great care of me with all the gear I need for training and fighting.

Lastly, make sure to check out SS Combat and Fitness at www.sscombatandfitness.com. And if you live in the Columbus area, come by and check us out for a week free!

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Sean Salmon dominates at “Ring of Combat XXIV” - full results

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

“Ring of Combat XXIV” went down Friday night, April 17th in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino. There were fourteen fights in total. Even without Rolles Gracie, who was originally scheduled to fight on the card, there was plenty of action to entertain the fans.

Sean Salmon returned with a dominating three round unanimous decision performance, scoring 30-25 on one judge’s card. In the title fights, Charles Oliveira de Silva took home the USKBA East Coast Lightweight Title and Rafael “Sapo” Natal defended his Ring of Combat Middleweight Title against Plinio Cruz with a second round rear naked choke submission.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

Sean Salmon Victorious at Ring of Combat XXIV

Originally posted on FightTicker.com

185 lbs: Sean Salmon defeats John Doyle by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25 on all three cards)

Salmon was an All-American wrestler at Ohio State and he used his wrestling to take Doyle down in every round. Salmon then went to town each time, working from half-guard and side position most of the fight to inflict ground-and-pound damage on Doyle. Effective and dominant win for the slimmed-down Salmon.

Click here to read the entire article at FightTicker.com

Watch RING OF COMBAT XXIV live webcast April 17 featuring two title fights & Sean Salmon

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

This Friday, April 17, 2009, PRO MMA (promma.info), in association with Go Fight Live, will be offering access to a live webcast of Lou Neglia’s RING OF COMBAT XXIV which is taking place at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

There will be two title fights on the card. The first, is for the “USKBA MMA East Coast Lightweight Title”, and features 27-year-old Dom Stanco (6-2) from Bellmore, New York, taking on Charles Olivera de Silva (6-0).

The second title fight is for the “Ring of Combat Middleweight Title” and features 26-year-old Rafael Sapo (9-1) vs. 23-year-old Plinio Cruz (1-0).

Also on the card is former UFC fighter, 31-year-old Sean Salmon (14-6) taking on 29-year-old Constantinos Philippou (4-1). Philippou will be a good test for Salmon to see where he stands. All of Philippou’s pro fights have been within the Lou Neglia organization and he is on a four fight win streak.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

UFC veterans Sean Salmon and Dante Rivera return at ROC XXIV on April 17

Originally posted on MMAmania.com

UFC veterans Sean Salmon and Dante Rivera return to action this Friday, April 17 at Ring of Combat XXIV from The Tropicana Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAmania.com

Full-Time Fighter: A look back at Fight Festival 25 in Finland

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Wow. That fight did not go at all like I expected.

Credit to Lucio Linhares for coming out and really putting it on me during this past weekend's Fight Festival 25 event in Finland.

I have been told that he opened with a right hook that I did not even see coming. I remember moving side to side and feeling that I was out of range (which was part of the gameplan), but then all of the sudden, my knees were wobbly and I was in recovery mode.

He came right after me after landing the punch. I was able to score the takedown, but it was not clean at all, and he was able to sweep me in the scramble. I was trying to hold guard, but my legs were still wobbly, so he had a very easy time moving to mount. None of the punches from mount were getting through, but I wasn't able to tie him up, and I could hear the ref telling me to "Defend!"

I had no choice but to give up my back (what seemed like the lesser of two evils at the time). He locked up a figure-four on my body, which wasn't too tough given his 6-foot-6 frame. He methodically punched me while working to get his arm under my chin -- which he was able to do and force me to tapout.

I really wish that I had some great excuse about an injury, the fight being on short notice or perhaps all the nonsense I had to deal with securing my passport. But I don't. My training camp was one of the best I've had, I am confident that my gameplan was perfect (if only I had executed it), I felt no preasure the day of the fight, and I was completly confident in winning that fight.

I didn't execute, and he did. Lucio performed great. Congratulations.

Also fighting on that card was one of my training partners, Marc Cofer. Mark completly dominated the first four minutes and 50 seconds of the first round (with what would have probably been a 10-8 round). But with 10 seconds left, his Frech opponent was able to land a knee to the head, which Marc seemed to take very well. Yet the ref jumped in and stopped the fight.

From where I was sitting in the corner, I had no idea why the fight was being stopped until Marc got over to us and we could see that he had suffered one of the worst cuts I have seen. He needed a massive amount of stitches -- 48 in all -- that night to close it, but I will say that I have never seen him fight so well before he got tagged.

After getting back to the hotel and showering, I was really unsure of what I wanted to do. I was leaning toward crawling in a hole and hiding for a couple months. However, I was in Helsinki, there were a couple of after-parties, my flight didn't leave until Sunday afternoon, and honestly, how many people get the opportunity to come to Europe with someone else paying?

As the late and great Evan Tanner would say, "I wanted to collect the story." So I went out with some people from one of the radio stations that had interviewed me earlier in the week and had a great time.

The clubs in Helsinki are huge, and the people are extemly friendly. I also learned something I had believed to be true my whole life was in fact wrong. It turns out that Santa Claus does not live at the North Pole; he lives in Lapland, Finland, (apparently the whole world knows this). Just something I learned during a two-mile walk back to my hotel in 25-degree weather. It's something I would never had learned if I decided to crawl into that hole.

Now it is time to get that rubber match with Helsinki. I can't end there on a loss. Give me a call Petturi! Fight Festival 26 sounds good to me.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Full-Time Fighter: A return to Helsinki, Finland, for Saturday's Fight Fest

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

It has been a long time since I last did a column for MMAjunkie.com, but here I am back over in Helsinki, Finland, preparing for a fight on Saturday night. So I figured it would be a good time for a quick update.

If you have been paying attention, I have not fought since my loss to Josh Haynes at Kim Couture's "A Night of Combat II" card in October. Five months is a very long time for me to go between fights. However, I felt that I learned so much in that fight about myself and where I wanted my career to go. So from that point forward, I took that time off to continue to improve not only my standup, but the mental aspect of the game, as well.

You have to realize that as enjoyable as it is to compete as a professional fighter, it is also scary. I imagine it is a similar thrill that some get from jumping out of an airplane.

Embracing that fear can be a powerful thing.

That is exactly where I have finally gotten in my career. I am embracing the fear of stepping into a cage or ring to fight someone that has been training to hurt me. I am not meeting the fear on its own terms; I am making it my own to use as a driving force to compete at a level that is on par with my ability. Now that I feel that I am able to embrace that fear, I truly believe that 2009 is going to be the year that I pull a Frank Mir and put myself back into one of the top organizations. I suppose, like everything, time will answer that question.

So, here I am back in Helsinki preparing for a Fight Festival bout against Lucio Linhares (10-4), a Brazilian who also happens to be a black belt in jiu jitsu. I first fought here in September 2007, when I defeated Mikko Rupponen (16-5-2), who's probably the country's most famous fighter. It was a big win for my career (even though most U.S. fans never saw or even heard of the fight), and the Helsinki fans really treated my well despite beating "their" guy. It's great to be back, and maybe we can do that rematch later this year.

Anyway, I have been preparing specifically for this fight for the past nine weeks and feel that I couldn't be more prepared. We got here this morning after a nightmare in Chicago with the passport agency, and I am already down to 192 pounds with only one real day dedicated to losing weight. (It is amazing how much easier making weight becomes when you actually do things the right way.)

I will say that this was the single most productive training camp that I have had. Not only has my skill in every area of the game improved (thanks to my normal guys Jason Culbertson, Robin Geisler, Brandon Willis and Marc Cofer, who is also fighting on this card), but I believe that I finally found the perfect balance between physical suffering and being mentally motivated. I allowed myself more time to be normal, to goof off with my son, hang out with friends, and getting my gym up and running (finally, the grand opening is March 21 at 1 p.m.!).

I also made the very smart decision to work with a chiropractor, Jim Viers of Viers Chiropractic in Gahanna, Ohio, (right on the corner of Hamilton and Johnstown roads). I have also started working with Cage Fighter (mmaauthentics.com) based out of Columbus, Ohio. Mike and Adam DiSabato as well as Jake Castle are doing great things for the sport through their company, and I look forward to a long relationship with them.

I would like to take advantage of my position as a columnist here to send out my thoughts and prayers to all of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr.'s family and friends. He will be sorely missed throughout the MMA community. I wish that I had some great quote or story to insert here to make you feel less pain, but those words do not exist. He was a great person, but hopefully his spirit will live on through Tapout.

Well, it is almost 5 p.m. here in Helsinki, so I need to get a little food in me before my evening workout. We are seven hours ahead of my hometown of Columbus, but lucky for me I don't get jetlag.

I plan on getting an update to MMAjunkie.com just as soon as Cofer and I are done fighting, so check back sometime Saturday late afternoon or evening. If something cool happens in the next 24 hours that I think you guys might enjoy reading about (or I decide I have more to say), I will write again tomorrow, but I will make sure to get an update on the fight to the MMAjunkie.com editors just as soon as I know. The event also features a main event between UFC vets Victor Valimaki and Jordan Radev, so it's generating some pretty good interest here in Finland.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

HDNet Fights Video Vault: Jordan Radev vs. Rafael Rodriguez at M-1

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Since a forgettable 0-2 stint in the UFC back in 2007, Jordan Radev has been on a tear.

After leaving the UFC, Radev went overseas to fight in Europe and posted a five-fight win streak heading into a Nov. 26 fight with Rafael Rodriguez at M-1 Challenge 10.

..........


Also, speaking of Radev, the Bulgarian wrestler returns to action in March when he faces fellow UFC veteran Victor Valimaki in the main event of Fight Festival 25. MMAjunkie.com columnist Sean Salmon also competes at the event, which takes place March 14 in Finland.

Click here to watch the fight at MMAjunkie.com

Full-Time Fighter: Sean Salmon on opening SS Combat & Fitness

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

I am going to do my best with this column to describe what the last year and half has been like working to open SS Combat and Fitness, as well as address some of the questions or comments posted after MMAjunkie.com's original article about the gym.

I had my first fight in November 2005 in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. I started my first MMA training about one month before the fight. Actually, that was my first kind of training in any sort of combat sport outside of wrestling. I was doing most all my training in The Ohio State University wrestling room with just a small handful of guys. None of us were particularly well versed in anything besides wrestling.

In fact, shortly after that first fight, I signed to be represented by Gary Marino (a great guy and still a good friend) who flew me out to Boston for open auditions for season two of "The Ultimate Fighter." They did the wrestling/jiu-jitsu part first, and I was moved on to the stand-up portion at which time they said we were going to "hit mitts." The first thought to cross my mind was, "What the hell are mitts?"

Obviously, that was where my audition ended. I can't even imagine how ridiculous I must have looked to everyone hitting mitts for the first time. I find it humorous now.

Anyway, I was flying back from Boston and knew that my training needed an adjustment. I tried seeking out the best coaching in Columbus, but there was none. That's when I found my way to Cincinnati and Jorge Gurgel's MMA school. I made the 100-mile (one way) drive three times a week for almost a year. It was a very time- and money-consuming process, but my game was getting measurably better every day.

It was during those drives back and forth that I started thinking that I should open my own gym. I had a couple years of college, none of which were in business, but how hard could it be, right? Wow, I had no idea. Just finding a reasonably priced, reasonably located building proved difficult. Fast forward about a year and half through many close calls and nearly complete plans that only fell through at the last moment and now, through the help of family and friends, I have a building.

This has all been done with no corporate sponsorship or even any investors. You can imagine how tight money has been. Everything we got for this gym has been done through hard work, negotiating and even owing favors down the road. So, that leads me to my shameless request for sponsors. If you would like to sponsor the gym, we offer many different advertising packages from hanging a banner, logo on the mats, website or emails, as well as selling your product in our pro shop. You can contact me directly at salmonsean [AT] yahoo.com or MMAAgents.com's sponsor guy, Danny, at danny [AT] mmaagents.com.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Veteran fighter Sean Salmon opening a new MMA facility in Ohio

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Sean Salmon, a veteran of organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Strikeforce, is opening a new MMA training facility in Columbus, Ohio.

As detailed in this week's "MMA Insider" column for the Dayton Daily News, the former Ohio State University wrestler will open the S.S. Combat & Fitness Center on Feb. 1.

"The area produces a lot of fighters, but there's not a whole lot of places to go to get complete, all-around training," said Salmon, a longtime MMAjunkie.com contributor.

The business is a joint venture between Salmon and his father-in-law, Rick Pyles, who is the owner of the Ohio-based Ultimate Victory Challenge promotion.

The facility (located at 171 N. Hamilton Road in Columbus) will include a regulation cage, boxing ring, mat space, heavy bags and other equipment. Boxing, wrestling, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu instructors are being brought in to offer training for complete amateurs to top-level professionals. Additionally, a pro shop will include merchandise from many of MMA's top brands.

Salmon and fellow UFC vet Rex Holman (a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion at Ohio State) will head the wrestling instruction.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Full-Time Fighter: Finding solace in defeat

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

I'm not real sure how to start this new column. Obviously, I am writing about my recent trip to Las Vegas and my loss to Josh Haynes at A Night of Combat II, but it was not all bad. In fact, I am very happy about everything except the result of the fight. Here is the rundown.

If I remember right, in my last column I talked about how this fight came about and my reasoning behind taking it, so I'll skip ahead.

I landed in Las Vegas early afternoon on Thursday and was picked up by our host hotel, Hooters. I have been to Las Vegas close twice a year for the past 10 years and have never stayed at the Hooters hotel. I did get a good laugh out of being picked up by a bright orange Cadillac Escalade with the Hooters logo across it.

So I walked through the doors at Hooters, walked up to the check in and got to meet Kim Couture for the first time. I will say right now with absolutely no uncertainty that she is the friendliest and most driven promoter in the game. Kim is the type of promoter that when she tells you to ask her for anything you need, she really means it.

So anyway, I got there too early to check in, and Kim said that I could come up to their suite and do all my interviews for HDNet, which was televising the event. I believe that I am like most fighters in that I prefer to get everything out of the way as soon as possible and have as much time to myself as possible. There is always a couple of pounds to lose and nerves to deal with, and I prefer to handle that on my own time.

Anyway, I did all the interviews, which I really enjoy. I still think it is really cool to do interviews and stuff for TV, and it is always awesome to fight in Las Vegas. Everyone seems to know who you are and wants to talk, take pictures or get autographs, and I love it. I don't know how those things can get old to anyone in this game.

So, I did an easy run Thursday night just to keep my metabolism going. I woke up Friday morning and was less than four pounds over my contracted catch weight of 190. I did an easy jog, light fight workout, and about 10 minutes in the sauna, and I was a pound under. I waited around for weigh-ins and was surprised at how many people were there to watch, including the amazing Tracy Lee from www.combatlifestyle.com.

Weigh-ins were very uneventful. I think everyone made weight on the first try, so I got to hang out with Hector Ramirez (who's quickly becoming a good friend and a guy who earned a huge win over Rick Roufus) and everyone from my agency (MMAagents.com).

After weigh-ins I got a chance to talk to two very old friends of mine, Mike Confliti (one of the oldest true friends I have) and Gray Maynard. If you know Gray, ask him his biggest highlight of spending two weeks at the Salmon household in high school while training for nationals (and remind him it takes place at a waterpark).

The morning of the fight, everything felt great. I got a good night's sleep, a good breakfast and an easy workout with my training partner Marc Cofer and corner Nate Brodnax (one of MMAAgents.com top guys). Kim had arranged for the biggest Hummer limo I have ever seen to take us to the Thomas & Mack Center, which was a very nice gesture.

We arrived at the arena, and I got to speak with an old acquaintance: Ron Kruck from HDNet Fights. He is one of my favorite people to run into at fights. His enthusiasm for the sport actually rivals the fighters. A very good guy, I must say.

Anyway, I got a great warm up and my head (sometimes my greatest obstacle) was in the right place to win this fight.

After the hard-fought loss, I was extremely disappointed in the result, but I had so much fun competing. It was actually hard to be too disappointed. Losing always sucks when you put as much into it as fighters (or any athletes) do. However, after being off for so long, coming off a win three weeks earlier, being in there and trading and eating some nasty punches (and giving a couple back), it was awesome to be in Las Vegas competing. I actually watched the fight for the first time last week, and I am more disappointed than I was the night of the fight, but it was a good fight to watch.

This sport is about taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you. I talked this one out with the people closest to me, and we decided it was a good risk. I lost and it hurts, but I am going to continue to learn and move forward, or I am going to quit. I chose moving forward. Less than three years into this sport, I am pleased but not content with where my career is. So we're going to keep working.

I took two weeks off to rest my body, heal some small injuries, and get myself back to normal mentally. I resumed training last week, but I have nothing in the works for a next fight as of right now.

"A Night of Combat II" salaries: Ramirez, Hieron and Pyle top earners

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

A trio of fighters that included main-event winner Hector Ramirez and Xtreme Couture notables Jay Hieron and Mike Pyle scored event-high $20,000 paydays last week at "A Night of Combat II."

The event, promoted by Superfights MMA and Kim Couture's KC Concepts, took place this past Friday, Oct. 10, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today requested and received the salaries from the Nevada State Athletic Commission

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $160,500.

The full payout amounts included:

Hector Ramirez $20,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)

Jay Hieron $20,000

Mike Pyle $20,000

Sean Salmon $7,000 (win bonus would have been $5,000)

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Sean Salmon never backs down

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

Sean Salmon has a problem. He can’t say no. He has taken fights on a month’s notice, and even said yes to fights that were only a week away. He has tried to say no, but cannot. If the call comes and someone wants to fight him, or if he learns that there is an event and someone doesn’t have an opponent, he steps up and into the ring for another battle. He’s in that position again tonight as he faces TUF alumnus Josh Haynes in the A Night of Combat II event. Sean has re-focused his career and has won his last 4 of 5 by TKO, and is looking to make some serious noise at 185. PRO MMA spent some time talking with Sean to get his thoughts on fighting on short notice, how he rebounded after the Rashad fight, and facing Josh Haynes tonight.

PRO MMA: Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with us Sean. How does your training change in the weeks leading up to a fight?
SEAN: I used to go light in the week leading up to the fight, but now I go hard right up to about 3 days before the fight. I do take precautions to not get cut or injured, or to have any accidents in the 2-3 weeks before the fight.


PRO MMA: What do you do in your personal time when you are not fighting or training?
SEAN: I spend all my spare time with my 2 year old son. If I’m not training, or if I have any spare time, I’m with him.

PRO MMA: You fought in the UFC at 205, and this fight with Josh is at 185. Which weight do you prefer to fight at?
SEAN: This fight (with Josh Haynes) will actually be at a catch weight of 190. I had a real long training camp for my last fight, and was prepared to be at 185 for a different fight on October 18th. Since I took this fight on a week’s notice, we settled on a fight at 190. I won’t do it again, taking a fight on such short notice, because it hasn’t always benefited me, but this fight made sense so I took it. But to answer your question, I’m way more comfortable at 185. When I fought in the UFC at 205, I didn’t fight full time. I didn’t have the time or resources to cut down to 185. Now I do, and I feel really good at 185.

PRO MMA: You have always been the type of fighter that would take a fight anytime, anywhere and against any fighter. What are your thoughts on this?
SEAN: I just can’t say no. It’s hard to know that someone called me out, or that someone needs an opponent. In the past, if my manager let me know about a fight, I would say yes immediately. I just love fighting. I love the travel, the interviews, the training, all of it. I’m trying to be more selective, and I have an agent now that screens some of this from me, but if I hear about it, I’d probably say yes again. It’s just hard to say no.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

Full-Time Fighter: Preparing for Josh Haynes and "Night of Combat II"

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

What a crazy night, exciting night.

I was at home relaxing when I got a text message from Nate Brodnax (one of the top guys at MMAagents.com), who asked where my weight was and if I was in shape. They knew that my weight would be good and that I was in shape because I just fought three weeks ago and was preparing for a fight Oct. 18 for Ultimate Victory Challenge (www.ultimatevictory.org).

So, I knew that something was up.

I called him back right away, and he told me that Steve Byrnes had been injured. Nate wanted to know if I would like to replace Byrnes and fight Josh Haynes on the "A Night of Combat II" card in Las Vegas. Now, you have to understand that in the past, I would have just said yes, whether I was in shape or not, even if my gut was telling me no. I just have a hard time turning down fights. I enjoy it so much.

However, I feel that I have learned from my lessons and wanted to talk it out, though my gut was saying take it. Nate and I discussed it and decided it was a good idea. I talked it over with my coaches, and we also decided that it was a great opportunity and that my conditioning, skill and weight were exactly where they needed to be.

So we took the fight.

Obviously, time will tell if I have made the right decision, but at least this time it was well thought out, and I am honest with myself that I am truly excited for this fight. There have been times in the past in which I accepted a short-notice fight and later tried to convince myself it was the right decision -- even though I knew it was the wrong one.

Despite Haynes' 10-10 record, he is not an athlete to be taken lightly. After all, I'm not in a position in my career to take anyone lightly. I have thought of Haynes as a very tough fighter since his run on "The Ultimate Fighter 3." From the tapes I have seen, he is not the most technical fighter out there, but for sure, he's one of the toughest. I don't think he can spell the word quit.

Rich Franklin put it best when he said, "I would rather fight an athlete with great skill and less conditioning than a fighter with less skill and great conditioning." I believe Haynes fits into the latter, which makes him dangerous from beginning to end.

I think that is one of the best parts of fighting. He has a dimension of his game that scares me and poses a challenge for me to figure out. The excitement lies in overcoming that fear and fighting to the best of my ability. I am ready to do that.

This fight will air on HDNet on Oct. 17. Actually, I have been told that the whole card will be shown on HDNet, so make sure to check it out.

All that being said, I will still be at Ultimate Victory Challenge to hang out and corner a couple of my training partners from the Relson Gracie school in Westerville, Ohio -- Marc Cofer and Brandon Willis. There are still tickets available through the Ultimate Victory website, so if you're anywhere near Chillicothe, Ohio, on Saturday, Oct. 18, come check it out.

Last, as always, my thank yous: Shawn at TFSupplements.com, the cheapest name brand supplements with fast shipping, and TapouT.com. And for my shameless plea: if there is anyone else out there that would be interested in sponsoring me for this fight, email Danny at Danny [AT] mmaagents.com.

For all the great Junkie readers, I will try to get to a computer during the week and give any updates that I think you guys might be interested in. I know I always like reading the "all access" and "behind the scenes" stuff, so I will try and bring some of that to you as well.

Before I forget again, I want to publicly congratulate Benji Radach on his awesome performance Saturday night on the EliteXC card. I had the opportunity to train with Benji when I was in Huntington Beach, Calif., a couple of weeks ago, and I left very impressed and very confident that he would win that fight. You looked awesome Benji. Great job!

Sean Salmon vs. Josh Haynes completes Saturday's "Night of Combat II"

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

With one-time UFC fighter Steve Byrnes (6-1) injured, "The Ultimate Fighter 3" light heavyweight runner-up Josh Haynes (10-10) will instead meet veteran fighter Sean Salmon (15-5) at Saturday's "A Night of Combat II" event in Las Vegas.

Salmon today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he accepted the bout -- at a catch-weight of 190 pounds -- over the weekend.

"A Night of Combat II" features a handful of Xtreme Couture notables, including Jay Hieron, Mike Pyle, John Alessio and Haynes.

The event, promoted by Kim Couture's KC Concepts and Scott Kelp of Superfights MMA, takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Sin City.

As MMAjunkie.com recently reported, company executives said the event will air on HDNet on approximately a one-week delay.

Haynes, who scored multiple upsets to make it to the "TUF 3" championship fight, eventually lost to Michael Bisping at the show's live finale in June 2006. He fought twice more in the UFC -- in tough-fought losses to Rory Singer and Luke Cummo -- before leaving the organization. He's since won three of five fights, which included a unanimous-decision victory over notable Leopoldo Serao at a February IFL event.

Salmon, meanwhile, recently returned from what turned out to be a 10-month medical suspension from the California State Athletic Commission following a knockout loss to Jorge Santiago at a November 2007 Strikeforce show. Salmon has won four of his past five fights (all via TKO) -- and six of his past eight fights since suffering losses to Rashad Evans and Alan Belcher in the UFC.

Salmon fought just a little more than two weeks ago and defeated NAAFS middleweight champ Mitch Whitesel at an event in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Full-Time Fighter: Sean Salmon discusses NAAFS title win

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

by Sean Salmon on Sep 29, 2008 at 12:45 pm ET

I cannot tell you all how great it feels to be competing again! It was a long, hard 10 months fighting with the California State Athletic Commission, and I will be detailing all of that in the next column. (That will be the first column that I actually think out and proofread.) I really want everyone to get a sense of what I went through and what I had to deal with leading up to this return.

For this column, I want to focus on my most recent fight, which took place at the Sept. 19 NAAFS (www.naafs.tv) event middleweight belt.

I feel obligated to say that I believe that the 10 months off will prove to be a blessing. It forced me to re-evaluate my career and focus on some of the holes in my game.

The first thing I decided I needed to change was taking every fight offered to me. Doing 19 fights in the first 24 months of your career might not be the way to go. I came from a wrestling background in which I was always taught that the more you compete, the better you are going to get. I made the mistake of believing that MMA is similar to wrestling. Wrestling is a great base to have for MMA. However, they are two completely different sports. I now realize that it is OK to turn down fights if they don't make sense, don't give you enough time to train, or if you're just not ready for them.

My next major adjustment was seeking out real coaching. Until 10 months ago, I never had real coaching. I was working with a small group of guys in Columbus that were also just getting started in MMA. We would pick things up here and there and coach each other. Obviously, it was not the best decision I had ever made.

Now, we have a new beginning. The best thing about combat sports is that you can always reinvent yourself. That being said, I have no regrets about the first three years of my career. I have learned a lot, collected some great memories, and have been living my life exactly how I want too. It just takes some guys longer to figure things out, get the necessary coaching, the right situation, the right agent or perhaps just the right attitude.

I feel that I now have those things training with the Relson Gracie school in Westerville, Ohio. I have Jason Culbranson overseeing my stand-up, Robin Geisler taking care of my jiu-jitsu, and my most consistent training partners Marc Cofer and Brandon Willis. They have made me a 100-percent new fighter in the past 10 months, and I believe that they have not even scratched the surface. I believe that my time is coming.

Now, onto my latest fight. I found out about three months ago that I would be getting off of the CSAC suspended list. There was only one organization that I wanted to return with, the NAAFS. I said in my last column that Greg Kalikas and his crew do a great job. I never have to wonder if I am going to get everything that my contract says, and NAAFS events also air on Sports Time Ohio. Kalikas is one of the only "regional" promoters from whom I will accept a check -- because I know that it is good. (Thank you Greg!)

So, I came into my fight vs. Mitch Whitesel for the NAAFS middleweight title very well prepared and anxious to fight. I didn't have the nervousness that I thought I would after such a long layoff. I was just anxious to compete against someone I didn't know.

In fact, I believe the only affect the layoff had on me was that I really messed up my warm-up. I like to be on my second wind by the time I get to the cage, but I didn't get it. (It's just something to correct for next time.)

The fight did not go how I expected. I considered Mitch a decent fighter, but I believed that the way we matched up would make for a quick fight in my favor. He came out much better prepared than I expected. His footwork, striking and skills off his back were all much improved than from than what I saw on the tapes I got of his past fights. He was also stronger than I anticipated, but I ended up winning by TKO in the third round via ground and pound.

In hindsight, I am glad that the fight went into the third round because I can think of several things off the top of my head that I would do differently, and I know when I watch the tape I will see even more. Honestly, it's just great to feel like myself again.

Up next, I will be fighting for my father-in-law's promotion, Ultimate Victory Challenge (www.ultimatevictory.org), on Oct. 18 in Chillicothe, Ohio. I was also going to have a rematch fight with Mikko Rupponen in Helsinki, Finland on Nov. 26. Rupponen is one of the country's top fighters, and he owns a 16-5-2 record against tough competition. I beat him via first-round TKO (due to cuts) at last year's Fight Festival 22 event, and I was looking forward to a trip back to Finland for the rematch. However, the organization informed me last week that Mikko blew out his knee. We are still hoping to fight on that card, but I don't yet have an opponent. (Best wishes for a full recovery, Mikko!)

If you read my columns (or any fighters' blogs on MMAjunkie.com), you know that us fighters have our "thank yous" that we need to dish out. So, I need to thank the Junkie (as always). When he first approached me, he wanted someone to write about the ups and downs of an MMA career. I've had both, and it's been great to count on the support from the readers when I need it most. Additionally, this website has had my back since Day One. I am a Junkie for life!

TFSupplements.com (www.tfsupplements.com) jumped on board with me, and they have by far the cheapest name brand supplements with the fastest shipping. (Seriously, you guys know I wouldn't steer you wrong.) Check them out (and thanks Shawn). You know I can't forget TapouT (www.tapout.com). I was in Huntington Beach, Calif., a couple weeks ago and made the quick trip up to the TapouT world headquarters, where Damon took really good care of me with anything and everything I needed.

Look for my next column soon, detailing my crazy ride with the CSAC. You will not want to miss that one.

Click here for more great content at MMAjunkie.com

UFC Vet Sean Salmon Wins after Long Layoff

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

The NAAFS made its return to the Hoop Sports Complex on Friday, Sept. 19 for Columbus Night of Pain 4 in Columbus, Ohio.

In the main event, UFC veteran Sean Salmon made a successful return to the sport after a 10-month layoff, to defeat Mitch Whitesel by TKO in round three to become the new NAAFS Pro Series Middleweight Champion. Immediately after the fight, Salmon thanked all of his fans and his opponent for the opportunity and now sets his sights on his next opponent.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

Full-Time Fighter: Sean Salmon reinstated, fighting for title tonight

By: Sean Salmon (originally posted on MMAjunkie.com)

Finally, after 10 months, unexpected delays, enormous expense, sleepless nights and alienating myself from family and friends, the nightmare with the California State Athletic Commission is over.

That being said, I will be doing a column early next week to detail everything that went down. But the most important part is that it's all over. I've been cleared to fight and have been fully reinstated.

However, I do have to touch on California one more time. MMAAgents.com is amazing, and I am not just saying that because it's my agency. Everyone in that office Ken ("The Pav") Pavia, Nate Brodnax, Julian Gregorio and the new guys, Danny and Tony, went far and above my expectations to help get this cleared up. They never once let me believe that I was an inconvience in any way (believe me, I was) -- calling, texting and emailing serveral times a day. And when I was in town, I stayed at their house, they drove me everywhere, and made sure I was fed, watered and training. MMAAgents.com couldn't fire me if they tried. Like I said, though, I will be detailing all of that next week.

Up next -- and by up next, I mean tonight -- I will be fighting in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, for the NAAFS (www.naafs.tv) middleweight belt. I take on reigning champion Mitch Whitesel.

NAAFS is one of the biggest and best regional shows, and it's shown on tape delay on Sports Time Ohio (basic cable in Ohio, but part of the DISH Network extended sports package). Greg Kalikas and his crew do a great job of promoting the fights and taking care of the fighters.

This is not a fight that I just agreed to last second. I knew three months ago that I was going to be coming off California's suspended list, so I have been training hard for the past two months -- not to mention the eight months before that I was on suspension and working to improve my skill set. Actually, the past 10 months is the first time in my career that I have actually had coaches and a proper training camp for a fight. I have been training at Relson Gracie's school in Westerville, Ohio, with head trainers Robin Geisler and Jason Gulbranson, as well as my most consistent training partners Marc Cofer (big-time up-and-comer) and Brandon Willis (another fighter with a ton of potential).

I have been working extremely hard on my kickboxing, and I've been getting further instruction in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Additionally, I've been under 200 pounds for the last month leading into this fight. (It turns out that I can actually be a lean 185-pounder with the proper training, lifting and nutrition).

I am very excited for this fight. I don't believe that I have ever been this well prepared for a competition. That being said, I understand that all that training means nothing if I don't perform to my abilities, which has been a problem in some of my fights.

Like I said, though, this is just going to be a quick update. Much more will follow in the next couple of weeks.

Start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word of your loss...

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com