Thomas Denny set to face Pat Miletich at Dec. 11 Adrenaline MMA

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Adrenaline MMA CEO Monte Cox is bringing in a big gun to help his upstart promotion gain some traction.

Cox, who also represents many of the sport's top fighters, held the first Adrenaline MMA event earlier this year in front of a sparse crowd, and a second show scheduled for September (then October) was eventually postponed for a variety of reasons.

But as Ron Kruck reported on the most recent edition of HDNet's "Inside MMA," the second Adrenaline MMA show will take place Dec. 11 with MMA trailblazer Pat Miletich (28-7-2) and King of the Cage and EliteXC veteran Thomas Denny (26-17) headlining the event.

The show takes place Dec. 11 at the i wireless Center in Moline, Ill., and airs live on HDNet.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Pro MMA Exclusive: Inside the Mind of “The Wildman”

http://promma.info/?p=740
by promma — published on July 29th, 2008
by: Jack Bratcher

If you saw Elite XC: Unfinished Business this past Saturday night on CBS you were most likely very impressed with what you saw. One of the best fights of the night and to me, one of the top fights of the year was Thomas “Wildman” Denny vs. Nick Diaz. Denny went into the hometown of local Stockton favorite, Nick Diaz, stood toe to toe with him and let it all hang out. Prior to this fight, many newer MMA fans may not have been familiar with “The Wildman” because even though he’s a veteran of the sport, pretty much all of his fights had been in the smaller regional organizations. Those days are over. The world has now witnessed what the hardcore MMA fans have known for years; that Thomas “Wildman” Denny comes to fight. He’s colorful, he’s exciting, and I would imagine a promoter’s dream. “The Wildman” has worked a long time to get to where he is now and the future is looking very bright. Thomas was nice enough to take the time to talk with us at PRO MMA and every one I have talked with says he is always very friendly and cordial to them as well. It’s very refreshing when you find out someone you look up to is actually a cool person. If you don’t know, now ya’ know…Thomas “The Wildman” Denny:

PRO MMA: How’s it going Thomas? I’m honored to get to speak with you and appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. You’ve been in this fight game for a long time. I can’t even imagine all you must have seen and the stories you must have after all these years. Do you remember the first professional fight you had those many years ago and when you walked into the ring; how does it compare to what you experienced this past weekend at Elite XC on CBS when you walked into that ring?
THE WILDMAN: Thanks for the kind words but I am nobody thank you for taking time to interview me. To the fight every single one is different and wow this one was completly different I have never been so hated in my whole career.

PRO MMA: Where are you from originally Thomas and what kind of kid were you? What were you into?
THE WILDMAN: I was born in Huntington Beacch I had a very poor and miserable childhood so I have blocked a lot of it out but I was always a hyper kid.

PRO MMA: As you got older as a teenager what was Thomas Denny doing and what was life like?
THE WILDMAN: It wasnt a teenage life thats for sure I left home and started paying rent at age 14 so I grew up quick you can say. Trying to work have fun and enjoy the little things in life.

PRO MMA: What kind of MMA training have you had over the years who have been some of your inspiration and teachers and where do you currently train?
THE WILDMAN: I was like a lot of kids my hero was Bruce Lee. I started boxing then kickboxing then Jiu Jitsu with Joe Moirera and started fighting cause it looked like a great release in life in ValeTudo Pele Landi became a hero of mine.

PRO MMA: Your fight with Nick Diaz was amazing. It reminded me of some of those legendary wars we’ve seen through the years. How do you feel about the fight and how it went? What are your thoughts concerning your performance and Nick’s performance?
THE WILDMAN: I fought raw and no holding back and my central nervous system shut down about 4:30 in the 1st I was balls to the walls and forgot it was a 15 min fight. I fought off emotions and not my game plan.

PRO MMA: Would you say that was the biggest fight of your career and if so why?
THE WILDMAN: Nick Diaz on CBS self explanatory

PRO MMA: How does Nick Diaz rank compared to everyone else you have fought throughout your career?
THE WILDMAN: The toughest. It was just such an emotionally charged fight for me I learned a lot about myself.

PRO MMA: What did you do after the fight Saturday night? Are you doing ok physically?
THE WILDMAN: Went and ate some good ass Thai food and chilled with my friends and fam. I had no injuries at all I was just exhausted.

PRO MMA: Where do you go from here Thomas? You have already been in this game for so long, how much longer do you want to keep fighting professionally and do you have any more fights signed with Elite XC as of now?
THE WILDMAN: I think the fight showed everyone I belong in there I am a great fighter and I have came a long way I will continue with Elite XC and I signed a 5 fight deal over 2 yrs.

PRO MMA: Where will Thomas Denny be in five years? What will he be doing?
THE WILDMAN: Dont know. I am not a whack job fortune teller. I will be in the game but probably a coach instead of a fighter and still loving MMA.

PRO MMA: Do you have any interests or hobbies outside of MMA? What other kinds of activities are you into?
THE WILDMAN: Anything Extreme Skydiving, Motocross, Strip Clubs, and when I want to relax a good game of golf.

PRO MMA: Do you have any closing thoughts or words of wisdom you would like to leave us with? Any shout-outs or thank-you’s?
THE WILDMAN: Thank you once again for the support. The one thing I will say about Diaz like him or not, he’s real and isn’t two-faced like a lot of others. People should follow that instead of being nice to your face and then talking crap behind your back. Thanks to all the MMA fans that like me or not and continue to help the sport grow. Thanks to mmaagents, Tapout, Jesus didn’t tap, Rockstar, Bloodfist Battlegear, Toe2Toe, and all the Wildman fans and family.

You can check out Thoams “The Wildman” Denny’s website at http://thomasdenny.com

Thomas Denny tips his hat to Nick Diaz

urdirt.blogspot.com

In a message to his fans on a bulletin Thomas "The Wildman" Denny released a statement tipping his hat to Nick Diaz and commented on the 209 Stockton crowd. Denny came into the fight looking to get the best out of Diaz by closing the gap on him to try and avoid his long accurate jab. The gameplan worked for most of the round until Diaz began to land shots inside and get separation from Denny.


"The fight was Krazy I fought way to explosive and emotional. I put everything I had into 4:30 instead of 3x5min rds. I couldn't hear my corner at all it was so loud in there the chants of You Suck and 209 b**ches and your a f***ot was all I could hear.That is the best I have seen Nick fight I take my hat off to him maybe someday we will get to do it again......Thomas"Wildman"Denny"


As we all know Denny was critical of Diaz and has been looking for a chance to prove himself in front of the national CBS audience. Both figthers came into the fight looking to get a step closer to KJ Noon's lightweight title possibly for EliteXC's October card. We will let you know of any news we hear in the upcoming days about possible fights.

Rated Exclusive: Thomas Denny Post-Fight

FCF Radio features Carlo Prater, Anthony Johnson, Thomas Denny, Jake O'Brien, Reese Andy, and MORE

In this episode, Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and Kelsey Mowatt run down the latest news in mixed martial arts. Then, Canadian wrecking machine Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge stops by to talk about his recent fight in Affliction and his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko. Brazilian Carlo Prater is also on the show to discuss his upcoming fight against Brock Larson in World Extreme Cagefighting.

Check out the interview at http://fcfradio.fcfighter.com/ (copy and paste the link)

Rated Exclusive: Thomas Denny Interview

'Wildman' is preparing for the biggest fight of his life

Posted by Robert Rousseau - MMAfighting.com

When Thomas “Wildman” Denny takes on Nick Diaz at the second CBS- EliteXC Saturday Night of Fights set to take place on July 26th, there is likely to be a lot of emotion in the ring. First off, anyone with a nickname like Wildman—and keep in mind that Denny’s nickname is deserved as it relates to fighting—no doubt fights with a lot of fervor anyway; and of course, Nick Diaz has never been one to come into the ring with a stoic expression and a ho-hum attitude. Second, Denny has been outspoken in regard to Diaz’s inability to make weight in his last fight against Muhsin Corbbrey, citing, “if you sign a contract that says you're going to weigh 160, you should come in at 160, not 169 (the weight that Diaz came in at). So, I don't know, I just think it's unprofessional.” Thus, Diaz probably isn’t thrilled with his opponent to begin with.

And finally, the stakes couldn’t be much higher. For Diaz, a victory would likely allow him another chance at current EliteXC Lightweight Champion K.J. Noons, a fighter that was winning the stand up battle against him rather decisively when a cut forced the referee to stop the fight in Noons’ favor. Further, this fight will take place in Diaz’s hometown, adding even more pressure to the mix.

But for Denny this fight may represent something even bigger. Nick Diaz has been in several huge fights on large organization stages against the likes of Noons, Takanori Gomi, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, and Robbie Lawler before, so the magnitude of it all is nothing new. Denny, despite a strong 26-16 overall MMA record with seven (T)KO’s and 14 submission victories to his credit, has fought Yves Edwards (WCNHBC), Duane Ludwig (Shogun- 1), and Georges St. Pierre (UCC 12), but has never done so on a large market stage. What’s more, he caught all of those fighters rather early in their careers.

“Obviously it's the biggest stage I've been on,” said Denny. “I've been fighting in this game for nine years, busting my hump, raising a family and having a gym and everything else that I do. This is just a real huge opportunity. I'm glad to be a part of it. It's been a long time coming.”

Denny is known for a fast paced, aggressive style that often bears fruit (he’s stopped 21 opponents) and sometimes goes the other way (he’s been stopped seven times himself). But it may be that kind of inner toughness; that desire to put on a show and come after an opponent regardless of the consequences that could carry him to a strong showing with the pressure on.

“I've been training my butt off. I'm going to go out and bring it. I am going to set a high pace.” And as for the pressure of this being the biggest fight of his career, Denny seems un-phased. In fact, he believes that Diaz fighting in front of his hometown may work against his opponent pressure- wise.

“Obviously he's going to feel a little more pressure than I am, because that's all his friends and fans. They all hate me as it is. So do I have pressure? Not really. I think if you look at it, he's going to be the one dealing with a little more adversity than I am. I'm expecting them to throw bottles at me, cuss at me, flip me off, everything else. If he goes out there and loses in front of his hometown, he's the one that's going to be shunned upon. I feel he has more pressure than I do.”

Even with that, Denny knows that he’s about to take on a formidable and tough opponent. “The guy, he takes a beating, you know what I mean? He’s a real durable guy. He doesn’t care if he’s bleeding and bloody and swollen, he just keeps coming. I think it's going to make for a really good fight.”

In the end, these two were supposed to fight several times but something always seemed to get in the way. Now, finally, it’s going to take place on July 26th. In the biggest fight of Denny’s career, he certainly realizes the stakes, believing that win over Diaz, “shoots me to the top, man and hopefully sets me up for a fight against KJ or Yves (Edwards). I would love to fight KJ for the belt. That's a lot to ask for. But, hopefully, I go out and shine like I feel like I should and maybe I'll get recognized enough to get the title shot.”

Talk about a big fight for Thomas Denny. We’re all finally going to get to see him fight on the stage that he always wanted to be on.

Ultimate Challenge: Hesperia MMA fighter Thomas 'Wildman' Denny gets ready for big fight

July 19, 2008 - 5:05PM
By PETER DAY - hesperiastar.com
Star Editor

Holding a stop watch in one hand, timer Dustin Rhodes is transfixed on a spirited mixed martial arts bout taking place in the chain-linked center ring of Universal Training Facility.

“Now’s the time. Dig deep,” yells Rhodes, himself a black belt in jiu-jitsu. “Keep going. Go, go, go! Looking good!”

The man Rhodes is urging onward is Thomas Denny, a Hesperia resident whose take-no-prisoners approach to ultimate fighting has earned him the nickname “Wildman.” This day, Denny, with the protection of padded training gloves, is punching and kneeing sparring partner Sam Mateo. While only a training session, both fighters are immersed in sweat on a sweltering summer day.

On Saturday, July 26, Denny will fight one of the biggest fights of his long career in the ring. The nationally-televised CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights event will pit the veteran against an impressive new MMA fighter, Nick Diaz.

Mike Phillips, who writes about MMA in the Victor Valley for the Daily Press, was on hand to observe the training session.

“It’s huge. Huge,” Phillips, who maintains a Web site dedicated to the local ultimate fighting scene, said of the upcoming event.

And the fighter agrees.

“I’m more excited for this fight than any fight in my career,” Denny said following the workout. “I’m ready to shine.”

While Denny doesn’t train with hanging sides of beef, there are other similarities to “Rocky.” Coming into the fight with a record of 39-13-0, the 37-year-old is facing the talented Diaz, a 24-year-old with a record of 17-7. And the odds are with the younger fighter.

“No one’s expecting me to last past the first round,” said.

But that doesn’t bother Denny. In fact, it pumps him up. When asked how he likes the odds, he answered, “I love them. I think a lot of people are going to make a lot of money on me.”

The reason is simple: Denny believes he can win because his technical strengths will be hard for Diaz to overcome.

“I think I’m a bad style for him. I hit hard. I have a lot of cardio (cardiovascular conditioning). I think I’m bad for him.”

To the untrained eye, Denny certainly looks ready. Possessing a six-pack’s worth of hard-body abdominal muscles and seemingly not a speck of fat, Denny has earned his tip-top conditioning the hard way. Earlier in the day, he ran five miles, lifted weights, and then took a well-earned nap.

He also eats a diet that is “lean and clean” by concentrating solely on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. The fighter completely ignores breads, rice, pasta and other starches.

“I’m on a very strict diet. I’m very fit right now.”

Normally fighting in the 170 pound class, the 5’9” Denny will lose 10 pounds this week and weigh in at 160 before the fight.

5 oz feature: Underdog Thomas "Wildman" Denny Ready for the Opportunity of a Lifetime

By: Sam Caplan - fiveouncesofpain.com

Thomas “The Wildman” Denny has been a staple of the regional California MMA scene since the turn of the 21st century. While most of his fights have come with the King of the Cage promotion, Denny has also competed for other California-based promotions such as the Palace Fighting Championships and World Extreme Cagefighting (prior to Zuffa’s acquisition).

Born in Huntington Beach, Calif., the 37-year old father of three also owns and operates his own fight school in Victorville, Calif. According to Denny, the school has over 200 tuition students, including 34 professional and amateur fighters that train under him.

Despite a professional fight career that dates all the way back to 1999, Denny now finds himself on the verge of graduating from the California MMA scene and onto the national stage. On Saturday July 26, he will receive the biggest opportunity of his career when he squares off against Nick Diaz in a 160 pound lightweight clash during CBS and EliteXC’s second-ever telecast of “Saturday Night Fights.”

Denny made his EliteXC debut during a March ShoXC event in which he was declared the victor by disqualification after being on the receiving end of illegal elbows from Malaipet Team Diamond. Against Diaz, a fighter who he has been scheduled to fight several times in the past, Denny finds himself playing the underdog role as he takes a major step up in competition. It’s a role he has played many times in the past and one that he relishes.

“I’ll take being the underdog any day of the week than being the (favorite),” Denny was quoted as saying during a conference call with the media this past week. “When you’re expected to win and you’re expected to perform and you’re in front of all your fans, you have so much more pressure. Everybody’s expecting me to lose. Everybody thinks I don’t even belong in there. Man, I’m excited because everybody felt I didn’t belong in the ring with Tony Fryklund, that he was going to smoke me. I was an 8?1 underdog, whatever. I went out there and finished him in 1 minute and 12 seconds. I love fighting when I’m the guy who shouldn’t even be in there.”

While Denny is getting the opportunity to compete on primetime network television, he is doing so in Diaz’s hometown of Stockton, Calif. But just as he is unphased by being in the role of underdog, Denny sounds unconcerned about Diaz having a potential hometown advantage.

“It’s just him and I when we get in there,” Denny responded when asked if he felt fighting in Stockton was a disadvantage. “Obviously he’s going to feel a little more pressure than I am, because that’s all his friends and fans. They all hate me as it is. So do I have pressure? Not really. I think if you look at it, he’s going to be the one dealing with a little more adversity than I am. I’m expecting them to throw bottles at me, cuss at me, flip me off, everything else. If he goes out there and loses in front of his hometown, he’s the one that’s going to be shunned upon. I feel he has more pressure than I do.”

While Denny is pretty relaxed when it comes to the issues of Diaz being favored and fighting in his hometown, he wasn’t as laid back when asked about Diaz’s inability to make weight for his June 14 fight in Hawaii against Muhsin Corbbrey.

“Rules are rules,” he answered when asked about fighters not making weight. “They’re meant to be followed. If you sign a contract that says you’re going to weigh 160, you should come in at 160, not 169. So, I don’t know, I just think it’s unprofessional.”

While Corbbrey was willing to sign off on the weight disparity, Diaz better be on weight this time around, otherwise, there might not be a fight.

“If he comes in nine pounds overweight, the fight probably won’t happen,” remarked Denny. “It’s just ridiculous. I think he knows and he has something to prove that he is a professional. So I think he’ll come on weight and I think the fight will happen.”

But Denny isn’t looking for a way out. The fight vs. Diaz is one that he wants to happen, as he knows what an upset win would do for his career.

“It shoots me to the top [if I win], man and hopefully sets me up for a fight against K.J. [Noons] or Yves [Edwards],” Denny said. “I would love to fight K.J for the belt. That’s a lot to ask for. But, hopefully, I go out and shine like I feel like I should and maybe I’ll get recognized enough to get the title shot."

Denny lives up to his wild ways

by Ariel Helwani, MMARated.com (as seen on msn.foxsports.com)

For more exclusive MMA interviews, check out MMARated.com -- the new voice of mixed martial arts.

On July 26, Thomas "Wildman" Denny faces Nick Diaz in enemy territory — Diaz's hometown of Stockton, Calif., on the second EliteXC on CBS show. The former King of the Cage veteran has won four of his last five, including his EliteXC debut last March. MMARated.com's Ariel Helwani spoke to Denny about the biggest fight of his career and his heated rivalry with Diaz.

MMARated.com: You're a very unique fighter and have a very unique style. Where did the nickname "Wildman" come from?
TD: You know what? When I first started this mixed martial arts thing, I used every different kind of nickname I could come up with. I mean, every fight it was something different just to be a little unique and different. That's what's predictable about the "Wildman" is that he's unpredictable. I was out as the Destroyer, the Tiger, all kinds of different things. I got an email from a promoter out in Colorado with the letters "I got It — the Wildman".

And so actually I was talking to my wife, I'm like, "Hey, the Wildman?" And she's like, "Yeah, that's you. Perfect." It's kinda just stuck, and I've stuck with it.

MMARated.com: July 26 is a huge fight for you over in Stockton, Calif. as you'll be facing hometown boy Nick Diaz. I was actually quite critical of EliteXC for booking this fight, not because of you but just because of all the buzz that was surrounding the Diaz-KJ Noons' fight. I figured it was obvious that Nick's next fight would be against KJ. So were you also surprised when you heard that your next fight was against Nick?

TD: Yeah, I was really surprised. I kinda think everybody agreed with that, you know the little thing that happened, the little eruption afterwards or whatever. Nick is a showman. I don't know if you know; he means it all the time. But he comes off as kind of a jackass and a lot of people don't think he has a lot of class in the sport, and that little eruption that happened afterwards and flipping people off and whatever, I thought, "Man, yeah, they'll definitely book that." But I guess Noons wants some time off and wants to take the fight serious where Nick wants to fight as much as he can.

MMARated.com: What are your thoughts on some of Diaz's antics especially following the KJ Noons-Yves Edwards fight? Do you think his behavior was justified?

TD: You know what? It's definitely too much. It's over the top. Like I said, it's no class. The thing is we're trying to build this sport, and this sport is getting so big and, I'll tell you what, I got a lot of kids that are fans of mine and I would be pretty bummed out if some of my fans came up to me and they asked me, "Hey, Thomas, why are you flipping dudes off?" And that's kinda giving them that thing where they can flip people off and, "Hey, it's cool to flip people off." Nick, come on, have some class. You know you shouldn't be flipping people off.

MMARated.com: So I'm guessing that his behavior kind of adds some fuel to your fire.

TD: Yes, it definitely does. It's obviously a good cop/bad cop kinda thing. I don't mind it; it adds a little flavor. He talks a lot of trash about me and however he perceives me with painting my fingernails and doing my hair and stuff like that. You know, he's a pretty shallow person because he doesn't even really realize what that is. That's something from my family that's given to me and that's my kids being a part of my fighting tradition, and he can look at me as being a fag or whatever he wants, but when I'm punching him in the face he'll think a little differently.

MMARated.com: What's your take on Diaz's coming into his last fight against Muhsin Corbrbey nine pounds over weight?


TD: Oh man, I thought it was ridiculous. If I was Muhsin Corbbrey, I wouldn't even have taken the fight. When you're at that level — and obviously, he didn't dedicate himself and didn't train like he was supposed to — how the hell do you come nine pounds over weight? I could understand one pound, a pound-and-a-half, because scales are off, but nine pounds? That's not even trying. [Muhsin] did everything right. He did his diet right, he comes in on weight, and then here's this guy that didn't even care. That's just disrespect. But like I said, no class, disrespectful guy seems kinda hand-in-hand. Let's see if he makes weight for my fight. [If] he comes into my fight nine pounds over weight, he's not gonna have a fight to fight.

MMARated.com: So let's just say you were in Corbbrey position. Would you have just said, "No, I'm not taking it,"?

TD: I would have said no. I would have turned and walked away. I would have said go cut weight, and if they don't make him cut weight, then it's not even worth taking the fight. That's a different weight class. That's not even in the right weight class.

MMARated.com: You're facing Diaz in his hometown. Will that phase you at all?

TD: [My favorite] way to fight is when I'm the worst underdog. I mean, when I fought Georges St. Pierre, I was a huge underdog. But I went in and I still fought and fought well. I mean, I took him deep in the water. I fight best when I'm the underdog. You boo me, you throw water bottles at me, and that's just gonna make me fight even better.

MMARated.com: You've been around this sport a long time, did you ever think you would have a chance to fight on a platform quite like CBS?

TD: It's gonna be huge, and that's why I'm excited to be a part of it. I'm excited that EliteXC has given me this opportunity to be a part of it. Like I said, originally when they first brought up the first show to me, I kinda was hesitant. I was like, "Ah, you know what? Let's wait. It's the first CBS show and maybe I'd be on the next show." And here it is, and it was written in the stars because here's the second CBS show, I'm on it and then I'm against Diaz, a guy I don't like anyways. So this is perfect for me and it's the number-one contender spot, so what more could I ask for? I don't think it's pressure at all.

MMARated.com: They actually offered you a spot on the first CBS show?

TD: Well, yeah. When they first started talking about the CBS show and actually [EliteXC head of fight operations] Jeremy Lappen and I were on the same "Inside MMA" show together, and he had asked, "Well, would you be interested in fighting on that show?" And I said, "Oh, probably not, because it's happening so fast." And then that's what I was thinking in my own mind, I was like, "Man, let that first show play out, see how it goes, see how the turnout is and then the next show maybe I can get on there." And then, sure enough, here it is.

MMARated.com: Have they given you any firm indication that a number one contender spot is on the line for their 160-lbs. title?

TD: I don't see why it wouldn't. That's what it seems to be, that everybody's building it up as, "Here's the spot for number one and number two, so why don't the winner fight KJ?"

MMARated.com: Obviously, they are planning for Noons-Diaz II, but you can really mess up their plans with a win.

TD: Oh, like I said, I'm the underdog in this one knowing everybody still judges me from when I fought nine years ago. You know what I mean? When I first came into this sport, I never had a trainer, I never had anything. I just jumped in. I was a good kickboxer, a good boxer, and jumped into this MMA world, and people are still judging me as that guy from nine years ago.

So continue to judge me as that guy because I've evolved. I'm a mixed martial artist now. I'm training harder for this fight than I've trained for anything. So people are just gonna doubt me and then when I do go in and I do shock the world, they're gonna think to themselves, "Man, we can't count this Wildman out. He still is evolving as a martial artist".

MMARated.com: Your last victory (on March 28) was a controversial one as you won via DQ against Malaipet after he elbowed you in the back of the head. What was your take on how the end of that fight played out?

TD: You know what? I don't think it was controversial at all. I think it was a pretty one-sided fight if you watched the fight. Malaipet was looking for a way out and it's not like I go and in my gym I'm like, "Hey guys, elbow me in the back of the head and the neck as hard as you can, so I can feel what kind of effect it's gonna give me, so I can see if it's gonna knock me out or it's gonna give me a muscle spasm in my neck or whatever it's gonna do." It was a one-sided fight. You know, the guy oiled up to get out of my submissions. He knew I was gonna submit him so he oiled up. He was nice and slick on the ground and so then, as you see, I changed my game plan from submission to just start pounding his face in with elbows and punches. His orbital socket was all messed up, he had a huge cut over his eye, welts all over his forehead. So controversial? Yeah, on his part, not on my part.

MMARated.com: Was there any talk of a rematch after that fight?

TD: There never was because the first thing he wanted was to drop down to the 150-pound weight class, and in order for me to get to a 150-pound weight cut I'd have to cut off my left leg. So I don't think that'll work...seeing a one-legged fighter.

Thomas Denny Calls Nick Diaz “Unprofessional”

By Tim Ngo
(5thRound.com)

During today’s EliteXC conference call, Thomas Denny made sure his feelings were known regarding Nick Diaz’ recent problem with making weight at a recent EliteXC event. Denny went as far as saying, “if he comes in 9 pounds overweight, yeah the fight’s not going to happen.” Diaz was a no-show at today’s conference call. We assume that he was training for his fight with Denny on July 26th.

The fight will take place in Diaz’ hometown of Stockton, California on July 26th as part of CBS’ “Saturday Night Fights.” Denny said the home field advantage wouldn’t be much of a factor as it, “Doesn’t matter, it’s just him [Diaz] and I when you get in there.”

When asked about Diaz weighing in nine pounds heavy, Denny said, “It’s unprofessional.”

However, Denny knows that he has his work cut out for him on July 26th. “His [Diaz’] hard head, the guy takes a beating. He’s a real durable guy, he doesn’t care if he’s bleeding,” Denny went on to say.

When asked what a win over Diaz would do for his career, Denny responded, “It shoots me to the top man. It hopefully sets me up for a fight with KJ [Noons] or Yves [Edwards].”

“The Wildman” as he is known, is hoping that Diaz comes into this fight like he has his last couple. “I hope he comes at me like he has in his last few fights. He’s looked a little slow and sluggish,” said Denny.

If Diaz overlooks Denny, it could be the biggest win of Denny’s career.

Radio: "Wildman" Pulls No Punches

by Ariel Helwani, MMARated.com

When it was first announced that Nick Diaz was facing Thomas "Wildman" Denny at the second EliteXC on CBS show, the entire MMA community was left shaking its collective head. Basically, the main question that crossed everyone's mind was: Why isn't Diaz facing KJ Noons?

Well, apparently Noons isn't ready to mix it up with Diaz just yet but, fear not, as Denny has provided us with plenty to get excited about with regards to his upcoming fight against Diaz.

Case in point: His recent appearance on MMARated Radio. Some of the highlights include:

On finding out he was facing Diaz in Stockton:
I was really surprised. I kinda think everybody agreed with that, you know the little thing that happened, the little eruption afterwards or whatever. Nick is a showman. I don't know if you know; he means it all the time. But he comes off as kind of a jackass and a lot of people don't think he has a lot of class in the sport, and that little eruption that happened afterwards and flipping people off and whatever, I thought, "Man, yeah, they'll definitely book that". But I guess Noons wants some time off and wants to take the fight serious, where Nick wants to fight as much as he can.

On Diaz's behavior:
You know what? It's definitely too much. It's over the top. Like I said, it's no class. The thing is we're trying to build this sport, and this sport is getting so big and, I'll tell you what, I got a lot of kids that are fans of mine and I would be pretty bummed out if some of my fans came up to me and they asked me, "Hey, Thomas, why are you flipping dudes off?" And that's kinda giving them that thing where they can flip people off and, "hey, it's cool to flip people off."

On his feud with Diaz:
He talks a lot of trash about me and however he perceives me with painting my fingernails and doing my hair and stuff like that. You know, he's a pretty shallow person because he doesn't even really realize what that is. That's something from my family that's given to me and that's my kids being a part of my fighting tradition, and he can look at me as being a fag or whatever he wants but when I'm punching him in the face he'll think a little differently.

On Diaz failing to make weight in his last fight against Muhsin Corbbrey:
Oh man, I thought it was ridiculous. If I was Muhsin Corbbrey, I wouldn't even have taken the fight. When you're at that level -- and obviously, he didn't dedicate himself and didn't train like he was supposed to -- how the hell do you come nine pounds over weight? I could understand one pound, a pound-and-a-half, 'cause scales are off; but, nine pounds? That's not even trying...Let's see if he makes weight for my fight. [If] he comes into my fight nine pounds over weight, he's not gonna have a fight to fight.

Now are you interested in seeing these two get it on? I thought so. For more "Wildman" fun check out our interview above.

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