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MattE on Mixed Martial Arts
Friday February 5, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 8:58PM EST on February 5, 2010
By Matt Erickson All fighters made weight on Friday for their Saturday bouts at UFC 109: Relentless in Las Vegas. Saturday’s card will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and features a main event light heavyweight bout between UFC Hall of Famers Randy Couture and Mark Coleman. Both of them weighed in at 205 pounds for their bout. Couture is a significant favorite at -575 to Coleman’s +375. Coleman was the first heavyweight champion in UFC history; Couture is a former heavyweight and light heavyweight champ. “I feel great. I’m excited, I’ve got a lot of engery, I’m ready to go. I’m gonna win this fight,” Coleman told Joe Rogan after making weight. “I’m just looking to fight the best, and Randy’s one of the best of all-time. Nothing but respect for him, but I want a little piece of what he’s got. That’s it.” Couture, 46, said each fight for him is important. “I feel blessed each and every time I get to step back out there in the Octagon,” Couture said. “This is another chance for me to go out and show the things I’ve changed, show the ways I’ve gotten better, become a better athlete all the time – and Mark Coleman is a great challenge for me. I’m looking forward to it.” The co-main event is a middleweight fight between Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen that is likely to determine the No. 1 contender’s spot for the title currently held by Anderson Silva. Silva defends his belt at UFC 112 on April 12 in Abu Dhabi. The weigh-ins, which were streamed live here at Caged In, featured no real fireworks and no weight-cut controversies. In fact, the biggest surprise to some fans may have been seeing Frank Trigg with a full head of hair; he has typically fought with a shaved head. His bout with former welterweight champ Matt Serra has become a war of words. UFC 109’s main card begins at 9 p.m. Central on pay-per-view. Additionally, two preliminary card fights will be aired live on Spike TV starting at 8 p.m. Here are the official weigh-in results: Preliminary Card Spike TV Preliminary Card Main Card
Posted by: MattE at 3:51PM EST on February 5, 2010
By Greg Beacham DETROIT | Randy Couture and Mark Coleman have been headed for this fight since the UFC’s event numbers were in the teens. These two pioneers of mixed martial arts are now in their mid-40s, and they’ve been circling each other since their sport’s infancy. During the years when Coleman fought mostly in Japan, when Couture became an actor in his spare time away from the octagon, they never stopped anticipating a fight that nearly happened in 1998. “I think it would have been just as interesting 10 or 12 years ago,” Couture said. “We were both a lot less refined as athletes and combatants back then, but it would have been a hard-nosed affair. Mark and I are both straight-up competitors, and it would have made for a great fight.” The UFC still expects a great, long-overdue fight when the 46-year-old Couture takes on the 45-year-old Coleman at UFC 109 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Couture and Coleman are living, thriving proof the benefits of ambitious training, even if the rough-and-ready Coleman started getting serious about longevity a whole lot later than Couture. They also stand as evidence of the relative safety of MMA, which hasn’t broken either of these two eager fighters. While the fighters’ combined age is easily the biggest in the history of UFC’s main events, this is no sideshow. Although Couture (17-10) is the favorite to claim the victory and a likely light heavyweight title shot against Lyoto Machida or Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Coleman (16-9) thinks he can continue his improbable late-career resurgence. “This is by far the biggest fight of my life,” Coleman said. “I’ve been in some big fights, but none of them compare to this. There’s a lot on the line for me. … That’s about the No. 1 question I’ve been asked by everybody for about the last 10 years: When are you going to fight Randy?” The bout is Couture’s third time in the octagon in less than six months, a remarkable stretch for a fighter who hasn’t been this busy in more than eight years. Couture has plenty of interests outside the ring, with a burgeoning acting career and businesses that demand his time. Yet when a series of injuries to UFC’s top stars left president Dana White a bit short on names, Couture was thrilled to step in as a headliner. “Randy Couture is a testament to God knows what,” White said. “I don’t know what he eats and does, but everybody should be eating and doing it. These guys have both been fighting at the top of the game for who knows how long, and the big thing is these guys really wanted to fight each other. They can both still compete and work hard. There’s no doubt about either of them.” The UFC’s first major card in a month also features 185-pound contender Nate Marquardt against Chael Sonnen, Paulo Thiago’s 170-pound return against Mike Swick, and former welterweight champion Matt Serra’s return from an eight-month absence against Frank Trigg. Couture and Coleman actually fought once before — at the 1989 Olympic wrestling festival in Stillwater, Okla., where Coleman won by one point. They were slated to meet at UFC 17, back when purses were a fraction of their current size, and Couture pulled out to prepare for a national wrestling tournament. Couture actually contributed to Coleman’s revival when he allowed Coleman to train for his most recent fight at his Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. Coleman surprised 32-year-old Stephan Bonnar with a unanimous decision at UFC 100, and was in line to fight Tito Ortiz late last year before getting injured in training. Coleman was crushed by missing what he thought might be his last chance at a big payday. After a career in which he acknowledges lapses in his training and discipline, Coleman finally feels comfortable leaving his children at home in his native Ohio to chase UFC glory. “I felt like I lost out on a huge opportunity, and I didn’t foresee being able to top that matchup,” Coleman said of his injury pullout against Ortiz. “I anticipated maybe fighting a younger guy and being a gatekeeper.” Coleman helped to define the brutish MMA style known as ground-and-pound, while Couture has remained competitive with a well-rounded approach. Neither fighter is likely to overwhelm his opponent with dazzling striking abilities, so the fight could be decided by endurance — and both of these 40-something fighters have plenty. After they finally meet, neither fighter expects to be finished. Both Couture and Coleman intend to keep pursuing their MMA career to the doorstep of 50. “This is what I do,” Coleman said. “This is what I love to do, and I’m still willing to put in the time. … If losing a fight is the worst thing that happens to you in your life, you’re doing pretty well.”
Posted by: MattE at 12:23PM EST on February 5, 2010
Shine Fights on Wednesday announced the signing of Nick “The Goat” Thompson, a veteran of the UFC, Strikeforce, World Victory Road, Sengoku and many other regional promotions. Thompson (38-12-1) wrestled collegiately at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and spent the bulk of his early career fighting in Midwest promotions, including XFO and Extreme Challenge. Thompson made his major promotion debut at UFC 56 in November 2005, where he won a unanimous decision over Valparaiso-based Keith Wisniewski. In 2007, he beat the highly regarded Eddie Alvarez to win the Bodog Fight welterweight title, which he successfully defended twice afterward. Those victories were part of a 12-fight winning streak. But he has dropped two straight bouts and three of his last five. Thompson, who trains at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and Brock Larson, owns high-profile wins over the aforementioned Alvarez as well as current UFC welterweight contender Paul Daley and Josh Neer. But he’s had setbacks against Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields, Yushin Okami, Karo Parisyan and Ed Herman. Thompson said in a statement from Shine that his decision to sign with the promotion had to do with its willingness to keep him busy.
“Over three years, I’d gone 22-2 at welterweight, and I couldn’t get a fight,” Thompson said. “It was really frustrating. If you look at my record, I had 50 fights in five years, and all of a sudden I’m going down to two fights in a year. I’m going out of my mind. I want to be the No. 1-ranked guy in Shine Fights, plain and simple.” Shine matchmaker Ron Foster lauded the promotion’s newest signee. “Nick is a world-class fighter, and we’re extremely excited to feature him in our shows,” Foster said. Thompson is expected to make his debut with the promotion sometime this spring.
Posted by: MattE at 8:27AM EST on February 5, 2010
UFC 109: Relentless takes place Saturday night, and Caged In will have the weigh-ins for the card streaming live right here. The weigh-ins will begin at 6 p.m. Central and take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, site of Saturday’s card. UFC 109 features a main event between Hall of Famers Randy Couture and Mark Coleman, meeting for the first time since they met each other in an amateur wrestling match in 1989, and a co-main event of Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen, which is expected to determine the No. 1 contender spot for the middleweight title. The main card for UFC 109 starts at 9 p.m. Central on Saturday on pay-per-view. In addition, two preliminary card bouts will be shown on Spike TV starting at 8 p.m. Central leading into the pay-per-view telecast. Thursday February 4, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 6:54PM EST on February 4, 2010
By Matt Erickson Purdue product and former NFL lineman Matt Mitrione will fight former streetfighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson at UFC 113 in Montreal on May 8. Caged In learned of the bout last month and MMA Junkie today confirmed it with UFC president Dana White in Las Vegas for Saturday’s UFC 109 card. Mitrione and Slice were both contestants on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and both were at times controversial members of the house. Mitrione contributed an exclusive weekly Q&A to Caged In during the season and he is expected to be a regular blogger for Caged In during his training camp for Slice. Mitrione several times drew out the ire of his housemates, including his own teammates. He made the quarterfinals, where he was submitted by James McSweeney. But he apparently won a fan in White for his heavy hands, and he earned a slot on the TUF 10 Finale card on Spike TV. In that fight, his official UFC debut, he knocked out fellow castmate Marcus Jones just 10 seconds into the second round. Slice was controversial from the start for his inclusion on the show. He lost his preliminary fight to Roy Nelson and was eliminated from the tournament. But the telecast was a ratings boon for Spike and the UFC. Several times on the show, Slice was shown being hopeful that Mitrione might not be able to fight with an injury so he could get another crack. Slice won his official UFC debut on the TUF 10 Finale, beating fellow striker Houston Alexander in a unanimous decision. UFC 113 will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal and is expected to feature a main event light heavyweight title fight rematch between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Machida won a controversial decision over Rua at UFC 104 in October. Many fans, analysts and even White believed Rua won the fight. Also rumored for the card is a welterweight bout between Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley that will likely determine the No. 1 contender spot for current title holder Georges St-Pierre’s belt. St-Pierre defends his title against Dan Hardy at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J., in March. And Canadian Patrick Cote is expected to make his return to the Octagon in front of his home country fans against Alan Belcher. Cote last fought at UFC 90 in a middleweight title fight loss to Anderson Silva. He blew out his knee in the fight and has been rehabilitating the injury since then.
Posted by: MattE at 6:25PM EST on February 4, 2010
Caged In is redefining mixed martial arts journalism. From breaking news scoops to in-depth fighter profiles and features and behind-the-scenes Q&As, Caged In has your MMA world covered. But when we hit the road, we also bring you the fastest live fight coverage on the Internet! From the UFC and WEC to Strikeforce, Bellator and Midwest promotions like the Hoosier Fight Club, our round-by-round and fight-by-fight updates are the best in the business. This spring, we’re planning to be hitting the road for WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio; WEC 48 in Sacramento; UFC 113 in Montreal; UFC 114 and the second UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas; and as many local cards as we can take in in between. So be sure to bookmark Caged In, follow us on Twitter for instant updates every time we publish a new story and become a fan on Facebook, where we have more than 50 celebrity followers, from Urijah Faber to Brian Bowles, Gray Maynard to Matt Mitrione, Joe Rogan and Bruce Buffer, even Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Fonoimoana and Rise Against guitarist Zach Blair! And we’ll see ya from cageside!
Posted by: MattE at 6:09PM EST on February 4, 2010
 Mark Coleman (UFC photo) By Matt Erickson When UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman came out of retirement to fight Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, he took his share of criticism and had plenty of doubters because of his age. When the fight, won by Rua with a late TKO ref stoppage, turned out to be one that fans and analysts wound up calling one of the worst of 2009 because of the sluggishness of both fighters, the questioning continued. But Coleman’s next fight, at the historic UFC 100 card in July against Stephan Bonnar, turned things around for him. He surprised the experts and outmuscled Bonnar to a unanimous decision win. Things were looking up, and the UFC threw another tough test at him – Tito Ortiz, making his return from a long layoff. But a knee injury forced him out of the Ortiz fight and Coleman wondered if he’d ever get another shot like that one. But Saturday, he’s got that shot and then some against fellow Hall of Famer Randy Couture in the main event of UFC 109. “This is by far the biggest fight of my life,” Coleman said on a media call last week. “I’ve been in some big fights, but none of them compare to this. Personally, there’s a lot on the line here for me – just by far the biggest fight ever, and I appreciate Randy giving me this opportunity and accepting the fight.” It will be the first time two Hall of Famers meet in the UFC Octagon, and Coleman is a sizable underdog to Couture’s -500 odds at most sportsbooks. It’s a status Coleman said he understands. “Well, it’s just kind of what I deserve,” Coleman said. “I guess I deserve to be the underdog with my performance in the past. I haven’t always been able to give 100 percent to the sport. I’ve had other things I’ve had to focus on, or I’ve decided to focus on other things. But for the Bonnar fight, I was able to get away from Ohio and put a nice little training camp together. And actually, Randy was nice enough to let me train at his gym – and I had some great coaches there and some great assistants. If I’m able to put a good camp together and I come in in shape, I pose a threat just about anybody out there.” It’s interesting how Coleman and Couture have continued to cross paths here and there through their long careers. This won’t even be the first time they’ve faced each other. In 1989, they met in an amateur wrestling match, which Coleman won. And even though Coleman won the match, he said it was a ding to the chin he’ll be looking to return the favor for on Saturday. “We were banging pretty hard with each other,” Coleman recalled. “He brought it to me, and at the time, you know, I was giving it back – a good, very close match. I remember him being very strong and kind of like he fights. He was in my face the whole time. Actually, he gave me an accidental head butt during the match and I ended up having to get two stitches underneath my chin after the match. So maybe I owe him a little head butt during this one here.” Already about as accomplished as he can be in the sport, Coleman said being able to fight Couture, especially after having to pull out of his fight with Ortiz in November, is not lost on him. “I’m very grateful, very honored,” Coleman said. “It was very devastating when I did have to pull out against Tito because that’s an opportunity that you can never get back, and I felt like I really lost out on a huge opportunity and I didn’t foresee being able to top that matchup and I anticipated probably fighting a younger guy and maybe becoming a gatekeeper or something like that. When I (found out) it was going to be Randy Couture, I was a little in shock for a little bit. I knew the magnitude of that fight and I was just really, really happy and surprised because I didn’t think I was going to be able to top a Tito Ortiz matchup. I do feel a little bit lucky to be able to face a Randy Couture because he is, in my opinion, one of the greatest of all time in this sport. So it’s about as big as it gets for me.”
Posted by: MattE at 5:24PM EST on February 4, 2010
By Matt Erickson Local mixed martial arts action returns to Lowell on Friday as Cutthroat MMA brings “Locked Down in Lowell” to DC’s Country Junction. The main event features a flyweight championship fight between Jake Rosenbaum (7-1) and Dave Longoria (4-2). Rosenbaum, of Crown Point, fights out of L.A. Boxing in Merrillville and is trained by UFC and Strikeforce veteran John Kolosci, of Portage. Rosenbaum recently spent a month training in Sacramento with Team Alpha Male, led by former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Longoria, of Hammond, fights out of Extreme Martial Arts in Schererville. Also on the card will be rising local prospect Leo Husarik, fighting out of Team Bloody Knuckles in Valparaiso, and Terry House from L.A. Boxing. The card will feature 13 total fights and begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday. For more information or tickets, contact promoter Mike Davis at (773) 491-5052. Wednesday February 3, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 7:15PM EST on February 3, 2010
Training camp is winding down. I leave for Sydney in a little over a week. I really looking forward to getting on that plane because once I leave, I know I’m finally done with the training. Don’t get me wrong – I love martial arts and I love to train. But believe it or not, pushing yourself every day to the breaking point gets old. I know I’m in great shape. I know I’m in fight shape. But I still have to go through a little more of this. I’ve been fighting long enough and have noticed this happens every fight. The last week or so of training is always the hardest because I’m so ready to fight and so sick of pushing so hard every day. No fight could possibly be worse than what I’m going through now. Almost there – I can’t wait! I shared with you guys a little insight into my training and the joy of the shark bait drills. So I’ll fill you in on another aspect of my training – the strength and conditioning, which I have been doing at the Philippi Sports Institute (P.S.I.). Mark Philippi is one of those meatheads you may recognize from the World’s Strongest Man competition. He is an ox who can deadlift cars. No – seriously. I’m not joking. There are pictures of him in the gym deadlifting cars! The place is great because it makes me do the things I dread and would not be doing on my own, like heavy squats, cleans, snatches and sled pulls. Does that even make sense? I like the place because it makes me do the things I hate. I even feel like a strongman in there. I’m grunting like a wild boar and dropping loaded barbells from overhead all the way to the floor. Anyway, I started there a few months before my last fight and have been going religiously ever since. I’m glad I have. It’s definitely been paying off. My lifts have nearly doubled since I started, and I feel the carryover when sparring. I am just stronger. These big meatheads like the 280-pound Carl I mentioned in my last blog can’t manhandle me like they used to. I no longer feel like a little boy trying to fight his father. Since this is my blog and I can talk about anything I want, I’m going to have to rant to you a little bit about the last Strikeforce card. You know what really grinds my gears? I’ll tell you. How about the fact that Strikeforce wastes its precious airtime to show us not one, but two crap fights! Did you guys know that veterans Jay Hieron and Joe Riggs fought in a three-round absolute war of a bloodbath with Hieron winning a close decision to earn a title shot? Well, you should have, damn it! Why wouldn’t Strikeforce show us two battle-proven warriors competing for the No. 1 contender spot at 170? Why!!! In a fight that displayed great technical stand up and ground skills. Why?!?! Instead, we get to see a novice, Herschel Walker, make his MMA debut against a complete tomato can. Sure, he’s a big name, but come on. The fight was filled with rudimentary MMA skills. Also, we got to see big beefcake Bobby Lashley fight an out of shape, pregnant-looking Wes Sims. Who would have thought that fight would have been exciting enough to air? It wasn’t! The fight didn’t mean anything, either. Was that for No. 1 contender? Hell no! So come on Strikeforce. You’re making yourself look bad. Give us the talent! Give us the guys with skills developed over years of hard training! Give us the battle-tested veterans who have proven themselves. I wanna see the fights that mean something. Have you not learned anything from the UFC? The next time you think of doing something like that, ask yourself, “Would the UFC do that?” Trust me, it will make the organization look better as a whole. Damn, did that piss me off. I feel better now. I guess shrinks are right when they say if you are upset about something, just write a letter and let it out. OK. Now that I am on to something, I might as well continue to my next letter. “Dear Dad … You know what really grinds my gears?” Wait a second. This letter’s not for the blog. Better keep this one between me and him.
Posted by: MattE at 6:55PM EST on February 3, 2010
 Jose Aldo (Photo courtesy WEC) By Matt Erickson After talking about the possibility of it for many months and promising it was on the horizon, World Extreme Cagefighting on Wednesday announced its first foray into the world of pay-per-view. WEC 48: Aldo vs. Brown will take place April 24 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento and will feature a main event featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and former champion – and hometown hero – Urijah Faber. And while speculation from MMA fans and analysts over a potential WEC pay-per-view always seemed to settle back in at what the price point would be, the WEC announced that the price of the card will be the same – $44.99 for either the standard or high-definition feed – of that of its Zuffa LLC big brother, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The WEC, though, seems poised to give fans their money’s worth for the card with the Faber-Aldo title fight, plus a co-main event lightweight championship bout between champion Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone, a rematch of one of the best fights of 2009, which Henderson won in a unanimous decision to win the then-interim lightweight belt. Henderson unified the title with a win over then-champion Jamie Varner last month. Also on the card, former featherweight champion Mike Brown meets former finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter” Manny Gamburyan. “We are building the most action-packed card we’ve ever done for our first pay-per-view,” WEC general manager Reed Harris said in a statement Wednesday. “The Jose Aldo-Urijah Faber fight is something fans have been talking about for a long time. When those two step inside the cage, it could be one of the best fights in the history of the sport. With the Cerrone-Henderson rematch and the Brown-Gamburyan fight also scheduled, this guarantees that fans get the most bang for their buck.” The WEC said the broadcast will feature five main-card bouts, the same as most UFC pay-per-views. As always, there is the possibility for bonus coverage to be shown, pending time constraints and the length of the main-card fights. At 16-1 and unbeaten in the WEC at 6-0, Aldo has become one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he has yet to truly showcase his ground skills in the WEC – all six of his wins have been knockouts, including two Knockout of the Night bonus awards. In Faber, he will get perhaps his toughest test to date, especially fighting the former champ in his home stadium. It will be Faber’s third straight fight in his Sacramento hometown and fifth of six in his home state for “The California Kid.” “Urijah is a good fighter, but he’s not taking my belt,” Aldo said. “My dream has been to be the world champion. Now that I have the belt, I am not giving it up.” Faber (23-3, 8-2 WEC) held the featherweight belt for two years before dropping it to Brown at WEC 36. He also lost a rematch to Brown for the title at WEC 41 in Sacramento last June in one of the year’s best fights. After a seven-month layoff with two broken hands, Faber got back in the win column last month with a win over Rafael Assuncao. “It’s Jose Aldo’s belt right now – but in my mind, that’s my belt,” Faber said. “My belief is that I should have that belt, and I’m gonna go in there and try to get it. I’m out here ready to prove it.” Tickets for WEC: Aldo vs. Faber go on sale Saturday at noon Central time and will be priced from $40 to $185. There is also an online presale for WEC newsletter subscribers Friday at noon.
Posted by: MattE at 10:35AM EST on February 3, 2010
 Kenny Florian connects in his win over Clay Guida at UFC 107 in Memphis in December. (Photo courtesy UFC) By Matt Erickson The Ultimate Fighting Championship today announced its Fight Night 21 event for March 31 in Charlotte, N.C., with a main event lightweight bout between Kenny Florian and recent UFC signee and Pride and Shooto legend Takanori Gomi. The card will take place at Bojangles Coliseum, a more than 50-year-old arena that has played host to NWA and TNA wrestling events, is the home of the Carolina Speed of the American Indoor Football Association and has seen such legendary performers as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin grace its stages. UFC last visited North Carolina in Dec. 2008 for Fight Night 16, its “Fight for the Troops” card for military charity The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The main card of Fight Night 21 will be aired live on the Spike cable network and will precede the Season 11 debut of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which this season pits longtime rivals Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz against each other as coaches. Tickets for Fight Night 21 go on sale to UFC Fight Club members at 9 a.m. Central on Thursday and to newsletter subscribers at 9 a.m. Friday. Tickets for the general public go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday. “The UFC has a great history with Charlotte, which hosted UFC 3 and UFC 5, and while the sport has changed immensely since then, one thing hasn’t changed and that’s the loyalty and enthusiasm of the fans here,” UFC president Dana White said in a release by the company. “We’re happy to be coming back here, and we brought one of the most highly anticipated lightweight fights to headline this event. UFC fans know Kenny Florian as a top contender who can do it all in the Octagon, and in Takanori Gomi he’s facing a guy who has dominated in Japan for years and is now looking to do the same thing in the UFC. This is going to be a fight to remember.” Florian (12-4, 10-3 UFC) will be trying to build on his submission win over Chicago-area native and former Gilbert Grappling trainee Clay Guida at UFC 107 in December. At UFC 101 in August, he lost a lightweight title fight to champion B.J. Penn. And Gomi (31-5) will be looking to make a quick mark in his UFC debut after years fighting for Shooto and Pride, where he was a lightweight champion, and most recently World Victory Road. At one point in Pride, Gomi put together a 10-fight winning streak. Of his five career losses, two came back-to-back to Joachim Hansen and Penn in 2003. The co-main event will be between TUF 10 winner Roy Nelson (14-4, 1-0 UFC) and 6-foot-11 Dutch fighter Stefan Struve (19-3, 3-1 UFC). Nelson knocked out Brendan Schaub to win the TUF 10 trophy and his official UFC debut. Aside from being the heavyweight champion for the now-defunct IFL, Nelson is perhaps best known for his win over Kimbo Slice in their preliminary fight in TUF 10. Struve has put together three straight wins in the Octagon after dropping his debut to Junior dos Santos, including a close majority decision win over Paul Buentello at UFC 107 in Memphis. Also rumored for Fight Night 21 are bouts between Nate Quarry and Jorge Rivera, plus Yushin Okami vs. Lucio Linhares, Cole Miller vs. Andre Winner, Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver and Gleison Tibau vs. Caol Uno, though none of those fights have been officially announced by the UFC. Tuesday February 2, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 5:56PM EST on February 2, 2010
By Matt Erickson Heavyweights Mike Russow and Todd Duffee will meet at UFC 114 in Las Vegas, Caged In learned on Tuesday. The UFC newcomers, both 1-0 in the promotion after wins on the same UFC 102 card in Portland in August, have verbally agreed to the bout, though agreements have not yet been signed. The news comes from a source close to Russow’s camp.  Mike Russow (Photo courtesy of UFC) Russow, a Chicago police officer by day, holds a 12-1 career record with one no contest. While he has mostly toiled for Midwest promotions like Adrenaline MMA and XFO, his lone loss came to Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33. His UFC debut was a decision victory against Justin McCully. Going to the judges was an uncommon concept for Russow in that fight, as eight of his previous nine wins had come by submission. But where Russow’s strengths lie in his jiu-jitsu game, Duffee, born in Evansville, Ind., and raised in southern Illinois, brings knockout power to the table. His debut at UFC 102 was a UFC record 7-second knockout of Tim Hague. Duffee, 5-0, has all his wins by knockout and has only gone out of the first round once in his five career fights. Duffee trains with the Xtreme Couture team in Las Vegas. UFC 114 is scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on May 29 and will coincide with the promotion’s second UFC Fan Expo leading up to it. While not yet announced, the expected main event for the pay-per-view card is the long-awaited grudge match between former light heavyweight champions and Season 10 coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson.
Posted by: MattE at 10:33AM EST on February 2, 2010
By Matt Erickson Shine International, a sales and distribution branch of the Shine Group, will take Strikeforce’s mixed martial arts brand to new international levels, the companies announced Tuesday. The deal will have Shine selling more than 70 hours of Strikeforce programming in six different markets in Europe, Australia and Latin America. The Bravo network in the United Kingdom, Turner in Latin America, FX in Portugal, Megasport in the Ukraine, Seven Network in Australia and Dahlia TV in Italy all have purchased the Strikeforce programming library for their channels. “Strikeforce is the leader in mixed martial arts content as proven by the huge demand for their programming around the world,” Chris Grant, Shine International President, said in a release Tuesday. “They have the world’s best fighters, the world’s best events and they know how to translate that into fast-paced programming that captures what will soon be the most popular sport in the world.” The programming library purchased in the deal will include 30 episodes and 56 hours of fights that have aired already on NBC and Showtime, according to Strikeforce. The deal also includes live fights scheduled through February 2012 as well as Strikeforce’s Challengers series. Wednesday January 27, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 10:55AM EST on January 27, 2010
The Munster native, who now lives and trains in Las Vegas, meets fellow light heavyweight Krzyzstof Soszynski at UFC 110 in Sydney on Feb. 20. That card will be the UFC’s first in Australia. Bonnar, a Purdue graduate who got his start in mixed martial arts fighting for regional promotions in Northwest Indiana like Ironheart Crown and Total Fight Challenge, first came to international MMA prominence when he appeared on the inaugural season of the UFC reality competition “The Ultimate Fighter.” He reached the finals in the light heavyweight division that season, and his epic clash with Forrest Griffin has gone down in MMA history as one of the greatest fights of all time – and certainly the one that put the UFC on the mainstream map. Though Bonnar lost a unanimous 29-28 decision to Griffin, he, too, was awarded a contract with the promotion for his performance in the fight. UFC president Dana White has said that Bonnar will always have a home with the company, likening him and Griffin to his own kids because of their fight nearly five years ago. But now Bonnar (11-6, 5-5 UFC) finds himself in need of a comeback of sorts. While training for a fight with Matt Hamill in 2008, Bonnar suffered a major knee injury that kept him out of action for a long stretch. When he finally was able to get back in the cage, at UFC 94 a year ago, he ran into one of the hottest fighters in the sport, Jon Jones, who beat him in a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Bonnar said after the fight he just didn’t feel right going into the cage – perhaps experiencing the ring rust effect that plagues most fighters after long layoffs. And against UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman at UFC 100 last July, Bonnar dropped another unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three cards. When Bonnar steps into the Octagon in Sydney, he’ll be looking for his first win since UFC 77 – a 28-month stretch. And he’s going to take Caged In readers along for the ride as he trains for Soszynski and prepares to head to the Land Down Under. Tuesday January 26, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 10:59PM EST on January 26, 2010
I suppose most people who read this blog are expecting to read about my training for my fight against Krzysztof (Soszynski at UFC 110 in Sydney on Feb. 20). To be honest with you, I’ve been using this blog as a way to escape talking about my training. This week, however, I give you guys what you want. There is a big difference between being in shape and being in fight shape. For the past few months, and probably my whole life, I have been in “good shape.” I could do conditioning workouts, grapple 10-minute rounds with the same person and even give people a few rounds of standup work. That’s being in shape – but not fight shape. Oh no – not fight shape. These past few weeks, I have made the transition to being in fight shape. It’s a very ugly process and I finally seem to be settling in. The best test to see if you’re in fight shape, in my opinion, is how well you can handle “shark bait” drills. Shark bait drills are when one big, strong, fresh guy after another comes in the cage filled with two long minutes of rage. It’s a feeding frenzy of violence. I’m the victim. I am exhausted, I have threee more minutes in this round till I get my 30-second break. I have a 280-pound gorilla named Karl on top of me trying to kill me. I hit a sweep, open up some space, get on his back and use every last ounce of strength to choke him out. Making him tap felt so good. My arms are exhausted, but I have no time to enjoy it. The words of my coach Sergio (Penha) pierce my ears. “Alex, GET HIM!!! ON TOP AGAINST THE FENCE! GET HIM! SUBMIT HIM!!! GO, GO!!!” Oh damn – 2:30 of this hell left, then I get my 30-second break. Then only two more rounds. The rounds of shark bait are supposed to be five minutes, with fresh guys coming in every minute or two, depending on how much rage they have in them. Lately, I have been video recording my training, and the rounds are never under six minutes. Good old Sergio time. I have always been so lost in my exhaustion to notice, but I should have known. Great coach, bad timekeeper. So like I said, knowing if you are in fight shape is all about how well you can handle shark bait drills. A few weeks a go, by the end of the rounds I was like a pile of mashed potatoes, getting whipped. Watching it would be upsetting to the soul. It’s a victimizing violence, just watching this poor exhausted (guy) getting beaten on. Afterwards, it seemed heaving and collapsing were inevitable. I wasn’t quite in fight shape. Now, however, I seem to be handling it better. I am still making guys tap out in the last minute of the rounds. I didn’t throw up today. I am able to run around the cage with my hands up at the end of the rounds which is a good sign – means I didn’t collapse. Don’t get me wrong – it’s still hell. Only a few more weeks of this left! Oh, to be in fight shape – so bittersweet! I recently saw a “scared straight” program on “The Montel Williams Show” where the troubled teens would be taken to a prison to be scared straight by the inmates and the horror stories of what prison life is like. I also have a lot of kids tell me they want to be a cage fighter, and the hell with school. I would like to propose a program where these kids wake up every morning for a week and go through shark bait drills with me. I know by the end of it, the allure of a quiet, peaceful classroom bright and early in the morning would seem so much more appealing than being judo thrown on your head and being the “bait” for the hungry sharks. Watch as the grades go up. I think I’m on to something here. “Oh, Montel …”
Posted by: MattE at 10:37PM EST on January 26, 2010
Five weeks out. Staying healthy is the main focus. I train so hard that recovery is really the most important thing. I’m sure you have all heard of “RICEing” an injury – Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. So last week, after hard sparring, my body is banged up. I had what alcoholics refer to as a “moment of clarity.” I thought, “Why not just RICE my whole body?” So after an ice bath, I put on some tight compression clothing and meditated on my inversion table – elevating, legs up. Then I took a little in nap in the compression clothing and Voila! A new body to beat up again! Despite the number of punches I take to the head, I still managed to remember my mom’s birthday. She deserves a lot of credit – after all, it’s my mom that drove me all over Northwest Indiana to do pee wee wrestling and tae kwon do, day after day, year after year. So thanks, Mom, and happy birthday! I’m always asked what other hobbies, aside from fighting, that I enjoy. And usually I wouldn’t say – but what the hell, I’ll try to open up a little more for you guys. Nothing beats dumping a bunch of ammunition at targets in the middle of the desert. And boy, oh boy, does it go fast playing with fully automatic weapons! Today was mostly M16 and Uzi work, but as a nice treat, I got to spit a couple belts out of the M60. If you want to see a little for yourself, go to firearms.atactv.com.
Posted by: MattE at 2:52PM EST on January 26, 2010
OK. First, my thoughts on fighting in Sydney. I look at it like this. I want to see the world before I die, and I’ve never been to Australia. So now I get a free vacation, get to dish out a legal beating, get paid for it and get to explore Australia for a pocket full of dough! Not a bad gig! Someone hand me an Old Milwaukee, ’cause it don’t get any better than this, guys! As for Krzyzstof (Soszynski), you know, he is a formidable opponent, veteran fighter, a physically strong guy — and he really looks the part. If my grandma saw him, she’d think, “Boy, this tattoo-covered ugly baboon must be one of them cage fighters they talk about.” It is a fight I look forward to. I think he’ll come to fight and make this a brawl and not just a wrestling match. You know me — I’m ready to take his best Sunday punch, then laugh, spit in his face and kick his (butt)! Check out UFCstore.com under Collectibles and Lithographs to see my artistic side. Wednesday January 20, 2010
Posted by: MattE at 6:16PM EST on January 20, 2010
By Matt Erickson You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan of mixed martial arts than Ray Flores. The East Chicago native and current Munster resident, 23, has immersed himself in the sport for years now, doing ring announcing and play-by-play any time he can get a gig. Next month, Flores will take the next step in his budding career when he becomes the play-by-play man for 10th Legion Championship Fighting, based in Hull, England. 10th Legion is a newcomer to the MMA scene in the U.K. with just two shows under its belt. But with four shows scheduled for 2010, Flores will be busy. His debut will come Feb. 21 at the “Decimation” card. That card has four amateur, eight semi-pro and four pro bouts scheduled, including a main event featuring Abdul Mohammed from Wolfslair — home training ground of Michael Bisping, Rampage Jackson and Cheick Kongo. In May, though, 10th Legion ramps it up another notch with a main event showcasing former UFC fighter Jess “The Joker” Liaudin, who is riding a three-fight winning streak since his stint in the UFC. Flores, who has always been a self-starter and go-getter extraordinaire, went after the play-by-play role himself. “I learned of 10th Legion by reading a review of their event this past September,” Flores said. “And then shortly thereafter I contacted the organization. I was intrigued by their outstanding fight card and overall production. An opening presented itself regarding the play-by-play and post-fight interviewer positions, and here I am today.” This won’t be the first time, though that Flores, a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, has left the country pursuing his passion for MMA. Last summer, he worked the broadcast for Fite Nite’s lightweight tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica. Locally, Flores has done ring announcing for big shows at the Hammond Civic Center, including Total Fight Challenge and Corral’s Combat Classic, the Duneland Classic, XFO, AFA and the Brawl at Bourbon Street. The talent he’s covered reads like a who’s-who of local MMA — Miguel Torres, Clay Guida, Eddie Wineland, John Kolosci, Jeff Curran and Keith Wisniewski all have been in front of Flores’ microphone at one time or another. And while he’s not leaving the region behind, he’s looking forward to his next challenge. “This is a terrific opportunity for me,” Flores said. “It has been a tremendous journey for me thus far. I believe every show, every fight, every fighter is special to me. MMA is just an amazing sport. Becoming the voice of 10th Legion is another terrific step for my career.” And Flores said that while 10th Legion is one of the new kids on the block, he believes the promotion has the pieces in place to succeed in the rapidly growing world of mixed martial arts. “I hear the fight fans in the U.K. are great fans that support MMA and 10th Legion immensely,” Flores said. “I cannot wait to walk inside the Gemtec Arena and feel the energy. Alan Orr and everyone at 10th Legion have a great vision of putting on tremendous fights with a world-class production. I look forward to being a part of it and seeing some amazing talent.” —————————————— See some of Ray’s work online as he interviews Miguel Torres. And check out 10th Legion Championship Fighting’s home.
Posted by: MattE at 12:38PM EST on January 20, 2010
By Matt Erickson UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who has been out for months with a serious set of stomach ailments, is healthy and expects to return to the Octagon by this summer. Lesnar and UFC president Dana White made the announcement Wednesday morning on ESPN’s “Sportscenter” and will hold a conference call with the media later Wednesday to discuss his return. Classifying his recovery as a “miracle,” Lesnar gave a lengthy description of the illnesses that have kept him out of action since a title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 100 last July. He said he was first diagnosed with mononucleosis, then diverticulitis. The illness forced him out of his planned title defense against Shane Carwin for UFC 106 last November — and at various points White even said Lesnar might never be able to fight again. Lesnar told ESPN he lost 40 pounds during his illness and after getting multiple opinions on the possibility of stomach surgery, doctors ultimately wanted to see if a series of medications would help. And it did. Lesnar said doctors were “dumbfounded” that he had healed — and he said a recent return to the hospital for a CT scan confirmed he was healthy and ready to go. In the meantime, White and the UFC set up an interim heavyweight title fight several weeks ago between Mir and Carwin for March 27 at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J. White said Wednesday he is hopeful the winner of that fight would then meet Lesnar this summer in his return. But despite that interim title fight, Lesnar was adamant he’s the champ. “Let me be clear about that: I am still the heavyweight champion,” Lesnar said. |
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MattE takes you inside the explosive world of Mixed Martial Arts with all the latest news, previews, rumors, exclusive interviews and features, hitting on everything from the big show UFC to regional promotions.
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