B.J. Penn's future still very much undecided

Like most, I’m anxious to know whether B.J. Penn will fight again.

Honestly, I didn’t take his hint at retirement this past October too seriously -- only because it came immediately after a very difficult loss to Nick Diaz and without a ton of conviction. He still has good years left. Very few pro athletes walk away from those.

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When I met Penn for lunch on Friday in Las Vegas, I went in thinking he might not explicitly tell me, "I’m coming back," but I admit I expected something at least along those lines.

It’s been three months since the Diaz loss: certainly not an eternity but enough to dull the sting of defeat. And enough time, I thought, for Penn to start itching again.

After spending more than an hour with him, though, I can’t tell you whether Penn is retiring. But I can tell you he’s much more serious about it than I thought.

For the first time in more than a decade, Penn says he’s living a "normal" life. If you’ve followed his career, you know he’s not a guy who is back in the gym 48 hours after a fight.

Throughout his career, for better or worse, Penn’s approach to the sport has been to train hard for the fight, fight, then enjoy life ("party" is one way he described it) for six to eight weeks.

Right now, because Penn is unsure whether he’ll fight again, he’s not purposefully trying to live it up before heading to a grueling training camp. The result is that he’s living a normal life instead of one always on one end of the spectrum. And he likes it.

“I’m enjoying my time away from the sport. That’s where I am right now,” Penn said. “I’m living a regular life instead of living the roller coaster. I haven’t [lived a normal life] in 15 years.
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Josh Hedges/Getty Images
Ask me some other time: B.J. Penn is still mulling his future over.

“I’m trying to find myself a little bit -- not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport but just as a person.”

Penn says he’s still in the gym on a regular basis, but he's there strictly for his enjoyment of the sport. He’s not forcing himself to do the drills he doesn’t want to do, and he’s not putting his body through the rigors of sparring sessions.

When he doesn’t feel like going, he doesn’t. Although, he says, "usually I want to go."

Most of the time retirement isn’t on his mind, but it’s an impossible topic to avoid when every fan Penn interacts with obviously wants to know whether he’s done. When he does think about the sport and his career, he actually thinks more about the past than the future.

“I just honestly sit back and reflect and look at how it went,” Penn said. “I really do feel I could have done a lot better in a lot of different situations. I’m heartbroken with the way some of the fights went. The way my UFC 94 fight [against Georges St. Pierre] and my fights with Frankie Edgar went, I’m heartbroken about those fights.

“I feel I could have made better choices, but I don’t feel a major urge that I’ve got to go fix that right now.”

He was unaware of the recent comments made by UFC president Dana White on the promotion’s intent to hold a show in Hawaii as early as this year.
“
I'm trying to find myself a little bit -- not as a fighter trying to come back to the sport, but just as a person.

”
-- B.J. Penn

We talked about the chances the UFC would have selling out a 50,000-seat arena in Hawaii (pretty good, Penn and his brother J.D. thought, if B.J. is headlining), but we did so hypothetically. Even a main event in Hawaii isn’t a guarantee Penn would return.

“We would just have to sit down and talk about what made sense,” Penn said. “That’s amazing they are finally deciding to go to Hawaii, but I wouldn’t want to waste Dana’s time, getting his hopes up on something he wants to put together.”

I mentioned to Penn that if he does fight again, he should be certain that's what he wants. But does he worry at all about the time being lost while he’s deciding?

Penn is 33. He’ll turn 34 in December. Even if he ends up taking off only six to nine months and then returns, that’s still a significant chunk of time considering he’s not far away from an age where a reasonable decline in performance is expected.

He nodded and said he’s thought about that part. He'll have to live with it.

“That is something that either way, I’m going to have to accept,” Penn said. “I’ve thought about it, but even if you are in your physical prime, there’s still no sense going back if your head isn’t there.”

At the end of the day, I still believe what I did in the beginning -- that B.J. Penn will get in the Octagon again eventually. That’s nothing more than a guess, and right now, my guess on the topic is as good as Penn’s, which is as good as yours.

“I want to tell [my fans] that their guess is as good as mine,” Penn said. “I don’t know.”

ESPN

UFC coming to Hawaii with or without BJ Penn

The UFC’s goal of landing in Hawaii is still happening, but not the way they wanted.

The promotion has long talked about landing on the island where MMA continues to be a thriving and very popular sport, but their best laid plans took a hit last October.

According to UFC President Dana White, the plan for the UFC’s first ever show in Hawaii was to have former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn headline a card at the Aloha Bowl.

Unfortunately when Penn lost to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last October, the Hawaiian has opted to take some much needed time off and it threw a bit of a monkey wrench into their plans.

“We’re still working on that, but we want to do it. I was kind of hoping to go to Hawaii again and do a B.J. (Penn) fight at the Aloha Bowl, but B.J. wants to take some time off. He’s going to relax for a while,” White revealed about the UFC going to Hawaii.

The Aloha Bowl is a reference to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It would have marked one of the first times the UFC has gone to an outdoor stadium for a show. The stadium seats approximately 50,000 when filled to capacity.

They haven’t shut the door on going to Hawaii by any means, but the plan was to have Penn, who is a huge star in his native state, headline the show.

It’s still possible however that if a Hawaii show comes together, that could be just the temptation that Penn needs to bring him back from his time off.

Either way, the UFC will still be going to the state, it’s just not locked in as to when that might happen.

“We’re coming regardless,” said White. “But that was the fight I really wanted to do there.”

by Damon Martin

Hawaii's Travis Browne to fight Chad Griggs

Former Strikeforce standout Chad Griggs will make his Octagon debut at UFC 145 in March against undefeated Travis Browne in Montreal. UFC officials on Saturday announced that the promotion had verbal agreements from both parties.

MMAWeekly.com reported Griggs’ signing with the UFC earlier this week, but now he has the first opponent in the Octagon.

Griggs (11-1) originally came to Strikeforce as an opponent for highly touted prospect Bobby Lashley. Most expected that he was brought in as a sacrificial lamb for Lashley. He turned out to be anything but, taking out Lashley after two rounds, then returning with finishes of both Gian Villante and Valentijn Overeem.

He’s got no easy draw in his Octagon debut against Browne, however. The Hawaiian has been on his own impressive streak, having never lost a fight in 13 starts. He is 3-0-1 in the UFC, his only stumble a draw with Cheick Kongo. He enters the bout with Griggs coming off of a win over Rob Broughton at UFC 135 in Denver.

MMAWEEKLY

Hilo fighter charged with manslaughter following barfight

By JOHN BURNETT

Tribune-Herald staff writer

A 21-year-old amateur mixed martial arts fighter has been charged with manslaughter for the death of a 44-year-old man after a fight outside a Hilo sports bar.

Bail for Waylen Keone Carenio of Hilo has been set at $50,000, according to Lt. Greg Esteban of the police Criminal Investigations Section.

Carenio is being held in the police cellblock pending his initial court appearance this afternoon in Hilo District Court.

The victim was identified by police as 44-year-old Roy Joseph Williams Jr. of Mountain View. Williams was found unconscious in the roadway shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday outside Karma Hawaii sports bar on Makaala Street in the Kanoelehua Industrial Area.

Witnesses told police that Williams had been in a fight with another man, later identified as Carenio, and that Williams had fallen and struck his head on the pavement.

Esteban said an autopsy performed Tuesday indicated the cause of death was "intracranial injury due to blunt force trauma to the head." Asked if the trauma was caused by Williams' head hitting the pavement, Esteban replied: "That's consistent with that."

Karma Hawaii owner Summer Mochida told the Tribune-Herald Monday that the fight didn't happen on the bar's grounds. Esteban said there is "no information to support" that the altercation started inside the drinking establishment.

Carenio turned himself in Monday morning at the Waimea police station. He was initially booked on suspicion of first-degree assault, according to a police log, but the investigation turned to suspicion of second-degree murder later in the day.

The charge of manslaughter, a felony which carries a possible 20-year prison term, was lodged at 3:55 p.m. Tuesday.

"It has to do with state of mind," Esteban said, noting the charge was filed after conferring with prosecutors. The manslaughter charge indicates that authorities believe the killing was reckless rather than intentional.

According to court records, Carenio was on probation for domestic abuse when the incident occurred. On Feb. 16, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Family Court Judge Lloyd Van De Car to 30 days in jail, with all but two days stayed, and two years probation.

Carenio has fought on Just Scrap, X-1 and Destiny MMA fight cards. He also has competed as an amateur surfer and, according to a page devoted to him on Hilo Surfboard Company's website, he won the Pohoiki Paka event in 2008. The page stated his goal was "to become the first Surf/MMA competitor from Hawaii consistently winning in both sports."

According to court records, Williams was arrested by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in December 2005 for possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine. On Sept. 25, 2006, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

Interview with Eben Kaneshiro

Interview with Eben Kaneshiro 12/2011



Eben Kanesiro, a Kauai native is one of the island’s and Hawaii’s premiere fighters. He was one of the first Kauai fighters to make the jump to MMA and has fought all over the world. Eben has had some epic match ups with some fighters that went on to fight in the UFC like; Nam Pham, Urijah Faber, Rani Yahya, and Evan Dunham. Eben presently teaches Jiu-Jitsu at New Breed Oregon.

KMA-So Eben, you have been pretty active since I last talked to you. Can you tell us about your school in Oregon and what life is like living there?

Eben- We have lots of families where the parents and kids train. We have a great kids program and competition team. Most of my adult students are 30 and over. So we have a great ego free, family oriented environment to train in.

KMA- You have had some wars with some very good fighters. Out of all your fights who was your toughest opponent and why?

Eben-Its hard to say who my toughest opponent was but I can say that Evan Dunham probably gave me the worst beating. I had to get 13 stitches after that fight. That was the first time in my life that I needed stitches. Super glue wasn't going to fix that one.

KMA- You have always been a highly technical fighter that favors technique and skill over power. How would you compare MMA in America opposed to MMA in Asian countries like Japan, do you have have a preference in fighting in certain countries or organizations?

Eben-I think MMA as a sport has gotten a lot more technical over the years. MMA is still very young and every day fighters are evolving and learning new techniques no matter what country they are from.

I love to travel so any organization that pays me to travel is a plus for me.

KMA- The UFC has added the feather weight and bantam weight divisions. Would you be interested in fighting in the UFC and if so what weight would be suit you?

Eben-I'm definitely interested in fighting for the UFC. 145 would be the ideal weight class for me but I could drop to 135 or even move up to 155 if I got the opportunity.

KMA-Have you ever thought about going on the Ultimate Fighter reality show? If so what would you bring to the table?

Eben-I've actually tried out for the show a few times. I've made it through the try outs and to the interviews twice. But both times I wasn't picked for whatever reason. I guess I need to act like a douche to get their attention.

KMA- What are some other goals that you have in martial arts?

Eben-I dont really have many goals. I just love the competition. I guess my main goal is to stay healthy and keep competing as long as I can. Another goal would be to pass on the knowledge that has been passed down to me to my students and see them be successful.

KMA- I have been training off and on for many years and I have noticed a lot of changes in grappling. For me the game has evolved and people seem to be more well rounded. What are your feelings on Hawaii’s grappling evolution?

KMA- What are your predictions on the future of grappling and MMA in Hawaii?

Eben- Just like MMA, grappling has definitely evolved a lot. Hawaii has always been known for producing top level grapplers and fighters and nothing has changed. There are more grapplers and fighters in Hawaii now then there ever was and the sport will only keep getting bigger and better.

KMA- You have a lot of fans world wide but you never forgot your roots here on Kauai. What advice do you have for young men looking to follow in your foot steps being either a MMA fighter, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt/instructor/competitor?

Eben-Stick with it and train hard. Dont be afraid to take a chance, try something new, step outside the box. If you put in the time good things will come.

KMA- Any last words for the fans on Kauai and world wide?

Eben- I'd like to thank my family, friends and fans for all the love and support. If it were not for all of you I would not be able to do what I love. Aloha.

Chris Leben Tested Positive – Suspended For One Year

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, today released information stating that middleweight fighter Chris Leben tested positive for Oxycodone and Oxymorphone following his Nov. 5 loss to Mark Munoz in the main event of UFC 138 in Birmingham, England.



“I would like to make it known that I fully accept this suspension and apologize for embarrassing the UFC, my friends and family, and sport of mixed martial arts,” Leben said. “I’m learning that I’m my own worst enemy sometimes. I can’t succeed in the Octagon or in life behaving this way. I’ve got to make some real changes over the next year and I’m going to focus on getting my life and career back on track. Again, I’m sorry to the UFC and fans that’ve supported me since my days on The Ultimate Fighter.”

MMATKO

KJ Noons down for a return to MMA and a rematch with Nick Diaz

“Scott (Coker) and I have been talking the past few days. I used to fight on Scott’s fight cards in San Jose ten years ago, so I’ve known him a long time … I never said I was giving up MMA, I just enjoy competing in both sports, I boxed since I was a kid and just love to box. I love MMA also, I’m just going back and forth. There is some bad blood, drama, and history between [me and Nick Diaz], so I think people would want to see it again. I’m down for it. I want to fight anybody that people think is an interesting fight. I don’t mind going up or down in weight. I’ll train hard and fight hard for the fans.”

Former EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJ Noons, who was forced to turn down a fight against Josh Thompson on April 11 due to previous boxing commitments, talks about negotiating his return to MMA with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. Noons also states that he’s willing to fight anyone the fans deem interesting. If that’s the case, I think there are a lot of fans clamoring for a rematch with Nick Diaz in the near future. Diaz lost to Noons back in 2007 via TKO due to cuts - and Diaz has since had surgery to correct that area of his face that was so easily opened. Noons vs. Diaz II — who ya’ got?

mmamania

Mayhem's profanity laden rant on the internet critics

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY PROFANITY

[The illegal kick] was a mistake. Jacare calls me a clown and disrespects me all the time, headbutted me and opened a cut on my eye. If he could’ve done it to me, he would have. I’ll beat the shit out of him legally next time. What’s he gonna do? Submit me? LOL Kayo me? LMMFAO. Brazillian nuthuggers can suck my mother fuckin dick, that gets more pussy than any one of you could imagine, due to my MTV show, my good looks, and my tons of money. How is that for classy? Oh you know what, I don’t give a fuck what you think, I’m the fucking man. What was your down syndrome Brazillian gonna break? NOTHING. Bitch ass had me on the ground for 3 seconds. Let me get my bread for fucking him up in a rematch, and watch you all cry about how I “don’t respect the sport.” In the words of Dana White, “Fuck you you fucking cunt.” Go jerk off to TUF.

– Former Icon Sport 185-pound champion Jason Miller responds to criticism on The Underground following his no contest at DREAM 9 last Tuesday. His middleweight title bout with Ronaldo Souza was halted after an illegal soccer kick opened up a bleeder on ‘Jacare’ that forced officials to stop the bout. The fight was ruled a no contest and another rematch between the rivals to determine a more decisive ending seems to be the next logical step; however, it has yet to be officially announced by Japan’s Fighting & Entertainment Group. In the interim, ‘Mayhem’ seems content to battle his critics on the Internet. Where da monkeys at?

mmamania

Jason Mayhem Miller ‘too hyped’ for Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza at Dream 9

http://mmamania.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/miller-jacare.jpg

“Got too hyped and punted Jacare in his head Wanderlei Silva style. Got deemed a ‘No Contest’ they hold the belt for a rematch. Dammit.”

Jason “Mayhem” Miller Tweet’s about what happened earlier today during his middleweight title bout against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at DREAM 9. The rematch was halted early in the first round because of an errant blow from Miller to a downed Souza. The strike carved a deep laceration to Souza’s head, which forced ringside officials to call off the match prematurely because of the severity of the bloody ax wound. The fight was ruled a no contest. Another rematch between the two to determine a more decisive ending seems to be the next logical step; however, it has yet to be officially announced by Japan’s Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG).

MMAMANIA

Kingdom of Mayhem: Road to Dream Middleweight Championship Part III (Video)

Kingdom of Mayhem, pt. 3 from All Elbows on Vimeo.

2 Hawaiians in UFC 101

Event: UFC 101
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV)
Location: Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Main event:

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Forrest Griffin vs. Anderson Silva
185 lbs.: Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks
185 lbs.: Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida
155 lbs.: Kurt Pellegrino vs. Josh Neer

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
170 lbs.: Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer
155 lbs.: George Sotiropoulos vs. Rob Emerson
170 lbs.: Danillo Villefort vs. Jesse Lennox
185 lbs.: Alessio Sakara vs. Thales Leites
155 lbs.: Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley
*Fight not yet official by UFC.com.

mmamania

X1 in Kona

Main Event
135lbs Pro World Title Match
KANA HYATT vs VAN OSCAR PENOVAROFF

Co Main Event
160lbs Pro MMA Match
ALEKA RINCON vs DOMINIC AHNEE

145lbs Pro MMA Match
DIRTY DAVE MORENO vs JUSTIN MERCADO

SHW Pro MMA Match
PAT FUGA vs MARK "DA BEAR" SMITH

145lbs Kick Boxing Title Match
SPENCER HIGA vs PENI TAUFAAO

155lbs Amateur MMA Match
KEVIN SOONG vs IKAIKA MOORE

155lbs Amateur MMA Match
TYLER KAHIHIKOLO vs WYATT LEONG

155lbs Amateur MMA Match
JAVIN SANTOS vs ROHAN NANTON

135lbs Amateur MMA Match
TIMOTHY MEEKS vs NICK GERSABA

145lbs Amateur MMA Match
LEVI AGCALON vs TBA

XMA Match
KAEO MYER vs MALU

145lbs Amateur MMA Match
DANIEL FRIEND vs KILEY TANIOKO

145lbs Match Exhabition
SANG VAN vs ROBERT MIDEL

Kick Boxing Amateur Match
NICOLAI WASSMAN vs NAINOA DUNG

MMAHAWAII

2009 Hawaii Triple Crown results (Kauai)

SUPER SUPER HEAVY White
1ST -Moku Kahawai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona

MEN'S GI BLUE BELT SUPER FEATHER/ FEATHER
3RD -Buuby Greff Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai

HEAVY Blue belt Gi
1ST - LeBeau Lagmay Redemption Fighters

MEN'S GI PURPLE BELT FEATHER

2ND - Nick Arnold LongMan Jiu-Jitsu Kauai

MEN'S NO-GI NOVICE Heavy

2ND - Michael Koa-Texeira Kendall Goo Jiu-Jitsu

MEN'S NO-GI INTERMEDIATE Middle

1ST -Kaula Watson LongMan Jiu-Jitsu Kauai

MEN'S NO-GI INTERMEDIATE Middle Heavy

2ND - Kimo Aipia Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona

MEN'S NO-GI INTERMEDIATE Heavy

3RD - LeBeau Lagmay Redemption Fighters

Click here for the full results

Garden Island Kauai Cage article

Dennis Fujimoto

and Paul C. Curtis

the garden island



Eben Kaneshiro took out Bronson Pieper just 45 seconds into the first round with a guillotine choke at the Kaua‘i Cage Match VIII event, Saturday night, that played out under rain, cold and wind at Hanapepe Stadium.

The Kaneshiro match was the featured event in the 150-pound class in the mixed martial arts (MMA) division. Kaneshiro, now living in Portland, Ore., is an ‘Oma‘o native whose parents still live in ‘Oma‘o.

Sergio Hurtado of Boars Nest and Shane Kahananui of Kaua‘i, a heavy crowd favorite during the Friday night weigh-in at Kukui Grove Center, each won their MMA matches by unanimous decision, Hurtado taking Adam Rivera of Team Hakuilua in the 125-pound class, and Kahananui of Kaua‘i Technical Institute (KTI) taking Jon Bernard of God’s Army in the 145-pound class.

Nainoa Dung of Da Hui/O2 Martial Arts, the winner of a previous Kaua‘i Cage match, earned the 70-pound Amateur Youth Kickboxing Title with a TKO, or technical knock-out, against Lokahi Morante of HMC. The referee stopped the match in the first round after Morante could not continue, according to information provided by bout co-promoter Vance Pascua.

DJ Bozu of HMC Kickboxing of Honolulu earned a judges’ decision in his match against Duane Silva of Disciples of Puhi in the 170-pound kickboxing event, and Ezekiel Lopes of HMC followed with a unanimous decision over Jeff Hildago Buragat of Disciples of Puhi in the open class kickboxing event.

Tyler Kobayashi of HMC continued to reap wins for the blue card with a decision over Erickson Abalos of Disciples of Puhi in the 145 kickboxing event.

Waylan Mata of Bulls Pen took the 145-pound MMA match against Josh Dubois of Kaua‘i (fighting freelance) with a rear neck choke tapout 1:44 in the third round, and Glen Daguio of KTI got the red-card win on a decision over Domenick Ansagay of Kaua‘i (also fighting freelance, or unattached to any club) in the 130-pound MMA class.

Randall Silva of KTI picked up another win for the red card in the 180-pound MMA class with a rear neck choke that came at the 1:12 mark in the first round against Mike Soloman of Bulls Pen.

Colin Mackenzie of God’s Army and Justin Konia of HMC thrilled the audience in an exhibition showdown in the 155-pound weight class with the island’s first live look at a Triple Threat Match, wherein the first round is limited to kickboxing, the second round involves adding boxing gloves and headgear, and the third round involves full-on MMA moves and action.

“I really want to thank all the fans for all the support and hanging in there despite the weather conditions,” said Pascua, the event organizer. “It really shows the Kaua‘i spirit.”

He estimates a crowd of over 2,000 people braved the elements, and said there were long enough periods of favorable weather during the evening so that all the bouts could be completed, in between heavy rain showers that sent many fans for cover.

“They came to support the fighters. The whole community comes together,” Pascua added. “Kaua‘i fans are good.”

He would not speculate about when fans could expect Kaua‘i Cage Match IX.

X-1 World Events presents Temple of Boom 5 on April 11

X-1’s Temple of Boom V will take place at Palolo Hongwanji in Honolulu, Hawai’i on April 11.

Fight Card:
Pro Boxing Bouts

135 lbs. - Isaac Arasato (Palolo BC) vs. Ricky Thompson (Florida)

140 lbs. - Van Oscar Penovaroff (Kona BC) vs. Mike Maley (Indiana)

126 lbs. - Thaddine Johnson (New York) vs. Tracey Stevens (Canada)

145 lbs. - Richard Barnard (Waianae BC) vs. Dimitris Labatos (Florida)

140 lbs.- Nui Wheeler (Maili Soljahs) vs. Keith Kelly (Montana)

MMA Bouts

170 lbs. - Kolo Koka (MMAD) vs. Michael Brightmon (Gorilla House)

170 lbs. - David Kahanui (Da Hui) vs. Kona Ke (God’s Army)

135 lbs. - Julio Moreno (Bullspen) vs. Jared Iha (No Remorse)

145 lbs. - Steve Albanese (M.C.O.A) vs. Colin Mackenzie (God’s Army)

155 lbs.- Cordel Knapp (558 MP) vs. Angel Garza (Chris Leben’s UFS)

155 lbs. - Steve Farmer (Universal Combat) vs. Ben Santiago (God’s Army)

170 lbs. - Keoki Silva (Freelance) vs. Joe Palimoo (HMC)

185 lbs. - Kaipo Cayetano (Bullspen) vs. Frankie Ruiz (Freelance)

185 lbs. - Akoni Sexton (Freelance) vs. Derrick Wright (Freelance)

205 lbs. - Mikey (Freelance) vs. Ashton Visoria (Team Devastation)

UPROARHAWAII

Jake Shields vs Robbie Lawler Strikeforce fight set for June 6 in St. Louis

Strikeforce announced today the much-anticipated superfight pitting former Elite XC welterweight champion Jake Shields (22-4-1) against former Elite XC middleweight kingpin Robbie Lawler (16-4) at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 6.

Their main event fight, airing live on Showtime at 10pm ET, will be contested at a catchweight of 182 pounds.

Both competitors have been out of action since their former employer ProElite went out of business last November. Shields defeated talented British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley on the final event for the promotion, which aired live on CBS from Sunrise, Fla., last October.

The victory was the first title defense for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He captured the vacant title with a first round submission win over the normally very difficult to beat Nick “The Goat” Thompson a little more than two months earlier on the July 26 EliteXC: “Unfinished Business” card, which aired live on CBS as well.

For Lawler, it’s been a little longer since he last saw action, finishing off Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith in the second round of their rematch on the “Unfinished Business” card in July 2008. The two engaged in one of the best fights in the short history of the organization in their first encounter in May, but the fight was ruled a no contest because of an inadvertent eye poke, which led to the rematch.

The win over Smith was the fifth in a row for “Ruthless” — sans the dreaded no contest — and he wasn’t fighting any bums either. That list included Frank Trigg, Joey Villasenor and Murilo “Ninja” Rua. Not to mention earlier career victories over Niko Vitale (twice), Chris Lytle and others.

This is a great match-up for Strikeforce’s second event in the post EliteXC buyout/Showtime deal era.

Shields has expressed interest in the past about fighting in the 185-pound division. He’s always been a big welterweight and shouldn’t have a problem moving up to face Lawler — a former welterweight himself.

Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral and ex-EliteXC 205-pound champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante have also been confirmed for a throwdown at this event. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this developing fight card.

Tickets for Strikeforce: “Lawler vs. Shields”, priced from $30, go on sale on Monday, April 13, at 10 a.m. CT, at the Scottrade Center box office as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (800-745-3000), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com), and Strikeforce’s official website (www.strikeforce.com)

MMAMANIA

Ronald Jhun, Harris Sarmiento & Ed Newalu set to fight at Shine Fight Promotion in Ohio

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) announces a change in the line-up for Genesis due to unforeseen circumstances. Replacing UFC veteran and Hawaiian fighting legend Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun versus five-time UFC veteran Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Roan Carneiro is now The Ultimate Fighter 7 (TUF 7) alumnus, Luke Zachrich versus up and coming middleweight, Marcus Reynolds. With the remaining bouts including: Harris Sarmiento, Mario Stapel, Bryan Vetell, Phil Friedman, Jason Riley, Joel Wyatt, Beau Baker, Jason Nickoson, Kyle Baker, Bryon Foster, Ed Newalu, Billy Vaughn, Kris McCray and the main event, Antonio Mendes and Antwain Britt, Genesis will be one this the most stacked cards of world-class athletes to ever hit Ohio.

Adding to an already stacked card is Luke Zachrich, who appeared as one of the Middleweight hopefuls during Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter under the tutelage of Forrest Griffin. After losing to current UFC Welterweight, Dan Cramer during the first round, Zachrich extended his pre-TUF 7 winning streak by knocking out Mike Musselwhite with less than two minutes in the first round (ending Musselwhiteâ?Ts own win streak). At 8W-1L with an identical 4 knockouts and 4 submission victories, Zachrich is poised to make his mark on the Shine stage.

Up for the challenge is Marcus Reynolds a 5W-4L stand-and-bang striker. With 4 of his 5 wins by way of KO, Reynolds has only seen 39 seconds of a third round before his hands dealt justice. With two of his losses coming by submission and the others via decision, Reynolds will definitely want to keep this one standing. With an able Zachrich who is equal parts submission specialist and striker and Reynolds ready to accept the forthcoming bad intentions, this should make for as much excitement as the former co-main event.

The Ultimate Season 8 alumnus, Antwain Britt is looking to prove to the world that he is a human wrecking ball in the Light Heavyweight division. After breaking his hand during the entry round of The Ultimate Fighter Season 8, Antwain Britt went on a tear in MMA. Never having a fight enter the third round, Britt knocked out 3 straight opponents in the first round and another in the second with all knockouts ever breaching the 2-minute mark. After a recent loss via submission to Jamal Patterson, Britt will be stepping up in class once again taking the dangerous Muay Thai striker from Brazil, Antonio Mendes.

Antonio Mendes is a two-time UFC veteran training out of MMA powerhouse, American Top Team. Having some of the best training partners in the world including renowned 5X BJJ world champion, Marcelo Garcia to help polish up his ground game, this will be a pivotal fight for both Britt and Mendes.

Now postponed for a later date the match between Ron Jhun and Roan Carneiro is definitely one worth the wait. A vet of over 50 professional mixed martial arts and kick boxing matches, Ron Jhun has held world titles in KOTC, Gladiator Challenge, and Super Brawl Hawaii. In addition, Jhun has fought a who's who of athletes globally that reads like a marquee of super-fights.

Roan Carnerio, 5x UFC vet and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt fighting out of Florida-based American Top Team, is an explosive grappler possessing an outstanding resume stemming from a Black Belt earned under the legendary Carlson Gracie. After a run in the UFC, Carneiro is ready to move to his next step dominating the Shine Fights welterweight division.

About Shine Fight Promotions, LLC
Shine Fight Promotions, LLC is a U.S. based enterprise that seeks to raise the awareness of the art, discipline, respect, passion, and talent that is mixed martial arts (MMA) to the global marketplace. Founded by MMA Fighter/Thai Boxer, Dorian Price along with his brother, Devin Price, Shine is committed to the growth and development of MMA creating a positive experience for both fighters and fans. Shine works diligently to put on fights that fighter's want and that fans want to watch by arranging the most competitive and interesting matches. Shine Fight Promotions seeks to grow through innovation, high production values, dramatic and engaging fights, and the promotion of authentic MMA.

About Shine Fights: Genesis
As the inaugural event of Shine Fight Promotions, Genesis is appropriately named for its inception and the birth of true world-class competition. Shine Fight Promotions matchmakers, Ron Foster and Dorian Price, both fighters themselves, are committed to scouring the globe to pit only the best fighters against one another. The Genesis card has been filled with fighters from the best training camps and MMA gyms from across the world including: Randy Couture's Xtreme Couture MMA (Las Vegas), Matt Hughesâ?T H.I.T. Squad (Granite City IL), American Top Team (Coconut Creek FL), Renzo Gracie Academy (New York, NY), Hybrid Academy (Virginia Beach VA), The MMA Institute (Richmond VA), Buckeye MMA (Columbus OH), Strong Style MMA (Cleveland OH) and The 808 Fight Factory (Honolulu HI).

Harris Sarmineto vs. Mario Stapel
Bryan Vetell vs. Phil Friedman
Jason Riley vs. Joel Wyatt
Beau Baker vs. Jason Nickoson
Kyle Baker vs. Bryon Foster
Ed Newalu vs. Billy Vaughn
Kris McCray vs. Brian Rogers

MMAHAWAII