SCRAPPLER FEST TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Kids Gi

WHITE BELT

6-7 Yrs.

1st Keawe Alapai-Pimental (Longman)

2nd Kayson Lopez (Longman)

8-9 Yrs.

1st Makai Sheldon McGihon (Longman Kawaihau)

2nd Robert Brown III (Longman Kawaihau)

3rd Moses Mau-Espirito (Longman East)

10-11 Yrs.

1st Ezekiel Bagano (Longman)

12-13 Yrs.

1st Kaimana Carney (Longman)

2nd Neno Costales (Longman)

3rd Alexis Brede (Mad Tiger-Gracie Humita)

14-15 Yrs.

1st Matthew Heringer (Longman)

2nd Akyuna Akish (Kamole)

3rd Grey Tsosie (Kamole)

16-17 Yrs.

1st Daniel Quinlon (Kamole)

2nd Tyler Tangeldor (Kamole)

3rd Cole Burton (Kamole)

YELLOW BELT

11 & Under

1st Blake Cremer (Longman Kawaihau)

2nd Larson Aiwohi (Longman Kawaihau)

3rd Kaeokai Lizama (Longman Kawaihau)

12-13 Yrs.

1st Lathan Aiwohi (Longman)

YELLOW/ORANGE BELT

14-15 Yrs.

1st Bobby Castle (Longman)

2nd Elijah Koga (Kamole)

3rd Braden Beck (Longman)

YELLOW/BLUE BELT

16-17 Yrs.

1st Chris Kaui (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Kobe Yasutake (KTI- Relson Gracie)

3rd Kevin Killerman (Kamole)

Womens Gi

WHITE BELT

125 & Under

1st Kate Fox (Longman)

2nd Kalia Hara (Longman)

3rd Karleigh Diaz (Kamole)

Open

1st Alexis Carvalho (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Dita Montgomery (KTI-Relson Gracie)

Mens Gi

WHITE BELT

131 & Under

1st Arjay Balisacan (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Micah Bermoy (Longman)

3rd Rory Greg Morris (Longman)

132-145

1st Justes Marins (Longman)

2nd Kainoa Kahaunaele (Kamole)

3rd Daniel Dang (Longman)

146-159

1st Raymond Miller (KG)

2nd Nate Beralas (HK-Relson Gracie)

3rd Larry Harper (KTI-Relson Gracie)

160-173

1st Treston Salocio (Longman)

2nd Mason Moriguchi (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Roy Simao (Longman)

174-187

1st Christian Kennedy (Mad Tiger-Gracie Humita)

2nd David Cambell (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Art Diaz (Kamole)

188-201

1st Allen Mundon (Longman)

2nd Angel Santiago (Kamole)

3rd Joel D'Aitilio (Kamole)

202-215

1st Antonio Griado (Hawaii Kai-Relson Gracie)

2nd Chala Vidinah Jr. (Longman)

3rd Scott Brede (Mad Tiger-Gracie Humita)

216 & Above

1st Mahi Naihe (Redemtion Fighters)

2nd Christopher Taylor (Brazilian Freestyle)

3rd Gio Lagmay (Redemtion Fighters)

BLUE BELT

131 & Under

1st Glen Dagiou (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Dj Cremer (KTI-Relson Gracie)

132-145

1st Matt Park (Kamole)

2nd Noa Mau-Espirito (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Glen Dagiou (KTI-Relson Gracie)

146-159

1st Dane McBride (Longman)

2nd Raymon Rebero (Longman)

3rd Shane Kahananui (KTI-Relson Gracie)

160-173

1st Kaula Watson (Longman)

2nd Bubby Greff (Longman)

3rd Nainoa Andrade (KTI-Relson Gracie)

174-187

1st Graham Kovarik (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Damon Dawson (Kamole)

3rd Kaili Panui (Longman)

188-201

1st Lebeau Lagmay (Redemtion Fighters)

2nd Kien Averio (Nova Uniao)

3rd Catlin Strom (Longman)

202-215

1st Grant Manning (Longman)

2nd Chris Kaui (KTI-Relson Gracie)

216 & Above

1st Steve Alvarez (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Shea Montgomery (KTI-Relson Gracie)

PURPLE BELT

159 & Under

1st Desmen Thain (Relson Papakolea)

2nd James Dolan (Central Oahu)

3rd Troy Takara (Central Oahu)

202 & Above

1st Desi Miner (Central Oahu)

2nd Russell Morita (KG)

3rd Nick Pananganan (KTI-Relson Gracie)

Kids No-Gi

6-7 Yrs.

1st Keawe Alapai-Pimental (Longman)

8-9 Yrs.

1st Robert Brown III (Longman Kawaihau)

2nd Moses Mau-Espirito (Longman East)

10-11Yrs.

1st Blake Cremer (Longman Kawaihau)

2nd Bryson Yoro (Longman Kawaihau)

12-13 Yrs.

1st Kaimana Carney (Longman)

2nd Blake Cremer (Longman)

14-15 Yrs.

1st Bobby Castle (Longman)

2nd Grey Tsosie (Kamole)

3rd Akyuna Akish (Kamole)

16-17 Yrs.

1st Daniel Quinlon (Kamole)

2nd Michael Beltran (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Peter Morillo (Maui Grappling)

16-17 Yrs. Advanced

1st Chris Kaui (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Kobe Yasutake (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Noa Mau-Espirito (KTI-Relson Gracie)

Mens No-Gi

BEGINNER

131 & Under

1st Arjay Balisacan (KTI-Relson Gracie)

2nd Dj Cremer (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Chris Park (Kamole)

132-145

1st Matthew Park (Kamole)

2nd Eric Pereza (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Jaron Sit (Longman)

160-173

1st Treston Salocio (Longman)

2nd Mason Moriguchi (KTI-Relson Gracie)

3rd Jon Fatu (KTI-Relson Gracie)

174-187

1st Daniel Quinlen (Kamole)

2nd Christian Kennedy (Mad Tiger-Gracie Humita)

3rd David Cambell (KTI-Relson Gracie)

188-201

1st Allen Mundon (Longman)

2nd Angel Santiago (Kamole)

3rd Romell Balbin (KTI-Relson Gracie)

216 & Above

1st Gio Lagmay (Redemtion Fighters)

2nd Grant Manning (Longman)

3rd Marcus Punzal (Longman)

PRO

159 & Under

1st Luke Hacker (Longman)

2nd Austin Rapozo (Kamole)

3rd Nick Arnold (Longman)

160-180

1st Ben Salapanio (Maui Grappling)

2nd Braden Rapozo (Kamole)

3rd Jay Jenson (KTI-Relson Gracie)

181-201

1st Lebeau Lagmay (Redemtion Fighters)

2nd Sy Kageyama (Brazilian Freestyle)

3rd Damon Dawson (Kamole)

202 & Above

1st Russell Morita (KG)

2nd Desi Miner (Central Oahu)

3rd Nick Pananganan (KTI-Relson Gracie)


Team Standings

1st Longman 106 pts.

2nd Relson Gracie 74 pts.

3rd Kamole 45 pts.

Gracie Humita 18 pts.

Redemtion Fighters 13 pts.

Brazilian Freestyle

Maui Grappling 18 pts.

Nova Uniao 2 pts.

Rk Sports

Kihei Kompound

Freelance 0 pts.

Thanks to Pono for holding this great event and for sending the results.

Bandwagon alert! LeBron hits awesome game winning shot!

Anyone who has been on this site for a while knows that I love the Spurs. They are out so my back-up team is the CAVS (it is acceptable for Hawaii residents to bandwagon).

Pure awesomeness!

AINA COMMENTS ON CONTROVERSIAL STOPPAGE

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MMAWeekly.com caught up with Mike Aina on Thursday afternoon to get his thoughts on the controversial stoppage of his fight with Billy Evangelista at Strikeforce Challenger Series last Friday. Aina spoke from Hawaii, where he’s back at his job on the summit of Mauna Kea as a welder/fabricator for the W.M. Keck Observatory.

Aina says he went to the emergency room following the bout and was released at 2 a.m. the next day, after which he and his wife drove to San Francisco to fly back to Hawaii.

MMAWeekly: Can you explain your side of the story in terms of what happened with the fight and its aftermath?

Aina: I really don’t remember much of what happened. I kind of blacked out for a little bit. When I got up—I remember I was lying on the mat—I had a shooting pain going up into my ear through my jaw. It was really painful. I was lost in the moment, so I’m not really sure what went down. I didn’t even see the video on it yet. I just feel bad for him and for me. It’s not the way we wanted it to end. It’s just disappointing.

MMAWeekly: Has a doctor checked your jaw since the fight and if so what’s the prognosis?

Aina: I just went to the ER after the fight. The doctor said (my jaw) probably popped out. I did an MRI, so nothing’s cracked, nothing’s fractured, which is good news. But it’s just dealing with pain right now, taking painkillers and trying to get through. I should be okay though.

MMAWeekly: The picture of the fight’s end shows the knee going under your armpit. Do you remember anything about the fight’s ending?

Aina: I was getting up. I knew I was going to have to take some shots in order to get back to my feet, which I didn’t mind. And as soon as I get my hips out, then he backed off, and I was like, the smart thing to do right now is to leave my knee on the mat and my hand on the mat and wait till he punches again. As soon he punches, eat that shot, get back on the feet, and then we can get the game back to stand-up. I remember he was clinching my head and started to load up on the knee and obviously, in the pictures, I tried to duck my head. But I really got rocked; I really don’t remember much of what happened after that. The next thing I remember was I was lying on the mat, that weird shooting pain going up into my ear.

MMAWeekly: Have you talked to Strikeforce about the incident?

Aina: No one’s actually contacted me. It would be nice, but I’m not sure they have any issue or concern with how I’m doing. Obviously, we both want a rematch. It was a good fight going into that second round. I’d like to do it again. I’m sure he feels unfulfilled as well, and so do I, but I’m not sure where we stand right now.

MMAWeekly: Do you feel referee Herb Dean made the right call?

Aina: I’ve gotta watch the video. I haven’t even gotten a chance to watch the video. But there’s nothing we can do about it now. I’m just really, really disappointed about the whole thing.

MMAWeekly: When do you anticipate going back to the gym?

Aina: I want to go back soon. I can’t really do too much right now, but obviously I want to stay in shape, get some cardio in, and once I feel better, I’m hoping they’ll set up a rematch.

MMAweekly

Destiny returns with Lorenzo Moreno

Lorenzo Moreno will headline this event. Kauai fighter Kyle Sukehira had a match with Lorenzo on Kauai and was able to win via submission. I always am interested in seeing what Kauai opponents are doing and how they fair.

Main Event

-145lbs
Tim "Majik" Moon (freelance) vs Lorenzo Moreno (Bulls Pen)

Semi-Main

-145lbs
Ricky "Real Deal" Wallace vs Albert "Alwayz Bad" Manners (Hilo)

-145lbs
Chad Pavao (Hakulia) vs Toby "2quick" Misech (LAVA MMA, Hilo)

-135lbs
Keola Silva (HMC) vs Mark Tajon (Bulls Pen)

-145lbs
Justin Wong (HMC) vs Nui "Soljah Boy" Wheeler (Team Souljahz)

-155lbs
Shaison Laupola (Gods Army) vs Nathan Haring (Team C.A.T.)

-145lbs
Richard Barnard (Gods Army) vs Miles Hayes (Team M.A.C.P.)

-205lbs
Jon Wright (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Nathan Patopoff (Team C.A.T.)

-135lbs
Zachary Close (freelance) vs Steve Albanese (Team M.A.C.P.)

-145lbs
Makenzie Young (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Charles Matias (freelance)

-155lbs
Ikaika Cabebe (freelance) vs Trey Corrales (Team C.A.T.)

-145lbs
Hizson Linkee (Gods Army) vs Layton Pacheco (freelance)

-185lbs
Chris Santiago (Gods Army) vs Charles Hazelwood (Combat 50)

-140lbs (female amateur bout)
Lii Furuta vs T.J. Rodrigues (Bazuko MMA)

Westide fight gear

Team MMAD’s Brandon Wolff looks to destroy Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 98

Brandon Wolff will take on Yoshiyuki Yoshida tomorrow at UFC 98 in Las Vegas. Both fighters are coming off brutal losses last December at the “UFC Fight For The Troops” event in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Yoshida was knocked unconcious on his feet then dropped again by Josh Koscheck, while Wolff was left with a huge swell on his head as the recipient of Ben Saunders’ devastating knees from the clinch.

Wolff (7-3) of Kailua’s Team MMAD is a one-time EliteXC competitor and holds a win over two-time UFC competitor Chad Reiner. Yoshida (10-3) had a nine-fight win streak before his loss to Koscheck.

CLICK HERE to read “Wolff hoping to feast on UFC foe” by Honolulu Advertiser’s Dayton Morinaga.

Full Card for UFC 98:
Rashad Evans (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)
Matt Hughes (170) vs. Matt Serra (171)
Dan Miller (185) vs. Chael Sonnen (186)
Frank Edgar (155) vs. Sean Sherk (156)
Xavier Foupa-Pokam (186) vs. Drew McFedries (185)
Brock Larson (171) vs. Mike Pyle (weighing in later)
Pat Barry (237) vs. Tim Hague (263)
Kyle Bradley (156) vs. Phillipe Nover (156)
Andre Gusmao (206) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (206)
Brandon Wolff (170) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (171)
David Kaplan (156) vs. George Roop (154)

Uproarhawaii

Lyoto in the New York Times

Normally I don't pay any attention to that liberal rag but this is Lyoto!

When Lyoto Machida faces Rashad Evans for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title on Saturday, his greatest asset may be something long scoffed at in American mixed martial arts: a black belt in karate.
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Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

In two years in the U.F.C., Lyoto Machida, top, has yet to lose a round, let alone a fight.

Machida, a native of Brazil and a son of a Japanese karate instructor, is not the first karate expert to vie for a mixed martial arts title. Yet more than anyone else in the sport’s short history, he has effectively used karate techniques — along with those of other disciplines — to confuse, avoid and dominate his opponents. In two years in the U.F.C., he has yet to lose a round, let alone a fight.

That success, martial arts experts said, is refurbishing karate’s long-tarnished reputation among U.F.C. fans and reinventing American notions of what it means to be a mixed martial artist.

“If you asked M.M.A. fans five years ago what they thought of karate, they would probably snicker,” said Jake Rossen, the editor of Real Fighter Magazine, a mixed martial arts publication. “If you ask 10 fans today, they would have to stop and think about it.”

Before 1993, when the first U.F.C. tournament introduced mixed martial arts to Americans, karate was largely considered a highly effective form of self-defense, martial arts experts said.

At the time, most Americans equated martial arts with the high-flying choreographed moves seen in kung fu films, which became popular in the 1970s.

“There was this idea of Asian people who could strike you down with one blow,” said Dayn DeRose, a longtime mixed martial artist and the owner of South Mountain Martial Arts in Madison, N.J. “We didn’t realize that was legend and myth.”

Daniel Schulmann, the owner of Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts, a chain of martial arts schools, recalled that “people were just mesmerized with Bruce Lee.”

“I don’t think they understood the difference between karate and kung fu and tae kwon do,” Schulmann said.

During the kung fu craze of the 1970s, karate schools popped up across the country. And in the 1980s, the popularity of movies like “The Karate Kid” and actors like Chuck Norris brought karate to the mainstream.

“I can remember being in elementary school and people saying, ‘Jean-Claude Van Damme can beat up anyone in the world,’ ” said Jordan Breen, a writer and radio host for Sherdog.com, a mixed martial arts Web site.

As karate’s popularity grew, instructors began marketing their schools to parents of young children, emphasizing karate’s self-confidence building and disciplinary aspects.

“That’s where the money is,” said Adrian Serrano, a mixed martial artist and instructor in Milwaukee.

Yet not long after karate’s commercial popularity skyrocketed, its reputation among serious martial artists was dealt a big blow. In 1993, at the first U.F.C., Royce Gracie, the tournament’s smallest competitor and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, cruised through the competition by quickly wrestling his opponents to the ground and choking them until they quit.

With little to offer in terms of ground fighting technique, karate practitioners — along with other martial artists who had little grappling experience — lost handily. And they continued to do so in later tournaments.

In response, a backlash against non-grappling martial arts ensued among mixed martial artists in the United States; karate became stigmatized as ineffective and impractical.

“There were so many karate instructors doing a disservice to their students,” said John Hackleman, a black belt in karate and the trainer of the former U.F.C. light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. “They were teaching moves that weren’t going to work in the streets.”

Elsewhere around the world, particularly in Europe and Asia, karate maintained a stronger reputation among fighters, in part because it was less commercialized.

“Every block in America has an 8-year-old black belt in karate,” said Serrano, the fighter in Wisconsin.

“A green belt in Europe is the same as a fourth-degree black belt here,” said Bas Rutten, a Dutch-born black belt and a former U.F.C. heavyweight champion.

Today in the United States, most professional mixed martial artists train in three disciplines: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Thai kickboxing and wrestling.

“There’s been a great homogenization of mixed martial arts,” said Breen, of Sherdog.com. “The reason that Lyoto Machida is different is he’s subverting this idea.”

Of course, as Machida himself points out, he is no mere karate stylist; he has also studied numerous martial arts, including jiu-jitsu and sumo wrestling. And he has incorporated them into his traditional karate style.

“This guy is a well-rounded athlete,” said Dana White, the U.F.C. president. “One style doesn’t work. You have to have a little bit of everything.”

Still, many fight analysts and martial artists stress that it is Machida’s unorthodox punches, kicks and footwork that make it so difficult for today’s mixed martial artists to figure him out.

“It’s not something that M.M.A. camps have trained for,” said Rossen, the Real Fighter Magazine editor.

Whether Machida wins or loses on Saturday, some martial arts instructors and analysts said that he had already forced fighters to take a second look at karate and broadened the definition of a professional mixed martial artist.

“Karate used to be a very tough sport,” said Georges St.-Pierre, a black belt in karate and the current U.F.C. welterweight champion. “Hopefully, the standard will be rising up.”

NYtimes

Overeem hospitalises 5 bouncers, nearly loses hand

In a recent blog posting, Boon told how Overeem (29-11-0-1) had suffered a hand infection following a nightclub brawl earlier this month. According to Boon, Alistair and his brother Valentine (26-22-0) - both heavyweights - had been involved in an altercation that left five security staff needing hospital treatment.

"Alistair attended some famous dance club with his brother Valentine. Went to the toilet and did not have coins to pay the toilet woman. Alistair told her he would pay a euro when he came back, because he did not have change. Then the security guard who was near by started to get involved," he wrote.

"Brother Valentine saw the incident and also started asking what the problem was. They offered to pay, but by then 6 security guards came over surrounding them. The Overeem brothers were asked to leave, Alistair was already outside when he saw his brother Valentine fighting.

"Valentine still was discussing the situation on his way outside with one of the security guards hit Valentine in the face with a flash light. Three security guards dived onto Valentine and brother Alistair wanted to go back inside to help his brother. This resulted in five security guards in the hospital."

Boon went on the reveal that one of the security guards involved in the incident was fired afterwards, while a second tried to lay the blame on the Overeem brothers.

In the meantime, Alistair Overeem was complaining of a painful cut on his hand and went to hospital at the urging of Golden Glory team mates.

"It was only because of the management pushing him to go to the hospital that he saved his hand. When he finally got his injury checked, he was advised to stay a few days in the hospital. They told him if he would have come any later he would have lost his hand," said Boon.

Neither Strikeforce nor Golden Glory have said when Overeem can now be expected to defend his title and a match is unlikely to take place before the end of the summer.

http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/news/viewarticle.php?id=2442&offset=0

Affliction's third event takes place Aug. 1, Emelianko vs. Barnett headlines

Affliction's long-awaited and constantly changing third card is expected to take place Aug. 1, according to MMA FanHouse.

As expected, the main event will feature Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. fellow heavyweight Josh Barnett (24-5), and official announcement could come in the next few days, according to the report.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported earlier this month after speaking with Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio, the show will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The same venue hosted the organization's first two shows: "Banned" in July 2008 and "Day of Reckoning" in January.

The Emelianenko vs. Barnett matchup was an early favorite to headline the Aug. 1 card. Atencio first mentioned it as a possibility after both fighters won their respective bouts at January's Affliction card. (Emelianenko defeated Andrei Arlovski with a first-round TKO, and Barnett scored a third-round TKO over a resilient Gilbert Yvel.)

On the May edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio, Atencio hinted at the match-up.

"It's the fight I want," Atencio said of Emelianenko vs. Barnett. "We're working on it."

Atencio also said he's working on a Paul Buentello vs. Tim Sylvia match-up. He'd also like to see Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon, though he said it could be a tough one to sign since Horodecki already has a fight planned for July.

mmajunkie

UFC 101, now with more Hawaiians!

I previously stated that UFC 101 would have 2 Hawaiians, BJ Penn and his student Shane Nelson. Now I heard that Kendall Grove will be on the card as well.

MAIN CARD

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian (for UFC lightweight title)
* Champ Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin (non-title fight)
* Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Kendall Grove
* Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellgrino

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley
* John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
* Thales Leites vs. Alessio Sakara
* Dan Cramer vs. Matthew Riddle
* Rob Emerson vs. George Sotiropoulos
* Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort

Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza: The DREAM middleweight title is coming home to Brazil

“I beat [Jason Miller] the first time, but I wasn’t satisfied with the result. This time I want to make a better fight. Impose my game and impose my rhythm. The most important thing to me is to put on a good fight. This time it’s for the belt. It’s going to come to Brazil. I’ve been training really hard since November. I had to stop last month to make sure I didn’t overtrain. I’m ready. If the fight were tomorrow, I’d be ready.”

Dynamic Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza expects history to repeat itself on May 26 when he battles Jason Miller for the vacant DREAM middleweight title at DREAM 9. “The Alligator” first clashed with “Mayhem” in the quarterfinals of the DREAM 4 middleweight grand prix in June of 2008. Jacare took home the unanimous decision win but was unhappy with his performance. Both fighters actually had harsh words for the entertainment value of their match and vow to make this one a showstopper. So, who ya’ got?

Become a member of this blog

Please take a minute to become a member of this blog. I won't sell your email address to SPAMMERS and I won't email you. I would like people to leave comments but I don't want to let anonymous people post because then you got SPAM and cowards talking trash behind their computers.

Kauai UFC undisputed game tournament

I just bought the game but I didn't play it yet. I might organize a tournament for the Kauai readers, let me know what you think. I have the PS3 so I wouldn't be able to set up a Xbox tourney.

The prize is bragging rights and a immortality on this site. If someone wants to sponsor a prize shoot me an email.

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

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

Kingdom of Mayhem: Road to Dream MW Championship, part 2 from All Elbows on Vimeo.

"WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber" predictions: Writers give edge to champ Brown

WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown will defend his title and win a rematch with Urijah Faber at WEC 41.

That's according to a panel of MMA writers surveyed by World Extreme Cagefighting for WEC.tv.

Seven of the 12 writers chose Brown, who won the belt from Faber in late 2008 with a surprising first-round TKO.

The rematch is scheduled for June 7 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, Calif. The heavily promoted event could go down as the biggest show in WEC history. Records for attendance, live gate and television ratings could all fall at the Versus-televised event.

In addition to MMAjunkie.com/Dayton Daily News' Dann Stupp, other writers choosing Brown included Segio Non of USA Today, Mark LaMonica of Newsday, Ariel Helwani of VERSUS.com, Todd Martin of CBSSports.com, Michael David Smith of MMA Fanhouse and Odeen Domingo of the Arizona Republic. Picking Faber were Kevin Iole and Dave Doyle of Yahoo! Sports, Ryan Hockensmith of ESPN.com, Carlos Arias of the O.C. Register and Tristen Critchfield of the Albuquerque Journal.

Brown, who's now won nine consecutive fights (seven via stoppage), looks to make his second successful title defense after a swift first-round submission of Leonard Garcia in March.

For the complete voting breakdown, head to WEC.tv.

For full coverage of WEC 41, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Lyoto Machida training in Brazil prior to fight against Rashad Evans at UFC 98 (Video)

How much is the UFC worth?

Company president Dana White tells “CNBC Reports” that “business was up 20 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008.”

Here’s his explanation for the success:

“… baseball is suffering…. Baseball is too slow. I mean, I bet on the Red Sox game the other night and couldn’t even watch it…. The Indiana Pacers lost something like $30 million last year? How long can these numbers bleed? I’ve been there and done that and trust me, you can’t do it for too long … the NFL has a great business model. There are only 16 games. Of course, their only problem is that no one wants to see the game outside this country…. Look our ratings in the 18-34’s. We outrated Monday Night Football in that demo four times last year…. The price of an NFL sponsorship is so high and we hit the same market at a lower price.”

Keep in mind that the promotion is reportedly coming off another record year in 2008, earning somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 to $300 million in pay-per-view (PPV) profits alone. White is currently in New York City on a major public relations push looking to add to that bankroll, promoting the “UFC 2009 Undisputed” video game by making high-profile media appearances, which includes a guest spot on the Jimmy Fallon Show later on this evening, as well as closing the bell with THQ executives at the NASDAQ stock market. He’s also more than likely in town to convince skeptical politicians that the sport is good for the economy and that they should sanction it sooner rather than later. Cha-ching …
mmamania

BJ Penn video blog for May 17: ‘I have no interest in ever fighting in Las Vegas again’

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Scrappa tournament today

I don't have any information other than it is today.

Mike Aina wins via DQ

The inaugural Sho MMA: Strikeforce Challengers Series on Showtime was a strong opening effort, although the night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., ended in a rather abrupt bout of controversy.

Following a round and a half of back and forth action with neither fighter gaining much of an upper hand, the main event bout between Billy Evangelista and Mike Aina was cut short due to a purported illegal knee to the head of a downed Aina.

The moment in question followed an Evangelista takedown and flurry of ground and pound that had Aina in some trouble. As Aina moved out from under Evangelista trying to get back to his feet, Evangelista fired off a knee that referee Herb Dean felt went to the head of Aina. At the time, Aina clearly had one hand, one knee, and one foot on the ground, making him a downed opponent, which would make the knee illegal.

Dean called a halt to the action. After examining Aina, the doctor deemed he could not continue. The bout was stopped and Evangelista disqualified for delivering an illegal knee to the head of a downed opponent.

It was an unfortunate end to a night of solid action, particularly when the replay clearly shows Evangelista's knee making direct contact with Aina's shoulder, not his head. The shot very well could have caused enough impact to injure Aina's jaw as the doctor determined, but the replay was clear in that the contact was not to the head.

Neither fighter appeared happy with the result.

"If I had my choice, I'd take it off my record," said Aina, even though the fight will go down as a win on his resume.

Miesha Tate did something no other fighter has ever done; take Sarah Kaufman all three rounds. She still fell short in the end, however.

Tate was never really able to use her wrestling skills, as the much stronger Kaufman shucked off her takedown attempts at nearly every try, save for round two. Not only did she stuff the takedowns, Kaufman unloaded on Tate with furious combinations that mounted over the course of the fight, wearing out Tate and bloodying her nose.

In the end, it would be Kaufman that scored a unanimous decision victory earning 29-28 on all three judges' scorecards.

A bone of contention in women's MMA for some time has been the three-minute time limit in their rounds when men are given five-minute rounds. Kaufman definitely isn’t down with the difference.

"Three minutes are very fast, so it's hard to get anything going continuously," she told interviewer Stephen Quadros after the fight. "Five minutes all the way, five minutes, come on guys!"

Whenever heavyweights fight, people want to see the knockout. Well, in Lavar Johnson and Carl Seumanutafa, they got it. Seumanutafa shot in right away, but left his head exposed and quickly had his lights turned out courtesy of a right uppercut from Johnson with a mere 18 ticks off the clock.

"I just came in, that was the gameplan, keep my jab in his face and counter off the takedown," said Johnson afterwards, although he didn't think the fight was going to be that quick. "Yeah, I thought I was in for a long night (coming into the fight)."

In light heavyweight action, Anthony Ruiz tried to turn his bout with Aaron Rosa into a street fight. His strategy worked early on as he was able to bully Rosa up against the cage and go to work with knees to the legs and punches to the body. But he wasn't able to keep the fight where he wanted it as Rosa used a double-leg takedown to turn the tide.

Once he had Ruiz on the mat, Rosa eventually worked his way onto Ruiz's back, locked on the body triangle, then proceeded to apply a rear naked choke that put Ruiz to sleep.

"I let him get himself tired trying to take me down," recounted Rosa after the fight. "Finally, I turned him around and got the takedown myself... and I got the rear naked choke."

The bout was officially scored as a technical knockout due to Ruiz going to sleep without tapping.

Tito Jones can easily chalk up his fight with Bao Quach as the one that got away. Neither featherweight did much in the opening round, but Quach took control in round two, punishing Jones with an onslaught of leg kicks that visibly affected the boxer.

In round three, however, it was all Jones. He finally got his punching going, dropping Quach twice with the lead right hook. But as close as he came to snatching the win, Jones really let the fight get away by not being as aggressive as he could have been in trying to finish Quach when he had him wobbling around the cage.

The fight ended up going the distance with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 in favor of Quach. Despite being handily booed upon the reading of the scores, Quach took it in stride saying, "Go ahead and boo, I love you anyway."

Main Card Bouts (on Showtime):
-Mike Aina def. Billy Evangelista by DQ (Illegal Knee to Head) at 3:40, R2
-Sarah Kaufman def. Miesha Tate by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3
-Lavar Johnson def. Carl Seumanutafa by KO at 0:18, R1
-Aaron Rosa def. Anthony Ruiz by TKO (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:29, R1
-Bao Quach def. Tito Jones by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), R3

Preliminary Bouts (Courtesy of Sherdog.com):
-Spencer Herns def. Chad Sutton by Majority Decision, R3
-Fabricio "Morango" Camoes def. Torrance Taylor by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:21, R1
- Thomas Diagne def. Kaleo Kwan by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Ben Holscher def. Cody Canterbury by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:47, R1
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Mike Aina HL video

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Mike Ania on internet radio

Mike Aina, who meets undefeated Billy Evangelista in the main event of Friday's Strikeforce Challengers event, is a guest on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.

Also booked for the show is UFC veteran Jason Lambert, who takes on Vladimir Matyushenko at Saturday's "Call to Arms I" event in California.

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

Jason "Mayhem" Miller documentary

Kingdom of Mayhem: Road to Dream MW Championship, pt.1 from All Elbows on Vimeo.

Gina Curnano one of Maxim's top 100 hot girls

They got her at #16!

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Romulo Barral puts Demian Maia to sleep

Maia is still the man though. This video is a few years old.

X1 recap

X1 World Events: Recap
Kekuaokalani Gym, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
May 9, 2009
Two new champions were crowned Saturday
night May 9, 2009 in front of a full house at
the Kekuaokalani Gym in Kailua-Kona. To
the huge roars of the crowd Kona native and
Olympic alternate Van Oscar Penovaroff
landed a huge left hook to drop and eventually
stop former champion Kana Hyatt of Hilo,
Hawaii. Hyatt able to secure a few takedowns
early in the bout but after scrambling back to
his feet Penovaroff’s boxing prowess shined
through and earned him the 135lb World Title.
The 145lb State Title went on the line as
two other Big Island fighters Justin
Mercado and Dave Moreno went head to
head for the vacant belt. Justin Mercado
who now resides on Oahu was the heavy
crowd favorite going in to the fight
while the colorful Dave Moreno of
Kohala kept his cool and successfully
submitted Mercado via rear naked choke
in the first round.
In other action Maui firefighter and jiu jitsu
practitioner Dominic Ahnee secured enough
takedowns to earn a decision win over the
very talented Aleka Rincon. Keep your eye
out for these two lightweights. A grudge
match wasn’t quite settled the way the fans
had hoped for, Maui’s Mark Smith took
Kona’s Pat Fuga to the mat early and Fuga
injured his knee leaving himself no choice but
to tap in the first round.
Abe Cortes-Kaleopaa stepped in on last minute
notice to take on Spencer Higa in a 145lb
kickboxing match. Original opponent Peni
Taufaao sustained an injury while preparing for
the show down. None the less Cortes-Kaleopaa
took Higa the distance and it was Higa who
came out on top after dominating Cortes-
Kaleopaa for nearly all three rounds.
Wyatt Leong cam out strong against Tyler
Kahihikolo, getting him to the mat early.
Kahihikolo eventually gained top position and
unloaded on Leong forcing the referee to stop
the bout at just 53 seconds in round one. It
took Kevin Soong just 11 seconds to finish his
opponent Ikaika Moore via a brutal knockout.
Sang Van came out cautious against Robert
Midel. Midel the naturally smaller guy was
able to work his ground game securing a number of takedowns but Van’s relentlessness
earned him the victory at the end of the
second round. In the only XMA match of
the night Kaeo Meyers took home the
decision victory over Malu Benedicto.
Daniel Friend showed great striking in his
dominating win over Kiley Tanioka.
Timothy Meeks submitted Nick Gersaba via
armbar in round 1. Levi Agcalon started out
the night with a first round armbar win over
Daniel Alcos.
X1 World Events would like to thank everyone who helped and supported the event. A
big thanks to all the fight fans for their warm welcome and continuous support and to all
the fighters for getting into the cage. X1 World Events is proud to be Hawaii’s only
statewide event bringing the action to all of Hawaii’s fight fans.
Full Results:
135 World Title - Van Oscar Penovaroff (Kona BC) vs Kana Hyatt (MMAD)
Penovaroff by TKO 3:36 min in round 1
155 - Aleka Rincon (Freelance) vs Dominic Ahnee (Maui Jiu Jitsu)
Ahnee via majority decision.
145 State Title - Dave Moreno (Kohala) vs Justin Mercado (MMAD)
Moreno by rear naked choke 4:18 min in round 1.
SHW - Pat Fuga (Kona BC) vs Mark Smith (Maui Mulisha)
Smith by tapout due to knee injury/smother at 1:00 min in round 1.
145 KB - Spencer Higa (HIBC) vs Abe Cortes-Kaleopaa (Freelance)
Higa by unanimous decision
140 - Robert Midel (BJ Penn) vs Sang Van (HIBC)
Van by TKO, Midel could not continue after round 1.
155 - Wyatt Leong (HIBC) vs Tyler Kahihikolo (Average Joe’s)
Kahihikolo by TKO at 53 seconds of round 1.
Amateur Bouts
155 - Kevin Soong (Lava MMA) vs Ikaika Moore (Kona BC)
Soong by KO at 11 sec in round 1.
145 - Daniel Friend (HIBC) vs Kiley Tanioka (706 DTP Gym)
Friend by TKO at 51 sec in round 1.
135 - Timothy Meeks (HIBC) vs Nick Gersaba (Kona BC)
Meeks by armbar at 1:13 min of round 1
170 XMA - Kaeo Meyers (Kona BC) vs Malu Benedicto (Kanu/ PFC)
Meyers by unanimous decision
145 - Levi Agcalon vs Daniel Alcos (Freelance)
Agcalon by armbar at 2:43 in round 1
Christine Young
X-1 World Events Executive Director
Cell: 808-723-0504
Fax: 808-689-8866
Email: christine.x1events@gmail.com

Bully beatdown episode 5

Bully Beatdown - MTV Shows

BJ Penn V-log 5/11/09

Strikeforce's Evangelista fights pressure, Aina in May 15 main event

Imagine the pressure that comes from fighting in a nationally televised main event for the first time – pressure to perform and prove you're worthy of the evening's top billing.

Or imagine the pressure of fighting in front of your hometown crowd for the first time – friends and family excited for the chance to watch you perform live.

Now put both of those situations together, add in the fact that you're trying to remain undefeated, and you'll understand what it's like to be Strikeforce lightweight Billy Evangelista (9-0).

"I think a lot of people want me to win, especially since I'm the local boy," Evangelista said on a recent media call. "I try to just ignore the pressure – mainly be by myself and really focus on what I've got to do instead of just the pressure, just what everybody else wants."

Evangelista is in the final days of preparation for his May 15 main-event bout with Mike Aina (11-6-1) at "Strikeforce Challengers." With the event being held in Evangelista's hometown of Fresno, Calif., the striking ace admits there's some excitement surrounding his appearance.

"It's a great opportunity for me," Evangelista said. "People have been asking me when I was going to start fighting in Fresno because I had been fighting everywhere else around here. I know Strikeforce had come here once before, so they were just like, 'Talk to them. Tell them to come over here.'

"You know I can't do that. (But) they're here now, and there are friends and family that are coming. I'm so excited. My Dad is going to come down and watch. That will probably be his first fight there with me."

While Evangelista hopes to impress his friends, family, and his employers, the five-time Strikeforce veteran isn't over-thinking the situation as he prepares for Aina.

"I kind of just go out there and feel the fighter and feel the fight, how it's going," Evangelista said. "A fighter can change from one day to the next. Today he's a striker, and tomorrow he's a grappler. If I just train for one counter-move and he changes on me, then my whole gameplan is kind of screwed up.

"I just try and prepare for anything that's thrown at me."

Aina will undoubtedly throw plenty at Evangelista. The Hawaiian has won four of his past five contests, with his lone loss coming in a hotly contested split-decision defeat in a September 2007 bout with Nick Diaz.

Evangelista realizes a decisive win over such a challenging opponent could prove his chance to move from Strikeforce's developmental shows to its featured performances.

"It's tough guys that I've fought, and it's only going to get tougher," Evangelista told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "If I showcase what I've got ... I would think I would get opportunities for more exposure on the bigger shows with Strikeforce."

But before that opportunity comes, Evangelista must battle the pressures of Friday night's bout and the challenges that Aina will bring to the cage.

"I just want to keep having great fights and fighting tough people," Evangelista said. "I know Mike's going to be a tough guy. I'm going to go in there and I'm going to try and do my best with him."

John Morgan is the lead staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com.

UFC 98 odds

With less than two weeks to go until fight night, the clock has begun to tick to get your bets in for UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23.

It’ll be here before we know it. That means you should get your betting slips in sooner rather than later to lock-in the best possible odds.

Here are the latest UFC 98 odds:
Lyoto Machida -225 BET NOW
Rashad Evans +175 BET NOW
Matt Hughes -275 BET NOW
Matt Serra +190 BET NOW
Sean Sherk -275 BET NOW
Frank Edgar +190 BET NOW
Phillipe Nover -400 BET NOW
Kyle Bradley +250 BET NOW
Yoshiyuki Yoshida -500 BET NOW
Brandon Wolff +300 BET NOW
Patrick Barry -350 BET NOW
Tim Hague +225 BET NOW
Dave Kaplan +110 BET NOW
George Roop +150 BET NOW

Time to put up or shut up for all us keyboard warriors … get in on the action before it’s too late.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night (Saturday, May 23), which is slated to air beginning at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV). The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8 p.m. ET.

It’s going to be a good night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC 98 coverage you can handle.

MMAMANIA

Kaleo Kwan - Making an impact and a name for himself: StrikeForce

Story by: Eddie King - MMA Hawaii Staff Writer


Kaleo Kwan - StrikeforceHawaii has an MMA following like no other place in the world. There are so many passionate fighters that take part in the growth of and progress of MMA. One of these fighters that has made an impact is a man named Kaleo Kwan. Many locals have seen this tenacious fighter for years. He has had his hand in many styles which molded him into the well rounded fighter he is today. Kaleo has put in some serious time with boxing and Kickboxing. Since his plunge into MMA Kaleo has been working on an arsenal of tricks on the ground with wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. With notable fights against many of Hawaii’s most well known fighters, Kaleo feels as if he has only grown as a fighter. “ For me, I feel the need to go out there and put on an exciting show. Not only do I fight as hard as I can, but I make it exciting for the fans.” said Kwan, “ I want to my name to be included when people talk about MMA in Hawaii along with all the other great names.”

Kaleo is well on his way to becoming one of those names with his upcoming fight on the Strikeforce Challenger series. Kaleo will be fighting on the same card as Mike Aina. When asked what his thoughts were on fighting for Strikeforce, Kaleo said, “ I am really excited to be fighting for Strikeforce. I feel better than ever for this fight. I have had some experience with EliteXC but still always felt like it was work in progress. This time there is still progress to be made but I feel like I am coming into this fight as progress in motion.”

Coming into MMA a little later than some, Kaleo has had a rough road. He has made a name for himself in the sport by taking on challenging opponents. He has went the distance with Shane Nelson and battled it out with Mike Aina. He has fought UFC vets and world champs. Kaleo once stood toe to toe with 5 time Kickboxing champion Malaipet. There has been no tomato can fight for Mr. Kwan. Feeling like he has made the best of his down time, Kwan has been training in all aspects of the fight game and feels as if he is coming into his fight against Ousmane Thomas Diagne. Diagne is known for the fighting style that Cung Le uses. On Diagne, Kaleo said “ I have been where he is. I have been the Kickboxer coming into MMA. He is dangerous on the feet so I have been working on all of my game and cannot wait to unveil it.”

After all that has happened in his career, Kaleo keeps his spirit strong and keeps learning everyday. “It makes it easy when you have the support of the local people” said Kwan, “ and every time I fight on the mainland I feel the support of all the people of Hawaii. Locals support locals.” With the support of an entire state, Kaleo seems to have his mind set on getting a win. “ I never train to lose. I go in and do my best to get the win.”

With Kaleo living the lifestyle he does, it is only natural that he is a fan favorite. He is the father of six children and a devoted husband. He has said that without the support of his wife he would not have accomplished anything. Kwan said, “ It all comes back to the family. They are the first thing I see when I wake up and the last before I go to bed. They are the reason I do what I do and the reason I have made it to the heights I have.” You will rarely see Kaleo Kwan without a smile on his face. He trains with the legendary Eastsidaz and the Onzuka’s at the O2. Kaleo has also helped train local sensation Nainoa Dung. It is apparent that family, friends, and the community come first in the eyes of Kaleo, and this may be the reason why he is so popular around the islands.

After putting in all of this time and effort, one is left to wonder what will come of Kaleo Kwan after this fight.“ I am thrilled to be fighting for Strikeforce and hopefully I will prove myself. My dream is to make it to Japan and become an international name. I feel like I have paid my dues. I feel like I am ready for the big shows, for the tough fights. I do not like to call out other fighters, so I am always ready to fight anyone. I would love to represent Hawaii in any place in the world, against any fighter in the world.” When he speaks of his goals it is hard not to respect his dedication and drive. With everything he has done and everything he plans on, it is imperative that Hawaii is in his corner. “ With Hawaii in my corner there is no way I can lose” said Kaleo, “ Hawaii is my family, and family is the most important thing.”

As he departs for California, Kaleo will have a lot to think about with his fight. He has to think of his mistakes in past fights, his triumphs that helped mold him, all of the hard work that his training partners and coaches have put in . He must think of his future plans and the task at hand, but he will never have to worry about who is supporting him. Kaleo always knows that his family and friends are supporting him along side Hawaii. That is all the support he needs.

Special Thanks from Kaleo Kwan to : MMA Hawaii, Koa Ramos, Bryson Kamaka, Brandon Piper, The Onzuka’s at the O2, Al and Justin for sparring, Uncle Eddie and Da Hui, The crew from Fitted, Defend Hawaii, Phiten, Brit’s Auto Body and Paint, Kwan Ceramic Tile, Fubar, MMA Hawaii, Leif and the crew at OTM, Andy from HFG

Brutal spinning back fist on Bellator

Affliction's Tom Atencio on MMA fight with UFC's Dana White: "Let's do it"

On June 27, at an Ultimate Chaos event in Mississippi, Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio (1-0) will make his second appearance as a professional mixed-martial-arts fighter.

During a recent press conference for the event, Atencio seemed to hint he wanted to fight UFC President Dana White sometime in the future.

On Friday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), Atencio left no doubts. He's ready to fight White, and he thinks it would be "huge" for both fight executives.

Last week Atencio was part of a press conference to announce his June pay-per-view fight. At one point, the 42-year-old promoter said he's willing to do something the 39-year-old White won't.

"I'm doing something Dana White won't do, and that's fight," Atencio said at the press conference. "He talks like a fighter, so why doesn't he fight? I'm stepping up to the plate. And win, lose or draw. I attempted it.

"I don't ever think [White] would fight."

Although these specific comments were unprovoked, the war of words between Atencio and White has been brewing for some time. Once friendly, largely because Affliction was one of the UFC's largest sponsors, the duo's feud began after Affliction was banned from the UFC. According to White, the ban was the result of Affliction's plans to host its own shows, which commenced in mid-2008.

White rarely refers to Atencio by name and jabs at him by calling him the "T-shirt guy," in reference to Affliction's clothing line of high-end (and high-priced) T-shirts.

During Friday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio, Atencio threw some fuel on the fire. First, he questioned the legitimacy of a planned (and heavily promoted) sparring match between White and UFC vet Tito Ortiz that was slated to take place in early 2007. Ortiz reportedly made the sparring match a condition of a new UFC contract. However, when the UFC planned to broadcast the event, Ortiz alleged that the UFC was going to give him no cut of the revenue or any assurance the money would be donated to charity.

The entire series of events was eventually packaged as a 90-minute special on Spike TV titled "Bad Blood: Dana White vs. Tito Ortiz." The special focused on White's training for the exhibition bout and his fight to get it approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. But Ortiz no-showed the match, and he was portrayed as backing out of the event in the TV special.

"I think the fight that was supposed to be between him and Tito, I don't think that was really ever going to happen," Atencio said. "I think that was just a big publicity stunt."

Pointing to that situation, Atencio had a suggestion for White.

"If he was willing to fight Tito, why wouldn't he be willing to fight me?" Atencio asked.

Atencio isn't promising a victory. But he's willing to fight someone he considers a bully. And despite what's likely a 40-pound difference between the two fight executives, Atencio is ready to roll.

"I’m not saying I could beat the guy, but let's fight," Atencio said. "Let's do it. I mean, I think it would be huge for both of us.

"Sometimes [White] just comes off as a tough guy, and I think if you're tough, then be tough. If you're not, then that's cool. And I'm not saying I'm tough at all. I'm just saying at least I'm willing to step in the ring. I'll do it."

It's that type of attitude that led Atencio to his June 27 fight with Randy Hedderick, who makes his professional MMA debut at the show, which is headlined by Bobby Lashley vs. Bob Sapp.

Atencio first fought professionally at an early-2005 Total Combat show, where he picked up a decision win over David Martinez, who entered the fight with a 1-0 record.

"I've wanted to do it (again) since I first fought four years ago," Atencio said of his upcoming fight. "It's pretty cool to say I know what these guys actually go through in a fight. ... At least I can say I've done it. At least I can say I did something that not many people in the world say they can."

For more on Atencio, Affliction's upcoming third show, his training and the feud with White, download Friday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.

Shooto: ‘The Final Tradition’ results and quick recap; Gomi rolls, Ishida falls … hard

Shooto celebrated its 20th anniversary with a bang when it got underway with “The Final Tradition” earlier today from the JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The event featured a bevvy of prominent Japanese mixed martial artists, some of whom were returning to the small organization that helped kick-start their careers. One of which was victim of a huge upset, Mitsuhiro Ishida.

The lightweight standout — who is also under contract with Strikeforce in the United States — battled with Mizuto Hirota, but was tagged with a left hook that was followed up by a straight right to the face, leave Ishida out cold on the canvas. Hirota went in to dish more punishment but had done more than enough damage to force the referee to intervene.

Premier female mixed martial artist Megumi “Mega Megu” Fuji was also in action. She showed the reason she’s so highly regarded by winning her seventeenth straight bout with superior grappling, ending the fight with a key lock early on into the very first round.

And former Pride FC poster boy Takanori Gomi finally got back to his winning ways by obliterating Takashi Nakakura with a barrage of strikes in an exciting showdown, scoring the knockout in round two.

Gomi — who once stood atop of the lightweight heap — has recently endured somewhat of a fall from grace. He recently lost two in a row, including a split decision loss to Sergey Golyaev (12-7) , which led to people questioning his heart and whether he still had what it takes to compete on an active level.

Now it appears he’s re-focused and motivated and ready to once again clamber up the lightweight ladder.

That wasn’t the case for Shooto legend Rumina Sato, who lossed his sixth fight in seven attempts. Sato — who in his prime never sought to compete outside Shooto because he wanted to capture Shooto gold first — had a chance at that today but sadly fell short.

He was disposed of by Takeshi Inoue via some nasty ground and pound in the opening stanza in a bout contested for the Shooto lightweight title (143 pounds).

Here are the official results for Shooto: “The Final Tradition:”

Takeshi Inoue (16-3) defeated Rumina Sato (24-14-2)
Takanori Gomi (30-5) defeated Takashi Nakakura (11-3-1) by KO (4:41-R2)
Williamy Chiquerim (13-1) defeated Yusuke Endo (12-3-2) by guillotine choke (5:00-R1)
Mizuto Hirota (11-3) defeated Mitsuhiro Ishida (18-5-1) by KO (1:33-R1)
Kenichiro Togashi (9-6-5) defeated Tetsuji Kato (19-9) via majority decision
Kotetsu Boku (14-5-2) defeated Yutaka Ueda (6-2-1) by TKO (4:56-R1)
Akiyo Nishiura (10-4-1) defeated Takumi Ota (4-3-1 via unanimous decision
Megumi Fuji (17-0) defeated Won Bu Chu (0-1) by key lock (0:52-R1)

Rashad Evans: Lyoto Machida is better than Rampage Jackson; Interested in Anderson Silva fight

“I thought Lyoto was more deserving than Rampage anyway. He’s better … actually, I like Rampage a lot. I think he’s really funny and charismatic. But I still want to beat his ass some day…. [My goal is to] get Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive wins in the UFC, with nine, keep the belt and then break that record…. I’d love to fight Anderson Silva.”

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans — who has eight wins in nine attempts inside the Octagon (the “other” fight was a draw against Tito Ortiz — has no qualms defending his 205-pound title for the first time against Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 on May 23, because as he puts it, the undefeated Brazilian is more deserving. “Sugar” was expected to defend his belt against former division champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, however, he had to turn down the bout because of nagging injuries. He is expected to take on the winner of Evans-Machida later in 2009, which would no doubt be a blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) event … especially if Evans can come out on top. And if Machida and possibly Jackson were not enough to handle, Evans also has middleweight champion Anderson Silva — who also competes at light heavyweight — in his cross hairs. Talk about a tough road ahead … can he pull it off?

With life's battles already won, UFC's Matt Brown earning "immortal" tag

Finding success in today's UFC requires clean living, a dedication to a healthy diet and proper training. But not every rising star in the organization started their career by walking down the right path.

UFC welterweight Matt Brown (9-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) recently revealed to MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that before the bright lights of the octagon he had already won a different fight – a battle with illegal drug use that nearly cost him his life.

"I came really close to dying," Brown said. "I [overdosed] on heroin. … They said I was clinically dead for over a minute."

Brown believes his recreational drug use came from feelings of being trapped in a small town outside of Dayton, Ohio.

"I was in that mindset that there was nothing else to do," Brown said. "I could get drunk everyday and I'll still be (stuck) here, or I could go to college and I'll still be (stuck) here.

"[Overdosing] was one of the best things to happen to me. When that happened it woke me up and I was like, 'Man, I got to do something.'"

Brown's near-death experiences from drugs and street fights led to his friends dubbing him with his eventual fighter nickname: "The Immortal."

"My friends were like, 'Man, you are [expletive] immortal, huh?" Brown said. "And I thought, 'If I could beat all of that stuff, I could beat anything.'"

For Brown, a chance viewing of Wanderlei Silva, who is now helping the Ohio-native prepare for his upcoming fight, proved to be the catalyst that led to a new life.

"After [the overdose] happened, I was at home watching Wanderlei fight on TV and decided, 'I want to try this stuff – I've been in enough street fights," Brown said.

"I was one of those dorks that thought, 'I could do that,' until I got into the gym and realized it was harder than it looked."

With a new passion, Brown juggled performing odd jobs and his mixed martial arts training, hoping that his commitment would eventually pay off.

"Before I was in the UFC, I was working 60-70 hours a week," Brown said. "Then I would quit (each new) job to train a month out and rely on winning the fight to pay my rent."

That was Matt Brown's world nearly five years ago.

Today, the "The Ultimate Fighter 7" cast member has relocated to Las Vegas and has only one job in life – to win his next fight. To do so he has dedicated himself to remaining focused, and to being completely sober.

"When I decided I was going to fight seriously, I decided I wasn't going to do (any drugs) anymore," Brown said. "Now, I am 100 percent clean. I barely even drink Red Bull any more. I try to keep everything ultra-organic and ultra-clean.

"These days, I just keep my eyes on the prize. I worked too hard to get here to do something stupid and mess it up."

The UFC welterweight has a new vice: a drive for championship gold.

"Having a belt around my waist will feel better than any drug you can put in me," Brown said.

The road to a title shot for the Brown will next lead to fellow up-and-comer Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), who – like Brown – is currently on a hot streak.

The two are set to meet at "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K." live finale in June.

"Both of us are coming in with two-fight win streaks, and our last fights were both big knockouts," Brown said. "So this works out really well."

The inspirational Brown knows that a win over Johnson might propel him near the top of a stacked welterweight division. He also feels that after overcoming so much adversity, he is finally peaking at just the right time.

"I feel like coming into the UFC I have finally come into my own," Brown said. "I really have my mind right, and I am fighting to my potential."

mmajunkie

WANDERLEI ON ANDERSON: "I WANT TO FIGHT HIM"

Wand_on_Anderson.jpg

Wanderlei Silva has another big challenge on his plate when he fights Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany next month. But lately, he’s had his eye on a new, or old, challenge.

There could be another Silva on his horizon; that of former training partner Anderson. The two sweated and bled together at Chute Boxe in their formative years, near the apex of Wanderlei’s time in Pride. Office politics put them on different paths, with Anderson leaving the academy in 2005 over issues on the control of his career. But they stayed friendly, at least until recently.

Anderson reportedly called the move “pretentious,” prompting an immediate response from Wanderlei. The friendship appears to be on hold.

“Before, in his interviews, I don’t have no problem,” Wanderlei told MMAWeekly.com. “I respect him every time, I don’t talk about him, before he talked about me. Because he started it. Why? Because I’m a good friend of him before.”

Recently, Anderson’s career has taken a major hit due to listless performances against Patrick Cote and most recently, Thales Leites at UFC 97. He is due to face Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in August.

Wanderlei is fighting Franklin at a catch-weight of 195 pounds, but his plan is to fight at middleweight, and his list of potential opponents includes Anderson.

“I don’t know why he started talking (expletive) about me,” he continued. “Before he start, I don’t like to fight (at middleweight), but after he start you couldn’t pay me to stop. I love the challenge. I love the guys talking about me, because it gives me more motivation to train. Now, I want to fight with him. I want to have a chance to fight with him. But first, I need to focus for Rich, and I know I need to beat him and have a good performance to have a chance to fight the champion.”

The former Pride champ was not shy about the boo-fest between Anderson and Leites at UFC 97.

“Thales was afraid of him,” he continued. “Thales afraid to punch, he afraid to move. This is the worst situation for a fighter. In the fight, I’m going 'more,' give the punch. For a long time, I was bored. Anderson is a champion, and the other guy needs to give the best. But Anderson would put Thales in the corner, and he would not attack.”

Wanderlei says Anderson’s indecisiveness goes back to their years at Chute Boxe.

“Many times he have this in Chute Boxe, and the fights, too, and I’m staying in his corner, going ‘go, go go!’" continued Wanderlei. “The guy would stay in the corner, and he would not go. This is his fault. He put the guys in the corner, and I don’t know why he doesn’t go. This is bad. The situation is bad. Because the guys want to see the guy beat.”

To Wanderlei, a boring fight is a sin. Though he sympathizes with the pressures of a win-at-all-costs organization, he says it’s no excuse for lack of killer instinct.

“Maybe (Anderson’s) waiting because if he attacks, the guy is going to get the takedown,” he speculated. “And it’s trouble. But you need to have risk. You need to open your guard. Because this sport is hard. Many guys watching just who won. They don’t see the fight, just this guy won, or the other guy won. But I prefer to lose in an emotional fight than I win a boring fight. I’m not fighting for money. I’m fighting for emotion. I know the guys are paying $49 to watch a main event like this. I prefer to lose an exciting fight, because I know I give my best, and my opponent won because he had the best day. You win a boring fight, what is better, win or lose? This is the question. You should put your life more at risk.”

Anything less, he says, is bad for the sport.

“His performance talks about him, no?” he continued. “His last two fights with Cote and with Thales. I don’t know. This is a question, what is better for him? Win or lose? Because this is a new sport. Imagine one guy who never see, and he pay $49 to sit at home and see the fight, what impression is the guy going to have? That it’s fake? It’s possible! They think, yeah, this is fake. It’s like pro wrestling. But you have a lot of guys working hard for this sport. This is no respect for the boss, no respect for the fans. Every fighter needs to know about their responsibility in the ring, not just to win or lose. You have more power, you have more responsibility.”

And as his recent fights show, no one is more willing to live and die by the sword as Wanderlei. It’s the fans that are most important to him.

“I don’t fight just with my technique,” he said. “I fight with my heart. I respect my fans, and for this, my fans respect this. My fans know that every time I stay in the best condition and put my life on the line. For me, no problem.”

In subsequent interviews, Anderson has backed off his comments toward Wanderlei, saying the interviewer misinterpreted his intention. He has defended his performance against Leites, saying he did everything he trained to do during the fight.

But between him and Wanderlei, the line has been drawn in the sand.

Wanderlei’s wish will hinge on a number of factors, not least of which is the fight with Franklin, and whether Anderson can get by Griffin in decisive fashion. A lackluster performance by either could shelve the possibility for good.

Silva says he will lobby for the fight, but after he takes care of business at UFC 99 in Germany.

“I’m not going to fight with the champion the first or second time,” he said. “Of course, no. After four or five fights, it’s possible.”
mmaweekly

Inside MMA preview: Most passionate MMA fans? "Mayhem" says Hawaiians

Jason "Mayhem" Miller has fought all over the globe during his eight-year mixed-martial-arts career.

But he says no fans are more passionate about the sport than those in Hawaii.

Miller discusses the fanbase and his other favorite fight sites on tonight's edition of "Inside MMA," a preview of which can be found to the right.

Joining Miller on this week's "Inside MMA" panel are former top UFC middleweight contender Patrick Cote and up-and-coming DREAM welterweight Andre Galvao.

"I fight in Hawaii, and man, those people are so passionate about the sport that they go bananas," Miller said. "It sounds like the arena is going to pop the top off. They get really excited. It's really crazy fighting over there."

Miller, a former ICON Sport champion in Hawaii, previously fought in the UFC, and he admits those crowds are intense. However, he says Hawaii offers something special.

"I've been to UFC events where the energy is really electric, and there are tons of people," he said. "But in Hawaii, there won't be half as many people, and they'll be that excited."

The UFC has flirted with the idea of hosting a show in the Aloha State, though officials have previously cited regulatory issues and excessive taxes as roadblocks. However, with such a passionate fan base and a huge following for UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn and other Hawaiian fighters, it certainly makes you wonder what kind of crowd a future event could draw.

mmajunkie

Philip Nover on training, quitting nursing job

I really respect the man for pursuing his dream and not settling for a comfortable life that he wasn't passionate about.

X1 World Events

May 9, 2009

Kekuaokalani Gym, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii



Main Card

135 World Title - Van Oscar Penovaroff (Kona BC) vs Kana Hyatt (MMAD)

155 - Aleka Rincon (Freelance) vs Dominic Ahnee (Maui Jiu Jitsu)

145 State Title - Dave Moreno (Kohala) vs Justin Mercado (MMAD)

SHW - Pat Fuga (Kona BC) vs Mark Smith (Maui Mulisha)

145 KB - Spencer Higa (HIBC) vs Abe Cortes-Kaleopaa (Freelance)



Undercard

140 - Robert Midel (BJ Penn) vs Sang Van (HIBC)

155 - Kevin Soong (Lava MMA) vs Ikaika Moore (Kona BC)

155 - Wyatt Leong (HIBC) vs Tyler Kahihikolo (Average Joe’s)

145 - Daniel Friend (HIBC) vs Kiley Tanioka (706 DTP Gym)

135 - Timothy Meeks (HIBC) vs Nick Gersaba (Kona BC)

170 XMA - Kaeo Meyers (Kona BC) vs Malu Benedicto (Kanu/ PFC)

145 - Levi Agcalon (?) vs Daniel Alcos (Freelance)

BJ Penn video blog for May 5: UFC 101 training includes air hockey, laps in a motel pool

Billy Evangelista on Mike Aina Strikeforce fight at open media workout

“It’s going to be great-finally fighting in my hometown. My Dad is going to come down and be there for the first time at a fight with me. I’m just so excited. This is a great opportunity for me. A lot of people want me to win, especially because I’m the local boy. There is a lot of pressure being undefeated. I just try to ignore the pressure. I’m always trying looking to put on a great show. It’s going to be a great show. I’m going to have a lot of friends and family watching. It’s going to be a great fight for me and Mike.”

Undefeated up-and-comer Billy Evangelista talks about his upcoming fight against Mike Aina — the same man who gave Nick Diaz fits when they recently collided — at the first-ever Strikeforce: Challenger Series event on Showtime from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on May 15, during an open media workout at Gold’s Gym. Evangelista is an incredibly talented lightweight who trains out of American Kickboxing Academy … keep a close eye on this kid.

mmamania

Shaq training MMA

Shaq fights MMA, his teacher said they will be posting a fight with SHaq soon.

ESPN

A healed Brandon Wolff doesn’t want to get his ass kicked again at UFC 98

“I got beat up pretty good. He got me good. I made the mistake of staying in a Muay Thai clinch a little too long and I paid the man…. I was more mentally distraught than anything. I was just unhappy about how I got destroyed in my debut. But I healed up good. And I just wanted to get back in there as soon as possible. . . . I was just happy to get a second chance. I didn’t think I was going to get one…. It was the first time ever that I’ve got my ass kicked. It was a good learning experience — something that’s never going to happen again…. It just didn’t go as planned…. I’m really fortunate to be fighting again in the UFC. And I feel like I owe myself and everybody else out there a war, an exciting fight. And that’s what I’ve been preparing myself for.”

Brandon Wolff talks about his future career inside the Octagon after “sustaining four facial fractures, including a fractured forehead, and a broken nose” in a brutal loss to Ben Saunders in his Octagon debut at UFC: “Fight for the Troops” in Dec. 2008. The Hawaiian is set to battle Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” on May 23, vowing to not make the same mistakes twice in his encore performance, which is great news for whoever picks up his hospital tab.

2009 World Pro BJJ Cup Absolute Semi-Final: Braulio Estima vs. Marcelo Garcia

Rashad Evans video on winning the belt and now having to defend it at UFC 98 against Lyoto Machida

Randy Couture files for divorce

Yesterday Randy Couture served his wife of over two years, Kim Couture, with divorce papers. The news was a shock to those close to the couple and even more to Kim, who pulled out of her televised main event fight due to the devastating news. This marks Randy's third divorce.

It just doesn't work out with couples who fight all the time, sure some might call it "training" but a fights a fight man.

RawVegas.tv.

BJ Penn video details new training regimen with Marv Marinovich

BJpenn.com

HIOKI MOVES TO SENGOKU SEMIFINAL, PHAN FINISHED

Saturday, May 02, 2009 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff
HiokiManuelSengoku7_010.jpg

World Victory Road on Saturday determined the final four participants for its Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix semi-final round.

Hatsu Hioki, ranked No. 3 in the world at featherweight, wasted little time on Ronnie Mann. He dominated over the course of their three minutes in the ring, finally submitting him with a triangle choke. Hioki moves on to the semi-final round of the grand prix.

Also moving on is Michihiro Omigawa, who defeated No. 8 ranked Nam Phan with a controversial TKO stoppage late in the first round.

Joining them will be Masanori Kanehara, who won a decision over Chan Sung Jung, and Marlon Sandro after a 19-second finish of Nick Denis.

Following a dominating four-minute performance, Maximo Blanco was disqualified in his bout the Akihiko Mori. Blanco soccer-kicked Mori in the face while the Japanese fighter was on the canvas, which is illegal under Sengoku rules.

Featherweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal Round:
-Hatsu Hioki def. Ronnie Mann by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:09, R1
-Michihiro Omigawa def. Nam Phan by TKO at 4:52, R1
-Masanori Kanehara def. Chan Sung Jung by Unanimous Decision
-Marlon Sandro def. Nick Denis by TKO at 0:19, R1

Non-tournament bouts:
-Kazunori Yokota def. Leonardo Santos by Split Decision
-Alexandre Ribeiro def. Keiichiro Yamamiya by TKO at 0:51, R3
-Makoto Takimoto def. Michael Costa by Submission (Heel Hook) at 3:31, R1
-Stanislav Nedkov def. Travis Wiuff by TKO at 0:42, R3
-Akihiko Mori def. Maximo Blanco by Disqualification at 4:20, R1
-Shigeki Osawa def. Kota Ishibashi by Unanimous Decision
-Hirotoshi Sato vs. Yoshitaka Abe by Submission (Armbar) at 2:52, R1

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton Post Fight Recap

Check out MMATKO for fight video


By Errol Hyppolite: Round 1 – From the opening bell, Manny’s footwork and upper body movement frustrated Hatton. Hatton who was supposed to have an improved jab was not able to get it going. Hatton also quickly found out that he wasn’t quite able to exert his size on Manny as he thought he would. In clenches both fighters were giving as good as they were getting. As Hatton began to try and work his way inside he came in with his hands low and got timed on the way in with left hooks and left hands.

About two minutes into Round 1 Manny landed an excellent 3-4 punch combination followed by a left hook that put Ricky down for the 1st time in the fight. Hatton was certainly shocked but did the right thing in taking a knee to try and keep his composure. Unfortunately after knockdown, Ricky was not able to clench effectively and after Manny landed another combination that ended with a left hand Hatton was down for a second time. With five seconds left, Hatton was able to survive the round.

Round 2 – What surprised me from the opening bell of round two is that Hatton wasn’t more cautious! After the two knockdowns in the first it would have been best for Ricky to take a round off to get his faculties together. With all his training with Floyd Sr. I figured he might try to be on the outside more in this round and simply try to be a bit more defensive minded. This was not the case however, and Ricky was his same old bouncy self and began rushing in trying to rough Pacman up.

Pacman spent his time boxing on the outside and deflected Hatton’s bull rushes. He would also tie Ricky up to limit his effectiveness. He began potshotting Hatton with jab/left hand combinations. His jab was effective and his left hand was very effective. About 2 minutes into the round Pacquiao began pouring on his offensive repertoire again. Instead of Manny being backed up to the ropes he backed Ricky to the ropes and began pouring on punishment. Manny’s speed was too much for Ricky and he was left trying to duck and slip as many punches as he could. After a barrage of punches against the ropes the fight was brought back into the center of the ring. Manny landed two jabs and then a devastating left hook that knocked Hatton out cold with one second left in the round. It was one of the most devastating knockouts I’ve ever seen. It was surreal to see Hatton unconsciously fall flat in the center of the ring flat on his back. His arms fell back and then forward and the fight was immediately waved off. Ringside physicians attended to Ricky and after several minutes Hatton was able to come back to his senses.

Manny followed his trainer’s game plan flawlessly. He did not stay on the ropes for extended periods of time and kept the fight in the center of the ring. He was also very smart to simply duck his head and tie up whenever Ricky lunged in which forced Kenny Bayless to break the fighters up. This give Manny the space he needed to box and counterpunch. It was a very impressive performance and one that will forever change Hatton’s career.

In my previous article I predicted Manny would knock Ricky out around the fourth or fifth round. Despite the popular opinions of many I believed Manny had the edge in power and was at the end of the day a much better fighter. Many thought I was being biased and was just a “Pac-Lover.” I try to be as objective as possible but after careful review, I simply could not give Hatton much of a chance to win this fight.

Where do both men go from here?

Manny Pacquiao – It’s a no-brainer that the next and most appealing fight for Manny would be a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. I personally believe that these two fighters have been on a collision course for years and eventually this fight will take place. It’s the biggest fight that can be made and sooner or later will happen. With that said, I am not sure that the fight would happen this year. Keep in mind that boxing is a business and that the networks, managers, and promoters all know the public’s insatiable boxing appetites will always demand and thus pay for this fight. Whether or not these two men fight this year or next, people will still pay top dollar for it.

I believe Manny’s next fight will be against Timothy Bradley. Manny is now the lineal champion of the Junior Welterweight division and Timothy is the number two fighter in this division. Timothy is a fast, slick, right-handed boxer, who uses the same shoulder roll Mayweather uses. This will let Pacquiao and his handlers know how well he would fare against Mayweather Jr. Timothy will of course hop at the opportunity to face Pacman for the money and a chance to make boxing history. After the likely Pacquiao win you can expect the Mayweather/Pacquiao pound-4-pound showdown to be close at hand! I’ll breakdown Mayweather/Marquez a little closer to the fight but you can already see the story line that the hype-men like will use to setup demand for the fight.

Ricky Hatton – I believe Ricky should strongly consider retiring or if he absolutely feels he must redeem himself it would be best for him to set up a farewell fight with a much lesser opponent in England. After that he should look to use his marketing muscle to become a promoter in order to stay close to his love of boxing. He’s earned plenty of money and does not need to continue to risk his physical/mental wellbeing.

To critics of my previous article I’d like to set the record straight. Please know that I like Hatton a lot. He’s a great man and has a lot of character and bravery to fight the two top pound-4-pound fighters in the world. I wish him and his family all the best and am very happy to hear that he is ok. I k now he’ll recover well and ultimately choose the best choice for his career.

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Ricky Hatton Fight promo

Bellator Fighting Championships V results and quick recap (Updated)

The championship fight of Bellator Fighting Championship’s eight man lightweight tournament is now set following the conclusion of the two semifinal match ups earlier tonight from the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

One of the two men who will be mixing it up in that final round won’t come as much of a surprise to anyone, as the pride of Philadelphia mixed martial arts, Eddie Alvarez, dispatched a game Eric Reynolds with a third round submission in the main event of Bellator V.

Alvarez utilized a strong ground and pound attack throughout the fight, easily taking dominant positions when on the ground and landing violent strikes from there. The Fight Factory product had his opponent fully mounted a number of times, but the hard nosed Reynolds somehow stayed competitive and fought his way through the first two rounds.

In the third, however, Alvarez was finally able to finish the fight. Reynolds was clearly worn down from the first two rounds, and this time he was unable to fight off the relentless tournament favorite. Eddie stuck to his gameplan, taking the fight to the mat once again. This time, though, he didn’t take the mount position. Instead he worked his way onto Reynolds’ back, and from there it was only a matter of time before he sunk in the fight ending rear naked choke.

The other tournament favorite, Jorge Masvidal, was forced to deal with a little bit more difficult of an opponent than Alvarez though. Toby Imada came ready to scrap tonight. He took everything that “Gamebred” could throw at him for the first two rounds, and it looked like Masvidal was on his way to a clear cut decision victory.

But the resilient Imada had other plans.

Battered and bloodied from the punishment laid down from the superb striking of Masvidal through the first two rounds, Imada hung in there and finally found an opening he could capitalize on late in the third frame. With less than two minutes left in his tournament life, the Los Angeles resident took the American Top Team fighter’s back and locked in a sick inverted triangle choke from a standing position. Masvidal tried to fight his way out, but he quickly fell into unconsciousness, bringing an end to his tournament run.

It will now be the tournament favorite Eddie Alvarez versus the tournament dark horse Toby Imada locking horns for the first ever Bellator lightweight tournament title sometime in the next seven weeks. And if tonight’s action was any indication as to how that fight’s going to play out, we should be prepared for an all out war.

In the featured non-tournament bout of the night, former Elite XC heavyweight standout Dave Herman and the mammoth 263-pound Josh Barnes slugged it out for nearly a full round before “Pee Wee” put an end to the big man’s night with a brutal knee followed up by a barrage of strikes. With the win, the 24 year old Herman now moves his professional record to an impressive (14-1).

Check out the complete results for Bellator V below:

Lightweight Tournament Semifinal Bouts:

155 lbs.: Eddie Alvarez defeated Eric Reynolds via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:30 of round three
155 lbs.: Toby Imada defeated Jorge Masvidal via submission (inverted triangle choke) at 3:22 of round three

Non-Tournament Preliminary Bouts:

265 lbs.: Dave “Pee Wee” Herman defeated Josh Barnes via technical knockout (strikes) at 4:46 of round one
265 lbs.: Joey Beltran defeated Sherman Pendergarst via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:24 of round one
265 lbs.: Dan Evensen defeated Raoul Romero via submission (strikes) at 1:44 of round two
145 lbs.: Matt Jaggers defeated Pete Dominguez via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:03 of round one
117 lbs.: Jessica Pene defeated Tammie Schneider via technical knockout (strikes) at 1:35 of round one
170 lbs.: Justin Edwards defeated John Troyer via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:12 of round one
155 lbs.: Waylon Lowe defeated Frank Carabello via unanimous decision

Next week the Bellator Fighting Championships will head over to the Central Pavilion Arena at Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown, Texas for its sixth event of a twelve part series.

That card will feature the semifinal match ups from the 145-pound featherweight tournament. Former Elite XC champion Wilson Reis will square off against Joe “The Hammer” Soto for the right to face either Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez or Estevan “El Terrible” Payan in the championship round.

Star-Studded Card Set for DREAM.9: Jose Canseco To Face Hong Man Choi

The Japanese-based DREAM promotion has announced an open-weight tournament set to take place at DREAM.9 on May 26 in Yokohama, Japan. Fighters that have been confirmed for the event feature some well-known veterans of MMA, including Gegard Mousasi, Sokoudjou, Mark Hunt, and Kid Yamamoto. The tournament also has its share of intriguing competitors, such as K-1 star Bob Sapp and former Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco. Yes, you read that right. Jose Canseco, mostly known for his much publicized and controversial book, where he admitted his own steroid use and accused countless other MLB players of using performance enhancing drugs, will make his MMA debut against 7’2”, 330 lb. Hong Man Choi.

The open-weight tournament, deemed as the “World Superman Championship,” will begin on May 26, with semi-final and final rounds set to take place later this summer.

Also featured on the DREAM.9 card is a fight for the vacant middleweight title between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, as well as the much anticipated return of Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. Needless to say, fans tuning into DREAM.9 will be pleased with the card’s entertainment value, as well as the quality of its competitors.

The full fight card is listed below.


•Gesias "JZ" Cavalvante vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
•Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
•Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren
•Bibiano Fernandes vs. Masakazu Imanari
•Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
•Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro
•Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa vs. Bob Sapp
•Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
•Mark Hunt vs. Gegard Mousasi
•Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi

BJ Penn training hard V log

BJ PENN Video Blog 4 30 09

Nice Lyoto footwork

MMAMANIA

Demian Maia: The path to Anderson Silva begins at UFC 102 against Nate Marquardt

“I think [Marquardt is] great. It’s a great fight for me, a great test and a match that will help build me. He’s a real well-rounded fighter, good at everything. A really aggressive fighter. I believe the winner of this match will become a candidate for Anderson (Silva). I’ll train like I always do. I start in Brazil and finish up in the United States, with Rafael Alejarra and Wanderlei (Silva).”

– Undefeated Brazlian jiu-jitsu wizard Demian Maia feels that the winner of his bout with top ranked middleweight Nate Marquardt at UFC 102 will earn a shot at the 185-pound crown. However, they may have to get in line and wait behind the winner of Dan Henderson vs. Michal Bisping — the two coaches from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that are set to square off at UFC 100 on July 11. It appears that there may be a long line forming, but Maia is certainly deserving. But will the UFC shy away from Silva vs. Maia based on “The Spider’s” performance against Thales Leites?