MMA News Roundup
MMA News Roundup |
by Edward Pollard ONTARIO, CA—Call to Arms 2: Called Out Fights at the Citizens Business Bank Arena was the scene of a special comeback on August 15, 2009—namely, the return of five-time kickboxing world champion and Black Belt Hall of Fame member Kathy Long. After months of hard training, including extra attention to her almost nonexistent ground game, Long, 45, faced a more experienced mixed martial artist named Avery Vilche, 39. The opponent’s 1-1-1 record, while not a huge advantage, presented a speed bump to Long’s re-entry into competitive, full-contact fighting. Appearing before an appreciative crowd that definitely knew the kickboxing veteran and wanted her to win, Long, wearing her trademark long golden curls down (instead of in braids or a tight bun as is common among female fighters), appeared happy and confident. Vilche looked somewhat smaller than the ex-champ, but she put up a good fight from the opening bell. Long danced, feinted, jabbed and kicked from the beginning, but Vilche was undaunted and worked for an opening. Long, however, was ready for anything the Yupik Eskimo could offer in the way of an attack. When Vilche worked to bring the fight to the ground, Long dominated there, as well. After three rounds of mostly one-sided action, Long’s glove was raised in victory.
by Jon Sattler It’s official: Fedor Emelianenko has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. While the exact details of the agreement have not been revealed, his first fight for the organization will air on Showtime and all his bouts will be co-promoted by Strikeforce and M-1 Global, an MMA promotion run by Emelianenko’s manager, Vadim Finkelchtein. According to sports-radio host Dave Carmichael, the Ultimate Fighting Championship had offered Emelianenko $5 million a fight, a cut of the pay-per-view revenues, and an immediate title shot, but M-1 turned it down because the UFC would not allow them to co-promote events with Emelianenko on the card. Strikeforce just released the following statement: After a week of intense negotiations and speculation, the hottest topic of discussion in the professional fight world has come to a head as the world’s number one heavyweight and most sought after mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko has signed a historic, multi-fight agreement that will see him headline mega-events co-promoted by world championship promotions Strikeforce and M-1 Global. Emelianenko, known globally as Fedor, will make his premium television debut this Fall when his first fight under the new agreement airs live on SHOWTIME. Up until now, Emelianenko’s live fights have aired exclusively on pay-per-view in the United States. “I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level,” said the 33-year-old Emelianenko. During his nine year professional fight career, which included a four and a half year stay with the world’s former top MMA promotion, the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championship, the Russian native has faced and defeated all comers. In his last effort, the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko decimated the number two ranked heavyweight at the time Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski with a single punch in the first round (3:14) of the main event of Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” at Anaheim, California’s Honda Center on January 24. “Strikeforce is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world,” continued Emelianenko. “I am prepared to fight any of them.” “We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor,” said Strikeforce Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts fight promoter of over 25 years. “Fedor has been the reigning king of MMA’s heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.” “With the addition of Fedor and Strikeforce’s new relationship with M-1 Global, Showtime is now the home of the best pound-for-pound male and female fighters in the world,” said Ken Hershman, Senior VP and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “The Aug. 15 Carano-Cyborg matchup on SHOWTIME will clearly determine the best female mixed martial artist on the planet. Then, come this Fall, our subscribers again will witness history when the universally recognized best male fighter—Fedor Emelianenko—joins the already long list of world-class athletes on the Strikeforce roster, and for the first time ever plies his skills live on SHOWTIME.” Hershman continued: “We are better positioned now than ever before to deliver on our promise to televise the top fighters in mixed martial arts today.” “I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce,” said Vadim Finkelchtein, President of M-1 Global. “We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.” Though his official professional record is 30-1, Emelianenko is considered undefeated. The only blemish on his record is a December 22, 2000 fight that was stopped after 17 seconds and declared a TKO in favor of his opponent, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, due to a cut Emelianenko sustained in the opening seconds of the matchup in Osaka, Japan. Amongst those on Emelianenko’s list of impressive conquests are former PRIDE Heavyweight Champions Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champions Kevin “The Monster” Randleman and Tim Sylvia, whom Emelianenko submitted with a rear naked choke only 36 seconds into their main event showdown at Affliction: “Banned” on July 19, 2008. Despite his extensive experience, Emelianenko’s debut under the new Strikeforce-M-1 venture will, interestingly enough, mark his first start in a cage. To date, all of his bouts have taken place in a ring. After co-promoting two events live on Showtime in 2007 and 2008, Strikeforce in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.
by Jon Sattler Disastrous news for fight fans and Affliction: The California State Athletic Commission will refuse to license Josh Barnett for his upcoming fight with Fedor Emelianenko, Sherdog.com reports. Affliction vice-president Tom Attencio told MMA Fanhouse that Barnett allegedly tested positive for a banned substance and that the promotion is looking for a replacement to fight Emelianenko at the August 1 event in Anaheim, California. Potential replacements for Barnett include Vitor Belfort, Bobby Lashley, Fabricio Werdum, Jeff Monson and Brett Rogers. We’ll post more as the story develops. Update: Xtreme Couture trainer Shawn Tompkins told The Fight Network that Vitor Belfort will replace Barnett and fight Emelianenko. Belfort was previously scheduled to participate in a middleweight bout against Jorge Santiago at the same event. Update 2: CSAC released the following statement Wednesday: The California State Athletic Commission ( CSAC ) has denied a license to Mixed Martial Arts ( MMA ) fighter Josh Barnett after Barnett tested positive for a banned substance. Barnett’s June 25 drug test came back positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid. CSAC learned of the results July 21 and immediately denied a license for Barnett. CSAC also informed the promoter of Barnett’s August 1 bout against Fedor Emelianenko that the bout would not be approved. “The license of Josh Barnett was denied pursuant to rule 303 of Title IV of the California Code of Regulations,” said CSAC Interim Executive Officer Dave Thornton. “That rule prohibits the use of certain substances, including anabolic agents, by any boxer or MMA fighter.” Barnett’s test was observed in the presence of a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles ( UCLA ) on June 25 for processing. CSAC was notified of the results yesterday. Barnett has the right to appeal the denial of his license. “Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters,” said Thornton. “Anabolic agents and other banned substances put the users of those agents at risk, as well as their opponents. The commission simply will not tolerate their use.” Update 3: Strikeforce Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz told MMAjunkie.com that neither Fabricion Werdum nor Brett Rogers will be fighting Emelianenko on August 1, which narrows the list of potential opponents significantly. UFC 100 Fight Report by Edward Pollard BROADCAST BOUTS UFC heavyweight champion and fan flashpoint Brock Lesnar gave interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir precious little space to operate, spending most of the fight’s total six minutes 48 seconds on the ground, controlling him and looking for a place to unload his punches. Eventually, he found a good angle, kept Mir in position and let his right fist do the talking for him until the referee stepped in to stop the mauling.
Welterweight challenger Thiago Alves may have thought he could finish titleholder Georges St. Pierre in a number of ways and then declare it would happen by knockout, but reality made its usual appearance inside the octagon in the form of a five-round schooling by the French-Canadian champ. In a fight that was reminiscent of his recent bouts with B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch, St. Pierre owned Alves for the entire 25 minutes and easily took the unanimous decision to defend his title for the fourth consecutive time. Everyone’s talking about the possibility that he will move up to middleweight and fight Anderson Silva.
Yoshihiro Akiyama and Alan Belcher battled out to a split-decision finish that went deservedly to Akiyama, who had spent most of the three rounds controlling and determining the fight’s action. Belcher gave stiff resistance and even posed a true threat several times, but Akiyama never really lost control. The two each received a $100,000 bonus for the fight of the night.
In the unenviable position of going on after the big main event, welterweights Jon Fitch and Paulo Thiago put on a three-round clinic of MMA versatility and practically canceled each other out. Fitch got the unanimous decision, but it wasn’t all that one-sided as the result would suggest. Both athletes remain high in the competitive pack running way behind the magisterial St. Pierre.
Veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship since the UFC 10 in July 1996, Mark Coleman faced The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 light-heavyweight runner up Stephan Bonnar and ground out a bloody unanimous decision win. It was a strange pairing, but made good sense as both fighters are equally at home on the feet and on the mat. Good result for Coleman, 44, who looked almost retired in his last bout with Mauricio Rua. Jim Miller got the unanimous decision over The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 lightweight champion Mac Danzig. Tough luck for the scrappy vegan who has now suffered three consecutive losses. Hope he survives the next UFC round of pruning. Exciting up-and-comer Jon “Bones” Jones submitted former heavyweight Jake O’Brien in a light-heavyweight thriller that lasted two minutes 43 seconds in to the second round, long enough for Jones to get a bead on his opponent and sink a guillotine choke for the submission finish. Look for him to be chasing current LHW champ Lyoto Machida (along with everyone else) for a title shot. South Korean fighter Dong Hyun Kim battled out a unanimous decision over T.J. Grant. Tom Lawlor submitted The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 runner-up C.B. Dollaway with a guillotine choke after a mere 55 seconds, and he didn’t have to live in that house, either. Shannon Gugerty took a little longer to slap the guillotine on Matt Grice, but he got the submission after two minutes 36 seconds. About the author: Edward Pollard is the managing editor for Black Belt.
When Lyoto Machida faces Rashad Evans for the light-heavyweight title at UFC 98 on May 23, he’ll be entering the octagon with the demeanor of a samurai walking into battle. With an mixed-martial arts record of 14-0, the shotokan karate master has become a cause celebre for traditional martial artists. His technical dismantling of everyone he faces relies on none of the head games or public spectacles that mark the typical high-profile match. Our managing editor, Edward Pollard, asked Machida about his style, training regiment and approach to fights. Fight Preparation: “I train in techniques at the gym with my brother from 10 to noon—he teaches me strategy. I spar two or three times a week. Every afternoon, I train in techniques. [There’s] no strength training but a bit of weightlifting and running. Of course, I do a lot of cross-training.” The importance of technique: “People don’t understand that my style is a martial art, not a street-fight [style] like the majority of fighters—there’s no technique. Compare a [jiu-jitsu expert] like Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira to a fighter like Bob Sapp. When you see Nogueira fight, you can see him use the omo plata, the triangle and sometimes escapes. Fighters like Sapp are strong, but they have no technique. The majority of them are just punching.” How he keeps his striking sharp: “I train a lot with boxers and muay Thai fighters. When I’m very tired, my coach will put a fresh, strong guy in to spar with me, and I have to block him. Sometimes he’ll get me. Then I’ll clinch and work him for the takedown. I train for this kind of situation.” The key to controlling his opponent: “I keep my distance. When I put him in my timing, he has to answer to my style. I don’t answer to his style.” Why he fights like a samurai: “The distance and timing come from my karate. He can’t touch me at all because if he does, I’m dead. A long time ago in Japan, when someone fought, he used a katana. If you were touched by one, it meant you lost an arm or your life.”
Interview and photos by Edward Pollard When Argentinean-born world kickboxing champion Hector Echavarria makes up his mind to do something, it usually gets done. So when he trained his sights on the movie industry, it was only a matter of time before he could prove his effectiveness and talent on a scale that suits his ambitions. After signing a six-picture deal with Lionsgate, the man known to Latin American comic-book fans as El Justiciero assembled a super-squad of MMA warriors for his first film, Never Surrender. Among the stars of the action-thriller, which is set in the world of underground street fighting, are Georges St. Pierre, Quinton Jackson, B.J. Penn, Anderson Silva and Heath Herring—not a bad cast for a fledgling filmmaker. Our managing editor, Edward Pollard, visited the set of Never Surrender last October and recently spoke with Echavarria about the film’s April 28 DVD release. What’s happening? I just came back from Mexico. I was helping train Rashad Evans. That’s an important task. He’s doing excellent. He’s fighting Lyoto Machida. That’s going to be an awesome fight. Did you hear what happened with Quinton? No. What happened? Keith Jardine broke his jaw. He completely shattered it—he had to have an operation. That was a hard-core war. That was a beautiful battle. As far as names go, you have a whole bunch in your film, but the movie is being initially released on DVD. Different corner of the entertainment world, I guess. We’re just fighters, so they decided to go DVD. I have to prove myself first, which I’m fine with. The movie is number 32 on IMDb already. With the Internet age, you don’t have to worry about theatrical releases. We’re doing six of them. I just came back from doing Death Warrior in Toronto. We’re in preproduction for the third one: King of the Cage. I’m flying in August to start filming, and next year we’re supposed to do three more, so I’m hoping they see the numbers and put one of them in the theaters and see what happens. But it’s very tough because when they go to the theater they have to invest $10 million. What are you doing to get the word out? I was on the MTV music awards with B.J. Penn. I’m doing a lot of Spanish networks, Univision, the news, this and that. I’m just doing whatever I can to promote the movie. Everybody’s talking about it. Without advertisements, being 32 on IMDb is huge. Just to give you an idea, The Wrestler is 31 and The Transporter is 33. It hit that number a week ago. What happened? Nothing. Word hit on the Internet that the movie is coming out, and I’m getting hundreds of e-mails. I think it’s a word-of-mouth thing. I’ll tell you one thing. I feel so confident that I’m going to succeed that a year from now I’ll either have made it or I’m going to kill someone. Are you going to kick him to death? The other day I was doing this interview with Univision. The guy said to me, “Sometimes it’s so hard to open the door in Hollywood.” And I said, “Don’t worry. I’m going to kick it down.” (For more on Never Surrender, check out the trailer.)
by Patrick Vuong Ever thought you were tough enough to step into the octagon to face the world’s best mixed martial artists? Well, now you can—virtually that is. THQ will soon unleash UFC 2009 Undisputed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, promising that the state-of-the-art title will deliver the most realistic MMA action ever in a videogame. Players will be able to battle a roster of more than 80 Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters in five weight categories, ranging from welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre to fan favorite Quinton Jackson. Like the real UFC warriors, gamers will be able to utilize diverse techniques from a variety of martial arts—whether its knees from the striking styles, takedowns from the wrestling schools or submissions from the grappling arts. Undisputed features defenses, chokes and knockouts from all the major MMA disciplines, including boxing, jiu-jitsu and muay Thai. (For more on UFC 2009 Undisputed, check out the July 2009 issue of Black Belt.)   Nick Diaz Flips Off Frank Shamrock Photo and text by Edward Pollard Appearing onstage at the Avalon in the heart of Hollywood’s clubland, Nick Diaz answered Frank Shamrock's outstretched hand with one finger in a defiant gesture that set the tone for their upcoming headlining bout on April 11, 2009 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The punkish attitude wasn’t restricted to a photo op, as Diaz and Shamrock exchanged open insults from opposite sides of the lectern. Shamrock harped on Diaz’s past reputation for failing drug tests and Diaz made Shamrock out to be the fancy pants wearing a suit. Shamrock taunted Diaz, saying that the HP Pavilion was slated to be renamed after himself and that he had his own parking space there. Diaz just glowered and wondered out loud why Shamrock wasn’t able to take Cung Le (also onstage) to the ground in his recent loss. Clearly, the two have antagonism to spare and will have no trouble mixing it up with passion come the night of the big event.
by Jon Sattler Charles “Mask” Lewis, who founded MMA clothing producer Tapout, died early Wednesday morning in a car accident in Newport Beach, California. Tapout released the following statement: "It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we must regretfully confirm the passing of our beloved friend, brother and co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis following a car accident that occurred last night. We are currently in the process of setting up a memorial service in his honor and will release more details as they become available. "Many thanks to all for the outpouring of blessings and well-wishes during this incredibly difficult time." Local TV affiliate KTLA has released more details on the accident: "The owner of apparel company Tapout was killed early Wednesday morning when his rare Ferrari crashed into a light pole at the end of what police say may have been a street race. "A Costa Mesa man has been arrested in connection with the crash. "A Porsche and a red Ferrari were traveling at a high rate of speed along southbound Jamboree Road near Camelback Street just before 1 a.m. Wednesday when the two luxury cars collided, police said. "The Ferrari lost control, hit a curb and crashed into a light pole, which toppled onto the car, crushing the front portion, said Newport Beach Police Lt. Steven Shulman." Lewis founded Tapout in 1997 with his friend Dan “Punkass” Caldwell and initially ran the business from an apartment in San Bernardino, California. As one of MMA’s first entrepreneurs, Lewis sold T-shirts out of a car trunk at local MMA events. Through hard work and an in-your-face marketing campaign, he transformed the startup into a multimillion-dollar company that sponsors fighters of all skill levels, from future Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame members to local boys trying to make a name for themselves. Cung Le: Action Hero Sanshou champion, mixed-martial arts champion and Black Belt Hall of Fame member Cung Le stars in Pandorum, a new sci-fi thriller with veteran actor Dennis Quaid. The film tells the terrifying story of two crew members stranded on a spacecraft who quickly (and horrifically) realize they are not alone. Get a sneak peek with this chilling trailer, provided courtesy of Overture Films.
by Jon Sattler The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission approved final regulations for mixed martial arts, making it the 37th state to sanction and regulate mixed martial arts. While the commission estimates that MMA bouts could generate $80,000 a year for state coffers, that number could increase exponentially if the Ultimate Fighting Championship decides to host an event in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. The commission currently anticipates four or five events per month. “I commend the work of the State Athletic Commission on the regulations, which were crafted to ensure participant and spectator safety,” Pedro A. Cortés, secretary of the commonwealth, stated in a press release. “These efforts will assure licensure and testing of participants for communicable diseases, as well as require emergency medical care and insurance for participants. Regulation of the sport also will help ensure that events are orderly and crowd control is maintained.” The new regulations officially take effect February 27, 2009. For a full list of those regulations, check out the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. |
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