February 8, 2010
BELLATOR FC UPDATE
Wilson Reis Returning for Bellator's Second Season
By FCF Staff

Bellator Fighting Championships has announced today that Wilson Reis (9-1) will return for the promotion’s second season featherweight tournament, which is scheduled to begin April 8th. The former Elite XC champion advanced to the semi-finals of Bellator’s first tournament last May, but lost by Unanimous Decision to Joe Soto. The loss was the first of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt’s MMA career.

“Wilson’s a very talented fighter at 145 and was just one judge’s decision away from advancing to the featherweight championship fight last season,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney was quoted saying in a news release from the promotion. “The Soto-Reis fight was one of the best fights in a season of great fights and the chance to potentially see a rematch between these two would be awesome. But first, Wilson has to get through a gauntlet of great fighters at 145. Plain and simple with Wilson’s addition, our featherweight tournament is stacked.”

Reis began fighting professionally in 2007 and since that time has defeated notable opponents like Brian Caraway and Abel Cullum.

“More than anything, I want to get my rematch against Joe Soto,” said the 25 year-old Reis. “I’m a lot more mature now as a fighter and an athlete … a lot more prepared than I was before.”

Reis is the sixth man to be confirmed by Bellator for the upcoming featherweight tourney; some of the other participants include Joe Warren, Georgi Karakhanyan, William Romero and Bao Quach.

February 8, 2010
RYAN DIAZ
Catching Up With “The Lion” Diaz
Former KOTC World Champ Has New Commitment to MMA
By Kelsey Mowatt

Many longtime Canadian observers and avid veteran fans of MMA are likely familiar with the name Ryan “The Lion” Diaz; the 31 year-old-fighter has built a reputation over the last decade for his willingness to take on notable opponents of varying sizes, including Mark Hominick, Nam Phan, Hermes Franca, Abel Cullum and Mamoru Yamaguchi.

After committing to fight in his natural weight division of 135lbs., Diaz laid claim to the King of the Cage World Championship in March, 2007, by tapping out Ed Newalu with a first round triangle choke. Diaz didn’t compete again until May, 2008, when he lost the world title to the Dream veteran Cullum, who submitted the bantamweight in the fifth and final round of their bout. After spending years training and instructing out of Port Moody, British Columbia, Diaz soon realized that a change was in order if the veteran was going to pursue his fighting dreams further; the renowned Arizona Combat Sports facility would soon be Diaz’s home away from home.

“I came out here about a year and a half ago to help Jamie Varner for his Marcus Hicks fight,” Diaz recently told FCF. “I've known the Lallys since I was 16 and got in contact with them and they asked if I could come down and help out one of there guys in Varner. It has taken my game to the next level and re-motivated me to get back in the fight game and give it one more go. I mean training with UFC fighters and WEC fighters who push you and motivate you is the greatest thing. To be the best you have to surround yourself with the best. And that's what I've done. On top add the great coaching of the Lally Brothers and there's absolutely nothing better you could ask for.”

Diaz finally returned to action last April, and while fighting on Fearless Fighting Championship card in the Filipino city of Manila, Diaz earned his 13th pro victory by stopping Niclas Odell in the first round.

“It was awesome fighting in my home country,” said Diaz, who also trained extensively with UFC vet Lance Gibson over the last ten years. “It was great to represent the Filipino community. More important than anything is to get recognized in the Philippines and try to get a whole country to back and support me in MMA as they do Manny Pacquiao in boxing. The win was important because it showed me I still got it in me to fight.”

“More of an adjusting period for me” Diaz added when asked about the year plus layoff he had before facing Odell. “Just getting used to new lifestyle, new team, new coaching, new everything. But now I'm all adjusted and ready to come back louder and better than ever.”

Now equipped with a renewed enthusiasm for fighting and training, Diaz is hoping that a win at King of the Cage’s upcoming February 25th card in San Manuel, California, will open the door to a prosperous 2010 campaign.

“I hope to get my dream to fight in the WEC; get my KOTC World title back,” Diaz told FCF. “And yes I plan on staying at 135.”

*photo is courtesy Ryan Diaz

February 6, 2010
UFC 109 REVIEW
Couture Dominates, Chokes out Coleman
By Dustin Lee DePue

Las Vegas, NV—Randy “The Natural” Couture proved the better of the UFC Hall of Famers as he dominated original UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. In another battle of aging veterans, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra knocked out former contender Frank Trigg in stunning fashion, thereby extending his UFC career by at least another fight. Also on the card, Chael Sonnen proved that his wrestling and ground and pound are second to none in the middleweight division, grinding out a decision over Nate Marquardt and moving himself into the middleweight title picture.

In the main event, Randy Couture aka “The Natural”, aka “Captain America” proved what many in the MMA world already believed; that he had evolved more as an MMA fighter than fellow MMA trailblazer Mark “The Hammer” Coleman. As the opening bell rang, the difference was immediately apparent as Couture flicked out a pair of quick jabs and a right cross while slipping Coleman’s punches with his superior head movement. Coleman did make him pay though, ringing Couture’s bell with a right hook that sent Couture back pedaling a bit before re-engaging. Couture got him back though with hard right hand that wobbled him. Couture pressed, landing a knee to the chin that had Coleman staggering along the fence. Couture landed another hard right hand that saw Coleman sway heavily, his legs nearly giving out, but in true Coleman style, his heart won the battle and his legs held. The fighters clinched and Couture showed the dirty boxing that much of his reputation was built on. He ripped Coleman with left and right uppercuts, popping his head up with a particularly hard shot before the bell sounded.

The second round was all Couture as he rocked Coleman with a left hook before taking him down and mounting him. Couture worked the other half of what his reputation as built on, his ground and pound, landing punches until Coleman gave up his back. Couture slipped in both boots and slapped on a rear naked choke that put Coleman out at 1:09 of the second round. With the win, Couture takes a strong position as a potential light-heavyweight contender.

Chael Sonnen backed up his word, grinding down fellow middleweight contender Nate Marquardt and earning a unanimous decision. Marquardt came out aggressive, landing both a punch and knee to the midsection before Sonnen brought him down to the mat. Sonnen attacked with elbows and punches from the top while Marquardt threw a few elbows of his own from the bottom. Marquardt managed to work back to his feet but his time standing was short lived as his flying knee was caught by Sonnen and used to bring the fight back to the mat.

Sonnen quickly took Marquardt down again in the second round and continued his ground and pound campaign. Though stuck on the bottom, Marquardt managed some offense, threatening with a kimura and a knee bar and ripping Sonnen with a hard elbow from the bottom that opened a large cut on his forehead. Bleeding profusely, Sonnen defended the submission attempts while landing some hard punches and controlling Marquardt from the top position.

In the final round, Marquardt attempted to get Sonnen to the mat but ended up on his back yet again. Sonnen worked combinations to the body and head, grinding it out in pure Team Quest fashion. Marquardt wasn’t finished yet though. He exploded to his feet and sunk a tight guillotine choke as Sonnen brought him back to the mat. Sonnen’s face turned purple and his face was fixed in a tight grimace but he eventually managed to pop his head out. Marquardt followed with a reversal from the scramble and landed a few payback punches before the bell rang. It was too little too late for Marquardt as all three judges gave Sonnen the decision by a score of 30-27.

Paulo Thiago took a second AKA scalp, submitting Mike Swick with a D’Arce choke in the second round. Stepping in to fill injured teammate Josh Koscheck, Swick had half a camp to prepare for the fight and try to erase the bad taste left by the recent loss to number one contender Dan Hardy. It was not to be as Swick was unable to get enough going on the feet where he needed to be strong. Both fighters looked tight for much of the first round as they probed with feeler punches. Thiago landed a pair of hard low kicks but not much landed of note.

The fighters traded kicks to the legs and body in the second round before Swick hurt Thiago with a right cross. Thiago stumbled backwards and Swick exploded forward looking to finish the fight but was caught with a left hook that dropped him to the mat. Thiago pounced and as Swick grabbed an underhook, Thiago expertly slipped in a D’Arce choke that put Swick unconscious at 1:54 of the second round.

Surprisingly, it was largely Demian Maia’s boxing that helped secure a unanimous decision over Dan Miller. Despite scoring several trip takedowns in the first two rounds, Maia was unable to work his jiu-jitsu magic as Miller did an excellent job quickly working back to his feet. With nothing left to do but punch, Maia did, and with some success. He timed Miller well, landing several counter punches in the second round. He doubled up his jab at times and landed all the memorable punches of the fight.

In the third round, Maia went back to his ground game, taking Miller down and managing to keep him down. For most fighters, this is the beginning of the end but Miller showed excellent defense from his back, keeping Maia from advancing to side control and getting his guard back several times. Despite his strong defensive performance, Miller didn’t land many strikes or hold any dominant positions. Maia’s boxing in the second round and ground work in the third were enough to earn a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.

Matt Serra won a “loser leaves town” match over Frank Trigg in decisive fashion, knocking him out in the first round. Serra was throwing with bad intentions from the start but Trigg was successful using his reach advantage to stay just out of range of Serra’s hooks while poking him with jabs and crosses. Serra just kept plugging away, waiting for his opportunity to get in close. That opportunity came midway through the first round when Trigg planted himself to throw a combination. Serra ducked in and landed an overhand right that dropped Trigg hard. A pair of follow-up punches to the chin put Trigg out at 2:23.

Joey Beltran derailed Rolles Gracie’s UFC debut, stopping him by TKO in the second round. Things started well for Gracie as he scored a trip takedown and worked from mount to back mount. With a Gracie on his back, it looked bad for Beltran but he rolled back into mount and then used the cage to score a reversal and get back to his feet. Gracie scored a pair of right crosses but was starting to look tired. A sloppy double leg followed from Gracie that was easily defended from Beltran. With Gracie fading, Beltran sprawled and landed a series of hard punches that could have spelled doom for Gracie were it not for the bell.

The second round was much like the latter half of the first as Gracie never got his wind back. Beltran sprawled and brawled, wearing Gracie down further before a barrage of punches from the sprawl prompted a referee stoppage at 1:31.

Full Results

Randy Couture def Mark Coleman by Rear Naked Choke 1:09 Rd 2
Chael Sonnen def Nate Marquardt by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Paulo Thiago def Mike Swick by D’Arce Choke 1:54 Rd 2
Demian Maia def Dan Miller by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Matt Serra def Frank Trigg by KO 2:23 Rd 1
Mac Danzig def Justin Buchholz by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Melvin Guillard def Ronys Torres by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Rob Emerson def Phillipe Nover by Unanimous Decision
Phil Davis def Brian Stann by Unanimous Decision
Chris Tuchscherer def Tim Hague by Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
Joey Beltran def Rolles Gracie by TKO (Strikes) 1:31 Rd 2

February 5, 2010
UFC UPDATE

Fighters Make Weight for UFC 109
By FCF Staff

All of the competitors made weight this afternoon in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s “Relentless” event tomorrow night, a card that will feature a light-heavyweight bout between MMA legends Randy Couture and Mark Coleman in the main event. UFC 109, which will be hosted by the Mandalay Bay Events Center, will also feature a notable middleweight tilt between contenders Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen.

Here are today’s weigh-in results:

Mark Coleman (205) vs. Randy Couture (205)
Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
Paulo Thiago (170) vs. Mike Swick (171)
Dan Miller (185) vs. Demian Maia (186)
Frank Trigg (171) vs. Matt Serra (169)
Justin Buchholz (156) vs. Mac Danzig (156)
Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Ronys Torres (156)
Rob Emerson (155) vs. Phillipe Nover (155)
Phil Davis (205) vs. Brian Stann (205)
Chris Tuchscherer (263) vs. Tim Hague (263)
Joey Beltran (238) vs. Rolles Gracie (247)

February 5, 2010
WOMBAT'S WORLD OF COMBAT

Predictions for UFC 109: Relentless
by Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros

Growing old is a hell of a thing. It seems like one day, you're casually doing handstands on your skateboard while chewing through sheet metal and the next day you wake up feeling like you've just been in seven consecutive car accidents. Some people, such as myself, are able to escape the withering touch of the grim reaper thanks to a combination of good genetics and mysterious voodoo practices. Others slip down the water-slide of time headfirst and celebrate their high-school graduation by going bald and growing a radial tire of fat around their midsection. The primary difference is that while some of us exercise like Olympic athletes and inject blueberry juice into our neck twice daily for the vital anti-oxidants, others among the male gender press the "fast forward" button on the aging process with a cocktail of cigarettes and alcohol; which effectively have the same effect on the human body as all-night paint-sniffing parties. Regardless, while cowards weakly submit to the embrace of the grave and take a bow to the downward slide of their testosterone count, every real man takes a stand against Father Time with one last desperate attempt to show the world their Alpha-maleness; either by buying a sports-car and leaving their loving wife for a brainless tramp or by throwing themselves headfirst into a final battle against another aging silverback who is also ready to prove his place at the head of the wolf-pack before resigning himself to the sleep of decomposition and the tender nibble of the worms.

Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Mark "The Hammer" Coleman

Couture and Coleman are more similar to one another than they are to 99.9999% of the rest of the human population. They're both in their mid-40s and make a living beating the fecal matter out of men half their age inside an eight sided cage. That's a pretty specific demographic and, come to think of it, possibly on the same level of rarity as obese female bullfighters or anorexic circus clowns. The only other name you could throw in there is Dan Severn, who is even older, and still pays his bills giving mustache-fueled fist-humblings to karate punks in small towns around America. With that said, Couture and Coleman are also incredibly different. First of all, Couture does not seem to age, possibly because of a magic potion he stole from a gypsy. Coleman, on the other hand, looks like he is trying to win a Mr. Clean look-alike contest. Also, fate seems to smile on Couture a lot more often than it does on Coleman. There's no way that UFC judges would've given "The Hammer" the win over Brandon Vera that they gave to "The Natural" in his last fight. Likewise, if it had been Couture in the cage against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua back in January of last year, they surely would've given him the nod. Instead, they screwed Coleman to the octagon floor after he showed the heart of a lion and gave Couture the win in a fight he clearly lost. Perhaps this is why Coleman has a look in his eyes as if he's been repeatedly wronged by society while Couture has the confident glow of a man who can do no wrong. Don't forget, the UFC tried to match Coleman against both Tito Ortiz and Brock Lesnar before eventually matching him against "Shogun". If you can't see a trend forming there, you deserve to be viciously water-boarded and left for dead in an abandoned mine shaft. It's obvious that he has been set up to take one fall after another. He's just too stubborn to see it. Now the UFC brass are trying to line Couture up for a title shot by sending Coleman into another fight he is supposed to lose. This marks the first time in over a century that Couture is fighting someone his own age and, incredibly, is the massive favorite to win. Maybe that's why I am rooting for Coleman. My Guess: Couture by decision.

Nate "The Great" Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen

Marquardt is like my friend Todd; who is the bass player for the band Propaghandi and one of the scariest all-around natural athletes you'll ever come across. Can Marquardt roll out a killer riff on a guitar? I'm not sure, but he has a finely trimmed beard. Todd, on the other hand, has the facial hair of a homeless man which is one of the up-sides of being a professional musician. Incredibly, Sonnen is a real estate agent and makes his real living in a suit and tie. That seems incredible seeing as he fights with the savage insanity of a bear possessed by the spirit of a viking berserker. Sure, he may not have kickboxing or jiu jitsu, but he has enough power and ferocity to slap you around until you cough up your kidneys. Marquardt might have the soft-spoken nature of Mother Theresa but ever since his loss to Anderson Silva, he's developed a mean streak like a six-lane highway. Combine that with the fact that he's got dynamite in his fists and the takedown defense of a greased gorilla and you've got a long night for any opponent. My Guess: Marquardt by submission.

Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago

Ever since Thiago knocked out Josh Koscheck in his UFC debut, octagon matchmakers have made him the personal whipping boy of "K-os" and the rest of the team at American Kickboxing Academy. For his next fight, they matched him against Koscheck's AKA teammate Jon Fitch, who gave Thiago a furious beating. Now, they tried to match him against Koscheck again. But when Josh pulled out due to an injury, they threw in AKA's Mike Swick, who is arguably the best striker on their team. Honestly, if they're so peeved that Thiago KO'd Koscheck, they should just wrap the Brazilian in duct tape and leave him in the alley behind AKA where the whole team can lay the boots to him. The only difference between that and what they're doing here is that the "alley beating" option would be faster. My Guess: Swick by decision.

Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller

Before Nate Marquardt punched him in the face and sent him flying through the air in the foetal position, Demian Maia had a bunch of people believing that, if your jiu-jitsu is good enough, you don't need to know kickboxing or wrestling to win a fight. But then, tragically, Maia threw a kick with the skills of a pre-schooler and Marquardt capitalized on the opportunity, hitting him with the violent force of a ten-car pile-up concentrated on his fully-exposed jaw. The result was grisly to say the least. Maia flew ten feet through the air before landing in a heap of bones that somehow reminded me of a lopsided domestic battery. For a second, I saw Maia laying there in a floral print sundress. Now, jiu-jitsu nerds everywhere have gone back to talking about Rickson Gracie as the ultimate example of jiu-jitsu's superiority; since he was never sent flying through the air curled up like an unconscious cinnamon roll of broken flesh. Now, Maia faces Miller who himself is a black belt in jiu-jitsu. Of course, some belts are blacker than others. My Guess: Maia by submission.

Matt "The Terror" Serra vs. Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg

Trigg tries hard to be one of the bad guys in mixed martial arts. He trash talks all his opponents to sell his fights; kind of like Tito Ortiz. But in the case of Ortiz, it's obvious that his big mouth antics are just an act and that "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" is a nice guy with low self-esteem and a vulnerable child still lurking inside. With Trigg, however, it seems that the trash talk is more the genuine product of a character who thinks of himself as a cross between Tom Cruise and Vin Diesel but is actually more like the guy from Zoolander. Either that, or Trigg is just a tremendously good at pretending to be a jerk. Serra, on the other hand, seems born to play the role of the Rocky-esque underdog, laughing at the craziness of it all with a mouthful of spaghetti. Judging from his interviews, Trigg thinks he is going to trounce Serra without smudging his mascara but I think he might change his mind when "The Terror" lands one of his mini-Fedor punches on his ear and Trigg goes reeling to the mat wondering if he's about to lose his head-blade sponsorship. My Guess: Serra by TKO.

Tim "The Thrashing Machine" Hague vs. Chris "Crowbar" Tuchscherer

In his last fight, Hague was the victim of He-Man look-alike Todd Duffee, who threw a punch 8-seconds into their match that snapped back the head "The Thrashing Machine" like he was a giant Pez dispenser. Tuchscherer also had a bad run in his last visit to the octagon, taking a kick in the nuts that would've killed most mortal men from the giant hairy foot of Gabriel Gonzaga, who then went on to TKO "The Crowbar" after he decided against taking his full 5-minutes to recover. Now, with both of them recovered from their injuries, they collide to see who will be unluckier, if that is even a word. My Guess: Hague by TKO.

Rolles Gracie vs. Joey "The Mexecutioner" Beltran

Rolles is the first member of the famous fighting family to step into the UFC heavyweight division. How is a bunch of skinny Brazilians creating such titanic offspring? Two words: American food. Speaking of which, isn't "The Mexecutioner" the name of the latest super-sized meal at Taco Bell? I'll be damned if I'm not watering at the mouth just thinking about it. My Guess: Gracie by submission.

Jeff Meszaros welcomes reader feedback at wombat@fcfighter.com and can be heard as the host of FCF Radio.

February 5, 2010
BELLATOR FC UPDATE

Bryan Baker Signed for Bellator Season 2
By FCF Staff

Bellator Fighting Championship has announced today that the growing promotion has signed former WEC competitor Bryan “The Beast” Baker (11-1); the 24 year-old-middleweight will compete in Bellator’s upcoming second season tournament, which is set to begin April 8th. Baker fought for Bellator once before in a non-tournament bout last June and worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over UFC vet Matt Horwich.

“The Beast is a dangerous addition to our middleweight tournament,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney was quoted saying in a news release from the promotion. “He caught my eye back at Bellator VIII and I knew then and there that he would make a big impact on our 185-pound challenger tournament.”

Heading into his next Bellator bout, Baker has won 5 straight, a streak which also includes victories over Rory Singer and most recently, Art Santore, who Baker defeated by Unaimous Decision at a Maximum Fighting Championship event in December. The California fighter’s only loss came to Chael Sonnen at WEC 33 in March, 2008, who defeated Baker by UD.

“I put so much effort into my training that it gives me 100 percent confidence that I’m going to win every time,” said Baker, who holds a black belt in judo and currently trains with Team Wildman in Denver. “(Hector) Lombard has the belt and I’m coming for his belt. I’d say that he better stay on top of his training or else he’s in for a big surprise."

 

February 4, 2010
NEW EPISODE OF FCF RADIO: STRIKEFORCE MIAMI REVIEW, UFC 109 PREVIEW, DAN MILLER & TIM HAGUE

On this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, it's a double-whammy as host Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and co-host James Kellaris tackle two hot topics in the world of MMA. First, they give you their thoughts on the Strikeforce: Miami show, with colorful commentary on the main event matches. Is Nick Diaz really that good? Is Melvin Manhoef cursed by fate? What about Herschel Walker and Bobby Lashley? Were their opponents hand-picked tomato-cans chosen like lambs for the slaughter? Hear the answers to these questions and more, then stick around for a rousing run-down of the upcoming UFC show. Is Randy "The Natural" Couture going to beat Mark "The Hammer" Coleman into a not-so-early retirement? What about Chael Sonnen vs. Nate "The Great" Marquardt? Listen in and see if you agree with their poorly-thought-out opinions, then hang around as UFC fighters Dan Miller and Tim Hague stop by to share their expert opinions on the show and on their fights in the octagon this weekend. Hot salamanders, what a broadcast! Click here to listen/download

 

February 4, 2010
WEC NEWS
Aldo vs. Faber Headlines First WEC PPV
By FCF Staff

World Extreme Cagefighting has announced that the promotion will make its pay-per-view debut, April 24th, with a card that will feature current featherweight champion Jose Aldo, taking on former champ Urijah Faber in the main event. The card will take place at the Arco Arena, in Sacramento, California, Faber’s hometown.

The news was announced on the WEC’s Twitter account and in a report from the Associated Press, the promotion also confirmed that the PPV will feature a rematch between lightweight champion Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone, as well as a featherweight bout between former champ Mike Brown and UFC vet Manny Gamburyan.

The news ends months of speculation as to if and when the Zuffa owned WEC would eventually break into the pay-per-view market. Purchase of the broadcast will cost $44.99.

Aldo (16-1) laid claim to the WEC featherweight title in November by stopping Brown in the second round with strikes. The win entrenched the dynamic fighter’s presence at the pinnacle of the world’s rankings, after also dominating Rolando Perez, Chris Mickle and Cub Swanson in 2009.

After spending extensive time on the DL, due to a broken hand Faber (22-3) incurred in his decision loss to Brown last June, “The California Kid” returned in January and tapped out Rapheal Assuncao in the second round with a rear-naked-choke. Prior to Faber’s initial loss to Brown in November, 2008, the Sacramento fighter had won 13 straight.

February 3, 2010
UFC NEWS

Florian vs. Gomi Confirmed for Fight Night 21
By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed today that former Pride lightweight champ Takanori Gomi, will make his Octagon debut March 31st, against perennial contender Kenny Florian. The bout will headline the promotion’s Fight Night 21 event, which will take place at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carloina.

Despite two failed attempts at winning the UFC lightweight crown, while facing Sean Sherk and BJ Penn, Florian (12-4) continues to be a dominant force in the promotions 155lb. division. Most recently Florian tapped out Clay Guida with a second round rear-naked-choke at UFC 107, for his fourth win in five fights. Aside from his loss to Penn during that stretch, Florian has defeated Joe Lauzon, Roger Huerta, Joe Stevenson and the aforementioned Guida.

Gomi (31-5) will make his UFC debut having gone 3-2 in his last five fights. After rising to the top of the world rankings from 2004 through 2008, Gomi has struggled somewhat over the last couple of years, incurring losses against Sergey Golyaev and Satoru Kitaoka while competing for Sengoku. In 2009, “The Fireball Kid” went 2-0 while fighting in the Shooto organization, defeating Takashi Nakakura and most recently Tony Hervey in October.

Some of the other bouts scheduled for Fight Night 21 include Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve, Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera, Ross Pearson vs. Denis Siver, and Cole Miller vs. Andre Winner.

February 3, 2010
RORY MARKHAM
Markham on Upcoming Diaz Bout: “This is a Great Fight”
By Kelsey Mowatt

Rory Markham made the most of his UFC debut in July, 2008, as the IFL vet made good on his reputation as a powerful striker, by violently KO’ing Brodie Farber with a highlight reel head kick. Following a knockout loss to Dan Hardy last February, a stint in the acting business, and an injury that cut Markham from the January UFC 108 card, however, it’s been nearly a year since the welterweight has fought. In other words, Markham understands that it’s time to get busy in the Octagon again.

“Worst year in a long time,” Markham recently told FCF when asked about his recent inactivity. “It was good in one way because I’ve always wanted to become an actor, I know Dana (White) doesn’t like to hear that, but I’ll never let it cross lines with the UFC. I got to do a movie with Forrest Whitaker and Adrien Brody called “The Experiment.” It’s going to be a great flick; powerful experience, but that took me 3 months, and then another month to recoup, so I tried to come back, get in shape quickly, and then an injury, my moods were shifting a lot.”

“I’m looking forward to having a very busy year,” Markham added. “In 2010 I want to make up for my absence. I’ve been checking out the forums and I did a hell of a lot of work in the IFL. I fought three or four UFC vets, and then I realize on the forums that some of these fans don’t even realize who I am. So I’m looking forward to getting back on the roster and getting these people in the Rory Markham fan base.”

Recently Markham was informed that he’ll have an opportunity to do just that in the near future, as the UFC announced that he’ll face former “Ultimate Fighter” winner, Nate Diaz, at the promotion’s upcoming March 27th event in Newark, New Jersey.

“At first I was a little taken a back,” said Markham when asked about his initial reaction to the offer. “I didn’t really know what Monte (Cox) was talking about. He gave me a call and I was sitting eating, had a plate of sushi in front of me, and I was like ‘yeah, no problem.’ Then I waited about five or ten minutes, to let it settle in, and then I was like ‘this is a great fight. I’m really excited for this. Holy cow.”

It’s understandable that Markham was a little surprised about the offer, due to the fact that Diaz’s UFC tenure has been spent competing in the promotion’s lightweight division. After the Cesar Gracie fighter’s recent decision loss to Gray Maynard, at Fight Night 20 in January, Diaz elected to move up to 170lbs.

“There had been rumors about him moving up to 70, but this soon, kind of took me a back,” Markham said.

“He has the reach advantage but I have the power advantage,” the Miletich fighter added when asked about how weight could factor into the bout. “So it’s going to be a nice contrast in games. Will I get in and be able to establish my power? Or will he be able to keep me at bay with those little pitter patter punches that he likes to throw.”

It will be interesting to see what kind of game plan the talented grappler Diaz tries to employ against Markham; will he elect to stand and trade with the noted puncher, or try to take it to the mat?

“I think the only chance he’s going to have to take it to the ground is by pulling guard,” Markham said. “I’ve been working very diligently on my wrestling at “Overtime” with Sean Bormet, John Kading and those guys. They’re Olympic level athletes. I feel a different set of responsibilities now that I’m in the UFC. I didn’t have those first UFC jitters, but I do have UFC dreams, in that I feel a little more responsible to round out my game. Now I’ve really diversified my game.”

February 2, 2010
MIKE GEURIN

Geurin Gunning for His Shot in the Spotlight
By Derek Constable

Success in life is promised to no one and the road to fame and fortune in professional sports is just as uncertain. It takes hard work to get to the top in any profession but while aspiring athletes in this country can often look forward to a league minimum salary of atleast six figures in sports like baseball, football and basketball -- in mixed martial arts fighters are lucky to make a few thousand their first year in the cage.

Fighters in MMA are considered pros the first time they step in a cage and accept a paycheck, so while the cream of the crop in MMA are making anywhere between $10,000 and $500,000 a fight the majority of athletes trying to make it in this sport are holding down day jobs Monday to Friday and fighting as often as possible on the weekends for only a few hundred dollars.

Mike Geurin (6-0, 1 NC) is one of these weekend warriors -- a working class fighter with a 9-to-5 teaching high school health and physical education -- who also makes a living by competing as a mixed martial artist on the weekends when he can. He got his start in MMA later than most, taking his first fight at age 33, but after three years of combat in the cage he's yet to taste defeat and is fighting to earn a spot among the world's best middlweights.

"I asked my wife to give me two years [to follow this dream] and that was a year ago," he said. "When I asked her, I never thought it would spiral into this. That I'd be sitting here with seven or eight fights behind me, but it feels like I'm on this 'treadmill' and I'm not setting anymore deadlines or dates.. I'm just going to stay on that treadmill until I get off and I'm not going to think about an end at the moment."

A former All-American wrestler from Lockhaven University in Pennsylvania, Geurin is not your average gym teacher. He stand 6-foot-1 inches tall, runs more than five miles a day when he isn't teaching and in the afternoon when the bell rings he drives 90 minutes to Cortland, N.Y., from Tawanna, Pa., to spar with the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Jon Jones as well as a handful of other badasses from Team Bombsquad.

"It's very hard getting back and forth being a full-time teacher and a full-time dad, but my wife luckily lets me out once or twice a week," he said. "It's fun being a teacher whose ultimate goals are in physical education; taking care of the body, keeping a sound mind, both of which are key components for all professional athletes on some level. I run five to seven miles a day between classes as well as coach the wrestling team, but there isn't anyone I can work out with on a regular basis at home. So, I pack a snack, drive 90 minutes and spar with Pat Audinwood, Pat Bennett, Casey Lamb and Jon Jones when I can."

The time spent in Cortland has definitely paid off as more than half of Geurin's wins have come by KO or TKO. In June, he even ended a fight with a body shot in the third round.

"I got pretty great at wrestling by putting together my own style. There were a few things about the sport where I felt unstoppable, now I'm trying to develop those same kind of tools in my striking," said Geurin. "I'm getting there, but i dont know if I have any anything there that's unstoppable yet."

While he hasn't developed the repuation of a knockout artist, Geurin does hold a 6-0 record in the middlweight division with a pair of knockouts and plenty of first round finishes. He was predicted to be one of Dan Miller's toughest tests before he made it to the UFC but unfortunately that fight at Ring of Combat 18 ended in a no contest after an unintentional headbutt by Geurin opened a cut over the nose of Miller.

"I think about that fight a lot," said Geurin. "My life has changed a lot since then and that night marked the beginning of a series of events in my life that didn't go my way. Call them setbacks, bad luck ... I'm not calling him out but I would love to finish what we started."

In 2009, Geurin won all four of his fights convincingly, but outside the cage it definitely was not his year as he lost both a father and a son within weeks of each other.

"After the fight with Dan, I was expecting my second child and had a fight coming up Sept. 6 against Karn Gregorian but then my two month old son, Cade, passed away. Originally, the doctors had thought he had a tumor and an arithmia caused a heart attack, but we just got the autopsy back and it was determined to be a massive heart attack with no tumor. So they don't have any idea what happened," he explained. "It's really messing with my head right now, because I had closure with it being caused by a tumor and now it's like a freak of nature and I've got to accept it.'

He took time off after Cade passed away, missed a week and a half of school and work, a month of MMA training and seriously contemplated retiring from the fight game.

"That incident changed my life and I'm not the same person I was. I have the same goal -- to be the best I can be and to get to the big show --- but now I want to finish this journey in honor of my son Cade who passed away," he said.

On Feb. 6, Geurin is back in action fighting Roger Carroll (5-3) in his home state of Pennsylvania for Steve Blackman's PA Fighting Championship II. The event takes place in Harrisburg, the same spot Geurin won by first round submission at the last PFC on Nov. 6. As usual, his undefeated record is on the line, but Geurin isn't looking for any easy fights.

"I want to fight anybody that holds a belt, anybody with a winning record, anyone that's undefeated -- I'm not getting any younger, so what do I have to lose?" he said. "As much as I love fighting, I'm also a teacher, a father and a husband. I want to see my kids grow up, but first I have to finish what I started."

February 2, 2010
CLAUDE PATRICK
Patrick Talks MacGrath, Career, and Ontario MMA
By Kelsey Mowatt

Claude Patrick will be looking for his fifth straight win this Friday, in Edmonton, Alberta, after returning from an injury that not only axed 2007 from his fighting career, but ended a 1-0 stint with the International Fight League prematurely. Despite the setback, Patrick (10-1) has reasserted his presence on the Canadian circuit, and the Ontario fighter will look to maintain that momentum February 5th, when he takes on Nova Scotia’s Matt MacGrath (8-2).

“Not too much to be honest,” Patrick said about MacGrath; who he will face at Aggression MMA’s “Vengeance” card. “I see his record is good and I have heard he is a durable opponent. In terms of his skill set they will be what they are. We both step in the ring and its a matter of execution at the right time; (laughing) how many times have we seen guys pull off that which they were not supposed to? I’m in good shape healthy and excited to face him.”

“I have never actually fought in Aggression prior to this and I believe this is a one off fight, although I love the treatment thus far.” Patrick added. “The guys are honest and dedicated to the sport so future fights with them are certainly an option. Edmonton has been my home away from home since my return to fighting so I love competing there.”

Patrick went 2-0 in 2009, with a stoppage win over Dave Mazany at a Fight Club card in March, and then most recently, the trainer and fighter tapped out Daniel Grandmaison at Canadian Fighting Championship’s third event in November. Although most MMA fans are likely more familiar with the card’s other main event competitors, UFC vets, Jason Day and Jesse Taylor, another notable win for Patrick might just change that.

“I have had some offers in the past, but after my IFL injury I realized the importance of developing my academy (Mississauga Elite), so the timing hasn’t been great,” Patrick told FCF. “Also it’s tough to make a jump to the top level competition without the proper training and in Toronto that is not quite yet available in a feasible way for me, so soon ‘quite soon I hope’, I’ll be making the move back to international fights. Record aside I think I display clean technique in my fights, can put together a correct sentence and like to think I’m moderately handsome and who doesn’t like that? The way I figure the more eyes that see me win lose or draw I should be in demand. I also have been tricky to get a hold of as I didn’t have big named manager or promoter so anyone looking to get at me with proposals the best way is claudepatrick@gmail.com.”

With the recent decision by Vancouver authorities to green light MMA again on a trial basis, and the subsequent announcement that the UFC will arrive for a show in June, all eyes in Canada are now focused on Ontario, where the sport remains unsanctioned.

“The lack of MMA in Ontario obviously has set me back a bit but what can you do?” Patrick said. “Like in a fight I just role with the punches; given what I’ve read from Dana White and the MMA media, I’m more optimistic than ever but hardly in a position to sit by waiting. Until that time comes I’ll be wherever the money takes me. But to fight in my home town and not be the villain for once would be incredible and something I look forward to 100 percent. If that were in the UFC it would be even better.”

And as far as Patrick’s prediction for this Friday’s bout with MacGrath?

“None; I don’t have crystal ball. All I know is Mr. Patrick trained smart and is ready to put myself in the ring for every situation that can come up.”

February 1, 2010
UFC UPDATE

Markham vs. Diaz Confirmed for UFC 111
By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed that former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Nate Diaz, will move up to welterweight to challenge veteran Rory Markham, at the promotion’s upcoming March 27th event in Newark Jersey. The UFC 111 card will headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Dan Hardy.

Diaz (11-5) made the decision to leave the lightweight division after the talented grappler lost by Split Decision to Gray Maynard at Fight Night 20 in January. The Cesar Gracie trained fighter is 2-3 in his last five UFC bouts, with wins over Josh Neer and Melvin Guillard, and additional losses coming against Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida.

Markham (16-5) hasn’t competed since last February when he was knocked out by Hardy in the first round at UFC 95. The IFL vet, who was forced to withdraw from UFC 108 in January due to injury, has competed just one other time in the Octagon; at Fight Night 14 in July, 2008, Markham KO’d Brodie Farber with a highlight reel head kick.

Some of the other bouts scheduled for UFC 111 include an interim heavyweight title bout between contenders Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, as well as, Marck Bocek vs. Jim Miller, Martin Kampmann vs. Ben Saunders and Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown.

The event will be hosted by Newark’s Prudential Center.

 

February 1, 2010
BELLATOR FC UPDATE
Bellator Signs Greco-Roman Champ Joe Warren
By FCF Staff

Bellator FC has announced the addition of another notable competitor to its ranks, as accomplished wrestler and Dream veteran Joe Warren, has signed “a long term promotional agreement” with the company. The former Greco-Roman wrestling champion transitioned into MMA in 2009 and went 2-1, while competing in Dream’s Featherweight Grand-Prix. Warren defeated former WEC champion Chase Beebe and renowned Japanese veteran Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto, before being submitted by Bibiano Fernandes in the tournament’s semifinals.

“We are very excited about this signing and being the MMA organization that brought Joe back to the states,” Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney was quoted saying in a press release from the promotion. “Joe has the ability, drive, confidence and personality to become a star in our sport. His first two wins would make a good career for most fighters and as his stand-up continues developing, the sky is the limit for Joe Warren.”

“I competed for the USA for 10 years and I bleed red, white and blue,” said the 33 year-old Warren, who fought Beebe after only a few months of MMA training. “So I’m ready to come back to this country, make my U.S. debut and fight in front of the American MMA fans. I love everything that Bellator is doing and I’m just honored to be a part of their organization.”

Warren will compete in Bellator’s upcoming second season tournament which will begin April 8th. Some of the other featherweights that have been confirmed for the competition include Georgi Karakhanyan, Will Romero, and Bao Quach.

“My hands are getting quicker, I’m seeing the openings quicker … I’m just getting better every single day. I’m already 1,000 times better than I was in my last fight,” Warren added. “With my style and my experience and my never-lose, never-die attitude, it’s gonna be really exciting for Bellator and for everyone who’ll be watching on TV.”

January 30, 2010
STRIKEFORCE REVIEW
Nick Diaz Stops Marius Zaromskis to Take Welterweight Title

By Dustin Lee DePue

Sunrise, FL— Nick Diaz out-swung Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis in a barn-burner slugfest at the Bank Atlantic Center to become the new Strikeforce welterweight champion.

Zaromskis opened the bout by bouncing a three punch combination off of Diaz’s head before Diaz fired back with a right hand that stung Zaromskis and set the tone for the minutes that followed. As is typical for him, Diaz kept his hands low and loose, relying on his height to duck away from many of Zaromskis’s fast combinations while slipping in jabs and right crosses. Zaromskis made him pay several times, landing a combination and a knee to the head that had Diaz going for a single leg and following that up moments later with a punch that hurt Diaz caused him to trip and fall as he backpedaled. Zaromskis pounced on his fallen opponent, landing a hard punch as Diaz scrambled to defend himself.

Back on the feet, Diaz started working in his dangerous right cross. He slipped in a hard uppercut that hurt Zaromskis. Smelling blood, Diaz went to work chipping away Zaromskis’s defenses as he followed him across the cage. An uppercut to the body nearly dropped Zaromskis before a short right hand to the jaw put him down. Diaz followed up on his downed opponent as the ref stepped to call the fight at 4:38 of the first round.

Chris “Cyborg” Santos retained her lightweight title and proved that her combination of strength, skill and aggression are unmatched in the women’s division as she stopped challenger Marloes Coenen in the third round of their championship bout.

The women came out firing before an extended clinch in which both landed knees to the body. Coenen was willing to stand and trade with Santos, landing a nice cross before Santos took her to the mat. Despite Coenen’s excellent jiu-jitsu, Santos was able to stay clear of an armbar attempt while landing punches before standing up. They exchanged punches with Santos landing the harder blows and finishing strong with a spinning back kick as the bell rang.

Santos increased the pressure in the second, dropping Coenen with a punch early in the round. Coenen fought Santos off with up kicks and did a good job of pulling guard during scrambles on the mat but she was always forced to react to Santos’s offensive aggression and thus unable to set up many attacks of her own. On the feet, Santos showed a measured aggression, never over committing her strikes. She landed a solid counter left hook and landed a hard kick to the body that had Coenen going for several unsuccessful takedowns.

The third round was more of the same as Santos was just too strong and well prepared for Coenen’s takedown attempts. Santos swarmed her with punch combinations, hurting her midway through the round. With few plays left, Coenen went for one final takedown. Santos, still strong as an ox three rounds into the fight, simply tossed Coenen aside and began dropping heavy punches. Though tough as nails and game throughout, Coenen was finished. The ref made it official, calling a TKO at 3:40 of the third round.

Herschel Walker made a successful foray into MMA with a solid performance en route to a TKO over Greg Nagy. Standing awkwardly erect and wound tight as a spring, Walker landed a few leg kicks before sprawling out on Nagy’s takedown attempt and working from half guard to mount. He showed some submission defense as he spun out of a heel hook attempt from Nagy and used his superior strength to keep himself in dominant positions.

He threw more kicks in the second round before scoring a takedown and again working to dominant positions, even taking Nagy’s back and again getting the mount, however, he landed few punches of note, partly due to Nagy’s defense and ability to tie up Walker’s arms but also in part due to what seemed a lack of killer instincts. There were several moments in all three rounds where it looked like he could have ended the fight with a flurry of punches but he seemed unwilling to commit to heavy punches. Of course, it’s possible that he was simply conserving his energy and playing it safe, working diligently to control his opponent and to slowly wear him down. Whatever the reason, Walker eventually landed enough short punches in the third round to warrant a referee stoppage at 2:17.

Robbie Lawler took a beating from Melvin Manhoef before a thunderous right hand from Lawler left Manhoef staring at the bright lights. Lawler had little to offer for the first three minutes of the fight as Manhoef used him as a punching bag, ripping his right leg with kicks and swarming him with tight, fast combinations and hard uppercuts. It looked to be an easy and dominating victory for Manhoef.

But then, as Manhoef pressed Lawler to the cage with punches, Lawler ducked his head and through a looping right hook that crashed into the Dutchman’s chin, putting him more or less out on his feet, where he hung for a moment as though suspended by wires before crumbling towards the mat. As Manhoef hit the ground, Lawler cracked him with a hard left hook that sent him to Mars, ending the fight by KO at 3:33 of the first round.

Bobby Lashley was successful in his Strikeforce debut, stopping late replacement Wes Sims by TKO in the first round. After a brief feeler on the feet, Lashley took Sims down and started working his ground and pound. A pair of hard right hands caused Sims to turtle up. He did nothing to improve his position as Lashley continued to land punches to the sides of his head, prompting the referee to call a stop to the bout at 2:06 of the first round.

Full Results

Televised Fights

Welterweight Title Fight
Nick Diaz def Marius Zaromskis by TKO (Strikes) 4:38 Rd 1

 "Cyborg" Santos def Marloes Coenen by TKO (Strikes) 3:40 Rd 3
Herschel Walker def Greg Nagy by TKO (Strikes) 2:17 Rd 3
Robbie Lawler def Melvin Manhoef by KO 3:33 Rd 1
Bobby Lashley def Wes Sims by TKO (Strikes) 2:06 Rd 1

Non-Televised Fights

Jay Hieron def Joe Riggs by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
David Zitnik def Michael Byrnes by Unanimous Decision
Joe Ray def John Clarke by TKO (strikes) 3:14 Rd 1
David Gomez def Craig Oxley by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Pablo Alfonso def Marcos DaMatta by Armbar 1:47 Rd 1
Hayder Hassan def Ryan Keenan by KO 2:42 Rd 2
John Kelly def Sabah Homasi by Rear Naked Choke 2:48, Rd 2