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FCF NEWS
July 1, 2007
UWC RESULTS The South Rises Again Northern Florida and Georgia Fighters Welcome UFC Vets, Defeat Their Students Prime Osborne Convention Center, Jacksonville, Florida June 30th, 2007 Report and photos by Keith Mills For fans that couldn’t wait for the 4th of July, there were plenty of fireworks at Ultimate Warrior Challenge’s second show in Jacksonville. The bar was set high for this show, not only because the first UWC sold out, but also due to their intent to expand or franchise into other states and possibly even the UK. Overall, UWC pulled off a good show with solid matchmaking, and are emerging as leaders in the Florida market, itself one of the most successful regions for MMA. Readers may remember UWC’s first show was mainly known as the breakout show for Fit NHB from New Mexico, as they went 4-0 against up-and-comers from students of UFC vets. This show was a similar strategy with the UFC vets’ students matched this time against regional fighters. Fit NHB and Dean Lister again fielded up-and-comers, this time joined by one student of David Loiseau and one of Ken Shamrock, while fellow Floridian’s American Top Team sent one from their main academy in Southern Florida. On the receiving end of this invasion were fighters from nearby ATT affiliate Knockout Fitness, as well as relatively unknown teams such as Team Obake and Team Trauma. Standout performances from a scouting point of view started early, with ATT/Knockout Fitness’ Matt Dorsten putting an end to the Fit NHB’s myth, which was generated at UWC 1, by defeating Marcus Foran. Tampa’s Chris Baten, late replacement for UFC vet Seth Petruzelli himself, overpowered Lion’s Den’s Herbert Goodman in the main event, while Team Obake’s Charley Blanchard had an equally impressive performance over BJJ black belt Beto Nunes from Brazil. Jonathan Brookins was undeterred looking across the cage to see not only David Loiseau, but also Dean Lister and Pride vet Denis Kang in the corner of Yves Jabouin. Brookins almost stole the show with a second round TKO.
From a pure excitement point of view, the heaviest fighters of the night, Lister’s Canan Dunn and C .C. Corey’s Terry Cohens, defied convention, as both were not only strong but surprisingly fast with solid chins. Dunn came back from being knocked down to explode on Cohens in a burst of ground-and-pound that had the crowd on their feet. Cohens, however, returned to his feet, and again got through the standup defense of Dunn for a KO, all in 1:40. If Dunn can polish his standup defense he could be a hot commodity in the near future, but definitely keep an eye out for Cohens’ next fight.
The one downside of this night was the ref stoppage in the Mahlow/Lapsley fight. The bout was close however a cut on the head of Mahlow looked like it might end the fight. Mahlow fought through the damage and attempted an armbar. According to Referee Jorge Alonso he asked Lapsley if he “had enough” during the submission attempt to which Lapsley replied “yes” so he ended the fight. According to Lapsley, he didn’t tap or indicate he wanted to quit. According to Mahlow, he was attempting an armbar and next thing he knew he was told to stop. According to matchmaker Chris Cordeiro, the armbar was not in place and Lapsley was not in danger. Whether one believes Alonso, as the Commission probably will, the rematch is likely to be a co-headliner on an upcoming show. All that remains is to see if this fight is overturned to a “no contest”, officially goes down as submission, or TKO for ref stoppage.
Overall the show looked better than their first show with a brand new cage being the main change. Television cameras taped the entire night but as of this writing no further information is available regarding distribution. Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Full Contact Fighter. Jeremy May def. Shawn Gay 2:45 R1 by submission to strikes Matt Dorsten def. Marcus Foran 4:25 R2 by rear choke Danny Brykett def. Brandon Bledsoe 4:08 R1 by TKO Lew Polley def. Tony Sousa 1:29 R2 by Kimura John Skidmore def. John Morrison 1:19 R1 by KO Terry Cohens def. Canan Dunn 1:40 R1 by KO Charley Blanchard def. Beto Nunes 3:43 R1 by TKO John Mahlow def. Anthony Lapsley 3:38 R3 by ref stoppage Jonathan Brookins def. Yves Jabouin 3:35 R2 by TKO Chris Baten def. Herbert Goodman 1:57 R2 by TKO
July 2, 2007
HERO'S ANNOUNCES LW GRAND-PRIX MATCH-UPS K-1 Hero’s Confirms Opening Round Match-Ups for Lightweight Grand-Prix By FCF Staff The official K-1 Hero’s website has posted the opening round match-ups for the promotion’s upcoming July 16th, lightweight Grand-Prix. This year’s event, which will take place at Yokohama Arena, in Yokohama, Japan, will once again see several notable 155 lb. fighters compete. Last year’s tourney winner, Gesias “JZ” Calvacante (12-1-1) will return to the Hero’s ring to meet Chute Boxe’s Andre Dida (3-0-1). Since defeating Caol Uno in the Grand-Prix finals last fall, Calvacante has only fought once in MMA, stopping Nam Phan in the first round at K-1’s Dynamite USA card last month. In Dida’s last fight, the Brazilian fighter won by TKO over Hiroyuki Takaya at Hero’s “Olympia” event in March. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (18-1) will look to make it 9 wins in a row when he takes on Kazuyuki Miyata (4-4). The Cage Rage star has not lost a fight since 2004 when he was defeated by Tatsuya Kawajiri in Shooto competition. Most recently, at his Hero’s debut in March, Ribeiro submitted Ryuki Ueyama with a first round arm-bar. Miyata has won his last two fights since suffering one of the sports more memorable KO’s last May, when “Kid” Yamamoto knocked Miyata out with a flying knee in just 4 seconds. The Japanese fighter has been impressive since the loss, defeating both Ian Schaffa and Kultar Gill. On the 16th, Hideo Tokoro (18-11-1) will have a chance to avenge the TKO loss to Kultar “Black Mamba” Gill (8-6) he incurred last May, one that was also set up by a vicious knee. Since the defeat Tokoro has gone 4-1, defeating the likes of Royler Gracie and most recently, Brad Pickett. Gill has dropped his last 3 fights, losing to such notable fighters as the aforementioned Miyata and Caol Uno. The final bout for the opening round of the Grand-Prix will pit Caol Uno (23-9-4) versus Katsuhiko Nagata (3-1). Uno defeated Gill and Ivan Menjivar on route to the tourney finals last year, before losing by Unanimous Decision to Calvacante. Most recently, Uno submitted Ali Ibrahim with an arm-bar at Hero’s “Olmypia” 2007. The former Olympic wrestling star Nagata, has won his last 2 bouts, including a Split Decision win over Isaiah Hill at last month’s Dynamite USA event. Hero’s also confirmed two super-fights for the card; Alexandre “Pequeno” Nogueira (12-4-2) will take on Shuichiro Katsumura (8-6-3), while Bernard Ackah (2-0) will meet Yoon Dong Sik (1-4).
July 2, 2007
NEW EPISODE OF FCF RADIO: QUINTON JACKSON & JOE LAUZON
July 3, 2007
CSAC SUSPENDS BARONI CSAC: Baroni Tests Positive for Steroids By Kelsey Mowatt
“While we respect the process and intent of the test we are disappointed with the results as they are completely unexpected,” Baroni’s manager, Ken Pavia said in a statement released today. “Phil did not knowingly ingest these drugs which we are told are veterinary in nature.” “We intend to exercise all rights that are afforded by the state commission and (CSAC Executive Officer) Armando Garcia.” Pavia furthered. “Phil Baroni feels that worse than any fine or suspension is the disgrace associated with the positive test to himself, his family and fans. As such he asks that judgement be withheld until all facts are in evidence.” Other than Carter Williams, who according to the CSAC tested positive for cocaine and was subsequently suspended for one year and fined $1,000, all other competitors from the June 22nd, Strikeforce / Elite XC card have passed their post-fight drug test.
July 3, 2007
JZ “JZ” Cavalcante: Looking to Repeat at Hero’s 2007 Lightweight Grand-Prix By Kelsey Mowatt
“Dida, he’s an aggressive guy,” Cavalcante tells FCF. “He always comes forward; he’s from Chute Boxe so he’s going to be good on his feet, good on the ground. I’ll just have to wait and see. I’m more experienced; in my mind I have the advantage. I’m pretty confident with everything that I do, striking, my jiu-jitsu, I’m confident with myself both physically and mentally.” Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (18-1) is certainly one of this year’s competitors that must be considered as one of the favorites. The former Shooto and Cage Rage star has not lost a bout since 2004, and has now won 9 straight. “He’s one of the best guys in the weight class,” Cavalcante says in discussing Ribeiro. “He has a lot of experience, good skill, one of the fighters that probably could be in the finals. If someone beat him though I wouldn’t be too surprised, Miyata has good wrestling, Tokoro is really well rounded, Black Mamba has good knees, the tournament is really good, lots of great fighters, you can’t just worry about him.” Cavalcante knocked out Hiroyuki Takaya, submitted Rani Yahya and finally, defeated Caol Uno by Unanimous Decision last October, to lay claim to the 2006 Grand-Prix crown. The win catapulted “JZ’s” name on to the world international stage, instantly bringing notoriety to the fighter who had until then, despite a solid record, remained for the most part under the radar. This year however, Cavalcante returns to the competition one of the tourney favorites, on account of his impressive performance last year in the Hero’s ring. “People expect more from you when you have a belt,” Cavalcante concedes. “I’m training harder and smarter, more and more, I want to improve as a person not only in fighting, but in life as well. It’s nice in Hero’s though, they don’t really have a champion for this, so there’s not much pressure. This years a new year.” Since winning the tournament last year, Cavalcante has competed twice, at K-1 Hero’s Dynamite USA last month he defeated Nam Phan by TKO in the first round. Most recently he fought K-1 star Masato at that promotion’s K-1 World Max 2007 on June 29th, losing to the Japanese fighter by Unanimous Decision in the kick-boxing affair. “No, no injuries,” Cavalcante tells FCF in respect to his condition after competing just days ago. “A little bit of a black eye, but overall I feel pretty good, I’ll be ready to fight.”
July 3, 2007
ACROSS THE POND: BRITISH MMA NEWS Across the Pond: British MMA News By David West Butlin out of FX3 this weekend Ian Butlin has been forced to pull out of his scheduled match this weekend at FX3 in Reading, as his career continues to be stymied by injuries. In his place Aidon “Snake Hips” Marron will now take on Andre Winner. The headline fight between Alex Owen and Emanuel Fernandez is a clash of submission grapplers, with four of Fernandez wins coming by way of triangle choke. The more experienced Owen has twelve tap-outs in his impressive record of 21 wins and no losses. Owen’s FX3 featherweight World title is on the line but he looks likely to keep his belt unless Fernandez can pull off an upset.
With Cage Rage 22 just over a week away, the line-up for the promotions next feeder show in London is starting to shape up. Scheduled for August 18th at the Troxy nightclub in East London, the fight card is topped by the immensely popular Brad “One Punch” Pickett, who is coming off consecutive losses to Alex Owen at Cage Rage 21 and Hideo Tokoro at K-1 Hero’s Dynamite USA. Given that Pickett previously held the British featherweight title, he is hardly someone who needs to prove himself on the Contenders circuit, but his presence on the bill should guarantee a packed house. His opponent, Mark Chen, clamoured for a shot at Pickett when he held the belt, but was easily defeated by Robbie Olivier in an elimination bout at Cage Rage 17 in July 2006 before Olivier went on to dethrone Pickett. At 6-7-0 Chen has a patchy record and has tended to be too passive when on his back, although his one shot KO of Ricky Moore at FX3 in 2005 proved he has some power. Pickett will be the favorite going in to the match, having faced the higher level of opposition and at 10-4-0 he’s the more experienced man.
The show will mark the return of Matt Ewin, from Mark Weir’s Range Fighting team in Gloucester. At 16-8-1 Ewin has been around, having twice fought UFC rising star Martin Kampmann in addition to TUF4 winner Travis Lutter. Ewin likes to ground and pound so he’ll have his work cut out for him against Leo Negao, the 1998 World BJJ champion and multiple National BJJ champion in his native Brazil. Now based in London, Negao does not have much MMA experience, but he’ll be very dangerous when the fight hits the canvas, which is probably where both men will be happy to decide the contest. Cage Rage Contenders 6 Current Fight Card 1. Mark Chen vs. Brad Pickett 2. Matt Ewin vs. Leo Negao 3. Jake Boswick vs. John Maguire 4. TBA vs. John Hathaway 5. Jared Farah vs. Scott Jansen 6. Jeff Hayes vs. Marvin Arnold 7. TBA vs. Luke Smith 8. Jody Cottham vs. John Haggerty 9. Jack Magee vs. Wesley Murch 10. Michael King vs. Mark Smith 11. TBA vs. Charlie Francis 12. TBA vs. Matthew Matin 13. Steven Dossett vs. James Elson 14. Mark Tucker vs. Steven Elliot The Joker Returns at UFC 75 Jess “The Joker” Liaudin will make his second UFC appearance after tapping out Dennis Siver at UFC 70, when the promotion holds its third event in Britain on September 8th at the O2 Arena in London. Liaudin’s opponent will be undefeated 4-0 Anthony Johnson. Liaudin will be training with Team Quest in preparation for the match, so expect the London-based Frenchman to be on top form when the bell rings.
July 3, 2007
MONSON VS. SIMS Global FC: Monson to Face Sims for Heavyweight Title By FCF Staff The Global Fighting Championships confirmed in a press release today that former UFC and Pride veteran Jeff Monson (22-6) will fight Wes Sims (19-9-1) at the promotion’s August 17th event. The bout, which will be for the Global FC heavyweight crown, will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This will mark the second time that these two fighters have been scheduled to fight, as earlier this year, Sims vs. Monson was originally slated for the Gracie Fighting Championship, until contractual reasons prevented Sims from competing. Eventually a shoulder injury to Monson also prevented the American Top Team athlete from competing at the event as well. Sims has already fought 4 times this year, going 2-1 with one No Contest. Most recently at Full Contact Fight Series 12, he defeated Danny Long by TKO. Monson has only fought once in 2007, at Pride 34 in April, he submitted Kazuyuki Fujita with a rear-naked-choke. Prior to that, in 2006, Monson won 3 fights in a row competing in the UFC, before failing to win the UFC heavyweight title last November against former champion, Tim Sylvia. The coming months will be busy ones for Monson, as he is also scheduled to fight Pedro Rizzo at the September 1st, Art of War, Team USA vs. Team Brazil card. Also scheduled for the Global FC, August 17th event; Mark Kerr (13-6) will take on Sean O’Haire (1-2), Edwin Dewees (34-10) will fight Maverick Harvey (10-3-1), and Eric Esch (10-3-1) is slated to fight Stefan Gamlin (0-3). According to the Global FC website, the card will have a total of 8 fights.
July 4, 2007
THE NORTHERN TOUCH  Hardcore Championship Fighting Announces Rodriguez vs. Waterman for July 21st Main Event Hardcore Championship Fighting CEO Keith Crawford, confirmed to FCF this week, that the main event bout for the promotion’s upcoming July 21st event will see Ricco Rodriguez (25-6) take on Ron Waterman (13-5-2). The fight will take place in Edmonton, Alberta, at the River Cree Resort and Casino. According to Crawford, both fighters have signed their contracts, and the promotion has taken all the necessary and logistical steps to ensure the fight goes off. The main event fight will be a rubber match for the two fighters, as each fighter currently holds one win over the other. Waterman worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over the former UFC heavyweight champ at World Extreme Cagefighting 15 in August of 2005, before being stopped by Rodriguez for the TKO loss in their second fight, at the World Fighting Alliance 4 in August 2006. Crawford also confirmed that Joe “Diesel” Riggs will take on Lethbridge’s Dan Chambers in another high profile bout for the event. The former UFC contender Riggs (25-9) has not fought since he lost by KO to Diego Sanchez last December. Prior to that, he submitted Jason Von Flue with a first round triangle-choke at UFC Fight Night 6 last August. Chambers (8-3) has been an extremely busy man in 2007, the Canadian Martial Arts Centre fighter has already fought 4 times, going 2-2. Most recently he stopped Jacob Macdonald in the first round for the TKO win at Ultimate Cage Wars on June 23rd. There is likely little doubt that Riggs will be the most experienced and most talented fighter Chambers has faced to date. According to Crawford, former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor Solomon Hutcherson is slated to fight, as well as Sarah Kaufman. The event will be taped and split up into several episodes for the Score Network, as well as it will be available on pay-per-view two weeks later on Viewers Choice and Bell. The card will have ten or 11 fights in total. HCF also plans on holding an event in Vancouver in August. Holanda Says GSP Will Be Ready for Koscheck In a FCF Radio appearance last week, Fabio Holanda discussed the progress of Georges St-Pierre has he prepares for his August 25th bout with Josh Koscheck at UFC 74. St.Pierre has returned to training with Holanda and Brazilian Top Team Canada once again, after departing from the team previously due to what Holanda described as “professional reasons.” Clearly GSP has had tremendous success under the tutelage of Holanda in the past, where his friend and training partner Patrick Cote also trains. “He’s been training very hard,” Holanda said on FCF Radio. “I think he’s going to do very well against Koscheck. I think Koscheck is the worst match-up for him, but I don’t think he’s going to have a problem to beat him.” Holanda is coming off a recent win at Maximum Fighting Championship 12 on June 22nd, where he stopped Shaun Krsya in the first round for the TKO win. King of the Cage Canada, “Supremacy” King of the Cage Canada will hold its “Supremacy” event, July 14th, at the Halifax Forum, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Headlining the card will be Jonathan Goulet vs. Corey Macdonald, and it will be interesting to see if Goulet is able to rebound from his recent armbar submission loss to Jason Day at UCW 8 on June 23rd. Other notable bouts for the card include Kevin Manderson vs. TJ Grant, Tim Thurston vs. Alex Sung, and Tim Skidmore vs. Shawn Marchand. Upcoming Canadian Events King of the Cage Canada, Supremacy: July 14th, Halifax, Nova Scotia Hardcore Championship Fighting: July 21st, Edmonton, Alberta Maximum Fighting Championships 13: August 24th, Edmonton, Alberta Ultimate Cage Wars 9: September 7th, Winnipeg, Manitoba TKO 30, Apocalypse: TBA
July 5, 2007
FRANCA'S COMEBACK Hermes Franca: Comeback Road Continues On to UFC 73 “Stacked” By Kelsey Mowatt Hermes Franca will challenge UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk Saturday night at UFC 73 “Stacked”, in a five round title bout that will mark the high point of a remarkable comeback story. With a middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt, a high profile light-heavyweight clash between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans, and former Pride heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira making his UFC debut, the “Rocky-esque” tale of Franca has been lost somewhat in the mix.
The former American Top Team fighter made it to the UFC in 2003 with a record of 5-0, and began to quickly entrench his status in the promotion’s lightweight division. At UFC 42 in April of that year, the jiu-jitsu instructor worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Rich Crunkilton. At UFC 44 that September, Franca continued to impress, by knocking out Japanese star Caol Uno in the second round. By all indications, it appeared that the undefeated fighter was well on his way to a storied career. But at UFC 46, in January of 2004, Franca was defeated for the first time in his career, dropping a Unanimous Decision loss to the up and coming Josh Thomson. A tightly contested Split Decision loss to Yves Edwards 2 months later at UFC 47, left Franca’s record at 8-2, and the fighter wound up exiting from the Zuffa promotion. After knocking out Manny Reyes in 37 seconds at the Absolute Fighting Championships 10 in October of 2004, it appeared that Franca was back on track, unfortunately for him, the most tumultuous times of his career lay just ahead. Despite a solid performance in his highly anticipated rematch with Edwards at the Mixed Fighting Championships in February of 2005, Franca once again fell just short, dropping another Split Decision victory to his veteran opponent. A KO loss to Ray Cooper at Shooto Hawaii, followed by another Decision loss to Koutetsu Boku at K-1 Hero’s event in September of 2005, left his record at 10-5. Franca had lost 3 of his last 5 fights. After a six month layoff from competition, Franca returned to action to face Gabe Ruediger at World Extreme Cagefighting 19 last March. The Millennia Jiu-Jitsu fighter had won 9 fights in a row and many believed Ruediger would offer Franca a considerable challenge. What transpired was a 36 second TKO win for Franca, setting in a motion an outstanding banner 2006 year for the fighter, many had given up on. Over the next 3 consecutive months, amidst a rather hectic schedule, Franca defeated Ryan Schultz, Toby Imada, and Brandon Olson, in impressive fashion, submitting or stopping all of them within the first round. By July, Franca’s return to the UFC had been secured. At UFC 61 against Joe Jordan, Franca submitted his opponent in the third round with a triangle-choke to further what would end up being Full Contact Fighter’s 2006, Comeback Fighter of the Year, performance. Wins over Jamie Varner and Nathan Diaz at UFC 62 and WEC 24 in August and October, respectively, ran Franca’s 2006 record to 7-0. A banner year for the fighter, against notable opposition, MMA observers around the world had rarely witnessed. Finally, at Ultimate Fight Night 9 this past January, Franca solidified his title shot. Taking on the highly regarded Miletich fighter, Spencer Fisher, many believed that Franca’s best chance at defeating the vaunted striker was to take the fight to the mat. At 3:30 of round 2, Franca once again shocked the world, by not necessarily defeating Fisher, but by stopping him with a barrage of strikes. Shortly after the bout, the Armory instructor dropped to his knees, begging UFC President Dana White for a chance to face the champion Sherk. This Saturday, Franca will look to make the final chapter of his comeback tale a happy one, by defeating the 30-2-1 champion. Without question, Sherk will be one of the better fighters Franca has ever faced, and many are probably predicting that the champion will retain his belt. But regardless of what transpires at the Arco Arena this upcoming July 7th evening, the last few months of Franca’s career should not be forgotten any time soon.
July 6, 2007
ADVERTISEMENT: DISTRESSED WASHED HATS
July 6, 2007
NEW EPISODE OF FCF RADIO: EDDIE ALVAREZ AND CHAEL SONNEN
July 6, 2007
UFC 73 PREVIEW UFC 73 Preview: A Truly “Stacked” Card By Steven Marrocco The stars are clearly in alignment for UFC 73 this Saturday at the Arco Arena in Sacramento. Less than a month from a somewhat lackluster offering of fights at UFC 72 in Belfast, the fight card for “Stacked” is packed to the brim with fights that could be promoted as main events by themselves. While the evening may not have captured the interest of Liddell-centric casual fans--the event does not appear to be in danger of selling out—it’s a hardcore fans dream. Anderson Silva vs. Nate Marquardt
What the hype-sters casually leave out is the severity of Silva’s knee injuries only two weeks prior to the fight. Fresh out of surgery, Silva had had one of his knees drained only days before the bout. Anyone who’s seen Silva fight in his pre-UFC days knows that when Silva is healthy, he is a sprawl-and-brawl dynamo. He will stay upright and make you pay for your shots with punches, kicks, and his ever-impressive Muay Thai work. Still, Marquardt’s best chance lies in getting Silva to over-commit to a flurry of strikes, making his work on the ground all the more easier, as Marquardt’s wrestling far outmatches Silva on the ground. Another option, equally plausible, is for Marquardt to work the clinch, trapping Silva against the cage and inflicting his damage there. Silva’s trump card, once again, is his striking ability. If he can overwhelm Marquardt early with his superior striking, or perhaps time a flying knee as Marquardt shoots in, the bout will end quickly. If he can’t tee off early, Marquardt will most likely clinch, take Silva down, and grind out a decision. Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans It’s a brave new world for Rashad Evans. The normally humble, soft spoken Michigan has leapt into Ortiz’s world of bluster and bravado. Their shoving match at UFC 69 was the seed that grew into an internet war of words, inflating the already important fight. Ortiz’s cunning use of words has goaded Evans into playing ball, providing the hype that Ortiz can’t seem to function without. The thing is, this fight doesn’t need it. It’s a must win for Ortiz, and he knows it. If Ortiz is to remain relevant in the light heavyweight division, he must defeat Evans. With Chuck Liddell out of the picture, he stands a chance at a title shot in 2008. A win over Evans, combined with a dispatch of a Pride import, could put him in front of either Quinton Jackson or Dan Henderson next year. Evans has a little less to lose, having been on a slow, mostly linear rise to title contention. A win over Ortiz gives him the street cred that he and many of his TUF cohorts lack. Say what you will about Ortiz, he’s still one of the great competitors in the UFC’s history. Both fighters have terrific wrestling skills, and the man who takes top position will most likely jump ahead on scorecards. Despite Evans’ highlight reel knockout of Sean Salmon, Ortiz will not be foolhardy to stay in the pocket long enough for Evans to set him up. Evans’ hands are still crisper than Ortiz, and could outpoint Ortiz with strikes. However, like Marquardt, Evans’ edge lies in his clinch work. If Evans is able to avoid Tito’s double leg shot, he could press the action as the bout goes into later rounds, roughing Ortiz up with dirty boxing. Evans could then use that as a set up for a takedown, grinding Ortiz out with a dose of his own medicine. Evans’ ability to defeat Ortiz lies entirely on whether he can stop Tito’s takedown attempts. Hermes Franca vs. Sean Sherk
Sherk is a Tasmanian devil inside the octagon. Only two of the best fighters in the world, Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes, have been able to stop his ground and pound assault. His double and single leg shots are among the best in the world. If he is able to execute these moves, Franca will fall much as past challenger Kenny Florian did. Franca has two chances: knocking Sherk out with one of his winging hooks, or submitting him from the bottom. Anything can happen, but Sherk will most likely power through Franca’s many armbar attempts. Barring any pre-existing injury, Sherk should dominate this fight. Heath Herring vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira It’s a blast from the past for Herring and Nogueira. These two talented heavyweights faced each other a little more than three years ago at Pride’s “Critical Countdown 2004”. Nogueira executed a beautiful Anaconda choke to tap Herring out in the second round. A lot’s changed since those days. The Pride they flourished with no longer exists. Herring jumped ship not too long after the loss to Nogueira. Nogueira stayed with Pride, losing only to Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko in the three years since. It will be interesting to see how the Octagon plays a part in this fight. This is Nogueira’s first time in the cage, Herring’s third. If Herring is able to take Nogueira down, the Brazilian could be at an advantage for using his legs to climb out from under Herring or throw up an armbar submission. It could also be his demise if Herring is sharp enough to smother Nogueira and rain down elbows from the top. It’s unknown whether Nogueira’s fallout with Brazilian Top Team has affected his focus for this fight. Herring knows all too well about the pressure placed upon Pride imports. If Nogueira falls prey to the “Pride curse”, Herring will undoubtedly provide a sympathetic audience. Kenny Florian vs. Alvin Robinson Florian is back on the pay per view trail after defeating a bizarrely uneven Dokonjonosuke Mishima in his last fight at UFC Fight Night 9. He faces newcomer Alvin Robinson, who has won all of his victories by submission, but also has standup skills as well. Robinson looks big for a lightweight, which might be a factor if this fight goes to the ground. Florian’s stand-up skills have improved light years from where they were, and could take Robinson out on his feet early on. Robinson’s hope is that Florian will roll the dice and play the ground game with him. UFC 73 “Stacked” Undercard Fights: Light Heavyweight: Stephan Bonnar vs. Mike Nickels Lightweight: Diego Saravia vs. Jorge Gurgel Welterweight: Chris Lytle vs. Jason Gilliam Lightweight: Mark Bocek vs. Frank Edgar
July 6, 2007
STEELE CAGE PROMOTIONS DEBUT “The Beastman” vs. Kimmons Headlines Steele Cage Promotions Debut Event Tomorrow By FCF Staff
Meeting up for the IFO’s 145 lb. title will be Brandon Shelton (8-0) and Eric Payne (14-6). Shelton has not fought since February, where he competed twice at Caged Combat Championship Fight events, submitting Daniel Hemeterio with a knee bar and Rob Meehan with an armbar, two weeks apart. Payne is 4-1 in his last 5 fights, and has not competed in 2007 according to the FCF database. His last fight took place last November, where he worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Luke Gwaltney. The final title fight will be for the IFO super heavyweight belt, as Wes Sims (19-9-1) will take on Chris Guillen (9-6). This will be a rematch bout for the two fighters, as at Art of War 2 on May 11th; Sims dropped a Unanimous Decision victory to Guillen. Sims has fought since their first encounter while Guillen has not. At Full Contact Fight Series 12 on June 16th, Sims stopped Danny Long in the first round for the TKO win. According to the Steele Cage Promotions official site there will also be 7 bouts on the under card. The card will also be taped and broadcast on HDNet, split into several episodes, premiering on July 13th.
July 8, 2007
UFC 73 RESULTS
July 8, 2007
STEELE CAGE PROMOTIONS “I’m Very Happy”: New MMA Promoter Richard Steele on Saturday’s Debut IFO Card By Kelsey Mowatt Boxing Hall of Fame referee Richard Steele and company, Steele Cage Promotions, held their first MMA venture last night, July 7th, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first International Fighting Organization card was held at the Orleans Arena, and debuted to what, according to Steele, was an enthusiastic and supportive crowd. The card was headlined by a main event bout between Marvin Eastman and Rob Kimmons for the vacant, IFO middleweight title, as well as two other fights, featuring some notable participants for the new promotion’s featherweight and heavyweight belts. “I’m very happy,” Steele tells FCF in discussing Steele Cage Promotions first event. “My phone’s been ringing of the hook all day, people really showing their appreciation, people were really excited about the card, they thought the card was a really professional card with some great fights. At the fights, after the fights at the after party, all the fans were telling me they really enjoyed the card and that makes me really happy.” Eastman (14-7-1) worked his way to a Unanimous Decision win over his opponent Rob Kimmons, a nice rebound victory for “The Beastman” after being stopped by Quinton Jackson in his last fight at UFC 67 in February. The loss for Kimmons (14-3) was just his first in 8 fights. “He won the fight,” Steele says in regards to Eastman winning the IFO middleweight belt. “But Rob was in the fight all the time, at some parts I thought he was going to take over. Eastman’s skill and ability was just too much for the kid, ya know? And his weight, the kid (Kimmons) came up to fight Eastman, he’s really a 170 pounder, he beefed himself up to 185 and put on a sensational show. I told him I’m definitely going to have him back as a 170 pounder.” Chris Guillen (10-6) secured the IFO heavyweight belt when after two rounds, his opponent; Wes Sims (19-10-1) was unable to continue. The win for Guillen marks the second time in two months that he has defeated Sims, as at Art of War 2 on May 5th, he beat the UFC veteran via Unanimous Decision. “Sims fight, you know, people thought that he’d do better,” Steele tells FCF in revisiting the heavyweight bout. “He just ran out of gas, he brought a lot of people with him but he just ran out of gas. Chris put a lot of pressure on him, put a lot of weight on him, and got him out of gas.” The third title fight of the evening featured featherweights Eric Payne (15-6) and Brandon Shelton (8-1). Payne was riding a four fight winning streak coming into the bout, while Shelton, arrived in Las Vegas as an undefeated fighter in the professional ranks. In the end it would be Payne who would win the IFO featherweight title by submitting Shelton in the first round. “Shelton was faster and more explosive,” says Steele. “But he got caught in one of those arm locks, I think it was an arm lock, that would make anybody give up you know? That’s what I like about Mixed Martial Arts; you don’t know who can win a fight on any given day. You make a wrong move and get caught up in some kind of choke hold or arm bar and you have to give up, you have to submit. That can happy any day or anytime. It makes the game really exciting.” Steele also informed FCF that the IFO is planning on holding events on September 1st, 21st, and December 15th. There are also tentative plans for another event sometime this fall, in between the last September card and the December event.
July 9, 2007
WEC CONFIRMS: FILHO VS. DOERKSEN, CONDIT VS. LARSON Two Title Fights Will Headline August 5th Card By FCF Staff The official World Extreme Cagefighting website confirmed today that the promotion’s upcoming August 5th, event, which will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be headlined by 2 title fights. The first title bout will feature the WEC debut of two of the world’s more notable middleweight fighters in Paulo Filho (13-0) and Joe Doerksen (39-9). The highly regarded Filho has not competed since last November, when he defeated Kazuo Misaki, at Pride Bushido’s middleweight Grand-Prix. The Brazilian Top Team fighter comes to North America likely as the favorite to secure the WEC middleweight crown and is currently ranked 5th in the world by FCF. Doerksen however, continues to impress in his lengthy career, and has now won 7 straight since exiting the UFC in early 2006.
The second title fight will see WEC Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit (20-4) look to defend his title against Brock Larson (22-1). In his last fight, Condit submitted Johnny Alessio at WEC 26 in March for his 5th consecutive victory. Larson, whose only career loss is to UFC contender, Jon Fitch, will likely be one of Condit’s toughest tests to date. The Minnesota fighter has won 9 straight, including a recent June 3rd, 27 second TKO of Kevin Knabjian at WEC 28. The August 5th event will be broadcast live on the Versus Network, beginning at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PST.
July 9, 2007
UFC 73 FINAL NUMBERS UFC 73 Attendance and Salary Numbers By FCF Staff The California State Athletic Commission has released the final attendance numbers and the fighter purses, for this past weekend’s UFC 73 “Stacked” event, which was held Saturday night, July 7th, at the Arco Arena in Sacramento California. According to the CSAC, UFC 73 drew a total attendance of 13,183, with 8,622 tickets being sold and 4,561 tickets being exempt or complimentary. The total capacity for the Arco Arena that night was 16,811, meaning that 3,628 tickets were neither sold nor given away. The total gross receipt for the event was $1, 551, 920. All fighter salaries are a matter of public record in the U.S., as they are required by law to be submitted to the appropriate State governing body. The figures below are only the fighter purses and winning bonuses the UFC has disclosed to the CSAC for the Stacked event. Based on the figures released by the CSAC, here are some of the more notable fighter purses from UFC 73; Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira earned $200,000 Saturday night in defeating Heath Herring by Unanimous Decision. Nogueira was paid $100, 000 for competing plus an additional $100,000 for winning, while Herring made $70,000. UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk made $28,000, $14,000 for fighting Hermes Franca and an additional $14,000 for defending his title. Franca was paid $14,000. Former Light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz received $210,000 while his opponent, Rashad Evans, made $16,000. Middleweight champ Anderson Silva received $45,000 for fighting Nate Marquardt, plus an additional $45,000 for winning, while Marquardt himself was paid $24,000 for showing. Former "Ultimate Fighter" star, Stephan Bonnar, took home $32,000, $16,000 for showing plus another $16,000 for defeating Mike Nickels, whose reported purse was $5,000.
July 9, 2007
ACROSS THE POND: FX3 5 RESULTS
Britain’s Alex Owen proved unable to hang on to either his World featherweight belt or his undefeated record as he attempted to complete his first title defense against France’s Emmanuel Fernandez. Owen is a technically polished grappler, but Fernandez completely shut him down, taking him to the canvas and over-powering him throughout the first round. In the second, Fernandez countered a takedown attempt from Owen by taking his back and sinking in the rear naked choke that got the tap. Fernandez earned his new crown after a very impressive performance.
Sami Berik pulled off an upset stoppage against two-time UFC veteran Dave Lee. After scrambling to get off the floor following a takedown from Lee, Berik caught him flush with one of his unorthodox left swings and Lee’s legs gave out underneath him. Berik missed his follow-up and Lee tried to bring him down, only to end up on the bottom against the cage with Berik slashing down furiously with both hands, giving referee Leon Roberts no choice but to jump in to save Lee.
Paul Reed imposed his will on Wesley Felix in their lightweight fight. Reed scored several takedowns and was able to pass Felix’s guard easily, taking mount in both the first and second rounds. In the second, Reed got a solid high mount and pounded Felix mercilessly, prompting the referee to step in and halt the onslaught. Felix went the distance with Andre Winner at the last FX3; losing by a Split Decision in a very close contest, but Reed blew through Felix, suggesting he could give Winner a headache if he gets a crack at the new champion.
July 10, 2007
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July 10, 2007
THE NORTHERN TOUCH Hardcore Championship Fighting Confirms More Bouts for June 21st Card Hardcore Championship Fighting confirmed more fights this week for the promotion’s upcoming “Unfinished Business” event, which will take place at the River Cree Resort and Casino, June 21st, in Edmonton, Alberta. Last week, HCF confirmed that Ricco Rodriguez would take on Ron Waterman in the card’s main event, while Joe Riggs would fight Lethbridge’s Dan Chambers in the semi-main event. Several notable Canadian fighters have been added to the card, including Nabil Khatib (6-1), who will fight former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor, Solomon Hutcherson (7-4). Most recently, Khatib defeated Dan Chambers at Rumble in the Cage 24 on June 9th. Prior to that, he lost for the first time in his career, dropping a Unanimous Decision loss to Fritz Paul at Apex’s event last October. Hutcherson has only fought twice since leaving the TUF show, at the TUF Season 3 Finale last summer he was knocked-out by Luigi Fioravanti. On June 23rd of this year, Hutcherson returned to winning form, stopping Anthony Trotter with strikes at the MMA Big Show, “Domination”. Rounding out the HCF card; one of Edmonton’s Team Sniper trainers, Mike Yackulic (4-2) will take on Capoeira stylist, Marcus Vinicius (3-3), Canadian Martial Arts Centre fighter Tim Tamaki (5-5) will fight Vancouver’s Len Tam (3-0), another CMAC fighter Jordan Mein (7-5 pro-am) is set to meet the Marcus Soares trained Dave Scholten (6-3), and Victor Valimaki’s brother Danny (3-0) will meet Chester Post (7-8-1). Stout to Defend TKO Lightweight Title September 28th TKO announced this week that the promotion’s next event will be held, September 28th, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. “Apocalypse” will mark the 30th event for TKO and will be headlined by TKO Lightweight Champion Sam Stout (11-3-1) vs. Martin Grandmont (5-3). Stout is coming off a tough Split Decision loss to Spencer Fisher at Ultimate Fight Night 11 in June, but before that, the Team Tompkins defended his TKO title twice against Jay Estrada and Fabio Holanda at TKO 27, and 28 respectively. Grandmont has won two fights in a row, most recently at TKO 29 on June 1st; he worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Bodog Fight veteran Tyler Jackson. Prior to that, Grandmont impressed many in his stoppage of Dave Pariseau with strikes, at TKO 28 in February. The card will also feature a bout between Chris Clements (4-1) and Sean Pierson (5-3) for the TKO Welterweight title. Clements is yet another up and coming Team Tompkins fighter with a growing reputation for possessing formidable striking skills. At TKO 28, Clements stopped David Medd in less than 2 minutes for the TKO win, and he holds the infamous record for fastest KO in TKO history, a four second knock-out of Lautaro Tucas at TKO 25 last May. Pierson is one of the sports pioneers in Canada, after leaving MMA competition for nearly 4 years, Pierson recently returned to action at TKO Tournament 2007 in March, stopping Chester Post in the first round. The promotion also announced that former TKO featherweight champ Mark Hominick is also scheduled to compete, as well as Stephan Dube, Steve Bosse, and Stephane Vigneault. King of the Cage Canada: “Supremacy” This Weekend, Announces August 17th event. King of the Cage Canada will hold its “Supremacy” event, this coming weekend July 14th, at the Halifax Forum, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Headlining the card will be Jonathan Goulet vs. Corey Macdonald, while other notable bouts for the card include Kevin Manderson vs. TJ Grant, Tim Thurston vs. Alex Sung, and Tim Skidmore vs. Shawn Marchand. The Canadian promotion also has announced that on August 17th, the Edmonton Event Centre in West Edmonton Mall will host “Brawl in the Mall.” The card will be headlined by a Canadian heavyweight title bout between Tim Hague and Adriano Bernardo. More Participants Confirmed for MFC 13 The Maximum Fighting Championship announced this week that up and coming Pro Camp fighter Ryan McGillivray (5-0) will fight at the promotion’s upcoming 13th event, scheduled for August 24th, in Edmonton, Alberta. Other competitors for the card have also been named, including Ryan Ford and Sean Wright. The event’s main attraction will of course be the light-heavyweight title bout between champion and UFC veteran, Victor Valimaki (9-4), and the undefeated Roger Hollett (6-0). Upcoming Canadian Events King of the Cage Canada, Supremacy: July 14th, Halifax, Nova Scotia Hardcore Championship Fighting: July 21st, Edmonton, Alberta Maximum Fighting Championships 13: August 24th, Edmonton, Alberta Ultimate Cage Wars 9: September 7th, Winnipeg, Manitoba TKO 30, Apocalypse: September 28th, Montreal, Quebec
July 10, 2007
BODOG FIGHT: LaRosa Heads to Bodog Fight Ring in Week 3 of “Paradise Lost” Week 4 of Paradise lost will feature fights between Todd Carney and Sydney Machado, while Francis Carmont will face Todd Broadaway.
July 11, 2007
CAVALCANTE INJURED “JZ” Cavalcante Off July 16th, K-1 Hero’s Card Due to Hand Injury By Kelsey Mowatt American Top Team confirmed to FCF this afternoon that Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming, July 16th, opening round of the K-1 Hero’s lightweight Grand-Prix, due to a hand injury. The 12-1-1 Cavalcante won the 2006 version of the tournament, defeating Hiroyuki Takaya, Rani Yahya, and Caol Uno on route to his championship win. Most recently, Cavalcante fought the Japanese star Masato at the K-1 World Max 2007 event on June 29th, losing by Unanimous Decision in the kickboxing affair. “His hand is hurt,” John Hartnett from American Top Team confirmed to FCF. “He re-injured his hand in his last fight with Masato, and the swelling was still pretty bad, so our Doctor recommended that he not fight, that he shouldn’t risk a more serious injury. It’s the same hand he’s injured before.” June was a busy month for Cavalcante, as not only did he fight on June 29th at the K-1 World Max, but on June 2nd, at K-1 Hero’s debut on American soil, he stopped Nam Phan in the first round with strikes. The opening round of the K-1 Hero’s lightweight Grand-Prix will feature several notable match-ups including Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Vitor Ribeiro, Kultar Gill vs. Hideo Tokoro, and Caol Uno vs. Katsuhiko Nagata. An opponent for Cavalcante’s original opponent, Andre Dida, has not yet been confirmed by Hero’s. Other fights for the card, outside the tournament bracket; include Bernard Ackah vs. Dong Sik Yoon and Alexandre Nogueira vs. Shuichiro Katsumura.
July 11, 2007
HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTING UPDATE Rodriguez vs. Waterman Pulled Off HCF, July 21st Card HCF is now searching for a replacement to fight Waterman. Some the event’s more notable bouts include UFC veteran Joe Riggs vs. Dan Chambers, and former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor, Solomon Hutcherson vs. Nabil Khatib. Other Canadian match-ups for the card include, Mike Yackulic taking on Marcus Vinicius, Tim Tamaki vs. Len Tam, and Jordan Mein fighting Dave Scholten.
July 12, 2007
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July 12, 2007
PFC 3 UPDATE Palace Fighting Championship Announces Bantamweight Title Bout By FCF Staff Palace Fighting Championship announced today, via a press release, that the promotion’s upcoming, July 19th event at Lemoore, California’s Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, will feature a bantamweight title fight between David Espinosa (3-0) and Shawn Klarcyk (5-1). Espinosa has won both his fights competing in the PFC, defeating Nelson Ocampo and Ed Tomaselli at PFC 1 and 2 in January and March respectively. Klarcyk experienced defeat for the first time in his professional career in March, as at Gladiator Challenge 58, he was submitted by Brian Granados. Klarcyk, like his upcoming opponent Espinosa, also defeated Ed Tomaselli recently, submitting him with an arm bar at Gladiator Challenge 56 last November. PF3 will also feature a title fight between Shawn Bias (11-4) and Aaron Maldonado (2-0) for the promotion’s vacant featherweight crown. The card’s main event will see Chris Botelho (4-2) take on welterweight fighter Josh McCartney (1-0).
July 12, 2007
REX RICHARDS Rex Richards: Next Victim of the Tom Erikson Syndrome? “If I could do it” answers Rex. “I don’t know if my frame will allow it. I haven’t been under 270 lbs since I was a junior in high school. I would make the cut if I knew something in particular was going to happen (as in a specific match up) and I could stop everything I was doing and concentrate on training to get prepared for that. I know I would be very explosive and very strong at heavyweight. That’s something I would like to consider down the road but right now it’s tough. I’ve got a really big, thick frame. It would be a battle to get to heavyweight but I think I could do it and I could be really strong at heavyweight.”
July 12, 2007
NEW EPISODE OF FCF RADIO: BROCK LARSON AND MONTE COX
July 13, 2007
BODOGFIGHT BodogFIGHT: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee Preview By Jim Genia When: July 14th Where: Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, New Jersey. What: BodogFIGHT: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee
Here’s a look at the full card: Main Event WW: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee BodogFIGHT Middleweight Championship Trevor Prangley vs. Yuki Kondo BodogFIGHT 135-pound Women’s Championship Tara LaRosa vs. Kelly Kobold Main Card HW: Mark Burch vs. Yoshiki Takahashi FW: Eben Oroz vs. David Love MW: Chael Sonnen vs. Amar Suloev LW: James “Binky” Jones vs. Nick Agallar LW: Jorge Masvidal vs. Yves Edwards HW: Brandon Lee Hinkle vs. Roman Zentsov BW: Dan Hawley vs. Blair Tugman
July 13, 2007
NEW EPISODE OF FCF RADIO: JOE RIGGS AND NABIL KHATIB
July 13, 2007
ACROSS THE POND: BRITISH MMA NEWS Across The Pond: British MMA News
By David West
July 13, 2007
KOTC SUPREMACY PREVIEW King of the Cage: Supremacy Preview and Weigh-in Results By Peter Parsons King of the Cage will make its first foray into the Maritimes tomorrow night at the Halifax Forum. The weigh-ins were held today outdoors at the Boston Pizza in downtown Halifax. The main event will feature 4-time UFC veteran Jonathan Goulet (18-8) of Victoriaville , Quebec as he takes on Corey MacDonald (5-1) of Kingston, Ontario. Goulet is coming off of a loss to Jason Day at Ultimate Cage Wars in Winnipeg last month and he knows that this is a must win for him. “I have to win this fight, I want my next fight to be in the UFC, but I must win this fight first,” said the birthday boy Goulet, who turned 28 today. The charismatic French-Canadian had a piece of birthday cake waiting for him when he stepped off the scales.
Corey MacDonald is coming off of a win over the highly regarded Rowan Cunningham at Extreme Cage Combat 5 here in Halifax, a fight in which MacDonald won the ECC welterweight title. Although both fighters have made their mark at welterweight, the pair will do battle tomorrow night as middleweights. In the co-main event, local favorite TJ Grant (6-1) will take on veteran fighter Kevin Manderson (11-8-1) of Winnipeg, Manitoba. After winning the first 6 fights of his career in impressive fashion, Grant is looking to rebound from his first loss. He lost a unanimous decision to Gary Wright for the King of the Cage Canadian Welterweight title in Vernon, British Columbia in April. Out of Grant’s six wins, five have come by way of armbar submission.
Manderson, who has fought most of his career at lightweight, is also coming off of a loss, a second round submission loss to Jason Tatlow at UCW 7 in Winnipeg. Manderson, a fromer University of New Brunswick wrestling star, returns to the Maritimes for the first time in his MMA career. In other feature action, welterweights Alex Sung (3-1), fighting out of Gagetown, New Brunswick will take on Tim Thurston (6-2) from Langley, BC. Sung, an officer in the Canadian military, is coming off of an impressive unanimous decision victory over BTT Canada fighter Nelson Riquelme at ECC 4 in December of last year.
Thurston is coming all the way from the West coast where in his last fight, he won a split decision over Sean Huffman at the King of the Cage event in Vernon, BC in April. Thurston brings a strong boxing background with him to the cage. In a light-heavyweight headliner, John Cole (2-0) from Sudbury, Ontario will fight Pete Rogers (2-1) originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Cole, who has a karate background, made his MMA debut at King of the Cage: Freedom Fight in Hull, Quebec in January of this year, winning by first round TKO in just 22 seconds. He followed his successful debut up with a second round TKO at King of the Cage: Capital Chaos in March.
After making his MMA debut in a losing effort at ECC 1 against up and coming light-heavyweight sensation Roger Hollett, Rogers has rallied off two straight victories in the UCW promotion in Winnipeg. A member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Rogers returns to his home province looking for his third straight victory.
Today’s weigh-ins were overseen by the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority and were followed by a rules meeting. Of note, in Nova Scotia, if the fight is declared a draw after three rounds, the fighters will face off for a fourth and deciding round. All fighters made weight for tomorrow nights fights at the Halifax Forum. Fights start at 7:00 pm with the doors opening at 6:00 pm. King Of the Cage: Supremacy Weigh-in Results Jonathan Goulet (184.4 lbs) vs. Corey MacDonald (183.8 lbs) TJ Grant (168.6 lbs) vs. Kevin Manderson (168.8 lbs) Tim Thurston (170.0 lbs) vs. Alex Sung (167.0 lbs) Pete Rogers (205.4 lbs) vs. John Cole (205.6 lbs) Shawn Marchand (185.6) vs. Tim Skidmore (180.8 lbs) Josh Strickland (240.8) vs. Eric MacDonald (214.2 lbs) Jeff Evely (169.0 lbs) vs. Stephane Lamarche (169.4 lbs) Tony Legnaro (153.4) vs. Ryan McKenna (152.8) Jon Christink (200.0 lbs) vs. Chris Currie (204.8 lbs) Neil Walsh (141.8) vs. Vartan Pour Nick (143.8 lbs) Matt Hamilton (155.2) vs. Justin Bougois (150.0 lbs) Ian Dawe (142.8 lbs) vs. Chris Myra (140.8 lbs) Todd Wood (161.6 lbs) vs. Brad Duguay (158.4 lbs)
July 13, 2007
PRANGLEY VS. KONDO Prangley Guns for Bodog Fight Middleweight Crown Saturday By Kelsey Mowatt Less than 2 years ago, Trevor Prangley was viewed by many as one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s more promising prospects. The athletic, South African wrestler headed to the Zuffa Octagon in June of 2004 with an 8-1 record, with notable wins over Chael Sonnen and Andrei Semenov already under his belt. Prangley’s only loss at the time was a Unanimous Decision loss to future light-heavyweight contender, Renato Sobral. At UFC 48, in his UFC debut, Prangley submitted Curtis Stout in the second round with a neck-crank, a follow up win over Matt Horwich at Sport Fight 9 in March of 2005, left his record at 10-1. Then at UFC 54 in August later that year, Prangley worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over the highly regarded ground-specialist Travis Lutter, and many believed Prangley was well on his way to becoming one of the middleweight division’s top contenders. For many, Prangley’s performance against Jeremy Horn at UFC 56 in November, 2005, only provided further evidence to the fact that he was indeed one of the division’s better fighters. Horn, was seen by most as a top ten 185 lb. fighter, and many believed, that if Prangley could defeat the veteran fighter, a title shot would not be too far around the corner. In what was a surprising verdict for many after the final bell sounded, Horn was awarded the Unanimous Decision victory, handing Prangley his second career loss. 4 months later at Ultimate Fight Night 4, a follow up, decision loss to Chael Sonnen lead to Prangley’s exit from the UFC. “You know what, my last few fights in the UFC, no, I didn’t think they were going to be my last fights in the UFC. “ Prangley said in a FCF Radio appearance on June 5th. “My one with Chael was a disappointing fight, probably the most disappointing fight of my career. But my one with Horn, I thought it was a good fight, the UFC, for some reason, I was labeled as a boring fighter; they cut me right away after the Chael fight. I don’t miss it to be honest with you, I miss some of the exposure you get, but I’m happy where I’m at with all the Bodog guys.” In the last year, since leaving the UFC, Prangley has gone 4-0, defeating Anthony Ruiz in Strikeforce while going 3-0 in Bodog Fight competition. After submitting Kyacey Uscola in Bodog Fight’s first television series, Prangley went on to defeat Andrei Semenov for a second time at Bodog Fight’s first pay-per-view event last December. Most recently, the stand-up skills that Prangley has continued to hone over the last few years via training with the American Kickboxing Academy were rather evident. In Prangley’s Season 3 Bodog Fight against Pierre Guillett, the UFC veteran wasted little time decimating his opponent with strikes for the first round TKO win. Now, Saturday night, in Trenton, New Jersey, on account of his success competing for Bodog Fight, Prangley will face Yuki Kondo (46-19-6) for the promotion’s middleweight crown. It will be another chance for the South African fighter to support his claim that he is indeed one of the world’s better 185 lb. fighters. “I was really happy about it,” Prangley said on FCF Radio, discussing his upcoming fight with Kondo. “I said, I don’t want to fight someone whose not worthy of a title shot, I don’t want to have a plastic title. If I beat Yuki Kondo, and I get that belt, I know that I deserve it, that I won it. It’s not some guy that beat some nobody and puts a belt around their waist, you know what I mean? I wanted to fight somebody tough, I wanted to fight a world class guy, I wanted to get my name out there. As far as I’m concerned, I’m the most under-rated, under-watched, 185 pound fighter out there. In my mind I’m in the top ten, and Yuki Kondo’s going to find out that out.”
July 13, 2007 HAWAII UPDATE
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