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UFC and MMA News

Total news: 621
Last news: November 24, 2010 00:03:19

• Travis Wiuff def. Chris Tuscherer via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Final
• Patrick Smith def. Eric “Butterbean” Esch via submission (strikes) - Round 1, 3:17
  Masters Superfight
• Travis Wiuff def. Ricco Rodriguez via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal
• Chris Tuscherer def. Alexey Oleinik via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal
• Oleg Taktarov def. Mark Kerr via submission (kneebar) - Round 1, 1:55
  Masters Superfight
• Ricco Rodriguez def. George Bush via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
• Travis Wiuff def. Marcelo Pereira via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
• Chris Tuscherer def. Tony Sylvester via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
• Alexey Oleinik def. Sherman Pendergarst via submission (forearm choke) - Round 1, 4:18
  Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal
• Bryan Vetell def. Antwain Britt via unanimous decision
  Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Bout
• Lamont Lister def. Oleg Savitsky via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:33
  Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Bout

In some cut ups from MMA Madness, Matt Serra dishes out his classic brand of sentiment on the upcoming bout with GSP, arch rival Matt Hughes, and, of course, the hostile Canadian crowd.

Serra on Serra:

“I am the MMA version of The Cinderella Man, except my fight didn’t go the distance…”

On GSP and Hughes:

“Afterward he made up some excuses, but he (St. Pierre) apologized. He is a young guy who got the belt at an early age. There’s no reason for me to be angry at him. It’s not like Matt Hughes, who I think is a moron. GSP is a good guy. I’d like to fight Matt Hughes at some point…that fight has to happen regardless (of what happens against GSP). Too much has been done and said.

Some guys win some fights and they become assholes. I’m no different for better or worse. But Matt Hughes brings out the worst in me. He is mentally challenged. I haven’t read his book. People said it makes him sound like a dickhead. That’s not surprising. He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

On how the first bout with St. Pierre was definitely not a fluke:

“People love GSP, but you can’t deny what I have done. You have Matt Hughes saying it was a lucky punch, but he’s a retard. Georges was supposed to be the new MMA god; the guy on the Wheaties box.. As far as everyone was concerned, I was just a little Italian guy that got lucky. It wasn’t one punch. I got the better of every exchange. I had a gameplan and it was my night.

People will say what they want to say. I haven’t lost any sleep over it. What can they say anyway? That I didn’t dominate that fight? It doesn’t matter. Critics can’t get into the cage with you unless they are in your head. Look, when I get (to Montreal’s Bell Centre), I know (the fans) are going to be against me. That’s Ok. I already have my family and friends, I could use a few enemies. So boo me. Boo me you drunks!”

Ah, the eloquent words of Matt Serra. We shall indeed see if Serra can back up his world class motor-mouth at UFC 83 which is now merely eight days away. Though it would be fun to see Serra get knocked silly after all his lip service, I am most definitely hoping for a war in Montreal.

Stop by MMAFrenzy.com next weekend for extensive coverage of UFC 83 live from Montreal, Canada.

The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas will play host to UFC 86 where two of the most memorable fighters from “The Ultimate Fighter 6″ will meet head to head. Alongside the main event, light heavyweight championship bout between Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin, according to MMA Junkie, Jared “J-Roc” Rollins will face off with Ben “Berserk” Saunders in a possible do or die crunch match for Rollins.

Rollins, a brown belt in BJJ, was seen by many as one of the early favorites to win series 6 of The Ultimate Fighter. Despite the high level of BJJ skill and cardio, it all ended early and emotionally for the American from Long Beach, as he was eliminated in the opening round of the competition via KO courtesy of George Sotiropoulos. Rollins would return to face fellow TUF6 cast member and friend Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver at the Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, treating fans to an epic 3 round blood-soaked slug-fest, though Rollins ultimately lost the bout via third-round TKO.

Saunders’ is a Jeet Kune Do fighter who goes into this fight with an undefeated MMA record. In the Ultimate Fighter 6, Saunders displayed his skills to defeat Dan Barrera with unorthodox combinations of both kicks and punches, and also proved he has a good chin, taking a powerful punch from Barrera to the nose, which dropped him to the canvas, only for Saunders to recover instantly and laugh off the strike. Saunders went on to to lose to runner up Tommy Speer in the quarterfinals of the competition, and then returned to the finale defeating Barrera in a rematch.

After losing in the first round of TUF6 and then losing his UFC debut, Rollins earned himself a place back in the Octagon after his bout with Koppenhaver was selected as “Fight of the Night”. Rollins will be looking to prove himself, and desperately needs to earn a win in the UFC. He will almost certainly want to take this fight to the ground and utilize his BJJ. Saunders not only is a more skilled and experienced striker, he also poses a threat with his reach advantage. We have yet to see the ability of Saunders ground game and the outcome of this fight may rest on whether or not he can keep the fight standing.

MASTERS SUPERFIGHTS

• Oleg Taktarov (221.2) vs. Mark Kerr (266.2)
• Patrick Smith (240) vs. Eric ” Butterbean” Esch (416.2)

HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT

• Ricco Rodriguez (264.6) vs. George Bush (231.6)
• Travis Wiuff (242.8) vs. Marcelo Pereira (219.4)
• Chris Tuscherer (264) vs. Tony Sylvester (262.8)
• Sherman Pendergarst (264.6) vs. Alexey Oleinik (220.2)

ALTERNATE TOURNAMENT BOUTS

• Antwain Britt (228.2) vs. Bryan Vetell (266)
• Lamont Lister (212.6) vs. Oleg Savitsky (199.4)

ALTERNATE

• Ron Waterman (264.4)

MMAFrenzy.com will be cage-side for the inaugural YAMMA Pit Fighting event in Atlantic City, New Jersey so stay tuned for additional coverage of the event.

“I’ve been thinking about it. It’s going to depend on the scenario. I have a lot of training partners at 185 and my weight class is 170. I would never get into the way of one of my training partners. I would never fight somebody I train with. But if one day, I have the opportunity, the way is clear, and I did everything I had to do in my division, of course I will [fight Anderson Silva].”

Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre tells MMA Weekly that he is open to fighting dominant UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva if given the opportunity.

The forums on mma-id.com received a haul of traffic recently as MMA fan favorite Mirko “Cro Cop” Filopovic joined MMA fans for a live chat. After being a force to contend with as a professional kickboxer in K-1, Mirko transitioned to MMA joining PRIDE FC where he soon emerged as a top-tier fighter claiming notable wins over an MMA who’s who list, including Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett and UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman.

Fans were excited to see Mirko join the UFC in early-2007 after the UFC’s acquisition of PRIDE FC, but did not expect the roller coaster ride the man with a reputation of zero to none brought us. Mirko made his highly anticipated UFC debut in style completely outclassing Eddie Sanchez, easily defeating him with a flurry of trademark high kicks, but the back to back losses handed to him by Gabirel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo was a career first for the Croatian former PRIDE open weight grand prix champion. Many rumors of a disheartened or ready-to-retire Mirko Cro Cop were spawned, especially after his two month loss of contact with the UFC who were frantically trying to arrange the next fight on his UFC contract. Mirko is known to have a healthy relationship with the former owners of PRIDE FC who recently started a new MMA organization DREAM and was more than happy to be the headline of DREAM.1, placing himself back in the W column with a first-round victory. So what is going on in Mirko’s head? Are any of the rumors true? Does Mirko not like competing in the West?

“Cro Cop” was online for over two hours and answered almost all questions put to him in an effort to open up to fans and clear up the rampant rumors.

A selection of the best questions are shown below, many of which were translated from Croatian. Without further delay…

What rematch are you looking forward the most right now?
Cro Cop : Against Fedor. Then Minotauro and Kongo.

How do your plans for this year look?
Cro Cop : 2 more fights for DREAM, then I want Fedor for NYE or the UFC. But definitely 2 more fights.

Are you friends with Fedor?
Cro Cop : I respect him but we are not friends.

Besides Fedor, which fighter would you most like to fight?
Cro Cop : Nogueira, Kongo, Gonzaga.

Are you afraid of getting too old and hot having the time to complete your goals?
Cro Cop : As a sportsman, I don’t think about this. But sometime I’ll have to retire. Let’s hope not in the next 3-4 years.

Are you planning on returning to the UFC to show them who you really are?
Cro Cop : I’ll be back to the UFC definitely.

How did you like to be back in Japan fighting?
Cro Cop : I feel great I like Japan really much.

What do you think of elbows in MMA? Should it be allowed? I think it destroys the game with all the cuts and son on.
Cro Cop : I don’t know. I don’t like elbows, much damage is done with them. Fights are being stopped due to a bleeding.

Who will take fedor vs sylvia and how?
Cro Cop : It’s hard to say. Minor advantage goes to Fedor.

If someone offers 3 million Euros to you to retire, what would be your answer?
Cro Cop : I wouldn’t retire, this has nothing to do with money anymore.

Chuck Liddell says he would like move to HW to fight you, what do you think about that?
Cro Cop : Indeed. I would like to fight him.

Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
Cro Cop : In Zagreb with more kids and martial arts academy.

What do you think, is there a fighter who can beat you at this moment and who would that be?
Cro Cop : Everyone can be beaten. I’m id good shape and I’ll prove that in my next fight.

Mirko, how do you feel now about your career, do you have confidence again to reach your goals?
Cro Cop : Yes, I’m still very very confident.

Mirko, are you still motivated as much as before your last fight?
Cro Cop : My motivation is very high, I’ve never been so motivated!

Have you watched your knockout against Gonzaga, it must be difficult?
Cro Cop : I saw it, it wasn’t easy but that’s the job. If it was easy, it wouldn’t got me. (laugh)

What do you thing on UFC president Dana White?
Cro Cop : Very capable guy.

How is your elbow injury?
Cro Cop : Surgery is coming up soon after my next fight.

Now that you have fought in both. Do you prefer a ring or a octagon?
Cro Cop : I prefer ring, but I’ll fight in the cage again.

Many people say that DREAM is the new PRIDE, do you think that this assessment is accurate?
Cro Cop : YES.

Are you fighting on DREAMS April 29 card?
Cro Cop : No.

How much do you bench (maximum)?
Cro Cop : 160 kg.

How much do you weigh right now?
Cro Cop : 105 kg at the moment.

Hey mirko.. 1 question.. you will open your school in zagreb one day?
Cro Cop : I hope that I’ll open a martial arts academy in Zagreb soon.

Are you afraid of anything?
Cro Cop : Boring persons, snakes, broken car, crazy dogs over 30 kgs of weight … (laugh)

How many miles can you run?
Cro Cop : Depends who’s after me.

How many miles can you run if a crazy 30kg dog is behind you?.
Cro Cop : Ultra marathon, 64 kilometers I guess.

You are big p**sy.
Cro Cop : Come and say that in front of me.

Will you ever drop weightclass to 205lbs. to fight at light-heavyweight?
Cro Cop : Only if I chop off my leg.

Cro Cop : Thank everyone for this chat. Now I have to go to prepare for my training. I hope you liked my answers and see on MMA-ID.

Not only did Mirko inform us that he is as confident, focused and motivated as he ever has been, he mentioned he would be willing to fight Fedor, Nogueira, Kongo, Gonzaga and even a heavyweight Chuck Lidell, clearly showing that Mirko still rates himself among the best in his weight class within MMA. He mentioned the possibility of fighting Fedor at NYE, nothing would put Cro Cop back in the headlines more than a win over Fedor or another big name. I wonder if this is his plan to replenish a state of greatness. He also shared with us his views on wanting to avenge every loss he has ever suffered.

This sounds about as focused as a fighter can be. Mirko was quick to answer with a negative response on retirement and answered many more questions not listed about his plans to open his own academy in his homeland. It was great to hear Mirko this confident and dedicated to the sport of MMA. I eagerly await his return to the Octagon as much as any other fan. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get matched up with a dog of over 30 kilos.

From Sherdog:

An all-Brazilian battle between Alexandre Franca Nogueira and Jose Aldo is set for the June 1 WEC in Sacramento, Calif. Both camps confirmed the bout.

“Pequeno” Nogueira, who reigned for years as champion of Shooto’s 143-pound division, was expected to fight Nick Agallar. Leonard Garcia was then mentioned as a potential opponent before he was arrested in Texas last week.

Aldo, 9-1, had already signed with the promotion and was also waiting on an opponent. The 21-year-old featherweight trains with Nova Uniao.

For more on WEC 34 check out the MMAFrenzy.com rumors section.

Last week, eight fighters fought their way into the Ultimate Fighter house with opening round wins while eight others failed in their bid to join this seasons cast. This week the cast of the seventh season will be finalized as the remaining sixteen fighters go head-to-head with the remaining eight spots on the line.

RESULTS

• Matthew Riddler def. Dan Simmler via KO - Round 2
• Luke Zachrich def. Patrick Schultz via submission - Round 1
• Tim Credeur def. Erik Charles via submission - Round 1
• Brandon Sene def. Aaron Meisner via submission - Round 1
• Gerald Harris def. Mike Marrello via unanimous decision
• Daniel Cramer def. Jeremiah Riggs via unanimous decision
• Jesse Taylor def. Nick Rossborough via submission - Round 1
• Matt Brown def. Josh Hall via TKO - Round 1

With all of the opening round bouts now completed, the sixteen fighter cast for the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter” has now been finalized.

FIGHTERS

• Matt Brown
• Paul Bradley
• Daniel Cramer
• Tim Credeur
• Mike Dolce
• CB Dollaway
• Gerald Harris
• Nick Klein
• Jeremy May
• Matthew Riddler
• Dante Rivera
• Amir Sadollah
• Brandon Sene
• Jesse Taylor
• Cale Yarbrough
• Luke Zachrich

Next week, coaches Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin will select their teams and the first round of the all-middleweight tournament will commence.

MMAFrenzy.com is your source for in-depth recaps and news from the”The Ultimate Fighter 7: Team Forrest vs. Team Rampage”.

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson will meet James “The Colossus” Thompson in the main event of the first ever mixed martial arts show to air on network television reports NBCSports.com. The inaugural rendition of “CBS-EliteXC Saturday Night Fights” had Slice tapped to headline the May 31 card, but until now an opponent had not been confirmed.

The twenty-nine-year-old English-born Thompson is 14-8 in his MMA career with notable victories over Dan Severn, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Don Frye. Over the years Thompson has become somewhat known for his two distinguishing polar characteristics — heavy hands and a glass jaw. In fact, while Thompson has won nine of his total fights via knock out or technical knock out, he has also never lost a fight via decision, only by either KO, TKO, or submission. A veteran of PrideFC, Thompson last competed in February at Elite XC’s “Street Certififed” where he was knocked out by Brett Rogers midway through the first round. Prior to that Thompson faced Neil Grove at Cage Rage 22, where he was also knocked out just 10 seconds into the opening frame.

Given the nature of both Kimbo and his new opponent, I think it’s fair to say that our winner will likely be determined by whoever is lucky enough to land the first good shot. Though James Thompson has looked all shades of lousy in recent performances, he does enjoy a significant height and reach advantage over “internet sensation” Kimbo Slice, which I imagine he will attempt to exploit for as long as possible once the bell sounds.

Stay tuned to MMAFreny.com for extensive coverage of the May 31st event.

NEW YORK (April 9, 2008) — Everlast Worldwide Inc., manufacturer, marketer and licensor of sporting goods, apparel, footwear, and other active lifestyle products under the Everlast brand name is proud to announce that they have partnered with Randy “The Natural” Couture with a long term exclusive contract. Couture a six-time UFC Champion and the most celebrated name in the sport was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and was the first fighter to hold titles in both the Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight divisions.

This long-term partnership marks the commitment of Everlast to become the premiere brand in the fastest growing sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The partnership with Couture allows him to exclusively wear Everlast fight shorts, fight gloves, training equipment and training apparel. In addition, Everlast will be the exclusive equipment and apparel sponsor of Xtreme Couture Gyms, in all locations. Together, Everlast and Couture will collaborate on a co-branded line of MMA equipment that will set the standard for equipment and apparel in MMA. Additionally, the partnership will work on developing grassroots programs to teach the youth, and create fitness clinics and retail concept shops.

As an industry leader in boxing equipment and apparel, entering into the arena of MMA is a natural progression for the Everlast brand. “Our goal is to become the number one performance equipment and apparel brand within the Mixed Martial Arts space, and Randy Couture is the perfect partner for this mission. He is a living legend within the sport, and his dedication to fitness and the overall fighting community aligns perfectly with our brand ethos,” explains Neil Morton, CEO of Everlast. “Together with Randy, we will be able to bring this tremendous sport to new levels with authenticity and dedication to making the best product the sport has to offer.”

In 2007, Couture opened up the first of five Xtreme Couture Gyms that encompass all of the training methods and fighting techniques found within the sport.

“Xtreme Couture Gyms have quickly become the Mecca for training fighters,” explains Randy Couture. He continues, “By entering into a partnership with Everlast, we join a proud heritage of fighting champions, and further surround our members with product to elevate their training and competition experience.”

“As the equipment and apparel sponsor of Xtreme Couture Gyms, it is imperative to continually develop product that fulfills the performance needs of the evolving MMA consumer on both a training and competitive level,” comments Adam Geisler, President of Everlast. He continues, “Additionally, MMA training is gaining popularity amongst today’s younger athletes as a cross training regimen and overall exercise program. We will utilize Randy to help bring the sport to a broader base of consumers in today’s active gym environment.”

The Everlast MMA equipment line will hit retail in September of this year, and will be sold in Sporting Goods, Sport Specialty, and Online Distribution channels.

Kenny Florian, Joe Lauzon, James Irvin, and Nate Diaz all took home an additional $20,000 post-event bonus for their efforts at UFC Fight Night 13 exactly one week ago.

Florian and Lauzon, who clashed in the main event bout at the event, were awarded the “Fight of the Night” bonus. Florian won the lightweight fight via second-round TKO.

Irvin was unsurprisingly awarded the “Knockout of the Night” for his record-tying 8-second knockout of Houston Alexander.

“The Ultimate Fighter 5″ winner Diaz took home “Submission of the Night” for his triangle choke win against Kurt Pellegrino.

It seems that Thiago Alves’ upset victory over Karo “The Heat” Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13 was enough to catapult him right into the upper echelon rankings in the UFC’s welterweight division:

“American Top Team’s Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is now directly behind No. 1 contender Jon Fitch (17-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for a shot at the title.

“Right now I heard I’m right behind Jon Fitch,” Alves said. “That’s what Joe Silva told me.”

Alves was informed of his positioning by UFC matchmaker Joe Silva immediately following the 24-year-old Brazilian’s TKO victory over Karo Parisyan (18-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) at Ultimate Fight Night 13….

During the interview Alves reflected on the bout with Parisyan and claims that Karo has since come to terms with the referee’s decision that night:

“I was feeling great,” Alves said. “In the beginning, I always start slow. I don’t start 100 percent. I start to pick up the pace while the fight is going.”

“I was feeling him out a little bit because he’s a big name,” Alves said. “He’s the biggest name I’ve fought. When I got to the USA, I saw him crushing people in the UFC, so I had a little mental thing. I said ‘Let me feel him out, let me see what he’s got. Let me see how strong he is and everything.’

“And after the first round, when I went back to my corner, in my corner is Jorge Santiago, and he says ‘You see everything? You saw it? That’s it. Now go fight him. Go kick his ass.’ And in the second round we went and just took over the fight.”

“You can look at the replay,” Alves said. “Even I looked at it after the fight. He was out. He fell. He had no reaction at all. I kept punching and punching, and sometimes when you’re out, when you get punched again you wake up. You don’t know what just happened.

“That was [Parisyan’s] concern. He thought that nothing happened. ‘Why’d you stop the fight?’ you know? When he saw the replay, even (Parisyan’s coach Randy) Couture was like, ‘You got knocked out.’ After a while, [Parisyan] texted my coach and apologized and everything. Karo’s a great guy.”

Alves further stated that while he could abstain from competition for a period and wait for a potential title shot, we will probably see him back in the octagon some time around June or July.

From Sherdog:

Mauricio Rua is recovering in Brazil after surgery a few weeks ago on his knee.

“The surgery was very quick, lasted 50 minutes, was quiet,” Rua told Sherdog.com. “Now I hope for healing and I think here in about two months I can return to training slowly, very cautiously.”

The Brazilian light heavyweight ruptured the ACL in his left knee while preparing at his academy for a bout against Chuck Liddell. “Shogun” said he had tried to explode into a maneuver while training with Vitor Miranda, and his knee moved strangely.

Rua is expected to return to the octagon in the fall.

FIGHTER SALARIES

• Brian Stann ($18,000) def. Doug Marshall ($10,000)
• Chael Sonnen ($34,000) def. Bryan Baker ($5,000)
• Marcus Hicks ($10,000) def. Ed Ratcliff ($7,000)
• Steve Cantwell ($8,000) def. Tim McKenzie ($6,000)
• Hiromitsu Miura ($8,000) def. Blas Avena ($6,000)
• Brock Larson ($24,000) def. John Alessio ($15,000)
• Richard Crunkilton ($20,000) def. Sergio Gomez ($4,000)
• Alex Serdyukov ($12,000) def. Ryan Stonitsch ($3,000)
• Kenji Osawa ($5,000) vs. Chris Manuel ($3,000)
• Logan Clark ($12,000) def. Scott Harper ($3,000)

MEDICAL SUSPENSIONS

• Doug Marshall must have right foot x-rayed and cleared by doctor or suspended until September 23rd. Minimum suspension until May 11th with no contact until April 26th.
• Bryan Baker suspended until May 11th with no contact until April 26th due to left eye laceration.
• Tim McKenzie suspended until April 26th with no contact until April 17th due to left foreheard laceration.
• Blas Avena suspended until May 26th with no contact until May 11th.
• Brock Larson must have jaw cleared by doctor or suspended until September 23rd. Minimum suspension until May 11th with no contact until April 26th.
• Richard Crunkilton suspended until April 26th with no contact until April 17th.
• Sergio Gomez suspended until May 11th with no contact until April 26th due to scalp laceration.
• Chris Manuel was suspended until April 3rd with no contact until April 3rd due to a right thumb contusion.
• Scott Harper must have left eye cleared by doctor due to a thumb in the eye.

DALLAS, TX (Apr 8, 2008) — SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc. announced today that the Dallas-based Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) production and promotion company has signed an Agreement with Fox Sports Net (FSN) to telecast SUN’s new innovative, MMA TV series: “GI Vs. Pro.”

SUN’s “Art of War” division will produce a series of nine MMA events that will air as one-hour specials Saturday nights at midnight on FSN, beginning July 19th, 2008 and concluding on September 13th, 2008.

“GI Vs. Pro” will pit current and former MMA-trained armed services members against professional mixed martial arts fighters from around the country. All fights will be scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds. “GI Vs. Pro” action will be fought inside a circular cage — a first on FSN.

FSN announcer Jay Glazer and analyst Frank Trigg, who worked as the commentary team for the Pride Fighting Championships on the network, will also team up on the “GI Vs. Pro” telecasts.

SUN CEO CJ Comu stated, “We at SUN are extremely pleased to be working with such a respected network as FSN, which will telecast this unique and exciting series into millions of homes across the country.

“Our agreement with FSN is an important milestone for SUN as we continue to implement our growth strategy and develop relationships with international and domestic partners. By showcasing our world-class fighters through well produced, quality events on FSN, SUN’s position as an emerging global MMA organization is only further enhanced.”

“MMA is on fire,” said FSN VP of Production Gary Garcia. “This show, featuring intense battles between elite, fine-tuned athletes, is the perfect brand extension for the U.S. military to hit their target demo right between the eyes.”

In addition to the FSN and SUN announcement, Florida-based Show Partners Inc. has been selected by SUN to provide television production, operations and design services in support of the “GI Vs. Pro” series of MMA events.

“Show Partners is pleased to have been selected by SUN for the production of the “GI Vs. Pro” and look forward to working with SUN and FSN,” said Show Partners EVP Larry Rogers. “This format, pitting combat-ready members of the U.S. Military against proven MMA fighters promises to deliver an emotional series of events featuring unprecedented toughness and excitement.”

With a 23-year history as veterans of live event and television productions, Show Partners’ staff have earned 15 National Emmy Awards, providing global support for networks and production companies worldwide.

Additionally, FOX Interactive and SUN will collaborate on generating interactive content for both companies’ platforms, including FOXSports.com. The online offerings could include streaming of events, clips syndicated across the FOX Network and other enhanced content to build an online community around each FSN broadcast and SUN events.

Mixed Martial Arts is a sport evolved from a number of ancient combat disciplines including judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling and kickboxing. World-class athletes engage in hand-to-hand combat in a ring — both caged and traditional — and must adapt their fighting style to fit their opponent. The wide variety of styles and techniques make every event an unpredictable spectacle.

Below is the 2008 “GI Vs. Pro” Fox Sports Net telecast schedule

Sat. July 19 - GI Vs. Pro I - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. July 26 - GI Vs. Pro II - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Aug 2 - GI Vs. Pro III - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Aug 9 - GI Vs. Pro IV - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Aug 16 - GI Vs. Pro V - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Aug 23 - GI Vs. Pro VI - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Aug 30 - GI Vs. Pro VII - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Sept 6 - GI Vs. Pro VIII - 12:00 Midnight
Sat. Sept 13 - GI Vs. Pro FINALS - 12:00 Midnight

Chris Fries and The JDH of Tagg Radio’s The Lights Out Show interviewed top UFC middleweight Chris Leben on their last show and, as we know, he’s always got something interesting to say. Here are some excerpts from the show:

CALLING OUT YUSHIN OKAMI AND MICHAEL BISPING

“We’re talking to Joe (Silva - UFC Match Maker), and we’re starting to look for a fight. If you win 4 or 5 fights in a row, you’re pretty much guaranteed a title shot, so I figured maybe Okami or Bisping would be a fun fight for me.”

ON ANDERSON SILVA VS ROY JONES JR. AND BOXING VS MMA FIGHTING IN GENERAL

“Sure a boxer beats a UFC guy in boxing, but the bottom line is what’s cooler? (MMA) Fighting, right?!”

To hear the rest of this interview, tune into The Lights Out Show on the Tagg Radio Network at www.TaggRadio.com. Live shows every Tuesday and Thursday 8e/5p. Archive shows available to listen to anytime afterward at www.thelightsoutshow.com, www.iTunes.com, and www.myspace.com/thelightsoutshow.

From Sherdog:

“Top ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will fight Tim Sylvia on July 19. The Russian mixed martial arts champion confirmed the bout to Sherdog.com on Tuesday.

HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon declined to comment on the report, however sources indicate the bout will air on the Mark Cuban-owned network and is rumored to be promoted by Affliction, a clothing brand closely tied to MMA.

“[Sylvia] is a good fighter, a strong fighter, the former UFC heavyweight champion, which is important,” Emelianenko said via telephone from Stary Oskol, Russia. “I am looking forward to fighting him and training hard for this fight.”

While Emelianenko was short on details, Sherdog.com has learned through sources close to the negotiations that Fedor-Sylvia would headline a card tentatively scheduled for the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, the home base of HDNet Fights.”

While this bout is certainly no Coutre vs. Emelianenko, I’ll happily take it. Fedor-Sylvia should prove to be a very interesting and very marketable match up, though to be honest I don’t give Sylvia much of a chance. It’s also nice to see Fedor Emelianenko return to decent level competition, which could do wonders for his teetering pound-for-pound ranking.

The big gimmick behind Yamma Pit Fighting when the promotion was first announced was this revolutionary fighting surface dubbed “The Yamma.”  Details on the mystery surface were recently announced in a press release issued by the company:

“The YPF surface, known as “The Yamma,” is an evolution of the traditional fighting structure and is designed to keep the fighting more explosive and continuous. In today’s MMA matches, fighters rush their opponents in the quest for a takedown, and the fight often ends up on the ground and pushed up against the fence. The action often stalls there, and must be stopped and moved back into the center of the ring. The Yamma’s design is specifically aimed at stopping this break in the action. The Yamma is a circular pit, shaped almost like a bowl, with a circular flat bottom that rises up around the edge. In this ring, if a fighter is pushed backwards towards the fence, he moves up the lip, gaining both a height and leverage advantage over his opponent. From this position, the fighter on the lip can use gravity and leverage to reverse his opponent, and take the fight back into the center without a break in the action.”

Yamma creator and former UFC founder Bob Meyerowtiz also commented on “The Yamma” in the release:

“There has been a lot of speculation about the Yamma; some people thought it would have a moving floor, spikes or even live alligators,” said Bob Meyrowitz, Rope Partners. “But the Yamma isn’t about flashy gimmicks; it’s about the evolution of a sport and how the traditional ring can be altered to accelerate that evolution. At its core, the purpose of the Yamma is to make MMA fighting more exciting for those who matter most - the fans.”

The problem with The Yamma isn’t necessarily that its a bit of a cheap gimmick, but that its a gimmick which has already been done before, as the surface appears to be strikingly similar to the one currently used by the World Combat League.  But I guess we will find out soon enough if The Yamma really does anything to help make for a more exciting fight.

Just a couple of weeks ago, former UFC lightweight and current WEC featherweight Leonard Garcia ran into some trouble with the law down south:

“WEC fighter Leonard Garcia, who was arrested earlier this week for his alleged involvement in a major cocaine trafficking ring in Texas, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and other substantive counts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Garcia has since released a statement about the arrest:

“I am fighting it because there is nothing but someone saying I was involved…I hope to have a smile on my face after this is said and done, but I feel like I’m in a fight for my life. I’d like to tell my fans to stick with me and pray that the liar in this case tells the truth…I want to get back to doing what I do best: fighting for the fans…Your past is exactly that. My life has a bright future, and people that don’t have that don’t want me to have one either. May God forgive them. Me and my family are very strong. I was the glue that held us together. Now they are the wall that is protecting me and giving me support”

Garcia most recently defeated Hiroyuki Takaya via TKO at WEC 32 this past February. The WEC, which is the sister promotion to the UFC, has not made any public statements on Garcia’s situation at this juncture.