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2010-03-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Brain Irregularity Forces Thiago Alves Off UFC 111

2010-03-25T08:38:00.001-07:00

Earlier today, during routine medical tests for all UFC 111 fighters, a pre-fight CAT scan revealed a dangerous irregularity in the brain of, UFC welterweight contender and former title challenger, Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves (16-6). This precautionary procedure is not required by every state athletic commission, which means Alves was considerably lucky to be fighting in New Jersey where it is done regularly.

According to UFC president Dana White, this unusual injury could even be career-ending, which would be an incredible shame given Alves' crowd-pleasing style and nearly limitless potential in the 170lb. division. Obviously, the well-wishes of every MMA and UFC fan are with Thiago Alves today.

The UFC has already announced that, given the limited remaining time-frame in which to schedule a new opponent, Jon Fitch (21-3) will not appear in a replacement fight at UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy. Though his troubles are insignificant in comparison to Alves' condition, this is an unfortunate development for Fitch who would have preferred to stay busy in order to remain near the front of the welterweight title hunt. Fitch also probably liked his chances in this fight, having defeated Alves once before in mid-2006.

A lightweight battle between New Jersey's own wrestler-extraordinaire Kurt Pellegrino (14-4) and Brazilian grappler Fabricio Camoes (10-4-1) has been promoted to the main card to take the place of Fitch vs. Alves II.

Updated UFC 111 Fight Card:

Main Event:

170 lbs.: [-700] Georges St. Pierre (19-2, 14-2 UFC) vs. [+475] Dan Hardy (23-6, 4-0 UFC)

Main Card:

265 lbs.: [-160] Frank Mir (13-4, 11-4 UFC) vs. [+130] Shane Carwin (11-0, 3-0 UFC)

155 lbs.: Fabricio Camoes (10-4-1, 0-0-1 UFC) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (14-4, 6-3 UFC)

170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger (22-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Ben Saunders (8-2-1, 4-1 UFC)

155 lbs.: Jim Miller (16-2, 5-1 UFC) vs. Mark Bocek (8-2, 4-2 UFC)

Under Card (Live On Spike TV):

155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (11-5, 6-3 UFC) vs. Rory Markham (16-5, 1-1)

170 lbs.: Ricardo Almeida (11-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. Matt Brown (11-7, 4-1 UFC)

Preliminary Card (May Not Be Broadcast):

205 lbs.: Jared Hamman (11-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Rodney Wallace (9-1, 0-1 UFC)

185 lbs.: Tomasz Drwal (17-2-1, 3-1) vs. Rousimar Palhares (10-2, 3-1)

UFC Reportedly Signs New Six-Fight Contract With "Rampage" Jackson

2010-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

It was already known that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-7) would be returning to face Rashad Evans (14-1-1) at UFC 114 on May 29th, but many thought that might be Jackson's last trip to the octagon for some time.

Now, according to reports from French-Canadaian MMA sit Riddum.com, it seems that may not be the case. They asked UFC president Dana White for an update on Jackson's contract status and received this update:

"Rampage and I are friends again now. I was mad at him because of what he's done, and he was mad at me because I was mad at him...we just renewed Rampage's contract...It's a 6 fight contract."

This is good news for "Rampage" fans and also clears up what happens if Jackson wins the fight with Rashad. If the UFC didn't have him under contract it would have created an awkward situation in which a Jackson would devastate Rashad's marketability, but the UFC couldn't move Jackson into a title shot either because he was gone. It seems as though Rampage, being fully aware of the touchy situation he had created, intentionally fueled rumours that he would leave the UFC just to drive his value up. All's fair in the business of MMA.

Of course, until Dana or "Rampage" (re)confirms the existence of a new six-fight contract, this report must be considered less-than %100 trustworthy.

Gate and Viewership For "UFC on Vs. 1" -- Inside The Numbers

2010-03-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

A sellout crowd of 6,443 fight fans flooded into Broomfield, Colorado's 1stBank Event Center on Sunday, March, 21st. The Ultimate Fighting Championship raked in a healthy gate to the tune of $568, 125. That's an average of just over $80 per ticket and a very decent haul for a non-numbered UFC show.

The bigger question coming out of UFC on Vs. 1: Vera vs. Jones was how the promotion would fare in the ratings game after having moved away from their usual free-TV home of SpikeTV and on to the Vs. network.

The answer seems to be, not too badly. The UFC averaged 1.24 million viewers this past Sunday night for a respectable 1.6 rating among men aged 18-34.

World Extreme Cagefighting events are commonly broadcast on Vs., so many industry observers looked forward to this weekend's event for it's ability to demonstrate the relative fan-base sizes of Zuffa's sister promotions. Now the the numbers are in, we can see that UFC on Vs. 1's mark of 1.24 million is much better than the average WEC show, and over three times larger than the recent WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz, which nabbed only 373, 000 pairs of eyes.

While it's now pretty clear, though not particularly surprising, that Vs. viewers are about three times more eager to tune in to a UFC card as compared to a WEC event, UFC On Vs. 1 still fell just short of setting a new Vs. record for MMA viewership. That honour still belongs to WEC 34: Faber vs. Pulver, which managed a viewership of 1.54 million in summer 2008.

The viewership number of 1.24 million for UFC on Vs. 1: Vera vs. Jones was also significantly lower than the average show on Spike, which can frequently hit numbers north of 2 million. The most recent UFC event on Spike, Ultimate Fight Night 20: Maynard vs. Diaz, managed an average viewership of 1.7 million, or roughly %30 more viewers than UFC On Vs. 1: Vera vs. Jones. This was the case despite the fact that UFN 20 was not nearly so stacked with top talent as UFC On Vs 1 and was a attention-testing three hour broadcast as compared to Vs.' more viewer friendly two-hour length. Of course, the flip-side of that is that SpikeTV is available in 99 million homes as compared to just 75 million for Vs.

It will be interesting to see how these trends continue to play out as the UFC seems committed to broadcasting free shows on both channels. SpikeTV, which will remain the UFC's primary cable home-base for now, gets its next event on March 31st when UFN 21: Florian vs. Gomi goes live ahead of the debut of TUF 11: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz. The next UFC show on Vs. is set for August, 1st in Oakland, CA.

Overall, it makes good sense for the UFC to court fans on more than one cable network in the hopes that reaching viewers from a variety of sources may help grow their fan-base. That is to say, SpikeTV's men's interests crowd is decidedly different from Vs.' extreme/alternative sports viewers. It also gives the UFC a leg-up in negotiations with individual stations when setting terms of their ongoing relationships if they can point to a competitor who is also willing to broadcast their events.

That said, all the SpikeTV's and Vs.' in the world of cable cannot add up to the power of a network TV giant like CBS or even a widely received cable station like ESPN. So far, the UFC has only convinced fringe players to allow them to control their own shows on the airwaves. They will have a difficult time being taken seriously in the same breath as organizations like the PGA, or NBA until they can change that. Strikeforce already has with their CBS arrangement, which gives them a distinct distribution advantage that the UFC should sensibly want to eradicate.

UFC on Vs. 1: Vera Vs. Jones -- Review

2010-03-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

It was a wild and dangerous night to be a high-level MMA fighter in Broomfield, Colorado this past Sunday at UFC on Vs. 1: Jones Vs. Vera-- as you can see from this photo of Duane "Bang" Ludwig (19-11)'s backward-facing ankle, in a fight which failed to make the broadcast. The carnage didn't stop there, though, as the night featured (T)KO's in every single televised fight and finishes to nine of eleven fights. Interestingly, it was just the first two fights of the night's preliminary card that went the distance. From a fan's perspective, the night was pretty odd with some unusual stoppages and strange goings on during the televised broadcast, which made this card highly memorable if nothing else.

Sakara vs. Irvin

The night's festivities, broadcast across Canada on Sportsnet (HD), began with a middleweight scrap between noted strikers Alessio Sakara and James Irvin. The streak of odd occurances began right off the bat when Irvin removed his shirt and we got a look at his emaciated physique in his debut fight at 185lbs. He looked dangerously skeletal, and appeared to be one skipped calorie away from major organ failure. It's not clear why Irvin, who was never considered a small 205lb'er, decided to attempt this cut, but UFC President Dana White has publically stated that we won't be seeing "The Sandman's" hideously proturding middleweight cheekbones ever again in the octagon. Not that he's been cut, necessarily. The fight itself was fairly predictable given Irvin's condition: he was sluggish, kept up a meagre work-rate, and generally looked like a shadow of his usual self while eating numerous clean shots from a sharp, on-point Alessio Sakara. That basic pattern eventually resulted in the night's second strange televised moment when Irvin succumbed to a clean punch directly to the eyeball. I can only assume that, had the normal amount of skin tissue been present on Irvin's disturbingly gaunt face, he might usually have been able to take that punch without risk to his eye.

Kongo vs. Buentello

The wackiness continued in the Cheick Kongo fight, which was, in fact, barely a fight at all. As always, Buentello looked dangerous when he was able to get off with some of his strikes, but Kongo simply used his superior strength to haul Paul to the ground whenever Cheick felt threatened. The real story to emerge here was the unprecidented moment when a ring-side physician took it upon himself to reset Buentello's dislocated finger. Many have since pointed out that, as the unified rules of MMA are curently written, the fight should probably have been considered a TKO if Buentello could not compete, but, at the same time, I have few qualms about making an exception in the case of dislocated small joints that can so quickly be made as good as new. If a fighter can have a time-out for an eye poke or a groin shot, why not provide similar considerations for small joint dislocations, which are similarly outlawed if done on purpose? Ultimately, injuries of that nature are so rarely seen in MMA that we won't have to worry too much about it, but it was definitely a classic moment. However, it might not prove quite so memorable as "The Headhunter" tapping out to elbows-to-the-thigh in the third. I am not trying to criticize Buentello too much, but I had never seen anything like it before and it is pretty clear to me that this clip will be played in the run-up to every single Kongo fight in the UFC from now until he is fired or reitred.

Dos Santos vs. Gonzaga

Alright, so there wasn't a lot that was unusual about this fight, but it did feature a pair of fighters who were pretty clearly headed in polar opposite directons in their careers. For Junior Dos Santos, it was his fifth consecutive (T)KO in the UFC, while for Gonzaga it was his fourth loss in his last seven fights since "Napao's" career-defining victory, which, out of sympathy to the reader, I won't mention with specifics to save you the boredom of reading about it yet again. I thought Gonzaga looked in pretty poor shape and seemed about as listless as I've seen him since his TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80. More to the point, all that really needs saying here is that JDS hit Gonzaga with a crackling counter-left hook at about four-minutes of the first round that put Gabe to sleep and likely would have ended the night of nearly any other UFC heavyweight as well. There's talk that JDS will face Cain Velasquez in the near future, which is an idea I can heartily support.

BONUS FIGHT: Howard vs. Roberts

This fight is worth mentioning because it adds to the zany factor of the night's proceedings. It stands out in the UFC's pantheon of grizzly moments because for containing perhaps the two hardest, most brutal head shots, from Howard, ever inclicted upon an opponent, in Roberts, who was so clearly already knocked clean out. Really though, there's no sense in blaming Howard here, and the UFC rightly awarded him one of the night's three "KO of the Night Awards"-- an unorthadox move in itself. No, the real blame should be on the referee who was clearly not paying attention and could be seen casually, standing flat-footed in the background, directly behing Howard where he could not see the action. He was still hanging out there well after Roberts had taken the quick-boat to La La Land.

Jones vs. Vera

Alright people, I asked nicely when I predicted Couture to defeat "The Truth" and I am pleading again right now-- can we please finally put to rest the common myth that Vera is some sort of dormant volcano of ass-kickery that is somehow all coiled up in anticipation of his "big chance," at which point he'll undoubtedly start smashing every fool in his way en route to a title shot? It is not going to happen, and Jon Jones showed us why: Vera, despite his very best efforts, simply can't get his body into the type of condition necessary to be a physical match for the genetic freaks that populate the UFC roster at light heavyweight. He was out-muscled by a near-fifty-year-old in November, and by a near-minor just now, with close to equal ease in his last two fights and I just don't think there's much he can do about it. He also isn't nearly aggressive enough, especially against top-competition. Realistically, the only meaningful blow Vera landed in the whole fight was an illegal upkick from guard. Upon a reset in that same position, Jones quickly answered with a fight-ending, wide-sweeping elbow that instantly fractured Vera's skull in three places. Yipes. It was a rather poigniant moment, really, given the way Jones "lost" his last fight for illegal elbows. Instead of thrashing away wildly as he did in the past, the more-seasoned Jones simply lined up a finishing-shot and carried on with his evening. Great stuff.

Jones explaines the moves effectiveness here:

"That elbow is all Greg Jackson. He has a very distinct ground and pound system. If you realize that Georges St. Pierre does the same style elbow, it's a Team Jackson thing. I found my home. Everything is working"

Yipes again.

Other Results:

Preliminary Card:
Clay Guida def. Shanon Gugerty by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke), Rd. 2
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Eliot Marshall by Split Decision

Brendan Schaub def. Chase Gormley by TKO (Strikes), Rd. 1
Darren Elkins def. Duane Ludwig by TKO (Leg Injury), Rd. 1
Mike Pierce def. Julio Paulino by Unanimous Decision
Jason Brilz def. Eric Schafer by Unanimous Decision

Robin Black on Aggression MMA: Trilogy in Vernon, May 21st

2010-03-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

Robin Black is a well known media personality who has fronted a glam-rock band, appeared in his own television program on MuchMusic, called Robin Black: Cage Fighter, and been a featured MMA columnist for The Globe and Mail. He's also a professional bantamweight MMA fighter, and a color-commentator for The Fight Network. He just so happens to also be the media relations guy for an Alberta-based fight promotion known as Aggression MMA. He took some time out of his undoubtedly-busy day to speak with this site's Josh Oliveira, but most of the discussion revolved around Aggression and their recent announcement that their third show will take place in the great little Okanagan fight town of Vernon, British Columbia.

J.O.: Hey, it's Josh Oliveira from B.C.MMAFan.com and MMACanada.net.

Robin Black: Hey man, how are ya?

J.O.: Not too bad, you?

Robin Black: Doing great. Everything is going good her for the Aggression MMA thing and I work at The Fight Network too, so that's been really great.

J.O.: Okay, so are you a press relations/media guy for Aggression, then?
Robin Black: Yeah, I fought for them and I loved Harvey [Panesar] and Moin [Mizra], who are the two guys that run it. I loved their passion and drive so I just said, "I'm a guy with a unique skill set. If there's anything I can do for you guys, I'd love to be involved." So, they got me to take care of the publicity stuff. I'm friends with a lot of that crowd, anyway, and it's great to talk to you, too. I've met most of the people who write on MMA across the country and its just a relationship game. If you give people good information, they'll want to run it.

J.O.: Okay, for people who may not be familiar, can you explain a bit about how Aggression MMA got started and maybe talk a bit about what you guys have achieved in just your first two shows?

Robin Black: Aggression MMA was started by two very passionate mixed martial arts fans in Moin Mirza and Harvey Panesar who loved going to like events and loved MMA. They are very smart, savvy business guys who just wanted to put on the best shows possible-- first in the Edmonton area and then right across the country. So really, it was two guys armed with just their drive who have now put on two of the best cards, for sure, that western Canada has ever seen. So, it's been a learning curve for it to develop, but there's people who are so passionate about the sport involved. That's it's been so successful already, and it's only going to grow.

J.O.: When it was first announced that Aggression was planning to hold a show in B.C there was some initial speculation that they were attempting to get out of the crowded Alberta MMA market, but that has since been denied by the organization. Can fans expect that the majority of their shows in the future will still take place in Alberta?

Robin Black: Yes, mostly. In fact, we already have three more shows booked. We're excited about going to Vernon on May, 21st, though, so we've actually already booked a follow-up show. Really though, we just had a great opportunity to take this a little bit west and still put on a show with the kind of energy level that the Aggression shows have had. So, when Vernon came up, we jumped at it, but Edmonton is home for Aggression and it's going to continue to be. We have upcoming shows, July, 9th back in Edmonton at the Expo Centre, then August, 24th we're going to be returning to Vernon, and on October, 1st we'll have our Aggression 6 show back in Edmonton's Expo Centre again.

J.O.: Oh, okay. So you're kinda going to be bouncing back-and-forth between the two cities for the next little bit here, then?

Robin Black: Yeah, Edmonton is still the anchor and it's going to be home. There are the best mixed martial arts fans in the world there and a whole infrastructure for putting on shows there. Everyone in Edmonton understands what MMA is and it's been a long-running successful city to put on shows because it's filled with fans. But, we're going to move into other territories, too. There's been talk about going out east and taking it across the country to give people the type of shows that we think they want to see.
J.O.: From the initial Internet and early fan reaction, or any kind of market research you guys may have done, what kind of response do you expect from the B.C. fans to your upcoming show?

Robin Black: Well, often I find that the smaller or mid-sized cities, like Vernon or Victoria, will just have thousands of ravenous MMA fans who wouldn't necessarily have thought that there were going to be live events coming to them. Then, when they find out about it, they're just pumped. I guess, Vernon has probably had, what? Six or eight MMA shows before?

J.O.: That's probably about right, but there have been none so far that have been quite this size. I mean, they have been mostly "King of the Cage" and "XFC" shows, which are great, but just not really the same.

Robin Black: Yeah, we're going to try to put on something a little bigger and a little more high-energy. It will be a bit more of a show. We've already got a great main event for it, and a great semi-main event. To round out the show we're going to mix it between names people know and the best up-and-coming guys.
J.O.: How about yourself, do you think you might make an appearance? [Robin Black (3-3) fought at both AMMA I and AMMA II]

Robin Black: I'm definitely going to be in Vernon, but I'm looking to do colour-commentary along with Bas Rutten, and I'll be doing the in-ring interviews after the fights.

J.O.: Okay, sounds good, maybe I can just get a few of your comments about the announced matches. First off, the Matt MacGrath vs. Chris Brennan fight-- what are your thoughts on that?

Robin Black: That's a great fight. Matt MacGrath (8-3) is pretty high in the top-ten welterweights in Canada, but this is a big test. Chris Brennan (19-13-1) is a UFC veteran and a PRIDE veteran, who has been in there with some of the toughest fighters in the world. So, for MacGrath to beat him he's going to have to be on his best game, but when the two of them face each other it's going to be pretty serious. I mean, Matt MacGrath wants to take that next step to the UFC. In fact, Nick Hinchliffe (12-5), Jason Day (18-9), and Matt MacGrath are all guys on that doorstep. Jason Day was even told after his loss to Kendall Grove (11-6) that if he gets a couple of wins he would be right back in the UFC. Then here's Nick Hinchliffe in front of him who's also on the doorstep. So that's kind of where Matt MacGrath is sitting right now. He's a nice win or two away from moving to a huge show, but he's got "The Westside Strangler" in front of him and he's got to get through that.
J.O.: Yeah.

Robin Black: Also, Matt's coming of a loss against Claude Patrick (11-1) [at AMMA II] where he looked great. I think that's the first time, other than Claude's one one loss to Drew McFedries (8-6), that Claude has lost a round in three or four years. MacGrath was able to really take control of the second round and looked great against Patrick who is now in the UFC.
But he's got Brennan, "The Westside Strangle," in his way, who, I think he has seventeen submissions, right?

J.O.: Yeah, I believe so.

Robin Black: Anyway, he just wants to add to that.So, MacGrath has to be on his game or he's gong to find himself strangled out on the west coast. Chris Brennan will be "The West Coast Strangler" if Matt MacGrath isn't careful.

J.O.: Still, there are a lot of unknowns about Brennan right now. Mostly because he hasn't fought much over the last couple of years and, when he has, he hasn't won much. So, he'll be looking to make a pretty big statement with a win in this comeback fight.

Robin Black: That's just it. Chris Brennan has been out of the spotlight for a while, but he's a seasoned veteran who wants his place back in the game. So he is going to be looking to make a big statement. Like I said, though, Matt MacGrath is looking to make a big statement, too. So I don't think this will go the distance. Somebody's getting strangled or knocked out.

J.O.: Then, in the main event, this is just sort of my observation, but Hinchliffe is pretty well-known around here in B.C. and lately, especially, he has been fighting exclusively against big-name fighters. So, he has been gaining a fair amount of momentum in this province. Then you have Jason Day who is obviously very well-known and loved in the Alberta MMA scene. So it seems like you guys have set up a bit of a west coast showdown between the arguably two of the best middleweights from the two main provinces out here. Was that your intention?

Robin Black: I think you're bang on with that-- Hinchliffe against Jay Day is a western Canadian showdown. I love it. We've got the guy who is the number one fighter in Alberta, except maybe Jason MacDonald (22-13)...

J.O.: But he's fighting everywhere now it seems...

Robin Black: Yeah, and Day has been an amazing fighter for a long time. Right now, he's coming off a really tough loss at the last Aggression. He lost to Jesse Taylor (14-5) pretty early in the first round and that changed his life. Had Day beat Jesse Taylor and won maybe one more fight he would have been right back in the UFC, which is where he's just dying to be. So, Jason Day is looking to really show people how tough he is by beating Hinchliffe who is one of the toughest guys at 185lbs. out there right now who's not in the UFC right now.

J.O.: Yeah, and he's had his own close brushes with the UFC. He was very close to being on The Ultimate Fighter 10, and when he fought Rory MacDonald there was some talk that whoever won that fight might get a UFC contract.

Robin Black: Right, and it turned out Rory did win. Did you see that card by chance? Was that in Vernon? I think it was King of the Cage...

J.O.: It was definitely a King of the Cage show. I didn't get a chance to see it live, but I think it was actually in Alberta [Macdonald and Hinchliffe met at KOTC: Disturbed in Edmonton, AB on Sept. 25th of 2009].

Robin Black: yeah, I think you could be right. I would have loved to see that fight and I agree that with a win over the young, talented Rory MacDonald, Nick could have been in the UFC. Even with the loss, right now, he's still maybe just a win away, but Jason day is nobody's stepping stone and he should make that pretty obvious on May, 21st. So, something's gotta break and it should be a really exciting fight.

J.O.: I definitely agree. I can't wait, personally, and I think that fight fans in B.C., if they're tuned in at all to the scene, should recognize that this is probably the biggest card to come here, if not ever, then certainly in the last several years. I think I can safely say that we're all looking forward to Aggression MMA III in Vernon, and it was great to talk with you about it today.

Robin Black: Yeah, excellent.

Aggression MMA Announces Nich Hinchliffe vs. Jason Day As Main Event For May 21st In Vernon

2010-03-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Sources at Aggression MMA have confirmed that their third show, will be known as Trilogy and will mark their British Columbia debut on May, 21st in Vernon, is to be headlined by a stellar middleweight match between Vancouver Island's Nick Hinchliffe (12-5 [Pictured Left]) and Alberta-based, three-time UFC veteran Jason Day (18-9). This is an excellent style match-up featuring two consummate brawlers and represents easily the most significant MMA bout ever to take place in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.

Nick Hinchliffe, a longtime resident of Nanaimo, has fought regularly on Vancouver Island since making his debut in October of 2006. In fact, he has averaged about two-and-a-half months between fights over that span. A former junior football player with the B.C. Champion 2003 Victoria Rebels, Hinchliffe began his MMA career with an eight-fight winning streak that included eight finishes with five (T)KO's and a win over the well-traveled Travis Galbraith (17-7). Since then, Hinchliffe has gone 4-5, but that stretch has included two losses to Galbraith in a rematch and a rubber match, as well as a loses to three other highly-respected fighters in Dan MacIver (6-1), Victor Valimaki (16-5), and Rory MacDonald (10-0), with the last fight contested at 170lbs where Hinchliffe has no other experience. In his most recent fight, at this month's Armageddon FC II in Victoria, B.C. Nick avenged his loss to MacIver and scored what was easily the knockout of the night in the process. With a few years experience now behind him and having learned some tough lessons from his difficult losses, Hinchliffe could be poised to make a run at Canada's top middleweights.

That quest will begin on May 21st in Vernon, when Hinchliffe faces Jason Day who is best known for scoring a TKO win over current UFC middleweight contender Alan Belcher (15-6) at UFC 83 in Montreal. Day then suffered defeats to Michael Bisping (18-3) and Kendal Grove (11-6), both by first round TKO, in his subsequent UFC fights and now finds himself back on the outside looking in. He is 1-1 since leaving the organization with his most recent fight being a submission loss to Jesse Taylor (14-5) at Aggression MMA II this February. Jason Day should deservedly be, and is, ranked ahead of Nick Hinchliffe among Canadian middleweights, but, in order to retain that position, Day will have to answer a tough challenge at Aggression MMA: Trilogy in Vernon this May.

B.C. MMA Fan.com will have updates regarding this event as they become available.

Aggression MMA Announces MacGrath vs. Brennen as Co-Main Event For Vernon Show

2010-03-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

It has been announced via the event's website and officials at the Alberta-based promotion Aggression MMA have also confirmed for this site that A-MMA II veteran Matt MacGrath (8-3) with face UFC vet Chris Brennan (19-13-1) on May, 21st. This co-main event fight has been booked for their upcoming British Columbia debut in Vernon, now known at Aggression MMA: Trilogy, and will take place at the 3000 -seat Wesbild Centre.

This fight is a welcomed chance for B.C. MMA fans to see one of Canada's most promising up-and-coming welterweights in MacGrath. He is coming off a tough loss to Claude Patrick (11-1) at A-MMA II on February, 5th 2010. In that fight, MacGrath forced Patrick into the third round for only the second time in Claude's career before eventually succumbing to a guillotine. It was the first time MacGrath had been stopped. Though he did not win, MacGrath still raised his stock in that fight by proving he could hang with an elite-level fighter-- Patrick is now bound for the UFC and is expected to debut in Vancouver on June 12th.

MacGrath's opponent in Vernon will be a PRIDE and UFC veteran in Brennan, who notably holds a win over Joe Stevenson (31-11) dating back to 1999. That being said, Brennan has lost four of his last five fights, dating back to March 2006, and fought for the majority of his career at lightweight. He will have an uphill battle ahead if his goal is to return to being considered relevant in MMA this decade. A surprising win over MacGrath would go a long way toward achieving that goal.

B.C. MMA Fan will have updates about the Aggression MMA: Trilogy card in Vernon as they become available.

Former UFC Lightweight Roger Huerta Joins Bellator Tournament

2010-03-15T18:26:00.001-07:00

Rumours of the signing had circulated for several days, but it was officially announced on Monday that former UFC lightweight contender Roger "El Matador" Huerta (20-3-1 1NC) has signed-on to enter the Bellator Fighting Championships Season Two lightweight tournament, which kicks of on April 8th. The show airs every Thursday thereafter until the finale on June 24th, with weekly highlight shows latenight on Saturdays on NBC.

The sophomore season of the thrilling cable-based promotion features tournaments at MMA's four standard weight classes from featherweight through middleweight (145lbs, 155lbs., 170lbs. & 185lbs) and will also feature regular super-fights showcasing the Season One winners.

The Huerta signing is sure to increase casual-fan interest in the already stacked lightweight tournament, which culminates in a title shot in the fall for the tournament winner against Bellator FC: Season One champion Eddie Alvarez (19-2). In Canada, the full second season will be broadcast on The Score.

Press Relaease by Bellator Staff:

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 15, 2010) — Roger Huerta, the top free agent in MMA and one of the sport’s brightest young stars, announced today that he has signed an exclusive contract with Bellator Fighting Championships and will compete in the promotion’s upcoming Season 2 lightweight tournament.

The 26-year-old Huerta (20-3-1) comes to Bellator in the prime of his career after a 3½-year run in the UFC, where he rose to international prominence with wins over top talents like Clay Guida, Leonard Garcia and John Halverson and became the first MMA fighter ever to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Huerta, also known as “El Matador,” joins a well-rounded 155 lbs. tournament field that also includes Season 1 runner-up Toby Imada, former Olympian Ferrid Kheder, undefeated Canadian phenom Mike Ricci, European stalwart Janne Tulirinta, the undefeated Chad Hinton and former All-American wrestler Carey Vanier. Each tournament fight will be broadcast live in prime time on FOX Sports Net every Thursday night beginning April 8th and replayed in special highlight shows on NBC and Telemundo every Saturday night beginning April 10^th.

If Huerta can win the April-May-June lightweight tournament, he would win the chance to challenge the world’s No. 2-rated lightweight and reigning Bellator World Champion Eddie Alvarez in a title bout this fall.

“The chance to be a part of this year’s Bellator tournament was an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up,” Huerta said. “I think Bellator is the next big thing in this sport. I love the tournament format and the awesome talent that they have at 155 will give me a chance to prove myself as one of the top lightweights in the world.”

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney, meanwhile, called Huerta “one of the most exciting and accomplished lightweights in the world.”

“Roger is truly a young man who has defied the odds to achieve greatness,” Rebney said. “Adding Roger to our 155 division and tournament is a great signing for Bellator that provides us the ability to showcase him on national television upwards of three times before summer (provided he wins). His personal story is inspirational. He has not had an easy road, but has fought hard and persevered. It’s hard not to root for a guy who has triumphed over adversity like he has.”

Huerta suffered through a heartbreakingly difficult childhood. He was born in Los Angeles to Lydia and Rogelio Huerta, but the couple’s rocky relationship and struggles with substance abuse and mental illness soon began to take a toll on their son.

When Roger was around 5 years old, Lydia discovered that Rogelio was having an affair and took out her anger on Roger, subjecting him to emotional abuse and regular beatings that left him covered in bruises. Soon, this was discovered by his teachers and Roger was placed in a foster home.

Despite being stripped of custody, Lydia somehow managed to flee with her son to her native El Salvador, where she lived with Roger for more than a year as that country was embroiled a brutal civil war. Eventually she returned with Roger to the U.S. and dropped him at Rogelio’s house in Dallas. Roger never saw his mother again, but his troubles were far from over.

Over the next six years, he bounced back and forth between his father’s drug-infested house in Texas – where he was again subjected to regular beatings, this time at the hands of his father’s new wife—and Mexico, where he lived with his impoverished grandparents and was forced to sell picture frames and rosaries on the streets for hours a day.

At around the age of 12, he was kicked out of father’s house and found himself homeless, sleeping on rooftops and in alleyways and running with a notorious local youth gang. He stayed in school, though—mostly for the free breakfast and lunch.

By high school, he had left the gang and began living with the families of classmates in Austin, Texas. He became one of his school’s most popular students, excelled at sports (particularly wrestling), and, with the help of his English teacher, Jo Ramirez and his wrestling coach Bryan Ashford, won a wrestling scholarship from Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

It didn’t take Huerta long, though, to realize that his brawler-style fighting skills were better suited for the cage. He became fascinated with MMA after watching an Augsburg teammate’s amateur fight and soon began training with former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne.

He took his first professional fight in 2003 while still a teenager, just a few months after he was legally adopted by Ramirez, the English teacher who helped change his life. She will be among the millions watching when Roger makes his Bellator debut next month.

“My one and only goal right now is getting through the lightweight tournament,” Huerta said. “I’m in the best shape of my life and I just can’t wait to get back in the cage. I see nothing but good things to come for me and for Bellator.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Bellator.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

MMA Expo BC Secures Approval for MMA Fights on the Show Floor

2010-03-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
VANCOUVER, BC – MARCH 14, 2010 – Mixed Martial Arts Expo, Inc.

The Original MMA Expo since 2005 – has obtained approval from the Abbotsford City Council to hold amateur mixed martial arts competitions on the show floor of MMA Expo taking place at the TRADEX Exhibition Centre on April 10-11.

MMA Expo founder and president, Gerald Chopik, and his British Columbia supporters are
obviously pleased to have secured approval for this amateur card. “This is never an easy
process”, said Chopik. “When you mention MMA to government officials there are often so
many negative perceptions on the front-end that it takes time to deliver the necessary
education as to how this sport really is conducted with competitor safety in mind, especially
at the amateur level. And this is where our BC supporters did an outstanding job.”
As an Ontario-based company, MMA Expo relied heavy on BC-based relationships to present
its proposal to Abbotsford City Council.

“The real credit for getting this done goes to The TRADEX Exhibition Centre, who from the
very beginning saw no problem in adding this program to MMA Expo, and to the executives of
the BC Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Association – specifically Paul Lazenby and Bill Mahood –
who had already invested a tremendous amount of time developing a comprehensive set of
rules and guidelines that clearly demonstrated amateur MMA competition is in fact a tightly
controlled sport with fighter safety as its number one priority.”
Chopik also gives much of the Credit to the Abbotsford City Council and a final sign-off from
the Abbotsford Police Department.

“Admittedly they were initially reserved about the concept. But to their credit they kept an
open mind and took the time to meet with BCAMMAA representatives and other local
authorities and concluded that so long as the event was conducted under BCAMMAA rules, we
could proceed.”

The irony of an Ontario-based company getting an amateur card approved for MMA Expo in
BC is not lost on Chopik. “We are obviously extremely pleased with Abbotsford’s decision. Allin
it took about five weeks to see this through.”

And the Province of Ontario? According to Chopik, five years plus and counting. “It really is incredible how far behind the times Ontario is on the legalization of MMA despite
all of the lobbying and public opinion. Sadly, this scenario is no different than a number of
other positions held by the province in the past. The best examples would be Ontario’s
decades long and expensive battle with consumers against the right for Sunday shopping, and
an option to have an alcoholic beverage with a meal. Years of protests! Retailers were fined
tens of thousands of dollars! And then one morning the province woke up and said – ‘Hey!
Why not.’ Can you imagine not having those options today? MMA is in the exact same
position.”

Dana White Denies Chuck Liddell Vs. Rich Franklin Rumours

2010-03-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, several generally-reliable MMA news sources announced that Chuck Liddell (21-7) was no longer booked to fight his longtime-nemesis Tito Ortiz (15-7), and that he would instead face Rich Franklin (25-5) at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C. on June 12th. Having apparently placed too much trust in these sources, this site ran with the story as well.

It didn't take long for UFC President to catch wind of this "news" and vehemently deny it via his extremely popular twitter account. He did, however, re-confirm that Franklin vs. Randy Couture (18-10) remains in the works for a future date. Rankings-wise, that fight makes a good deal more sense for Franklin who is intent on fast-tracking himself into contendership at 205lbs.

See Dana's posts on the issue below:

Nothing happened to tito. Tito and I are cool. about 3 hours ago via web

danawhite

Dana White

Not true! We are doing couture vs franklin not chuck. about 3 hours ago via web

danawhite

Dana White

KOTC: Uprising II -- Review

2010-03-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

The King of The Cage: Uprising II event last night in Nanaimo, B.C. was highly enjoyable and fairly well-attended despite coming just one week after Armageddon FC: II in nearby Victoria. Interestingly, the two shows mirrored one another in several ways.

First, both shows were chock full of early finishes and each featured one truly devastating knockout. In fact, the two cards both featured first round stoppages in all but two of their respective bouts. Results like that are enough to make one wonder if British Columbia's rapidly-growing MMA scene might soon become known for its apparent utter disinterest in the art of good defense-- not that many fans are complaining.

Easily the biggest knockout of last night's show came when 38-year-old Dan Laughy (2-2) was sent to the canvas at just 0:29 of round one via a punishing right hand (some say elbow) from Port McNeil, B.C.'s newest welterweight-to-watch Zach Bye (2-0). Laughy remained motionless on the ground for several minutes before medical attendants removed him from the cage on a stretcher. Believe it or not, that was only the third-fastest T(KO) at KOTC: Uprising II. The fastest, which simply must have been one of the quickest in KOTC history, came when Ryan Ballingal (3-3 [PICTURED BELOW]), a member of Nanaimo's Impact MMA fight team, stopped Surrey-native George Texiera (0-1) by KO in just six seconds. Both Bye and Ballingal made lasting impressions with the fans, though the latter was already well-known to Nanimo's MMA faithful. Honorable mention goes to Richmond's David Perron (2-0) who did not put his opponent to sleep, but opened a deep gash above the left eye of Surrey's Clint VanRossum (0-1) and pounded him out in just 0:29 seconds.

Another interesting parallel between AFC II and KOTC: Uprising II is that each event's biggest win was claimed by a resident of the other event's host city-- with Nanaimo's Impact Gym being the big winners at Victoria's AFC II when Nick Hinchliffe (12-5) defeated Dan MacIvor (6-1) via that event's most massive KO, while Victoria's Zuma training centre were the big winners at KOTC: Uprising II as main-event fighter Gavin Neil (7-1) claimed the KOTC Canadian Lightweight belt.

It was by no means and easy victory for Neil, however. He had his hands full with Revolution's Charlie Zak (4-3) throughout the fight and ended up with a deep facial laceration to prove it. Zak came out kicking effectively in the early goings, landing a head kick that was followed shortly by a stinging push kick, a decent body kick, and even a cleanly landed knee. At that point, Neil seemed understandably content to try his luck on the ground, as he quickly initiated a clinch and successfully completed a single-leg takedown. Neil would remain in Zak's full guard for some time after that, but was never far from danger as Zak utilized an incredibly active guard. Zak transitioned fluidly from throwing strikes from below, to heaving up a triangle attempt, to trying to force several scrambles. For his part, Neil played a cool game from on top, not being overly aggressive, but still landing enough clean shots from above to avoid a stand-up. After Zak's failed leg-lock attempt near the end of the third minute, he gave up his back and, not long after, Neil sunk in the fight-ending rear naked choke (RNC). It was a gutsy performance by Neil, the newly crowned KOTC Canadian lightweight champion, who took this fight on short notice.

That wasn't the only victory that Zuma had to celebrate at KOTC: Uprising II, either, as their trio of other fighters all came away victorious-- highly-touted lightweight prospect Tarek Gabali (4-0) finished judo practitioner Rob Bastone (2-1) by RNC in under one minute; middleweight Ryan Janes (3-1) coaxed a verbal submission due to strikes from Comox's Gordie McCredie (1-0) in a minute-and-a-half; and Zuma's Greg Church (1-0), who competed in one of only two fights to make it past the first round, made a successful 155lb. pro debut against Impact's Pendragon Smith (0-2) with a TKO at 2:01 of the second stanza. For Zuma, KOTC: Uprising II was, at least, the third flawless event in a row and marks eight consecutive wins by their gym since Sarah Kaufman (11-0) entered the cage to claim the womens' 135lb. world championship belt at Strikeforce: Challengers VI. Next week, Zuma head coach Adam Zugec hopes to continue their momentum with a big win for Ryan Ford (11-2) against TUF 6 finalist Tommy Speer (13-4) at The Fight Club 10 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Easily the highest-level fight of the night, in terms of both advanced offensive manoeuvrings as well as competent ground defense, including complex grappling counters, bridges, and sweeps, came in the night's co-main event. The fight was billed as an International Superfight between Belgian Bastien Huveneers (7-2) and Brazilian copoeira specialist Marcus Vinicios (6-6). The first round was incredibly difficult to score. Much of the action took place on the mat, but both men spent time controlling the action and each also pulled off impressive escapes from below. I gave a slight edge to Huveneers after the first, but the fight's defining moment came midway through the second round when Huveneers blocked a high kick attempt by Vinicios then held the Brazilian's foot above his head as he drove him to the canvas. From there, Huveneers unleashed an absolute barrage of at least thirty shots, though it went on for upwards of a minute and could actually have been more in the range of fifty unanswered strikes. To his credit, Vinicios blocked many of the incoming blows, but eventually the referee had seen enough and called a stop to the action at 4:00 of round two.

Other victorious fighters at KOTC: Uprising II included Dynamic's Garrett Davis (12-10) and Brendon Kornberger (1-1) who each scored a first round TKO's and, in the night's opening bout and sole amateur match, their own Dan Ring (1-0) pulled off a RNC, set up by strikes, at just 0:41 of the first round. Congratulations to that Vancouver-based team on their success-filled night. Bastien Huveneers also currently trains out of Dynamic.

If upcoming MMA events on Vancouver Island prove to be as thrillingly fast-paced as last weekends AFC II and yesterday's KOTC: Uprising II, a mandatory check of each patron's heart-health at the door may need to be instituted in the interests of public safety. In all seriousness, they were a pair of action-packed events that none who attended either one or both of are ever likely to forget.

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin Now Likely as UFC 115 Main Event In Vancouver

2010-03-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

It was originally reported earlier today, by Fighters Only Magazine, that Chuck Liddell (21-7) would not be facing Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 11. The two were previously strongly rumoured to be facing off for their third time at UFC 115 in Vancouver, B.C.

The reasons behind Tito's withdrawal from the fight are not entirely clear at this time, but, according to F.O.M.'s sources, it is not his long-injured back, but "something that may significantly impact [Tito's] future as a fighter." It is also unclear how this news has affected the taping of the SpikeTV reality show, which recently wrapped production.

When the news of Tito's inability to fight first broke, it was initially believed that Liddell would now appear in the headlining slot of the as-yet-unofficial UFC show on April 17th, which was deliberately created to counter Strikeforce's second CBS show on the same day. His rumoured opponent is current light-heavyweight contender, former middleweight champions and potential fellow UFC hall-of-famer, Rich "Ace" Franklin (25-5). However, it has since been reported by MMAJunkie.com that if Liddell vs. Franklin does happen it will not be in April, but at UFC 115 in Vancouver, where Chuck was originally likely to appear. Further, Sherdog.com has now reported that both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout.

In the minds of many B.C. MMA Fans, the switch from Tito to Rich as Chuck Liddell's opponent on June 12th in GM Place will come as a welcome change. If for no other reason than because Chuck has already defeated Tito on two separate occasions in the past, both times by (T)KO.

The Current Rumoured Card For UFC 115 Is As Follows:

Main Event:

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

Main Card:

Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic

Under Card:
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell
Mac Danzig vs Matt Wiman
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Claude Patrick [CAN] vs. TBA

KOTC: Uprising II -- Quick Results

2010-03-13T01:16:00.000-08:00

It may have been partially caused by the unusually small cage leaving athletes with little other choice, but fighters at this evening's King Of The Cage: Uprising II seemed especially willing to exchange on the feet with reckless abandon. This fact was borne out in the event's ten first round stoppages and eight (T)KO's in just twelve fights.

Many of these fights were one-sided affairs, but not the main event, which was a thrilling tactical showdown for as long as it lasted, showcasing the impressive abilities of both participants. Ultimately, however, Victoria resident Gavin Neil carried the day and walked away with the KOTC Canada lightweight belt for his troubles.

More on these and other stories in our detailed review, available tomorrow.

Main Event:

Gavin Neil def. Charlie Zak by Submission (RNC), Rd. 1, 4:00
*** Neil wins the KOTC Canada Lightweight Title***

International Super Fight:

Bastien Huveneers def. Marcus Vinicios by TKO (G'n'P), Rd. 2, 3:54

Undercard:

Garett Davis def. Nolan Clark by TKO, Rd. 1 [3:54]

Tarek Gabali def. Rob Bastone by Submission (RNC), Rd. 1 [0:58]

Ryan Ballingal def. George Texeira by KO, Rd.1 [0:06]

David Perron def. Clint VanRossum by KO, Rd. 1 [0:24]

Ryan Janes def. George McCredie by TKO (Submission due to strikes), Rd. 1 [1:33]

Zach Bye def. Dan Laughey by KO (Right), Rd. 1 [0:29]

Brendon Kornberger def. Troy Hardy by TKO (G'n'P), Rd. 1 [1:36]

Greg Church def. Pendragon Smith by TKO (Elbows), Rd. 2 [2:01]

Jordan Knippleberg def. David Krawczyk by Submission (Arm Bar), Rd. 1 [1:49]

Amateur:

Dan Ring def. Aaron Bourcier by Submission (RNC), Rd. 1 [0:41]

KOTC: Uprising II -- Weigh-In Results

2010-03-11T22:39:00.000-08:00

After conducting a speedy and successful weigh-in, King Of The Cage: Uprising II is all set to go for Friday night at Nanaimo's Frank Crane Arena at 7:00pm.

The event's lead promoter, KOTC's John Cooper, said he thought the weight ins went very well and expressed excitement about the co-main event, "The Marcus Vinicios/Bastien Huveneers fight almost didn't happen, but that one's going to happen now, so I'm excited about that. Once I saw those two guys face off, I think now that it has potential for fight of the night. Overall, I think this is going to be a very competitive card."

Cooper went on to pick a couple more stand-out fights to watch on the card, "Obviously the main event with Charlie Zak and Gavin Neil should be a pretty exciting stand-up match....and then the other big fight is the Tarek Gabali/Rob Bostone fight. Those guys were supposed to fight a couple other times before and it didn't happen. So finally they're going to face down and, unofficially, were' considering that one as a 155 contender fight. Obviously there are not guarantees, but there's a good chance the winner will get the next title shot against the winner of Neil vs. Zak.

In an unfortunate turn of events, the King Of The Cage's actual physical cage did not successfully make the journey from Vernon , B.C. to Nanaimo. Like so many before him, KOTC President Ken Kapsch failed to successfully navigate B.C.'s Coquihalla connector and ended up stranding the cage in the interior. Luckily, a promotion form Vancouver stepped up with a slightly smaller cage that will be used in Nanaimo this Saturday.

Main Event:

155lbs.: Charlie Zak 153.8lbs. vs. Gavin Neil 154lbs.

International Super-Fight:

185lbs.: Bastien Huneneers 183lbs. vs. Marcus Vinicios 183lbs.

Main Card:

180lbs.: Nolan Clark 179.8lbs. vs. Garet Davis 177lbs.

155lbs.: Tarek Gabali 156lbs. vs. Rob Bastone 152.4lbs.

185lbs.: George Texeira 177.4lbs. vs. Ryan Ballingal 182.2lbs.

185lbs.: Clint VanRossum 174.4lbs. vs. David Perron 184.2lbs.

185lbs.: George McCredie 183lbs. vs. Ryan Janes 182lbs.

Preliminary Card:

170lbs.: Dan Laughey 166lbs. vs. Zach Bye 167.6lbs.

190lbs.: Brendon Kornberger 190.4 vs. Troy Hardy 188.8

155lbs.: Greg Church 154lbs. vs. Pendragon Smith 155lbs.

155lbs.: Jordan Knippleberge 154.2lbs. vs. David Krawczyk 158lbs*

* Was given additional time to make the weight.

175lbs.: Dan Ring 173.2 vs. Aaron Bourcier 175lbs.

Unfortunately, Upneet Rai will not appear at KOTC: Uprising II because Cam Deleurme failed to appear at the weigh-ins in Nanaiamo, citing an inability to make the contracted weight.

B.C. Bio: Upneet Rai -- "Fighting On Instinct"

2010-03-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Nanaimo's Upneet Rai (1-2), who will compete in the opening fight at this Friday's King Of The Cage: Uprising II card in Nanaimo, took time today to speak with this site's Josh Oliveira. Topics discussed include: his globe-trotting childhood, the benefits of fighting at home, and the importance of strengthening both the mind and the body.

King of the Cage Uprising II

Friday March 12th, 2010

Frank Crane Arena; Nanaimo, B.C.

Tickets on sale online @ http://vimma.ca and at the door!

J.O.: I understand you had a pretty interesting and worldly upbringing, do you care to tell our readers a bit about that?

Upneet Rai: Well, my dad is a doctor who practiced and worked with Doctors Without Borders. They're a non-profit, non-governmental organization. Just like the Red Cross, they go to emergency areas whenever there's a problem. So anyway, I was born in France. Then we went to Yemen, but when the Gulf War broke out we had to go to Holland. After that we went to Ethiopia and after that we came to Canada.

J.O.: And how old were you when you finally settled in Canada?

Upneet Rai: Seventeen.

J.O.: Oh, wow. So you spent a good amount of your life all over the world like that. So what does your father the doctor think about your fighting career?

Upneet Rai: He thinks it's okay. He's feels like, as long as I'm going to college and developing my mental strengths along with my physical strengths, it's okay.

J.O.: Right, and I hear you're graduating from college pretty soon here. Do you care to say what you're studying?

Upneet Rai: Yeah, in a couple weeks I'll be done my bachelor's in Global Studies and Political Science.

J.O.: Oh yeah? And what sort of aspirations do you have? Just out of curiosity.

Upneet Rai: Well, I'm interested in diplomatic work. Just basically following in the footsteps of my father. I'm not going into the medical field, but I'm interested in developmental aid and gender empowerment and what-have-you. You know, just whatever is needed. There are lots of NGO's around the world that need interns and staff.

J.O.: So you could potentially become the world's first-ever fighting diplomat? Those two things don't generally go together.

Upneet Rai: (Laughs) That pretty much sums it up, yeah.

J.O.: (Laughs) Okay, so when did you first get interested in learning MMA and get serious about training at Impact there in Nanaimo?

Upneet Rai: Well, the way it started out was that my roommate in dorms was into MMA, so I just went out there casually to check it out. Also, I used to be part of the rowing team and that fell apart, so I put on weight very quickly. I was just eating lots of food and not watching how much I was working out.

J.O.: Yeah, that happens sometimes in college, doesn't it?

Upneet Rai: Yeah, so I packed on weight and I was up to about 200lbs. I started thinking maybe I should try to do something to get myself back into shape. So I went to Impact and got back into shape. I also met lots of cool people there and made lots of new friends. Soon after, I made the commitment to be a bit more serious and that's been going for about three or four years now.

J.O.: Okay, so you're currently 1-2 as a professional, if I've got that right, and, actually, I watched your last fight live at KOTC:Catalyst in Vernon.

Upneet Rai: Oh yeah? That was fun, I guess.

J.O.: Yeah, I thought you won the first and second round against Brendan Frost, there. Well, at least the first round very convincingly and arguably the second as well. What did you learn or take away from this fight that probably didn't end the way you'd hoped?

Upneet Rai: Basically, I was just too chill. I didn't push the pace and I was having too much fun. I was smiling at the guy and I was having a blast, but then... Anyway, there were instances where I could have kept him against the cage, where he was back-peddling and moving away constantly. I kept throwing jabs, but I should have followed it with a 2 or something. I guess I learned to mix staying calm with turning it up. I'm pretty laid back, so I need to learn to be a bit more aggressive, which I did in the fight before that in Nanaimo. I guess, also, I almost got too technical and I forgot that it was actually just a fight.

J.O.: At a certain point you just have to wade in there and finish, right?

Upneet Rai: Yeah.

J.O.: So have you had a chance to watch any video on your upcoming opponent Cam Deleurme (1-1) or have you seen him fight live?

Upneet Rai: Yeah, I did. Actually, there's a funny thing about that-- he fought on the same card in Vernon.

J.O.: Yeah, but I assume you didn't get a chance to see that fight live.

Upneet Rai: No, I didn't see it live, but he added me to Facebook that day. So, when I heard I was fighting Cam, I just watched his fight. I know what he's all about, not that it really matters at this level, right? We're not talking about world-class athletes here. Most people at this level just fight with instinct. They just go in with a very loose gameplan. So I know what he's about, but other than that there's not much else to worry about. If you go in there with a very strict plan, he'll still be fighting back and you'll probably just end up fighting on instinct.

J.O.: Yeah, it's pretty interesting to hear you speak from that perspective. I think you're probably right, I just didn't know if you'd assessed any particular strengths in his game?

Upneet Rai: Well, the guy he fought was extremely flat-footed, so Cam got a single-leg every time he tried, and the other guy didn't sprawl. So, I'm hoping to make it a different story this time and give him a bit more of a fight for the takedowns. Anyway, I think I know exactly what he's going to do. I don't think he's going to want to stand. I mean, the club where he's from is called Kelowna BJJ so...

J.O.: Yeah, so it's probably all there in the name then, eh? You'll be in the opening fight of the night this Friday in your current hometown of Nanaimo. Do you think that combination will put any pressure on you? Or is getting straight to it in front of a supportive crowd something you're more looking forward to?

Upneet Rai: I'm not usually too worried about the crowd. Actually, I usually sort of forget about the crowd when I walk in, but it is a lot more comfortable fighting at home. When you're in, say, Vernon you're in some unknown hotel where you have to cut weight and you don't know where your next meal is going to be, or always exactly where the weigh-ins are. Here, everyone is around you and you know where everything is. The comfort level is just a lot better. So, I actually really like fighting at home.

J.O.: Yeah, I can see that for sure. Finally, I heard recently that you speak five languages. Can that be true? And if so, what are they and how fluently do you speak them?

Upneet Rai: Well, the first language I learned to read and write was Dutch, so I can speak Dutch fluently. Then I speak English, obviously. I also speak a mountain dialect from my village that my parents taught me. Other than that there's Hindi and then there's Punjabi-- I speak those two. Last there's Amharic as well, which is Ethiopian. So, theoretically, it's about six.

J.O.: Do you feel like you could converse pretty comfortably in most or all of them?

Upneet Rai: I can converse in all of them. I can hold conversations, so yeah.

J.O.: Well, that is extremely impressive to me, and it officially makes you the single person who speaks the most different languages that I have ever met.

Upneet Rai: (Laughs) You should meet my dad, he speaks twelve.

J.O.: (Laughs) Oh, wow. When I meet him you will officially be in second place then, I guess.

Upneet Rai: Ha, yeah. No doubt, eh?

J.O.: (Laughs) Yeah, well it was good talking to you and best of luck to you on Friday.

Upneet Rai: Okay, I'll see you on Friday.

March 27th's UFC 111 (Feat. GSP) Comes To 27 Cineplex Theatres Accross Canada, Including 6 B.C. Locations

2010-03-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

For the first time in Canada the UFC will be viewable in a movie theatre near you when Georges St. Pierre faces Dan Hardy on March 27th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The word is that the general admission tickets will cost 19.95 + tax, which is more than it costs to watch a movie, but similar to the individual cost for three buddies splitting the $60 fee for the HD PPV feed. For anyone who's interested, it could be a great chance to watch the fights amongst other fans and in a family atmosphere. Moreover, the UFC's inclusion in the ranks of standard movie theatre fare will help to normalize the sport of MMA to those who may still consider it unsavory.

Overall, this seems like a great move by the UFC.

Sportsnet News Story: HERE
Cineplex UFC Information Site: HERE

Participating Theatres: HERE

TUF6 Vet Richie Hightower Joins MFC, Will Fight B.C.'s Kajan Johnson in May

2010-03-11T07:17:00.000-08:00

First test at lightweight coming for ‘Dirty Samurai’

By MFC Press Release

The Maximum Fighting Championship has deepened its lightweight talent pool and strengthened its already stacked lineup for MFC 25: Vindication all in one strategic move.

With a three-fight deal in his pocket, Richie “The Dirty Samurai” Hightower joins the MFC ranks and immediately jumps into the roster for Vindication as he takes on “Ragin” Kajan Johnson in the opening bout of the live HDNet Fights broadcast on Friday, May 7 from the Northlands Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.

Hightower (8-3) should be a dominant force at lightweight, moving down from welterweight where he won seven of his first eight fights. Hightower mowed through his last opponent, Jordan McKay, needing just 1:31 to capture his third career win by knockout/TKO. The Phoenix, Arizona, product gained a measure of notoriety for his reality show appearance under the tutelage of Matt Serra.

Johnson (17-11-1) is one of the most action-oriented 155-pounders in the MFC and the British Columbia, native will be out for redemption coming off a first-round submission loss at MFC 23. Johnson earned one of the most noteworthy wins of his career at Heat XC 4 back in November when he outdueled Josh Russell en route to a TKO win via doctor’s stoppage at the end of Round 2.

The Hightower-Johnson battle joins a stellar lineup for MFC 25 already featuring

: Ryan Jimmo vs. Wilson Gouveia, light heavyweight

David Heath vs. Solomon Hutcherson, middleweight

Luigi Fioravanti vs. Pete Spratt, welterweight

Tickets are going fast for MFC 25: Vindication. Tickets are available via the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 and through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca and charge-by-phone (780) 451-8000.

Yet Another Fight Likely For UFC115 In Vancouver: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

2010-03-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

In the second major UFC 115 fight announcement in as many days, it is now being reported by MMAJunkie.com that grizzled UFC lightweight veterans Mac Danzig (19-7-1; 3-3 UFC) and Matt Wiman (11-5, 5-3 UFC) have nearly signed on the dotted line to hook 'em up in Vancouver, B.C. on June 12th at GM Place.

Mac Danzig, who recently ended a three-fight losing skid at UFC 109 by defeating Justin Bucholtz (8-5), must have liked British Columbia so much when he was here last weekend to referee AFC:II that he begged UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to send him back. Okay, it might not have gone down quite like that, but I'm sure he's happy to be making his Canadian MMA debut, nonetheless.

Matt Wiman, meanwhile, fought valiantly in a decision loss to Sam Stout (15-5-1) in the co-main event at UFC 97 in Montreal, but will no doubt be hoping for a W in his return trip north of the forty-nine. Since fighting in Montreal last spring, Wiman has rebounded to defeat Hawaiian BJ Penn protege, Shane Nelson (12-5) at UFC 107 last December.

As far as the style match-up goes, both Wiman and Danzig have well-rounded skills, though Danzig might have a slightly more advanced submissions game. Ultimately, it may just come down to gameplanning and who has the better camp.

Complete Rumoured Card For UFC 115:

Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card:

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald [CAN]
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card:
Mac Danzig vs Matt Wiman
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox
Claude Patrick [CAN] vs. TBA

B.C. Bio: Gavin Neil --- "You Have To Be Specific"

2010-03-10T08:20:00.000-08:00

Gavin Neil (6-1), who will compete in the main event, lightweight title fight at this Friday's King Of The Cage: Uprising II card in Nanaimo, took time today to speak with this site's Josh Oliveira. Topics discussed include, what's awesome about Fruitvale, fighting for the KOTC title, and the importance of the geek vs. nerd distinction.

J.O: First of all, can you explain for everyone at home the best thing about your hometown of Fruitvale, B.C.?

Gavin Neil: The best thing? Uh, well, it's pretty small. There's only about 2000 people, so you kinda know everyone. It's part of a whole, larger area; it's kinda like a suburb of Trail, but there's not really a lot to do in Trail. I mean that's kinda why I got into fighting in the first place.

J.O.: (Laughs) Okay, fair enough. At what age did you first get into martial arts and what were the first disciplines you studied?

Gavin Neil: I was fifteen years old when I started thai boxing in Trail under a gym called Pride Gym. I was introduced to grappling there and MMA through another friend who trained there. It wasn't anything serious, but that's also where I got my first taste of jiu-jitsu and stuff. One of the reasons for it is that I was about 230lbs. when I was 14-years-old. I just needed to get into shape, so I started doing all that. When I got down to about 190lbs., I started competing.

J.O.: Started competing as an amateur?

Gavin Neil: I started in amateur kickboxing, but, basically, amateur back then meant they'd take a minute off the time and that's about it.

J.O.: So, to begin your pro career from November 2007 to December 2008, a space of thirteen months, you fought six times for Alberta's respected MFC promotion, going an impressive 5-1, is that all correct?

Gavin Neil: Yeah, 5-1 in the MFC and that was my first experience as a pro.

J.O.: That's quite a promotion to start out with...

Gavin Neil: Yeah, [Adam] Zugec (Zuma) really kinda set that up. I think it had something to do with the fact that I was the amateur thai boxing champion before. So I had a bit of a reputation, I guess, already. That was good enough to get me on the under card.

J.O.: Then you went 5-1, which is a very decent record, with four finishes even.

Gavin Neil: Yeah, it's too bad it wasn't 6-0, but, you know, live and learn.

J.O.: Yeah. When the King Of The Cage's (KOTC) lightweight title fight, set for this Friday in Nanaimo, was announced it featured Darcy James and Adam Gabel, neither of whom will appear on the card. Instead, you will face Charlie Zak for the belt. Can you explain a bit about how some of this came to pass?

Gavin Neil: I'm not exactly sure why James can't go. I think I heard something about him breaking a rib or something. Then with Gabel, he's been having to personal troubles from what I understand. You know, he just wasn't able to concentrate. So, I think he made the right decision. He just wasn't able to train and he was quite a bit overweight and he made the decision to say, you know, I'm not ready. Basically he told our coach and the guy who runs KOTC in Nanaimo, John Cooper, that he wasn't ready so they gave it to me. I was already in shape and walking around at about 165lbs. So, I was like, "yeah, why not?" It was a week out and a fairly major title, so I decided to go for it.

J.O.: Yeah, definitely. So, I hear you're out here completing your university degree. Do you care to share what you're studying?

Gavin Neil: Sure, I have one more year and I'm getting a major in History with a minor in Sociology.

J.O.: Okay, sounds good. I'm a UVic alumnus myself.

Gavin Neil: It's a great school

J.O.: Yeah, it really is. When I spoke to your Zuma teammate Sarah Kaufman a while back we discussed what it is that makes her a self-professed geek. In her case it was all about puzzles. According to my sources, you describe yourself similarly. Care to explain?

Gavin Neil: Yeah, I'm one of those guys who's watched Star Trek one too many times and I used to have quite the Batman collection. I'm pretty sure the reason I got into martial arts was Street Fighter. I also have a Nintendo belt buckle, so that's usually a good sign that you're a nerd. I would say that I'm a nerd not a geek if there's a difference.

J.O.: I think there's a difference there, for sure, and, as an occasionally esoteric fellow myself, I can appreciate Zuma's openness policy towards all forms of geekery. Can I assume that nerdy subjects are discussed there regularly?

Gavin Neil: Oh yeah, Zugec and I have had full-blown arguments about Star Trek.

J.O.: You've already answered some of my questions, but, if you'll agree to it, I would like to administer a geek reflex test. I'll offer two options and you can tell me which you prefer. For example, if I said "Spider-Man or Batman" you'd tell me which is superior, but everyone knows that's Batman so it's kind of an easy one.

Gavin Neil: True.

J.O.: Okay, so what do you think? Are you ready? Also, be advised that "neither" is always an acceptable answer.

Gavin Neil: Alright.

J.O.: Here we go, Mac or PC?

Gavin Neil: Ohhh...I'm not one of those guys that are too loyal to either one. I have a Mac, but I should stand up for some of my hugely nerdy friends that say PC's are better because they're kinda right. So, how about neither.

J.O.: That's fair and very diplomatic. Simpsons or South Park?

Gavin Neil: South Park.

J.O.: Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?

Gavin Neil: Whoa...Star Wars.

J.O.: Street Fighter or Mortal Combat?

Gavin Neil: Street Fighter.

J.O.: Yeah, see, I knew that one because you already said you're a fan. Anyway, Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda?

Gavin Neil: That's a good one, but it depends on the Final Fantasy. You have to watch out with that one, you have to be specific.

J.O.: I suppose. How about Final Fantasy IV or Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past?

Gavin Neil: Uh..Legend of Zelda.

J.O.: Well met, I have to agree. Finally, Monty Python or Kids In The Hall?

Gavin Neil: Oh..I like both.

J.O.: Hmmm... the opposite of neither?

Gavin Neil: Well, you have to give Monty Python a slight edge because sometimes Kids In The Hall was just stupid.

J.O.: Fair enough, Monty Python will probably stand the test of time a little bit better, too. Twenty years from now you'll be looked back on as correct, I assume. Alright, that's all I have for you today Gavin. I wish you tons of luck in your title fight and we'll see you on Friday.

Gavin Neil: Alright, man. Take it easy.

J.O.: Alright, later.

King of the Cage Uprising II

Friday March 12th, 2010

Frank Crane Arena

Tickets on sale online @ http://vimma.ca and at the door!

Programming Reminder: Ep. 01 of "UFC Primetime--St. Pierre vs. Hardy" Debuts Tonight

2010-03-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

The first of three high-budget, documentary style, half-hour episodes of UFC Primtime-- St. Pierre vs. Hardy will debut tonight (Wed. March 10th) on SpikeTV at 7:00pm/PST, with replay's airing throughout the week. Prior to the debut, a replay of this Janary's UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva will air from 4:30-7:00pm/PST.

Many fans will remember that the first and only previous instance of this deluxe variation on Spike's "Countdown" show was used to pump up Georges St. Pierre (19-2)'s second fight against UFC lightweight champion, BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 94 last January. Britain's Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (23-6) will challenge for St. Pierre's UFC welterweight title at UFC 111 on Saturday, March 27th.

I encourage any GSP, Hardy, or, heck, UFC fans to check out the show and remember to tune at the same time on Wednesdays for the next two weeks to catch the premiers of Ep. 02 and Ep. 03.

Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago Likely For Vancouver's UFC 115

2010-03-10T00:23:00.001-08:00

According to an article appearing on the Las Vegas Sun's website, a UFC welterweight contenders' match between Brazil's Paulo Thiago (13-1; WW #5) and Denmark's Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (16-3; WW #10) is likely to appear on the quickly-filling UFC 115 card in Vancouver, British Columbia. The event is strongly rumoured to be scheduled for June 12th in GM Place.

Reports early last week that came out suggesting the event was in jeopardy now seem to have been largely unfounded as the UFC has not flinched from continuing to fill the rapidly approaching card.

The fight itself is nothing short of drool-inducing. It pits a high-level striker with underrated grappling, in Kampmann, against a well-known grappler with ever-improving strikes, in Paulo Thiago. I refer to the latter as Paulo "Braz-Cop" due to his conspicuous side-job as an elite tactical forces operative tasked with combating Brazil's illicit drug trade. Of course, this is an obvious homage to Mirko "Cro-Cop, who earned his cage name by performing similar duties in his native Croatia.

But I digress, the real issue here is that Thiago vs. Kampmann is an extremely well-matched fight, especially given that, despite the fact that each is coming off of a decisive victory, both desperately need another win to stay near the top of the crowded heap at 170lbs.

Complete Rumoured Card:

Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card:

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card:

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Press Release: KOTC Uprising II Full Card Details

2010-03-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

As always, we here at B.C. MMA Fan are looking forward to the province's next great fight card. This time it's the King of the Cage: Uprising II event set for this Friday at Nanaimo's Frank Crane Arena. The main event features Victoria's Gavin Neil squaring of against Charlie Zak, who is originally from Germany. The winner will claim the vacant KOTC Canadian Lightweight title that Rory MacDonald left behind when he signed with the UFC.

An official press release containing the updated full card and additional information can be found below:

King of the Cage Uprising II

Friday March 12th, 2010

Frank Crane Arena

Tickets on sale online @ http://vimma.ca and at the door!

MAIN EVENT

King of the Cage Canadian Lightweight Title Fight

155lb Charlie Zak (4-2), Revolution MMA, Vancouver, BC vs. Gavin Neil (6-1), Zuma Martial Arts, Victoria, BC

International Super Fight

185lb Bastien Huveneers (6-2), Dynamic MMA, Brussels, Belgium, VS. Marcus Vinicios (6-5), AXE Capoeira, Recife, Brazil

180lb Nolan Clark (2-5), Revolution MMA, Vancouver, BC vs. Garett Davis (11-10), Dynamic MMA, Vancouver, BC

155lb Tarek Gabali (3-0), Zuma Martial Arts, Victoria, BC vs. Rob Bastone (2-0), Tofino Judo Club, Ucluelet, BC

185lb George Texeira (0-0), Tasherra 2000BC, Surrey, BC vs. Ryan Ballingal (2-3), Impact MMA, Nanaimo, BC

185lb Clint VanRossum (0-0), Surrey Combat Club, Surrey, BC vs. David Perron (1-0), Creative Fighters Guild, Richmond, BC

185lb Geordie Mc Credie (1-0) Comox Valley Boxing Club, Courtenay, BC vs Ryan Janes (2-1), Zuma Martial Arts, Victoria, BC vs.

170lb Dan Laughey (2-1), Crusher Combat Sports, Victoria, BC vs. Zach Bye (1-0), Port McNeil, BC

190lb Brendon Kornberger (0-1), Dynamic MMA, Vancouver, BC vs. Troy Hardy (0-0), Comox Valley Boxing Club, Courtenay, BC

155lb Greg Church (0-0), Zuma Martial Arts, Victoria, BC vs. Pendragon Smith (0-1), Impact MMA, Nanaimo, BC

155lb Jordan Knippelberge (0-0), Pride Gym, Trail, BC vs. David Krawczyk (0-1), Dungeon Grappling, Vancouver, BC

145lb Cam Deleurme (1-1), RDC Jiu Jitsu, Kelowna, BC vs. Upneet Rai (1-2), Impact MMA, Nanaimo, BC

King of the Cage full contact professional mixed martial arts is returning to Vancouver Island on Friday March 12th, 2010 at Frank Crane Arena. This event will be KOTC’s 40th production in Canada and UPRISING II will be the promotion’s 4th event here in Nanaimo. KOTC is Canada’s original MMA promotion and this fight card will be one fans will not want to miss.

The cards main event features Vancouver Island's own Gavin Neil (6-1) fighting out of the ZUMA training center in Victoria. He will face off against the German native, Revolution MMA stand out Charlie Zak (4-2). These 2 ferocious athletes are scheduled for five, five minute rounds inside the 33ft steel cage for the KOTC Canadian Lightweight Title.

Fight fans will also be treated to an international super fight. This feature middleweight fight will stage Brazilian Capoeira practitioner Marcus Vinicios against Belgium's seasoned MMA veteran Bastien Huveneers. Bastien has a win over Vinicios’ brother, so you can expect both of these fighters to come out with intent to hurt.

Zuma’s ground phenom & Judo practitioner Tarek Gabali (3-0) is set to fight Tofino's Judo Master Rob Bastone (2-0). One of these two fighters is about to get their first taste of defeat.

Other Nanaimo fighters on the card out of Impact MMA include: Ryan Ballingal (2-3), Upneet Rai (1-2), and Pendragon Smith (0-1). Come on out and support your local fighters!

King of the Cage: The Evolution of Combat.

Aggression MMA Announces Plans For Show In Vernon

2010-03-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

According to their official site, Alberta-based Aggression MMA is planning to make their British Columbia debut in Vernon this summer. Furthermore, they have confirmed today with this site that the new official date for that show is May 21st, 2010.

This is great news for Okanagan MMA fans since Aggression's first two shows in Edmonton, dating back to October 2009, were smashing successes that featured huge names in the Canadian and international MMA scene like Matt Horwich (24-13-1), Nick Denis (9-2), Claude Patrick (11-1), Jason Day (18-9), and Jesse Taylor (14-5). If their upcoming show in Vernon offers a similar level of competition, it would easily become the most talent-rich card ever assembled in the B.C. interior.

Earlier today, the following quote was offered to the inimitable David Stanford of MMACanada.net by Aggression MMA President Moin Moizra:

"Aggression is very pleased to be expanding into new and exciting markets. Ourbusiness model dictated that Aggression become a domestic promotion rather than linger in one market. Edmonton is our base and our home, however we saw an opportunity that we couldn't refuse and jumped at the chance to hold a show in Vernon. We will be back in Edmonton July 9 and October 1 and we hope to keep bringing great quality fights to our ever growing and loyal fan base. Keep posted for more dates to be announced in other cities as well."

Keep it locked to B.C. MMA Fan for updates on this event.

Emelianenko Plays Nice; Summer Return For A Strikeforce/M-1 Show On CBS Is Likely

2010-03-09T10:20:00.001-08:00

Last week, the world's undisputed best MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianeko (31-1) made news when he chose not to appear on Strikeforce's upcoming CBS event this April. Immediately following this announcement rumours began circulating that Fedor would either choose to return to fighting in Japan, or possibly even sign with the UFC.

As it turned out, Fedor, along with his manager Vadim Finkelstein and their company M-1 Global, simply felt that the terms of their agreement with Strikeforce needed some minor tweaking. Specifically, they felt that, even though Strikeforce had agreed to their demands of 50-50 co-promotion, the existence of that partnership was not publicized well enough in the North American market. In hindsight, they have a very solid point in that regard as most people referred to the November event on CBS only as Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, thus including M-1's strongest bargaining chip, Fedor, without giving them their fair credit.

In any case, it now appears as though those concerns have been addressed fairly by all parties concerned and that, as a result, we can expect Emelianenko to return as early as this June on a M-1/Strikeforce card on CBS. His most likely opponent at this time would appear to be world #10 heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1).

The following quote appears in an article on Sherdog.com and is attributed to M-1 Global's Director of Operations, Evgeni Kogan:

"I think June, July is realistic (for Emelianenko's return). It's not 100 percent. Don't take this as a fight announcement, but I think during the summer. After the CBS show, we thought that the (Strikeforce) terms needed a little bit tweaking -- nothing major, just a little bit of tweaking. So, we had a round of negotiations with Strikeforce. Everything went positively. We're pretty much at the end. For us, it's really important that the M-1 Global brand is acknowledged on these co-promotion events. As much as the partners made a lot of effort to acknowledge the co-branding, the media basically picked up on the fact that it was Strikeforce and kind of forgot about everything else, which wasn't the most ideal for us."

B.C. MMA Fan will, of course, keep you updated as the story develops.

Hot Prospect Marlon Sandro Victorious At SRC 12

2010-03-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest stories to emerge from this past weekend's Sengogu Raiden Championship 12 was the continued rise of devastating, Brazilian, featherweight, striker Marlon Sandro (16-1) seen here in video from the event in which he KO'ed Japan's Tomonari Kanomata (15-5-5).

The finish comes at around 1:40.

Press Release: Vancouver MMA Expo Set for April 10th-11th

2010-03-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

The B.C. MMA scene is about to get a shot in the arm courtesy of the worlds biggest and baddest Mixed Martial Arts Expo, which comes to Abbostford in just over one month. But why listen to us yammer on about it, here's the straight goods direct from the source:

VANCOUVER, BC – Mixed Martial Arts Expo, LLC - The Original MMA Expo since 2005 – announced today some of the key features of the upcoming event at the TRADEX Exhibition Centre in Abbotsford, BC on April 10-11.

Between the Submission Grappling Tournaments, show floor demonstrations, exhibitors with MMA apparel, gear and nutrition, the MMA Referee and Judging Clinic, accredited conditioning seminars by Fitness Kickboxing Canada, the MMA Expo Hotties and the growing list of MMA Celebrities, it would appear that MMA Expo founder and president, Gerald Chopik is bang-on when he says “BC’s MMA fans are in for one action-packed MMA weekend!”

The MMA Expo celebrity line-up starts with former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk (37-4-1) and King of the Cage Champion Shonie Carter (48-21-7). “Sean and Shonie have attended a number of our events in Toronto and Philadelphia and these guys are always huge hits with the fans.” stated Chopik. “We also like to showcase local talent in each city and also on site for the weekend will be UFC Veterans Bill 'The Butcher' Mahood (17-7-1), and Jason "Dooms" Day (18-9-0), Dream Featherweight Champion Bibiano "Flash" Fernandez (7-2-0) and fan favourite "Ragin" Kajan Johnston (17-11-1).”

Also on the list are Thiago ‘Jambo' Goncalves (11-3-0) from Team Nogueira as well as Vancouver resident and Seventh Degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt, Marcus Soares – one of the highest ranking BJJ Black Belts in Canada, one of the top in North America and a past Head Instructor at the Carlson Gracie Academy, Brazil. And apparently there are more to be announced over the next two weeks.

Chopik has not overlooked the up-and-coming female fighters of the sport. Included in the line-up are Strikeforce’s Miesha “TkDwN" Tate (8-2-0) and Liz Bader (6-3-1). “I’m a huge fan of female fighters and we are working on a few more additions to our roster that we hope to be able to announce over the next two weeks. Female competitors train and fight every bit as hard as the guys and their growing celebrity status is well deserved. ”

MMA Expo is also proud to bring to the west coast the host of Canada’s number one MMA program, MMA Connected on Rogers Sportsnet. “One of our biggest supporters from Day 1 of MMA Expo has been ‘Showdown Joe’ Ferraro”, said Chopik. “Joe is a one of the most knowledgeable and well-spoken individuals in the sport, period. Far beyond somebody behind a microphone asking the same-old questions, Joe can handle himself inside the cage as well. He knows his striking and also has the skills to take care of himself on the ground. Showdown is one of the pioneers and true ambassadors of MMA in Canada. He and his MMA Connected Team always do a great job of covering the event and hanging out with the fans.”

Some of the best action on the MMA Expo show floor takes place during the submission grappling tournaments.

“Canada has a lot of talented submission grapplers in both the BJJ and NoGi divisions”, according to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and tournament coordinator, Tim Shears. “MMA Expo represents a great opportunity for west-coast grapplers to showcase their talents. We’re also excited about the opportunity for our open division champions to win free airfare and registration to the Gi and NoGi Abu Dhabi Championships being held at MMA Expo Toronto in June. Competition will be fierce and it going to make for two great days on the mats. If you are a grappling competitor this is the one event that you do not want to miss.”

MMA Expo seems to have just about everything for the MMA fighter and fan, including the potential for career opportunities. Seasoned MMA official, Marc Fennell will be on hand with a comprehensive two-day Referee and Judging Seminar for those who are interested in a career as an official in what many consider to be the fastest growing sport on the planet.

For more information about MMA Expo visit www.MixedMartialArtsExpo.com and select Vancouver.

GSP: "I Want This Win To Be Remembered Forever"

2010-03-08T23:20:00.000-08:00

Georges St. Pierre (19-2) is saying all the right things in the run-up to his impending UFC 111 showdown with Britain's Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (23-6). For one thing, he correctly recognizes that Hardy has absolutely nothing to lose in this fight, which is precisely what makes him so dangerous.

UFC 111: St. Pierre vs. Hardy
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV)
Location: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Main event:

170 lbs.: Georges St. Pierre [CAN] vs. Dan Hardy for the UFC Welterweight Title

Main Card:

265 lbs.: Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin
170 lbs.: Thiago Alves vs. Jon Fitch
170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger vs. Ben Saunders
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek [CAN]

Under Card:

155 lbs.: Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
170 lbs.: Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
205 lbs.: Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
185 lbs.: Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
155 lbs.: Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino

It Turns Out "Do You Know The Muffin Man" Is Just A Great Tune

2010-03-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

Many in attendance at Armageddon Fighting Championships II this past Saturday left the show believing that main-event winner Kalib Starnes (9-4-1) had chosen the children's song "Do You Know The Muffin Man" for his walk-out music as a not-so-subtle dig at his opponent, Marcus Hicks (10-19), for weighing in ten pounds overweight.

As it turns out, it was Kalib's daughter who chose the song, presumably simply because it totally rocks, which, undeniably, it does. In fact, I was even informed that Kalib explained all this in the ring right after the fight. On behalf of the media, our bad.

A direct quote from TopMMANews' forum:

I wasn’t making fun of him with the “Muffin Man” song. My seven year old daughter picked my entry music that night, and so that’s what you get.

I have nothing but respect for him for getting in the ring and I wish him the best.

Unfortunately he couldn’t make weight. I think he outweighed me by 20 lbs, so I shared a piece of cheesecake with him at the weigh ins just to make light of the situation. We ended up fighting an exhibition at a catch-weight of 200 lbs.

Still, even Kalib would probably have to admit that if a fighter was intending to mock his opponent for missing weight, this would be a hilarious song to accomplish that with.

WEC 47: Fall-Out Videos and Pics

2010-03-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Three big stories came out of WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz this past Saturday.

In a pair of massive upsets, Dominick Cruz (15-1) defeated the 135lb. champion Brian Bowles (8-1) to become the new bantamweight king, and Joseph Benavidez (12-1) cut former pound-for-pound ranked Miguel Torres (37-3) wide open [graphic pics below] before finishing with a guilotine.

Finally, Jens Pulver (22-13-1), who is now 1-7 in his last eight fights, battled valiantly in a losing effort against Javier Vasquez (14-4) in what will almost undoubtedly be the last world-class fight of "Lil' Evil's" career. Does anyone else think he should at least be considered for the UFC hall-of-fame? The guy basically helped pioneer lighter weight fights and was the UFC's first 155lb. champion.

Videos and pictures below:

Dominic Cruz talks to Sherdog.com's T.J. DeSantis about winning the title with (at least) two broken bones:

Via his Twitter account, Miguel Torres has released pictures of the gnarly cut he sustained from a well-placed Benavidez elbow. I am not making any sort of judgement, but cuts like these are exactly why elbows on the ground are outlawed in both Strikeforce and DREAM:

Finally, the some of the finest lighter-weight fighters in the world pay tribute to Jens Pulver:

Justin Shaw vs. Nathan Williamsen At AFC II: Amateur Video

2010-03-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

The video quality is less than ideal, but if you maximize the image to fill your screen you'll get a pretty good look at Justin Shaw (1-0)'s debut performance at Armageddon Fighting Championships II. It is unfortunate, both for Shaw and his opponent Nathan Williamsen (0-1), that the fight was stopped due to a cut, but it certainly was a good bit of entertainment while it lasted.

"AFC II: Aftershock" A Hit With Island MMA Fans; Starnes, Hinchliffe, Shaw, and Zuma Are Big Winners

2010-03-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Victoria-based Armageddon Fighting Championships' aptly-named "Aftershock" event successfully built upon the momentum of last August's AFC1: The Big Bang.

As a result, AFC has now moved way out ahead to become British Columbia's most professionally run and talent-rich MMA promotion. Sure, there were a few miscues. For example, a buzzer sounded midway through Nick Driedger vs. Patrick Besarra causing a bit of confusion, and Marcus Hicks (10-20)' record was erroneously listed in the program as 18-10. Overall though, the event gave fans in B.C. a rare opportunity to witness an MMA show as it should be run. If their improved sophomore effort, which will be broadcast on The Fight Network in the coming weeks, was any indication, the quality of AFC III on July 17th should rival any of the most established promotions in Canada.

One drawback of the event was that educated B.C. fight fans knew going into the main event that Marcus Hicks, who weighted in four pounds over the limit and now possesses a %33.3 win-rate, stood less than a snowflake's chance in Barbados of defeating Kalib Starnes (10-4). One has to respect Hicks for his willingness to take on a nearly insurmountable challenge, but, at the same time, one hopes that he is not used in a showcase fight anytime in the AFC's near future. For his part, Kalib Starnes did more than was necessary to entertain the crowd-- coming out to the children's song "Do You Know The Muffin Man" in an apparent dig at his opponent's weight issues. When the bell sounded, Kalib went to work employing a methodical game plan designed, most likely, to minimize any chance of sustaining damage ahead of his upcoming fight in Hawaii. Starnes, who looked to be in some of the best physical condition of his career, relied on his superior strength to muscle Hicks to the mat with a trip-takedown. From there it was all Starnes who transitioned to full-mount, then back-mount before sinking in a rear naked choke (RNC) just 1:22 into the first round.

Easily the biggest story to come out of AFC II is the return-to-form of Nick Hinchliffe (12-5, [Pictured Above]) who turned in a thoroughly dominant performance despite entering the fight as the underdog against Dan MacIver (6-1). MacIver had defeated Hinchliffe in a previous match back in October, 2008 and entered the match undefeated with a fair amount of buzz surrounding him, but Hinchliffe was not to be denied. The Nanaimo native dominated the first round with devastating G'n'P before cornering MacIver early in the second and unloading a barrage of vicious punches that left his opponent in a heap [Pictured Above]. As ringside medical attendants struggled to return MacIver to consciousness, you could almost watch the weight of Hinchliffe's recent losses, all to qua lite opponents, being lifted from his shoulders. At the night's conclusion, Kalib Starnes suggested that Hinchliffe meet him at AFC III in July to determine a middleweight champion. To say the least, no one in the crowd seemed to take issue with that thought.

In what ended up being a slightly farcical match, Phil Friedman (2-2), a daily training partner of Randy Couture at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, easily dismantled UFC 4 veteran Jason Fairn (4-5) in just 38 seconds. Congratulations, of course, go to Friedman, but, really, the less said about this "fight" the better. At least Friedman got to re-enter the ring to draw the winning 50-50 ticket.

Former Victoria Rebels stand-out and current CFL player, Justin Shaw (1-0 [Interview, Pictured Right]) made a crackling heavyweight debut against an over-matched giant in Bella Coola B.C.'s Nathan Williamsen (0-1 [Bio]). Unfortunately, the fight was ended due to doctor's stoppage (cut) at just 0:58 of round one, but the assembled fans witnessed an impressive display of raw force from Shaw who could someday be a legitimate threat to any Canadian heavyweight. After the fight, Shaw, who will report to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers training-camp this spring, was open about his eagerness to fight again in the future. In a tremendous show of heart, his opponent, Williamsen, even suggested he would be willing to take a second crack at Shaw one day.

The other big winners of the night were the entire crew from Victoria's Zugec.Ultimate.Martial.Arts (Zuma) fight club. Not only did they take home three decisive first-round wins by Diego Wilson (5-1), Nick Driedger (3-1), and Josh Spong (2-1), but Sarah Kaufman (11-0, [Fight Review; Interview]) was given a thunderous round of applause by the crowd in appreciation of her recent Strikeforce 135lb. title victory. Throughout the night, Adam Zugec [Pictured Left] was seen sporting a t-shirt that read "He Coaches...", and he proved to everyone in attendance that he does it pretty darn well.

Also scoring victories at AFC II were Island MMA's Derek Medler (2-0) who hip-tossed and then submitted his opponent by guillotine choke in 0:48 seconds; Josh Bohnen who won a fairly clear unanimous decision; Tristan Connelly who came from being behind early to submit his opponent at 2:26 of round one; and Karl Bergen who looked impressive as he finished his lopsided fight with knees against the cage to score a TKO at 3:25 of round one in the night's opening bout.

As a final note, UFC lightweight and Ultimate Fighter 6 winner Mac Danzig (19-7-1) did an excellent job as guest referee. The crowd was certainly pleasantly surprised to see him in the cage. Thanks again, Mac.

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Sengoku Raiden Championship 12: Quick Results

2010-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

Sengoku Raiden Championships, the promotion formerly known as World Victory Road, but which I refer to affectionately as "The Japanese Strikeforce" because it consistently plays second-banana to DREAM, hosted its first event under the SRC banner late last night. The fights will be replayed on HDNet this coming Friday (March 12th) at 7:00pm/PST and again at midnight on that same evening. For those of you attending Nanaimo's King Of The Cage: Uprising II show that night, there is another replay scheduled for next Saturday at 1:00pm/PST.

From all accounts, it was a pretty decent night of fights with SRC Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago (22-8) redeeming himself from a recent disappointing non-title loss, Akihiro Gono (32-15-7) continuing his resurgence by running his winning streak to three, and the quick statement knockouts by a pair of SRC title contenders: lightweight Maximo Blanco (5-2-1) and featherweight Marlon Sandro (19-1).

Main Event

Jorge Santiago def. Mamed Khalidov by Unanimous Decision [To Retain SRC Middleweight Title]

Main Card

Akihiro Gono def. Diego Gonzalez by Unanimous Decision
Maximo Blanco def. Chang Hyun "Armbar" Kim by KO, Rd. 1
Marlon Sandro def. Tomonari Kanomata by KO, Rd. 1
Yoshihiro "KISS" Nakao def. Henry "Sentoryu" Miller by TKO, Rd. 2
Yuji Hoshino def. Nick Denis [CAN] by Submission (Guillotine), Rd. 2
Leonardo Santos def. Kiuma Kunioku by Submission (RNC), Rd. 1
Shigeki Osawa Def. Kyung Ho Kang by Unanimous Decision

WEC 47: Quick Results

2010-03-07T00:49:00.000-08:00

I made it back from AFC:II in time to catch most of the late-replay of the event on The Score. All I can say is, who saw that coming?

Honestly, if you can so much as claim with a straight face that you called the co-main and main events correctly, I will drive all the way to anywhere in B.C. you call home just to shake your hand.

Picture Props: Sherdog.com

Quick Results:

Dominick Cruz def. Brian Bowles by TKO (Did Not Answer Bell), Rd. 2 @ 5:00

Joseph Benavidez def. Miguel Torres by Guillotine in Rd. 2 @ 2:57

Javier Vazquez def. Jens Pulver by Arm Bar, Rd. 1 @ 3:41

L.C. Davis def. Deividas Taurosevicius by Majority Decision

Bart Palaszewski def. Joseph Aviles by Arm Bar, Rd. 1 @ 4:40

Scott Jorgensen def. Chad George by Guillotine, Rd. 1 @ 0:31

Chad Mendes def. Erik Koch by Unanimous Decision

Anthony Pettis def. Danny Castillo by KO (Head Kick), Rd. 1 @ 2:27

George Roop vs. Leonard Garcia Ends In A Draw

Fredson Paixao def. Courtney Buck by RNC, Rd. 1 @ 2:39

Ricardo Lamas def. Bendy Casimir by KO (Knee), Rd. 1 @ 3:43

Armageddon Fighting Championships II: Quick Results

2010-03-06T23:44:00.000-08:00

Head promoters Darren Owen and Jason Heit (3-0) achieved a roaring success at Armageddon Fighting Championships II: Aftershock. The arena was packed nearly to capacity, Mac Danzig (19-7-1) performed referee duties competently, and ten out of the eleven fights ended within the time limit.

On top of that, Nanaimo's Nick Hinchliffe (12-5) and Surrey's Kalib Starnes (10-4-1) each scored decisive, dramatic victories that left the crowd buzzing as they exited Bear Mountain Arena. Of course, that had something to do with Starnes' suggestion in the ring that Hinchliffe face him at AFC III this July for a middleweight title.

Quick Results:

Kalib Starnes def. Marcus Hicks by RNC in Rd. 1, 1:22

Nick Hinchliffe def. Dan MacIver by KO (Punch), Rd. 2 @ 0:27

Phil Friedman def. Jason Fairn by RNC, Rd. 1, 0:38

Diego Wilson submits Ryan Leef by Rear Naked Choke in Rd. 1 @ 1:58

Justin Shaw def. Nathan Williamson by TKO (Doctor Stoppage), Rd. 1 @ 0:58

Nick Driedger def. Patrick Besarra by TKO (G'n'P), Rd. 1 @ 4:42

Derek Medler def. Dave Logan by Guillotine, Rd. 1 @ 0:48

Josh Spong def. Tim Jeffreys by TKO (G'n'P), Rd. 1 @ 2:38

Josh Bohnen def. Chris Jones by Unanimous Decision

Tristan Connoly def. Jimmy Phan by RNC, Rd. 1 @ 2:26

Karl Bergen def. Cody Heatherington by TKO (Knees), Rd 1 @ 3:25

Come Back To B.C. MMA Fan Tomorrow For A Detailed Event Review

MMA Reminder: WEC 47 Tonight On The Score; AFC II Live In Colwood BC

2010-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's going to be a bit of a slow news day on the site today because I will be busy preparing for tonight's big show, Armageddon Fighting Championships II (Preview from Vancouver Sun). Be sure to check back after the fights tonight for quick results and again tomorrow morning for a detailed review of the event, which is easily the biggest MMA show to hit B.C. this year. Tickets still available.

For those of you who can't make it to the live show, don't forget there will also be fantastic card on free television tonight as WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz (Preview From Sherdog.com) broadcasts live at 7:00pm/PST. The show will be replayed at 11:00pm/PST and is stacked with big fights. It's a can't-miss for any serious MMA fan. In fact, I hope to make it home from tonight's fights in time to catch some of the action.

One more thing, a good friend of this site, stand-out Canadian welterweight Claude Patrick (11-1), has just announced that he has signed his first UFC contract (Full Story From MMACanada). It is rumoured that he will appear on the UFC 115 card that remains likely for Vancouver on June, 12th at GM Place. Congratulations Claude, you deserve to be in the big show and we all know you'll make Canada proud. Now if they would just sanction MMA in Ontario, right?

See you at the fights!

Adam Gabel Out Of KOTC Title Fight In Nainaimo (March 12th), Replaced By Gavin Neil

2010-03-05T11:19:00.001-08:00

Vancouver Island MMA fans were already being spoiled this March with King Of The Cage: Uprising II scheduled for Nanaimo on the 12th, just one week after Colwood hosts Armageddon Championships Fighting II. Now, they have received a significant upgrade to the KOTC: Uprising II's main event as Adam Gabel (1-1) has pulled out of the Canadian lightweight title fight against Charlie Zak (3-2) and has been replaced by Victoria resident Gavin Neil (6-1).

According to KOTC Promoter John Cooper, "It's official. Gabel is out and Neil is in." When asked why the change had been made, Cooper responded, "Gabel called me to say that he didn't feel like he was ready and he didn't feel like he would be able to make weight." Cooper went on to explain that this news had not come as a complete surprise, "The rumour I was hearing was that he was not training very hard."

Gavin Neil is a far more experienced fighter than Gabel. He who sports a 5-1 record in Alberta's Maximum Fighting Championship, with his only loss coming against fellow Canadian lightweight stand-out Ryan Machan (10-3). Neil's most recent fight was a unanimous decision victory over Curtis Demarce (7-7), which came last August at Armageddon Fighting Championshps I.

According to Cooper, " [Neil] was pretty excited. It sounded like he had been training because, with two shows in ten days, I think he was expecting to get a call and this is probably the exact phone call he was waiting for because it's a great opportunity to get a title shot at a week's notice."

This new fight puts the pressure on Zak to elevate his game to face a stronger opponent. With all due respect to Adam Gabel, he probably made the right choice in opting to continue sharpening his skills before making the jump into a title fight. Nanaimo-based MMA fans will surely thank him on fight day-- sentiments which Cooper seems to echo, "I think our title fight now is as good a fight as we could have ever had for the lightweight belt."

Tickets for King Of The Cage Uprising II can be purchased online at http://kingofthecage.eventbrite.com/.

UFC Up To Old Tricks?-- May Counterprogram Strikeforce's April 17th Show

2010-03-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

When Strikeforce first began its current growth spurt, following the acquisition of both EliteXC's remaining MMA assets in February 2009 and subsequent distribution deal with CBS, UFC president Dana White seemed to take a kinder, gentler approach to the upstart promotion. Gone were the verbal barbs he had consistently launched at now-vanquished enemies like The IFL, EliteXC, and Affliction.In their place were, gasp, friendly words of encouragement.

Well, one short year and a few key signings later, it seems that White's kid-gloves policy toward Strikeforce's Scott Coker has officially ended as it has now been strongly rumoured that the UFC will create a new live event to counter-program Strikeforce's recently-announced April 17th show. In the past, the UFC has used counter-programming to great effect, especially during Affliction's ill-fated promotional period. It is further rumoured that this unnamed April 17th UFC event would be co-headlined by an intriguing match-up of Matt "The Terra" Serra vs. Mike "Quick" Swick.

In response to this move, Strikeforce is now considering pushing their own April 17th show, called Stikeforce: Nashville, which features three title fights and the North Amerian debut of Shinya Aoki (23-4), up one week to April 24th. Doing so would put Strikeforce: Nashville in direct competition with Zuffa's secondary promotion, the WEC, as it attempts to make its long-awaited pay-per-view debut with a main event of Urijah Faber vs. Jose Aldo.

In the first scenario, Strikeforce: Nashville vs. UFC on April 17th, attempting to compete with the UFC will likely negatively impact Strikeforce's total ratings on CBS. However, given CBS' superior recognition and much wider distribution, the show would probably still beat the UFC on SpikeTV overall. Furthermore, Strikeforce would benefit from being seen standing its ground. Showing a willingness to go head-to-head with their biggest competitor, and quite likely winning, could only increase their legitimacy as a world-class promotion. The only drawback here is that CBS may be too concerned with overall ratings success to go along with this messy promotional showdown. On the other hand, SpikeTV finds itself in Strikeforce's position of only increasing it's legitimacy by taking on the biggest player in their industry-- in this case, CBS.

The second scenario, Strikeforce: Nashville vs. WEC 48 (PPV) on April 24th , would ensure Strikeforce a landslide ratings victory and could potentially devastate the WEC's PPV buy numbers, which are already expected to be dismally low due to their price-point of $44.99. The drawback here, though, is that, moving from their already-announced date of April 17th in order to avoid competing with the UFC, would be tantamount to an admission by Strikeforce and CBS that they consider themselves a second-rate show that is only capable of competing with the WEC's of the world.

So it comes down to a question of winning in public perception (April 17th) or total ratings (April 24th) for Strikeforce who have yet to make up their minds one way or another. In fact, the UFC has not officially announced a show on April 17th, though Dana white has confirmed their intention to do so soon. So, what you have here truly is a pretty twisted game of promotional chicken with millions of dollars in ad, ticket, and PPV revenue hanging in the balance.

Right now, it seems like the April 17th date is the most likely for Strikeforce: Nashville, thus setting up their first live showdwn with the UFC. The following quote is from Strikeforce President Scott Coker on MMAJukie.com:

"It hasn't been decided yet. I think we're meeting probably Monday. But for now, everything is going to be locked and loaded for the 17th. There's so many fights out there. We're going to do 20 fights this year, and they're going to do a bunch of fights. It's inevitable that there will be a conflict at some point."

B.C. MMA Fan.com will keep you posted on this story as it develops.

B.C. Bio: Justin Shaw -- "Athletics Has Been My Thing For My Whole Life"

2010-03-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Former Victoria Rebel and current member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Justin Shaw (0-0), recently took time to speak with Josh Oliveira of B.C. MMA Fan about his upcoming fight at Armageddon Fighting Championships II and how he plans to balance Football and MMA.

J.O.: When and how did you first get interested in training MMA?

Justin Shaw: I've been interested in MMA since watching the first ones with Gracie and Shamrock and I used to wrestle around with my buddies. But, when did I actually start seriously training? That's a different question. Only about three months ago, if that. Two-and-a-half or three months, yeah, and I just jumped right in and started going five days a week. It's been quite the learning curve, but I like it. Everyday I'm learning something new and the stuff I first learned is becoming habit now. I don't have to think about escapes and submissions, it just comes natural now. I'm just doing it.

J.O.: Wow, that sounds like quite a lot of progress for just three months.

Justin Shaw: Yeah, people have been impressed that I've come along so quickly, but athletics has been my thing for my whole life. I have always played every sport possible and played football since I was seven. It's just kind of a natural progression, I guess, into the martial arts and the fighting stuff. I mean, you can take what you've learned in all the other sports like the explosiveness and the footwork and apply it to a new sport.

J.O.: Yeah, athleticism counts for a lot. I agree. Do you think it will be possible for you to have two simultaneous sports careers, or will MMA have to take a backseat to football for now?

Justin Shaw: Well, with the way the season works for football, even though you only play once a week, you're pretty banged up and it takes a lot out of you. As far as the off-season goes, it's a great way for me to stay in shape to be training for something. I know that ultimately I'm supposed to be training for football, but, when you're training for a fight coming up, you're going to be training a lot harder because it's more of a short-term goal. Instead of just knowing that six months down the road you're going to be playing football again. So, are they going to conflict? Well, they kinda do because I can't compete [in MMA] while I'm playing football, but the off-season is completely reversed. So I think I can make a good career out of both until I have to make a decision on which way I want to go. Right now, I haven't really been forced to.

J.O.: On that note, CFL training camps will be starting in just a couple of months. Do you think you'll try to fit another fight in before then?

Justin Shaw: That I don't know. I haven't really had full season of being healthy and playing from the beginning of the year in the CFL. So, I want to focus on that. I think this is my year because my injuries have gone away and my hamstring injury has kinda subsided. I feel like I have gotten past it now, so I really want to get a good year of football in and risking getting injured in a fight right before training amp is not something I want to do this year.

J.O.: Yeah, that's understandable.

Justin Shaw: I wanted to do this one event because Darren [Owen], my good friend is putting it on and it was an opportunity for me to try it out. Plus, I trust them to match me up with somebody of equal caliber in experience. Anyway, we'll just go from there. In the future I would like to fight two or three times in the off season, but, this year I'll probably just stick with the one.

J.O.: Sounds good. Not much is known about your opponent, Nathan Williamsen. What is known, though, is that he is physically huge. Do you have any specific gameplan in place for dealing with his size?

Justin Shaw: I'm going to go in there and just worry about me. When you don't know about your opponent, all you can really focus on is what you do well. So I'm not really gameplanning for him. Yeah, I've sparred with some guys who are taller than me to get my range down and things like that, but I have played against guys as big as him. They don't move as well from carrying all that weight, as opposed to guys my size, you know, around 240lbs. I think that might be my advantage. So, I'll go in and just try to feel it out. Eventually, I think my strength, if I have one, is to be on the ground on top finishing the fight with ground-and-pound.

J.O.: So you would say then that takedowns and ground-and-pound are your greatest strengths?

Justin Shaw: Yeah, for sure. It comes from football where you need explosiveness and the tackling where you're driving through guys. That's what I'm the most comfortable with. Then again, if I find that I'm faster, and he's looking a bit sloppy with the stand-up stuff, I might just keep it standing and pick him apart. I am not going to get caught playing his game, that's for sure.

J.O.: You've said in recent interviews that you have been losing a bit of weight in this training camp. Has that trend continued?

Justin Shaw: I have lost a bit of muscle mass up top, anyway. You need to be big up top for football. You need the big traps and chest and arms, but it's not the best for flexibility. So I've really laid off the weights for the last three-and-a-half months. I've just been strictly doing the five-minute rounds and the wrestling and conditioning. My legs have gotten a bit stronger from all the stairs I'm doing. I've been doing stadiums two times a week and an hour-and-a-half each time. So my conditioning has gotten a lot better and I've lost some muscle up top, which I feel is better because I've had less neck pain and I'm way more flexible.

J.O.: Yeah? So you feel a bit healthier at this weight then?

Justin Shaw: Yeah, and quicker. You can get the jab off quicker when you don't have as much to hold up.

J.O.: What message do you have for the fans who may be considering coming out on Saturday and what can they expect from Justin Shaw as an MMA fighter?

Justin Shaw: I suggest they check it out for sure. I mean, knowing the guys I train with, they're exciting in the gym and I'm not even speaking about myself. Derek Medler, he's an animal in the gym, and there are a couple of first-time fighters that are going to be very interesting as well. Not to mention you've got Kalib Starnes, an ex-UFC guy, so in Victoria this is a card like no one has ever seen. As far as I'm concerned, they're going to see what I can do for the first time. I'm going to put on a good show, I can guarantee you that. It won't go the distance and I'm going to come out on top.

J.O.: Sounds great. Is there anyone you want to thank or anything you want to plug at this time?

Justin Shaw: Really just Darren [Owen] and Jason [Heit] for for pushing me to do it. I talked about it for a while and I hate being one of those guys who talks about something and doesn't go through and do it. So, Darren kinda pushed me and trained with me for the first month. Then he got me going out there with Jay. So thanks to both those two guys and all my training partners for getting me in shape and teaching me what I know today.

J.O.: Alright, sounds good. Well, we'll see you on Saturday and best of luck.

Justin Shaw: Okay, man. I'll talk to you soon.

Tickets for AFC II are still available at Juan de Fuca Rec Centre, Island MMA, Sports Traders, Platinum Lounge in Mayfair Mall, Full Metal Jacket Racing in Duncan, online at www.armageddonfc.com, or by calling (250) 478-8384.

Accomplished Boxer James "Lights Out" Toney Signs With UFC

2010-03-04T09:04:00.001-08:00

In a somewhat surprising move, UFC President Dana White has signed 41-year-old professional boxer James "Lights Out" Toney (72-6-3-2) to a multi-fight UFC contract. In his heyday, Toney was considered one of the best pure boxers of his generation and held titles in four separate weight classes, but there is very little to indicate that he has the well-roundedness necessary to succeed in mixed martial arts. On top of that, Toney has been caught twice taking steroids in recent years. Of course, the beautiful thing about MMA is that glaring deficiencies in a fighter's game are generally exposed early and often, so we won't have to wait long to see if Toney can compete among the best in the octagon. At least Toney knows he needs qualified help and has enlisted the former coach of "Rampage" Jackson, Juanito Ibarra, to get him up to speed.

All that said, White has really stuck his neck out for Toney with this move and could end up being heavily criticized if the experiment does not work out.

From Dana White via Yahoo Sports:

"To be 100 percent honest with you, all [expletive] aside, I haven’t thought it out. I like James Toney. He’s one of the greatest boxers ever. I have tremendous respect for him. He said he wanted to fight in the UFC and I was interested. Now he’s here and I have to figure out what to do with him. What we won’t do is make a freak show out of it. I’d be the first to scream if someone else did that, so I’m not going to do it. Hey, I don’t want this to be seen as a joke, and it’s not like Herschel Walker or Canseco or any of those guys. James Toney is a fighter. The worst thing anyone can ever say to me is that they were watching one of my fights and they changed the channel. That’s why I’ll never put [expletive] fights on. James is an interesting case. We know how much talent he has as a boxer and he insists he’ll surprise people by how much MMA he knows. I’ve still got some thinking to do ... James came to me and he literally chased me around the country to do it, so I’m giving him the chance. We’ll get it figured out one way or another."

It didn't take long for one of the biggest names in the sport to call Toney out, at least. The following quote is from Randy Couture's twitter account:

WEC 47 Set For This Saturday, WEC's First Trip To Canada Set For June 20th

2010-03-03T15:42:00.001-08:00

While much of this week's coverage on B.C MMA Fan has revolved around this Saturday's Armageddon Fighting Championships II, which is set to become the biggest MMA card in British Columbia since AFC I last August, there is another fight card that even more MMA fans around the world will be focused upon and that's WEC 47: Bowles vs. Cruz.

It will be televised live across Canada on The Score beginning at 7:00pm/PST and features the first bantamweight title defense of current champion Brian Bowles (8-0) against challenger Dominick Cruz (14-1), as well as appearances by former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres (37-2) and former UFC lightweight champion Jens "Little Evil" Pulver (22-12-1). For those attending AFC II in Victoria, the WEC 47 show will be replayed beginning at 11:00pm/PST, giving you just enough time to get home and unwind by watching a second fight card on Saturday, March 6th.

WEC officials also confirmed today with TopMMANews that their debut show in Canada has been booked for Calgary on June 20th. No word yet on any potential match-ups.

Event: WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz"
Date: Saturday, March 6, 2010, at 9 p.m. ET on the Versus Network
Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio

Main Event:

WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz

Main Card:

Joseph Benavidez vs. Miguel Torres
Jens Pulver vs. Javier Vazquez
L.C. Davis vs. Deividas Taurosevicius
Karen Darabedyan vs. Bart Palaszewski

Preliminary Card:

Chad George vs. Scott Jorgensen
Erik Koch vs. Chad Mendes
Danny Castillo vs. Anthony Pettis
Leonard Garcia vs. George Roop
Bendy Casimir vs. Ricardo Lamas
Courtney Buck vs. Fredson Paixao

Nathan Williamsen Fights For His Community And For The Love Of The Game At "AFC II"

2010-03-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

After a short drive inland from the tiny coastal hamlet of Bella Coola, British Columbia, you'll arrive at the even smaller community of Hagensborg, B.C. Once there, you'll find an enormous mixed martial artist with an even bigger heart. Nathan Williamsen (0-0) checks in at 6'5"/265lbs., personally runs a local youth group, and will make his MMA debut at Armageddon Fighting Championships II in Collwood this Saturday night against local football hero, and CFL player, Justin Shaw (0-0).

Williamsen is a longtime student of judo, as well as other disciplines including karate and tae kwon do. Though, in a charmingly self-deprecating way, he claims "I wouldn't say I'm any good at any of them." That's probably not quite true, but, in any case, Williamsen has recently used his years of experience and love for the sport as the inspiration for a budding MMA community group that seeks to give local youths an outlet for their aggression. "It's been fairly successful," says Williamsen, "I've got four youth who are really gung-ho to compete. They didn't get a chance this time, but they're going to come out with me and see how things are done."

One thing Williamsen did not count on is that he would be facing a quasi-celebrity in Justin Shaw who grew up in Victoria, had a successful career with the Victoria Rebels football club and currently plays for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Regarding learning the news, Williamsen said "I didn't realize [who Shaw was] at first. We're a little bit behind the times here in Bella Coola. When we looked him up I said, 'Whoa, That's a big boy...but I'm pretty stoked about it."

Regardless of Shaw's impressive conditioning, Williamsen feels he can be very competitive based both on his size advantage, Shaw is a couple inches shorter and about thirty pounds lighter, and his superior martial arts experience. On his strategy, Williamsen said "I'm hoping it will go right to the ground. I'll box if he wants to box and I'll kick if he wants to kick, but I'm feeling fairly confident if it goes to the ground."

Either way, however, Williamsen will certainly be proud to represent his community, "This fight will tell me where I'm at. If I win, that's great, and if not, I'm not too worried about it. I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited, but I'm also hoping that, after this fight, Bella Coola will start to get noticed a bit more so other promotions will contact us."

Tickets for AFC II are still available at Juan de Fuca Rec Centre, Island MMA, Sports Traders, Platinum Lounge in Mayfair Mall, Full Metal Jacket Racing in Duncan, online at www.armageddonfc.com, or by calling (250) 478-8384.

Strikeforce: Nashville Officially Announced For April 17th

2010-03-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

After dominating the MMA landscape over the last few days with news of their struggles with Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) and a signing spree of major international stars, Strikeforce today has officially announced the date and location of their next card, which is set to be their second appearance on CBS. The now-official Strikeforce: Nashville will take place on Saturday, April 17th-- here is the reaction form CBS Senior Executive VP Kelly Kahl:

"When you have one event with three championship fights and this many top-ranked athletes, it's more than just a great card; it's a big night for MMA...Audiences are going to see a great range of mixed-martial-arts skills, styles and talent on one broadcast."

The three title fights mentioned above are:

Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (6-0) for Light Heavyweight Championship[205lbs.]

Dan Henderson (25-7) vs. Jake Shields (24-4-1) for Middleweight Championship [185lbs.]

Gilbert Melendez (17-2) vs. Shinya Aoki (23-4) for Lightweight Championship [155lbs.]

There is also some talk that former NFL superstar Herschel Walker (1-0) will return for a sophomore effort with Strikeforce on the April 17th card, possibly against former MLB player and walking-contraversy Jose Cansenco (0-1), which could be a hit with casual fans, but would surely be widely panned by hardcore MMA fans.

Dan Henderson shares his thoughts on the main event match:

UFC 115 in Vancouver (June 12th) May Be In Jeopardy

2010-03-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

According to the personal blog of MMA pioneer Paul "The Mauler" Lazenby, there is a chance that the UFC's debut in Vancouver may not happen on its long-rumoured date of June 12th, 2010.

"The Mauler" attended a meeting of the Vancouver Athletic Commission yesterday (Mar. 2nd) and was discouraged to hear that sanctioning of MMA in Vancouver is not yet a done deal and may not be for some time. The following is an excerpt from Mr. Lazenby's blog, click it to view the entire post:

In spite of Vancouver City Council's approval of a two-year trial period for MMA, I found out that there are still no regulations in place to promote the sport professionally within the city. The problem lies in the fact that the city is still expressing grave concerns about legal and financial liability, while movement toward a resolution of those concerns appears to have been extremely sluggish.

At one point, newly-elected VAC chair Mirko Mladenovic (a supporter of properly-sanctioned MMA) asked Mr. Hammel when the legal issues might be resolved, to which Mr. Hammel replied, "About two months" in a manner that indicated to me that it may be even longer.

Hearing that a legislative process is being dragged out is far from surprising, so it probably is not the right time to hit the panic button just yet. There is a pretty good chance that the UFC can still ram the necessary santcioning agreements through the VAC like they have in the past when they ran up against similar regulation problems in Montreal. B.C. MMA Fan will continue to monitor this story as it develops.

AFC II Fighter/CFL Player Justin Shaw Speaks With Saanich News

2010-03-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Victoria B.C.'s Justin Shaw may currently be 0-0 in MMA, but this linebacker and defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is quickly garnering the lion's share of the hype heading into this Saturday's Armageddon Fighting Championships II card. Little is known about Shaw's opponent, Nathan Williamsen (0-0) besides the fact that he's enormous at 6'5" - 265lbs, but the opportunity to see the local boy Shaw fight live is one that his many Victoria-based fans will surely jump at regardless of the match-up.

Justin Shaw shared some thoughts on the fight with Travis Peterson of Saanich News [Excerpt Below- click quote to read more]:

With five-time UFC competitor Kalib Starnes also on the bill, Shaw’s first fight can’t be considered a headliner. But there’s an undeniable buzz building around his muscle-bound, six-foot-four, 245 pound heavyweight-frame. “I’m really excited but I'll have to remain calm, and in control. That’s how I play football and that’s how I’ll have to be when I fight.”
When Shaw enters the cage with six-foot-five, 260 pound Nathan Williamsen (also a relative newcomer to MMA), he doesn't anticipate using a lot of stand up. “Striking, standing up, that’s a skill that takes a long time to use. Whereas with takedowns and wresting there’s going to be some crossover skills from football, especially in takedown,” Shaw said. “The footwork and particularly the explosiveness. "

AFC II will be easily the biggest B.C. MMA show so far in 2010, and arguably the most significant MMA event thus far in the province's history. Tickets are still available at Juan de Fuca Rec Centre, Island MMA, Sports Traders, Platinum Lounge in Mayfair Mall, Full Metal Jacket Racing in Duncan, online at www.armageddonfc.com, or by calling (250) 478-8384.

Strikeforce Inks More Title Fights, Signs Andrei Arlovski to Longterm Deal

2010-03-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Despite their recent difficulties in wrangling their biggest star attraction, Fedor Emelianenko (31-1), Strikeforce has continued to make aggressive moves to sell fans on a pair of upcoming major cards, scheduled for April 17th and May 15th, both of which will likely lack "The Last Emperor's" presence.

For their April 17th event on CBS, Strikeforce has recently added a lightweight title fight between reigning champion Gilbert Melendez (17-2, #8 LW) and Japanese submissions sensation, and current DREAM champion, Shinya Aoki (23-4, #2 LW [Pictured Above]). Melendaz is returning from successfully avenging a previous loss to Josh Thompson (16-3), which happened at last December's Strikeforce: Evolution. Melendez' win meant that he has now avenged both of his two career loses. For Aoki, whose DREAM lightweight belt will not be on the line in April, his Strikeforce debut will be his first fight since he controversially broke an over-matched fighter's arm at this year's K-1 Dynamite New Year's show, then proceeded to flip off both his now-defeated opponent and the entire crowd.

Also on the April 17th card will be a light heavyweight title fight between champion Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) and Muhammed Lawal (6-0). In addition, the night's main event will feature yet another five-rounder in which Dan Henderson (25-7) will attempt to steal the middleweight crown currently worn by Jake Shields (24-4-1).

As for Strikeforce's May 15th card on Showtime Sports, it is believed that the long-absent Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Alitair Overeem (32-11), who hasn't fought stateside since late 2007, will finally return to face Brett "The Grim" Rogers (10-1). It is unclear at this time if that fight will be for Overeem's heavyweight title. Strikeforce has also signed Belarusian brawler Andrei Arlovski (15-7) to a new four-fight deal; he is expected to debut on the May 15th card against Antonio Silva (13-2).

"B.C MMA Fan" At The Olympics, With Pictures!

2010-03-01T11:15:00.001-08:00

As I sit here typing on Monday, March 1st, having just returned home late last night from the centre of the post-Olympic party in Vancouver, there are successive waves of powerful emotions still washing over me.

Yes, some of it is probably a mixture of exhaustion and malnourishment, and, yes, I am fully aware that an MMA blog is not the place you would expect to find a candid discussion of one's "feelings." I also recognize that, to some, the Olympics themselves are an overblown track-meet-- a dog-and-pony show with little bearing on their day-to-day lives. That said, to be on the corner of Robson and Richards receiving heartfelt embraces from total strangers, and enough high-fives to turn both palms maple-leaf red, was a rare and joyful experience that I believe any even remotely patriotic Canadian would have cherished. To put it succinctly, I felt unadulterated Love in the air. It was True, Patriot Love and I hope that, as a nation, we never forget what it meant for us to finally let it all out.

Surely, we all have our stories to share from this past weekend. These pictures may help to tell mine. As a nation, we rallied in every way possible both yesterday and over the last several days. With the whole world watching, Canadians proved ourselves to be resilient, confident, and , most of all, great.

Pic #1: Not the gold Medal game, I wish, but Czech vs. Latvia was a great time, nonetheless. (Feb. 20th)

Pic #2: In the daytime the line up to glimpse the torch up-close was atrocious. On this night, however, it became the site of an impromptu gymnastics display. Impressive, no? (Feb. 22nd)

Pic #3: Speaking of line-ups, here's the line to get into the Quebec House pavilion just outside GM Place, where I was lucky enough to watch the men's hockey gold medal game. What a treat that was. (Feb. 28th)

Pics #4-5: Inside Quebec House the atmosphere was running at a fever pitch throughout the game. The fact that French-speaking waiters were trolling the crowd constantly looking for anyone without a $10 beer in their hand certainly didn't hurt matters either. The broadcast was in French, but it didn't matter much because I couldn't have heard a word of it, anyway. Good on you, Sidney, you locked up your spot as an all-time great at just twenty-two years old. (Feb. 28th)

Pic #6: The scene during the medal ceremony outside Molson House, the hottest ticket in Vancouver yesterday outside of GM Place. You can bet we all pitched in when the Canadian National Anthem was played. (Feb. 28th)

Pic #7: That's me in the middle and, that absolute mob scene stretching away into the background, is downtown Vancouver painted red like never before and in more ways than one. (Feb. 28th)

Don't think B.C. MMA Fan has forgotten its primary mission, though. We'll be back to providing the absolute best MMA coverage in the province starting tomorrow morning, if not sooner.

And don't you dare think we've forgotten the biggest MMA event to hit B.C. so far in 2010, Armageddon fighting Championships II, is coming right up. The show is set for this Saturday night at Bear Mountain Arena just outside of Victoria and it should be a very memorable night. Maybe not as memorable as February 28th, 2010, but still...

B.C. MMA Fan Headed To Vancouver For Gold Medal Hockey Game

2010-02-27T11:29:00.001-08:00

What is there to say, really? Opportunities to witness sports history in the making don't come along everyday. Team USA has actually played better and more consistent hockey throughout the tournament, but our players should get a massive boost from the raucous support of the entire nation. I'm jacked.

Go! Canada! Go!

Strikeforce's Next CBS Show Set For April 17; Fedor Set To Be A No-Show

2010-02-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

The worlds most accomplished MMA heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko (31-1), and his cadre of managers/spiritual advisers, etc have proven once again that UFC President Dana White may be on to something when he calls them "crazy Russians."

How else can you explain that Fedor, who stands to benefit immensely from exposure on U.S. soil and who needs to keep busy to avoid be criticized, yet again, for his plodding approach to fight scheduling, has apparently removed himself from Strikeforce's upcoming second CBS card set for April 17th. Fedor was tentatively scheduled to fight world #10 heavyweight Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1), but has apparently decided that the very best opponent that Strikeforce can currently offer just isn't good enough. Or maybe it was the money, or some sort of co-promotional misunderstanding; in any case, Emelianenko's primary manager Vadim Finkelstein seems dead set on turning Fedor into something of a bad joke among less-seasoned MMA fans.

Suddenly, Strikeforce's surprise acquisition of Dan "Hollywood" Henderson (25-7) is looking like the best free-agent signing in MMA history, as he will now step up to the main event to battle Jake Shields (24-4-1) for the latter's middleweight title, thus saving the card from being considered a complete disaster. Dan, of course, is coming off "The KO of 2009," maybe of that entire decade, when he completely starched Michael Bisping (18-3) at UFC 100. Shields, who some fans dislike for his wrestling-first style, is coming off a widely panned victory over Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Rogers last November. Fan support for Henderson is at an all-time high, but he has never been an incredibly strong draw and the potential exists here for a fairly ho-hum decision in either direction.

Also believed to be on the card is a fight from the "too soon" file between Dutch DREAM and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) and the still painfully green American power-wrestler Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (6-0). If Henderson and Mousasi both win in April, it is likely that Henderson will move up to face Mousasi shortly thereafter in an attempt to hold the 185lbs. and 205lbs. Strikeforce titles simultaneously just like Dan did in PRIDE. That feat, holding any two belts simultaneously in a respectable promotion, has never been accomplished by anyone else in the sport's history.

Strikeforce may have dodged a bullet here thanks to their serendipitous signing of Henderson, but unless Emelianenko and company begin playing nice soon, Strikeforce President Scott Coker could have a hard time putting together enough main event quality fights going forward to justify their network TV presence.

Victoria, B.C.'s Sarah Kaufman Gets It Done In Five; Sweeps Every Round

2010-02-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

Coming directly after a questionable doctor's stoppage prematurely ended the Trevor Prangley vs. Karl Amousou fight, the main event at Strikeforce Challengers 6 had an uphill battle to get the disgruntled fans in San Jose excited. The world's two finest female fighters at welterweight (135lbs.) certainly did all they could to win the crowd over during a grueling 25-minute war of attrition.

Picture Props: Sherdog.com

After watching Victoria, B.C.'s Sara Kaufman (11-0) rock and drop her opponent several times in the opening frame, many in the arena probably thought a finish was inevitable, but it was not to be. Nonetheless, the resulting fight was highly technical and very entertaining throughout, if not quite heart-stoppingly thrilling.

Most fans probably took two things away from the fight.

One is that Japan's Takayo Hashi (12-2) is one tough cookie. She absorbed a surgically methodical onslaught from Kaufman over the entire course of the fight and kept coming back for more. In a rare display of resilience and determination, Hashi somehow managed to have her best round in the fifth stanza after taking a relatively one-sided beating for the preceding four. Her many takedown attempts, which, as the fight wore on began to resemble pulling guard more than anything else, were almost universally stuffed by Kaufman's clear superior strength and her textbook sprawl-n-brawl. When a grappler isn't afforded a chance to go for any submissions you know she's in for a long night, but many lesser fighters would have cracked, psychologically at the very least, under Sarah's relentless pressure.

The other thing most fans probably took from the fight is that, after three consecutive unanimous decisions, Sarah can't seem to catch a break as far as landing her first finish under the Strikeforce banner. That's not to say she wasn't trying. At no point in the fight did Kaufman hold back, except possibly following a fifth-round eyepoke when she seemed to allow her opponent a few seconds of much-deserved respite. Of course, that didn't prevent her from sweeping the judges' scorecards to lay claim to Strikeforce's first ever women's welterweight title at 135lbs. Play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo used the word "coast" to describe Kaufman's performance, but all I saw was a very intelligent gameplan being stuck to unflinchingly.

It looks like the first challenger to Sarah's new belt may be the well-rounded Roxanne Modafferi (14-5) and there's still that eight-woman tournament in the works to find more contenders, but the champ is probably too busy celebrating her historic win tonight to be very concerned about that. In any case, it will be tough for anyone in the welterweight division to match Sarah's technical excellence and will to win.

Congratulations Sarah, you've done well by your chosen sport and given all Canadian MMA fans something to stand up and cheer about.

MFC 24: Heat XC -- Quick Results

2010-02-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance yet to watch these fights, but it looks like Maximum Fighting Championship achieved their objective of producing more finishes after a lackluster main event of Dean Lister vs. Thales Leites at MFC 23. Every main card bout ended in a (T)KO, with only one fight making it out of the first round. Is it possible to get too much of a good thing?

One thing is certain, it's nice to see Yves Edwards (37-15-1) continuing his revival-- that makes three wins in a row. Meanwhile, Britain's Tom "Kong" Watson (11-3) [Pictured Left], who currently trains out of Jackson's Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, NM, put himself on many fans' maps tonight by handily turning aside a tough challenge from Canada's Travis Galbraith (17-6).

Main Event

Yves Edwards def. Derrick Noble by TKO (Strikes), Rd. 1 @ 4:44

Main Card

Tom Watson def. Travis Galbraith by KO (Head Kick), Rd. 1 @ 1:56
Dwayne Lewis def. Ryan McClain by TKO (Strikes), Rd. 2 @ 2:08
Jesse Juarez def. Nathan Gunn by KO (Head Kick), Rd. 1 @ 0:11

Undercard:

Dami Egbeyemi def. Paapa Inkumsah by Split Decision
David Letourneau def. Nick Hrynchyshyn by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X 3)
Garret Nybakken def. Chris Barber by Submission (RNC), Rd. 1 @ 2:30
Zach Blaber def. Eric Chouinard by Submission (Kimura), Rd. 1 @ 1:17

GSP and Head Trainer Zahabi "Protect This House" In New UnderArmour Ad

2010-02-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of shots of Georges St. Pierre (19-2) looking bad-ass in this nationally televised UnderArmour commercial, and TriStar's head trainer Firas Zahabi gets his share of the limelight as well.

StrikeForce Challengers 6: Kaufman vs. Hashi -- Results

2010-02-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

After an up-and-down night, the main event went the distance and gave fans their money's worth. Sarah Kaufman captures the 135lb welterweight women's title, which she'll bring back through customs to its new home on Vancouver Island.

Quick Results

Main Event:
Sarah Kaufman def. Takayo Hashi by Unanimous Decision (50-45 X 3)

Main Card:
Trevor Prangley vs. Karl Amousou Ruled a Technical Draw
Luke Rockhold def. Paul Bradley by TKO, Rd. 1 [2:24]
Tarec Saffiedine def. James Terry by Unanimous Decision [30-27 X 3]
Yancy Medeiros def. Raul Castillo by Unanimous Decision [30-27 X 3]

Detailed Results:

Main Event:

Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1) Women's Welterweight Championship

Rd. 1: Hashi lands a pair of leg-kicks. Kaufman lands a right that knocks Hashi down. Kaufman has Hashi pinned against the fence in the clinch, lands knees and body shots. Ref restarts fight. Kaufman land a punch-kick combo, then more jabs and leg kicks. Hashi dropped by another jab. Kaufman continues to control the action. Kaufman drops Hashi with counter-right. Hashi shows toughness in weathering the storm, ends the round standing. 10-9 Kaufman

Rd. 2: Kaufman stalking, takes a leg kick. Kaufman lands intermittent strikes, looks comfortable. Kaufman continues stalking, lands a big right. Hashi landing some kicks, but gets hit upstairs most times. Kaufman ends with a flurry, wins round if less convincingly. 10-9 Kaufman

Rd. 3: Sarah lands a straight right that drops Hashi early. Kaufman continues to land flurries, four unanswered short right hooks. Kaufman tags Hashi her with the old one-two, then drops Hashi with a straight right. Lands more jabs, and a big right hook on the way out of a clinch. Kaufman lands a triple-jab and stuffs a takedown. 10-9 Kaufman.

Rd. 4: Kaufman is doing a great job of avoiding the takedown in an extended clinch. Ref restarts the fight. Kaufman continues to stalk. Hashi attempts to pull guard, but Kaufman lands some ground shots and stands back up. Hashi is in rough shape, while Kaufman looks not much worse for wear. 10-9 Kaufman.

Rd. 5: After a short feeling out period, Hashi shoots in for a takedown. Kaufman sprawls perfectly, continues to land with jabs. Hashi pulls guard again, but Sarah shrugs it off. Hashi lands a front kick to the face. Hashi lands a one-two, then a few jabs. Hashi is poked in the eye, but continues fighting. Fighter trade non-threatening shots to finish the fight. 10-9 Kaufman.

Official Result: Kaufman def. Hashi by Unanimous Decision (50-45 X 3)

Main Card:

Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)

Rd. 1: Amousou lands with an early flurry. Prangly unfazed. Fighters are tentative, ref wants action. Prangley scores trip takedown, lands in half-guard. Amousou has one arm trapped, ref stands them up. Amousou catches Prangley with a left and a right. Prangley catches Amousou with a right. Amousou is poked badly in the eye, allowed time to recover. Fight stopped by the doctor, because Amousou could not reopen his eye. Crowd boos and Amousou protests.

Official Result: The fight is ruled a Technical Draw

Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)

Rd. 1: Bradley presses Rockhold against the cage. Fighters circling. Rockhold lands some weak shots, then lands a big right to the back of Bradley's head that drops the big wrestler. Bradley is mounted and takes some shots, but regains his feet. Rockhold lands clean with a counter-right that drops Bradley again. Bradley gets up, but starts taking knees from the clinch. The fight is stopped shortly after, though it appeared a low-blow may have landed just before the ref stopped it. Rockhold by TKO [2:24].

Official Result: Rockhold def. Bradley by TKO, Rd. 1 [2:24]
Rockhold Post-Fight: "I want to move up."

James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)

Rd. 1: Terry throws left high-kick, but it is blocked. Saffiedine lands straight right and controls the centre of the ring. Each fighter throws in combination. Saffeidine lands leg kick and a nice Brazil kick. Saffeidine lands clean with a left, then a right that rocks Terry. Terry blows through Saffeidine with a powerful double-leg, but Saffeidine quickly returns to his feet. Terry gets hit with another right that opens a cut under his left eye. 10-9 Saffiedine.

Rd. 2: Saffiedine lands a variety of shots, including a knee to the body. Terry lands an uppercut. Saffiedine sticks and moves effectively, lands body kick. Saffiedine lands two overhand rights. Terry bleeding badly from the mouth and eye. Saffiedine lands with left and right hooks, stuffs a takedown. Terry needs to get going soon, attempts takedown to no avail. Saffeidine lands jabs and leg kicks. Terry runs in throwing big shots, but comes up empty. 10-9 Saffiedine.

Rd. 3: Saffiedine continues to control the fight. Terry almost scores another takedown, but Saffiedine gets up right away. Saffiedine lands a powerful knee from clinch, continues to dominate. The fighters exchange punches. Saffiedine continues to pick Terry apart, lands an elbow. Terry fails on takedown attempt, gets hit with high kick then spinning back kick. Saffiedine mounts and punishes Terry at the bell. 10-9 Saffiedine

My Score: 30-27 Saffiedine over Terry
Official Result: Saffiedine def. Terry by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X 3)

Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

Rd. 1: Castillo unsuccessful on several takedown attempts. Medeiros landing the much better shots throughout, including several solid knees from the clinch. Medeiros almost finishes Castillo in final 30 seconds. 10-9 for Medeiros.

Rd. 2: Medeiros continues to pick Castillo apart, begins to mix in kicks. Castillo can't get anything going. Castillo tries more takedowns and a knee at the end of the round, but it not effective with either. 10-9 Medeiros.

Rd. 3: Castillo attempts more takedowns with no success. Medeiros opens up and attacks, but takes a knee to the groin. When the fight resumes, Medeiros lands with a flurry that drops Castillo. Clock expires with Catillo still eating punches and getting stifled in his takedown attempts. 10-9 Medeiros.

My Score: 30-27 Medeiros over Castillo
Official Result: Medeiros def. Castillo by Unanimous Decision (30-27 X 3)

Undercard:

Wayne Phillips def. Eric Lawson by Submission (Armbar), Rd. 1
Samuel Bracamnonte def. Chris Stewart by TKO, Rd. 3
Tristan Arenal def. George Miller by TKO, Rd. 2
Jesse Tobar def. Phil Balducci by Submission (RNC), Rd. 2
Renee Robinson def. Lilia Salas by TKO, Rd. 1
Steve Dickie def. Alan Lummel by TKO, Rd. 1
Ronald Carillo def. Anthony De Los Santos by Submission (Armbar), Rd. 2

UFC 115: Two Fights Involving Heavyweight Strikers Now Rumoured For Vancouver

2010-02-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

In a somewhat complicated turn of events Pat "Get Hype" Barry (5-1, 2-1 UFC) will now reportedly meet Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic (26-7-2, 3-3 UFC) at UFC 115 in Vancouver, while Barry's original opponent at that event, Gilbert "The Hurricane" Yvel (36-14-1, 0-1 UFC), will face "Cro-Cop's" intended opponent at UFC 110, "Big" Ben Rothwell (30-7). An eventual fight between the two winners is almost certainly a given and would create a fairly legit contender for the UFC.

It all started when Rothwell withdrew from his fight with Mirko "Cro-Cop" at this past weekend's UFC 110 event. That meant Mirko had to face a lesser opponent who agreed to step up at a moment's notice. After the event, Dana White said point blank that he still intended to match Rothwell against "Cro-Cop," but it seems that they like these match-ups more and, I have to say, I agree. Pat Barry is a squat, smallish heavyweight just like Mirko and both have top-shelf, K-1 tested, striking. Yvel and Rothwell, meanwhile, are both tall, scary dudes who are coming off of losses and both like to set up big shots from outside the pocket, which should make for an interesting fistic tango.

With the addition of these two major heavyweight fights, and rumours circulating of a showdown between Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) and Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1), the Vancouver fight card for June 12th is beginning to take shape.

Full UFC 115 Rumoured Card:

Possible Main Event:
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz III
~or~
Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Main Card & Under Card:

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic
Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell
James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

Programming Reminder: MMA Double-Header -- "MFC 24: Heat XC" and "Strikeforce: Challengers 6" Both Live Tonight

2010-02-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Many Canadian sports fans will be transfixed by the men's hockey semifinal against Slovakia this evening, but there are also a pair of great MMA cards competing for attention on this day-- Friday, February 26th. In a perfect world we could watch all three events, but there may have to be some tough choices made tonight. Below is a rundown of the two MMA events and some links that might help you make up your mind.

B.C. MMA Fan will, of course, have coverage of both MMA events available this evening.

Event: MFC 24: HeatXC
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Start Time: 7:00pm PST/ 10:00pm EST
How To Watch: Tickets Still Available, Live Stream Available for $9.99

Main Card:

155lbs.: Yves Edwards (155.5) vs. Derrick Noble (156)

185lbs: Tom Watson (184.5) vs Travis Galbraith (186.5)

205lbs.: Ryan McClain (205) vs. Dwayne Lewis (205

170lbs.: Jesse Juarez (171) vs. Nathan Gunn (169.5)

170lbs.: Dami Egbeyemi (170.5) vs. Paapa Inkumsah (170)

Undercard:

170lbs.: David Letourneau (169.5) vs. Nick Hrynchyshyn (170)

185lbs.: Elliot Duff (193) vs. Jason Gorny (185.5)

155lbs.: Chris Barber (153.5) vs. Garret Nybakken (154)

Catchweight: Eric Chouinard (207) vs. Zach Blaber (207)

Event: Strikeforce Challengers VI
Location: San Jose, CA
Start time: 7:00 pm PST /10:00 pm EST
How To Watch: Showtime (USA), SuperChannel (Canada)

Main Card:

135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman (133.8) vs. Takayo Hashi (132)

185 lbs.: Trevor Prangley (185) vs. Karl Amoussou (184.5)

185 lbs.: Luke Rockhold (185) vs. Paul Bradley (186)

170 lbs.: James Terry (169) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)

185 lbs.: Raul Castillo (183) vs. Yancy Medeiros (185.5)

Undercard:

185 lbs.: Eric Lawson (185.5) vs. Wayne Phillips (183.5)

185 lbs.: Chris Stewart (182.5) vs. Samuel Bracamnonte (180)

155 lbs.: Tristan Arenal (156) vs. George Miller (155.8)

145 lbs.: Jesse Tobar (141.5) vs. Johnson Nguyen (144.8)

145 lbs.: Renee Robinson (141) vs. Lilia Salas (145)

265 lbs.: Steve Dickie (242.8) vs. Alan Lummel (253)

135 lbs.: Ronald Carillo (132.8) vs. Anthony De Los Santos (134)

Sarah Kaufman Video Interview From Strikeforce HQ

2010-02-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

With just over twenty-four hours left until the opening bell rings at Strikeforce Challengers VI: Kaufman vs. Hashi, Strikeforce themselves caught up with Victoria, B.C.'s Sarah Kaufman (10-0) to produce this wide-ranging pre-fight interview.

Rampage Jackson -- "I Don't Know How Much I Ever Loved MMA"

2010-02-24T14:57:00.001-08:00

There is some bad news in this interview for all the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-7) fans out there. Yes, he'll be back to face Rashad Evans (14-1-1) at UFC 114 (May, 29th), but it's looking less-and-less likely that he'll continue fighting MMA for much longer after that.

Quote From Fighters Only Interview above:

"They've said some things and done some things I don't agree with -- that's not the way I do business," Jackson said. "I'm a loyal person so I take care of people who take care of me, but people who don't take care of me, I don't take care of them. So I'm done with the UFC. They can't ask me for anymore favors. Nothing. I just want to finish my contract and get out of there, do my own thing. Dana lied to me. He told me I didn't have to fight Rashad, I could fight Machida. I did the show and then after that he told me I had to fight Rashad."

UFC 110: Review -- Five Fighters In Five Divisions Take Big Steps Up

2010-02-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

I had a successful night with my official predictions at UFC 110, going 6-3 (%66.7) with a hit on the main event, but, more importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every fight on the card. More than just being entertaining, the bouts at UFC 110 were laden with meaning for the future of each of the UFC's five weight divisions because, following the night's events, we ended up with one new, legitimate, contender at every weight-class.

So rather than focus on why Mirko "Cro-Cop" couldn't seem to finish "The Hippo," whether Stephan Bonnar got ripped off, how it is that C.B. Dollaway keeps winning fights, or when there will be another Te Huna sighting, let's focus instead on the fab five fighters who each made humongous splashes down under.

[Picture props: Sherdog.com]

Heavyweight: Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by TKO, Rd. 1

The Fight: Cain Velasquez (8-0) was a slight betting favourite at UFC 110, but, in the hearts of many longtime MMA fans, this was a major upset. Cain did not simply defeat "Minotauro" Nogueira, he out-classed him on the feet and TKO'ed him in the first round, which had never happened to "Big Nog" before. Cain's boxing looked better than ever, especially the tight right-left-right combination he used to finish the fight, and he also proved that he doesn't need to use his wrestling to beat world-class opposition.

What's Next?: They say that to become a legend you must first defeat a legend. That means two things in this case, one is that Velasquez is now officially a legendary MMA fighter, and the other is that Cain now has a huge bull's eye figuratively pasted on him. If the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin (UFC 111, March 27th) is medically fit to fight Brock Lesnar in July, which seems pretty likely, Velasquez will likely next fight the winner of Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior Dos Santos (UFC on VS. 1, March 21st). In fact, there is really no other option considering what those five big men (Lesnar, Mir, Carwin, Dos Santos & Gonzaga) have done, along with Velasquez, to separate themselves from the pack at 265lbs. At most, two wins in a row for any one of them means a guaranteed title shot.

Light Heavyweight: Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine by TKO, Rd. 2

The Fight: Forget that it was tied going into the third round, and that Ryan Bader (11-0)'s takedowns, which looked effortless in round one, weren't landing throughout the second. The pivotal moment in this fight came when "Darth" Bader clipped Jardine with a right two-minutes into the third round. Jardine's knees were wobbled, but he would have recovered quickly if Bader hadn't lunged in with a flying-knee-to-left-hook combination that put "The Dean" to sleep. That kind of killer instinct should serve Bader well as he moves up yet again in the most ruthlessly violent division in the UFC.

What's Next?: Ryan Bader, who is now 4-0 in the UFC, will certainly need to take another significant step up after KO'ing Jardine at UFC 110, but I don't think he'll be given anybody in the top-five. That leaves the possibility of a fight against one of the losers of either Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones (UFC on Vs. 1, March 21st) or Forrest Griffin vs. Antonio "Lil' Nog" Nogueira (UFC 114, May 29th). Another option would be Matt Hamill who is currently unscheduled, but is technically coming off of a DQ win.

Middleweight: Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping by Unanimous Decision

The Fight: I may have ultimately been incorrect in predicting this fight as a split-decision win for "The Count," but it was definitely more closely contested than many observers assumed it would be. Bisping feels he was robbed, but I believe the decision was accurate and, in any case, this is a great outcome for fans because another loss for Wanderlei would have spelled disaster for his career. At middleweight, Wanderlei looks quite a bit faster and can probably absorb more clean shots, but we are all going to have to accept that he will never again be as fearsome and ferocious as he was in PRIDE.

What's Next?: This one is a no-brainer. Nearly-undefeated middleweight and fellow PRIDE super-star Yoshihiro Akiyama has been calling out "The Axe Murderer" for weeks and to deny him that fight would make zero sense for anyone. In a perfect world for Zuffa, they could put this fight on in Japan, but pulling off such a coup in a short period of time looks extremely unlikely. For that reason, many have already speculated that this fight could occur at UFC 115 in Vancouver B.C.'s GM Place arena on June 12th of this year.

Welterweight: Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster by Submission (Knee Bar), Rd. 1

The Fight: Let's be clear, Chris Lytle (28-17-5) is still the furthest away from a title shot out of anyone on this list, but he did show superb skills in this fight against a hungry young fighter and definitely deserves a step-up in competition. What's more, Lytle showed a lot of heart in weathering an early storm against Foster, while also remaining calm enough to sink in that knee bar.

What's Next?: This victory brings Lytle up to three wins in his last four UFC fights, with his only loss being a somewhat controversial split-decision in a truly epic fight with Marcus Davis. I expect Lytle to get one more shot at the big time in his next fight against the likes of either Mike Swick or Martin Kampmann. "Lights Out" could possibly even face the loser of Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley (UFC 113, May 8th) since a fight against another talented striker is what most fans want to see from Lytle.

Lightweight: George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson by Unanimous Decision

The Fight: Rarely has such a one-sided beatdown been awarded "Fight of The Night" honours, but, then again, rarely does a local fighter, who happens to be a massive odds underdog, put on the performance of his life against such a well-known fighter as Stevenson. It truly was the highest emotional plateau of the evening, and a moment many Australian MMA fans will never forget. As for the fight itself, what can be said, really? Sotiropoulos was better standing up and much, much, much, better on the ground. Stevenson scored a few takedowns, but did nothing appreciable with them at all.

What's Next: George deserves a step up in competition, but there aren't many clear steps up from Stevenson available. A fight against Gray Maynard might be a bridge too far at this point, but most other lightweights already have bouts scheduled with only the winner of Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi (UFC Fight Night 21, March 31st) or the loser of BJ Penn vs. Frank Edgar (UFC 112, April 10th) representing that crucial step up. As a result, Sotiropoulos may have to accept a high-profile fight against a fairly beatable opponent if only to stay busy. What about giving Mac Danzig a call? Just a thought.

Sneak Peek At "UFC Undisputed 2010"

2010-02-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

UFC President Dana White appears in this video interview, along with a pretty wacky dude from video game media giant IGN.com, to discuss the second edition of the popular UFC Undisputed franchise from THQ, which is due out this spring. Look for the impressively faithful virtual recreation of Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago from UFC 109.

B.C. Bio: Sarah Kaufman-- "Wherever The Fight Goes, I Plan On Striking"

2010-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

B.C. MMA Fan's Josh Oliveira caught up with Victoria, B.C.'s own Sarah Kaufman ahead of her upcoming Strikeforce title fight. Sarah discussed fighting on Vancouver Island, training under Adam Zugek, preparing for Takayo Hashi, and, of course, her love of puzzles! It was recently announced that Sarah's upcoming title fight at Strikeforce: Challengers VI on Friday, February 26th, will now serve as the night's main event.

J.O.: Okay so, Sarah, for your fans around the world, can you talk a little bit about why you continue to train in Victoria, B.C. and maybe what it is you like about the city.

Sarah Kaufman: Well, I grew up here so I've been here my whole life and it's a pretty great place to live. It's pretty temperate and I don't like a lot of sun or snow so it's pretty perfect for me. Also, I mean, it's just beautiful and it's nice because it's on the Island. Well...sometimes that's nice because it's not quite as busy...

J.O.: Right, but one of the drawbacks of being based on Vancouver Island is the ferries and the difficulty of getting to the mainland. Has that ever been a problem at all for you, especially early in your career?

Sarah Kaufman: It hasn't affected my training, but it does make it harder to get to tournaments. If people want to compete locally, for the most part you have to go to Vancouver, which means either getting on the 7:00am ferry and probably waiting all day, or else going over the night before and paying for a hotel. So it's not as easy to get to tournaments, but it's still a great place to train.

J.O.: Have you drawn any extra inspiration during this training camp from Canada's Olympic athletes?

Sarah Kaufman: I don't have cable.

J.O.: Oh, so you're not too into it then?

Sarah Kaufman:Well, I do love the Olympics-- I just don't have cable and I am never home.

J.O.: Yeah, you must be busy. Okay, so after your most recent fight, when you faced Shayna Baszler last June, there was a lot of downtime. How did that layoff feel and was it frustrating that your fans and the media maybe lost contact with you for a bit.

Sarah Kaufman: Well, it's great if the fans want to know what's going on, but I'm kinda in the same boat. So, I think it can just be frustrating for both sides. It's always going to be one of those things, though-- you have to wait for the right fights. You can't just get over-anxious and jump at anything.

J.O.: Since the announcement of your upcoming fight, you have made numerous recent appearances on radio shows and have given many other interviews. Do you see it as part of your job to help promote the sport in that way?

Sarah Kaufman: I think it's a big part of the job. I also think it's important to have the fans know who you are and have an invested interest in you so that they want to watch you fight. If nobody wants to see you fight then you have no draw, which means why would a promoter have you even if you're the best fighter in the world. If no one wants to watch you, there's no reason for you to get a a spot, especially on a televised card. So, I do think that promotion is a big part of the job and I also think it's important for everyone to realize that we're just average people trying to do our best in MMA, in such a crazy sport.

J.O.: In the past you have described yourself as shy, but has this current media blitz helped you to become more comfortable at all?

Sarah Kaufman: Um..I'm comfortable talking to people, but I think I am really just more shy in terms of being around people in my off-time. So, if I were to go into a big group of people, I don't need all of the attention to be on me.

J.O.: I have to say, though, that you have done a great job and have been very articulate in every interview that I have seen recently. Is there a chance that there's a future behind the mike or in front of the camera for Sarah Kaufman?

Sarah Kaufman: It's funny. I really don't mind talking on a microphone or in front of a crowd. It's really just being in a crowd that I don't know and they don't know me that can be a bit awkward. So, who knows. I haven't had any offers or heard anything specific, though.

J.O.: Fair enough, can you talk a bit about your head-trainer, Adam Zugec and how he has helped you over the years to reach your potential?

Sarah Kaufman: He is the perfect coach for me. He is awesome, not only in his technical ability, but also in game planning for each separate person. He really takes the time to put everything together for a particular fighter, sees their strengths and weaknesses, and, instead of making a generic fight-plan, he comes up with unique strategies.

J.O.: Right, for instance, you are known primarily as a striker, whereas he is known, at least in certain circles, as more of a jiu-jitsu guy. So he didn't try to mold you into a ground fighter or anything like that.

Sarah Kaufman: Yeah, but he's also an instructor in Thai Boxing and an instructor of C.S.W. under Erik Paulson. So, Adam has many different accolades to help him bring together the games that are appropriate for people. I am just really lucky to have found him as my first coach and I really don't feel like I ever need to go anywhere else.

J.O.: So is it safe to assume that most of your higher-level sparring partners around her are the guys?

Sarah Kaufman: For sure.

J.O.: Be honest, do you ever take it easy on them?

Sarah Kaufman: No.

J.O.: No? So you just let'em have it?

Sarah Kaufman: I train like I would with anyone and they do, too. Everyone always has good days and bad days, so it's always just a give and take.

J.O.: Have you implemented any new training techniques for your upcoming title bout given that this fight will be a five-rounder?

Sarah Kaufman: With my last couple of fights I have actually started using an Airdyne bike, which I really like a lot, but I've prepared for five, five-minute rounds before for HCF. So it's really just making sure you have the proper conditioning and I really don't feel like I'm ever worried about where my conditioning is at once I'm in the ring.

J.O.: Here we are at the end of your training camp and I heard that you use something called the "water loading" technique to cut weight. Can you explain a bit about that?

Sarah Kaufman: For me, I am a big water drinker. I don't drink coffee, tea, juice, pop, or anything like that. I really only drink water. So coming up to a fight I slowly start increasing the amount of water I drink in a day. Just before I am ready to begin cutting weight, I will be up to 10-12 liters of water each day. Your body becomes used to having lots of water put in, so, when you stop drinking, it's theoretically supposed to get rid of water-weight faster.

J.O.: Fascinating-- it's like reverse-psychology for your body. A lot has been made about the fact that you and your upcoming opponent, Takayo Hashi, are ranked number one and number two in the world respectively at 135lbs. Do you consider her to be your toughest opponent to date?

Sarah Kaufman: I think every opponent is my toughest opponent to date because there's always that unknown factor. You don't know what they're going to bring or how they're going to come out. So that's really how I look at every fight.

J.O.: Also, in this case, we haven't seen Hashi fight in almost two years, right? So, there's really no telling what she has added to her game in that time. That said, given your either career (T)KO's, can we assume the plan is to force Hashi into a stand-up war?

Sarah Kaufman: Wherever the fight goes, I plan on striking. So whether it's a finish from standing or a finish on the ground, I'm up for whatever. I am really just eager to see how this fight goes and I hope that I can finish it.

J.O.: There has been some Internet chatter about Roxanne Modafferi being next in line for the title shot with Strikeforce, have you given any thought to her as an opponent?

Sarah Kaufman: I think it would be a great fight, but, really, whatever Strikeforce wants is what I'll do and who I'll fight.

J.O.: And, as far as you're aware, they're still planning an eight-woman tournament at 135lbs.?

Sarah Kaufman: I haven't talked to Strikeforce directly about it, I've just heard whatever is on the Internet.

J.O.: So you know what we all do, I suppose. You have said in a couple of interviews that you are a geek at heart. For all of your four-eyed friends out there, what is the geekiest thing you're into that you're willing to talk about?

Sarah Kaufman: Ahhh...the geekiest thing? Well, I really am just a big fan of
puzzles. I will sit down and do jigsaw puzzles for hours on end, no problem. I also love crosswords. I will do them when I am walking and pretty much everywhere. I will even do crosswords in the bath with some Epsom salts, you know? Wherever I am, there's my crossword.

J.O.: Sweet, do you like the really difficult ones? Like "The New York Times" crosswords?

Sarah Kaufman: I'm not great at those ones, but I will try really hard. Even right before a fight I am usually sitting down doing puzzles of some sort.

J.O.: Nice! Puzzles definitely rock. Alright, well, those are all of the questions that I have for you today. Thanks so much for taking time to speak with us and best of luck in your fight on Friday.

Sarah Kaufman: Alright, thanks. Awesome.

Sarah trains and also instructs classes at ZUMA (Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts) just over the bridge from downtown Victoria, B.C.
Website: http://zuma.tv

B.C.'s Sarah Kaufman Has Title Fight Elevated To Main Event Status At Strikeforce Challengers (Feb. 26th)

2010-02-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Strikeforce's first-ever women's bantamweight (135lbs) title fight, featuring Victoria B.C.'s Sarah Kaufman (10-0) and Takayo Hashi (12-1) of Japan, has been elevated from co-main event status and will now serve as the featured attraction at Strikeforce: Challengers VI.

Originally, a fight between experienced veteran Trevor Prangly (22-5) and up-and-coming M-1 prospect Karl Amoussou (11-2-1) was set to conclude the night, but I suspect that the overwhelming fan and media interest in Kaufman's potential as a future women's MMA superstar caused the Strikeforce brass to re-think their approach.

Strikeforce: Challengers VI takes place this Friday (Feb. 26th) live from San Jose. In Canada, the show is available on SuperChannel 2, but other viewing opportunities may become available at the fights approach.

Full Card:

Main Event:

Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1)

Main Card

Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

Undercard

Eric Lawson (9-2) vs. Wayne Phillips (3-3)
Chris Stewart (Amateur Debut) vs. Samuel Bracamnonte (Amatuer Debut)
Tristan Arenal (Amateur; 3-1) vs. George Miller (Amateur; 3-1)
Jesse Tobar (Amateur; 2-0) vs. Phil Balducci (Amateur; 1-1)
Renee Robinson (Amateur Debut) vs. Lilia Salas (Amateur Debut)
Steve Dickie (Amateur; 3-0) vs. Alan Lummel (Amateur; 1-0)
Ronald Carillo (Amateur; 1-0) vs. Anthony De Los Santos (Amateur Debut)

B.C. MMA Fan's exclusive interview with Sarah will be posted shortly.

Dave Pavelich Gives An Extended Interview On MFC 24: Heat XC

2010-02-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Seen here speaking with David Stanford of MMACanada.net, Maximum Fighting Championships' Vice President Dave Pavelich offers the lowdown on MFC 24: HeatXC, which is scheduled for this Friday, February 26th, in Edmonton. The show is available for the first time from MFC as an online stream priced at the very affordable rate of $9.99. For more information about the fights or how to order the show via the Internet, visit the MFC official website.

Victoria's "Armageddon FC II" Gets A TV Deal With "Fight Network"

2010-02-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

According to a recent story posted by The Times Colonist, Armageddon Fighting Championships II will be broadcast across Canada. The stacked card, featuring Surrey's Kalib Starnes (9-4-1) and Victoria's Justin Shaw (0-0) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is set for Colwood's Bear Mountain Arena on March 6th and will be aired via tape-delay a couple of weeks later on The Fight Network.

To see the event live visit www.armageddonfc.com, drop by Island MMA, or call 250-478-8384 to purchase tickets.

UFC 110: Prediction Results

2010-02-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a fantastic night of fights at UFC 110. Velasquez beat Nogueira to the punch and finished the fight early, which I did not expect even though I picked Cain to win. He isn't likely to leapfrog to winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin , but I definitely expect him to get a title shot before the year is out.

Wanderlei's gutsy decision win prevented me from sweeping the main card, but credit too him for successfully reinventing himself as a middleweight. It now appears possible that Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama could take place at UFC 115 in Vancouver. That would be a dream fight for most B.C. MMA Fans, myself most definitely included.

I will have more detailed reactions to UFC 110 by Monday morning. By the way, if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend taking in the Olymic atmosphere in down town Vancouver. Simply epic.

UFC 110 QUICK RESULTS

Main Event

***Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria by TKO, Rd. 1

Main Card
---Wanderlei Silva def, Micheal Bisping by Unanimous Decision
***Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine by TKO, Rd. 3
***George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson via Unanimous Decision
***Mirko Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh via TKO (Cut), Rd. 3

Under Card
***Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonnar via TKO (Cut), Rd. 3
---Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster by Submission (Knee Bar), Rd. 1
---CB Dollaway def. Goran Reljic by Unanimous Decision
***James Te Huna def. Igor Pokrajac by TKO, Rd. 3

*** Correct Picks ---Incorrect Picks

UFC 110 Score: 6 out of 9 correct (%66.7) with successful main-event pick.

My overall prediction record now stands at 159-90 (%63.9) and 21-6 (%77.8) in main events.