UFC events

Following his UFC 114 loss to Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson spoke to the media at the post fight press conference and discussed this performance in the bout. Jackson also mentioned that 20th Century Fox didn't know he was fighting and apparently weren't too pleased about it considering Jackson stars in their upcoming A-Team release:

"I’m really ashamed of myself that I fell victim to ring rust. Emotions had nothing to do with it. I focused really hard and I trained really hard on this fight, but me having this damn movie and everything -- I kind of almost regret doing the damn movie now. There was so much pressure. (20th Century) Fox kind of threatened to sue me if I lost and everything because they didn’t know I was fighting. [Evans] had a great game plan, and it worked well for him. I’m not a sore loser. That’s why I commended him. We all come for the same cloth. We all put our lives on the line and get in the Octagon and do battle."

Former top Middleweight (205 lbs.) in the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships promotion, Ricardo Arona, turned up at this weekend's UFC 114 post-fight press conference, where he was campaigning for a meeting with UFC president Dana White about a possible gig with the promotion.

Arona admitted that he's spoken with Mr. White prior, but needs another sit-down with the person who he himself describes as a very busy man.

Dana White was reportedly overheard telling members of the media in attendance that he does, in fact, plan to talk to the former PRIDE veteran.

Arona noted to the media that he hopes to get back into the MMA cage or ring at some point before the 2010 calendar year is complete. Whether or not that cage will be the world famous UFC octagon remains to be seen.

Michael Bisping is looking to settle a score following his convincing unanimous decision victory over Dan Miller at UFC 114 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

“Wanderlei Silva said he wants a rematch with me. I would love a rematch,” said the British middleweight at the post-fight conference just a couple of hours after his bout.

Bisping dropped a unanimous decision loss to the surging Brazilian striker at UFC 110 last February in Sydney, Australia. But the winner of the third season of “The Ultimate Fighter” said his victory Saturday over the New Jersey grappler should demonstrate his worthiness to rematch Silva or face other middleweights up the food chain.

“I feel now I’m starting to mature as a mixed martial artist. I’m coming into my own skill-wise and confidence-wise,” said Bisping, who noted that his three career losses have all come to former champions. “I want to keep building on this win and hopefully, towards the end of the year or early next year, I’ll get a title shot. I want to be the first Englishman to win the title. I was the first (Englishman) to win ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ … and I will be the first English world champion.”

Bisping, who became a father to his third child two weeks ago, showed improved striking and wrestling technique during his sound defeat of Miller on Saturday. And though Miller had exploited past opponents with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt skills on the canvas, the 29-year-old fighter hardly attempted to ground Bisping during the 15 minutes. The Lancashire, England, resident got the best of their standup exchanges.

“I thought he was trying to lure me into a false sense of security,” said Bisping of Miller’s somewhat surprising strategy. “I do think part of that was due to my footwork. I was staying out of range of his takedowns, constantly changing my angles. You’ve got to plant your feet and step in front of your opponent if you’re going to shoot on him. I wasn’t giving the opportunity to do that.”

Still, Bisping said Miller proved a difficult opponent to stop.

“I wanted to finish my opponent tonight, but he was very tough obviously,” said Bisping. “Wanting to finish him is one thing, but actually doing it is entirely different. As I said, he was very tough, very durable. I hit him with some big shots, but he was hungry. He wanted to win bad, and he hung in there.”

Bisping, who won nine of his first 13 career bouts via striking, said his inability to finish Miller had little to do with a lack of power.

“If you go speak to my Thai coach, my boxing coach, and my sparring partners, believe me, I hit with power,” said Bisping. I haven’t been getting knockouts lately. I think what it comes down to is subconsciously is that I’ve fought a lot of wrestlers back-to-back…I think subconsciously I started fighting on my back foot because I was so worried about the takedown…and doing that you don’t generate the same power.”

Bisping said he’s working to break that habit by planting his feet more and moving forward in exchanges. The 31-year-old fighter hopes his diligence will pay off in the form of the Silva rematch or another high profile assignment.

“This sounds like such a cliché, but I want to fight the best guys out there now,” said Bisping, who said he’s never turned down any opponent the UFC has put in front of him. “I feel like some of the fights in the past were maybe a little bit too soon, but I’m maturing as a fighter and I’m ready for the challenges.”

The weigh-ins for UFC 114 took place today at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center as part of the 2010 UFC Fan Expo. All the fighters made weight, and an intense stare down took place between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. Evans received a mix ovation while Jackson was cheered mightily from the crowd in attendance.



Main event:

205 lbs.: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (205) vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (206)

Main card (Televised):

205 lbs.: Jason Brilz (205) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205)
185 lbs.: Michael Bisping (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
170 lbs.: John Hathaway (171) vs. Diego Sanchez (171)
265 lbs.: Todd Duffee (253) vs. Mike Russow (253)

Spike TV card (Televised):

170 lbs.: Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Amir Sadollah (171)
170 lbs.: Efrain Escudero (156) vs. Dan Lauzon (155)

Under card (May not be broadcast):

155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Waylon Lowe (155)
155 lbs.: Joe Brammer (156) vs. Aaron Riley (156)
205 lbs.: Luiz Cane (205) vs. Cyrille Diabate (205)
185 lbs.: Jesse Forbes (186) vs. Ryan Jensen (185)

Anderson Silva talks about his upcoming title defense against Chael Sonnen and addresses his past actions.

UFC 114 is days away and Rashad Evans will finally get to fight Quinton Jackson. Evans talks about his critics with Pro MMA Radio:

"I'm never gonna please the haters, and I'm not gonna try to. At one point earlier in my career, I did wish it wasn't like that because I'm a likeable person. But I realized people are gonna hate me no matter what. My momma told me a long time ago, ‘not everybody has to like you.' And it's very true. I'm ok with that. I just gottta get back to doing me. Part of the reason I started standing up a banging so much was because everyone said all I do is lay and pray and I'm boring. So I said, alright, I'm gonna develop my standup, and then I started knocking people out, and it was all good. But then I get knocked out in one fight, and all of a sudden I suck. Then I go back to my wrestling and win, and everybody is like, ‘oh my God, all he does is lay and pray.' I can't win with these people. But you know what? If they're gonna hate me, let ‘em hate me."

By the way, I have bet over $ 1300 that Jackson will win

Stay Fresh

// Hoffa

The following are some new tweets from the official Twitter page of Jenna Jameson:

"Tito Ortiz decided to leave his family behind and take off to Vegas to party. I guess I mean nothing to him. Have fun at the blackjack tables."

Jenna followed up a bit later with this one:

"I say things I shouldn't when I'm upset at Tito Ortiz. I suck big time."

No comments...

Liddell speaks on Tito Ortiz pulling out of their scheduled fight following the current season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show:

He [Chuck Liddell] saw the signs that the two rivals wouldn’t end up fighting early in the filming of the show.

“The first week he [Tito Ortiz] started saying, ‘I’m not going to fight Chuck unless I’m 100 percent.’ I actually made a phone call to Dana and said it sounds like he’s already back peddling about fighting me. Is he going to fight me?

“He said, ’Oh we’ve got a signed contract. Don’t worry about it.’ Then a week later I hear from some of his guys on his team that he’s going to have surgery. Before he fights me he’s got to have neck surgery of something. I was like you’re kidding me. He’s already talking that he’s too hurt to fight me,” explained Liddell.

“I called Dana again and he assured me, no, it’s set. The fight is going to happen. Don’t worry about it.”

Liddell feels Tito owes him a fight. He thinks if Tito comes back from his injuries that he should have to fight him.

“I think because of the way it went down and what he did, I think if he wants to come back he should have to fight me,” stated the former champion. “If he comes back Dana should make him fight me his first fight back.

“I’ve put in my time on the show. I had to deal with him for that long. I had to put up with him, so now I should actually get the reward and get to actually punch him in the face.”

Nick Diaz's pre-fight interview for DREAM.14 (May.29.2010 / Saitama Super Arena, Japan). Vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai

Episode 9: Civilized Sport

* Tito Ortiz reveals that his doctors want him to have neck surgery immediately, as Ortiz is now regularly experiencing numbness in his limbs.

Kris McCray vs. Kyle Noke

Brad Tavares vs. Seth Baczynski

The Las Vegas Sun spoke with Forrest Griffin's training Jimmy Gifford who informed them of Griffin's condition following surgery on his shoulder. Griffin was forced out of a scheduled bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and it looks like he'll make a come back in the fall:

"He saw a specialist in Los Angeles and had it worked on. It was minor surgery, nothing crazy. He'll start physical therapy in six weeks and be on the shelf for 12 weeks. We're not sure on a return, but October would be a good guess. Maybe late September... He ended up saying he couldn't do it and I told him, 'Forrest, I told you that three weeks ago.' For us to even have that conversation shows another step in his professionalism. There comes a time when a fighter has to say to himself, 'I'm a pro. I still want to do this for awhile. I have to stay healthy.' But I know it killed him to pull out. The UFC usually does a November show in the U.S. and a December show in Vegas. Rather than go oversees, we'll maybe do a November or December date. He can't stand the travel and he loves fighting in Las Vegas."

"I can't fight hurt anymore. I can't fight injured and look for excuses. I'll get fusion C-5, C-6 in my neck. I’m scared but Dr. Smith is a great doctor. My lower back was hard but I got through it. He said that this is 10%-15% easier so I don't know how much more that is."

"I was having problems wrestling, hitting mitts and getting punched in the head from The Ultimate Fighter. That's why they pretty much fired me the last 5 days before the Ultimate Fighter was over."

Nick Diaz gives his thoughts on the Strikeforce brawl that occured on CBS between Team Cesar Gracie and Jason Miller:

"I'm the last person who wants to take a punch from somebody. I don't know who was out there that wants to hit me. All I know is this guy [Jason Miller], Gilbert pushes him back and then he runs at all of us and we're fighting now."

"You want me to be the victim here and let my boy get punched or me?"

Brother Nate Diaz also speaks on the incident:

"As far as I was concerned, we weren't jumping him [Jason Miller]. You got in my boys face and we're fighting you. You shouldn't have done that. "

"It's not my fault his boys weren't helping him or weren't with him. He should have known better and whoever don't like it, that's their bad. What the hell would they do?"

Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion James "Lights Out" Toney makes his MMA debut against Randy Couture in August at UFC 118 and the man that signed him to a contract, UFC President Dana White, doesn't think that Toney will beat Couture:

"He has a puncher's chance of course. Can he clip [Randy] Couture and knock

UFC Primetime, produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), is a look into the lives of two of the most popular fighters in the UFC, Jackson and Evans, as the two settle a grudge borne during Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,®” with the winner taking #1 contender status in the stacked UFC light heavyweight division.



As the two train for their meeting in late May, Spike TV will present three special weekly installments that will take viewers inside the Wolfslair Academy in Widnes, England, as Jackson prepares for his first fight since completing filming on the forthcoming “A Team” movie with teammates Michael Bisping and Cheick Kongo and back to the United States to see how Evans and his teammates at Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque, NM, such as UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and rising star Jon Jones, are gameplanning for Quinton Jackson’s “rampage”.

UFC Primetime promises to deliver unparalleled access into the lives of two of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars, as they head into what could be the Fight of the Year in 2010 at UFC 114.

Come Saturday night the UFC will play host to one of the most heated rivalries the sport’s seen in years. Former opposing TUF coaches Rashad “Sugar” Evans (14-1-1) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7) will finally get a chance to settle a score that’s been brewing for a year plus. Both competitors look to be highly motivated for this bout, as the winner will claim not only bragging rights, but a shot at the newly crowned champion as well, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. So who gets their hand raised and a chance to tangle with a lion?

The breakdown…

Wrestling

A two-time All-State wrestler, and National Junior College Champion, Rashad Evans enjoyed plenty of glory on the mat during his younger days. “Rampage” didn’t develop quite the wrestling résumé early on, although his wrestling abilities and purebred strength have transferred to mixed martial arts perfectly. On paper Rashad looks to be the superior ground fighter, but in closed quarters when these two tie up, I expect to see a noticeable strength disadvantage hindering Rashad. His double leg takedown is fast as lightning, and quite successful, but Evan’s has yet to face a wrestler with the stifling takedown defense Jackson possesses. It’s likely Rashad will score a takedown or two, but it’s equally likely that Quinton will pull a slam out of his bag of tricks. Both are superb at scrambling, and when either find themselves planted, expect their defense to hold up well.

Wrestling advantage: Pure wrestling Evans, but in MMA its even Steven


Striking

Here’s where things take a tricky turn; Both Rashad and Quinton possess terrifying knockout power (ask Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva). Rashad will be the faster with his punches, but Jackson’s defense is just about as tight as it comes; it’s going to be much more difficult for Rashad to land that haymaker on Quinton when he’s got his “ear muffs” glued on all night. Rashad’s defense however is effective, but quite contrasting in terms of style. While ’Page moves forward, hands held high, Sugar prefers to use foot movement to avoid sustaining any serious damage while exchanging.

It’s speed versus textbook facial defense and tight hooks. In this case, speed may just kill. That being said, Jackson is known for the offensive amount of punishment he can take, whereas Rashad’s chin remains somewhat of an enigma. I can see Quinton standing after absorbing a Rashad overhand right, I can’t see Rashad standing after eating a Rampage right hook.

Striking advantage: Jackson


Submission

You can throw any hope of a submission out the window. A total 53 bouts between the two have produced 9 submissions (two for Rashad, seven for Quinton), and the majority of those “submissions” were the direct result of strikes, not technical submission holds. Don’t hold hope for any limb snapping here, as it’s just not likely to happen, neither are offensive submission machines, and both boast impressive submission defense; it’s going to the judges, or someone’s going to bed early. Evans got black belt in BJJ but thats only on paper, you have traing with a GI to get real black belt!

Submission advantage: Even Steven


Fortitude, Cardio and the Intangibles

Experience leans heavily in Jackson’s favor as he’s competed, and won twice as many fights as Rashad. However, how much effect some of those wars has taken on Quinton’s body must be called into question, and his noticeable lack of kick defense could prove to be the determining factor in this fight. Despite the fact that Quinton’s been out of action for nearly 16 months he’s still proven on more than one occasion that he’s got the gas tank to take him through five rounds; something we’ve yet to see from Rashad. This is no five round fight, but if Rashad Evans doesn’t show up in better shape than his last outing (a clash with Thiago Silva at UFC 108 in which Evans clearly began to fade, despite claiming victory), he’s in for a rough night.

Intangible advantage: Jackson

With Forrest Griffin's earlier announcement that a shoulder injury has caused him to drop out of his upcoming bout with Antonio Rogiero Nogueira, Jason Brilz has stepped up to take Griffin's place, after Lil Nog earlier announced that he still wants to fight, making sure his intense and rigorous training is not wasted.



Brilz steps into this bout with an overall record of 18-2-1, with a record inside the octagon of 3-1. His 3 wins with the UFC are over Brad Morris via tko, Tim Boetsch via unanimous decision and Eric Schafer again via unanimous decision. His only loss was a split decision to Eliot Marshall at UFC 103. He aslo holds wins over Alex Schoenaeur and Jason Macdonald. His one draw was against former UFC heavyweight Justin Eilers.

Lil Nog comes into this fight riding a 6 win streak, with a UFC record of 1-0, since his Knockout of the Night against Luiz Cane, at UFC 106. The Team Black House member holds an overall record of 18-3, his only other losses come to Shogun Rua and Vladimir Matyushenko. In a well distinguished career, he overcame opponents such as Dan Henderson and 2 wins over Alistair Overeem during his time serving in Pride.

Speaking about his new opponent, Nogueira had this to say:

“What can I do? Let’s change the strategy. I want to fight him standing or go to the ground and try a submission. It changed from a striker to a wrestler, but we are going for it, I’ll go for the knockout.”

The UFC 114 card is headlined by the much anticipated grudge match between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 29th.

Dana White's video blog leading up to UFC 114 on Saturday .

A persistent knee injury has UFC standout Anthony Johnson (8-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) contemplating a move to middleweight.

Johnson, a welterweight who cuts as much as 50 pounds to make the 170-pound limit, was in February forced to withdraw from a bout with rival John Howard at UFC on Versus 1 because of the injury. He has struggled since to get his knee back to 100 percent.

"He has to maintain a very diligent cardio routine to stay in striking range of 170 (pounds)," Johnson's manager, Ken Pavia told today, "Because of his knee injury, his weight has gotten up a little bit, and we don't want to delay his comeback because of a weight issue. So we're entertaining the possibility of taking a fight at 185 (pounds)."

Johnson underwent knee surgery a month ago and has not fought since welterweight contender Josh Koscheck submitted him at UFC 106 this past November. The loss snapped a three-fight streak of wins by TKO or KO.

Johnson, who was traveling today and unreachable for comment, has previously spoken about the arduous process of shedding so many pounds and his high walk-around weight between fights.

"Anthony Johnson is one of our more solid light heavyweights right now," Pavia said today. "I'm pretty sure he's bigger than Tito (Ortiz)."

A severely dehydrated Johnson needed to be carried to the weigh-ins and missed weight by five pounds for his fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104 this past October (he was allowed a one-pound overage for the non-title fight). He defeated the Japanese fighter by first-round TKO.

Johnson has not yet agreed to the move, and Pavia said any weight change will be temporary. There is no concrete timetable for the his return and no current offers to appear at middleweight.

"It's touch and go until he reaches another level of rehabilitation," Pavia said. "He's anxious to go, and we're holding him back because we don't want the injury to be re-occurring.

The UFC has no objections to Johnson's move, he added.

"[UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva has a couple rules that he lives by, one of which is he'll never tell a fighter what weight to fight at, and he'll never make a fighter fight injured," Pavia said. "And he'll tell you that over and over again.

"That being said, the last time he saw [Johnson], he turned to me and said, 'C'mon, dude.' So that's one of the reasons we're entertaining an [185 pound] fight. It's not for sure yet.

Pavia said Johnson's priority is winning the welterweight belt followed by the middleweight belt.

"[A middleweight fight] may expedite his return, as opposed to taking more time off to reach the ultimate goal," Pavia said. "I don't think he's convinced. He's considering it."

Rest assured; if you have any misconceptions about the fight game, Todd Duffee will set you straight.

Duffee (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who faces Mike Russow (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the main card of Saturday's UFC 114 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas, is not one to let a lie live. If you're misinformed, he'll tell you. If you're getting ahead of yourself, he'll tell you.

You don't like what he has to say? Tough.

"You get a lot of hardcore fans that look at me like I'm just a big monkey that sits at home and eats beef jerky and screams at my TV set – (one) who says, 'I can knock that guy out,'" Duffee recently told.

He doesn't go out of his way to do interviews, but he shoots straight when he does. He can be salty if you take the wrong tact. (He recently scolded the UFC on Twitter when UFC officials poked fun at his former job at Dairy Queen). At the same time, he's well spoken and self-aware in a way that many fighters his age aren't.

But there's no nonsense in his approach.

"Fifty percent of the fans hate you, and 50 percent of the fans think you're great," he said. "Either/or – it doesn't really matter unless you're winning."

He knows fighting won't last forever, and he wants to go to college when the gravy train ends. (He was enrolled at UNLV but recently took a leave of absence.) In the meantime, he's a hot prospect in the heavyweight division and has a good shot at making his mark in MMA. He believes he has the potential to make it to the top of the heavyweight division.

The jury is out on whether the fans agree.

He made quite an impression in his UFC debut when he knocked out Tim Hague in a UFC record seven seconds at UFC 102 this past August. But he's been benched for eight months due to a back injury, and fans don't have a whole lot to go on. Many get the wrong idea. On the other side of those who brand him a screaming monkey are those who think he's the second coming.

"You get the 16 year-olds who think I'm a god because I knocked someone out in seven seconds when in reality that seven seconds could have gone the other way, or it could have been a three-round war just because of their misconception of what MMA is," Duffee said.

The 24-year-old heavyweight seems to be aligned with Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal's theory that misconceptions drive the sport. Fans make rash judgments because they don't understand what really does into fighting.

As such, Duffee is not ready to start singing his own praises. He admits there are many unknowns in his career – such as how he adapts to pressure and opponents with different styles. Before he's even close to the level of a Junior Dos Santos or Cain Velasquez – whom many think he'll soon eclipse – he needs to cultivate the tools in his arsenal.

"They have more fight experience than me," Duffee said. "I have to be able to do what I do in the gym out in the cage when the lights are on. There are a lot of guys that we've probably never heard of who are at that level, but they just can't perform when it comes time, and I have to make sure that I continue to do that."

Some of the tools he thinks will factor into Saturday's fight are deceptively simple such as breathing. He's seen many competitors go into the octagon and gas out in the first round because adrenaline robs them of their ability to breathe. (Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson at UFC 113 is a good example, he said.) Against a ground-and pound-specialist such as Russow, that could be deadly.

"I haven't fought in eight months," Duffee said. "And really, if you ask me, I haven't fought in a year and eight months. So I have to go out there and make sure I'm breathing. I fully expect this fight to go past the first round."

Thus far, speed has been the distinguishing characteristic of his career; all but one of his fights have ended in the first round. A second-round TKO victory over Assuerio Silva in September 2008 stands as the toughest test of his two-plus years as a professional mixed martial artist.

Russow, meanwhile, is a 12-year veteran of the sport with notable career wins over Justin McCully, Jason Guida and Roman Zentsov. The part-time police officer holds nine first-round victories and has twice gone the distance.

Just as Duffee thinks he's overhyped, he thinks fans give Russow no love.

"I think he's by far the most underrated heavyweight in the division," Duffee said. "People don't respect him because he's fat and he's got ... a slow style that people don't really appreciate, so they automatically just think he sucks."

That's just another misconception.

"I think he's really, really tough, and he's real smart," he said of Russow. "People ask me why he's so good, (and I tell them) he knows what he's capable of, and he doesn't go outside that realm. He implements his game plan no matter what."

The question now is whether Duffee has the same resolve. He plans to defeat Russow on Saturday night. It matters little whether he feeds his own myth. The fanboys and the critics will judge all the same.

"At the end of the day, it's all about winning," Duffee said. "So I just have to go out there and win."

This is the second of two UFC-Versus events contracted for 2010.

Tickets for the show go on sale to UFC Fight Club members on May 26 at noon ET (10 a.m. MT) and UFC.com newsletter subscribers on May 27 at noon ET. The general public then can purchase tickets on May 28 at noon ET.

The latest UFC on Versus 2 card includes:

Jon Jones (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Vladimir Matyushenko (24-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) takes the main-event slot, and a middleweight fight between Mark Munoz (8-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Yushin Okami (24-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is the night's co-headliner.

MAIN CARD

* Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko
* Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami
* Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau*
* Takanori Gomi vs. Joe Stevenson*

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard*
* James Irvin vs. Igor Pokrajac*
* Mike Massenzio vs. Brian Stann*
* DaMarques Johnson vs. Matthew Riddle*
* Rob Kimmons vs. Steve Steinbeiss*

In a calculated attempt to expedite a rematch with "King Mo" Lawal, Gegard Mousasi called in during a recent Dream 15 conference call to talk up his desire to meet Lawal again, possibly on New Years Eve.

"I don't have a specific opponent that I want to fight. I don't know who is going to participate in the tournament but I would love to fight King Mo again. I hope on New Year's Eve I will get my shot at him."

Sounds to me like he knows exactly who he wants to fight next. How could he want anybody next but Lawal?

He also talked about why he lost, and what he thinks he did wrong.

"I think it wasn't my takedown defense. I was, in my life, somewhere else maybe. I fought his fight. I didn't sprawl, I wasn't sharp, maybe my condition should have been better. So, there are a lot of things that I could say that went wrong but basically it comes to: he fought his fight and he won. I didn't fight my fight. It wasn't that my wrestling wasn't good enough or my sprawl wasn't good enough, I think I just fought stupid."

To me it looked more like Mousasi just got controlled, while Lawal dictated the pace of the fight, never really getting any offense going. He went on to point out the "differences" between the cage and a ring, for those of us that were unaware I guess.

"Yes there is," he responded. "The cage is bigger so you have more space. For a wrestler, I think it is much better to fight in the ring than in the cage. The cage has more advantage for the stand up fighter. Maybe I should have trained the cage to stand up but those are new things that I have to learn and I think that I didn't train that good enough. But there is definitely a big difference."

“The Axe Murderer” meets “Sexyama” at UFC 116 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 3, which is a middleweight bout that could have major championship-challenging implications for the winner down the road. Silva is out to score his second win at 185 pounds and to keep remain perfect against Japanese fighters (so far the tally stands at 15). He tells that he respects Akiyama and predicts a great match-up, but that won't stop him from doing his thing on fight night. What about you ... how do you see this challenge going? Opinions please...

“Professor Rafael Cordeiro will coordinate and give directions to the sparrings to do the way it has to be done (trainings). Akiyama is tough, a good guy who has been an athlete throughout his life. He does well on the ground and is very strong. It’s going to be a very interesting fight, a great one for me because he’s a guy who fights and open the game, not a man who runs. I believe it’ll be a big show. I want to fight for more six years, at least until forty’s. This change of category was good. I had to re-educate myself on food matter and I’m feeling very well”.

Junie Allen Browning (born May 12, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.



The Ultimate Fighter

Browning was a fighter on The Ultimate Fighter reality show. In his elimination bout, he defeated Jose Aguilar by TKO; not answering the bell for the second round. He then was the first pick of the lightweights for Team Mir. Browning was also successful in his quarterfinal match-up with Rolando Delgado, winning by decision after 3 rounds, dropping and nearly finishing Delgado in the second round. While Browning trained with team Mir, he repeatedly stated that other members on the team, namely future opponent Dave Kaplan, refused to train with him due to his intensity during training. During an interview, he stated, "I think I've actually gotten worse since I came here." Browning also struggled with his anger management while on the show. He was warned twice for actions on the show due to his alcoholism and anger problems; throwing glass cups at both Kyle Kingsbury and Shane Primm. Browning was defeated on the last episode before the finals by Efrain Escudero. He ended the show by promising to be back as a fighter after originally saying he "should flip burgers".

Ricardo "Big Dog" Almeida and Matt Hughes are set to throw down August 7th at UFC 117 in Oakland, CA. Though not being technically "official" yet, both Hughes and Almeida have confirmed the bout taking place.

“The UFC hasn’t told me I can release this yet, but I’m going to go ahead and say that I’ve done my paperwork to fight Ricardo Almeida on August 7th, in Oakland, CA,” he wrote. “A lot of you know my history with the UFC, I’ve never turned down a fight and this is who they asked me to fight next.”

With the masses love for good sports related storylines, this showdown has many. Do they matter? Are they good ones? That's up to your opinion, but I can't wait for this fight. Not being the biggest fan of Matt Hughes, I love the fact he will truly have to work for this win if he is able to pull it off.

But getting the win will be tough.

Almeida is on the comeback trail after a 3 year layoff to focus on running his jiu-jitsu gym. A comeback that has seen him cruise to a 4-1 record since, dispatching the likes of Matt Brown, Kendall Grove, Matt Horwich, and going the distance in a tough split decision loss against Patrick Cote. A world class jiu-jitsu ace, and cardio beast, this man is dangerous. This could be the fight that finally starts Hughes slide to average fighter status after years of a dominate presence in the UFC.

Two time All-American wrestler Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley (7-0) began his professional fighting career just four years ago as little more than a rugged but well conditioned wrestler. Fast forward to 2010 and we’re seeing a legitimate prospect developing into a well rounded mixed martial artist. That 7-0 record speaks for itself.

With victories over UFC veteran Zach Light, the well traveled Rudy Bears and now fellow prospect Nathan Coy (who to his credit, definitely showed up to win this past Friday evening at the Strikeforce - Challengers 8 card), Tyron looks to be on the verge of challenging elite competition. With a surprising submission arsenal, and dangerous hands, fellow welterweights may be wise to keep an eye on the St. Louis native; only two opponents have survived the first round.

Now 4-0 under the Strikeforce banner, it’s time to evaluate some potential match-ups that could launch the likeable Woodley into the spotlight.

Erik Apple

Apple (10-2) owns the rights to his own deadly arsenal of submissions, and while his striking is adequate, he lacks the explosive unpredictability of Woodley. This fight could end in the first minute with Apple a bloody mess staring at the bright lights, but a ground battle is more likely to ensue. Given both opponents submission savvy, this could well turn into a flashy Jiu Jitsu chess match. The first to make a mistake being the likely loser of this encounter.

Joe Riggs

Riggs (32-11-0-1) is known for three things: brutal power, inconsistency and that post fight hospital brawl Nick Diaz dished out back in 2006. Always a dangerous opponent, when Riggs lives up to his potential he’s a nightmare for anyone in the division. However, if Woodley can utilize his superior wrestling, and turn this into a frantic fight, he may be able to break the seasoned veteran down for a late TKO stoppage. It’s a compelling match-up that could either make or break Woodley’s rise to fame.

Jay Hieron

UFC and IFL veteran Hieron (19-4) is one of the few welterweights on the Strikeforce roster that could likely stymie Woodley’s tenacious wrestling. That being said, Hieron’s chin has been called into question in the past, and Woodley may be able to exploit that. The experience factor here is the true elephant in the room, as it becomes an obvious question of whether or not Woodley has fully adjusted to the bright lights, and how well the man can overcome adversity (because Hieron will definitely make this one competitive). I wouldn’t expect a submission victory in this fight from Woodley, but if Tyron can force an ADD inspired pace, he may well be able to steal a decision from Hieron, or even get lucky enough to land a sleep inducer.

While I’m not 100% convinced Woodley can swim with the Great Whites yet, I do believe Strikeforce has a few fighters under contract that could prove to catapult Woodley into bigger and better opportunities. And Woodley, a friendly individual with great skills is a marketable figure who stands to add even more clout to the Strikeforce promotion. If the appropriate bouts are assembled, we may see Strikeforce produce another bona fide star. If Coker and company decide to feed Tyron to the bigger threats of the division (Marius Zaromskis or Nick Diaz for example) prematurely, we may see a promising athlete take a hit to his confidence that could sway a bright future.

Only time will tell.

May 21, 2010, Worcester, MA. - Minutes after Tim Sylvia defeated "The World's Strongest Man" Mariusz Pudzianowski, Moosin held a press conference with the winners and losers in their debut American show and picked their rattled brains about the outcomes of the event and what is next for them. Seated were Tim Sylvia, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Mike Campbell, Yves Edwards, Roxanne Modaferri and Butterbean.

Overeem vs Fedor - The Beginning.

A little promo video I made about the whole Overeem and Fedor situation. Will they ever meet? Only time will tell...

Junior Dos Santos will be back in the UFC Octagon sooner rather than later as the dangerous heavyweight will take on reigning TUF Champ and former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson at UFC 117.

"Fight confirmed, Roy Nelson is my next opponent. I hope to have support from all my fans." dos Santos wrote via Twitter.

dos Santos has been moving up the ranks of the heavyweight division with impressive wins over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic as well as Gilbert Yvel and most recently former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga.

Nelson is fresh out of The Ultimate Fighter house but has been around the block having held the IFL Heavyweight Title when the company was still around. At UFC Fight Night 21, Nelson defeated tall man Stefan Struve via TKO.

Following his second round win over Marius Pudzianowski last night at Moosin MMA, Tim Sylvia talks for his performance and where he sees himself going from here:

"This feels great, man. I’m back. Mariusz Pudzianowski is one helluva tough guy. This provides me with an opportunity to get another big fight, hopefully in three months. It didn’t go as I had planned. I thought I’d knock him out in the first round but I was a little cautious. My corner told me after the first round I could do anything because he was gassed. Once he failed on the takedowns, I knew I had him."

Sylvia also talks about Pudz and the Polish fans:

"I consider myself something of a legend in MMA and I go out there and ... I see Polish guys screaming at and yelling his name. Fortunately the fight went the way I wanted it to go. ... He went a minute 15 seconds longer than I thought he was going to."

The UFC Welterweight talks with Danny Acosta getting back in the gym after his loss to Georges St-Pierre. Shot and edited by Rick Lee.

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, former UFC light-heavyweight champion and the first man ever to unify the UFC and Pride light-heavyweight belts, talks to Fighters Only about his upcoming fight with Rashad, his desire to get revenge on Shogun and his new UFC contract

As a fighting purest it’s impossible to not crave the clash of the sports elite. Over the years boxing (though I confess I do love the sport) has left crucial questions unanswered by refusing to match top dog versus top dog; we’re experiencing it now, as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao choose to two-step around the possibility of the biggest bout in years. Sign the contract. And that represents my exact stance regarding mixed martial arts as well.

The lion must battle the lion. Easy prey (even game but overmatched prey) can be entertaining. But as spectators, we yearn for the mystery of the violent finale following the competitive war. For yeas fans and forum-goers have screamed and lobbied for countless fantasy match-ups. I prefer to try and keep my mouth shut, but the time is upon us; here now are what I consider to be five must see match ups.


Anderson Silva vs. Mauricio Rua

Mauricio Rua has looked like the animal that tore through his prey in the Pride days for multiple fights in a row. He’s shown amazing maturity inside the cage, and may even topple Randy Couture in the strategy department. Well rounded skills, genuine power and furious aggression label him a threat to anyone, Anderson Silva included.

That being said, you know Anderson’s got his sights set on redeeming friend and training partner Lyoto Machida’s pride.



Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar

Ah, a fight we’ll likely never see. The king of the heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko has avoided signing with the UFC for years now citing contractual issues. However, he has continued fighting, and continued looking more cyborg than human. No recent opposition have been able to put him in any serious danger, and it’s honestly a bit mystifying. One must ask himself: when does Fedor slow down?

Lesnar on the other hand is still green to the sport, but shows power, poise and aggression that very few - if any - can rival. Outstanding takedowns, great control and vicious ground and pound make this mammoth man a danger to anyone who enters the age with him, even the almighty Fedor.



Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva

GSP has run through the welterweight division while managing only a mild sweat. Remaining challenges at 170 pounds just don’t seem to be there (No offense to Josh Koscheck, he could shock the world for all we know). It’s well documented that St. Pierre has been steadily adding muscle to his frame in preparation for a climb in weight class. If he put the weight on properly (which I suspect he will), he could pose a serious problem for Anderson Silva and his sometimes shaky takedown defense.

Anderson Silva however may not even get the chance to make this fight happen. His bizarre and offensive display at UFC 112: Invincible left Dana White scoffing at a potential clash with GSP. However in the end, money talks, and this fight may well happen inside the next year.



BJ Penn vs. Jose Aldo

BJ Penn may have recently lost his Championship title (in fair fashion may I add), but that doesn’t alter history or the fact that he’s the most dynamic lightweight the MMA world has ever seen. Jose Aldo on the other hand, appears to be the only fighter near the same weight class who possesses the in-cage smarts, explosive agility and nasty power to do something no man has ever done. Put BJ Penn to sleep.



Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos

Seeing Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos race forward in the rankings is a bit reminiscent of Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Crocop in PrideFC circa 2004. It’s a wonder to watch two destructive heavyweights with well rounded skills topple opponent after opponent, and it does wet the appetite for a clash of the most promising prospects the heavy weight division has to offer. Both opponents possess differing strengths, and who will find a way to stymie the others attack is a movie of a mystery in itself. Here’s hoping we get to see this one in the not-too-distant future.


If that clash doesn’t scream of fireworks, I don’t know what does.

UFC middleweight Dan Miller talks about his upcoming fight at UFC 114 against Brit Michael Bisping.

UFC middleweight Mike Bisping talks to us about his upcoming fight with Dan Miller at UFC 114, training alongside Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson for his fight with Rashad Evans and having another child.

Episode 8: Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed.

Kris McCray vs. Kyacey Uscola and the quarter final matchups are announced...



Episodes

Episode 1: Smashed Up

Dana White welcomed 28 fighters to the "new and improved" UFC training facility and announces that only 14 will get to go to The Ultimate Fighter house. He also announces a format change for the season: following the first round, White and the coaches will pick two fighters who were eliminated in the first round will be picked as wild cards. These two wild card fighters will fight for another chance to go to the second round.
The 28 fighters then fight to determine who will go to The Ultimate Fighter house. Elimination round matches were for two rounds. If there was a draw after two rounds, a third round would be fought.
Jamie Yager defeated Ben Stark by knockout (head kick) at 0:26 of round 1
Brad Tavares defeated Jordan Smith by knockout (strikes) at 0:37 of round 1
Kris McCray defeated Cleburn Walker by TKO (shoulder injury) at 0:15 of round 1
James Hammortree defeated Norman Paraisy by TKO (could not answer bell) at the end of round 1
Nick Ring defeated Woody Wetherby by TKO (punches) at 2:42 of round 1
Kyle Noke defeated Warren Thompson by unanimous decision (20–18, 20–18, 20–18)
Court McGee defeated Seth Baczynski by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Chris Camozzi defeated Victor O'Donnell by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Kyacey Uscola defeated Brent Cooper by knockout (punches) at 0:25 of round 1
Joseph Henle defeated Constantinos Philippou by submission (armbar) at 2:17 of round 2
Rich Attonito defeated Lyle Steffens by unanimous decision (20–18, 20–18, 20–18)
Josh Bryant defeated Greg Rebello by majority decision (20–18, 19–19, 20–18)
Charles Blanchard defeated Jacen Flynn by TKO (referee stoppage) at the end of round 1
Clayton McKinney defeated Charley Lynch by TKO (punches) at 4:07 of round 1


Episode 2: Suck it Up
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz pick teams. Dana flips a coin to decide who gets the first pick. Tito gets to pick the first fighter, while Chuck gets to pick the first fight.
Dana confronts Chuck about his team, thinking that Liddell's picks are much weaker than Tito's due to a size and height difference between the two teams. He reveals that he and Chuck often have different assessments about fighters.
Team Liddell chooses Kyle Noke to fight Clayton McKinney.
Tension heats up between Jamie Yager and Clayton McKinney as Yager, Tavares and McCray use blowhorns at 3:00 a.m. and wake the other fighters.
Clayton McKinney thinks his shoulder injury is a torn rotator cuff leading Tito to believe Clayton is mentally weak and makes a point of pushing him harder. After an MRI, the doctor wrongly diagnoses the injury as just a bone contusion, therefore painful, but not serious.
Kyle Noke defeated Clayton McKinney by submission (triangle choke) at 2:44 of round 1.
A visibly frustrated McKinney walks away in disappointment, but is called back by Ortiz, to immediately practice triangle submission escapes. Attempting to boost the morale of McKinney and his team-mates, Ortiz reminds McKinney that he could still win a wildcard slot.


Episode 3: A Lotta Heart
Dana White called out Chris Camozzi telling him that what he thought was just a minor tooth ache, was actually a broken jaw. Because of this injury, Camozzi was sent home. Seth Baczynski replaces him.
Tensions boiled between Jamie Yager and Nick Ring during the training session with Yager claiming that Ring was coming on strong with kicks. Yager then called him a "bitch" angering Ring.
Team Liddell chooses Brad Tavares to fight James Hammortree.
Brad Tavares defeated James Hammortree by unanimous decision after 3 rounds.


Episode 4: Clown Box
Nick Ring confronts Jamie Yager for cheering for Brad Tavares during his fight with James Hammortree, despite Tavares being a member of the opposing team.
Team Liddell chooses Rich Attonito to fight Kyacey Uscola.
Tensions rise between Jamie Yager and Kyacey Uscola when Kyacey accuses Jamie of stealing his clothes.
Rich Attonito defeated Kyacey Uscola by disqualification (Illegal Knee) at 3:36 of round 1. After a dominating first few minutes by Attonito, Uscola began to come back, but then appeared to land an illegal knee to the head of a grounded Attonito. A flattened out Attonito appeared to be unable to continue and was ruled the winner by disqualification. Immediately following the match debate ensued regarding the illegal knee, as post-fight replays and the interpretations of witnessing fighters and trainers resulted in the creation of a controversial decision. Dana White admitted that there was controversy surrounding the decision, but stated that he felt the referee had made the correct decision. After the fight, a frustrated Tito Ortiz punched a door off of its hinges on his way out of the gym.
Rich returns to the house and breaks the news that his hand is injured and may be broken
Team Liddell chooses Charles Blanchard to fight Jamie Yager.
Jamie Yager defeated Charles Blanchard by TKO (strikes) at 1:09 of round 1. Team Ortiz gains control of the matchups.


Episode 5: If It Breathes, It Bleeds
Wildcard predictions begin by the fighters and James Hammortree states his case, because of his "controversial" decision loss to Brad Tavares.
It was revealed that the "bruised bone" Clayton McKinney was diagnosed with was actually a ripped off labrum ligament. While describing the surgery to his housemates, McKinney tells them that the doctor had to scrape the humeral bone, put screws in it, shave the ligament and then anchor the labrum to the humeral by using the screws. Since this type of injury takes 3-6 months to heal completely, it eliminated McKinney from the wildcard race, along with Charles Blanchard who claims that he is in no condition to beat anybody right now.
Tito Ortiz makes an apology to Clayton McKinney for making remarks about Clayton not giving 100% during the earlier team training. Clayton accepts Ortiz's apology but as Ortiz walks away, Clayton gives him the middle finger.
Team Ortiz chooses Kris McCray to fight Josh Bryant.
Josh Bryant defeated Kris McCray by unanimous decision after 3 rounds. Team Liddell regains control of the matchups.


Episode 6: Did Your Dizzle
Uscola expresses concern that Ortiz's training methods are "too rough," believing they caused McCray's loss. His teammates, including McCray, however, think otherwise.
James Hammortree is sent to the hospital after being thrown by McCray and later reveals it may be a slipped disk.
Team Liddell sweeps Team Ortiz in dodgeball to win this year's Coach Challenge.
Team Liddell chooses Court McGee to fight Nick Ring.
Nick Ring defeated Court McGee by majority decision after 2 rounds. Team Ortiz regains control of the matchups.
Liddell didn't agree with the decision and showed anger and disdain towards Dana White and other people in attendance.


Episode 7: Coming for Blood
Nick Ring expresses concern about a possible re-occurrence of a three year old knee injury.
Seth Baczynski defeated Joseph Henle via unanimous decision after three rounds.
The wildcards are announced as Kyacey Uscola and Kris McCray.
As Rich Attonito has to withdraw from the competition, his spot is open. Dana White gives the slot to Court McGee, without having to fight for it, which upsets Henle and Hammortee who both believe they did enough in their fights to earn either a wildcard slot or Attonito's slot

UFC Primetime, produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), is a look into the lives of two of the most popular fighters in the UFC, Jackson and Evans, as the two settle a grudge borne during Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,®” with the winner taking #1 contender status in the stacked UFC light heavyweight division.



As the two train for their meeting in late May, Spike TV will present three special weekly installments that will take viewers inside the Wolfslair Academy in Widnes, England, as Jackson prepares for his first fight since completing filming on the forthcoming “A Team” movie with teammates Michael Bisping and Cheick Kongo and back to the United States to see how Evans and his teammates at Greg Jackson’s camp in Albuquerque, NM, such as UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and rising star Jon Jones, are gameplanning for Quinton Jackson’s “rampage”.

UFC Primetime promises to deliver unparalleled access into the lives of two of mixed martial arts’ biggest stars, as they head into what could be the Fight of the Year in 2010 at UFC 114.

UFC 114 will air live on Pay-Per-View Saturday, May 29 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, NV at 10:00 PM ET/ 7:00 PM PT

Vitor Belfort's shoulder is on the mend, and he will be able to fight for the middleweight title in the fall, according to his manager.

"Vitor will be in (the best) absolute physical condition to return to the octagon and fight for the UFC title by November 2010," Farah wrote today in an email.

No UFC events are currently rumored for November.

Belfort (19-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC), a former UFC champion at light heavyweight, was due to face current middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva at UFC 112 before "The Phenom" withdrew due to a severe shoulder injury that required surgery. Silva instead fought (and defeated) Demian Maia.

According to multiple reports, Belfort saw a shoulder specialist at the behest of UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and was given a four-month window for a return to the gym.

In Belfort's absence, the UFC has slotted Chael Sonnen as Silva's next contender at UFC 117 in August. In several interviews, UFC president Dana White expressed confidence that Sonnen will erase the bad taste left at UFC 112, where the champion gave a widely panned performance against Maia.

If Silva wins at UFC 117, White recently told reporters, he will fight Belfort and then make a semi-permanent move to light heavyweight.

Belfort returned to the octagon at UFC 103 this past September after almost four years served in other promotions and quickly knocked out former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. The win put him squarely in the UFC's sights for a title shot at Silva. He was penciled in to face the champion at UFC 108, but an elbow injury forced Silva's withdrawal.

Former UFC light heavyweight champions, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Suga” Rashad Evans got into an unbelievably heated altercation during tonight’s media conference call, with so much yelling coming from the two that you could barely hear yourself think.



Here’s a rundown of the best bits:

Franklin McNeil asks Rampage about his time off, and Rampage asks him why he always has to use big words. Rampage says he took time off because his body needed some rest, so he’s glad he did it and glad he rested. Rampage says he’s done with the movie and he doesn’t even think about it anymore, and all he cares about is the fight. Says beating Rashad is a moral victory and nothing much because Rashad can’t even hold onto his belt. He wants to teach Rashad to keep his mouth shut, but it’s not a big accomplishment. Fighting Rashad is a step backwards for him.

Rashad takes issue with Rampage’s comments about him. He beat Forrest when Rampage couldn’t beat him. And then they start shouting at each other. Rashad says Rampage perpetuates the idea that he’s stupid when he’s anything but stupid. “Stop pretending like you’re stupid just because you’re black, you’re not stupid.” This conference call is already epic.

Rampage has never fought anybody he hates as much as Rashad. Says Rashad is fake and cocky and hasn’t done much. Rashad says he was the world champion, so Rampage asks where his belt is. And then they start shouting at each other again. Rashad apparently shipped Rampage something in the mail, but Rampage denies knowing anything about it. They start shouting again.

Rampage says Rashad is acting like he wants to fight, but all he’s going to do is run away and do his little takedowns. Rashad says Rampage will back down again like he did the first time, so Rampage asks Dana to relay what happened. Dana called Rampage and asked him to fight Rashad, and Rampage said yes. Dana then called Rashad and he turned it down. And then the shouting begins again. Rampage turned down a fight with Rashad after the Jardine fight because it was too soon, so Rashad says they are even. And now more shouting.

Rashad talks about bringing in King Mo (for his camp) because he can simulate Rampage pretty well, but also because he has the best takedowns in the game. Rashad says he wants to go out and start throwing punches and see where they land. Rampage just starts laughing.

Rashad makes fun of Rampage for using tiny guys in training camp. Rampage says he used small guys because they’re fast like Rashad. Rashad says that’s fine, but Rampage acts like he’s done something big when he knocks him down. Shockingly, they start shouting at each other again and arguing about who has the worse glass jaw. Rampage makes fun of Rashad’s gumby legs in the Silva fight. More YELLING. This is fantastic and I cannot wait for this fight.

Rashad says he knows Rampage’s style like the back of his hand. Rampage says the universe has opened up for him and the Shogun fight haunts him to this day, so he has a chance to get back in there and make it right.

To say this one is going to be an epic is an understatement. Fans are already rubbing their hands together at the thought of these two coming nose-to-nose at the press conference and weigh-in’s next week, with this one likely to go off at any moment.

Strikeforce: Four Men Enter, One Man Survives was a mixed martial arts event held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California on November 16, 2007. The event was hosted by Strikeforce in conjunction with bodogFight, and was streamed live on Yahoo! Sports. The event held two distinctions in that: 1) it contained the first MMA tournament sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission and 2) Strikeforce's heavyweight champion was determined during the event in a non-tournament fight.



Results
Middleweight bout: Dennis Hallman vs. Jeremiah Metcalf
Hallman defeated Metcalf via Submission (Heelhook) at 1:39 of round 1.
Featherweight bout: Chris Drumm vs. Evan Esguerra
Match was ruled a No Contest (Punch to Back of the Head) at 2:35 of round 2.
Lightweight bout: Alex Crispin vs. Clint Coronel
Crispin defeated Coronel via Unanimous Decision.
Bantamweight bout: Peter Sabala vs. Anthony Figueroa
Figueroa defeated Sabala via Split Decision.
Middleweight bout: Josh Neal vs. Eric Lawson
Lawson defeated Neal via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 0:20 of round 2.
Middleweight Tournament Semi final: Jorge Santiago vs. Sean Salmon
Santiago defeated Salmon via KO (Flying Knee) at 0:24 of round 1.
Middleweight Tournament Semi final: Trevor Prangley vs. Falaniko Vitale
Prangley defeated Vitale via Decision (Referee Decision) at 2:12 of round 2.
Welterweight bout: Luke Stewart vs. Bryson Kamaka
Stewart defeated Kamaka via KO (Knee) at 0:19 of round 1.
Light Heavyweight bout: Bobby Southworth vs. Anthony Ruiz
Ruiz defeated Southworth via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 0:52 of round 2.
Welterweight bout: Lemont Davis vs. Brian Schwartz
Lemont defeated Schwartz via Unanimous Decision.
Heavyweight Championship bout: Paul Buentello vs. Alistair Overeem
Overeem defeated Buentello via Submission (Knees to the Body) at 3:42 of round 2 to become first Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion.
Middleweight Tournament Final: Jorge Santiago vs. Trevor Prangley
Santiago defeated Prangley via KO (Knee to the Body) at 2:31 of round 1 to win the tournament.
Middleweight bout: Cung Le vs. Sammy Morgan
Le defeated Morgan via TKO (Liver Kick) at 1:58 of round 3.