UFC 89 Set To Invade England

On Saturday, October 18th The Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to invade The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England for "UFC 89." UFC 89 looks to come on strong with another star-studded managery of fighters and a Pay-Per-View worthy fight card. So what makes UFC 89 different?... It's FREE!!! That's right folks, UFC 89 is coming to you absolutely free on Spike TV at 9:00pm ET/PT.

Headlining the night will be a middleweight match-up between England's own Michael "The Count" Bisping, as he gets set to take on the dangerous striker, Chris "The Crippler" Leban. Both fighters are former TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) cast members, Leban was part of TUF Season 1 and Bisping was on TUF Season 3.

Born in 1979, Bisping took an early interest in martial arts, beginning his training in a traditional form of jujutsu under Paul Lloyd Davies at the age of 8. At the age of 15, he competed in England's first "no holds barred" competition, a precursor to modern MMA. At 18, Bisping decided to abandon his martial arts training in order to "pursue real life".

Less than one year later the need to train and compete drew Bisping back, this time training in kickboxing and karate at the urging of Alan Clarking, owner of Black Knights gym. Bisping enjoyed a short but successful kickboxing career, winning the North West Area title, and later the Pro British light heavyweight kickboxing title twice.

He again gave up combat sports from a "real job", working in factories, slaughterhouses, as an upholsterer, a postman, a tiler, a plasterer, a double-glazing door salesman, and also a fairly successful DJ around the north-west club scene.

Bisping began to miss fighting and training and in 2003, he tracked down his old coach Paul Lloyd Davies, who was coaching at Master Salahs MMA gym in Manchester. It was there that Bisping first learned about the sport of mixed martial arts. Bisping made his professional MMA debut at Pride & Glory 2: Battle of the Ages on April 4, 2004 against Steve Matthews, who he beat by way of an armbar submission in 0:38 of the first round. By only his third match, he had become the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion by TKO'ing Mark Epstein at Cage Rage 7. He went on to defend his championship by defeating Epstein in a rematch at Cage Rage 9 in a knockout victory that solidified him as one of the top light heavyweights in England.

Since defeating Josh "Bring the Pain" Haynes to win the TUF 3 Finale, Bisping has gone on to earn victories over Eric Schafer, Elvis Sinosic, Matt Hamill, Charles McCarthy, and Jason Day. His only loss inside the octagon came at the hands of "Sugar" Rashad Evans during UFC 87 in November, 2007.

After his loss, he announced his decision to drop down from the 205lb. light heavyweight division and fight as a 185lb. middleweight. Bisping already has two straight wins in the middleweight division, McCarthy & Day, and looks for his third on October 18th against Chris Leban.

In the co-main event, Brandon "The Truth" Vera (who has also recently changed weight divisions from heavyweight to light heavyweight) looks to go to war with Rashad Evans teammate Keith "Dean of Mean" Jardine. Vera is coming off a unanimous decision win over the tough wrestler and former IFL standout, Reese Andy at UFC Fight Night 14. Jardine had a huge win over Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell at UFC 76 on September 22, 2007, but his most recent fight was a disappointing loss to Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva during UFC 84. Vera will certainly look to keep his winning ways going, while Jardine looks for redemption with a win over Vera.

Don't miss UFC 89, October 18th at 9:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV

- Complete UFC 89 Fight Card -

Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leban
Brandon Vera vs. Keith Jardine
Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Luiz Cane
Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor
Marcus Davis vs. Paul Kelly
Dan Hardy vs. Akihiro Gono
Shane Carwin vs. Neil Wain
Jess Liaudin vs. David Bielkheden
Sam Stout vs. Terry Etim
David Baron vs. Jim Miller
Per Eklund vs. Samy Schiavo

Kimbo Slice Mauled By A Silverback

Saturday night marked Elite XC's third installment of their "CBS Saturday Night Fights" series. Headlining the event was supposed to be a matchup between Elite XC's cash-cow, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. Entitled "Heat," the Elite XC event filled Florida's BankAtlantic Center with 9,414 spectators and had a gate of $826,433.

A last minute accident threatened to derail the main event, when while warming up backstage, Ken Shamrock suffered a head-butt over the left eye that opened up an old cut. The cut would require six stitches, causing the athletic commission to deny Shamrock the opportunity to fight.

With the main event in danger of being cancelled, Ken's adoptive brother, former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock stepped forward and offered to take the fight. However, with Frank usually fighting at middleweight it would of been doubtful to get approval from the commission to fight the 235lb. heavyweight.

In the end, Seth "The Silverback" Petruzelli, who was scheduled to face Aaron Rosa in a light heavyweight contest was offered the opportunity to replace the injured Shamrock. Petruzelli, a second season participant on the UFC's reality show, "The Ultimate Fighter" jumped at the chance.

The ten bout event also featured Jake Shields defending his welterweight championship against England's Paul "Semtex" Daley. The women's face of MMA, Gina "Conviction" Carano would fight Kelly Kobald. Also, in an Elite XC and Affliction partnership, Andrei Arlovski and Roy "Big Country" Nelson would do battle in the heavyweight division.

The main event offered more shock & awe than even President George Bush himself could ever hope to provide. At the sound of the opening bell Kimbo heads straight at Petruzelli, the 28 year old from Fort Myers, Florida and backed him against the cage. Petruzelli threw a push kick that was followed by a short right hand, a punch that landed right on the "lights out" button, the chin. Slice went down and Petruzelli attacked much like his nickname, "The Silverback." Unrelenting and throwing hard shot after shot, referee Troy Waugh had no choice but to call a halt to the bout at only 0:14 seconds of the first round.

- RESULTS -
Seth Petruzelli def. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson by TKO (Strikes) at :14, RD1
Jake Shields def. Paul Daley by Submission (Armbar) at 3:47, RD2
Andrei Arlovski def. Roy Nelson by KO at 3:14, RD2
Gina Carano def. Kelly Kobold by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Benji Radach def. Murilo "Ninja" Rua by TKO (Strikes) at 2:31, RD2
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos def. Yoko Takahashi by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)Connor Heun def. Edson Berto by TKO (Strikes) at 2:18, R2
Mikey Gomez def. Lorenzo Borgomeo by Submission (Armbar) at 4:06, R2
Bryan Hamade def. David Gomez by Submission (Guillotine) at 2:03, R1
Nicolae Cury def. Jorge Bouchat by Submission (Reverse Triangle) at 1:35, R1

COMMENTARY - Fedor May Resurface July 19th

Rumors abound once again of yet another possibility to see Fedor Emelianenko fight, this time possibly on July 19th under the Affliction banner. However, upcoming Fedor fights have somewhat become like Elvis sightings. The Fedor rumor mill is churning out more gossip than even Joan Rivers could handle.

Fedor Emelianenko, "the badest man on the planet", "the number one heavyweight in the world", "pound for pound the best there is"... All this and more has been said to describe the gifted Russian fighter.

Fedor was born in 1976 in Rubizhne, Luhansk, presently part of modern day Ukraine. His family moved to Stary Oskol, Russia two years later. His mother is a teacher and his father was a steel worker. Fedor grew up with an older sister and two younger brothers, one of which being fellow MMA fighter Aleksander Emelianenko.

After finishing high school in 1991, he moved on to a professional trade school in which he graduated with honors in 1994. During the years from 1995 thru 1997, Fedor would serve in the Russian Army as a military firefighter.

Fedor's interest in martial arts began early, learning Sambo and Judo. Surprisingly, his trainer, Vladimir Mihailovich Voronov recalls that the 10 year old Fedor was relatively weak physically and did not have an innate grappling talent; instead, his biggest strength was his perseverance and strong will. In 1997 he received the official certification of a "Master of Sports" in Sambo and Judo and became part of the Russian national team.

After earning a bronze medal in the Russian Judo Championships in 1998, he started honing his standup game under coach Alexander Vasilievich Michkov. At the age of 25, Fedor began entering combat sambo and mixed martial arts events in order to earn money. Fedor began his mixed martial arts career as a member of Russian Top Team. However, according to Fedor, a rift developed between himself and Russian Top Team Manager Vladimir Evgenevich Pogodin. Soon after, Fedor and his brother Aleksander left and joined the St. Petersburg based Red Devil Sport Club and have remained there under the management of Vadim Finklestein ever since.

Fedor would spend 2000 thru 2006 fighting mixed martial arts for two organizations; RINGS and Pride FC. He would suffer only one loss, and that loss being highly controversial. During the December 22nd, 2000 RINGS King of Kings 2000 Block B event, Japanese fighter Tsuyoshi Kohsaka cut Fedor. Footage shows that the cut was caused by a missed looping punch where Kohsaka's elbow struck Emelianenko's head. Elbow strikes are illegal under RINGS rules unless the striker is wearing elbow pads, which Kohsaka wasn't. Emelianenko says that this elbow reopened a cut sustained in his previous fight against Ricardo Arona. Since the fight was in a tournament format, a winner and loser was required as draws or no contests could not be awarded. Since Emelianenko could not advance due to his injury, Kohsaka moved on (the match would have been a no contest or disqualification victory for Emelianenko otherwise). In spite of a hand injury, he avenged the loss at the Pride Bushido 6 event on April 3rd, 2005, defeating Kohsaka by technical knockout when the ring doctor stopped the fight after the first round.

Fedor would go on to enter the Pride organization on June 23rd, 2002, at Pride 21. He would battle the dangerous K-1 fighter, Semmy Schilt and win a unanimous decision. Fedor seemed unstoppable, like a machine he entered the arena emotionless, but when the bell sounded he fought with the voracity of a caged animal. The likes of Ricardo Arona, Renato Sobral, Heath Herring, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Gary Goodridge, Mark Coleman (twice), Kevin Randleman, Mirko CroCop, Mark Hunt, Matt Lindland, and most recently Hong Man Choi, have all received losses at the hands of Fedor.

Since the day the doors closed on the Pride Fighting Championships, Fedor has been the most sought after fighter in all MMA. The UFC wanted him, talks of a Randy Couture vs. Fedor bout were everywhere you looked, sadly for MMA fans that deal couldn't get done. Fedor wound up signing with M-1 Global and Monte Cox. Suddenly thereafter we started hearing talks of a different nature...

Fedor Emelianenko, "he's overrated", "what has he done lately", "he's only fought twice in 2007." After reading the "whose-who" of Fedor's victims in the ring, I find it almost laughable that the word "overrated" could ever be applied to the man.

In his home country of Mother Russia, Fedor is an absolute icon. From an award given to Fedor by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko for his contribution of the development of Russian Sambo, to his meeting with the Russian President himself, Fedor is deeply loved at home. In November of 2007 Fedor was decorated with an Order of Peter the Great of the 1st degree. In order to give this award to Fedor, representatives of the National State Decorations Committee traveled to Prague, where Fedor Emelianenko just won the World Championship in Combat Sambo for the fourth time. The Order of Peter the Great of the first degree was awarded to Fedor for his achievements and contributions to the development of Russian sports.

Fedor recently parted ways with the M-1 Global organization and has told MMA sources that he will fight former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on July 19th. Initial details place the fight to be the main event in a card based out of Dallas, Texas as part of Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights promotion in an event to be copromoted with Affliction.

It's certainly not the "Emelianenko vs. Couture" battle that MMA fans desire, but it'll certainly be nice to see Fedor back in action doing what he does best. Lets just hope Elvis doesn't show up...

COMMENTARY - Georges St. Pierre & UFC 83

With UFC 83 fast approaching, I bring to you the reason why 22,000 screaming MMA fans will be packing themselves into the Bell Centre in Montreal this Saturday. That reason, the UFC World Welterweight Title fight between now UFC 170-pound champ Matt "The Terror" Serra and Georges "Rush" St. Pierre. UFC.com’s Thomas Gerbasi spoke with St. Pierre today and was able to get some great quotes from the former UFC welterweight champ.

If one were to look at or listen to Georges St. Pierre outside the cage, most wouldn't figure him to be a professional mixed martial artist. In a world of broken noses, missing teeth, and scarred faces, St. Pierre stands out with his smooth as silk looks and equally smooth demeanour. Where as many enter the cage taking about their desire to hurt or kill their opponent, St. Pierre always remains respectful and humble. Even in the midst of the pre-fight hype when combatants are slinging their trash-talk to sell the fight, St. Pierre can rarely be heard saying anything negative.

His technique in the cage is equally smooth, St. Pierre is a naturally gifted athlete. Many MMA fighters are blessed with natural ability and athleticism like GSP, but unlike some others he is also an intelligent fighter. He knows that his natural abilities can only take him so far.

"There is something to have the skill, but I think you have to have more because skill is not enough,” he said. “You need to be ready to sacrifice. I think that’s what helped me – I was very skilled and athletic, but I’m also ready to make the sacrifices that it takes to reach the top,” says St. Pierre.

Sacrifice can come in my forms, going to the gym when all your friends are going out to clubs, eating the baked chicken and vegetables when you would much rather have the all you can eat buffet.

"I’m in the prime of my life, and normally people my age go out a lot, they drink, and a lot of them take drugs, I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “I know that’s not something good for me. When I’m training for a fight and my friends are calling me to go out, I have to stay home. That’s one of the sacrifices I have to make and it’s pretty hard sometimes.”

Growing up, St. Pierre idolized the likes of Jean Claude Van Damme and dreamed of being a martial arts champion like the character Van Damme portrayed in the movie Bloodsport. He started karate at the age of 7 and was very gifted even early on.

St. Pierre made his MMA pro debut in 2002 at the age of 20, at a time when the sport was considered an outlaw barbaric spectacle. Living in Canada made it even more difficult, Canada was yet to experience the beginnings of mainstream acceptance that US fans and fighters were beginning to enjoy.

"Back in the day, people thought I was crazy,” said St-Pierre. “Now, people know that it’s a real sport and that I’m training just as much as somebody who’s training for the Olympic Games or any other professional sport. I always knew that it was only a matter of time. And I don’t blame those people because I understand it. I can put myself in their position and try to see my sport from the outside. I know it’s violent, but when you don’t understand it, it makes it look even worse.”

Thankfully times have changed since those lean early days and fighters and fans alike are enjoying the benefits of the meteoric rise of Mixed Martial Arts. St. Pierre is considered by most as the face of MMA in Canada, but you'd never hear that statement come from his mouth.

Since entering the UFC, St. Pierre has put together a very respectable 7-1 record, with victories over some very dangerous opponents like BJ Penn, Karo Parisyan, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, and Jason Miller. His only loss came at the hands of the UFC's legendary welterweight, Matt Hughes in 2004, a loss he avenged in dominant fashion at UFC 65 in 2006.

But like most who manage to reach the summit, a fall is almost inevitable. That fall came on April 7th, 2007 at the hands of UFC veteran and TUF winner Matt Serra in a fight that virtually no one gave Serra a snowball's chance in hell to win. It's been said the St. Pierre came into the fight with personal issues that took away from his usual focus.

"After my loss with Serra I’ve been accused of not being mentally tough, but a lot of things happened to me, and it’s really personal stuff,” said St-Pierre, who gracefully addressed perhaps the most asked question of him these days. “People read some stuff, but they have no idea what happened to me. The reason why I don’t want to talk about it is because a lot of it concerns people in my family. I have a public life because I’m a professional fighter and I accept the fact that people talk about my personal life. But I don’t want people to talk about the personal lives of people in my family who don’t have a public life, who don’t ask to have their personal lives written about. I think if any person went through what I went through last time, it would affect them. But I will never let that happen again.”

And once again GSP is showing his gentleman-like ways leading up to this fight with Serra. "After the fight, no matter what happens, I’m gonna shake Matt Serra’s hand,” he said. “A lot of things have been said, some stuff crossed the line a little bit, but I think Matt Serra is a good person and I want to fight the best Matt Serra for my honor. I want to be the real champion, and I want to beat the champion when he’s at his best, and I’m sure it’s the same thing for him. After the fight, win, lose, no matter, I’m gonna shake his hand and maybe we can have a drink together.”

Much like loss in 2004 to Hughes, St. Pierre will have a chance to avenge that loss to Serra at UFC 83. Will GSP show up and do what most have come to expect, or will it be yet another dramatic UFC upset?

NEWS - "Strikeforce on NBC" Preview Available

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A minute and a half preview of “Strikeforce on NBC,” the 52-week mixed martial arts series that premieres from 2-2:30 a.m. ET tomorrow on NBC, is available for viewing at NBC Sports Online as well as on the official Strikeforce homepage.

"Strikeforce on NBC” marks the debut of mixed martial arts programming on network television in The United States. The series will include fighter profiles as well as Strikeforce bouts and highlights.

Tomorrow’s historic, premiere episode will be highlighted by a feature segment on newly crowned Strikeforce World Middleweight (185 lb. limit) Champion, Cung Le. The battle between Le and longtime rival, Brian “Unbreakable” Warren, as well as the classic, barnburner fight between knockout artist Duane “Bang” Ludwig and rival 170 lb. warrior Tony “The Freak” Fryklund will also air tomorrow night.

"Strikeforce on NBC" represents the latest addition to the network’s traditionally first-class late night programming lineup, arguably best defined by “Saturday Night Live,” the award-winning variety show in the midst of its 33rd season. “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” have consistently ranked number one in their respective weeknight time slots for nearly the last decade and a half.

About Strikeforce:
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” Since then, it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME PPV mixed martial arts event in history with its world championship “Shamrock vs. Baroni” card on June 22nd of this year followed by the first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous
Playboy Mansion on September 29th.

NEWS - GI's vs. Pro's MMA Series

SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc., owner of the "Art of War" MMA promotion announced the creation of a very unique Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) series entitled "GI's vs. Pro's."

GI's vs. Pro's will pit a balance of hand picked fighters from the US Army's Combative Program against established professional MMA fighters, creating yet another first for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The fights will be three, 5 minute rounds within a circular cage.

The debut event will kick off April 19th from the Grand Casino in Tunica, Mississippi and will feature US Army Staff Sergeant Damien "Stealth" Steely vs. Veteran MMA Professional Ron "Superfly" Faircloth in a light heavyweight contest.

This will be the first time a US Army Vs. MMA Tour has been produced and for MMA fans to watch the skilled veterans of the Army battle against the MMA Professionals. There will be plenty of Military supporters at each event and a great media campaign nation wide.

US Army Spokesperson, Matt Larson, Head of the US Army Combative Program stated, "This is a fantastic opportunity for members of our Armed Forces to enter the cage and test their skills against some of the best MMA professionals in the industry. We see this as a growing platform for our recruitment and morale. Our objective is to eventually take the tour internationally."

SUN has also reached an agreement with Fox Sports Net (FSN) to telecast the new series. SUN's "Art of War" division will produce a series of nine MMA events that will air as one-hour specials Saturday nights at midnight on FSN, beginning July 19th, 2008 and concluding on September 13th, 2008.

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

SUN CEO CJ Comu stated, "We at SUN are extremely pleased to be working with such a respected network as FSN", which will telecast this unique and exciting series into millions of homes across the country. "Our agreement with FSN is an important milestone for SUN as we continue to implement our growth strategy and develop relationships with international and domestic partners. By showcasing our world-class fighters through well produced, quality events on FSN, SUN's position as an emerging global MMA organization is only further enhanced."

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



Below is the 2008 "GI Vs. Pro" Fox Sports Net telecast schedule:


(schedule subject to change -- all times local):

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

NEWS - Fedor Carries Olympic Torch

With the Beijing Olympics approaching, the Olympic torch made it's stop in historic St. Petersburg, Russia last Saturday, before continuing it's world tour and heading off to England and France.

The torch was taken along a 12-mile route through the wide streets and boulevards of the city by a relay of 80 Russian sporting champions, cultural icons and national heroes. After starting at the Soviet World War II memorial, it passed Petropavlovsk Fortress and St. Isaac's Cathedral before finally arriving at the Palace Square in front of the State Hermitage Museum.

The first carrier of the torch was Galina Zybina, 77, an Olympic shot put gold medalist at the 1952 Games, the first year that the Soviet Union took part in the competition. Zybina was a survivor of the 900-day German blockade of the city during World War II, during which approximately 2 million of the residents died from a lack of food and the harsh Russian winters.

The ceremony to light the torch was conducted by city governor Valentina Matvienko, flanked by soldiers in period uniforms and serenaded by a military orchestra. Zybina's starting of the relay was said to be "deeply symbolic." Former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko also carried the torch, and for the sport of mixed martial arts in Russia, it is perhaps also deeply symbolic that he was asked to participate. The public profile of MMA has been rising steadily throughout the last 10 years, particularly in St. Petersburg due to the city being a base for the Red Devil Club and a continuing host of the M-1 Mixfight events.

Fedor was wearing an official Beijing Olympics training shirt and sporting the number 42, carried the torch alongside such national heroes as Zybina, Olympic figure skater Evgeni Plushenko, St. Petersburg soccer star Andrei Arshavin and the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova.

"The Olympics is the pinnacle of sporting achievement, and the torch is the game's symbol," said Emelianenko. "It's therefore a treasure. I was very honored to be asked to participate and carry the torch for my part of its journey with such accomplished company, including a great number of world-class athletes, whom I hold in very high regard."

EVENT - UFC 83: Serra vs. St. Pierre II

On April 19th, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will invade Montreal, Quebec's Bell Centre for UFC 83 "Serra vs. St. Pierre." This will be the first time the UFC has ever raised the octagon on Canadian soil.

It all began back at UFC 69, the odds seemed insurmountable for the challenger, his goal seemed unattainable to most MMA fans. The challenge, defeat the current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and capture the belt, this is what the challenger Matt "The Terror" Serra was facing.

At the time St. Pierre was at the top of the 170-pound division, and among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He had taken out Matt Hughes, - the most dominant welterweight fighter ever - BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, and Frank Trigg just to name a few. St. Pierre was the overwhelming favorite to win against Serra.

Serra had other ideas however, he didn't just show up to be an easy mandatory title defense for St. Pierre. Serra came to win, and that's precisely what he did, beating the champ by TKO at 3:25 of the very first round. Creating by far the biggest upset of 2007.

One year later and the pair are set to dance again, this time from St. Pierre's home turf of Canada at UFC 83. St. Pierre is coming off two back to back wins over Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck and has regained his status of being the top welterweight, belt or no belt. Serra holds the title but has spent the last year on the sidelines due to injury. Once again Serra is looked at by most as just the fall-guy for St. Pierre's return to championship standing.

Can Matt Serra shock the world once again, or will it play out as most expect it too, with Georges St. Pierre regaining the belt?

- UFC 83 FIGHT CARD -

Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre

Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter

Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes

Charles McCarthy vs. Michael Bisping

Mac Danzig vs. Mark Bocek

Joe Doerksen vs. Jason MacDonald

Jason Day vs. Alan Belcher

Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia

Rich Clementi vs. Sam Stout

Brad Morris vs. Cain Velasquez

Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Jonathan Goulet

RESULTS - IFL Live From Jersey

The International Fight League (IFL) brought some action packed MMA action to the 5,131 fans who showed up at East Rutherford, New Jersey's Izod Center last night. The stacked fight card featured three big championship fights, all of which ended by either KO or TKO.

IFL Light Heavyweight Champion Vladimir Matyushenko really had his hands full with challenger, and local favorite, Jamal Patterson. Patterson, the Renzo Gracie trained fighter, came out strong in the first round, shocking everyone in attendance by wobbling Matyushenko early in their fight. Patterson's strikes were causing the champ to cover up frequently in the first round and in dramatic fashion he closed out the round with Matyushenko caught in a guillotine choke. Matyushenko came out for round two a different fighter, taking Patterson down, trapping an arm and making him pay with shot after shot, until the referee had no choice but to call a halt to the contest.

In other action, IFL Welterweight Champion Jay Hieron made quick work in defending his title against Mark Miller. Hieron threw a well-timed counter right hook that set up a single-leg takedown. Once on the canvas he wasted no time in pounding Miller out until the referee stepped in after only 2:10 of the first round.

"It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy because I trained for 10 weeks for this fight," Hieron said. "Twice a day, hours spent in the gym. … Hard work pays off, and it paid off tonight."

Wagnney Fabiano also successfully defended his 145-pound featherweight title by knocking out Shad Lierely. Fabiano is most known for his solid submission game, but now the MMA world knows the Brazilian can also knock his opponents into unconsciousness. After delivering a few solid leg kicks, Fabiano had Lierely moving in reverse and caught him on the chin with a vicious right hand that sent Lierely crashing to the canvas with his body seized up.

"People think I'm just a jiu-jitsu fighter," Fabiano said. "Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan."

A good night of MMA action and a triumphant return for MMA's first team fighting organization.

- IFL RESULTS -

Vladimir Matyushenko def. Jamal Patterson by TKO (Strikes) at 3:35 of R2

Wagnney Fabiano def. Shad Lierley by KO at 0:37 at R1

Jay Hieron def. Mark Miller by TKO (Strikes) at 2:10 of R1

Alex Schoenauer def. Brendan Barrett by Decision (Split)

Chris Horodecki def. Nate Lamotte by Decision (Unanimous)

LC Davis def. Rafael Dias by KO at 3:56 of R3

Emyr Bussade def. Jesse Lennox by Submission (Kneebar) at 1:25 of R2

Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Carmello Marrera end in No Contest

Jim Miller def. Bart Palaszewski by Decision (Unanimous)

Brad Blackburn def. Delson Heleno by KO at 1:50 of R3

COMMENTARY - The Blood From the Battles

I read a neat little article today written by Dr. Margaret Goodman about the cuts and blood loss that can occur during a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) match. Dr. Goodman is a former Nevada State Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board Chairman and chief ringside physician, she offered an upclose insight on the subject and I thought it'd be an interesting article to share.

To read the complete article click here

RESULTS - UFC Fight Night 13

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to Colorado last night for the first time in fifteen years, bringing UFC Fight Night 13 to the Broomfield Events Center. In front of 6,700+ screaming MMA fans at one mile above sea level, Kenny "Kenflo" Florian proved once again why he's worthy of being considered the number-one contender to fight for the UFC lightweight crown, defeating Joe Lauzon by TKO.

The first round was a back and forth battle with Lauzon looking to be the stronger of the two fighters, better controlling the clinch and muscling Florian to the canvas with his takedowns several times. When Florian and Lauzon came out for round two, the scales began to tilt in favor of Florian. Leading off with and landing a good body kick, Florian shot in for his own takedown. Once to the canvas, Florian passed Lauzon's guard (pictured) and secured the mount position and began to unleash nonstop fists, elbows and forearms to Lauzon. All Lauzon could do was cover up, but after several seconds of the brutal onslaught Florian was delivering, referee Herb Dean had to step in and put a halt to the punishment at 3:28 of round two.

"I just want to keep cutting through the layers and find a hole," a jovial Florian said immediately following his triumph. "I was able to just push through, we knew it was going to be a weakness there in Joe."

Another memorable moment of the night happened during the matchup between former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) cast member Nate Diaz and Kurt Pellegrino. Not only did Diaz secure the victory over Pellegrino, but also won the "Tapout of the Night" award and an additional $20,000 for his dramatic and entertaining triangle choke submission. That win didn't come easy though, as Pellegrino had Diaz battered and bloody at the end of round one. However, Diaz would persevere in round two by sinking in the submission at 3:06.

"I knew I could do it because I train with top fighters like Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez and I just want people to know," Diaz said about his comeback victory from behind.

Overall, a great 3-hour night of UFC fighting...

- UFC FIGHT NIGHT 13 RESULTS -

Kenny Florian def. Joe Lauzon by TKO (Strikes) at 3:28 of R2

Gray Maynard def. Frankie Edgar by Decision (Unanimous)

Thiago Alves def. Karo Parisyan by TKO (Strikes) at 0:34 of R2

Matt Hamill def. Tim Boetsch by TKO (Strikes) at 1:25 of R2

Nate Diaz def. Kurt Pellegrino by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:06 of R2

James Irvin def. Houston Alexander by KO at 0:08 of R1

Josh Neer def. Din Thomas by Decision (Unanimous)

Marcus Aurelio def. Ryan Roberts by Submission (Armbar) at 0:16 of R1

Manny Gamburyan def. Jeff Cox by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:41 of R1

Clay Guida def. Samy Schiavo by TKO (Strikes) at 4:15 of R1

George Sotiropoulos def. Roman Mitichyan by TKO (Strikes) at 2:24 of R2

Anthony Johnson def. Tommy Speer by KO at 0:51 of R1

NEWS - Biggest Fight in WEC History: Faber vs. Pulver

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) has announced the main event for their upcoming June 1st, WEC34 card, which is being held at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Already being billed as "The Biggest Fight in WEC History," Urijah "The California Kid" Faber will defend his WEC World Featherweight Title against Jens "Lil Evil" Pulver.

Urijah Faber (20-1), is among the elite in MMA, consistently ranked amongst the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Capturing the WEC Featherweight Title in March of 2006, Faber has successfully defended that title four times, three of the four bouts ending in the first round. His most recent win came over a very tough Jeff "Big Frog" Curran, showing off his submission skills and choking "The Frog" out in the second round. Being a Sacramento area native, Faber will return home on June 1st to face his toughest test to date in former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver.

Jens "Lil Evil" Pulver (22-8-1) is a true MMA pioneer who is responsible for putting the lighter weight classes on the map. Pulver recently stepped down from the lightweight class within the UFC, to the featherweight class in the WEC. He has never been beaten in eight bouts while fighting at the 145-pound featherweight limit, including a 35 second reverse guillotine choke over Cub Swanson during his WEC debut last December. With his sights now set on Faber, Pulver has a shot a MMA history by becoming one of few fighters to hold titles in different weight classes.

Also that night will be a battle of Mexican warriors, when WEC World Bantamweight Champion Miguel Angel Torres (33-1) defends his belt for the first time against Manny Tapia (10-0-1). Torres captured the WEC Bantamweight Title back in February when he absolutely dominated former champ Chase Beebe, by putting on a masterful display of groundfighting. Torres certainly has experience on his side, with his near decade MMA career and his impressive 33-1 record. However, Tapia will bring his aggressive style and his devastating KO power while attempting to dethrone the new Bantamweight King.

Plus, Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz (3-0) will be making his long awaited WEC debut at 185 lbs. Munoz is a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion, and he is considered one of the top wrestlers to ever enter into the sport of MMA. With an unbeaten record thus far, Munoz has transitioned well to the fighting world and he will be looking to continue on his path of dominance when he steps into the WEC cage.

The remaining bouts have yet to be named, more to come as it becomes available.

EVENT - IFL Live From Jersey

The International Fight League (IFL), the sports first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) team fighting competition, will kick off their 2008 season from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 4th.

The IFL's 2008 season, dubbed "New Blood New Battles," opens up with a solid ten-fight card that includes three big title fights. Defending their IFL Titles that day will be light heavyweight Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko of Belarus, welterweight Jay "The Thoroughbred" Hieron of Las Vegas, and featherweight Wagnney Fabiano of Brazil.

Also returning to the IFL ring after suffering his very first loss to Ryan "The Lion" Schultz last December during the IFL World Grand Prix Finals, will be the young (11-1) IFL Superstar, Chris "The Polish Hammer" Holodecki. The 20 year old phenom from Ontario, Canada, who fights under the tutelage of Shawn Tompkins of Team Tompkins is looking to return to his dominant status within the IFL by going for a win over (6-2) Nate Lamotte in a lightweight bout.

In other scheduled action, "Bad" Brad Blackburn (11-9-1) of Olympia, WA will be going up against the very dangerous (13-4) Gracie trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu submission expert, Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno in a welterweight contest.

- IFL FIGHT CARD -

Jay Hieron vs. Mark Miller

Wagnney Fabiano vs. Shad Lierley

Jamal Patterson vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Bart Palaszewski vs. Jim Miller

Brad Blackburn vs. Delson Heleno

Rafael Dias vs. LC Davis

Emyr Bussade vs. Jesse Lennox

Carmelo Marrero vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz

Nate Lamotte vs. Chris Horodecki

Alex Schoenauer vs. Brendan Barrett

RESULTS - WEC 33 Marshall vs. Stann

I'm a little behind schedule in bringing the results from the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) event that took place March 26th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Unfortunantly I've been under the weather, but couldn't resist sharing the story of "Marshall vs. Stann."

The nights main event for WEC 33 was a 205-pound light heavyweight title fight between current WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Doug "The Rhino" Marshall and U.S. Marine Corps Captain, Brian "All American" Stann.

Marshall came into the fight with a 7-2 record and trains out of Visalia Fight Club in California. Stann, the challenger stepped into the cage sporting an undefeated 5-0 record and trains with Team Quest.

Marshall is coming off an armbar submission victory over Ariel Gandulla in only 0:55 of the first round during WEC 31. Stann dominated Jeremiah Billington by way of a TKO in 3:07 of the first round during WEC 30.

Stann always comes to fight and is known for his strong heavy-handed striking, this would be the toughest challenger "The Rhino" had faced. Both fights have limited experience in a solid ground game but I didn't expect this fight to be much of a grappling match.

After the sounding of the opening bell, both fighters move to the center of the cage and begin launching their bombs, Stann's in the form of fists, Marshall seeming to favor kicks. Marshall manages to get Stann into a Thai clinch, but Stann manages to avoid damage while working on the champ's body. They separate and Marshall starts unloading some big shots before getting caught with a solid left hook from Stann that puts him to the canvas and on his back. Referee Herb Dean lets it go just a little bit longer, but Stann follows Marshall down looking to do more damage and Dean stepped in to halt the bout at 1:35 of Round 1. Giving the WEC a new Light Heavyweight Champion, Brian "All American" Stann

- WEC 33 RESULTS -
Brian Stan beats Doug Marshall by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 1:35 of R1
Chael Sonnen beats Bryan Baker by Decision (Unanimous)
Marcus Hicks beats Ed Ratcliff by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:42 of R1
Steve Cantwell beats Tim McKenzie by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:13 of R1
Hiromitsu Miura beats Blas Avena by TKO (Strikes) at 2:35 of R1
Brock Larson beats John Alessio by DQ (Illegal Knee) at 1:50 of R1
Rich Crunkilton beats Sergio Gomez by Decision (Unanimous)
Alex Serdyukov beats Ryan Stonitsch by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:35 of R1
Kenji Osawa vs. Chris Manuel ends in a Draw
Logan Clark beats Scott Harper by TKO (Strikes) at 4:37 of R1

RESULTS - Strikeforce: Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le

March 29th - San Jose, California played host to one of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) battles of the year when Strikeforce and Elite XC invaded the HP Pavilion. With 16,326 excited fans in attendance at the HP Pavilion and millions watching on Showtime Premium Television, Frank Shamrock and Cung Le dazzled their hometown fans. Up for grabs, Frank Shamrock's Strikeforce 185-pound World Middleweight Championship.

The co-produced event wasn't without it's fair share of problems though, with several of the originally scheduled combatants not making the final fight card. Jake Shields had to drop out of his Strikeforce 170-pound World Welterweight title fight with UFC Veteran Drew Fickett due to a lower back injury. Nick Diaz, also a UFC veteran, wasn't given clearance to fight by the California State Athletic Commission due to partially incomplete paperwork.

This left Fickett and Jae Suk Lim, a Spirit MC Champion from Seoul Korea without opponents. However, at the last minute both fighters agreed to fight each other in a match that Fickett won by way of a guillotine choke submission at 1:14 of the first round.

But even with the few last minute minor hitches that often can occur, there wasn't a person sitting when the Main Event combatants were announced. Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, two fighter both from San Jose, both fighters wanting the bragging rights of being San Jose's best middleweight fighter.

Frank Shamrock was obviously the most experienced, often touted as "the father of modern MMA", current Strikeforce 185-pound champ as well as former UFC champ and former King of Pancrase.

Cung Le, the undefeated up and comer in the sport who was plucked out of war-torn Vietnam as a child, came to America with his mother looking for a better future. Having conquered the sport of San Shou Kickboxing, he moved on to MMA and had gone 5-0 to this point.

Shamrock had promised to "stand and trade with Le" in earlier pre-fight banter, and that was exactly what he did. The two went toe to toe the entire first round, trading fists and kicks throughout the round, with Le getting the better of the exchanges.

Round two was much of the same, with Cung Le peppering Shamrock with a wide variety of kicks. Though appearing to be losing on the cards, Shamrock remained true to his larger than life persona, often smiling at Le and playing to the audience. Going back to his corner after round two, Shamrock looked beaten up, sporting various welts from the powerful kickboxer.

During round three Shamrock looked to had hurt Le with some hard counter punches to his jaw. Le, quickly backpedaling and all the while taking more shots, looked to be in serious trouble from Shamrock's fists and elbows. Miraculously, Le managed to regain his full facilities and went back to his ruthless onslaught of kicks.

Tagging Shamrock several times with kicks and punches at the closing bell of round three, Le headed back to his corner. Shamrock looking very dazed didn't quite make it back to his stool, falling to his knees half way there in obvious agony. With Shamrock laying on the canvas clutching his right arm, he was unable to make the bell for round four, giving Cung Le the victory by TKO and crowning him the new Strikefore World Middleweight Champion.

Shamrock however got a trip to San Jose's Valley Medical Center for treatment of a broken right arm. It was later determind the injury will require surgery and Shamrock will need to have a plate inserted.

- FULL FIGHT RESULTS -
Cung Le beats Frank Shamrock by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of R3
Billy Evangelista beats Marlon Sims by KO at 0:39 of R3
Drew Fickett beats Jae Suk Lim by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:14 of R1

Gilbert Melendez beats Gabe Lemley by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 2:18 of R2

Wayne Cole beats Mike Kyle by Submission (Armbar) at 0:42 of R1

Joey Villasenor beats Ryan Jensen by KO at 4:45 of R1

Tiki Goshn beats Luke Stewart by Decision (Unanimous)

Darren Uyenoyama beats Anthony Figueroa by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:27 of R1

Jesse Jones beats Jesse Gillespie by TKO at 0:35 of R1

NEWS - Jake Shields Off Strikeforce Card

The March 29th bout between Jake Shields and Drew Fickett originally on the fight card of the co-produced Elite XC & Strikeforce event has been postponed due to injury.

The ranked welterweight withdrew from his title fight on Tuesday morning after his father and manager, Jack Shields, determined that an injury to his lower back could greatly affect the San Franciscan's performance.

"I kept going back and forth thinking I could tough it out and get through it hurt," said Shields, who told Sherdog.com the injury occurred last week as he performed cardio drills with a heavy hammer. "I felt maybe when I'm warm and suck it up, it wouldn't hurt during the fight. I thought I could ignore it. But my dad was worried I'd throw it out bad doing that."

Bed ridden for several days, Shields, 29, said the injury improved to the point where he could walk on his own, but "can't quite workout."

EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw told Sherdog.com that Fickett (32-5) would likely be moved to the undercard. According to Fickett's manager, Bryan Hamper of XR Fighting Management, event promoters are in the process of looking for a licensed opponent to fight the 28-year-old Arizona-based UFC veteran.

Presuming he wins, Fickett will meet Shields June 14 in Honolulu, Hawaii, EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw told Sherdog.com. The Showtime-televised card will also feature a 160-pound title fight between champion KJ Noons and Yves Edwards, which was rumored to appear May 31 on CBS. Kala Kolohe Hose is also slated to appear on the card.

NEWS - Hardcore Championship Fighting Sold

With Saturday night's "Crow's Nest" card fast approaching, Hardcore Championship Fighting (HCF) CEO Keith Crawford told Sherdog.com that his organization has been purchased.

The new owner, whom Crawford declined to identify, will soon be broadcasting HCF events on a digital channel available to North America and parts of Europe, he said.

The official announcement, including the name of the buyer, will be made at a news conference to be held between this weekend's event in Gatineau, Quebec, and the May 10 card in Calgary.

"This announcement is the culmination of 10 years of hard work in combative sports, and I couldn't be more excited," Crawford said. "What it's going to do, I feel, is to put us right at number two with everybody else. Obviously the UFC is number one, and I believe that Elite XC, Strikeforce and ourselves are going to be number two when we make the announcement as to who has purchased us."

See the complete article at Sherdog

EVENT - UFC Fight Night 13

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be returning to Colorado on April 2nd for the first time in 15 years, since UFC 1 & UFC 2. Colorado played host to the UFC's inaugural event, as well as UFC 2, which were both held in Denver.

This time the UFC returns in front of a sold-out crowd with UFC Fight Night 13, from the Broomfield Events Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The special three-hour event will air from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. The Main Event featured will be a battle in the UFC's Lightweight Division between two former "The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF) contestants, Kenny "Kenflo" Florian vs. Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon.

Both Florian and Lauzon are on a three-fight winning streak within the UFC's octagon, and both want to make it four.

Florian undoubtedly possesses the more advanced skills and experience. Where as Lauzon has very good submission skills that are no doubt even stronger since his last fight, as he has been training daily with one of the UFC's best submission guys, BJ Penn.

Lauzon isn't really known for his striking ability, even though he was able to KO Jens Pulver with a well placed punch. However, we haven't seen him do that again since. Florian, by contrast, is a very efficient striker and trains under Mark DellaGrotte. His Muay Thai elbow strikes have been devastating, often ending fights with brutal elbows that cause nasty cuts.

On paper, Lauzon should get his first UFC loss on April 2. Then again, he was supposed to get his first UFC loss 18 months years ago when he faced Pulver. He shocked everyone that night, will he do it again?

In addition to the featured main event, UFC Fight Night also includes a battle of top UFC welterweight contenders, Karo Parisyan (25-4) and Thiago Alves (18-4). Parisyan, fighting out of North Hollywood, CA, has won seven of his last eight UFC bouts including a recent unanimous decision over the dangerous Japanese fighter Ryo Chonan at UFC 78 last November. A victory for Parisyan would draw him closer to a title shot and a potential rematch with either Matt Serra or Georges St-Pierre. Hard-hitting Brazilian native Alves is also among the best welterweight fighters in the UFC, winning six of his last seven fights including a hard-fought victory against Chris “Lights Out” Lytle at UFC 78.

- UFC FIGHT NIGHT 13 FIGHT CARD -

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon

Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan

Matt Hamill vs. Tim Boetsch

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Nate Diaz

James Irvin vs. Houston Alexander

Gray Maynard vs. Frank Edgar

Josh Neer vs. Din Thomas

Ryan Roberts vs. Marcus Aurelio

Jeff Cox vs. Manny Gamburyan

Samy Schiavo vs. Clay Guida

Roman Mitichyan vs. George Sotiropoulos

Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer

RESULTS - Elite XC: ShoXC's Elite Challenger Series

The Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California played host to Friday nights EliteXC produced, ShoXC Elite Challenger Series on Showtime premium television. The night ended very much reminiscent of the matchup between Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie at EliteXC Destiny back in February of 2007, when Shamrock was disqualified due to illegal strikes (knees) to the back of Gracie's head.

Fast forward to last nights main even between Thomas "Wildman" Denny and the Muay Thai Lumpinee champion, Malaipet. Once again the main event ends prematurely when after being completely dominated from the sound of the opening bell, Malaipet delivered three illegal elbow strikes to the back of Denny's head, ending the fight by disqualification.

Denny was well on his way to winning the bout, coming straight at the Muay Thai master and setting up a takedown with a series of quick strikes. Denny utilized a very smart game-plan, taking Malaipet off his feet and onto the canvas.

Once there, Denny managed to take the back of Malaipet and sunk in what appeared to be a deep rear naked choke. Malaipet refused to tap out and miraculously managed to escape. Denny scrambled for position, ending up in full-mount. Malaipet's lack of a solid ground game was clearly evident, as Denny slapped on another submission attempt, this time an arm-triangle choke.

Once again though, Malaipet would not surrender and escaped the submission yet again. Abandoning the submission game, Denny began his ground-and-pound with a barrage of elbows from the mount (pictured below). Malaipet received some pretty heavy damage to the face but managed to escape and get back to his feet.

As Denny shot in for another takedown, Malaipet unleashed three vicious elbow strikes to the back of Denny's head. Referee Herb Dean immediately stepped in to protect the obviously hurt Denny, who immediately dropped to the canvas.

The cage-side doctor was called in and after a brief delay, Denny told the doctor that "he could not continue to fight effectively." The fight was halted at 4:51 of the first round, giving Thomas Denny the win by way of disqualification.

- SHOXC RESULTS -
Thomas Denny defeats Malaipet by Disqualification (Illegal Strikes) at 4:51 of R1
Conor Heun defeats Marlon Mathias by Decision (Unanimous)
Jaime Fletcher defeats Aaron Rosa by Decision (Unanimous)
Shane Del Rosario defeats Analu Brash by TKO (Strikes) at 3:18 of R1
Mark Oshiro defeats Chris Cariaso by TKO (Strikes) at 2:38 of R1
Brandon Tarn defeats Jason Williams by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:05 of R2
Devin Howard defeats Mark Kempthorne by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:53 of R1
Lyle Beerbohm defeats Vince Guzman by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:26 of R2
Kenny Johnson defeats Michael Penafiel by Decision (Unanimous)
Steve Gable defeats Eric Jones by TKO (Strikes) at 2:47 of R1

NEWS - EliteXC & CBS Announce "Saturday Night Fights"

LOS ANGELES, March 20 — CBS and ProElite, Inc. today announced that the first live primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast Saturday, May 31 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

"We're excited to introduce broadcast television viewers to America's fastest growing sport with this prime time event," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime. "EliteXC is putting together a lineup card that showcases the unique personalities, world-class athleticism, and raw power and emotion that characterizes mixed martial arts.

"Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler will put his title on the line against Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith in a middleweight championship bout. EliteXC heavyweight phenom, Kimbo Slice, will also participate in the May 31 event along with other stars from mixed martial arts. Additional matchups will be announced at a later date.

"I am very happy for the highly trained fighters, who will finally get the kind of exposure they deserve, and, of course, the viewers, who will get the opportunity to learn that MMA is truly a sport that requires an abundance of skills, both mentally and physically," said Gary Shaw, EliteXC Live Events President.

CBS and ProElite, Inc., a Los Angeles-based leading entertainment and media company that produces world class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, announced last month they were teaming up to bring MMA to a major broadcast television network for the first time. CBS will broadcast four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite's EliteXC fight division, as two-hour live primetime specials.

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

CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be produced by SHOWTIME Sports. The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

For additional information visit www.proelite.com
Join the "Saturday Night Fights" Group at ProElite.com for Breaking Event Updates

RESULTS - Palace Fighting Championship 7

The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino played host to Thursday's Palace Fighting Championships 7. However, the event didn't go off quite as PFC President Christian Printup had planned.

"The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF) contestant, Richie Hightower failed to show up for the weigh-ins after calling in sick at the last minute. Leaving Printup scrambling to find a last minute replacement for Hightower's opponent, Bryan Travers. The bout originally scheduled between Hightower and Travers was for the 170-pound PFC World Welterweight Title.

Stepping up to take the last minute fight against Travers was Joel Crawford, who has failed to win in his 4-fight MMA career. While Travers was still able to fight on the PFC 7 card, his opportunity at title contention on this night went out the door. But as it's said, "the show must go on."

In the new PFC 7 Main Event, Light Heavyweight Champion Jeremy Freitag stepped in to defend his 205-pound title against Brazillian-born Jorge Oliveira. Oliveira rocked Freitag early in the first stanza, but Freitag was able to recover by clinching up with Oliveira. Throughout the fight Oliveria looked on the verge of stopping Freitag but was unable to close the show. Instead, leaving it in the judges hands and winning by unanimous decision, becoming the proud new owner of the PFC World Light Heavyweight Belt.

In other action, Glover Teixeria stopped the always-tough Buckley Acosta just one minute into their fight. Teixeira, rumored to be on his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), overwhelmed Acosta and finished him by way of a TKO from strikes.

- PFC 7 RESULTS -
Jorge Oliveria defeats Jeremy Freitag by Decision (Unanimous)
Glover Teixeira defeats Buckley Acosta by TKO (Strikes) at 1:00 of Round 1
Jorge Evangelista defeats Enoch Wilson by Decision (Split)
Phil Collins defeats Mike Martinez by Submission (Heel Hook) at 1:16 of Round 1
Ulysses Gomez defeats Greg McDowell by Submission (Real Naked Choke) at 0:41 of Round 1
Jeremiah Metcalf defeats Jimmy Dexter by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:47 of Round 2
David Mitchell defeats Daniel Padilla by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:07 of Round 1
Rafael Real defeats Carlton Jones by Decision (Split)
Bryan Travers defeats Joel Crawford by Submission (Kimura) at 2:50 of Round 1
Manuel Quezada defeats Charles Hodges by KO (Strikes) at 1:02 of Round 1
Danny Castillo defeats Andy Salazar by Submission (Strikes) at 1:24 of Round 1
Brandon Jinnies defeats Robert Breslin by Decision (Unanimous)

EVENT - Strikeforce: Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le

After months of circling around each other, world champions and Bay Area rivals, Frank Shamrock (23-8-1) and undefeated Cung Le (21-0), will finally face off in the cage when Shamrock defends his Strikeforce World Middleweight (185-pound limit) Championship against Le in the main event of an eagerly anticipated EliteXC-Strikeforce co-promoted mixed martial arts extravaganza Saturday, March 29, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Many times we've heard the phrase echoed, "this could be the greatest fight of the year." Well, this time it isn't just hype. "This bout has the potential to be one of the greatest mixed martial arts fights of all-time because of the tremendous skill level of both fighters and the way they match up," as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker stated.

Shamrock, known for his pre-fight verbal barrage, said "being No. 2 isn't such a bad thing so Cung has nothing to be ashamed of. "But there's a big difference between being No. 1 and No. 2,'' Shamrock continued. "Le will find that out soon enough."

Shamrock is one who can usually back up his talk with his fists. At 35, he has cemented himself in the annals of Mixed Martial Arts. In 1997 Shamrock became the first UFC Middleweight Champion by submitting the 1992 Olympic Wrestling Gold Medalist Kevin Jackson with an armbar in a then-record 16 seconds. Probably his most celebrated victory, Shamrock took out Tito Ortiz in one of the greatest MMA battles of all-time.

Shamrock returned from a 3 year retirement on March 10th, 2006 in front of a sold-out record attendance crowd of 18,265 screaming MMA fans at Strikeforce's inaugural MMA show. He took on Cesar Gracie, and in devastating performance decimated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in only 21 seconds.

Shamrock is widely recognized as the father of modern day mixed martial arts, a pioneer of complete fighting who boasts a dangerously versatile skill set, including western boxing, kickboxing and submission wrestling.

Cung Le, also 35, boasts 16 consecutive wins in professional kickboxing. Le also has four K-1 USA "Superfight" victories, an International Kickboxing Federation World 185-pound title, and an unbeaten Mixed Martial Arts record of 5-0.

Le's most recent victory comes over former "The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF) reality show contestant, Sam "The Squeeze" Morgan, with a 3rd round TKO by way of a solid liver kick. Five months prior to that, Le took out Tony "The Freak" Fryklund with yet another 3rd round TKO.

The five-round Shamrock-Le contest will highlight a SHOWTIME telecast that begins at 9 p.m. EST. Featuring a rock solid fight card that also includes a Strikeforce World Lightweight Championship fight between Champion Gilbert Melendez and Gabe Lemley. And in a welterweight contest, Jake Shields will battle Drew Fickett.

- STRIKEFORCE FIGHT CARD -

Frank Shamrock vs. Cung Le

Gilbert Melendez vs. Gabe Lemley

Jake Shields vs. Drew Fickett

Evangelista Santos vs. Joey Villasenor

Nick Diaz vs. Jae Suk Lim

Luke Stewart vs. Tiki Ghosn

EVENT - WEC 33

On Wednesday, March 26th World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) will explode with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. With a solid ten-bout fight card, WEC 33 looks to be an exciting night for MMA fans. The action begins at 9:00pm EST and will be broadcast live on the Versus Network.

WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, Doug "The Rhino" Marshall will defend his title for the third time. This fight will be Marshall's toughest title defense thus far however, as he goes up against the US Marine Corps captain and fast-rising MMA superstar Brian "All-American" Stann.
The decorated Iraqi war vet is unbeaten in five fights and has finished each opponent he's faced, something shared in common with Marshall, who also has never gone the distance in nine fights.

“This fight will not go the distance,” Marshall declared. “When me and Brian step in there, there will be some big bombs thrown. One way or the other, there’s going to be fireworks.”
“I see us touching ‘em up, just getting right after it and doing what we both do best: Drop bombs. And the best man wins. I don’t think it will be too much of a technical fight.”

The 185-pound middleweight title defense and rematch between WEC Champ Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen that was originally on the card has been postponed. Filho chose to withdrawl from the March 26th show after voluntarily checking himself into a rehab center in Brazil on March 13th for a substance abuse problem.

Sonnen will still get his chance to fight, just not for the WEC middleweight belt. Stepping in as Sonnen's opponent will be West Covina, California's Bryan "The Beast" Baker.

Baker (6-0) stormed onto the WEC scene in 2007, stopping UFC vet Jesse Forbes in a single round in September and decisioning Eric Schambari in December. Now he’ll be up against Sonnen (21-9-1), a seasoned veteran who has fought against some of the best the sport has to offer.

Also on the card will be a battle of the unbeaten in the lightweight division, when Ed Ratcliff and Marcus Hicks (both 6-0) go to war to see whose "0" has to go.

Plus a war between two welterweight veterans, as John Alessio (27-11) takes on the tough Minnesota fighter, Brock Larson (21-1). The WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit has submitted both fighters, but the winner of this bout could get another shot at the champ.

- WEC 33 FIGHT CARD -

Doug Marshall vs. Brian Stann

Chael Sonnen vs. Bryan Baker

Ed Ratcliff vs. Marcus Hicks

Steve Cantwell vs. Tim McKenzie

Blas Avena vs. Hiromitsu Miura

John Alessio vs. Brock Larson

Sergio Gomez vs. Richard Crunkilton

Ryan Stonitsch vs. Alex Serdyukov

Chris Manuel vs. Kenji Osawa

Logan Clark vs. TBA

EVENT - Palace Fighting Championship 7

On Thursday, March 20th the Palace Fighting Championship (PFC) will hold their seventh event from the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California.

The PFC World Welterweight Title is currently vacant, but both Richie Hightower and Bryan Travers want to take that crown home Thursday night. “I can’t think of a more compelling fight than Richie Hightower versus Bryan Travers for our vacant welterweight title. Both guys bring varying skill sets, Hightower likes to stay standing and use his kickboxing, clinch and elbows,” PFC President Christian Printup said. “Travers can stand and trade but probably would look for the takedown to utilize his wrestling and jiu-jitsu. It’s a very competitive fight and we’ll be proud to have either guy as our PFC Welterweight Champion.”

You may remember Hightower from the past season of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter" (TUF) reality show, a product of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hightower is also a PFC veteran, defeating Andy Maccarone at PFC 2 by knockout. Hightower’s stoppage of Maccarone in just 33 seconds is considered one of the best KOs in PFC history.

“I know exactly what everybody else knows about Hightower, due to his being on TUF. I’ve seen a lot of film, I even got tape of his fight before going on the show, I think it was PFC 2, so I have a lot to go on getting ready for this fight,” said Travers, who is a former NCAA wrestler and Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight champ.

“We will both have game plans. I think I’m bigger, stronger and skills to better enforce my will during this fight. I think he’s going to try and set the pace but I am going to crank it up even further.”

Knowing Travers wrestling prowess, Hightower has worked in his takedown defense, while continuing to sharpen his already lethal stand-up skills.

“I’m pretty well-rounded. I work on everything. I know he is a wrestler, so I’ve been working on my takedown defense a little more,” Hightower said. “But I’m also comfortable on the ground. I try and be as well-rounded as possible.”

Also on the card is a showdown for the PFC World Light Heavyweight belt, as champ Jeromy Freitag of Sacramento will defend his title for the first time against Brazil’s Jorge Oliveira.

- PFC 7 FIGHT CARD -

Jeromy Freitag vs. Jorge Oliveira

Richie Hightower vs. Bryan Travers

Phil Collins vs. Mike Martinez

Jorge Evangelista vs. Enoch Wilson

Glover Teixeira vs. Buckley Acosta

Carlton Jones vs. Rafael Del Real

Jeremiah Metcalf vs. Jimmy Dexter

Ulysses Gomez vs. Greg McDowell

Daniel Pinedo vs. David Mitchell

Danny Castillo vs. Andy Salazar

Robert Breslin vs. Brandon Jinnies

RESULTS - Icon Sport: To Hell and Back

Icon Sport crowned a new middleweight champion Saturday when Kala Kolohe Hose defeated Phil Baroni by TKO in the fifth round at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Early in the first round Baroni took Hose to the canvas and unleashed a barrage of strikes, stomps, and knees to the grounded Hawaiian. Hose seemed to be in trouble, however he was able to weather the storm and was even able to turn the tables by controlling the later minutes of the round.

By round two it looked as though Baroni had gassed himself by trying for finish Hose in the first round. Throughout the next few rounds it was obvious that Baroni was running on empty, his hands held low, and occasionally bending over to rest both hands on his knees.

In the fifth round it appeared Baroni had caught his second wind, only to be knocked down and pounded out by Hose's strikes at 0:26 into the round.

Also on the night, the 145-pound state title changed hands when Sadhu Bott took out former champion Bronson Pieper by way of armbar submission at 4:41 of the first round.

- ICON SPORT RESULTS -
Kala Kolohe Hose defeats Phil Baroni by TKO (Strikes) at 0:26 of Round 5
Jeremy Williams defeats Auggie Padeken by KO at 2:18 of Round 1
Sadhu Bott defeats Bronson Pieper by Submission (Armbar) at 4:41 of Round 1
Russell Doane defeats Tyson Nam by TKO (Strikes) at 3:51 of Round 1
Koa Ramos defeats Wayne Perrin by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:29 of Round 1
Ross Ebanez defeats Brennan Kamaka by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 0:09 of Round 1
PJ Dean defeats Eddie Rincon by Decision (Unanimous)
Matt Comeau defeats Elias Delos Reyes by TKO (Strikes) at 2:35 of Round 2
Alan Lima defeats David Padilla by Decision (Unanimous)
Dwayne Haney defeats Zach Rapal by Submission (Choke) at 2:27 of Round 1
Ricky Wallace defeats Brandon Pieper by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:37 of Round 1
Jay Bolos defeats Nui Wheeler by Submission (Armbar) at 1:26 of Round 2
Kona Ke defeats Micah Ige by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:45 of Round 1

NEWS - TapouT Named the Official Sponsor of TUF 7

Press release: New York, NY, March 13, 2008 -- The cutting-edge clothing line, TapouT, has officially been named the first-ever exclusive apparel sponsor for "The Ultimate Fighter," Spike TV's longest running and most successful original series. The first six seasons of "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV were seen by 101.1 million viewers (36% of the U.S. population).*

TapouT will receive exclusive apparel integration throughout all 12 episodes of season seven, which premieres on Wednesday, April 2 at 10:00pm ET/PT. The deal also includes signage in the ring and on the walls in the Ultimate Fighting Championship Training Center, where much of the show is taped. TapouT commercials will also run throughout the season of the "The Ultimate Fighter" and in 13 episodes of "UFC Unleashed," a highly-rated weekly series featuring the most thrilling matches in UFC history.

Founder and creator of TapouT, Mask stated, "Hey, we're just an extension of MMA. Hopefully TapouT adds a little fun, hope and excitement. Spike TV and "The Ultimate Fighter" have done so much for the sport that it's an honor to be involved."

Season seven of "The Ultimate Fighter" will feature current UFC light-heavyweight champion, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "The Ultimate Fighter" season one victor and light-heavyweight contender, Forrest Griffin as coaches. During the six-week taping of "The Ultimate Fighter," the sixteen men endure a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition between the fighters continues after they leave the gym and head for the Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors live together, knowing that any day they might be forced to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon™.

TapouT is the brainchild of the Crew's leader, Mask. This decade-old-yet-fresh company operates independently without concern for competition, because they've been at the forefront of Mixed Martial Arts since the very beginning, and boast support from several MMA superstars.

RESULTS - Dream: Heiwa Dream.1

The debut event from the Dream promotion took place Saturday at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Much of the fan focus was on Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic's return to fighting in Japan. The 33 year old Croation fought his last three fights in the UFC's octagon with very limited success, losing two out of the three bouts.

During the Dream press conference Mirko seemed very pleased to be back fighting in Japan, saying "It has been a while since I fought in Saitama, I think they are the best audience in the world!"

However, most anticipated was the opening round of the promotion's Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament and the Main Event between Gesias "JZ" Calvancante and Shinya Aoki. With a gathering of five lightweight fighters, all ranked within the top ten lightweights in the world, I imagine one could almost literally see the excitement in the air.

Unfortunantly though, some of that anticipation and excitement was released when during the first round of the main event "JZ" landed an illegal elbow to the back of Aoki's head, resulting in the bout being ruled a "no contest."

Mirko "CroCop" emerged victorious in his triumphant return to Japan, taking care of the Pancrase fighter, Tatsuya Mizuno in 0:56 of the very first round. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai and Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa also finished off their opponents within the first round.

- DREAM RESULTS -
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Kwan Bun Lee by Submission (Kneebar) at 1:25 of Round 1
Hayato Sakurai defeats Hidetaka Monma by TKO (Strikes) at 4:12 of Round 1
Joachim Hansen defeats Koutetsu Boku by Decision (Unanimous)
Luiz Firmino defeats Kazuyuki Miyata by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 7:37 of Round 1
Katsuhiko Nagata defeats Artur Oumakhanov by Decision (Unanimous)
Mitsuhiro Ishida defeats Jung Bu Kyung by Decision (Unanimous)
Mirko Filipovic defeats Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO (Strikes) at 0:56 of Round 1
Eddie Alvarez defeats Andre Amade by TKO (Strikes) at 6:47 of Round 1
Tatsuya Kawajiri defeats Kultar Gill by Decision (Unanimous)
Gesias Calvancante vs. Shinya Aoki ruled No Contest (Illegal Elbow) at 3:46 of Round 1

EVENT - Hardcore Championship Fighting: Crow's Nest

Canadian based Hardcore Championship Fighting (HCF) has released their fight card for their upcoming March 29th event, "Crow's Nest," taking place at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.

Headlining the twelve-bout card is Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran David "The Crow" Loiseau going up against fellow Canadian Todd Gouwenberg. Loiseau was originally scheduled to face Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, however Santos was terminated from his HCF contract.

“This is due to the fact that Mr. Santos chose to execute a competing contract inside the minimum time period allowed by HCF’s terms for fighters to engage in other events”, said CEO Keith Crawford. “It is with a heavy heart we terminate Cyborg’s contract as he is one of my favorite fighters however we cannot allow fighters to dictate the terms of contracts to us as this can impact the integrity of our events”, said Dave Houshiar, President.

HCF is excited about this new main event. Gouwenberg is coming off a very impressive performance at 205 lbs vs. Antonio Nogueira at HCF: Destiny. Loiseau is fighting in front of the home town crowd and this East vs. West Canadian spin will give both fighters reason to shine.

Rob "Maximus" MacDonald will be going to battle with Hector Ramirez in what is being billed as the "semi-main event." The light heavyweight match up is expected to bring fireworks.

Also on the fight card, Hardcore Championship Fighting female lightweight champion Sarah Kaufman puts her undefeated record on the line against Hawaiian Molly Helsel.

- HCF: CROW'S NEST FIGHT CARD -

David Loiseau vs. Todd Gouwenberg

Rob MacDonald vs. Hector Ramirez

Sarah Kaufman vs. Molly Helsel
Nabil Khatib vs. Gideon Ray
Brent Beauparlant vs. Amir Rahnavardi
Andrew Buckland vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Bill Boland vs. Michal Hamrsmid
Myles Merola vs. Jameel Massouh
Marcus Vinicios vs. Rodrigo Ruas
Dan Grandmaison vs. Nino Schembri
Ben Greer vs. TBA
Len Tam vs. Russell Yip

NEWS - SPIKE TV Releases Info About "The Ultimate Fighter 7"

For the first time in the show’s history, starting with its seventh season, “The Ultimate Fighter” will debut on Spike TV with 32 competitors vying for a shot at a UFC contract. This time each competitor will have to fight to earn his spot on the show.

The first two episodes, airing April 2 and April 9, will include a total of 16 fights, either airing in their entirety or featuring extensive highlights. The 16 fighters who win will advance to The Ultimate Fighter house, while the 16 fighters who lose will go home.

“The new format will give us two incredibly intense episodes to launch the season and will weed out some of the guys who might not have the heart and desire that it takes to become a UFC fighter,” said UFC president Dana White about the new season.

The coaches for the final 16 middleweight fighters will be current light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and his next opponent, Ultimate Fighter alumnus Forrest Griffin.

The list of fighters vying for a spot on the seventh season, as released by Dave Meltzer of Yahoo Sports, is as follows: Paul Bradley, Steve Byrnes, Mike Dolce, Gerald Harris, Dante Rivera, David Baggett, Matt Brown, Erik Charles, John Clarke, Daniel Cramer, Tim Credeur, Clarence Dollaway, John Hall, Nick Klein, David Mewborn, Mike Marrello, Jeremy May, Prince LaDonas Mclean, Aaron Meisner, Reggie Orr, Matthew Riddle, Jeremiah Riggs, David Roberts, Nick Rossborough, Amir Sadollah, Patrick Schultz, Brandon Sene, Dan Simmler, Jesse Taylor, Cale Yarbrough, John Wood, and Luke Zachrich.

Originally posted at MMAWeekly

EVENT - Elite XC: ShoXC's Elite Challenger Series

On Friday, March 21st, Malaipet MTA will return to ShoXC's Elite Challenger Series to face his toughest opponent to date in Thomas "Wildman" Denny. Malaipet, the Thailand native, now fighting out of Upland, California has won his last three bouts. The popular, very charismatic Malaipet will be making his MMA main event debut in a fight that will headline a five-bout ShoXC telecast on SHOWTIME premium television that begins at 11pm ET/PT. Taking place at the Chumash Casino and Resort in Santa Ynez, California, it will be the fifth ShoXC Elite Challenger Series event.

In his debut for EliteXC's showcase for up-and-coming fighters "ShoXC", Malaipet showcased his amazing striking skills as he decimated the Hawaiian fighter Kaleo Kwan en route to winning a three-round standup war by unanimous decision back in October of 2007.

Malaipet, a Muay Thai Lumpinee champion, whose given name is Monkhon WiWasuk, was born in a jungle region of Thailand and grew up living in a wooden hut on his family's rice and potato farm with his mother, father, four brothers and sister. With no electricity, the family relied on their pet elephant for an alarm clock.

Malaipet's family was dealt a tragic blow when his mother passed away when he was only six years of age. The land and farm, which had come from his mother's side of the family, reverted back to that side of the family. Malaipet's father rented a smaller plot of land and began planting, but their standard of living reduced drastically.

To help earn money for their family, Malaipet began Muay Thai fighting. At the age of eight, he earned about a dollar to fight in a small Muay Thai show at a temple near his hometown of Gajapuri.

At the age of 11, he moved to Bangkok where he experienced modern civilization for the first time and immersed himself in Thai boxing. From the age of 12-15, he had no contact with his family. "I was homesick, hungry and cried a lot", Malaipet said. But he stuck with his aspirations to be a fighter, and the decision has paid off for him.

When Malaipet came to the US in 2001 he didn't speak any English, but quickly learned the language by reading childrens' books. He would go on to teach Muay Thai at Combative Arts Academy in Beverly Hills and currently teaches at Team Diamond martial arts in Upland. "I started watching MMA when I got to the US and liked what I saw," he said. "I am still learning but I think I have what it takes to make it in MMA."

Thomas Denny was born in Huntington Beach but fights out of Hesperia, California and has won three out of his last four fights. The 5' 10" former King of the Cage champion recently signed with EliteXC and has fought the likes of Joe Stevenson, Duane Ludwig, and Yves Edwards. A colorful fighter, known for his wild hair styles, Denny specializes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wresting, and Muay Thai kickboxing. Denny says "he likes to bring the pain, make his opponent suffer."

Look for Denny to attempt to take down Malaipet, something Kwan failed to do until the final round. "Malaipet is untested on the ground, and I'm going to test him," Denny said.

With a ten bout fight card (five televised on SHOWTIME and five non-televised), this fifth ShoXC event should be a good one.

- ShoXC FIGHT CARD -

Malaipet vs. Thomas Denny

Marlon Matias vs. Conor Huen

Cristiane Cyborg vs. Jennifer Case

Shane DelRosario vs. Analu Brash

Mark Oshiro vs. Chris Cariaso

- NON TELEVISED BOUTS -

Karen Darabedyn vs. TBA

Devin Howard vs. Mark Kempthorne

Amadeo Viola vs. Jason Williams

Luke Riddering vs. TBA
Kenny Johnson vs. TBA