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

EVENT - Icon Sport: To Hell and Back

Saturday, March 15th, Icon Sport will be holding their next event entitled "To Hell and Back" at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. This event holds significant importance, as a new Icon Sport World Middleweight Champion will be crowned.

On February 9th, "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler was stripped of his Icon Sport middleweight title by Icon Sport President T. Jay Thompson after months of setbacks and postponements due to Lawler's injuries. "We had a very rough year in 2007", said Thompson. "It's with great seriousness and lots of thought that Icon Sport has taken the unprecedented action of stripping Robbie Lawler of his Icon Sport world middleweight title."

Stepping in to battle for the now vacant title are two very powerful strikers, Hawaii's Kala Kolohe Hose and Phil "The NY Badass" Baroni. Hose had been ready to battle Lawler for the title on two seperate occasions, June and December of '07. However, both fights were canceled due to Lawler's injuries.

"We had to bring in a fighter worthy of this belt," Thompson said. "We also had to bring in someone physically worthy, and I think someone that brings the honor and respect to the sport that belongs, and someone that really has the drive for greatness. Also, we want someone who's exciting that will push Kala Kolohe to his limit." Phil Baroni was chosen to be that fighter.

Both Baroni and Hose are "tuck the chin, and swing for the fences" type fighters. You're certainly not going to want to blink during this explosive bout.

Bronson Pieper will also be onhand to defend his 145-pound state title against Sadhu Bott. With other noteable fighters like Tyson Nam, Ross Ebanez, Brennan Kamaka, and Eddie Rincon, the "To Hell and Back" fightcard looks to be a great night of MMA action.

- ICON SPORT FIGHT CARD -

Phil Baroni vs. Kala Kolohe Hose

Auggie Padeken vs. Jeremy Williams

Bronson Pieper vs. Sadhu Bott

Tyson Nam vs. Russell Doane

Wayne Perrin III vs. Koa Ramos

Brennan Kamaka vs. Ross Ebanez

Eddie Rincon vs. PJ Dean

Matt Comeau vs. Elias Delos Reyes

Alan Lima vs. David Padilla

Zack Rapal vs. Dwayne Haney

Nui Wheeler vs. Jay Bolos

RESULTS - Cage Rage 25: Bring It On!

Robert "Buzz" Berry (pictured) shocked the mixed martial arts world last night by knocking out MMA legend Ken Shamrock in the first round at last nights Cage Rage show in London.

Berry began the round with some very hard leg kicks along with a stiff, persistent jab that kept the UFC Hall of Famer at bay. Shamrock, however, didn't seem to be too troubled. He continued to press forward, throwing a flurry of punches that gave him a chance to get inside. Berry would have none of that, using his 20-pound weight advantage and muscling out of the clinch.

At about the three minute mark, Berry began to have some success with his standup. A barrage of punches sent Shamrock crashing to the floor as referee Grant Waterman rushed in to put a halt to the bout at 3:26.

In the supporting bout of the evening, Masakazu Imanari defended his Cage Rage featherweight title by defeating the Brazilian, Jean Silva with a vicious inside heel hook submission at 2:30 of the very first round. After taking Silva down, the Japanese fighter transitioned from submission to submission, keeping Silva in constant defensive posture. Once Imanari locked in the heel hook, all Silva could do was tap in agony.

Overall, I'd say that Cage Rage 25 was a very good night of exciting mixed martial arts action!

- CAGE RAGE 25 RESULTS -
Robert Berry defeats Ken Shamrock by KO at 3:26 of Round 1
Masakazu Imanari defeats Jean Silva by Submission (Heel Hook) at 2:30 of Round 1
Rob Broughton defeats Neil Grove by Decision (Majority)
Tom Watson defeats Pierre Guillet by KO at 2:05 of Round 1
Mustapha Al-Turk defeats Gary Turner by Submission (Strikes) at 3:19 of Round 1
Ivan Serati defeats Roman Webber by KO at 0:48 of Round 1
Henrique Santana defeats Michael Johnson by Decision (Unanimous)
Aisling Daly defeats Aysen Berik by TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 1:49 of Round 1
Giorgio Andrews defeats Ryan Shamrock by TKO (Broken Hand) at 5:00 of Round 1
John Hathaway defeats Marvin Arnold Bleau by TKO (Strikes) at 1:32 of Round 1
John Phillips defeats Jake Bostwick by TKO (Ref stoppage from strikes) at 4:10 of Round 1

EVENT UPDATE - Dream: Heiwa Dream.1

Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) has added four more fights to it's March 15th debut of "Dream", taking place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Three of the four bouts will be additions to the 154 pound lightweight grand prix, including Mitsuhiro Ishida vs. Bu Kyung Jung; Katsuhiko Nagata vs. Artur Oumakhanov; and Andre Amade vs. Eddie Alvarez.

Even though Mitsuhiro Ishida had only one bout in 2007, that bout was a big one. Besting Gilbert Melendez in a unanimous decision win at Yarennoka last New Year's Eve. South Korea's Bu Kyung Jung took home a silver medal in judo at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Jung also fought in the Yarennoka event, having his MMA debut against Shinya Aoki and losing by decision, but nearly submitting Aoki twice.

Another Sydney Games silver medalist, Katsuhiko Nagata hasn't fought since July 16th's K-1 Hero's tournament, in which Caol Uno defeated him by unanimous decision. His Russian opponent, Artur Oumalhanov, was knocked out by Shoji in a effort to win the vacant lightweight King of Pancrase title. Andre Amade was the runner-up of last year's K-1 Hero's tournament, defeating Caol Uno and advancing, only to lose to Gesias "JZ" Calvancante. Eddie Alvarez, who actually started his MMA career as a welterweight, had a big win against Ross Ebanez at January's Elite XC event.

Also announced, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai will take on Hidetaka Monma in a non-tournament bout at 168 pounds. Sakurai's last fight was an overwhelming unanimous decision win over Hidehiko Hasegawa, DEEP's welterweight king. And also scheduled, but without decided upon opponents, Mirko CroCop and Ikuhisa Minowa will also be doing battle at Dream.

More to follow as it develops...

FIGHTER PROFILE: Kazushi Sakuraba

He's known as "The Gracie Hunter", and for good reason. Kazushi Sakuraba has defeated more members of the famed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie family than anyone else in the history of mixed martial arts. This, combined with a very respectable record (23-9-1) has brought him great fame and respect within the sport. Having fought all around the world and on the biggest stages in MMA such as the UFC and K-1, he is known most from his long run in PRIDE.

Born in Akita, Japan on July 14th 1969, Sakuraba began wrestling early in high school and continued during his years in college. In 1992 Sakuraba put the amateur ranks of wrestling behind when he joined up with the Japan based "Union of Wrestling Force International" (UWFI). He also had a short stint with the rival wrestling organization "New Japan Pro Wrestling" at a time when it and the UWFI were feuding. Not long after the UWFI ended, Sakuraba joined most of the other former UWFI fighters in forming "Kingdom." But when that too collapsed after only one year, Sakuraba joined forces with Nobuhiko Takada and Naoki Sano in creating a stable of fighters called "Takada Dojo", with a goal of focusing on mixed martial arts events.

Sakuraba would make his official MMA debut on December 21, 1997 at UFC's Ultimate Japan 1, and would face former Extreme Fighting Champion Marcus Silveira. However the match ended prematurely when the referee mistook a single-leg takedown by Sakuraba as a knockout. The fight was ruled a no-contest and a rematch was scheduled for that very same night. In the rematch Sakuraba earned the victory with a submission by armbar. This would be the one and only time Kazushi Sakuraba would enter the UFC's octagon.

On March 15th, 1998 Sakuraba would make his first appearance in what would be a long and fruitful career within the PRIDE Fighting Championship organization when he faced Vernon "Tiger" White at PRIDE 2. Once again winning the bout by armbar submission. Over the next two years Sakuraba would have eight more fights within PRIDE before receiving his first loss, beating notable fighters like Carlos Newton, Vitor Belfort, Royler Gracie, Guy Mezger, and Royce Gracie. Sakurabas' first loss would come at the hands of Igor Vovchanchyn at the 2000 PRIDE Grand Prix Finals. He would rebound three months later by defeating his third Gracie, when during PRIDE 10 he submitted Renzo Gracie by Kimura. Just four months later he would add yet another Gracie to his resume, taking Ryan Gracie by unanimous decision at PRIDE 12.

At the time this was absolutely unheard off, the Gracie family was legendry. Having created their own style of fighting known as "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu", the Gracies created a fighting challenge known simply as "The Gracie Challenge." It was an open call to all fighters of any style to test their skills against Gracie Jiu Jitsu in a practically rule-less environment. Eventually this would evolve when Rorion Gracie turned it into the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in 1993. When Sakuraba defeated Royler Gracie during PRIDE 8 the fight-world was shocked, as no man had defeated a Gracie in an actual legitimate match (Royce had one previous loss but only because he couldn't begin the match) in over five decades.

Kazushi Sakuraba had twenty-seven fights while in PRIDE, his last being a win against Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa during PRIDE Shockwave 2005 on December 31st, 2005. Since then Sakuraba has been fighting in the "K-1" organization and has continued to do well, losing only once in six fights. At nearly 40 years old, Sakuraba continues to fight with strength, honor, and courage. With any luck MMA fans will continue to enjoy his fighting spirit for years to come.

NEWS - Fedor's Free Agency Fallout

Confirmation Thursday of a rumor that circulated for weeks has made Fedor Emelianenko (Pictured) the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial arts … again. The move by Emelianenko, first reported by ESPN, immediately rekindled talk of the Russian heavyweight fighting in the UFC, perhaps even against Randy Couture.

Apy Echteld, who was hired as part of the European branch of M-1 Global and is a longtime manager of the 31-year-old Russian, told ESPN's Ryan Hockensmith that Emelianenko would be willing to restart contract negotiations with the UFC once the "divorce" is finalized.

M-1 CEO Monte Cox declined to comment on Thursday's news report, however he told Sherdog.com that M-1 and Emelianenko continue to share a "working relationship." The question, then, is for how long? According to one source that asked not to be identified, M-1 will likely expect Emelianenko to return a $1.5 million signing bonus he was paid last September. Negotiations should be finalized by Tuesday of next week, the same source said. A free-agent Emelianenko could benefit from a deeper, more competitive bidding pool.

Newly minted with a historic TV deal from CBS, EliteXC would be "absolutely interested in Fedor if he was a free agent," Jeremy Lappen, the company's head of fighter operations, told Sherdog.com. "Of course, we're very friendly with Monte and have a close relationship with M-1 and would never step on their toes."

Mark Cuban, who has quickly turned HDNet into a desired premium-television destination for MMA fans, tempered expectations, telling Sherdog.com he doesn't plan on simply outspending competitors in an effort to sign the heavyweight. "We always want to work with the best in the world," Cuban responded via e-mail. "That said, we aren't in the business of bidding wars. We are in the business of developing, promoting and supporting fighters and their careers and partnering with any and all who can help us accomplish that."

World Victory Road and Dream -- Japanese promoters attempting to establish themselves in Pride's wake -- could be Emelianenko suitors, though the MMA industry in that part of the world is not as strong as it was during the Russian's heyday.

Wildcard groups, such as the one apparently comprised of Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and clothing apparel company Affliction, which sponsors Emelianenko and Couture, could enter the fray. An Affliction photo shoot featuring the heavyweight pair created quite a stir when shots and video of the fighters standing nose to nose hit the Internet.

Last October the newly formed M-1 Global, led by investor Mitchell Maxwell and Cox, announced at a New York news conference that they had won the war for the wandering Pride heavyweight king. Emelianenko was expected to fight six times for $12 million over a two-year period for M-1. He fought just once since October, a co-promoted bout on New Year's Eve in Japan against an unranked opponent. Meanwhile M-1 has yet to produce its first event.

The Russian explained the decision against signing with the UFC came down largely to his opinion of the company's president. "You cannot start a relationship with someone using those phrases," he said in New York, alluding to White's repeated description of Emelianenko's management as "crazy Russians."

Asked if he remained interested in signing Emelianenko (27-1-0, 1 NC) following a year of failed negotiations and a war of words that resulted in the promoter calling the No. 1-ranked heavyweight a "farce," White told ESPN: "Absolutely, 100 percent, in a heartbeat. People think he's the best -- I don't, not even close. But if it's somehow possible, I would make it happen." "We're open to a discussion," Echteld responded to ESPN after learning of the UFC's potentially malleable position. "If everybody is willing to put a little wine in the water, then we have something to work with. There is space for this to happen." Though Emelianenko's management, led by Vadim Finkelchtein and Echteld, expressed in late July that the UFC offer was extremely lucrative, it was also the most restrictive in terms of likeness rights, exclusivity and other points they did not want their fighter to concede. The UFC chose not to budge either, leading to the creation of M-1 Global and what was thought to be the new home for Emelianenko.

A renegotiation for White would focus on getting Emelianenko in the Octagon across from Couture. While the UFC boss heavily favors "The Natural" in that matchup, the possibility of it taking place -- in the UFC or anywhere else -- is unknown while both sides battle in court over the status of Couture's contract.

After announcing his ill-fated deal with M-1 last fall, Emelianenko called Couture's challenge of the UFC "positive" and said he was "very proud that Couture made such a great decision." It would be ironic if in the end the Russian signed with the UFC as a courtroom-tested Couture somehow freed himself from the most successful organization in MMA. Wherever Fedor settles, fans will demand he fights the best challengers, starting with the 44-year-old former UFC champ.

Courtesy of Sherdog.com

EVENT - Dream: Heiwa Dream.1

On March 15th the MMA World will play host to another debut event from the brand new promotion "Dream." Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) will co-promote the event, entitled "Heiwa Dream.1", the 1st round of a lightweight grand prix. The completed fight card for the event is still in the works but there are already some really solid matchups slated for the night, including Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill, Koutetsu Boku (pictured) vs. Joachim Hansen, and Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Luiz "Buscape" Firmino. For Japanese MMA fans the new Dream promotion is truely a dream come true as many fans are still reeling from the loss of PRIDE Fighting Championships, the company the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bought out and then disbanded.

On New Year's Eve 2007 an alliance between FEG and the former PRIDE staff took place in order to produce the New Year's Eve event "Yarennoka", which was a huge success. "We've wanted to put on a new mixed martial arts event that would continue the great dream alliance of last years New Year's Eve event" said FEG President, Sadaharu Tanikawa. This alliance has lead to the creation of the "Dream" promotion. The inaugural event is being held at former PRIDE home, Saitama Super Arena. More information will follow as it's released.

- DREAM EVENT SCHEDULE -

March 15: Heiwa Dream.1 - Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 1st Round at the Saitama Super Arena

April 29: Olympia Dream.2 - Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 1st Round at the Saitama Super Arena

May 11: Heiwa Dream.3 - Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round at the Saitama Super Arena

June (TBA): Olympia Dream.4 - Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round in either Yokohama Japan or Korea

July 21: Heiwa Dream.5 - Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final at Osaka Castle Hall

September (TBA): Olympia Dream.6 - Middleweight Grand Prix 2008 Final at Saitama Super Arena

RESULTS - World Victory Road: Sengoku

With their inaugural event now in the books, World Victory Road (WVR) has been set into motion and according to Japanese fight fans "Sengoku" was a success. With all fourteen combatants successfully making weight the day before the event, there was a brief fireworks display during the press conference after the fighters weighed in. There was some obvious tension between Kazuyuki Fujita and his opponent Peter Graham and when the two men entered the room Fujita immediately took his seat, refusing to pose with Graham. When Graham was given the podium, he started the smack talk but before the translator finished translating what was said, Fujita cut her off and started his own verbal onslaught. Before Fujita could finish, both fighters were on their feet and going after each other as the other fighters stepped in to separate them. In an effort to add levity to the tense situation, when Josh Barnett took the podium he asked Graham if he wanted to "attack" his opponent, Hidehiko Yoshida, to feel free.
However, the next day the event itself went on without a hitch. The show was very high quality and the production too was good. The only possible complaint could be the somewhat lean fight card of only seven bouts, but with more time before WVR's next event (5/18) that shouldn't be a problem.

- SENGOKU RESULTS -
Nick Thompson defeats Fabricio Monteiro by Decision (Unanimous)
Ryo Kawamura defeats Antonio Braga Neto by Decision (Unanimous)
Evangelista Santos defeats Makoto Takimoto by Submission (Heel Hook) at 4:51 of Round 1
Kazuyuji Fujita defeats Peter Graham by Submission (North/South Choke) at 1:23 of Round 1
Kazuo Misaki defeats Siyar Bahadurzada by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:02 of Round 2
Takanori Gomi defeats Duane Ludwig by TKO (Due to Cut) at 2:28 of Round 1
Josh Barnett defeats Hidehiko Yoshida by Submission (Heel Hook) at 3:23 of Round 3

EVENT - Cage Rage 25: Bring It On!

The London, England based "Cage Rage Championships" will be holding "Cage Rage 25: Bring It On!" live from Wembley Arena on March 8th. Cage Rage has always featured top mixed martial artists from around the world. Once the home of now UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva, arguably todays best pound for pound fighter in the world. Also having done battle in the Cage Rage Arena are Matt "The Law" Lindland, Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, Tony "The Freak" Fryklund, and Vitor Belfort just to name a few. Saturday's fight card is no-less impressive than past cards, with "The Worlds Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock in the main event. If that wasn't enough, spectators will be getting two Shamrocks for the price of one. Ryan Shamrock, the son of Ken Shamrock will also be competing that night. With eleven professional mixed martial arts fights on the night, Cage Rage 25 looks to have the makings for an exciting night.

As an added bonus subscribers of Showtime premium television will have the opportunity to view four of the nights bouts (Ken Shamrock vs. Robert Berry, Jean Silva vs. Masakazu Iminari, Gary Turner vs. Mustapha Al-Turk, and Pierre Guillet vs. Tom Watson) courtesy of Elite XC. In a boxing and mixed martial arts doubleheader Showtime and Elite XC will first feature a World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight championship fight between British boxers Enzo Maccarinelli and David Hayes starting at 9 p.m. ET/PT. This first event will air from the O2 Arena in London and will be followed by the four Cage Rage 25 bouts specified above.

- CAGE RAGE 25 FIGHT CARD -
Ken Shamrock vs. Robert Berry
Jean Silva vs. Masakazu Imanari (featherweight title bout)
Rob Broughton vs. Neil Grove
Pierre Guillet vs. Tom Watson
Gary Turner vs. Mustapha Al-Turk
Ivan Serati vs. Roman Webber
Henrique Santana vs. Michael Johnson
Aysen Berik vs. Aisling Daly (female bout)
Ryan Shamrock vs. Giorgio Andrews
John Hathaway vs. Marvin Arnold Bleau
Jake Bostwick vs. John Phillips

EVENT - World Victory Road: Sengoku

World Victory Road, the Japanese Mixed Martial Arts promotion created in October 2007 and touted as the replacement to the now disbanded PRIDE Fighting Championships will hold it's debut event "Sengoku" on March 5th at the National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The name "Sengoku", was selected from over 10,000 fan suggestions. The name consists of two Chinese characters, "Sen" and "Goku." The first character "Sen" literally translating into "Fight" and the second, "Goku" into "Master." The name suits perfectly with the concept of the event, which World Victory Road CEO Naoya Kinoshita described as "a place for masters of martial arts to show their spirit and pride to compete for the strongest in the world."
With a somewhat lean but solid fight card, Sengoku looks to be a good start for the emerging promotion.

- Sengoku Fight Card -
Josh Barnett vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Takanori Gomi vs. Duane Ludwig
Kazuo Misaki vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Nick Thompson vs. Fabricio Monteiro
Makoto Takimoto vs. Evangelista Santos
Ryo Kawamura vs. Antonio Braga Neto
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Graham

COMMENTARY - Unstoppable Anderson Silva

Saturday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio Anderson "The Spider" Silva defended his 185lb UFC Middleweight Title for the fourth time, submitting Dan Henderson with a rear naked choke at 4:52 of round 2. This battle was to answer any questions as to who is the best middleweight in the world, and without any doubt the question has been answered. To Henderson's credit, the olympic wrestler took the UFC Champion deeper than anyone else has lately. But before 16,431 fans at the sold-out arena the outcome was status quo: another decisive victory for Anderson Silva.
Now for mixed martial arts fans a new question looms - is there anyone that can dethrone the Middleweight King? There will be little who would dispute that Silva is the best middleweight fighter in the world, and few who would dispute that he's probably the best fighter in the world pound for pound. Silva has already beaten the top contenders in his division, first taking the title from then champion Rich Franklin and defeating Franklin again in their rematch. He submitted the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Travis Lutter and TKO'd the very talented Nate Marquardt. Dan Henderson came down from his 205lb light heavyweight weight to face Silva because "who was left to challenge Silva in his division" said UFC President Dana White.
So what remains for Anderson Silva and who is next remains to be seen. Me personally, I'd like to see a title unification bout between UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho. Yeah right...

RESULTS - UFC 82: Pride of a Champion Results

Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, played host to UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion" Saturday night. At around 8:00pm ET the preliminary bouts got underway, with Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson in a 155lb lightweight matchup to kick things off. Next up was a 170lb welterweight matchup between Diego Sanchez and David Bielkheden, followed by another 170lb welterweight bout between Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett. Stepping into the octagon next was Luigi Fioravanti and Luke Cummo in yet another 170lb welterweight battle. Surprising to me, also in the prelim bouts was a heavyweight matchup between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andre Arlovski and undefeated Jake O'Brien to close out the preliminary fights.

As scheduled the main card bouts began at around 10:30pm ET with Jon Fitch and Chris Wilson kicking things off with a 170lb welterweight bout. Then came the return of Evan Tanner, taking on the dangerous Japanese striker Yushin Okami in a 185lb middleweight bout. Up next was Alessio Sakara, facing Chris Leben in a 185lb middleweight contest. In the other heavyweight contest on the night, Cheick Kongo took on "The Texas Crazyhorse" Heath Herring. And finally the highly anticipated battle of two champions, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva and PRIDE Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson. This fight was to answer a burning question - who is the best middleweight fighter in the world?

- RESULTS -
Jorge Gurgel defeats John Halverson by Decision (Unanimous)
Diego Sanchez defeats David Bielkheden by Submission (Strikes from mount) at 4:43 of Round 1
Josh Koscheck defeats Dustin Hazelett by TKO (Ref stoppage from strikes) at 1:24 of Round 2
Luigi Fioravanti defeats Luke Cummo by Decision (Unanimous)
Andre Arlovski defeats Jake O'Brien by TKO (Ref stoppage from strikes) at 4:17 of Round 2
Jon Fitch defeats Chris Wilson by Decision (Unanimous)
Yushin Okami defeats Evan Tanner by KO (Knee) at 3:00 of Round 2
Chris Leben defeats Alessio Sakara by TKO (Ref stoppage from strikes) at 3:16 of Round 1
Heath Herring defeats Cheick Kongo by Decision (Split)
Anderson Silva defeats Dan Henderson by Submission (Rear naked choke) at 4:52 of Round 2

EVENT - UFC 82: Pride of a Champion

Tonight, one of the biggest questions in all of mixed martial arts will be answered - who is the greatest middleweight fighter in the world? UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva will take on PRIDE 185lb. Champion Dan Henderson in a pivotal battle to determine the undisputed king of the middleweights in UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion". Silva has dominated his last 4 UFC opponents, none of which were easy fights at all. Taking then UFC Middleweight Champion Rich "Ace" Frankin out not once but twice, also submitting a Brizilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt in Nate Marquardt. The big question being - who can stop "The Spider?" Dan Henderson believes he's the man for the job, coming down out of the light heavyweight division and entering the UFC's middleweight division to test that theory. Henderson is not one to back down from any challenge, the man held both the 185lb. and the 205lb. PRIDE Titles at the same time. At the end of this night only one champion will remain, who will it be? Also scheduled are:

Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs. Dan Henderson
Cheick Kongo vs. Heath "Texas Crazyhorse" Herring
Josh "Kos" Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett
Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden
Andre Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner
Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson
Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben
Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti

NEWS - MMA in March

The month of March looks to be full of excitement for the mixed martial arts fan. Kicking things off March 1st is UFC 82: "Pride of a Champion" featuring a 185lb. Title bout between MMA's #1 Pound for Pound Champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Dan Henderson. Silva has just walked right through his last 4 UFC opponents, including Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Travis Lutter, and Chris Leben. The big question is, "who can stop this guy"?... Dan Hernderson believes he can and he's moving down from light heavyweight to middleweight to try and prove it.

Then on March 5th is the debut of World Victory Road: "Sengoku" from Japan. With a very solid fight card Sengoku looks to thrill fans with their premiere events. Scheduled to appear that night are Josh Barnett vs. Hidehiko Yoshida, Takanori Gomi vs. Duane Ludwig, Kazuo Misaki vs. Siyar Bahadurzada, Makoto Takimoto vs. Evangelista Santos, Ryo Kawamura vs. Antonio Braga Neto, Fabricio Monteiro vs. Nick Thompson, and Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Graham. This should be a great night of fights for former PRIDE fans.

On March 8th Showtime television will bring the UK based Cage Rage promotion into their subscribers livingrooms with Cage Rage 25: "Bring it On!. Returning to action after a short retirement, Ken Shamrock looks to take out Robert Berry and return to his Hall of Fame winning ways. Also on the card is the son of Ken Shamrock, Ryan Shamrock who will be facing Giorgio Andrews. The card also features a female fight between Aysen Berik (sister of Sami "The Hun" Berik) and Aisling Daly, plus 9 other bouts.

Then on March 15 ICON Sport comes at you with "To Hell and Back", featuring a fight between Phil Baroni and Kala Kolohe Hose for the 185lb. Title. The 185lb. Title was recently relinquished by Robbie Lawler. Also on the card will be Ross Ebanez, Brennan Kamaka, Eddie Rincon, the return of Jeremy Williams and more.

Also on that day will be another debut promotion when FEG and Yarennoka bring "Dream" to Japan. The first installment of the "Dream" promotion entitled "Heiwa Dream" will be the first round of a lightweight Grand Prix. With some great matchups already scheduled, expect some great action between Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill, and Joachim Hansen vs. Koutetsu Boku. More bouts to be scheduled soon.

On March 26th World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) returns with another action-packed night of MMA action. Probably the most anticipated fight of the night being the rematch between champion Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen. Their first match ended in a somewhat controversial referee stoppage, Sonnen being stopped but protesting the stoppage. Live from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas he'll have his chance at redemption. Another highly anticipated fight that night will be between champion Doug "The Rhino" Marshall, as he takes on US Marine Brian "All American" Stann. Both are solid strikers with great standup games, you almost have to predict that someone will be getting knocked out.

And finally, March 29th brings Strikeforce and a very highly anticipated fight between Frank Shamrock and Cung Le. This fight could possibly be one of the fight of the year candidates. Shamrock has such a well rounded style and is comfortable no matter where the fight goes, while Le is known for his "come from anywhere" kicks and an unorthodox but very successful style. This one certainly should be exciting! Also scheduled to appear that night is UFC veteran Drew Fickett, as he takes on the very talented Jake Shields. Look for more info to follow on a great month of matchups.