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