MMA Hot Stuff

Announcing MMA Socialites

I’m excited to announce the launch of MMA Socialites in partnership with Lani Carwin, wife of UFC Heavyweight contender Shane Carwin. MMA Socialites was created as a way to bring the fans into the lives of MMA fighters and their families, as well as all others deeply involved in this sport, within a community atmosphere. We’ve taken our passion for the sport and the lifestyle we both live, coupled with the stories we’re told, to share with you, the fans. Regardless of the juncture, whether training for the first MMA fight or defending a title, every fighter has a story to tell and we wanted to share them with you.

Our goal is to tell the stories of the fighters outside the cage, and present the side of them that fans rarely see. We’re confident that by showing the fans who these fighters are outside the cage, the more MMA will gain mainstream acceptance and the more the sport will grow. We won’t focus on breaking news, but rather on interviews, event coverage, as well as community meet-ups at events. We’ll bring you into the lives of the fighters, their families, and get the perspective and stories of those non-fighters that still play a key role in the growth of this sport. 

Lani says “I am thrilled to be involved with MMA Socialites, and the launch of the site is so exciting!  The MMA industry is a passion of mine; not only because my husband, Shane Carwin, is a top-notch talent in the UFC, but because the potential for growth and advancement of the sport is incredible. As my knowledge base has grown through the years of my direct exposure, my excitement for the sport has as well. MMA Socialites was born to expose an entire population, a group that has been completely neglected, to something they are just as interested in as I am.  There are so many women that love the sport and crave more knowledge and insight into our industry.  We are here to bring that - to give them a place to bond, gain insight, and attain a whole different perspective that I have no doubt will be so interesting for them.  Thank you to Rachel for all her hard work - and let the ride begin!”

And what a ride it will be. Please come and join the community -www.mmasocialites.com- to stay in the loop on our efforts, also,  follow us on twitter. If there’s a fighter or fighter’s wife you want us to interview just email and let us know. We want to hear from you, the fans!

Dan Henderson Signs with Strikeforce!

NEW YORK (December 7, 2009)–Four-time mixed martial arts (MMA) world champion and two-time United States Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson will enter a new chapter in his legendary career after signing a multi-fight agreement with world championship MMA promotion STRIKEFORCE.  

 

Henderson, the only fighter in history to simultaneously hold two titles in two different weight classes – the welterweight (183 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) crowns - with a major MMA promotion – PRIDE Fighting Championships – will enter the STRIKEFORCE cage after earning “Knockout of the Night” honors with his stunning second round (3:20) KO of Michael “The Count” Bisping at UFC 100 in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2009.

 

“I'm very happy to be a part of STRIKEFORCE and their partnership with CBS and SHOWTIME®,” said the 39-year-old Henderson, who represented The United States in Greco-Roman wrestling in both the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. 

 

“STRIKEFORCE and its growing roster of world class talent will offer me many exciting fights and has the ability to bring many new fans from all around the world to mixed martial arts. I am grateful to (STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO) Scott Coker for the opportunity to help make this happen and for treating me with the utmost respect throughout our negotiations

 

I’d also like to thank Dana (White) and the UFC for the opportunities they provided me and I wish them ongoing success.  I’ll continue to watch their events and I hope they’ll tune in to my fights in STRIKEFORCE.  After all, I’m a true fan of our fantastic sport and would love only to see MMA continue to grow.”

 

“We are excited to welcome Dan Henderson to STRIKEFORCE,” said Coker.  “Dan is one of the world’s premiere fighters who has lived out an extraordinary career.  We are looking forward to having him compete for us.”

 

At both Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State University, Henderson established himself as a force in collegiate wrestling, reaching the NCAA championships in 1993. In 1997, Henderson entered the world of MMA, winning the Brazil Open, a four-man heavyweight tournament.  One year later, he was the victor of the UFC 17 tournament, defeating both Allan Goes and Carlos Newton in the same night on May 15, 1998.

Following a stellar six plus year career with the now-defunct, Japan-based PRIDE Fighting Championships where he conquered a number of all-time greats including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, and Vitor Belfort, Henderson re-entered UFC.  He was selected to serve as coach of Team USA on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, which premiered on Spike TV on April 1, 2009. 

 

STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on premium cable television network SHOWTIME.  The promotion made its live, primetime debut on CBS with the “Fedor vs. Rogers” mega-fight that it co-promoted with M-1 Global on

Saturday, November 7 and generated 5.46 million viewers for the main event between the world’s number one heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, and superstar Brett “The Grim” Rogers.

 

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) 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.”  In May 2008, West Coast

Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

 

UFC & Spike TV Announce Bouts for TUF Finale

UFC® AND SPIKE TV ANNOUNCE TWO EXCITING BOUTS TO BE FEATURED ON “THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER®: HEAVYWEIGHTS” FINALE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

Undefeated Jon Jones Takes On The Ultimate Fighter^® Alum Matt Hamill And Lightweight Contenders Frankie Edgar And Kurt Pellegrino Do Battle

Las Vegas, NV (USA) October 14, 2009 – The live finale of The Ultimate Fighter^®: Heavyweights on Spike TV will include two bouts showcasing four of the UFC’s rising stars.  Emanating from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 9:00 PM ET, the co-features announced today include a light heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Matt Hamill and a lightweight matchup pitting Frankie Edgar against Kurt Pellegrino. 

Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter^® 10 Finale are $500, $350 and $250, plus any additional box office or service fees, and go on-sale Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12pm PT.  Please visit any Ticketmaster location, call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets.

UFC^® Fight Club^™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to The Ultimate Fighter^® 10 Finale Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. PT via the website UFCFIGHTCLUB.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, Oct. 16 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Despite being one of the youngest fighters in the UFC, the 22 year-old Jones has emerged as one of the fastest rising talents in the sport of mixed martial arts.  The Endicott, NY resident has a perfect 9-0 professional record, with his last three victories coming inside the UFC Octagon^™, the most notable of which was a unanimous decision over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94 in January. 

Hamill (8-2) gained national attention as a standout performer on season three of The Ultimate Fighter.  The three-time NCAA wrestling champion with a devastating ground game has won his last two bouts in the UFC, including a knockout of Mark Munoz in the first round of their contest at UFC 96 in March.  This light heavyweight bout will also be a battle for bragging rights in upstate New York, as Hamill trains in Utica.   

Coming off an impressive victory over Sean Sherk at UFC 98 in May, Edgar (10-1) now ranks amongst the top 155 lb fighters in the UFC.  To continue his quest for BJ Penn’s lightweight crown, the Toms River, NJ product must defeat fellow New Jersey resident, Kurt Pellegrino.

The pride of Point Pleasant, NJ, Pellegrino (20-4) is coming off the biggest win of his career, a three-round decision victory over Josh Neer at UFC 101 in August.  His third consecutive win in the Octagon put him in the upper echelon of the 155 lb division, and a victory against Edgar would move him ever-closer to a title shot. 

Other bouts, including the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,” will be announced at a later date.  The two finalists will be competing for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship®. 

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship®

UFC is the largest live pay-per-view provider in the world and the fastest growing main stream sports organization in history.  Owned and operated by Zuffa™, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN Entertainment, BellTV, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, and Viewers Choice. International distributors include WOWOW in Japan, Premiere Combate and SporTV in Brazil, with worldwide distribution via the Internet on UFC.com and Yahoo! Sports.  UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada.  UFC programming is distributed in 132 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 415 million homes worldwide.

 

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa® , The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

Nominations for 2009 World MMA Awards closes on Wednesday

Who do you think was the BreakThrough Fighter of the Year? Best MMA Promotion? 

As a reminder, the nomination stage for the 2009 World MMA Awards closes this Wednesday (tomorrow), Sept. 30. 

The World MMA Awards, which is operated by Fighters Only magazine, is viewed as one of the most prestigious awards for the sport, awarding in 18 different MMA related categories

Nominees will be announced on Oct. 5, and final voting will then run until Dec. 5. Winners will be announced at a Dec. 30 "Oscars-style" black-tie ceremony, which streams live on Versus.com (and throughout January on Versus) from The Joint at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. 

"Response to the World MMA Awards has been huge this year with thousands of fans worldwide taking part," Fighters Only CEO Rob Hewitt recently stated. "Nominations have been very diverse, and ... most of the categories are still wide open." 

The categories range from Fight of the Year to KO and Submission of the Year to Best MMA Brand and best MMA Media Source. MMA equipment manufactures also vie for a variety of categories. 

But before you place your vote I encourage you to take a minute and think about things. What makes someone the Best Fighter of the Year? Is it the number of wins? Is it the most vicious KnockOut? The biggest upset? Or is it because of heart and dedication?

Another category is Best MMA Journalist. I've thought a lot about this one (for obvious reasons). Always keep in mind the best Journalist may not be the one that breaks every 'story'... Sadly, fact checking has taken a back seat more often than not over being the first to the party. And then there are times the stories are known weeks before the story actually gets out but can't be discussed for confidential reasons. I personally take pride in the fact that while I consider many Fighters (UFC, WEC & Strikeforce) my personal friends, a lot of the information I hear I keep to myself. I'm so proud of what my friends have accomplished and there are times I know the information is just best left unsaid or unwritten. I want them to have time to train in private for a fight before it's publicly announced who their next opponent is. Who do you consider to be a Journalist that writes funny or interesting stories? Gives a different perspective than the 12 other sites that covered the same thing the day before.

So now that I've given you something to think about, please hurry and vote. 

Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/MMAHotStuff

Herschel Walker Signs With Strikeforce

I'm not overly surprised by this announced, given the fixture Herschel Walker has become at MMA events lately. And if you recall at the last Strikeforce event in San Jose when asked he said he'd get in there if people wanted him to. Well, apparently he got the message that some people would like to see this. I've been told that Herschel has been training in Martial Arts for years. And while one can argue he's extremely old for the sport, his athletic ability is not of the average man. I wish him the best of luck and I look forward to seeing his first fight. But mostly I look forward to Dana White's response to this news!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

FOOTBALL LEGEND

 

HERSCHEL WALKER SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE MMA

 

NEW YORK (September 21, 2009)--Former NFL and NCAA football superstar Herschel Walker will enter a new chapter in his career as a professional athlete when he makes his debut as a heavyweight in the world's fastest growing sport - mixed martial arts (MMA) - as part of a multi-fight contract he has signed with world championship promotion STRIKEFORCE.

The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Pro Bowl competitor will begin a 12 week training camp next month at San Jose, California's American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), which plays home to a host of the world's greatest fighters, including STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson.  The 6 foot 1 inch, 220 pound former running back, who already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo, will be trained by AKA co-owner and head trainer Bob Cook.

"I've been training for several years.  I would play college football games on Saturday and then compete in martial arts tournaments on Sunday after church I'm now looking forward to opening up another chapter in my life and to competing in MMA," said Walker, who recently was a contestant on the second hit season of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice reality series on NBC.

"I flew to LA last month to watch Herschel train and was surprised to see his advanced wrestling and striking abilities," said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker, a martial arts promoter of over 25 years.  "He's got work ahead of him, but he's committed to training at one of the most notable gyms in the sport of MMA so it will be very interesting to watch him progress."

Walker, a 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated's NCAA All-Century Team that year, has never been one to shy away from the road less traveled.

Following his junior year at the University of Georgia where he had set the NCAA freshman rushing record en route to an undefeated season and Sugar Bowl championship victory over Notre Dame, Walker, a born-again Christian, astonished the sports world by withdrawing from school to play professional ball in the newly formed United States Football League (USFL) rather than wait to enter the NFL draft after the graduation of his collegiate class, a rule maintained by the world's largest professional football league at the time.

While the vast majority of football players typically follow an intensive weight room regimen, Walker relied on bodyweight exercise, conditioning, and calisthenics while maintaining very little body fat.

Walker was eventually drafted in 1985 by The Dallas Cowboys and established himself as a premiere running back in the league.  In 1986, he was the driving force behind a historic trade that sent in to The Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and six draft picks.

In 12 NFL seasons with four different teams, he became the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways - rushing, receiving, and kickoff returns.  He is one of six players to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving and is the only player in NFL history to register a 90 plus yard reception, a 90 plus yard run, and a 90 plus yard kickoff return, all in one season (1994).

Off the gridiron, Walker has achieved a handful of feats, including a seventh place finish in the 1992 Winter Olympics two-man bobsled competition.  He also nearly made the Olympic sprint relay team.

Now 47 years of age, Walker, a native of Wrightsville, Georgia, will look to conquer a whole new world.  It is a challenge he is extremely optimistic about.

"I will go in there and test myself against any 20 year old," said Walker.  "I know there will be naysayers and I'm fine with that.  I want to prove to people who sit on a couch and don't do anything but criticize other people that, if you're a true athlete or martial artist, you're not old until you can't get up and walk around anymore.  MMA fighters are said to be some of the best athletes in the world, my plan at the age of 47 is to show the world I am still one of the best athletes as well"

STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.  Last week, STRIKEFORCE announced that it would make its live, primetime debut on CBS with its "Fedor vs. Rogers" mega-fight that it will co-promote with M-1 Global on Saturday, November 7.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <https://mail.svse.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) 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."  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

Strikeforce to air Fedor VS Rogers on CBS

MMA RETURNS TO PRIMETIME ON CBS WITH

"STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS"

LIVE ON SATURDAY, NOV. 7

Fedor, the #1 Ranked MMA Heavyweight in the World, To Be Seen for the First Time by Broadcast Television Audience

The CBS Television Network will return to the mixed martial arts (MMA) cage with STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. ROGERS, to be broadcast Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT).  SHOWTIME Sports® will produce the four-fight event with host Gus Johnson calling the action and MMA legend Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo serving as color analysts.

In 2008, CBS aired the first live MMA fights on network television, with three successful events earning time period-winning ratings in all key young adult and young men demographics.  CBS's most recent broadcast in October 2008 ranked as the night's highest-rated program on both broadcast and cable in adults 18-34 and men 18-34, topping all other sports programming in those demographics, including the Major League Baseball playoffs and college football.

On Nov. 7, the world's Number One-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. The fight marks the first bout for the highly coveted Emelianenko since his promotional company M-1 Global signed an agreement with STRIKEFORCE to co-promote major events.

"There's no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business," said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television.  "We're excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport.  The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it."

Simply referred to as "Fedor" by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds.  He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.

"It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the STRIKEFORCE brand to CBS," said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE.  "We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world's No. 1 heavyweight-Fedor-compete for the first time on live network television against one of America's most promising young, undefeated stars-Brett Rogers."

UFC 103: FRANKLIN vs. BELFORT MEDIA CALL

Hey everyone! Here are my notes from the UFC 103 Media Call, featuring Rich Franklin, Virot Belfort, Mirko Cro Cop, and Junior Dos Santos. This should be a great event!

• Main Event is Franklin VS Belfort at a catch-weight of 195

• Co-Main Event is Cro Cop VS Dos Santos

• Franklin states that fighting at 195 was not his idea. It was requested by Vitor. At this time since Franklin is not in the title hunt at 205, he's willing to fight at 195 if the UFC has exciting fights for him and the fans want to see it.

• Vitor is training out of Extreme Couture in Las Vegas, and is planning on fighting at 185 in the UFC. He's weighting 195 right now, and 185 is his weight class.

• Vitor states that he is honored to be fighting Franklin and believes he was a great champion and is a legend in the UFC. He's happy to be back in the UFC where he started his career.
• Vitor has learned from all the experiences in his life, good or bad, and is at a very content and happy place in his life right now.
• Cro Cop has followed Dos Santos' career and believes he is one of the "young lions" of the heavyweight division. He is looking forward to this fight and believes it will be a very tough fight.
• Cro Cop is looking forward to being very active in the UFC. He expects to fight again in the beginning of January, 2010. Needing a few weeks off after a fight, and 10 to 11 weeks to train.
• Franklin's focus right now is fighting, and not acting. Asked about pursuing his acting career, he chuckled. Apparently during his downtime Franklin enjoys playing the drums.
• Franklin's interest right now is in putting on exciting fights for the fans. He feels eventually he'll make his way back to a title run, and it will be a great "Cinderella story" for his career before retirement, but right now he's interested in focusing on exciting fights.
• Vitor sees the middleweight division as being very tough, but that is the weight he's going to fight at.
• Cro Cop feels much better in the cage now, and has a cage to train in at his gym. He feels like he's back to the old Cro Cop and is excited.
• Cro Cop does not want to comment on any rumors of him possibly wanting to fight anywhere else. He's clearly wanting to stay with the UFC, and is happy to be there.
• Franklin speaks about what it's like to be recognized now and have to sign more autographs. He states that there are days he wants to be left alone, and on those days he tries to stay out of the public eye. Ultimately he knows the fans pay his salary, and he knows what it's like to be a fan and looking up to a sports figure, so he always tries his best to be available to the fans.
• Vitor makes a good point stating that the fans never know if you've had a bad day, so you must always treat your fans well and realize they pay your salary. He learned this valuable lesson from his old soccer coach in Brazil, who was a popular sports figure.
• When asked about the rumors that he was going to PRIDE after his last fight, Cro Cop states that he was free to go where ever he wanted after his last fight, and he wanted to fight in the UFC. He stated that any true fighter today should want to fight in the UFC because it is the best organization in the world, and the true global organization.
• Cro Cop was asked what he thought about Fedor's decision to go to Strikeforce, and stated that he "really doesn't understand his attitude". He knows the UFC offered him the best possible deal today, but he does not know Fedor's reasoning. He doesn't think Fedor is afraid, but he does not know. He respects his wishes, but would definitely like to see him in the UFC.
• Franklin was asked if he would go back down to 185 if Silva were to lose or vacate the title. He answered that he thought it would feel like, or be perceived that he dodged a bullet, and he doesn't want fans to think that.
• Franklin thinks that Vitor possesses the same threats he did when he was in the UFC before, his explosiveness and power. He knows he must push his game plan and not let Vitor get his game plan going.
• Cro Cop believes that if he wins his next two fights, the third will be a title shot. But of course everything will be up to Dana and what the UFC wants.
• Cro Cop is happy to be back in the UFC because it's the only real global promotion, and presents the greatest challenges for him.
• Franklin does feel that there is some unfinished business with Henderson, and wants to fight him again, but also understands that there was not a great amount of fan interest in that fight / re-match, so he understands the need to switch to Vitor.

UFC 102 Results

OFFICIAL EVENT RESULTS:

Fight Honors:

"Fight of the Night" - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture

"Knockout of the Night" Nate Marquardt

"Submission of the Night" Jake Rosholt

This was probably one of the best and yet under rated cards this year! Here are the final results...

Winners in GREEN

Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by Unanimous Decision in the 3rd Round

Keith Jardine vs Thiago Silva by Knock Out in the 1st Round

Chris Leben vs Jake Rosholt by Submission (choke) in the 3rd Round

Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia by Knock Out in the 1st Round

Brandon Vera vs Krzysztof Soszynski by Unanimous Decision in the 3rd Round

Ed Herman vs Aaron Simpson by Techncial Knock Out in the 2nd Round

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Chris Tuchscherer by Technical Knock out in the 1st Round

Junstin McCully vs Mike Russow by Unanimous Decision in the 3rd Round

Tim Hague vs Todd Duffee by Knock Out in the 1st Round (UFC RECORD of  7 seconds)

Nick Catone vs Mark Munoz by Split Decision in the 3rd Round

Marcus Aurelio vs Evan Dunham by Split Decision in the 3rd Round

Olympian Daniel Cormier begins MMA career

U.S OLYMPIAN & NATIONAL CHAMPION WRESTLER TO BEGIN HIS PRO MMA CAREER

 

Daniel Cormier, 2x US Olympic Wrestler and 6x U.S Senior National Champion, has just signed on with Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management, officially beginning his professional career in MMA.  Cormier adds his name to other MMA stars under Zinkin Entertainment such as Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Jon Fitch, Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck, Cain Velasquez, Josh Thomson, Bobby Southworth and Paul Buentelllo.

 

Cormier, resident of  Oklahoma  since his collegiate wrestling career at Oklahoma State University, is known for his extraordinary talent and physically aggressive, explosive style of wrestling.  Zinkin Entertainment is excited to have Cormier as part of their team and have high expectations for their latest MMA fighter.  Daniel will soon begin training at the world-renowned American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose , California under “Crazy” Bob Cook, Javier Mendez and Dave Camarillo. 

 

With a collegiate record of 117-10, Cormier is considered one of the most decorated U.S wrestlers.  Notable achievements include:

 

2x United States Olympian: Freestyle ('08 Beijing, '04 Athens)
6x U.S National Champion

8x U.S National Team Member

2002-2009 Ranked #1 in the U.S

2008 U.S National Champion

2008 U.S Olympic Trials, Champion

2008 U.S Olympic Team Captain

2008 NJCAA Hall of Fame Inductee

2007 World Championships, Bronze Medalist

2007 USA Wrestling Freestyle Wrestler of the Year

2007 Pan Am Games, Bronze Medalist

2006 World Cup, Champion

2005 World Cup, Silver Medalist

2005 Yarygin International Tournament, Champion

*toughest tournament in the world, only 6th American to win

2005 Super Cup, Silver Medalist ( Russia )

2004 Olympic Games, 4th place ( Athens )

2004 Titan games, Champion

2004 Boutiatyr Grand Prix, Champion ( Russia )

2003 Pan Am Games, Champion
2003 World Championships, 5th place

2003 Yarygin International Tournament, Bronze Medalist

2003 Absolute World Championships, Bronze Medalist

2002 Pan Am Games, Champion

2001 NCAA Championships, Silver Medalist
3x NCAA College All-American

2x NJCAA National Champion (‘97,’98)
3x Louisiana State Champion

1995 Cadet World Championships, Bronze Medalist

Strikeforce adds depth with signing of Jacare

MIDDLEWEIGHT STAR RONALDO"JACARE" SOUZA SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE

NEW YORK (August 5, 2009)-- Dream Middleweight Grand Prix runner-up and submission wizard Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) has signed a multi-fight agreement with world championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE.

Souza is expected to fulfill the first fight on his contract in the fall.

"I am very excited that I will have the opportunity to fight in STRIKEFORCE amongst many of the world's best middleweight fighters," said the 29-year-old Souza, a native of Brazil, established his position as a top tier middleweight last year after placing second in the 2008 Dream Middleweight Grand Prix single elimination tournament in Japan.

"STRIKEFORCE has an extremely deep roster of top middleweight fighters.  I am looking forward to the challenge and to taking my career to the next level."

During the opening round of the Dream tournament held in the city of Saitama on April 29, 2008, Souza submitted Ian Murphy with a rear naked choke in the first round (3:37).  Souza's next opponent, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, proved to be a tougher battle, escaping several submission attempts by the Brazilian in Yokohama on June 15, 2008.  Souza prevailed, however, earning a unanimous decision over the American star.

In semifinal action on September 23, 2008, Souza made quick work of Zelg Galesic, submitting Galesic with an armbar in the first round (1:27) of action in Saitama.  That same night, however, Souza was finally stopped by Gegard Mousasi, the number two ranked middleweight in the world, in the first round (2:15) of the tournament's championship bout in Saitama.

Souza, who took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the age of 17, fought MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture to a draw in a grappling contest in 2006 and, shortly thereafter, began training at Xtreme Couture.  He has since returned to training in his homeland.

Souza's nickname, "Jacare," is Portuguese for the species of alligator that inhabit Manaus, the town in Brazil where he was born.

The news of Souza signing with STRIKEFORCE comes two days after the San Jose, California based promotion inked an agreement with M-1 Global to co-promote Fedor Emelianenko, the world's top ranked heavyweight and arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network.