MMA Confidential MEDIA RELEASE
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SHOXC FINAL QUOTES
Thursday, Jan. 20, 2008,
Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California
Malaipet will try to continue his transformation from world-class superstar Muay Thai kickboxer to mixed martial arts world champion when he faces Thomas “Wildman” Denny of Hesperia, Calif., tomorrow/Friday, March 21,
at Chumash Casino Resort at Santa Ynez, Calif., on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).Tickets, starting at $35, are available by visiting the Chumash Casino Resort’s Club Chumash, by visiting the website at www.chumashcasino.com or by calling StarTicketsPlus at (800) 800-585-3737. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. First live fight is at 6 p.m. PT.
A winner of three in a row, the popular, extremely charismatic Malaipet, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., will be making his MMA main event debut in a fight that will headline a five-bout ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series telecast.
In other televised bouts, Marlon Mathias (5-1) of Brazil faces Conor Heun (6-2) of Hollywood, Calif., Aaron Rosa (10-1) of San Antonio, Tex., meets Jaime Fletcher (5-3) of Rancho Cucamonga at 205 pounds; Shane Del Rosario (3-0) of Irvine, Calif., opposes Analu Brash (2-1) of Kula, Maui, at 265 pounds; and Mark Oshiro (9-1) of Honolulu clashes with Chris Cariaso (6-0) of San Francisco at 140.
Non-televised bouts: Vince Guzman (2-2) of Los Angeles vs. Lyle Beerbohm (4-0) of Spokane, Wash., at 160 pounds; Devin Howard (debut) of La Habra, Calif., vs. Mark Kempthorne (1-4) of Vandenberg, Calif., at 170; Brandon Tarn (0-1) of Los Angeles vs. Jason Williams (debut) of Los Angeles, Calif., at 265; Eric Jones (0-1) of Los Angeles vs. Steve Gable (1-0) San Clemente, Calif., at 170 and Kenny “The Poet’’ Johnson (debut) of Los Angeles vs. Michael Penafiel (2-2) of Los Angeles at 170 pounds. (Note: See Televised Fighter Pages below).
The fighters had to say:
MALAIPET:
“I think Thomas Denny has a lot of skill in the ground, but I am not scared. If something happens, it happens.
“I have been working on my ground work, but I am interested in defending submissions, not trying to apply them. If I get taken to the ground, I will try and take the fight back to standing up.
“I know that I am skilled in Muay Thai, but my goal is to continue fighting in MMA. My goal is to be a champion for EliteXC.
“I think this is my last fight at this weight. I would like to fight at 150 pounds in the future.”
THOMAS DENNY:
“This is huge fighting on SHOWTIME on the main event. I had about 2 ˝ weeks notice for this fight, but I was already in shape and ready to go.
“I plan to punch him on his face, put him on his head and submit him. I think a lot of people give Malaipet too much respect for his Muay Thai game. You need to attack him.
“His conditioning is questionable, so I will to push him hard. I need to keep coming forward and keep punishing him with punches.
“Once I grab him he is going to know that he is in there with a really strong guy. This fight is not going to be as easy as he thinks. I think he is going to be strong the first few minutes, but I will be, too.
“You are going to see my hand get raised in the cage after a lot of fireworks. I plan on beating on him, clinching him up and submitting him.
“I don’t see any scenario where he will be on top of me on the ground. If he is, he will get the arm-bar triangle.
“This is a special opportunity for me. EliteXC is the biggest up-and-coming organization right now. I want to show them that I want to be a part of it by performing well. This is a huge deal to me.
“I want a couple more fights and then go for a title. Of course, I want that gold around my waist.
“I train a lot smarter now than I used to. Fighting at 160 pounds is my division. I have always been a small 170 pound competitor, now it is the other way around. Now, I have the advantage because I am big for 160 pounds.’’
MARLON MATHIAS:
“I like fighting with my hands. I can kick, elbow and punch to beat my opponents. But I am equally strong in wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.
“I have seen my opponent fight. Conor is great at submissions, but his striking is not that good. I am not worried about that.
“I know my opponent is good at Jiu-Jitsu, so I am training in everything. Every day I train with black belts in Jiu-Jitsu, so he has nothing that can surprise me.
“I am very happy to be fighting on ShoXC. This is a huge opportunity for me. This will make my life different now. The result of this fight could change my life.
“Fighting on SHOWTIME, all of America can now see what I have on Friday night. My future is in my hands and my feet. I am looking to make a name for myself.
“I am fighting for Chute Box. I promise I will represent them well in the cage. I am influenced by all the great fighters that have come from there. But I am part of a new generation and I have a big torch to carry.”
CONOR HEUN:
“I respect anyone who gets in the cage, but the fact that Mathias comes from a legendary camp will definitely add to it when I beat him.
“I think he is going to press forward, but I will, too. I am not going to give him any room to breathe because I know he is not in as good shape as I am right now.
“I plan on overwhelming him and imposing my will on him. Physically, I feel great right now.
“I want to be on top. I am dangerous off my back, but you have to be a hell of a wrestler to put me on my back. I am planning on putting him on his back to see what he has from there.
“This is the biggest competition of my life. It doesn’t feel the same as competing in the state wrestling finals because I had been working at that since I was five years old. But this feels amazing. This is the first step toward at winning a belt.
“When I was growing up, I looked up to the Chute Box fighters, which is ironic because now I am going to beat Marlon, who is one of their guys.”
AARON ROSA:
“Jaime Fletcher is strong. He is coming up from 185 pounds, but he is a solid fighter.
“He likes to bang, and throw punches. I will have to use my reach against him and try to take him deep into the rounds. But if I get an opportunity to take him out, I will jump on it.
“Jaime seems to be pretty powerful, so I just have to be ready for everything.
“I don’t see a future right now. I am just concentrating on this fight. I hope to come out with a win.
“I wasn’t all there in my last fight that I lost (to Jared Hamman in October 2007’s ShoXC via rear naked choke). I had a fever of 104 degrees and a viral infection the week before the fight. I don’t want to steal his thunder, but it was more me than him. He is a tremendous fighter and I would love to fight him again.
“I have one loss on my record. I think about it all the time. It motivates me to want to keep going.”
JAIME FLETCHER:
“Aaron Rosa is a guy who likes to get after it. He likes to use his length as an advantage and get in there and pound it out.
“He is coming off a loss, so he can enter the cage in two different ways. One, he may not be as confident, and I will try and capitalize on that and exploit that. Or, two, he may come in fired up and looking to get back to winning form.
“He has a reach advantage on me, but I think my striking is better than his is.
“I heard he is basically anti-Jiu Jitsu. If I don’t have to worry about submissions and just strikes, then that will open up my opportunities to submit him and take him to the ground.
“At 205 pounds, I am a lot quicker than most fighters. That should be a big advantage for me in the cage.
“I took this fight one week ago, but I had already been training for another fight. I am in good shape and ready for Rosa.
SHANE DEL ROSARIO:
“Analu Brash is big. I know he is huge, but I think I am faster than him. I have fought guys who are bigger than him. I just need to stay calm and focused and I should be good.
“I am comfortable standing or taking the fight the ground. I know I have to keep my hands up and watch out for his power, but I think I have a better ground game than him. He will get gassed if he keeps trying to bang with me.
“From what I saw of Brash, he tries to kick-box and stay off the ground. If he does that, I will be set.
“I am going to try to go for the top. I need to get more experience and need to take my time. ShoXC is the perfect opportunity to get more experience, but I definitely think I have the talent to be a champion. Why would you want to be in this game if you aren’t trying to go for the top?
“I have been improving my ground work. My strength is Muay Thai, but I know that it is important to work on my ground. I have been wrestling with a lot of big guys and I have got a lot better at it.
“I want to knock him out, but a win is a win. I will take it either way.”
ANALU BRASH:
“I try to fight with both my brain and my heart. I try not to bring emotions into the cage because they can get the better of you.
“I really feel comfortable everywhere in the cage. I don’t feel like I have to stand and bang or try to take a guy to the ground. I am good all around. I react to what the moment calls for.
“When I am in the cage, I think of my family. That is basically why I fight.
“I am not that familiar with Del Rosario. He is just a good fighter like everybody else.
“When I fight, I bang. Even when I get hit, I go harder. I don’t back down.
“My key to victory is just landing a good shot.”
MARK OSHIRO:
“I like to finish fights quickly. I don’t like to go to the second or third round. I like to get in and get out.
“There aren’t a lot of knockouts in my weight class, but I have been knocking guys out. I hit the punching bag a lot, working on speed and power.
“From what I know, Cariaso is a stand up guy who likes to kick. Being that he is undefeated, I’m sure he has some kind of ground work. My game plan is to go in there in stand. But if he tries to clinch with me, I will take the fight to the ground.
“I have been improving my Jiu-Jitsu. I am constantly working on my ground game. In order to get to the top of the food chain you need to work on your weakest parts.
“I have no predictions for the fight. I just hope to finish it in the first round. I want to knock him out, but I am prepared to go the distance. If it does, it will be an all out war.”
CHRIS CARIASO:
“I expect Mark to want to stand up with me. I am going to try and hit him hard a couple of times and then try to control the takedown game from there.
“I look at this as a big step in my career. He is a reputable opponent, so when I beat him it will bring me to the top of my division.
I have always been great at standup, and now I am focusing on my ground game. I have opened my mind to a lot of new moves. It has finally all clicked to where I see everything now. I know that my standup is my strong point, but I spend a lot of time training on the ground.
“I approach each opponent differently. I train to my strengths and try to simulate what my opponent will bring at me.
“This is a great challenge. He is definitely going to be one of my most difficult opponents. He likes to stand up and trade shots, so I need to look out for his punches. I just need to avoid getting caught with a punch, but I definitely think I have what it takes to beat him.
“I am going to go out there and show my new strengths. If he wants to stand up with me, I will stand up and bang. But if he wants to go to the ground, I will take him to his back and submit him.
“I have my sights set on winning this fight. I am going to go out there and try to make a statement tomorrow night.”
Fighter pages for televised bouts:
Malaipet (http://Malaipet.proelite.com), Denny (http:/thomasdenny.proelite.com), Mathias (http:/marlonmathias.proelite.com), Heun (http:/conorheun.proelite.com), Rosa (http://aaronrosa.proelite.com), Fletcher (http://jaimefletcher.proelite.com), Del Rosario (http://shanedelrosario.proelite.com), Brash (http://analubrash.proelite.com), Oshiro (http://markoshiro.proelite.com), Cariaso (http://chriscariaso.proelite.com)
Ken Shamrock Suffers First KO Loss at EliteXC Presents Cage Rage 25
LONDON (March 9, 2008)
IT WAS
an excitable crowd of 8,000-plus at Wembley Arena, where MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock of the USA was handed his first knockout loss by English powerhouse Robert “Buzz” Berry.
Berry landed a series of strikes to the head of Shamrock and sent him down. The referee waved off the fight at 3:26 of the first round as the 240-pound Berry prepared to pounce on his fallen opponent.
In other televised fights, Cage Rage featherweight champion Masakazu Imanari of Japan applied a text book reverse heel hook to destroy the knee of formidable Brazilian adversary Jean Silva. Silva tapped out at 2:35 of round one, and appeared to be in tremendous pain.
In a battle of big men, heavyweights Rob Broughton of England won a majority decision over fellow countryman Neil Grove by scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. The two men entered the cage at a combined 250-plus pounds and fought an entertaining scrape for three full rounds.
And local favorite Tommy “Kong” Watson thrilled his adoring fans with a knockout of American Pierre Guillet. With Watson on his back during first-round action, Guillet dove in to attack, but Watson struck first by landing a devastating upward heel strike to Guillet’s head. Watson quickly pounced on top of the fallen Guillet and finished him with fist strikes to the head.
SHOWTIME announcers Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros called the action at Wembley Arena. The producer of the EliteXC telecast was Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
Catch an encore of Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast:
Monday, March 10 8 p.m. SHO Extreme
Tuesday, March 11 10 p.m. SHO2
Wednesday, March 12 10:30 p.m. SHOWTIME
SHAMROCK & BERRY IN ELITE XC MAIN EVENT
The legendary Ken Shamrock and Robert "Buzz" Berry will fight in the main event of "EliteXC Presents Cage Rage 25" tomorrow/Saturday, March 8, on SHOWTIME, in London.
The four-bout mixed martial arts event will be televised immediately following the world cruiserweight title unification fight between champions David Haye (WBC/WBA) and Enzo Maccarinelli (WBC/WBA) live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) in London.
Weights for other SHOWTIME televised fights:
Jean Silva (144 pounds) vs. Masakazu Imanari (144 pounds)
Pierre Guillet (184 pounds) vs. Tom Watson (185 pounds)
Rob Broughton (282 pounds) vs. Neil Grove (273 pounds)
KEN SHAMROCK QUOTES:
"Competition. The minute you stop, your whole life changes and it's the thrill of competition that has kept me going. When you're done as an athlete, you have to know it, and I don't know it yet.
"There were a couple of times when I had injuries -- one to my knee, one to my shoulder -- when I thought I would be forced to quit. But rehab got me stronger and stronger every time. I have never imagined myself retiring.
"It's an honor to be considered a pioneer in this sport. And it is inspiring to see these young guys coming up to carry the torch.''
BUZZ BERRY QUOTES:
"I have a lot of respect for Ken Shamrock, but when it is fight time and the first bell rings, it's time to explode. I have to stay within myself; my strength is that I am an all around fighter and my power is my (main) strength."
LIGHTWEIGHT BATTLE - PENN- STEVENSON UFC 80 RAPID FIRE CHAMPIONSHIP UP FOR GRABS
TRUFAN JAN 19, 2008
UFC Lightweight Championship was up for grabs...UFC 80 Rapid Fire,took place Saturday Jan 19' 08 in Newcastle, England and pit BJ "The Prodigy" Penn against Joe "Daddy" Stevenson for the Lightweight Championship belt. BJ won by rear naked choke in round 2. Although I think Joe Daddy is one of the best lightweights in the world, he is not as skilled as BJ in submissions. I picked BJ to win by submission.My other picks were as follows: Gonzaga over Werdum, Sam Stout over Eklund, Kendall Grove, now training with Team Couture over Jorge Rivera, James Lee over Alessio Sakara, and I picked Marcus Davis over Jess Liadin. Davis, AKA The Irish Hand Grenade just keeps improving his game and was on a 5 fight win streak, Here is what the local predictors predicted:
BJ Penn submitted a bleeding Joe Stevenson by rear naked
choke at 4 minutes and 2 seconds into round 2. BJ dominated
the fight from the beginning, dropping Joe with a powerful right hand
and punishing the The Ultimate Fighter, Season 2 winner with strikes from
above. BJ easily dominated one of the best 155 pounders and lived up to
his nickname "The Prodigy'. BJ showed true sportsmanship, consoling the
very down Joe Daddy. Congrats to BJ, U the man!
Also on the card:
After spending Round 1 getting kicked repeatedly to the legs by
Gonzaga, Fabrico Werdum def Gabriel Gonzaga, due to ref stoppage [TKO
4:34 Round 2].
Jorge Rivera displayed
amazing hands, resurrecting his career with a KO 1:30 into Round 1 over
TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove.
Marcus Davis increased his winning streak to 6, knocking out French
fighter Jesse Liaudin at 1:04 of Round 1 with a straight left. What a
punch! They don't call Marcus Davis, the former pro boxer the Irish
hand grenade for nothing. It looked like Jason Lambert was on his way to
victory in his match with Wilson Gouvia. Jason was ground and pounding
Wilson throughout Round 1. Out of nowhere at 0:37 of Round 2, Gouveia
KO'd lambert with an amazing left hook.
Michael Bisping's teammate, Paul Kelly won by unanimous decision over a
very game Paul Taylor. These guys never slowed down for a minute and
threw a lot of leather. Alessio Sekara defeated James Lee at 1:30 by TKO.
Antoni Hardonk won by TKO against Colin Robinson 0:17 Round 1. Sam
'Hands Of Stone" Stout defeated Per Eklund
by unanimous decision. The British fans loved the action and UFC 80 did
not dissappoint. Are you ready for Hollywood Dan Henderson vs Anderson
Silva?? See you at the fights.
Bruce Kivo for MMA Confidential
MMAconfidential@gmail.com
E
LITEXC SIGNS EDDIE ALVAREZTO A LONG-TERM CONTRACT
Promising, Exciting Youngster Faces Ross Ebanez; Paul Daley Faces Sam Morgan
In New Co-Features Friday, Jan. 25, On ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
At Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City On SHOWTIME
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 8, 2008) – Popular, flamboyant and charismatic former Bodog star, Eddie Alvarez, has signed a long-term contract with Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live division, EliteXC, and will co-headline on Friday, Jan. 25, at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.
“This is another great signing for EliteXC and we’re thrilled to have Eddie with us,’’ said EliteXC Live Events President, Gary Shaw, who made the announcement today. “Eddie is definitely a promising kid with a great future, but what truly amazes me is his incredibly devoted fan base.
“He’s a phenomenon on the East Coast where he may fight on a show that draws 5,000 fans, but two-thirds of them are there to see him. He is like a rock star in some respects. In an around Philadelphia, he is as popular as Philly cheese steak and is the best thing they have going as far as mixed martial arts goes. I look forward to introducing him to the world on SHOWTIME.’’
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
A two-time high school All-American wrestler, Alvarez (11-1), of Philadelphia, will make his EliteXC debut against Hawaiian favorite Ross “Da Boss’’ Ebanez (16-5), of Hilo, Hawaii, on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The Alvarez-Ebanez fight, which will be contested at 170 pounds, replaces one slated to include Yves Edwards. In the other ShoXC co-feature, England’s Paul “Semtex’’ Daley (16-6-2) will meet Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-9) of Minneapolis, Minn., in a 160-pound bout.
Tickets for Jan. 25, starting at $40, are available at the Trump Taj Mahal box office and online at
www.ticketmaster.com. The live card begins at 9 p.m.; doors open at 8.
In other SHOWTIME-televised fights, Bobby McMaster (8-2), of Boston, Mass., will try to regain his winning ways against the dangerous Bao Quach (11-8-1), of Irvine, Calif., at 150 pounds; “The Hawaiian Rocky Balboa,’’ Kala Kolohe Hose (4-1), of Honolulu, faces Fred Belleton (5-1), of Easton, Mass., at 185 pounds; and Julie Kedzie (9-6), of Greenwood, Ind., will attempt to make it four victories in a row when she battles Tonya Evinger (5-3), of Oak Grove, Maryland, at 140 pounds.
An explosive striker, Alvarez battled his way into MMA from the mean streets of Kensington, Pa., a blue-collar neighborhood near Philadelphia.
"Trouble seemed to find me and I wound up getting into fights on the street, so I decided to take it a little more seriously and really learn how to fight,’’ said Alvarez, who won his initial 10 MMA starts before losing his Bodog Fight welterweight title belt to Nick “The Goat” Thompson on a second-round knockout (strikes) on April 14, 2007.
Although he is not a true 170-pounder, Alvarez has coveted a rematch with his bitter rival. A return bout had been scheduled a couple times but after a February ’08 fight with Thompson fell out, a frustrated Alvarez, after weighing other offers, signed with EliteXC.
“We know Eddie wasn’t happy where he was, but I truly believe he’s found a home here with EliteXC,’’ Shaw said. “With Eddie eventually dropping down to his more natural weight class, 160 pounds, and with the fighters we have at 160, he has a chance to be a big star if he keeps winning.’’
A top-notch wrestler who can move fast, sprawl, and shoot, Alvarez is also a non-stop puncher with quick hands – he delivers uppercuts from every possible direction -- quick feet and excellent head movement. He won his last start with a unanimous decision over Matt Lee on July 14, 2007. But while he dominated, Alvarez’ streak of winning inside the distance (eight knockouts, two decisions) ended.
Ebanez is a BJ Penn fighter unbeaten in his last three outings (2-0 with one no-contest) and 6-1 in his last seven (with the NC). Nicknamed “Da Boss’’ for his intimidating, aggressive style, Ebanez is an experienced, fan-friendly MMA fighter with solid skills. In his lone defeat since March ‘06, Ebanez lost to Mike Pyle on the historic EliteXC “DESTINY’’ fight card on Feb. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME.
Scheduled non-televised Jan. 25 fights include: Zach Makovsky (3-0), of Philadelphia, vs. Wilson Reis (2-0), of Philadelphia, at 140; James “Binky’’ Jones (4-5), of Baltimore, Md., vs., Mark Getto (1-3-1), of Philadelphia, at 150; Sergio Vinagre (2-1), of New Jersey, vs. Brett Linebarger (2-1), of New Jersey, at 170; Joe Shilling (debut), of Los Angeles, vs. Matt Makowski (1-0), of Philadelphia, at 170; and Doug Gordon (6-4), of New Jersey, vs. an opponent to be determined, at 170.
The fights are scheduled for three, 5-minutes rounds with the exception of Kedzie-Evinger, which is slated for three, 3-minute rounds.
THE YEAR OF ANYONE CAN GO and GREAT FIGHTS
Wow!! JENS PULVER is the man. Yes "Little Evil"is back. Back to his undefeated wt of 145, the former UFC Champion choked out Cub Swanson in 35 seconds of round1 in a WEC superfight Dec 12th in Vegas. When Jens is on,there is no stopping him. According to Chris Thomas of "The Fight Club"[SIRIUS RADIO, channel 123] , when Jens knocked out World Champion John Lewis in the earlier days of the UFC, Pat Militich told Jens that the only way for a win was to KO John Lewis at the very beginning of round 1. You see Jens had a badly injured hip going into the fight. He followed Pat's, plan to the T and knocked out John Lewis, one of the best fighters in the world at the very beginning of round 1.Pat's strategy worked. Guess that's why Pat Militich is called the Fight General. And What about Urijah "The California Kid" Faber.
On the same WEC card.... WEC Featherweight title bout, Urijah "The
California Kid" Faber vs Jeff Curran. Amazing fight with
Curran taking Faber's back early on in round 1, which is quite a feat,
and Uriah very relaxed and defending against the choke.
finally rolling out. At the third quarter of round 1, Urijah was now
in Curran's guard raining down strikes. Looking like he's making
things up as he goes along, Urijah submitted Curran in 4 minutes and
34 seconds of round 2. Jeff Curran is not easy to beat Is a "Little
Evil" /"California Kid" titlefight brewing?
The recent Forrest Griffith, Shogun UFC fight showed what a great
warrior Forrest is. Stopping Shogun, one of the best pound for pound
fighters in the world, Forrest looked unstoppable.He trains at Randy
Couture's gym and is one of the hardest working and quick learning
guys in the biz. This guy loves to fight and has champion wriitten all
over him.
Randy never stops to amaze us....His wins over the very underrated
great fighter Tim Silvia and Gonzaga....What's next for Randy
Couture? Will he finally fight Fedor Emelianenko? Fedor, who is now
signed with M-1 Global is very interested in
fighting Randy. By the time this happens, Randy will most likely be 45
and his arm will be completely healed from the Gonzaga fight.
.
M-1 Global, The new fight league is going to be announcing some major
superfights in the near future. Fedor Emalianko and Randy for the
WORLD TITLE??
Much talk about Strikeforce putting on a Cung Le/ Frank Shamrock fight
in April. will check with Strikeforce's Mike Afromowitz. Both guys are
exciting to watch. Cung Le is undefeated and looks to be one of the
new superstars of the sport.Framk is so skiolled in every qaspect of
the game and may prove to be a little too experienced for Cung. Frank
Shamrock looked unbelievable fighting choking out Phil Baroni last
year. Frank competed with a torn mcl and acl and could barely walk
before the fight. The only time I'v ever seen Frank Shamrock really
being dominated was by Renzo Gracie in their fight last year. Renzo,
took Frank down at will and controlled him on the ground. Frank was
disqualified for knees to the back of the head. It may have been a
matter of time before Renzo got the submission. The Gracies usually
get the choke..
Bruce Kivo for MMAconfidential
ELITE XC CHALLENGER SERIES RETURNS
There was seldom a dull moment when EliteXC fighters entered the cage in 2007 and fans can expect more of the same in '08 when ShoXC: EliteXC Challenger Series returns to SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) on Friday, Jan. 25, at Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City Hotel & Casino.
Tickets, priced at $200, $150, $100, $60 and $40, are available at the Trump Taj Mahal box office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. The live card begins at 9 p.m.; doors open at 8.
The co-featured bouts are scheduled to include England's Paul "Semtex'' Daley (16-6-2) against an opponent to be announced and Yves Edwards (31-13-1), of Conroe, Tex., against Kyle Bradley (13-4), of Denham Springs, La., in 160-pound fights.
In other SHOWTIME-televised fights, Bobby McMaster (8-2), of Boston, Mass., will try to regain his winning ways against the always-dangerous Bao Quach (11-8-1), of Irvine, Calif., at 150 pounds; “The Hawaiian Rocky Balboa,’’ Kala Kolohe Hose (4-1), of Honolulu, faces Bellaton Frederic (5-1), of Easton, Mass., at 185 pounds; and in a bout that continues to illustrate EliteXC’s unyielding commitment to women’s fighters, Julie Kedzie (9-6), of Greenwood, Ind., will attempt to make it four victories in a row when she battles Tonya Evinger (5-3), of Oak Grove, Maryland, at 140 pounds.
Scheduled non-televised undercard fights include: Eddie Alvarez (11-1), of Philadelphia, vs. Carlos Quinlon (6-0), of Irvine, Calif., at 160 pounds; Zach Makovsky (3-0), of Philadelphia, vs. Wilson Reis (2-0), of Philadelphia at 140; Binky Jones (4-5), of Baltimore, vs a foe to be announced at 150; Sergio Vinagre (2-1), of New Jersey, vs. Doug Gordon (6-4), of New Jersey, at 170; and Joe Shilling (pro debut), of Los Angeles, vs. Matt Makowski (1-0), of Philadelphia, at 170.
The fights are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds with the exception of Kedzie-Evinger, which is slated for three, 3-minute rounds.
BEY
YEAR OF ANYONE CAN GO and GREAT FIGHTS
Wow!! JENS PULVER is the man. Yes "Little Evil"is back. Back to his undefeated wt of 145, the former UFC Champion choked out Cub Swanson in 35 seconds of round1 in a WEC superfight Dec 12th in Vegas. When Jens is on,there is no stopping him. According to Chris Thomas of "The Fight Club"[SIRIUS RADIO, channel 123] , when Jens knocked out World Champion John Lewis in the earlier days of the UFC, Pat Militich told Jens that the only way for a win was to KO John Lewis at the very beginning of round 1.
You see Jens had a badly injured hip going into the fight. He followed Pat's, plan to the T and knocked out John Lewis, one of the best fighters in the world at the very beginning of round 1.Pat's strategy worked. Guess that's why Pat Militich is called the Fight General. And What about Urijah "The California Kid" Faber.
On the same WEC card.... WEC Featherweight title bout, Urijah "The
California Kid" Faber vs Jeff Curran. Amazing fight with Curran taking
Faber's back early on in round 1, which is quite a feat, and Uriah very
relaxed and defending against the choke.
Finally rolling out in the third quarter of round 1, Urijah was now in
Curran's guard raining down strikes. Looking like he's making things up
as he goes along, Urijah submitted Curran in 4 minutes and 34 seconds of
round 2. Jeff Curran is not easy to beat Is a "Little Evil"
/"California Kid" titlefight brewing?
The recent Forrest Griffith, Shogun UFC fight showed what a great warrior
Forrest is. Stopping Shogun, one of the best pound for pound fighters in
the world, Forrest looked unstoppable.He trains at Randy Couture's
gym and is one of the hardest working and quick learning guys in the biz.
This guy loves to fight and has champion wriitten all over him.
Randy never stops to amaze us....His wins over the very underrated
great fighter Tim Silvia and Gonzaga....What's next for Randy Couture?
Will he finally fight Fedor Emelianenko? Fedor, who is now signed with M-1
Global is very interested in
fighting Randy. By the time this happens, Randy will most likely be 45 and
his arm will be completely healed from the Gonzaga fight.
.
M-1 Global, The new fight league is going to be announcing some major
superfights in the near future. Fedor Emalianko and Randy for the WORLD
TITLE??
Much talk about Strikeforce putting on a Cung Le/ Frank Shamrock fight in
April. will check with Strikeforce's Mike Afromowitz. Both guys are
exciting to watch. Cung Le is undefeated and looks to be one of the new
superstars of the sport.Framk is so skiolled in every qaspect of the game
and may prove to be a little too experienced for Cung. Frank Shamrock
looked unbelievable fighting choking out Phil Baroni last year. Frank
competed with a torn mcl and acl and could barely walk before the fight.
The only time I'v ever seen Frank Shamrock really being dominated was by Renzo
Gracie in their fight last year. Renzo, took Frank down at will and
controlled him on the ground. Frank was disqualified for knees to the back
of the head. It may have been a matter of time before Renzo got the
submission. The Gracies usually get the choke..
Bruce Kivo for MMAconfidential
Boxing's nationally known lawyer Fred Levin, and manager Godwin Asifo are among those spearheading Mixied Martial Arts Group…
- International MMA Relations
- Fighter Safety
- Referee and Judge Evaluations
SHOXC FINAL QUOTES
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007,
Chumash Casino Resort. Santa Ynez, Calif.
Two undefeated 205-pound fighters with nearly identical records will clash when Aaron Rosa (10-0) faces Jared Hamman (9-0) in one of the co-featured bouts on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series on SHOWTIME Friday, Oct. 26, at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
In another excellent matchup in the other co-feature, Javier “Showtime” Vazquez (11-2) will meet JC “Crayola’’ Pennington (14-3-1) in a 150-pound fight.
Other fights on a telecast presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s Live Fight Division, EliteXC: Malaipet (2-1) collides with Kaleo ‘’Lights Out’’ Kwan (8-6) at 155 pounds; Taurus “Mushin” Corbbrey (11-2, 1 NC) battles Bobby “Wolverine” McMaster (8-1) at 155 pounds; and in a bout that further illustrates EliteXC’s commitment to women’s MMA, Shayna Baszler (9-4) takes on Jennifer “Rosebud’’ Tate (4-0) at 135 pounds.
The televised fights at Chumash Casino Resort at Santa Ynez, Calif. are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds with the exception of Baszler-Tate, which is slated for three, 3-minute rounds.
Three additional fights will be streamed live on the Internet at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT on the premier MMA social networking and entertainment site, ProElite.com: In scheduled three, 3-minute round contests: Chris Cariaso (5-0) faces Rick McCorkell (6-3) at 135 pounds; Jaime Fletcher (8-2) meets Giva Santana (9-0) at 185 pounds; and Shane Del Rosario (2-0) collides with Amedeo Viola (debut) at 265 pounds. A scheduled fight between Fabricio “Morango” Camoes and Ryan Bixler fell out late Friday night after Bixler withdrew.AARON ROSA
“I am getting paid for what I love to do. I grew up in MMA and just love everything about it: the training, the fighting, and the people. I just have a passion for it like everyone else.
“Coming right back on SHOWTIME is really exciting. I want to do well so they will ask me back, but I know I need to keep winning to get where I want to go. So I keep working even harder. I always give my best and love to fight. I love to match my will against my opponent’s.
“I am known as a striker and some think I am anti-Jiu-Jitsu but I am not really anti-Jiu-Jitsu. If there is a submission to be had I will go for it. I am always looking for my opponent to make a mistake and pounce on them.
“I guess I have a lot of common with Hamman. We are both undefeated, both played football, we’re about the same height and we are Christians.
“This is going to be a tremendous fight.’’
JARED HAMMAN
“I’ve never had a fight go to a decision. Like I tell the college football players I coach, you go for it right away so you don’t put anyone else in the position to decide it for you. I take it round by round, minute by minute, just like I tell my players to take it play-by-play and