Velasquez Unseats Lesnar as Heavyweight King

Saturday, October 23, 2010

By FCF Staff  Cain Velasquez lived up to his reputation as one of mixed-martial-arts fastest rising stars tonight in Anaheim, California, as the American Kickboxing Academy fighter stopped Brock Lesnar in the first round to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Seconds after the opening bell sounded Lesnar charged at Velasquez (pictured left) in search of a takedown, and after a frantic scramble, the champion managed to take the challenger to the mat for a brief moment. After springing back to his feet, Velasquez began to punish Lesnar with strikes, sending the imposing heavyweight to the mat with a hard knee to the head. Although Lesnar managed to survive for several more moments, the barrage of punches from Velasquez was too much, prompting referee Herb Dean’s intervention at 4:01 of the first round.

Here are the results from tonight’s UFC 121 broadcast:

UFC 121 Broadcast Results

Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar via TKO (punches) - R1, 4:01

Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-28)

Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Court McGee def. Ryan Jensen via submission (arm-triangle choke) -R3, 1:21

Tom Lawlor def. Patrick Cote via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Daniel Roberts def. Mike Guymon via submission (anaconda choke) - R1, 1:13

Jon Madsen def. Gilbert Yvel via TKO (punches) - R1, 1:48
READ MORE - Velasquez Unseats Lesnar as Heavyweight King

Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker Stops Bowling


By FCF Staff Photos Courtesy Esther Lin / Strikeforce

Freno’s Save Mart Center was again the host venue for Strikeforce’s latest Challenger card, which saw Bobby Voelker stop rising prospect Roger Bowling in the main event. The bout marked the second time the two had met; five months ago Voelker lost by technical decision when Bowling was unable to continue in the third round, after being accidentally poked in the eye. Last night’s win extended Voelker’s record to 23-8, while Bowling incurred a loss for the first time in his pro career, leaving his record at 8-1.(Pictured above-Voelker (left) and Bowling slugging it out)

“I really trained hard and I really wanted to win this fight,’’ Voelker was quoted saying. “I felt like I had something to prove. If they want a third fight, I’m for it, or I will just move on. I’m just very happy that all the hard work I put in morning, noon and night paid off like it did.’’

In another of the card’s feature attractions, Lavar Johnson caught Virgil Zwicker with a flurry of strikes, to stop the heavyweight in the first round.

“This was just the kind of fight I wanted,’’ said Johnson. “I give Zwicker a lot of credit. He came to fight like I knew he would. But I wanted to make a statement. There are a lot of big-name heavyweights in Strikeforce and I feel it’s time I get my shot at one of them.”

Johnson (left) pounding away at Zwicker

Here are the official results from last night’s Challengers event:

Bobby Voelker def. Roger Bowling via TKO (punches) - R2, 3:58
Lavar Johnson def. Virgil Zwicker via TKO (punches) - R1, 2:17
Billy Evangelista def. Waachiim Spiritwolf via unanimous decision
Julia Budd def. Shana Olsen via TKO (punches) - R2, 2:51
John Devine def. Brandon Cash via submission (rear-naked choke) - R1, 3:05
David Douglas def. Dominic Clark via TKO (punches) - R2, 2:33

Evangelista kicking Spiritwolf

READ MORE - Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker Stops Bowling

UFC 121 Weigh-In Results

Friday, October 22, 2010

By FCF Staff  Here are the official weigh-in results for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest event, which will take place tomorrow night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. All of the fighters for UFC 121 made weight this afternoon, including main event competitors Cain Velasquez and heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar.









Main Event

Brock Lesnar (264) vs Cain Velasquez (244)


Martin Kampmann (170) vs Jake Shields (170.5)

Matt Hamill (203.5) vs Tito Ortiz (206)

Gabriel Gonzaga (254) vs Brendan Schaub (239)

Paulo Thiago (170.5) vs Diego Sanchez (170.5)


Ryan Jensen (185) vs Court McGee (184.5)

Tom Lawlor (185) vs Patrick Cote (185)

Daniel Roberts (170) vs Mike Guymon (170)

Paul Taylor (155) vs Sam Stout (155.5)

Dongi Yang (186) vs Chris Camozzi (185)

Gilbert Yvel (249) vs Jon Madsen (254.5)
READ MORE - UFC 121 Weigh-In Results

Video: Rick Hawn vs. Levon Maynard at Bellator 33

Former U.S. Judo Olympic Team member Rick Hawn demonstrating his judo abilities before stopping Levon Maynard at Bellator 33:


READ MORE - Video: Rick Hawn vs. Levon Maynard at Bellator 33

Alvarez Punishes Huerta; Askren Wins Welterweight Crown


By FCF Staff  Eddie Alvarez added another impressive victory to his growing resume last night in Philadelphia, as the Bellator lightweight champion punished the always game Roger Huerta through two rounds, before the UFC vet was unable to continue into the third. (Pictured above: Alvarez (r) hitting Huerta)

“Definitely a success tonight, everything I could have dreamed of went exactly according to plan. Everything went perfectly I couldn’t be more happy," Alvarez was quoted saying about the non-title bout in a press release from the promotion.

“What an incredible night of fights, my first thank you tonight is to the city of Philadelphia,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.  “The crowd, the energy was great; I’m glad Philadelphia fans were treated to a world-class mixed martial arts display.”

In another of the card’s feature attractions, Ben Askren utilized his highly developed wrestling skills to score a unanimous decision win over Lyman Good, becoming Bellator’s welterweight champ.

“I’m glad people got a chance to see my heart. I’m pretty happy with my performance. I told people I was ready to five and that’s what I did," said Askren. “I’ve only been punching things for about a year, so I have a lot of room for improvement.”

Bellator 33 Results

Eddie Alvarez def. Roger Huerta via TKO (doctor's stoppage) - Round 2, 5:00
Ben Askren def. Lyman Good via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 50-45)
Rick Hawn def. LeVon Maynard via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:53
Tim Carpenter def. Jamal Patterson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Kenny Foster def. Lester Caslow via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Luiz Azeredo def. Eduardo Guedes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nick Cottone def. Tuan Pham via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fran Evans def Lewis Cassner via submission (triangle choke) - Round 1, 3:20
READ MORE - Alvarez Punishes Huerta; Askren Wins Welterweight Crown

Alvarez and Huerta Ready for Bellator 33 Bout

Thursday, October 21, 2010


By FCF Staff Photo Courtesy Bellator Fighting Championship

Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center will host what is arguably, Bellator Fighting Championship’s biggest fight to date tonight, as the promotion’s lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez will face renowned UFC vet Roger Huerta, in a non-title affair.(Pictured above: Alvarez (l) and Huerta)

Alvarez (20-2) heads into the bout having won four straight; in May, the Dream veteran submitted Josh Neer in the second round of their non-title bout.

Huerta (21-4-1) has gone 1-1 since signing with Bellator earlier this year. After submitting Chad Hinton in the third round of their Bellator 13 fight in April, Huerta lost by unanimous decision to Pat Curran at Bellator 17 in May. The veteran fighter was brought into face Alvarez, after the lightweight tourney winner Curran was unable to fight for the title, due to an injury.

Here is some of what Alvarez and Huerta had to say about tonight’s match-up, in a press release sent out from the promotion.

Eddie Alvarez:

On his homecoming to Philadelphia:

Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st…This is a dream fight for me. Right here in my hometown, I couldn't ask for anything more. The only times I've ever lost have been outside of the United States. I've never even lost a fight here in the states so I'm definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That's not going to happen. Not a chance. Roger is a great fighter and I love this fight but my fight is never with my opponents. It's more about me. I'm not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It's important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I'm one of the best lightweights in the world. I've fought a lot of guys that supposedly had "iron chins" and almost every time, they're the guys I put away.

On finishing the fight:

My intentions will be to finish this fight, especially in my hometown. I want to make sure I give them what they paid for. I know I can fight. I know I'm one of the top lightweights in the world, and I know I can finish my opponents -- whoever they put in front of me. I'm never going to leave the cage with any regrets.

On beating any lightweight in the world right now:

Yeah, on any given night. I do. I honestly do. I feel like there's not a lightweight out there that I can't beat.  This is something I've been looking for. This is something the fans have wanted to see for a long time now. I don't care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you're obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, they're obviously trying to make moves. If I don't feel threatened by that, then I'm an idiot. I definitely feel threatened with someone like Roger trying to come in. I'm going to do everything I can to protect what's mine and get him out of there. I want to finish him and I want him out of there. I don't want Bellator trying to sell him or market him. I want to keep all eyes on me. I'm going to go out there and do my job. This is how I get paid.  



Roger Huerta

On training:

Losing to Curran put the fire back into my training and completely revived my hunger for competition. I respect Eddie for all of his accomplishments in the sport. I believe that he's one of the best lightweights in the world, if not the best.

On his fight with Eddie:

This is the biggest fight of my entire career. I believe that I'm one of the best fighters in the world and being matched up with Eddie will bring the best out of me. When I beat Eddie, I'll show that I'm one of the best in the world too. I've lost a lot of close decisions and they're all very heart breaking for me every time. I just can not leave it in the judge’s hands. Nobody can. Those hard decisions have taught me to try to finish my fights. This is a fight that I've always wanted. This is a dream come true. I didn't think it was going to happen and all of a sudden, here it is. It's not for a title but the title doesn't matter as much to me as the challenge. Eddie Alvarez brings a lot to the table. It's going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It's going to be a potential fight of the year. I'm going in there expecting a war, and I'm going in there trying to finish Eddie. The cheers or jeers will affect me one-way or the other. The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He's going to bring the best out of me. The best. It's going to be scary. 

On proving himself:
I believe that I'm one of the very best in the world. I just need to show up. I need to go out there and prove it. I need to be ready. The last few years have been quite a slump for me. I've a lot of issues in my personal life, but it's up to me to come back and me strong. I feel like I'm in a better place mental than I have been for a while.


READ MORE - Alvarez and Huerta Ready for Bellator 33 Bout

Strikeforce Challengers Workout Quotes and Pics


By FCF Staff Pictures courtesy Paul Breski for Strikeforce

Strikeforce returns to Fresno, California this Friday night for the promotion’s latest Challengers event. The card will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Roger Bowling (8-0) and “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) and will be broadcast on Showtime. The event will be hosted by Fresno’s Save Mart Center.

In anticipation of the event, Strikeforce held an open workout at Fort Washington Fitness, Fresno, California earlier this week with several of the card’s competitors, including Lavar Johnson, Billy Evangelista (pictured above), Brandon Cash and Shana Olsen. Here is some of the fighters had to say about their bouts Friday night

Johnson (14-3) (pictured left) on facing heavyweight Virgil “RezDog” Zwicker (8-1):

“I feel good and I am very happy to be on a Strikeforce card that has so many of my (Fresno Pro Buhawe) teammates on it. I’m excited for everybody.”

“I know Zwicker will be ready. He’s a fast, scrappy fighter who comes to fight. He may be a little shorter than me, which will definitely be a little different. The last two guys I’ve fought have been taller.”

Evangelista (10-0, 1 NC) discussing his 165lb. catch-weight tilt with Waachiim “Native Warrior’’ Spiritwolf (8-6-1):

“I’ve been working really hard. I want to keep this winning streak going. I’ve prepared like I always do. I don’t watch tapes. My job is to do the best I can and not worry about my opponent.”

“Winning is always the main goal, but I really would like to submit this guy – just so I could get a submission on my record.’’

Olsen (4-0) in regards to her bout with 145lb. Canadian Muay Thai Champion Julia “The Jewel” Budd:

“I’m really excited about fighting for Strikeforce the first time and fighting on Showtime. I consider myself a well-rounded fighter and look forward to displaying my skills.”

“I never look past any opponent and this will be a tough fight. But, of course, I will fight anybody, and that includes (Strikeforce 145-pound World Champion and No. 1 Female Fighter in the world, Cris) Cyborg. My goal is to become the world champion. It doesn’t matter to me who I fight to get the title.’’

Olsen hitting the bag
Cash (4-2) sharing his thoughts on Friday’s bout with heavyweight John Devine (5-2):

“It’s always great when Strikeforce comes to Fresno because they use a lot of local fighters like me. I don’t like losing and I lost the last time I fought in Fresno so I appreciate Strikeforce giving me another chance.”

“I am going to thank them by knocking this guy out.’’
Cash working on his hands
READ MORE - Strikeforce Challengers Workout Quotes and Pics

Alvarez and Huerta Make Weight for Bellator 33


By FCF Staff  Photos Courtesy Bellator Fighting Championship

The MMA world will have its spotlight on Philadelphia tonight, as Bellator Fighting Championship’s 33rd event will feature a notable lightweight tilt between the promotion’s champion Eddie Alvarez, and UFC veteran Roger Huerta. At the weigh-ins yesterday, both men came in at 155lbs for the non-title affair. (Pictured above- Huerta (l) and Alvarez)

In another of the card’s feature attractions, welterweight champion Lyman Good will look to defend his title against noted wrestler Ben Askren; both men weighed in at 170lbs.

Here are the official weigh-in results:

Roger Huerta (155 lbs.) vs. Eddie Alvarez (155 lbs.) @ 155 lbs.
Ben Askren (170 lbs.) vs. Lyman Good (170 lbs.) @ 170 lbs.
Deividas Taurosevicius (145 lbs.) vs. Wilson Reis (146 lbs.) @145 lbs.
Rick Hawn (171 lbs.) vs. LeVon Maynard (171 lbs.) @170 lbs.
Jamal Patterson (206 lbs.) vs. Tim Carpenter (206.5 lbs.) @205 lbs.
Edward Gueddes (159 lbs.) vs. Luis Azeredo (159 lbs.) @ 160 lbs (catchweight).
Nick Cottone (130 lbs.) vs. Tuan Pham (129.5 lbs.) @ 130 lbs (catchweight)
Kenny Foster (146 lbs.) vs. Lester Caslow (146 lbs.) @ 145 lbs.
READ MORE - Alvarez and Huerta Make Weight for Bellator 33

New FCF Radio with Martin Kampmann

On this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, host Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and co-host James Kellaris review "UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama", where Michael "The Count" Bisping won a decision over judo expert Yoshihiro Akiyama after nearly being knocked out in the first round.  What was Akiyama thinking trading strikes with Bisping? Does judo even work in mixed martial arts?  Tune in and hear the inflammatory answers to these questions, plus a rundown of the rest of the card including an explanation of the fight between Carlos Condit and Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy where Condit knocked Hardy out cold, despite getting hit with the exact same punch just seconds before.  Also, if you were perplexed by the outcome of Mike Pyle vs. John Hathaway, you weren't the only one; but we called that one dead-on, my friend.  Why was Hathaway out-classed by Pyle but totally able to shut down Diego Sanchez in an earlier fight?  We've got a theory you've got to hear.  Plus, what was up with Cheick Kongo constantly grabbing the shorts of Travis Browne?  What fight were the judges watching?  How was that a draw?   

Tune in and join the outrage, then stick around as we move on to chat about "UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez" where current UFC champ Brock Lesnar and heavyweight Mexican sensation Cain Velasquez will collide for the heavyweight belt.  What's gonna happen?  We have our guesses.  What about former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields vs. Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann?  Who's gonna take that one?  Tune in and hear a rousing evaluation, then hang on as Kampmann himself stops by to weigh in on his match and the rest of the card.  Wowzers!  If you ask for more, you're just greedy.

Head here to check out the episode.

READ MORE - New FCF Radio with Martin Kampmann

Report: Jason MacDonald Out, Jesse Bongfeldt in for UFC 124

Wednesday, October 20, 2010


By FCF Staff  After breaking his leg this past May at UFC 113, Jason MacDonald will not make his Octagon return, December 11th, at UFC 124, according to posts on the official Dominance MMA Management Facebook page. The management team is reporting that MacDonald is off the card due to an injury, and that fellow Canadian, Jesse Bongfeldt, will step in to fight Dominance client Rafael Natal at the event.

The following posts appeared on the management teams Facebook accounts via Twitter:

Dominance MMA Management Jason MacDonald out ufc 124 but @rafaelsaponatal vs Jesse "Water" Bongfeldt now
12 hours ago via Twitter · Comment · Like · @AliDominance on Twitter ·

Dominance MMA Management Jason macdonald out from ufc 124 due to in injury
12 hours ago via Twitter · Comment · Like · @AliDominance on Twitter ·

Attempts by FCF to contact MacDonald and Bongfeldt were unsuccessful. If accurate, Bongfeldt (21-7) will make his Octagon debut having won seven straight fights, a run which includes a victory over current UFC competitor TJ Grant.

Natal (12-3) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Rich Attonito at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, after earning back-to-back victories over Allan Weickhert and Travis Lutter.

UFC 124 will be headlined by a welterweight bout between champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Josh Koscheck.
READ MORE - Report: Jason MacDonald Out, Jesse Bongfeldt in for UFC 124

Baric Named Zayats' Opponent for Oct. 28th M-1 Challenge

By FCF Staff Photo Courtesy M-1 Global

M-1 Global has announced that Matias Baric will face Mikhail Zayats (pictured left) at the promotion’s upcoming October 28th, M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Garner event in St. Petersburg, Russia. Earlier in the week the organization confirmed that Zayats would compete on the card, however, no opponent had yet been determined.

Baric (5-3) is coming off a submission loss to Arunas Andriuskevicus in June, after winning four straight fights, which included a TKO stoppage win over Ivan Simic in May.

Zayats (11-5) is 2-3 in his last five fights; most recently, at a Fight Festival in June, the light-heavyweight submitted Toni Valtonen.

The October 28th M-1 Challenge card will feature Kenny Garner vs. Guram Gugenishvili in the main event, which will determine the promotion’s heavyweight champion.

Here is the line-up to date for the event:

Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) vs.
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)

Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.
RafaÅ‚ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2) 

Heavyweight Title Fight:
Kenny Garner, M-1 Selection Americas champion (5-2) vs.
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (9-0).

Mikhail Zayats (11-5) vs. Matias Baric (5-3) Light Heavyweight
Yuri Ivlev (14-5) vs. Daniel Weichel (24-7) Lightweight
Alexei Nazarov (9-3) vs. Alexei Belyaev (10-4) Middleweight
Alexander Sarnavsky (10-0) vs. Victor Kuku (7-5-1) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
Vusal Bairamov (0-1) vs. Joakhim Apie (0-0) Lightweight
Magomed Shikshabekov (12-0) vs. Che Mills (11-4) Welterweight


READ MORE - Baric Named Zayats' Opponent for Oct. 28th M-1 Challenge

EA Sports MMA Launch: Fedor, Couture, Lawal and Miller Attend


By FCF Staff  Photo Credit: Susan Goldman
EA Sports MMA was released in stores yesterday, and the video game giant invited Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, "King Mo" Lawal and Jason "Mayhem" Miller to the official launch party. (Pictured above: Fedor and Couture (r) square off)

Couture (l) and Fedor giving the game a try
Fedor and Couture signing autographs
Lawal (l) and Miller face off in the game
The fighters field questions from the media
READ MORE - EA Sports MMA Launch: Fedor, Couture, Lawal and Miller Attend

Video: Glory World Series Highlights Round One

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Here is the highlight package from this past weekend's United Glory event in Holland. The event, which is promoted by the nation's renowned Golden Glory team, was a hybrid card of MMA and kickboxing bouts. (Video courtesy United Glory / Youtube)

READ MORE - Video: Glory World Series Highlights Round One

Clint Godfrey vs. Michael McDonald Added to Nov. 11th WEC


By FCF Staff World Extreme Cagefighting has announced that Clint Godfrey will fight fellow bantamweight Michael McDonald, at the promotion’s upcoming November 11th, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout was confirmed to the Rapid City Journal by the organization.

Godfrey(11-2), who hails from Rapid City, has not competed since January when he lost by unanimous decision to Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 46. Godrfrey had won eight straight prior to the loss. The bantamweight had been scheduled to fight on the recent September 30th WEC card in Broomfield, Colorado, but was forced to withdraw due to a staph infection.

McDonald (10-1) heads into the bout on a three fight winning streak, which includes wins over veterans Cole Escovedo and Manny Tapia. The California fighter will be making his WEC debut.

The November 11th WEC, which will be hosted by The Pearl at the Palms Casino and Resort, will feature former featherweight champion Urijah Faber versus bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki in the main event.
READ MORE - Clint Godfrey vs. Michael McDonald Added to Nov. 11th WEC

Video: Magomed "The Eagle" Shikshabekov MMA Highlight Reel




Magomed Shikshabekov (12-0) will face British veteran Che Mills (11-4), at the upcoming October 28th, M-1 Challenge event in St. Petersburg, Russia.



READ MORE - Video: Magomed "The Eagle" Shikshabekov MMA Highlight Reel

Weichel Replaces Injured Reynolds for Oct. 28th M-1 Challenge


By FCF Staff  Photo courtesy M-1 Global

M-1 Global has confirmed that lightweight Eric Reynolds will no longer fight Yuri Ivlev at the promotion’s upcoming October 28th, M-1 Challenge XXI in St. Petersburg, Russia, due to a knee injury. German veteran Daniel Weichel (24-7) (pictured left) will take his place.

“Having to withdraw always leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of both fighters, especially this close to the event,” Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1 Global was quoted saying in the official announcement. “As unfortunate as it is for Reynolds, the fans are rewarded with an incredible replacement. Weichel’s submission skills are a dead match for Ivlev. This is another amazing fight.” 

Weichel is coming off a first round, submission victory over Avtandil Shoshiashvili in August, after being stopped by Rob Sinclair in May. Weichel is 4-1 in his last five fights.

Ivlev (14-5) will head into the contest riding a six fight winning streak. Most recently in July, Ivlev knocked out Daniel Thomas in the second round.

Here is the line-up to date for the October 28th, M-1 Challenge card:

Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) vs.
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)

Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.
RafaÅ‚ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2) 

Heavyweight Title Fight:
Kenny Garner, M-1 Selection Americas champion (5-2) vs.
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (9-0). 

Yuri Ivlev (14-5) vs. Daniel Weichel (24-7) Lightweight
Mikhail Zayats (11-5) vs. TBD Light Heavyweight
Alexei Nazarov (9-3) vs. Alexei Belyaev (10-4) Middleweight
Alexander Sarnavsky (10-0) vs. Victor Kuku (7-5-1) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
Vusal Bairamov (0-1) vs. Joakhim Apie (0-0) Lightweight
Magomed Shikshabekov (12-0) vs. Che Mills (11-4) Welterweight


READ MORE - Weichel Replaces Injured Reynolds for Oct. 28th M-1 Challenge

Six Bouts Confirmed for UFC 125

Monday, October 18, 2010

By FCF Staff The Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially confirmed six bouts for the promotion’s upcoming New Year’s Day, 2011 event in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC 125 “Resolution” card will be hosted by the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As expected, the January 1st card will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard. The bout will be the second time the two wrestlers have fought, as Maynard worked his way to a unanimous decision win over Edgar in April, 2008.

“Resolution” will also feature a fight between notable heavyweights Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson, who are both coming off losses. Carwin was submitted in the second round by champion Brock Lesnar this past July, while Nelson was outscored by Junior dos Santos in August, and lost by unanimous decision.

Other bouts that have been confirmed for UFC 125 card include a lightweight bout between Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi, at middleweight, Chris Leben (pictured left) versus Brian Stann, light-heavyweight Brandon Vera will take on Thiago Silva, and at 170lbs., Nate Diaz will fight Dong Hyun Kim.
READ MORE - Six Bouts Confirmed for UFC 125

Mikhail Zayats Added to M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Garner

By FCF Staff  Photo Courtesy M-1 Global

M-1 Global has announced that light-heavyweight Mikhail Zayats will compete on the promotion’s upcoming October 28th event in St. Petersburg, Russia. No opponent has been confirmed for the Red Devil Sport Club fighter.

Zayats (11-5) (pictured left) is coming off a first round, submission victory over Toni Valtonen in June, after being stopped by Robert Jocz in January. The Russian fighter heads into the October 28th bout having gone 2-3 in his last five fights.

“Zayats needs to seize the opportunity that has been presented to him and return to his winning ways,” M-1 Global’s Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan was quoted saying in a press release. “M-1 Challenge XXI is drawing considerable attention and we’re expecting Zayats to deliver a great performance.”

The M-1 Challenge will be headlined by a bout between Americas Selection heavyweight winner Kenny Garner and Western Europe finalist Guram Gugenishvili, to determine the promotion’s heavyweight champion.

Here is the line-up to date for the October 28th, M-1 Challenge XXI card.

Lightweight Title Fight:
Artiom Damkovsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (10-4) vs.
Mairbek Taisumov, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (12-2)

Middleweight Title Fight:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.
RafaÅ‚ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2) 

Heavyweight Title Fight:
Kenny Garner, M-1 Selection Americas champion (5-2) vs.
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (9-0).

Mikhail Zayats (11-5) vs. TBD
Magomed Shikshabekov (12-0) vs. Che Mills (11-4) Welterweight
Yuri Ivlev (14-5) vs. Eric Reynolds (13-4) Lightweight
Alexei Nazarov (9-3) vs. Alexei Belyaev (10-4) Middleweight

Alexander Sarnavsky (10-0) vs. Victor Kuku (7-5-1) Lightweight
Rashid Magomedov (6-2) vs. Igor Araujo (18-5) Welterweight
Dmitry Samoilov (8-5-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Omarov (5-0) Light Heavyweight
Vusal Bairamov (0-1) vs. Joakhim Apie (0-0) Lightweight


READ MORE - Mikhail Zayats Added to M-1 Challenge XXI: Guram vs. Garner

Condit Says KO Victory “Biggest Win” of his Career

Sunday, October 17, 2010


By Kelsey Mowatt   Carlos Condit arrived in the UFC last year with a lot of fanfare, largely due to the fact that the veteran fighter had owned the WEC welterweight division while it existed, going 5-0 in his reign as the promotion’s 170lb. champion. In his first three Octagon outings Condit wasn’t the dominant force he had been in the WEC, losing by split decision to Martin Kampmann, only to then earn hard fought victories over Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald. Perhaps this is why Condit was quick to concede at last night’s post-fight UFC 120 press conference, that his impressive KO win over Dan Hardy, was extremely important for the 26-5 fighter.

“This is definitely the biggest fight of my career,” Condit said afterwards. “Fighting on the co-main; fighting Dan pretty much in his backyard, and at the O2 Arena, this is the biggest win of my career so far.”

Heading into the bout the outspoken Hardy publicly criticized Condit’s head coach Greg Jackson, for implementing game plans, which according to the British fighter are conservative in nature. It was clear from the opening bell last night; however, that Condit was looking to be the aggressor. 

“I think it helped immensely,” said Condit when asked about what Jackson contributed to the victory. “I’m obviously not the same fighter and I don’t have the same style or attributes that GSP (Georges St. Pierre) does, so we had a different approach to the fight. Having a coach who just recently trained a guy to fight Dan was definitely beneficial.”

It will be interesting to see where the win over Hardy leaves Condit in the welterweight division, and who the UFC elects to match him up next. With his current Octagon record sitting at 3-1, another notable win could leave Condit within striking distance of a title shot.

“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing who wins that fight between Kampmann and (Jake) Shields,” said Condit, when asked for his thoughts on the upcoming match-up. “I’ve fought both those guys, have decisions to both of them, and I would like to maybe get one of those losses back. As far as GSP being a teammate over at Jackson’s; we haven’t really discussed it very much. I think it would it be foolish of me to turn down an opportunity like that, but, I guess we’ll just have to discuss that when we get to that juncture.”

The last comment regarding his willingness to fight St. Pierre, drew the applause of UFC President Dana White, who frowns upon fighters refusing to fight their teammates. While Condit could be a win or two from competing for the title, the possibility of fighting his teammate St. Pierre is likely not a pressing concern, when one considers others like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, and probably Shields if he wins next weekend, are next in line.



READ MORE - Condit Says KO Victory “Biggest Win” of his Career

Bisping Decisions Akiyama; Condit KO's Hardy


By Dustin Lee DePue

London, England—Michael “The Count” Bisping gave the British fans at the O2 arena something to cheer about as he prevailed in a rousing slugfest with Yoshihiro Akiyama.  Bisping’s countrymen Dan Hardy and John Hathaway were not as lucky as they both absorbed losses Saturday night to Carlos Condit and Mike Pyle respectively. 

In the main event, Bisping and Akiyama spent three full rounds labeling each other with stiff right hands but it was Bisping’s combinations and conditioning that gave him the earned him the unanimous decision.  As in his last fight with Dennis Kang, Bisping was tagged early with a stiff right hand and had to shake the cobwebs out during the opening seconds of the fight.  This time, it was an overhand right by Akiyama that put Bisping in danger.  Akiyama pressed, landing a right straight and several snapping jabs but Bisping was able to reset himself and scored with a pair of fast one-two’s that signaled a shift in the round.  Midway through the round, Bisping surpassed Akiyama in production and punches landed.  He found continued success with his right straight and finished the round with a flying knee.

The second round started with a bang as Bisping landed a one-two and Akiyama answered with a hard right hook.  The round quickly turned into a slug fest with both fighters landing big punches.  Bisping landed more punches, including a three or four clean, hard right hands and several kicks to the body.  Akiyama stole some of Bisping’s thunder at the end of the round, landing a right hook that shook him up.

The sheer number of hard punches landed by Bisping began to take their toll on Akiyama’s speed and movement in the third round.  He flurried in the opening seconds of the round but Bisping defended and countered with a kick to the head.  Bisping spent the rest of the round bouncing punches off of Akiyama’s head, which may very well be made of bricks considering the amount of damage he took.  It wasn’t until late in the round that Akiyama was finally staggered from a punch but he quickly came roaring back, finishing the round with a display of fighting spirit that transcended winning and losing.  In the end, Bisping earned a well-deserved unanimous decision victory by three scores of 30-27.

In the co-main event, Carlos Condit stopped hometown hero Dan Hardy with a wicked knockout late in the first round.  Both fighters were content to stand and traded low and high kicks for most of the round.  Hardy landed a couple of counter left hooks and Condit nearly landed a hard spinning back elbow in an evenly contested matchup.  The end came in the final minute of the first round when both fighters planted their feet and threw left hooks at the same time.  Condit landed first with a shot right on the button that dropped Hardy onto his back.  Condit followed up with a pair of punches to the chin that knocked out Hardy with just 33 seconds left in the round. 

Cagey veteran Mike Pyle handed John Hathaway his first loss, using his grappling prowess to keep Hathaway on defense for much of the fight en route to a unanimous decision victory.  In the first round Pyle scored a pair of takedowns and found a home for his overhand right, landing the punch many times and staggering Hathaway at one point.  In the second round, Hathaway started to get into a rhythm, landing a solid left straight and increasing his output before Pyle put Hathaway’s offense to a screeching halt by putting him on his back and getting side control.  From there, Pyle locked up a triangle and spent half of the round dropping punches and elbows onto Hathaway’s forehead. 

Hathaway tried to get Pyle to the mat in the third round but it was Pyle that scored the takedown, bringing Hathaway down with a single leg.  Hathaway tried to set up an armbar but Pyle slid right through to side control in a beautiful display of jiu-jitsu.  He finished the round strong, landing punches and elbows from on top and earned a well-deserved unanimous decision by three scores of 30-27.

Neither Cheick Kongo nor Travis Browne walked out of the octagon with a loss on their record as the two heavyweights fought to a draw.  Browne started the fight aggressively pursuing Kongo with lunging hooks and overhand punches.  Kongo kept his distance, landing several hard low kicks before closing the distance himself to try to land a punch combination.  Browne beat him to the punch, staggering Kongo with a left hook.  Browne followed it up with a right hook and hard knees from the clinch and clearly won the round. 

Kongo found a target for his punches in the second round as he slipped in counter punches as Browne advanced.  He caught Browne with a stiff right cross early in the round and hurt him with a series of hooks as Browne covered.  In the clinch, Kongo pounded Browne’s thighs with sharp knees until they turned purple.  In the final round, Kongo was docked a point for holding onto Browne’s shorts. He spent the final minute pressing for the finish and landed some punches but it was not enough to overcome the point deduction and the fight was ruled a draw by three scores of 28-28. 

Alexander Gustafsson kicked off the broadcast by putting a beating on Cyrille Diabate before finishing him with a rear naked choke.  Gustafsson overwhelmed Diabate with punches in the first round, catching him with punch combinations as he attempted to clinch and rocking him with a left hand and then again with a hard uppercut.   Gustafsson switched gears in the second round, taking his worn out opponent to the mat and working his way to back mount where he unleashed a flurry of hard punches to set up a rear naked choke for the tapout at 2:41.

Televised Results

Michael Bisping def Yoshihiro Akiyama by Unanimous Decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Carlos Condit def Dan Hardy by KO 4:27 Rd 2
Mike Pyle def John Hathaway by Unanimous Decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Cheick Kongo Draws Travis Browne 28-28, 28-28, 28-28
Alexander Gustafsson def Cyrille Diabate by Rear Naked Choke 2:41 Rd 2


READ MORE - Bisping Decisions Akiyama; Condit KO's Hardy