St. Pierre Dominates Koscheck for UD Win

Saturday, December 11, 2010

By FCF Staff

Georges St. Pierre used a strong left jab and consistent leg kicks en route to a dominant unanimous decision win over Josh Koscheck tonight in Montreal, Quebec. Early on Koscheck was largely able to negate the wrestling game of the UFC welterweight champion, however, he was unable to stop St. Pierre's left jab which had closed the challenger's eye as the fight wore on.

Despite trying to step up his attacks in the fourth and fifth round, Koshcheck was unable to land any telling strikes to St. Pierre, who continued to punish the AKA fighter with strikes. As the final bell sounded Koscheck embraced the man who he had relentlessly criticized over the last few weeks, before a unanimous decision was announced for St.Pierre.

Here are the results for tonight's UFC broadcast.


Georges St-Pierre def. Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision (50-45 x 5)
Stefan Struve def. Sean McCorkle by TKO (strikes) at 3:55, R1
Jim Miller def. Charles Oliveira by submission (knee bar) at 1:59, R1
Mac Danzig def. Joe Stevenson by KO at 1:54, R1
Thiago Alves def. John Howard by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Dan Miller def. Joe Doerksen by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Mark Bocek def. Dustin Hazelett by submission (triangle choke) at 2:33, R1
Sean Pierson def. Matt Riddle by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
READ MORE - St. Pierre Dominates Koscheck for UD Win

Zavurov, Moks and Vasilevsky Win M-1 Titles

By FCF Staff; photo courtesy M-1 Global

Moscow, Russia hosted M-1 Challenge XXII yesterday; a card that saw Shamil Zavurov, Rafal Moks and Vyacheslav Vasilvesky take home the promotion’s welterweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight belts respectively. (Pictured: Moks with the middleweight belt)

UFC vets Luigi Fioravanti and Vinny Magalhaes also competed on the card and emerged with submission victories.

Here are the official results for M-1 Challenge XXII.

Official Results:

Alexander Sarnavskiy def. Arsen Ubaidulaev – RNC :43 of Round 1
Yana Kunitskaya  def. Cindy ‘Battlecat’ Dandois – TKO :30 of Round 1
Vinny Magalhaes def. Alihan Magomedov – Armbar 1:10 of Round 2
Luigi Fioravanti def. Arthur Guseinov – RNC :35 of the 4th (extra) round
Mikhail Zayats def. David Tkeshelashvili – RNC 2:26 of Round 1
Victor Nemkov def. Daniel Vizcaya – Triangle 1:11 of Round 1
Alexander Tokarev def. Vusal Bayramov – TKO 1:47 of Round 1
Vitaliy Minakov def. Valeri Scherbakov – Armbar 1:07 of Round 1
Pat Bennett vs. Alexander Volkov - Draw (bout ruled a draw after extra round)

Championship Bouts

Welterweight: Shamil Zavurov def. Abner Lloveras – TKO 4:27 of Round 4

Middleweight: RafaƂ Moks def. Magomed Sultanakhmedov – Submission (heel hook) :19 of Round 1

Light Heavyweight: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky def. Tomasz Narkun – TKO (verbal submission) 3:23 of Round 2
READ MORE - Zavurov, Moks and Vasilevsky Win M-1 Titles

UFC 124 Weigh-In Results

Friday, December 10, 2010

By FCF Staff

To no one’s surprise Josh Koscheck was greeted with a chorus of boos at the official UFC 124 weigh-ins this afternoon in Montreal, Quebec, as the outspoken welterweight came in at 169lbs. for his bout tomorrow night with Georges St. Pierre. Welcomed warmly by his hometown fans, the champion St. Pierre weighed in at 170, before exchanging words with Koscheck as the two squared off.

All of the competitors made weight for tomorrow’s pay-per-view event; here are the official weigh-in results.

Georges St. Pierre (170) vs. Josh Koscheck (169)
Stefan Struve (253) vs. Sean McCorkle (264)
Jim Miller (155) vs. Charles Oliveira (153.5)
Mac Danzig (156) vs. Joe Stevenson (155.5)
Thiago Alves (171) vs. John Howard (171)
Mark Bocek (155.5) vs. Dustin Hazelett (155)
Jesse Bongfeldt (185.5) vs. Rafael Natal (185)
Sean Pierson (170.5) vs. Matt Riddle (170.5)
Joe Doersken (185.5) vs. Dan Miller (184.5)
TJ Grant (170) vs. Ricardo Almeida (170.5)
Pat Audinwood (156) vs. John Makdessi (155)
READ MORE - UFC 124 Weigh-In Results

Dana White Confirms “Kid” Yamamoto Signed to UFC


By FCF Staff

With the UFC now promoting a featherweight division, the promotion has taken steps to add another notable name to its roster, as UFC President Dana White has confirmed that the organization has signed Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-3). White confirmed the signing via his official Twitter account; when asked about a recent report from MMA Junkie that stated the Japanese featherweight was headed to the Octagon, White posted “we did sign Kid.”

No details about Yamamoto’s contract or when the 33 year-old-fighter will make his UFC debut were given.

Yamamoto fought just once in 2010; in May he knocked out Federico Lopez in the first round at Dream 14. In 2009, Yamamoto returned to MMA for the first time since New Year’s Eve, 2007, and lost by decision in back-to-back bouts against Joe Warren and Masanori Kanehara. Yamamoto had made a bid for the Olympic freestyle wrestling team in 2008.

The losses were Yamamoto’s first since 2002 and ended his 14 fight undefeated streak, which had catapulted him to the top of the world featherweight rankings.


READ MORE - Dana White Confirms “Kid” Yamamoto Signed to UFC

M-1 Challenge XXII Weigh-In Results

Thursday, December 9, 2010


By FCF Staff

M-1 Global held the official weigh-ins earlier today in anticipation of tomorrow’s M-1 Challenge XXII card in Moscow, Russia. The card will feature three title fights and will also see UFC vets Vinny Magalhaes and Luigi Fioravanti compete on the undercard.

The event will be streamed live on M-1 Global’s official website beginning tomorrow at 11:00AM EST / 8:00AM PST.

Here are the official weigh-in results for M-1 Challenge XXII.

Under Card Bouts:
Alexander Sarnavskiy (152.0 lbs) vs. Arsen Ubaidulaev (152.0 lbs) Lightweight
Cindy ‘Battlecat’ Dandois (145.5 lbs) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (144.0 lbs) Woman’s 145lb
Pat Bennett (242.5 lbs) vs. Alexander Volkov (224.5 lbs) Heavyweight
Vinny Magalhaes (204.0 lbs) vs. Alihan Magomedov (203.5 lbs) Light Heavyweight
Luigi Fioravanti (185.0 lbs) vs. Arthur Guseinov (183.0 lbs) Middleweight
Mikhail Zayats (202.0 lbs) vs. David Tkeshelashvili (205.0 lbs) Light Heavyweight
Daniel Vizcaya (201.0 lbs) vs. Victor Nemkov (203.0 lbs) Light Heavyweight
Vusal Bayramov (155.0 lbs) vs. Alexander Tokarev (153.5 lbs) Lightweight 
Valeri Scherbakov (227.0 lbs) vs. Vitaliy Minakov (246.0 lbs) Heavyweight

Championship Bouts

Welterweight Division:
Abner Lloveras, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champion (167.0 lbs) vs.
Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (169.0 lbs)

Middleweight Division:
Magomed ‘The White Wolf’ Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (183.5 lbs) vs.
RafaƂ ‘Kulturysta’ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (177.5 lbs)  

Light Heavyweight Division:
Tomasz ‘Giraffe’ Narkun, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (205.0 lbs) vs.
Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Vasilevsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe champion (191.0 lbs)
READ MORE - M-1 Challenge XXII Weigh-In Results

Thomson vs. Kawajiri Confirmed for NYE Dynamite!



By FCF Staff; photo courtesy Esther Lin / Strikeforce

Strikeforce has confirmed that the promotion’s former lightweight champ Josh Thomson will face highly regarded veteran Tatsuya Kawajiri, at Dream’s New Year’s Eve Dynamite card in Saitama, Japan. The card, which will be broadcast throughout North America on HDNet, will also see Dream Featherweight Champion Bibiano Fernandes look to defend his title against Hiroyuki Takaya. (Pictured: Thomson hitting "JZ" Cavalcante)

Thomson (18-3) will head into the bout having won back-to-back bouts since failing to defeat Gilbert Melendez in their rematch last December. Since the decision loss, Thomson has gone on to submit Pat Healy in June, before earning a UD win over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante in October.

“I've wanted this fight forever,’’ Thomson was quoted saying in a press release from Strikeforce. “He’s somebody that excites me.’’

Kawajiri (26-6-2) has not competed since July, when he was submitted by Dream champion Shinya Aoki with a first round Achilles Lock. The loss ended Kawajiri’s four fight winning streak, which included wins over Kazunori Yokota, Ross Ebanez and the aforementioned Cavalcante.

The NYE bout is a result of a continued cooperation between Dream and Strikeforce, who have utilized fighters from each promotion’s roster on several occasions.
READ MORE - Thomson vs. Kawajiri Confirmed for NYE Dynamite!

Hioki and Sandro Title Fight Confirmed for Dec. 30th Sengoku

Wednesday, December 8, 2010


By FCF Staff

World Victory Road has announced that the promotion’s featherweight champion Marlon Sandro will face highly regarded challenger Hatsu Hioki, at its upcoming “Soul of Fight” show on December 30th. The card, which will be hosted by the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, is expected to air on HDNet.

Sandro (17-1) will head into the bout having knocked out Yuji Hoshino, Tomonari Kanomata and more recently Masonir Kanehara, in his last three bouts. The Brazilian’s only loss to date was a tightly contested, split decision he dropped to Michihiro Omigawa last August.

Hioki (22-4-2), who is the reigning 143lb. Shooto champ, has won back-to-back bouts over Takeshi Inoue and more recently Jeff Lawson, after also losing by split decision to Omigawa last November.

WVR has also confirmed a middleweight bout between Kazuo Misaki and Mike Seal for the card.

Misaki (22-11-2) has been stopped by Melvin Manhoef and Jorge Santiago in his last two outings, after submitting Kazuhiro Nakamura last summer.

Seal (13-13-1) is 3-2 in his last five fights and is coming off a submission loss to Timothy Woods in May, while competing under the Ultimate Warrior Challenge banner.

Some of the other bouts scheduled for “Soul of Fight” include Yasubey Enomoto vs. Keita Nakamura, Jadamba Narantungalag vs. Kazunori Yokota, Taiyo Nakahara vs. Akitoshi Tamura and Dave Herman vs. Yoshihiro Nakao.

READ MORE - Hioki and Sandro Title Fight Confirmed for Dec. 30th Sengoku

After Considering Retirement in 2009, St. Preux Looking to Build on Break-Out Year


By Kelsey Mowatt

One year ago, few people would have likely predicted that by the close of 2010, Ovince St. Preux would be considered one of Strikeforce’s fastest rising light-heavyweights. After all, this time last year, St. Preux’s MMA record was 3-4, and the former collegiate line-backer was coming off back-to-back losses to Nik Fekete and Virgil Swicker. Despite his impressive athletic abilities, St. Preux was struggling at times early into his MMA career. (Pictured: St. Preux hitting Radach from above)

2010, however, has been a dramatically different story, and in this year’s campaign St. Preux has not only won six straight, he’s recorded victories over UFC vets in Jason Day and most recently, Benji Radach. St. Preux is quickly improving and people have been forced to take notice as a result.

“To be perfectly honest, this time last year I was thinking to myself that I almost wanted to quit fighting,” St. Preux told FCF when asked to reflect on the past twelve months. “People tell you when you first get into the sport that you’re going to lose in order to gain, but when you continue to train, do good shows, you’ll get back those losses. This year has been such a blessing for me.”

While a successful Strikeforce debut in April and St. Preux’s eight second KO of Day in July created some buzz, earning back-to-back decision wins over Antwain Britt and Radach in a span of two weeks, was a great way to cap off the year.

“Those wins were very important,” said St. Preux. “Every fight I have now with Strikeforce is going to be the most important fight of my career. When I fought Antwain two weeks ago that was the most important fight of my career, and then when I fought Benji it was the most important.”

After working his way to a unanimous decision win over Britt on November 19th, it certainly appeared as though St. Preux’s would close out 2010 having gone 5-0. But when a series of injuries hit Strikeforce’s December 4th “Henderson vs. Babalu” card, the promotion was left scrambling to find another compelling fight.

“At first I thought, if you don’t take the fight, when’s the next time you’ll get an opportunity to fight a guy like Benji on a big show,” said St. Preux. “So I thought I might as well take it as I really had nothing to lose.”

Clearly St. Preux made the right call, as he punished the veteran Radach throughout the bout, landing some telling strikes when the two were on their feet, but largely from the top position on the ground.

“My strategy was to stick and move, stick and move,” St. Preux said, when asked about the game plan he looked to employ against Radach. “My initial strategy was to just get him against the cage and just kind of grind on him and take him down. He kind of tried to force that situation on me, but I was able to come out on top.”

“He felt strong to me,” said St. Preux, when asked about the fact that Radach moved up to 205lbs. from middleweight where he usually competes. “I didn’t really have to lose that much weight for this fight, I only had to cut six pounds and that was it. So I didn’t think I looked bigger than him; I thought at the weigh-ins he looked bigger than me.”

Having put together a remarkable break-out campaign in 2010, St. Preux is setting the bar even higher for himself in 2011.

“I told myself that in 2010 I wanted to get my record up to par and sign with a major organization,” St. Preux noted. “I did that. I told myself in 2011 I want to get a title shot and get my name out there; I want to get my name out to the MMA community, not just in the U.S. but around the world.”


READ MORE - After Considering Retirement in 2009, St. Preux Looking to Build on Break-Out Year

Florian Confirms Injury, Withdrawal from Dunham Bout

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

By FCF Staff

Perennial lightweight contender Kenny Florian has confirmed on his official website, that he will not face Evan Dunham as originally scheduled on January 22nd, due to a knee injury he incurred while training. The bout had been pencilled in as the main event for the upcoming “Fight for the Troops” card, which will take place at Fort Hood in Texas.

Here is part of the statement that appeared on Florian’s website earlier today.

It is with deep regret that I will not be able to compete in my scheduled fight against Evan Dunham on January 22nd, due to a knee injury I sustained during training this morning. Although I have not had an MRI as of yet; the doctors are cautiously optimistic that it will not require surgery. 

Florian is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Gray Maynard in August, after earning back-to-back victories over Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi. Florian went on to say that he is “determined to return to the octagon in the first half on 2011.”

Dunham (11-1) was defeated for the first time in his pro career in September, when he dropped a tighlty contested split decision to former champ Sean Sherk. Prior to the loss Dunham had won four straight in the Octagon. 

The UFC has not yet made an official announcement regarding Florian’s injury.




READ MORE - Florian Confirms Injury, Withdrawal from Dunham Bout

New FCF Radio with Joe Doerksen

On this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, host Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and co-host James Kellaris review two shows, starting with "Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu 2" where Dan Henderson knocked out Renato "Babalu" Sobral just like we knew he would. Also, Paul Daley was able to knock out Scott Smith just like we feared he would, and Robbie Lawler nearly killed Matt Lindland just like we suspected he would.  Then again, Mike Kyle nearly knocked out Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and we didn't see that coming at all. Tune in and hear exactly that, but with much more humor and intrigue; plus a few poorly-researched details. 

Then, hang around as we skip over to talk about The Ultimate Fighter Finale, where Jonathan Brookins was able to out-point Micheal Johnson in a match that literally no one is talking about, after a season of The Ultimate Fighter that nobody seemed to care about, including us.  What we do care about, however, is how the sport in nose-diving into and abyss of nonsensical decisions thanks to a crew of judges who we can only assume have the approximate wisdom of chimpanzees when it comes to an overall ability to understand who won and who lost a fight.  Catch the rant, then stick around for further ranting as we run down the rest of the fights on the card.

Like that's not enough info-tainment for the show, we also preview the next UFC, where welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is geared up to defend his belt against the uber-heel Josh Koscheck.  What's going to happen there?  What about the rest of the card?  We'll run it down for you.  Then, wait a second, we're not done?  No, as Joe "El Dirte" Doerksen comes by to talk about his fight on the card against Jim Miller and share his thoughts on the main event, his last fight and how he's trained for his latest fight in the UFC. Whew!  That's a show so entertaining, it should come with a cold glass of water you can throw in your own face if you get too riled up.

To listen to the show click here.
READ MORE - New FCF Radio with Joe Doerksen

Report: UFC to Make Toronto Debut April 30th


By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will finally make its debut in Canada’s largest city, Toronto, Ontario, on April 30th. UFC President Dana White made the announcement at a press conference in the city this morning according to a report from the Toronto Star.

In addition to the fact that the UFC will finally break ground in one of North America’s largest markets, the promotion announced that the card will be hosted by the city’s Rogers Center, and not the much smaller Air Canada Center. The Rogers Center, formerly known as The Skydome, can seat over 65,000 people and is home to the Toronto Blue Jays and the city’s pro football team, The Toronto Argonauts.

Based on previous attendance numbers and reported pay-per-view buy rates in Canada, the April 30th event could break North American MMA attendance and live-gate records.

Just yesterday, Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer Services announced that MMA promoters could begin applying for licenses on January 1st to host events in 2011. Several months ago the Ontario Provincial Government announced that it was overturning a ban on MMA, opening the door for the sport in Canada’s most populated province.

No fights for the UFC 131 card were announced.
READ MORE - Report: UFC to Make Toronto Debut April 30th

Latest Victory “Pivotal Point” for Rick Story

Monday, December 6, 2010

By Kelsey Mowatt; photo courtesy Brave Legion

Heading into this past weekend’s busy MMA schedule, which featured several prominent fighters and the championship final for TUF 12, Saturday’s bout between rising welterweights Rick Story and Johny Hendricks got lost in the shuffle perhaps just a little bit. Of course, there was in fact much riding on the outcome of the fight, as both Hendricks and Story have quickly asserted their presence in the UFC’s welterweight division. A win for either man would speak volumes about who might just be the division’s fastest rising prospect.

In the end, however, it was Rick Story’s night, and after working his way to a unanimous decision win over Hendricks, the 26-year-old fighter is confident that more people will now take notice of his promising career.

“I think this was a pivotal point for me,” Story told FCF today. “For whether or not the UFC was going to promote me more, or kind of just keep me on the backburner. This was definitely a huge fight for me to get in more people eyes and households. Beating someone like Johny who is undefeated, and with both us kind of under the radar, it has to be time for everyone to notice what we’re doing.”

With the win, Story (12-3) has won five straight; a streak which also includes victories over Brian Foster, Jesse Lennox, Nick Osipczak and Dustin Hazelett. It’s more than likely that the Brave Legion fighter will face a well established, top ten competitor next, and Story would have it no other way.

“That’s why I’m in the sport,” said Story, “I want to be number one and the only way I’m going to get there is by fighting top ten guys. I feel that I’m on the same level, if not better, and I’m not going to quit until I’m number one.”

“I haven’t really analyzed anyone out there,” Story added, when asked if there is anyone in particular he may be looking at in terms of his next opponent. “I don’t really care; I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

One of the main questions heading into Saturday’s fight was how Story’s wrestling abilities would match up against Hendricks, a former NCAA champion. Story, who was an accomplished NAIA wrestler in his own right, was largely able to keep the fight standing and out struck Hendricks for the win.

“I know that Johny is a great wrestler, and I actually watched him compete in tournaments that I got put out of in college,” Story said. “Being able to go in and fight someone like that it kind of gives me a little bit of redemption. He had so many accomplishments and I fell short of my goals, taking second in the nation, so to have the opportunity to defeat a NCAA champ feels great.”

It was Story’s aforementioned striking game which ultimately scored him the win, including his consistent and effective use of body punches.

“It was part of the game plan,” said Story, who trains alongside his manager and coach Pat White in Vancouver, Washington. “I know what those body shots feel like; I’ve had them happen to me. Even when I’ve been in the best shape, it doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, it just really takes a lot out of you.”

With 2010 coming to a close, and four more UFC wins now under this belt, Story is confident that his success will continue through 2011.

“With my training regiment and what I put myself through, I know that it will get me to where I want to be,” Story noted, while discussing his aspirations for the coming 12 months. “After a couple more wins I want to fight for a title.”





READ MORE - Latest Victory “Pivotal Point” for Rick Story

Video: Strikeforce's "Henderson vs. Babalu" Recap

If you missed Strikeforce's "Henderson vs. Babalu" card Saturday night check out the video recap below.

READ MORE - Video: Strikeforce's "Henderson vs. Babalu" Recap

Woodley vs. Saffiedine, Other Bouts Confirmed for Jan. 7th

Sunday, December 5, 2010


By FCF Staff

Following Strikeforce’s memorable  “Henderson vs. Babalu” card last night in St. Louis, the promotion has confirmed several bouts for its upcoming, January 7th Challengers event in Nashville, Tennessee.

During last night’s Showtime broadcast, it was announced that a bout between rising welterweight Tyron Woodley (pictured) and the veteran Tarec Saffiedine would headline the first Challengers event of 2011.

Woodley (7-0) is coming off an impressive KO of Andre Galvao in October, after the accomplished wrestler earned a split decision win over Nathan Coy in May.

Saffiedine (10-2) last competed in September and scored a unanimous decision win over UFC vet Brock Larson, while competing under the Shark Fights banner. Prior to that, the noted striker knocked out Nate Moore at a Challengers event in May.

As reported previously by FCF, in another bout featuring a decorated wrestler, turned MMA prospect, heavyweight Daniel Cormier (6-0) will take on International Fight League vet Devin Cole (18-8-1).

Cormier last competed on November 5th, on an Xtreme MMA card in Australia, and tapped out Soa Palelei in the first round with strikes.

Cole is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Aaron Rosa at Shark Fights 13 in September. In August, he stopped Trevor Smith in the first round with strikes, while competing for Rumble on the Ridge.

Other bouts that have been confirmed for the January 7th Challengers card include; Yancy “Frisson’’ Medeiros (9-0) vs. middleweight John Salter (5-2), Julia “The Jewel’’ Budd (1-0) vs. Amanda “Lioness Of The Ring’’ Nunes (5-1) at 145 pounds, and Nate Moore (6-2) vs. welterweight Nate “Soulforce’’ Coy (8-3).

The card will be broadcast live on Showtime.
READ MORE - Woodley vs. Saffiedine, Other Bouts Confirmed for Jan. 7th