Full Contact Fighter News

UFC 131 Press Conference Highlights

2011-06-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Vancouver’s Jack Poole Plaza hosted the pre-fight press conference for this Saturday’s UFC 131 event, which will be hosted by the city’s Rogers Centre. The card will be headlined by a bout between heavyweight contenders Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin.

Here are some of today's highlights:

UFC President Dana White is not concerned about the fact that Saturday’s event is not sold out yet, in stark contrast to the quick sell out that occurred for the promotion’s Vancouver debut last year. White insisted that the UFC will return to the Olympic City once again.

White said they’re “working on” the promotion’s first event in China, after opening an office in Beijing recently.

Kenny Florian said moving his camp to the renowned Tri Star Gym in Montreal, home of welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and trainer Firas Zihabi is one of “the best decisions” he’s made.

Shane Carwin conceded that Junior dos Santos has “great boxing” and is one of the world’s top heavyweights.

White would not confirm recent reports that the UFC is looking to acquire a controlling interest in Comcast’s G4 cable network, before admitting that they are “talking to everyone” as the promotion’s current broadcasting deal with Spike winds down.

Dos Santos says he is still happy that he decided to fight at UFC 131 rather than wait for current champion Cain Velasquez to recover from shoulder surgery.

White was quick to compliment Yves Edwards when asked if he’s glad that the lightweight veteran is back in the UFC, adding that he expects the Edwards, Sam Stout fight to be a “war.”

Diego Nunes said Saturday’s bout with Florian “is a dream come true,” before White added that if Nunes indeed beats Florian it will be a “life changing” fight.

White acknowledged that the UFC has plans to promote an event in Sweden, saying that they had hoped to have a card there “soon.”

When asked if the winner of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand-Prix could wind up facing one of the UFC’s top ranked heavyweights , White said he had “no clue” if it such a cross promotional match-up was possible at this juncture.

Carwin said he wishes former champion Brock Lesnar all the best as he recovers from the recent surgery that was required to address another bout of diverticulitis.

Florian said his weight cut to 145lbs. has been going “smoothly” and has been easier than he originally anticipated.

Nunes stated he would be willing to fight his friend and current featherweight champion Jose Aldo, if the opportunity arises.

MFC 30 “Up Close & Personal” Weigh-In Results

2011-06-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Maximum Fighting Championship held the official weigh-ins this afternoon in preparation for the promotion’s thirtieth event tomorrow night in Edmonton, Alberta. MFC 30, “Up Close and Personal”, will be hosted by the city’s Mayfield Conference Centre.

The card will feature two main events with UFC vets, as lightweight Drew Fickett will meet Brian Cobb and Marcus Davis (pictured) will battle welterweight Pete Spratt.

Here are the official weigh-in results for MFC 30, which will be broadcast live on HDNet.

Co-Main Event - Lightweight

Brian Cobb - 155.4

Drew Fickett - 155.5

Co-Main Event - Welterweight

Pete Spratt - 170.6

Marcus Davis - 170.1

Catchweight - 165 lbs

Thomas Denny - 163.5

Sheldon Westcott - 165.8

Welterweight

Jamie Toney - 168.4

Dhiego Lima - 170.6

Lightweight

Robert Washington - 159.6*

Curtis Demarce - 155.6

Middleweight

Andreas Spang - 185.8

Cody Krahn -

Lightweight

Scott Cleve - 154.5

Mukai Maromo - 155.1

Lightweight

Jevon Marshall - 156.1

Garrett Nybakken - 154.5

*Robert Washington fails to make weight and loses 20% of his purse

Video: "KJ Noons Uncaged" Episode 2

2011-06-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

“KJ Noons Uncaged” is a video series that documents the fighter’s efforts to prepare for his upcoming bout with Jorge Masvidal, June 18^th, in Dallas, Texas. Episode two, below, includes Noons training with Joe Duarte, Saul Malindo, and Rich Powers, as well as the experienced boxer sparring at the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles.

Video: M-1 Challenge XXVI Pat Bennett Diary Pt.1

2011-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Below is the first episode in an ongoing diary series from Pat Bennett, who will challenge M-1 Global heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili on July 8^th.

The 6’2, 240lb. plus Bennett, who is a member of New York State’s Team Bombsquad, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Alexander Volkov in December. FCF also spoke with Bennett about his upcoming bout last month.

Report: UFC in Talks to Acquire Controlling Interest of G4 Network

2011-06-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Talk of an Ultimate Fighting Championship channel is on the rise, as both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are reporting that the MMA promotion is in talks with Comcast to acquire a controlling interest of the company’s G4 gaming network. According to the report from the New York Times, sources have informed the media outlet that the UFC is considering taking a 60% or more ownership stake in the G4 channel.

The timing of the reports is intriguing, as the UFC and its current partner Spike TV, will conclude a six year broadcasting arrangement at the end of the year. The New York Times is reporting that negotiations between the two companies broke down after the UFC allegedly asked for a $325 million annual broadcasting fee.

While the UFC and Spike have shared numerous broadcasting successes, the television ratings for the recently concluded 13^th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” were lower than expected.

The Times report furthers that Spike executives are believed to be exploring other alternatives for MMA content, including Bellator FC bouts, which currently air on MTV 2. Both Spike and MTV 2 are owned by Viacom.

G4’s current parent company, Comcast, also controls the NBC and Versus Networks, the latter of which also has a broadcasting deal with the UFC. Due to its emphasis on video games, the reportedly struggling G4 network targets the same male18-34 year-old demographic as Spike.

UFC President Dana White has publicly stated in the past that the promotion is interested in creating its own cable network.

Luke Rockhold Surprised but Excited to be Challenging “Jacare” Souza

2011-06-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt

For a couple of years now, Luke Rockhold has been working his way up the Strikeforce middleweight rankings, affirming his status as one the promotion’s top prospects by winning six straight fights. While the American Kickboxing Academy fighter’s success has certainly turned heads throughout the sport, injuries have prevented Rockhold from competing since February, 2010, when he stopped Paul Bradley in the first round. Despite the extended layoff, however, Strikeforce has turned to the 26 year-old-fighter to have him challenge middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in September. The recent announcement may have surprised some, including Rockhold, but that shouldn’t diminish the importance of the fight. (Pictured: Rockhold hitting Paul Bradley)

“I’m definitely surprised but it was a glancing thought,” Rockhold told FCF while discussing his upcoming title shot. “It bounced through my head once and then I think it went straight out. I was thinking about the fact that all of the contenders have really beaten themselves out. “Mayhem” (Miller) has already gone to the UFC, Tim Kennedy lost, Robbie (Lawler) just lost; there wasn’t that many contenders and a lot of them lost. So, I was really the only one even though I was coming off a layoff. I didn’t really think it was a possibility but I was playing around with it in my head a little bit.”

There’s no question that the upcoming bout will be the biggest of Rockhold’s career to date, and with the recent Zuffa acquisition of Strikeforce, the opportunities that come with being a Strikeforce champion have likely never been greater.

“This could lead into a lot of big things,” said Rockhold while discussing the magnitude of his bout with “Jacare.” “We don’t really know what’s going to come from all of this so it means a lot, especially if at some point Strikeforce happens to close down...To jump into the UFC with the belt would mean a lot for me.”

“I’m just focused on beating Jacare,” Rockhold added. “I’ve been with Strikeforce for a while; I’ve always dreamed about being a champion and I always dreamed that I would be. So my dream is finally coming true and this is what I want. I’m really excited.”

Of course, another key reason Rockold’s next fight is of the utmost importance, is due to the fact he will be facing one of the world’s top middleweights in Souza. Since the renowned jiu-jitsu competitor has arrived in Strikeforce, Souza has defeated Matt Lindland, Joey Villasenor, Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler.

“I’ve been watching Jacare for so long,” Rockhold said. “I follow jiu-jitsu and I competed in jiu-jitsu for years. I followed Jacare way before he started fighting. I know him in and out and I know everything about him. He’s definitely a very dangerous grappler; he’s real strong, real explosive.”

“He’s definitely a real technical guy, but I think he’s gotten away in some of his fights in the past with his athleticism, his control and strength. I think he tends to use that a lot but I think in this fight that’s going to be a problem for him because I can match a lot of those attributes.”

Rockhold was scheduled to face Matt Lindland last October, but was forced to withdraw after injuring his shoulder. According to the AKA fighter, however, the injury will not play a factor in the upcoming title fight.

“It’s almost 100% but it’s not quite there,” said Rockhold. “With AC (acromioclavicular) separations it’s tough. I never had any surgery. I saw the doctor and had a series of cortisone shots to clear out the inflammation; initiate the healing process. I re-injured it, and had to go through it all again, but I feel near 100% finally...This last month it’s really turned the corner finally.”

Update: Commission Cleared Gina Carano to Fight June 18TH

2011-06-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Yesterday Strikeforce and Gina Carano announced that the fighter would not face Sarah D’Alelio as scheduled June 18^th, due to the fact that she had not received “medical clearance” to compete. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, however, the bout’s postponement had nothing to do with Carano failing to meet any of its requirements.

Susan Stanford, a public information officer for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, confirmed to FCF today that Carano was cleared by the institution to fight June 18^th and that the fighter passed all requirements including those that are medical.

No new information regarding Carano’s condition has been released from Strikeforce or Zuffa. As of a couple of weeks ago, Carano still had yet to turn in her bout agreement. Her agent, Scott Karp, informed FCF she would be doing so shortly.

Carano released the following statement yesterday:

“I’m certainly disappointed not to be fighting on June 18th. I’d like to thank Greg Jackson and Team Jackson for such an amazing camp. I hope this is only a brief setback.”

The 7-1 fighter hasn’t competed since August, 2009, when Carano was stopped by current Strikeforce 145lb. women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

UFC 131 Weigh-Ins Moved Due to Vancouver Canuck’s Playoff Run

2011-06-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced that the official UFC 131 weigh-ins, scheduled for Friday at 2:00PM PST, will no longer take place at Vancouver’s Roger Centre. According to the promotion’s official Twitter account the event has been moved to the city’s Jack Poole Plaza, the location of the 2010 Olympic Cauldron.

The Plaza is located beside the Vancouver Convention Centre (pictured) in the city’s downtown, northern waterfront.

The move was made due to the fact that the city’s National Hockey League team, the Vancouver Canucks, will play the Boston Bruins Friday at Rogers Centre in game five of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Friday’s weigh-ins are open to the public. UFC 131 will feature a heavyweight bout between contender Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin in the main event. Rogers Centre will host the event.

photo credit Greg Baker / Wikimedia

June 18th Bout Between Gina Carano and Sarah D’ Alelio Postponed

2011-06-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Strikeforce has announced that Gina Carano did not receive medical clearance to fight Sarah D’Alelio at the promotion’s upcoming June 18^th event in Dallas, Texas. As a result the bout has been swiped from the card. No details regarding why Carano was not cleared were given.(Pictured: Carano (right) trying to kick "Cyborg" Santos)

The announcement included the following statement from Carano:

“I’m certainly disappointed not to be fighting on June 18th. I’d like to thank Greg Jackson and Team Jackson for such an amazing camp. I hope this is only a brief setback.”

Carano has not competed in MMA since she was stopped by reigning 145lb. women’s champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in August, 2009. The defeat was Carano’s first and left her pro record at 7-1.

Strikeforce has confirmed that the lightweight bout between KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal has been moved to the main card, which will be broadcast on Showtime.

The June 18^th event will feature two quarterfinal bouts in Strikeforce’s ongoing heavyweight grand-prix as Alistair Overeem will take on Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers will face Josh Barnett.

After Latest Win, Patrick Cote Free Agent Once Again

2011-06-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Former UFC middleweight contender Patrick Cote is once again a free agent, following his unanimous decision win over Todd Brown at Ringside MMA 11 Saturday night. The 31 year-old-fighter confirmed his contractual status to FCF today.

“I dont know yet; have to talk to my manager,” Cote said when asked about his immediate future and whether or not he’s had any recent contact with the UFC. “I’m a free agent now but we have a lot of option.”

Cote has now won back-to-back fights since he was let go by the UFC following a decision loss to Tom Lawlor last October. This latest win comes less than two months removed from Cote’s UD win over Kalib Starnes, which took place on April 9^th at Ringside MMA 10.

“I’m happy,” said Cote when asked to evaluate his 15^th professional win. “I gave a solid and dominant performance. I wanted to finish it for sure but I showed a lot of new skills in this fight.”

Cote returned to action in 2010 after missing all of 2009 due to a series of knee injuries, one of which came in his loss to current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in October, 2008. The Quebec fighter has gone 2-2 since his return, with his other loss during that stretch coming against Alan Belcher at UFC 113 last May.

Bellator Headed to Ontario for July 23rd Card; Warren vs. Freire Headlines

2011-06-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Bellator Fighting Championships is the latest organization to announce it will be heading to Ontario, Canada to host an event, as it has confirmed that Bellator 47 will take place July 23^rd at the Casino Rama, in Rama.

“MMA is the hottest sport in Ontario right now and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with this world leader to bring Ontario fans their first taste of Bellator action,” said Jeff Craik, Vice President of Marketing, Casino Rama in the official announcement. “This is going to be one of the hottest tickets of the summer and fans can bet on seeing exactly this caliber of MMA event from Casino Rama several times a year.”

The card will be headlined by a featherweight bout between champion Joe Warren and recent season 4 tourney winner, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (pictured above on the left). The title fight will be a rematch, as Warren scored a split decision win over the Team Nogueira fighter last June.

Bellator 47 will also feature the semi-finals of the promotion’s summer series featherweight tourney. Confirmed competitors for the upcoming tournament include Ronnie Mann, Marlon Sandro, Nazareno Malegarie and Bellator Season 2 Lightweight Tournament Winner Pat Curran.

The July 23^rd event will be broadcast live on MTV 2.

Rick Story Says He Had “No Hesitations” Accepting Bout with Nate Marquardt

2011-06-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt, photo courtesy Brave Legion

26 year-old Rick Story doesn’t have time to waste in his quest for a shot at the UFC welterweight title. Despite scoring an impressive unanimous decision win over perennial contender Thiago Alves at UFC 130 on May 28^th, to entrench his position as one of the division’s fastest rising commodities, Story has elected to throw down with Nate Marquardt on June 26^th. As Story sees it, why wait several months for another big name fight when one gets offered up just a few weeks away?

“I had no hesitations,” Story (13-3) told FCF recently, when asked for his initial reaction upon being asked if he would be willing to step in for the injured Anthony Johnson. “Everyone’s been asking me why I’m fighting so soon but when I first started fighting I was fighting every month. I loved it.”

Coming off what is unquestionably the biggest win in his career to date, Story will soon face yet another notable name in Marquardt, who like Alves has been in the title shot mix for some time. Of course, Marquardt made his name in the UFC competing as a middleweight, and it will be interesting to see how the veteran performs cutting down to 170lbs.

“I think it’s another pretty good opportunity,” said Story while discussing Marquardt, who has almost three times as many fights as him. “I’m on a pretty good streak right now and it is his first weight cut down to 170. He’s a big guy but he’s going to be the same weight as me. At least for the weigh-ins, so, as far as skill he’s an awesome fighter. It’s going to be good when I win.”

While Marquardt’s weight cut will be one of the central back stories to the upcoming fight, it will be interesting to see what strategy each man employs come June 26^th. Marquardt has demonstrated his ability to finish fights standing or on the ground on numerous occasions, and could be the most well rounded fighter Story has faced to date.

“He poses a threat everywhere,” Story acknowledged. “He has really good striking. He’s very crafty and he knows how to win rounds; he’s very good at submissions...I think he’s hungry and he’s going to try to make a statement in this fight. I feel like I’m also pretty well rounded though and I think I pose a threat for anyone. It’s going to be a good fight.”

While Story will face a stern test when he faces Marquardt later this month in Pittsburgh, it’s hard not to speculate as to what would come next, if he indeed is able to defeat the accomplished vet. A title shot may not come to pass as a result of a win, but it would certainly position Story within striking distance.

“Well I’m knocking on the door right now for that contention spot,” said Story, who has now won six straight in the Octagon after dropping his UFC debut to John Hathaway in June, 2009. “I think beating a guy like Marquardt coming down from 185, who fought for the title at 85, and I beat Thiago Alves who fought for the title at 170, I think knocking off these guys means I’m knocking on the door.”

Story was clearly offered the Marquardt fight as a result of his win over Alves, who he concedes proved to be an extremely tough challenge.

“For the first two rounds it went well,” said Story, who controlled much of the action throughout the first two rounds. “The game plan was to go in and get him tired and then start using a lot more stand-up in the third . He came to fight; he was in shape. He hit me a few times that made me want to close the distance, so I didn’t follow the game-plan as much as I would have liked in the third round.”

Ringside MMA 11 Results: Patrick Cote Scores UD Win

2011-06-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

In case you missed it, former UFC middleweight contender Patrick Cote scored a unanimous decision win over Todd Brown this past Saturday at Ringside MMA 11 in Quebec City. With the win, Cote has now gone 2-0 since exiting from the UFC last year, following a UD loss to Tom Lawlor in October.

In another of the card's feature attractions, former National Hockey League player Donald Brashear stopped heavyweight Mathieu Bergeron in the first round.

Here are the complete results for Ringside MMA 11.

190 – Patrick Cote def. Toddy Brown by Decision Unanimous Decision (30-27,30-27,30-27)

135 - Stephane Pelletier def. Dimitri Waardenburg by TKO (Retirement) 5:00 R2,

HW - Donald Brashear def. Mathieu Bergeron by TKO 0:21 R1,

155 – Keven Morin def. David Lafond by Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)

205 – Marcus Hicks def. Yan Pellerin by TKO (Strikes) 3:40 R2,

155 – Dany Laflamme def. Justin Doyon by Unanimous Decision (30-27,30-27,29-28)

145 – Keven Tremblay def. Maxime Léger by Submission (Rear Naked Choke),3:32 R2,

150 – Jerome Martin def. Tommy Cote by Split Decision (29-28,29-28,28-29)

Yasubey Enomoto Scores Decision Win over Rafal Moks

2011-06-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Sengoku veteran Yasubey Enomoto scored his first win with M-1 Global this past weekend, as the Swiss fighter (pictured) worked his way to a majority decision victory over former middleweight champ Rafal Moks, at the promotion’s “Ukrainian European Battle” card Saturday.

The victory comes just weeks removed from Enomoto’s failed attempt to unseat M-1 Global Welterweight Champion Shamil Zavurov, who defeated him by unanimous decision on April 28^th.

Saturday’s card also saw the promotion’s former lightweight champion Artiom Damkovsky in action, who lost by UD to veteran Yuri Ivlev.

Here are the complete results from M-1 Global’s “Ukrainian European Battle”, which was hosted by Kiev’s National Circus of Ukraine.

Full Results

Farkhad Fatalla def. Ilya Tiunov Submission (Guillotine Choke) Rd1 ,1:48

Alexander Kozyr def. Semen Tyrlya Submission (Armbar) Rd1, 1:57

Vadim Khaitulov def. Viktor Talashov TKO (Punch) Rd1, 1:42

Andrei Dryapko def. Ruslan Khaskhanov TKO (Shoulder Injury) Rd1, 1:57

Saparbek Safarov def. Igor Litoshik TKO (Punches) Rd1, 3:00

Igor Zadernovsky def. Stepan Kostyuchenko Submission (Armbar) Rd1, 2:01

Sergey Adamchuk def. Sergey Sinkevich KO (Punch) Rd2, 2:47

Vladimir Opanasenko def. Syanan Yusibov Submission (Armbar) Rd1, 0:41

Vasily Novikov def. Alexander Nimerenko Submission (Armbar) Rd2, 3:10

Alexander Dolotenko def. Filip Anasovich Submission (Armbar) Rd1, 1:15

Antun Racic def. Vugar Bahshiev Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Rd3, 3:54

Husein Haliev def Alexander Agafonov Decision (Unanimous) Rd3, 5:00

Yuri Ivlev def. Artiom Damkovsky Decision (Unanimous) Rd3, 5:00

Yasubey Enomoto def. Rafal Moks Decision (Majority) Rd3, 5:00

Video: Ex-Hockey Enforcer Donald Brashear's First Fight

2011-06-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Former National Hockey League ‘enforcer’ Donald Brashear made his MMA debut this past weekend in Quebec City, Quebec. The 39 year-old took on heavyweight Mathieu Bergeron at Ringside MMA 11 and stopped his opponent in the first round.

During his fifteen year plus hockey career, Brashear played for several different clubs including the Montreal Canadiens, the Vancouver Canucks, and most recently, the New York Rangers.

To see video footage of Brashear’s MMA debut, courtesy the French Canadian sports network RDS, click here.

Luke Rockhold Says Bout with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza Next

2011-06-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

It appears as though rising middleweight Luke Rockhold will be the next man to face Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, according to the 26 year-old-fighter’s official Twitter account. Although the bout has not been officially announced by the company, reportedly it will take place in early September.

After going 7-1 to begin his pro MMA career, Rockhold has been plagued by injuries as of late and has not competed since February, 2010, when he stopped Paul Bradley. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter also holds a win over UFC veteran Jesse Taylor.

Here are some of the posts that have appeared on Rockhold’s Twitter page over the last day or so.

Words out, Im fighting Jacare for the title. I feel healthy, I feel ready and I feel I have all the tools to take his belt. It's on

I guess good things happen to people who wait! Lol fight will b early September.

Souza (14-2) is coming off third round, submission victory over Robbie Lawler in January to extend his undefeated streak to five. The renowned BJJ competitor scored a unanimous decision win over Tim Kennedy last August, to become the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion.

Clay Guida Credits Wrestling for Win; Wants Title Shot

2011-06-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt

After losing back-to-back bouts to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian to close out his 2009 campaign, some may have concluded at that juncture that Clay Guida’s role in the UFC lightweight division had shifted from title contender to gate keeper. Well, after scoring a unanimous decision Saturday night over the last reigning WEC lightweight champion in Anthony Pettis, Guida is once again knocking on the title shot door. Speaking after the bout, which extended Guida’s winning streak to four, “The Carpenter” didn’t hesitate to share what he hopes comes next.

“I want that belt,” said Guida, who ended up facing Pettis after the lightweight’s title shot was postponed due to the January 1^st draw between reigning champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. “I want the next guy.”

Last night’s TUF 13 Finale tilt went down as many likely expected, as Guida turned to his wrestling rather than risk any prolonged exchanges with one of the lightweight division’s most dynamic strikers. The 29 year-old-veteran effectively timed the vast majority of his takedowns and was able to control the action from above for the UD win.

“We knew grappling was going to be the key,” said Guida in the post fight press conference. “We know he’s a very long, rangy striker, very creative, one of the most imaginative strikers that I’ve seen in my weight division. I struggled with Kenny Florian so I didn’t want to make that same mistake. We caught him in the exchanges when his hands were up and he was throwing punches I was shooting, tying not to get kneed in the face.”

“We saw him fight Shane Roller and Roller was kind of fighting his game plan; Ben Henderson was fighting his game plan,” Guida noted afterwards in an interview. “We got him in the exchanges...when he was throwing punches we hit that double leg. That was kind of our bread and butter in this fight.”

Although Guida was able to take Pettis down on a consistent basis, the resilient veteran’s ground-and-pound game never really materialized, as his 24 year-old-opponent kept him on the defensive with an extremely active guard.

“He’s got the most tricky guard I’ve ever fought,” Guida said. “I must have defended ten, twelve triangles, armbars and he hit me lights out a couple times from the bottom; ain’t going to lie to you. He kicked me in the back of the head, punched me, elbowed me; tough as nails. Like I said, he’s got a real tricky guard; he’s a super talented kid.”

With the win, Guida not only improved his record to 29-11, but he assured that his name will remain in the title shot conversation for the coming months.

Clay Guida Decisions Anthony Pettis, Tony Ferguson KOs Ramsey Nijem

2011-06-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Clay Guida once again relied on his renowned wrestling and tenacity to score a unanimous decision win over Anthony Pettis tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada, to move past the final WEC lightweight champ on the title shot road. Although Pettis fought aggressively from his back and constantly pressured Guida (pictured) with submission attempts, all three judges ruled the bout in his veteran opponent’s favour.

Tony Ferguson knocked out welterweight Ramsey Nijem in the first round to win the 13^th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and collect a new six figure contract with the UFC. Early on, Ferguson kept Nijem on the defensive by taking the former collegiate wrestler down to the mat. Nijem was able to work his way back to his feet and resume his pursuit of Ferguson, but was soon sent crashing to the mat by a hard left hook.

Here are the results from tonight’s TUF 13 Finale card:

Tony Ferguson def. Ramsey Nijem via KO (punches) - R1, 3:54

Clay Guida def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision

Ed Herman def. Tim Credeur via TKO (punches) - R1, 0:48

Kyle Kingsbury def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision

Chris Cope def. Chuck O'Neil via unanimous decision

Jeremy Stephens def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision

George Roop def. Josh Grispi TKO (body punch) - R3, 3:14

Shamar Bailey def. Ryan McGillivray via unanimous decision

Clay Harvison def. Justin Edwards via split decision

Scott Jorgensen def. Ken Stone via KO (punches) - R1, 4:01

Reuben Duran def. Francisco Rivera via submission (rear-naked choke) - R3, 1:57

TUF 13 Finale Weigh-In Results

2011-06-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Here are the official weigh-in results for tonight’s “Ultimate Fighter”, Season 13 Finale, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The card, which will feature Tony Ferguson versus fellow welterweight Ramsey Nijem in the main event, will be broadcast live on Spike.

Main Event – TUF 13 Final

Tony Ferguson (169) VS Ramsey Nijem (170)

Televised fights

Anthony Pettis (155) VS Clay Guida (155)

Tim Credeur (185) VS Ed Herman (186)

Fabio Maldonado (203) VS Kyle Kingsbury (206)

Chris Cope (170) VS Chuck O’Neil (170)

Facebook fights

Jeremy Stephens (156) VS Danny Downes (155)

George Roop (146) VS Josh Grispi (145)

Shamar Bailey (171) VS Ryan McGillivray (169)

Justin Edwards (170) VS Clay Harvison (171)

Ken Stone (136) VS Scott Jorgensen (135)

Francisco Rivera (136) VS Reuben Duran (136)

NCAA Wrestling Champion Bubba Jenkins Signs with ATT

2011-06-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Yet another decorated wrestler is headed to MMA, as today American Top Team has announced that NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion Bubba Jenkins as signed with the renowned gym.

The 23 year-old Jenkins, who competed for Penn State University before transferring to Arizona State, is coming off a 2010-2011 championship season wrestling at 157 pounds.

The official ATT announcement added:

Bubba is now fully committed with his MMA career and will move down to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he will join a host of other MMA stars to work with such as: Mike Brown, Cole Miller, Jorge Masvidal, Thiago "Pitbull" Alves, Hector Lombard, and Gleison Tibau among others.

This is the first wave in American Top Team's bid to bring high level wrestlers into the mix. We are very pleased Bubba has decided to call ATT and South Florida home.

We think his overall mat experience, mental toughness, and athleticism will be key assets going forward in his MMA career.

Welcome to the ATT family Bubba!

OSU!!

Bellator Holding Open Try-Outs June 18th in Hollywood, Florida

2011-06-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

In preparation for Bellator’s next season of action, the promotion has announced that it is holding open try-outs, June 18^th, at the at The Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Registration begins at 1:00 PM local time and the try-outs will get underway at 2:00PM. Fighters from Florida will be competing for a spot on the upcoming, September 17^th Bellator 50 card, which will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Fighters from other states are welcome to try-out, with successful applicants earning a spot on other upcoming Bellator events.

“The Seminole Hard Rock has been like a second home to Bellator,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney in the annnouncement. “We’ve had tremendous success with our open tryouts in the past, actually leading to a fighter securing a spot in a nationally televised Bellator Tournament. I expect another group of great fighters will be at the tryout June 18th in Hollywood.”

Fighters who have attended open try-outs for Bellator and have proceeded to compete for the company include including Kenny Foster, Tyler Stinson, Anthony Lapsley, Anthony Leone, Jose Vega, John Orr, and Jared Downing.

The official announcement added that only professional fighters, who are not contractually obligated to any other promotion, can try-out.

Rick Story Steps in for Injured Anthony Johnson on June 26th

2011-06-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff, photo courtesy Brave Legion

Rick Story will get an opportunity to add another notable win to his resume sooner than later, following his decision victory over Thiago Alves last weekend, as the UFC has announced that he will fight Nate Marquardt, June 26^th, at the UFC on Versus 4 card.

Marquardt’s original opponent, welterweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, has been forced to withdraw due to injury.

The Story (pictured), Marquardt bout will headline the upcoming event, which will be hosted by the Consol Engergy Center in Pittsburgh. The card will be broadcast on the Versus Network.

Story (13-3) has now won six straight after losing his Octagon debut to John Hathaway by unanimous decision in June, 2009. In addition to Alves, the 26 year-old-fighter has scored victories over Johny Hendricks, Dustin Hazelett, Nick Osipczak, Jesse Lennox, and Brian Foster.

Although Marquardt (31-10-2) returned to the winner’s column with a UD win over Dan Miller in March, after losing to number one middleweight contender Yushin Okami in November, the accomplished veteran decided to drop to welterweight. The 32 year-old Marquardt is 3-2 in his last five bouts, with additional wins coming over Rousimar Palhares and Demian Maia.

Some of the other bouts scheduled for the June 26^th event include heavyweight Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, welterweight Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, featherweight Tyson Griffin vs. Manny Gamburyan and heavyweight Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft.

Kyle Noke vs. Tom Lawlor Added to UFC Live 5

2011-06-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The UFC has added a bout between two former TUF competitors to its upcoming August 14^th event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the promotion has announced that middleweights Kyle Noke and Tom Lawlor have agreed to fight on the card.

Lawlor (7-3) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Patrick Cote at UFC 121 in October, after dropping back-to-back bouts to Aaron Simpson and Joe Doerksen.

Noke (19-4-1) will head into the UFC Live 5 card having won five straight. Most recently at UFC 127 in February the Australian fighter submitted Chris Camozzi in the first round.

The upcoming August 14^th event, which will be hosted by Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, will be broadcast live on the Versus Network.

The card will also feature a welterweight bout between veterans Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle as well as a lightweight tilt between contenders Ben Henderson and Jim Miller.

Other bouts that have been confirmed for the event include a light-heavyweight bout between Stephan Bonnar and Karlos Vemola, welterweight Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah and featherweight Leonard Garcia vs. Alex Caceres.

Tony Ferguson and Ramsey Nijem TUF 13 Finalists

2011-06-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The final episode of “The Ultimate Fighter’s” thirteenth season was broadcast on the Spike Network last night and revealed that welterweights Tony Ferguson and Ramsey Nijem have advanced to the finals of the competition. The two will battle this Saturday at the TUF 13 Finale, which will be hosted by The Pearl in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nijem stopped cast-mate Chris Cope to earn a spot in the finale while Ferguson scored a third round, TKO win over Chuck O’Neil in the other semi-final.

The TUF 13 Finale, which will be broadcast live on Spike, will also feature a notable lightweight tilt between the veteran Clay Guida and rising star Anthony Pettis.

Some of the other bouts that have been confirmed for the event include middleweight Ed Herman vs. Tim Credeur, light-heavyweight Kyle Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado, the aforementioned O’Neil vs. Cope, featherweight Josh Grispi vs. George Roop, and lightweight Jeremy Stephens vs. Dan Downes.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz Official for UFC 137

2011-06-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Despite UFC President Dana White’s repeated warnings that significant hurdles would have to be overcome in order to sign a bout between its welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (pictured) and his Strikeforce counterpart Nick Diaz, the promotion has announced today that the two will indeed fight on October 29^th.

The historic bout will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today’s announcement did not include any information as to whether the match-up would be a title unification bout.

St. Pierre (22-2) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Diaz training partner and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields in April. The Canadian fighter and pound-for-pound contender has won nine straight fights since his defeat to Matt Serra in April, 2007.

Diaz (25-7), who reportedly was entertaining taking a boxing bout provided a fight with GSP didn’t materialize, stopped Paul Daley in his last outing on April 9^th. The American has won ten straight fights since his TKO loss to KJ Noons in November, 2007.

The upcoming fight will be the first to pit a reigning Strikeforce champion versus a current UFC title holder since Strikeforce was purchased by Zuffa.

No other bouts have been announced for the UFC 137 card.

Video: Justin Buchholz KOs Steve Lopez with Front-Kick

2011-06-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Video courtesy Superior Cage Combat

Antun Racic vs. Vugar Bahshiev Added to M-1 Ukraine European Battle

2011-06-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

M-1 Global continues to fill out the line-up for the promotion’s upcoming June 4^th event in Kiev, Ukraine, as it has confirmed that a lightweight bout between Vugar Bahshiev (5-3) and Antun ‘Killer’ Racic (8-2) has been added to the card.

The M-1 Ukraine European Battle event will be hosted by Kiev’s National Circus Arena and will be streamed live on the promotion’s official website.

Racic is 4-1 in his last five fights and is coming off a two win night on April 23rd, while competing at an event in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Croatian fighter has competed for M-1 once before and was stopped by Alexey Nevzorov on April 1^st.

Bashiev heads into the June 4^th card having won four straight. The Azerbaijan, combat sambo specialist is coming off a first round, submission win over Jack Magee at a M-1 Selection event in April.

M-1 Ukraine European Battle will also feature a welterweight bout between Sengoku vet Yasubey Enomoto and former M-1 middleweight champ, Rafal Moks.

Ryan Ford Talks Win Over Karo Parisyan, Facing Nick Hinchliffe Next

2011-06-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt, photo courtesy TKO Photography

On paper, Ryan Ford’s recent May 19^th stoppage win over former UFC contender Karo Parisyan was likely his biggest to date, but the rising welterweight is the first to concede that his performance that night was far from his best. Utilizing his renowned judo skills, Parisyan threw Ford to the mat on several occasions and controlled more of the action to win the first two rounds. Undaunted, Ford came out aggressively in the third and blasted Parisyan in the head with a well timed knee, opening a massive cut on the American’s forehead that ended the fight.

“I would probably grade my performance a C compared to the knee at the end which I would give an A,” Ford recently told FCF. “For the first two rounds I didn’t really follow the game plan I had going in. The second round I pretty much didn’t do nothing except sit there and let him do what he wanted to do.”

“My game plan was to go in there and strike,” Ford added. “That’s not his forte; his forte is more to be in the clinch so he can get off his judo. Every time I threw a punch we would clinch and I would stay there, I wouldn’t break off, I tried to out grapple him.”

Although the first round was fairly competitive, Parisyan dominated the action in the second, and there was little doubt in Ford’s mind that he needed to stop his opponent if he was to pull out a win.

“When I fight I don’t look for it to go to the decision, I look for the finish,” said Ford, who took on Parisyan at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario. “After the second round I asked my corner man Jesse Clarke if I was winning the fight and he said no. He said “you need to finish this fight” so my plan for the third round was to leave it all in the cage.”

The fight ending strike brought the bout to an end at 1:26 of the third round, handing Ford his third consecutive win.

“When I hit him with that knee I knew I had rocked him good because he took a few steps back,” said Ford, who now holds a pro record of 15-3. “I saw in his eyes that he was hurt.”

Parisyan’s personal struggles over the last couple of years have been well documented, and although ultimately he failed to get back on the winning track against Ford, his performance that night was certainly impressive.

“A lot of people always counted Karo out and I know he trained for that fight,” said Ford. “He looked better in this fight than his last few fights. It’s unfortunate that not too many people were able to see it but I know they’re going to be putting up the video so that people can see how Karo performed.”

Up next, Ford will take on fellow Canadian Nick Hinchliffe at Aggression MMA’s upcoming June 10^th event in Edmonton, Alberta.

“I think he’s a good fighter,” Ford said about Hinchliffe (18-7), who has fought several notable Canadian competitors including Kalib Starnes, Travis Galbraith and Rory MacDonald. “I think he’s good in everything but he’s not the best at anything. He’s a guy that likes to stand there and bang, brawl, he’s a tough guy. He’s always game and loves to throw bombs, so he’s a dangerous guy for anyone to fight.”

With a win over Parisyan now added to his resume, it will be interesting to see what may come Ford’s way, provided he can defeat Hinchliffe on June 10^th.

“Obviously the goal for any fighter is to get in the UFC,” said Ford, who informed FCF he plans on training at the renowned Kings MMA facility in Huntington Beach, California in the nearby future. “Right now I’m just doing what I got to do to take care of my family. I love fighting, I love the challenge of getting in there and fighting guys...God has a path for me and wherever it leads me I’m going to follow.”

Gegard Mousasi vs. Hiroshi Izumi, Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Kazayuki Miyata Confirmed for Dream 17

2011-05-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Dream has confirmed two title fights for the promotion’s upcoming July 16^th event in Tokyo, Japan, as light-heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (pictured) will take on Hiroshi Izumi and featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya will fight Kazayuki Miyata.

Mousasi (30-3-2) fought to a draw with Keith Jardine while competing for Strikeforce on April 9^th, after winning back-to-back bouts against Jake O’Brien and Tatsuya Mizuno under the Dream banner.

Izumi (4-1) is coming off a third round, stoppage of Ikuhisa Minowa at K-1’s Dynamite card on New Year’s Eve. The decorated judo practitioner has won four straight since being defeated by Antz Nanzen in his MMA debut.

Takaya (15-9-1) lost by split decision to Robert Peralta in his last outing at Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” card in April. The loss ended the Japanese veteran’s three fight winning streak which included defeating former champion Bibiano Fernandes by unanimous decision.

Miyata (11-7) will look to continue his impressive run as of late, as the featherweight has won seven straight. Most recently, at the aforementioned Dynamite card, Miyata scored a UD win over Caol Uno.

Other bouts that are scheduled for Dream 17 include the bantamweight grand-prix final between Masakazu Imanari and Hideo Tokoro, as well as the runner up fight between Atsushi Yamamoto and Kenji Osawa.

Brad Tavares Replaces “Mayhem” Miller vs. Aaron Simpson

2011-05-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

With Jason “Mayhem” Miller now assigned to coach the 14^th season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, alongside future opponent Michael Bisping, the UFC has announced that Brad Tavares has verbally agreed to fight Aaron Simpson on July 2^nd.

Miller was originally scheduled to fight Simpson at the UFC 132 event, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Tavares (7-0) is coming off a first round, KO win over Phil Baroni at UFC 125 in January. Prior to that the 23 year-old-middleweight and former TUF competitor scored a unanimous decision win over Seth Baczynski.

Simpson (9-2) is coming of a UD win over Mario Miranda at UFC Fight Night 24 in March, after dropping back-to-back bouts to Mark Munoz and Chris Leben. The 36 year-old-fighter and decorated wrestler has gone 4-2 in the Octagon to date.

UFC 132 will be headlined by a bantamweight bout between champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Other bouts that are scheduled for the card include Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, and Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim.

Kurt Pellegrino Announces Hiatus from Fighting, Retirement Possible

2011-05-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

After losing back-to-back bouts for the first time in his career, veteran lightweight Kurt Pellegrino has announced that he will not be renewing his contract with the UFC and is taking a hiatus from MMA competition. The 32 year-old-fighter made the announcement today on his official website.

“I am writing to let everyone know where I stand as far my fighting career goes. At this time I am choosing to take some time off and step away from the sport as a fighter. Over my most recent fights I have come to the realization that at this point I no longer can, nor want to make fighting my first priority. Never in my career have I lost two fights in a row and my last fight’s decision in particular was especially hard for me to swallow to be honest.”

After winning four straight from September, 2008 through March, 2010, Pellegrino lost by decision to George Sotiropoulos and most recently Gleison Tibau in March to leave his record at 16-6. The accomplished wrestler and BJJ black belt added that he wants to take more time to work on various aspects of his MMA game, before stating:

“Most importantly I want to spend more time with my family. My daughter is four years old and I can’t tell you how much of her life I’ve missed dedicating my life to training for fights. I did so willingly and I’ve made a lucrative career with the UFC, but I’m not sure I could ever say any amount of money was worth it. My wife and I just welcomed a baby boy and I can’t bare the thought of missing as much of his ‘firsts’ as I did my daughters. I’m looking forward to dedicating more of my time to my academy which we’ve just expanded to 9000 square feet.”

During Pellegrino’s UFC tenure he has scored seven wins in the Octagon, including victories over Thiago Tavares, Josh Neer and Fabricio Camoes. While Pellegrino did not announce his retirement, the charismatic fighter conceded that it is possible he may never fight again.

“It is bitter sweet to possibly end my career on a loss and something I will have to deal with on my own, but overall it has been a rewarding 11 years for me and I want the end to be on my terms and no one else’s. It’s hard to make a decision like this, but I feel it’s best for me to step away for now and time will tell what the future will bring for me. I don’t want to retire, but I need to find myself and find my love for this sport again.”

TJ Grant vs. Charlie Brenneman Added to UFC Live 4

2011-05-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has finalized the line-up for the promotion’s upcoming, June 26^th, card in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as it has announced that a welterweight tilt between TJ Grant (pictured) and Charlie Brenneman will be the card’s twelfth fight. UF Live 4 will be hosted by Pittsburgh’s Consol Energy Center and will be broadcast live on the Versus Network.

Grant (16-5) will be looking to return to the winner’s column after losing by unanimous decision to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 124 in December. Prior to that Grant scored a UD win over Julio Paulino at UFC 119 in September. The Canadian fighter has gone 3-3 to date in UFC competition.

Brenneman (13-2) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Amilcar Alves at the UFC’s second Fight for the Troops event this past January, after being stopped by Johny Hendricks at UFC 117 last August. The AMA Fight Club fighter is 2-1 to date in the UFC; in Brenneman's Octagon debut last March, he defeated Jason High by UD at UFC Fight Night 21.

The upcoming UFC Live 4 card will feature a welterweight bout between Nate Marquardt and Anthony Johnson in the main event. Some of the other fights that have been confirmed for the card include heavyweight Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, John Howard vs. welterweight Martin Kampmann, and a featherweight bout between Tyson Griffin and Manny Gamburyan.

Photos and Results from United Glory World Series

2011-05-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Siyar Bahadurzada only further heightened his market value this past weekend in Moscow, Russia, as the free agent fighter stopped Tommy Depret in the second round to win United Glory's World Series.With the win, Bahadurzada's (pictured on the right) record now stands at an impressive 20-4-1.

The card also featured the finals of the promotion's kickboxing competition and saw Gokhan Saki score a unanimous decision win over Brice Guidon.

In another of the night’s MMA bouts, former UFC heavyweight Denis Stojnic tapped out Mladen Kujundic with a first round, rear-naked-choke.

In other kickboxing action, Mark Miller completed his remarkable comeback from open heart surgery by knocking out Nikolaj Falin, while current Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix competitor Sergei Kharitonov knocked out fellow kickboxing vet Mighty Mo.

Bahadurzada (left) engaging Depret

Here are the results from United Glory’s World Series.

MMA: Denis Stojnic def. Mladen Kujundzic (Submission via Rear Naked Choke, R1)  

MMA: Rasul Mirzaev def. Roman Kishev (Submission via armbar, R1)  

MMA: Dion Staring def. Roman Savochka (TKO, R1)  

MMA: Jason Jones def. Shamil Abdoulmouslimov (KO, R3)  

MMA: Siyar Bahadurzada def. Tommy Depret (TKO, R2) 

Kickboxing: Errol Zimmerman def. Mourad Bouzidi (Unanimous Decision)

Kickboxing: Mark Miller def. Nikolaj Falin (KO, R1)   

Kickboxing: Sergei Kharitonov def. Mighty Mo (KO, R1)  

Kickboxing: Ali Cenak vs. Zabit Samedov (Draw) 

Kickboxing: Artur Kyshenko def. Nieky Holzken (Unanimous Decision) 

Kickboxing: Gokhan Saki def. Brice Guidon (Unanimous Decision)

Kickboxing: Igor Jurkovic def. Pavel Zhuravlev (TKO, R2) 

Saki and his prize money

Kharitonov (left) battling Mighty Mo

“Rampage” Jackson “Okay” With Performance, Praises Toughness of Matt Hamill

2011-05-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt

Heading into last night’s UFC 130 card, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson repeatedly stated that despite speculation from some to the contrary, he was indeed focused and motivated to hand Matt Hamill his third professional loss. Although Jackson was unable to add another highlight reel KO to his resume and apparently failed to excite some of the fans in attendance with his decision winning performance, the former light-heavyweight champ had little difficulty in defeating his opponent. It may not have been Jackson’s most memorable win, but it was dominant nonetheless.

“I was okay with my performance. I wanted to do a little more,” Jackson said afterwards, while discussing the bout that saw him out score Hamill with strikes. “I knew that I could stay on my feet with Matt Hamill but Matt had a great game plan. I saw it as soon as I got in there with him. I saw how far away he was standing from me and I could tell he was going to try to take me down and he had some great low kicks. It made me not do what I exactly I wanted to do. I wanted to come throw some bungalows on him, drop these big d’s on him, but he’s a tough guy.”

“I wanted the knockout,” added Jackson, who revealed after the fight that he had fought with a fractured hand. “You guys know how I am, you know I like knocking people out. Matt’s never been knocked out before, I just found that out a couple of days ago, I didn’t know that. I took that as a bit of a personal challenge, so I ended up hurting my hand a little bit more, not even the fractured one. That guy has a hard head; I don’t think anyone is going to knock him out. Good luck to him.”

While Jackson clearly wanted to stop Hamill, and some may criticize him for failing to do so, the veteran’s ability to completely negate the takedown attempts of the decorated wrestler was particularly impressive.

“Matt Hamill did a great job of not getting knocked out,” Jackson said. “He tried to take me down, which I knew he couldn’t, so I fought the fight that I had to fight. He couldn’t take me down; people forget that I’m a wrestler too.”

After scoring a split decision win over Lyoto Machida in November, and having recorded his 38^th pro victory in last night’s bout with Hamill, Jackson has repositioned himself into the title mix. Depending on the status of Jackson’s hand and what transpires when Rashad Evans takes on Phil Davis in August, however, it remains to be seen whether Rampage will face champion Jon Jones next.

“I don’t really know Jones,” said Jackson while discussing the newly crowned champ. “I don’t have anything against him as of yet. He has my belt. I still feel like I didn’t lose that belt...it’s not his fault he has my belt, it’s my fault.”

UFC 130: “Rampage” Jackson Outscores Matt Hamill for UD Win

2011-05-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Here are the results from tonight’s UFC 130 card in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw former light-heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson earn a unanimous decision win over Matt Hamill.

UFC 130 Results

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Matt Hamill via unanimous decision

Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision

Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve via KO (superman punch) - R1, 4:11

Rick Story def. Thiago Alves via unanimous decision

Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago via TKO (strikes) – R2, 4:29

Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres via unanimous decision

Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove via unanimous decision

Gleison Tibau def. Rafaello Oliveira via submission (rear-naked choke) - R2, 3:28

Michael McDonald def. Chris Cariaso via split decision

Renan Barao def. Cole Escovedo via unanimous decision

Brian Davidson Taps Out Jens Pulver at Titan FC 18

2011-05-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

Jens Pulver failed to build on the momentum he gained recently at last night’s Titan Fighting Championship event in Kansas City, as the former UFC lightweight champ was tapped out by Brian Davidson in the first round, putting an abrupt end to the veteran’s two fight winning streak.

From the opening bell, Pulver had difficulties landing any strikes on the elusive Davidson and elected to take the fight to the mat. Although Pulver was able to take his opponent down on a couple of occasions, he was unable to pass Davidson’s guard or land any telling strikes.

Later in the round, Davidson managed to defend another takedown attempt from Pulver, and in the scramble that ensued he secured a fight stopping, rear-naked-choke.

Despite incurring his seventh loss in ten fights, Pulver (24-15-1) declared afterwards that he will decide when it’s time to retire and not his critics. With the win Davidson moved his record to 7-3.

UFC veteran Jake Rosholt (11-4) utilized his wrestling to punish and bloody John Ott (9-8) from the top position, before landing an illegal knee to Ott's head as he attempted to stand late in the third round. Due to the fact Ott could not continue, Rosholt was disqualified for the infraction.

Here are the results from last night’s HDNet broadcast of Titan FC 18.

Brian Davidson def. Jens Pulver via submission (rear-naked choke) - R1, 4:04

John Ott def. Jake Rosholt via disqualification (illegal strike) - R3, 4:23

Rudy Bears def. Darryl Cobb via submission (rear-naked choke) - R1, 3:30

Jared Rosholt def. Kirk Grinlinton via TKO (strikes) - R1, 1:37

Bobvia Cooper def. Nick Budig via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Joe Wilk def. Jesse Zeugin via submission (D’arce choke) - R1, 3:36

Sean Wilson def. Deryck Ripley via submission (toehold) - R1 2:00

Bellator Adds Zelg Galesic to Season 5 MW Tourney

2011-05-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff, photo courtesy Bellator FC

Bellator FC has announced that Dream veteran Zelg Galesic will compete in the promotion’s upcoming, Season 5 middleweight tourney. The noted striker, who is coming off a knockout win over Lee Chadwick in March, is the seventh competitor to be confirmed for the tournament.

“I think I match up well with the fighters in this tournament - guys like Alexander Shlemenko, Bryan Baker, and Sam Alvey,” Galesic was quoted saying in a news release from the promotion. “And Hector Lombard is a great fighter. He's always very exciting to watch. I hope I will get a chance to touch gloves with him one day.”

Other fighters that will compete in the tourney include Vitor Vianna, Jared Hess, and Brian “The Predator” Rogers

“Zelg is a great addition to our Season 5 Middleweight Tournament, and now that he's back 100% from injury, he should be competitive with our top Middleweights,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Galesic (10-5) has gone 3-2 in his last five bouts with losses coming to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Kazushi Sakuraba. The Cage Rage veteran also scored wins over Taiei Kin and Magomed Sultanakhmedov during that stretch.

“I see Bellator as a place to really make a major name for myself in the United States,” Galesic said. “I'm extremely excited to compete in the upcoming Bellator Middleweight Tournament. I'm even more excited to win the whole thing.”

Titan FC 18 Weigh-In Results

2011-05-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

All of the competitors scheduled for tonight’s Titan Fighting Championship event in Kansas City made weight yesterday, green lighting an event that will see several experienced veterans compete on the card.

In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver (pictured) will take on Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Brian Davidson in a 140lb catch-weight bout. The event will be broadcast live on HDNet.

“Jens is one of the most beloved fighters in all of MMA. People genuinely want to see him do well and return to the highest levels of this sport,” said Titan Fighting CEO Joe Kelly. “He is without question a true pioneer in this sport and he still has a place as an active competitor in this sport. Brian Davidson is without question a very exciting and challenging opponent and from a fight quality standpoint, I anticipate this matchup being the best main event we’ve done on HDNet.”

Here are the official weigh-in results for Titan FC 18.

Jens Pulver (139 lbs./24-14-1) vs. Brian Davidson (141 lbs./6-3)

Jake Rosholt (198.4 lbs./11-3) vs. John Ott (199.6 lbs./8-8)

Darryl Cobb (184.6 lbs./6-2) vs. Rudy Bears (184 lbs./12-7)

Jared Rosholt (258.8 lbs./2-0) vs. Kirk Grinlinton (253.8 lbs./2-2) at 265 lbs.

Joe Wilk (148 lbs./11-5) vs. Jesse Zeugin (153.2 lbs./5-1) at 145 lbs.

Bobby Cooper (176.2 lbs./5-3) vs. Nick Budig (176.2 lbs./5-1) at 155 lbs.

Sean Wilson (156.2 lbs./27-15) vs. Deryck Ripley (155 lbs./11-19) at 155 lbs.

MFC Signs Brian Cobb, Facing Drew Fickett June 10th

2011-05-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Maximum Fighting Championship has announced that is has signed lightweight Brian Cobb to a multi-fight contract, and that he will face fellow UFC veteran Drew Fickett at the promotion’s upcoming June 10^th event in Edmonton, Alberta.

“I am very excited about this matchup,” Mark Pavelich, MFC Owner/President was quoted saying in the news release. “Brian Cobb is someone who has been on our radar for some time, and I think this is the perfect time to bring him in.”

“He’s ranked in the top 20 in the world, which is outstanding considering the depth of talent in the lightweight division. I believe he and Drew Fickett will put on a tremendous showcase of their skills which will make for a dynamic and entertaining fight. Having two extremely tactical fighters like Cobb and Fickett apply their trade in a co-main event with such devastating as Spratt and Davis – that’s the best of both worlds for true mixed martial arts fans.”

Cobb (18-6) has won three straight heading into his MFC debut. Most recently the 30 year-old-fighter submitted Radley Martinez in the second round while competing on a Fight for Wrestling event on May 20^th. Cobb is 8-2 in his last ten fights with his only losses during that stretch coming to Ricardo Tirloni and Terry Etim, the latter of which occurred at UFC 95.

MFC 30 will be hosted by Edmonton’s Mayfield Conference Centre and will be broadcast live on HDNet.

The event will also feature Marcus Davis taking on Pete Spratt.

Video: United Glory World Series Moscow Promo

2011-05-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Jason MacDonald vs. Alan Belcher, Dongi Yang vs. Court McGee Confirmed for UFC Fight Night 25

2011-05-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has begun lining up bouts for the promotion’s upcoming, September 17^th Fight Night card in New Orleans. Today the organization announced that verbal agreements are in place for two middleweight bouts, as Alan Belcher will take on Jason MacDonald (pictured) and Dongi Yang will fight Court McGee.

Belcher (16-6), who is returning from a career threatening eye injury, has not fought since UFC 113 last May, when he tapped out Patrick Cote in the second round with a rear-naked-choke.

MacDonald (25-14) recently returned on April 30^th, from a lengthy stint on the DL due to a broken leg, and submitted Ryan Jensen with a first round, triangle-choke at UFC 129.

McGee (13-1) is also coming off a submission win over Jensen, as the former TUF 11 winner caught the veteran with a third round, arm-triangle-choke at UFC 121 last October.

Yang (10-1) last competed at UFC Live 3 in March and stopped Rob Kimmons in the second round with strikes.

UFC Fight Night 25, “Battle on the Bayou”, will be broadcast live on Spike TV. No venue for the event has been confirmed yet.

Jeff Curran Holding Out For UFC Bout

2011-05-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

By Kelsey Mowatt, photo courtesy Team Curran

For some time now, Jeff Curran hasn’t hid the fact that he’s gunning to get another bout under the Zuffa banner, particularly since World Extreme Cagefighting was merged into the Ultimate Fighting Championship last year. The accomplished veteran left the WEC in 2009 having dropped four straight bouts, and although the defeats came against several of the defunct promotion’s top competitors, Curran is still eager to demonstrate that he belongs in the world’s best bantamweight division. With his recent, unanimous decision win over Billy Vaughan on May 13^th, Curran has now gone 4-1 since exiting from the WEC, and his desire to return to the Octagon is as fervent as ever.

“I’m going to stick to my guns for now and say that it’s either going to be the UFC or I’m going to be done,” the 33 year-old Curran told FCF. “The fate of my career I’m leaving in the hands of Sean Shelby and Joe Silva right now. I know they want me back; I’ve talked to them and I know my management has talked to them; they want to have me on the roster but they have a few extra people in their bantamweight division than they have room for. So until some people start getting cut there’s no room for me.”

“This is kind of my last go around,” Curran added, who has been competing professionally since 1998. “This is my last chance to really do it right; if I don’t make it to the high levels of being in the UFC I don’t really want to fight. I don’t want to fight on these mid-tier shows and try to prove myself, let these up-and-comers try to have their launching pad with me. I don’t want that.”

Since stopping Dustin Neace at Strikeforce and M-1 Global’s “Fedor vs. Rogers” event in November, 2009, Curran’s other three victories have come while competing for the Xtreme Fighting Organization, the fighter’s own promotion. According to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, the days of fighting at his own events are now over.

“I’m not going to fight on my own shows anymore,” Curran said. “One, my show needs my attention; my partners need my help, and two it’s just too stressful. Look at this last fight I had, I fought on the main event of my own show but I also had five other people that I’m watching from far away, screaming at, stressing out, helping them warm up. I’m not even thinking about my own fight, not to mention that I’m watching the gate, hoping we get enough walk up to cover the expenses...you show me a fighter that’s doing that and fighting at their best I’d be interested to meet him.”

Despite the distractions, Curran did score his 33^rd professional victory at XFO 39 on May 13^th, by earning a decision win over the aforementioned Vaughan.

“As far as my performance, I’d say it was up there,” Curran (33-13) noted. “On a scale of one to ten I’d say it was a seven or eight overall. As far as my expectation for myself, I’d say it was little lower than that as I thought I was going to finish the fight off. Couple missed opportunities; I went for quite a few submissions, a few solid ones, but he was surviving you know?”

While Curran waits to see what materializes next in his career, his immediate attention will turn to Jens Pulver, who the veteran fighter has once again helped prepare for his bout this Friday in Kansas City.

“He’s been working really hard,” said Curran about Pulver, who will face Brian Davidson at Titan FC 18 tomorrow. “He’s 143 pounds today and weighs in tomorrow at 1:40 (Thursday). He’s really lean; the last couple of workouts his hands have been really fast, his takedowns are on point, his power is there, he’s defending submissions, catching submissions, so hopefully he gets this third win in dominant fashion and people can start believing in him as a high level fighter again.”

More Fights Confirmed for June 18th World Championship Fighting

2011-05-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

World Championship Fighting has confirmed several more bouts for the promotion’s upcoming, June 18^th, event in Wilmington, Massachussettes. The card, which will be hosted by the Aleppo Shriners Auditorium, will see UFC vet Dan Lauzon (pictured) face Noah Weisman for the promotion’s lightweight title in the main event.

The card’s co-main event will feature Strikeforce veteran Anthony Leone (-8-4) taking on featherweight Bill Jones (9-4).

Leone will be looking to end a four fight losing streak; most recently at Bellator 44 in May he lost by unanimous decision to Jeff Lentz.

Jones is riding a three fighting winning streak. In his last outing at a Cage Titans Fighting Championship in December, Jones stopped Lee Metcalf with a first round, rear-naked-choke.

Here is the line-up to date for the June 18^th WCF.

WCF 155lb Lightweight Championship Fight

Dan Lauzon (Lauzon MMA) vs Noah Weisman (Rail City MMA)

Main Card

145 lbs Anthony Leone (Bombsquad) vs Bill Jones (Team Kaos)

185 lbs Perry Filkins (MFS-NH) vs John Walsh (Ranger Up)

145 lbs Nelson Gaipo (Dragon Lair) vs Mike Marcioni (SSSF)

145 lbs Al Jamain Sterling (Bombsquad) vs Lucas Cruz (TapOut)

155 lbs Joe Manzello (The Factory) vs Pedro Da Silva (Warrior Pride)

170 lbs Eddie Brito (Valor) vs Jim Pitner (USMMA)

160 lbs Shawn Summy (Dragon Lair) vs Mario Cardia ( Combat Sports)

170 lbs Zack Costello (MAXX) vs Thomas Roy Gussler

*** Fight Card Subject To Change ***

Alex Caceres to Fight Leonard Garcia at UFC Live 5

2011-05-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

By FCF Staff

The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to add fights to the promotion’s upcoming, August 14^th event in Milwaukee Wisconsin, as today it has announced that featherweights Alex Caceres and Leonard Garcia have verbally agreed to fight on the card.

The UFC Live 5 card will be hosted by Milwaukee’s Bradley Center and will be broadcast live on Versus.

Caceres (4-3) is coming off a submission loss to Mackens Semerzier in March, after competing in the twelfth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” In his last bout, prior to signing with the UFC, “Bruce Leroy” stopped Ketema Jahmal McLennan while competing under the G Force Fights banner.

Garcia (15-7-1) was tapped out by Chang Sung Jung at Fight Night 24 in March, after working his way to a controversial, split decision win over Nam Phan at the TUF 12 Finale in December.

UFC Live 5 will feature a lightweight bout between contenders Jim Miller and Ben Henderson in the main event.

Some of the other bouts that have been confirmed for the card include welterweight Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle, Eddie Wineland vs. bantamweight Joseph Benavidez, welterweight Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah, and Stephan Bonnar vs. light-heavyweight Karlos Vemola.