New FCF Radio with Tyron Woodley

On this episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, host Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and co-host James Kellaris discuss the main card for UFC 122: Marquardt vs Okami where Nate "The Great" Marquardt faces Yushin "Thunder" Okami in a match to determine the next title contender.  Will Marquardt be able to stop the relentless power of the Japanese wrecking machine?  Then it's time to talk about the rest of the card, where Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera takes on Alessio Sakara and Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski takes on Goran Reljic and Amir Sadollah returns to the Octagon to take on Peter Sobotta.  Who will win?  Does anyone know?  Tune in and find out.  

Then, hang on for an interview with Tyron Woodley (pictured), who recently beat Andre Galvao in Strikeforce.  Tune in and hear what he thinks about his fight with the Brazilian, plus the quick story on his career so far.  If you don't know who Woodley is now, listen to the interview and become enlightened.  If that isn't enough entertainment for you, then you're welcome anyway.

To listen head here.

READ MORE - New FCF Radio with Tyron Woodley

Official WEC 52 Weigh-In Results

By FCF Staff

Here are the official weigh-in results for World Extreme Cagefighting’s event tomorrow night in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will be headlined by a bantamweight bout between former featherweight champ Urijah Faber (pictured) and Takeya Mizugaki.

WEC 52 will be broadcast live on the Versus Network.

Main Event

Urijah Faber (136) vs Takeya Mizugaki (136)

Javier Vazquez (146) vs Chad Mendes (145.5)

Erik Koch (146) vs Francisco Rivera (146)

Joseph Benavidez (136) vs Wagnney Fabiano (136)

Damacio Page (136) vs Demetrious Johnson (135)

LC Davis (146) vs Raphael Assuncao (146)

Anthony Njokuani (156) vs Edward Faaloloto (154)

Zack Micklewright (156*) vs Dustin Poirier (155)

Clint Godfrey (136) vs Michael McDonald (135)

Cub Swanson (145) vs Mackens Semerzier (145)

Yves Jabouin (145) vs Brandon Visher (145)

* Micklewright made weight on his second attempt after initially weighing in at 158

READ MORE - Official WEC 52 Weigh-In Results

After Latest Win, March Likely Next Fight for Drysdale

By Kelsey Mowatt; video courtesy www.drysdalejiujitsu.com

For quite some time, many MMA and jiu-jitsu enthusiasts intently followed the career of Abu Dhabi champion Robert Drysdale, wondering if and when the decorated grappler would make his pro MMA debut. In July, Drysdale made it official, tapping out Bastien Huveneers in the first round at an Armaggedon Fighting Championship event in Victoria, British Columbia. This past weekend, the Vegas fighter returned to the West Coast city and recorded another first round, submission win over Clay Davidson, to extend his record to 2-0. So far, Drysdale has been able to deliver on the hype that has followed him from the jiu-jitsu world into MMA.

“Not really,” Drysdale told FCF, when asked if he knew much about Davidson, who trains with the UFC’s Rory MacDonald and had lost just once before facing the BJJ champ. “I heard he was a tough guy and was on a five win streak... that was it.”

While it’s likely Drysdale’s services would have been welcomed by most MMA promotions in and around Nevada State, the fighter elected to sign with the AFC, an upstart promotion whose management team includes veteran fighter Jason Heit. According to Drysdale, his third pro bout will once again be under the AFC banner.

“I think in their next show March 12th,” said Drysdale, when asked when he expects to fight next. “But nothing confirmed yet.”

So, in many respects, 2010 has been another banner year for Drysdale, as it will end having seen him make a successful transition into professional MMA. As far as his aspirations for 2011, Drysdale offered this statement, when asked for his thought about the upcoming campaign.

“Fight as much as possible and remain undefeated,” Drysdale stated. “I'm training hard and this win only motivates me even more!”

Robert Drysdale vs. Bastien Huveneers Pro MMA Fight. AFC 3 from robert drysdale on Vimeo.

READ MORE - After Latest Win, March Likely Next Fight for Drysdale

Scott Carson Fires Back at Critics

By FCF Staff

Recently, Strikeforce confirmed that NFL legend turned mixed-martial-artist, Herschel Walker, will fight former WEC competitor Scott Carson at the promotion’s upcoming December 4^th event in St. Louis. Carson will head into the bout with a 4-1 record; however, the 40 year-old-fighter is coming of a KO loss in June and has competed just once since 2001. As a result, some critics have recently expressed their concerns, that Carson may not be much of a test for the 48 year-old Walker when they meet next month.

In a press release sent out from the promotion this week, Carson fired back at his detractors; here is some of what the 6’2 fighter had to say.

“I’ll tell you one thing. I’m a lot better fighter than the one I’ve been reading about on the Internet,’’ Carson was quoted saying. “This is a huge deal for me, a tremendous opportunity, but you’d think I was nothing going off what has been written by some of these keyboard warriors, who I doubt have ever stepped in a cage.  It’s a lot easier to sit in front of a computer and talk (stuff) than it is to actually fight.”

“I am trying to take it all in stride, but I have no idea why some people are talking so negatively without ever having seen me. They don’t know me. I’m pretty well-rounded with good standup and wrestling.”

“They say I’m old at 40 but I don’t feel 40 and I certainly don’t look 40. I think I look 30 and I’m in great shape. I’m ripped, just like Herschel."

After competing for the first time professionally in 1999, Carson proceeded to go 4-0 through 2001, before injuries sidelined the figher’s career for several years.

“I was out a long time because of my back and I did rehab for a while,’’ said Carson, who trained for years with Chuck Liddell before he joined Reign Training Center in Lake Forest. “I never thought much about not fighting again; I always wanted to come back.”

 “But I couldn’t do anything until I was 100 percent. Once I got healthy again, I got better the more I trained. I’ve helped a lot of guys get ready for fights while waiting for my chance. I had a few fights lined up before my last fight, but they all fell out for one reason or another.’’

The December 4^th Strikeforce will be headlined by a light-heavyweight tilt between Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral, and will be broadcast on Showtime.

READ MORE - Scott Carson Fires Back at Critics

Vinny Magalhaes Confirmed for Dec. 10th M-1 Challenge

By FCF Staff; photo courtesy M-1 Global

M-1 Global has announced that former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor, Vinny Magalhaes (pictured), will take on the veteran Alihan Magomedov, at the promotion’s upcoming December 10^th event. M-1 Challenge XXII: “Gallicchio vs. Zavurov”, will be hosted by the Druzhba Arena in Moscow, Russia, and will feature a world welterweight title fight between Tom Gallicchio and Shamil Zavurov.

Magalhaes (4-5) has not competed since March, when he lost by unanimous decision to Pedro Galiza at Shark Fights 9. Prior to that, the decorated jiu-jitsu competitor earned back-to-back submission victories over Chris Davis and Mike Nickels, after being released from the UFC in April, 2009.

“M-1 Global is excited to have Magalhaes participating in our 2010 close-out event,” Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations for M-1 Global was quoted saying. “Vinny brings an unparalleled element to mixed martial arts in Europe. His submission skills are unlike anything the Russians have seen and this will be a considerable test for Magomedov.” 

According to the M-1 Global press release, Magomedov is a “Russian National Pancrase and Hand-to-Hand Combat champion”, who will enter the bout carrying a 12-1 record.

Here is the line-up to date for the December 10^th M-1 Challenge. The event will be streamed live on the official M-1 Global site.

Under Card Bouts:

Vinny Magalhaes (4-5) vs. Alihan Magomedov (12-1) Light Heavyweight

Luigi Fioravanti (18-8) vs. Shahrijar Abassov (23-1) Middleweight

Mikhail Zayats (12-5) vs. David ‘Square’ Tkeshelashvili Light Heavyweight

Daniel Vizcaya (3-1) vs. Victor Nemkov (9-3) Light Heavyweight

Additional bouts to be announced

Championship Bouts

Welterweight Division:

Tom ‘Da Tank’ Gallicchio, M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion (15-5) vs.

Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (17-1)

Middleweight Division:

Magomed ‘The White Wolf’ Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs. Rafał ‘Kulturysta’ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2)  

Light Heavyweight Division:

Tomasz ‘Giraffe’ Narkun, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (4-0) vs.

Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Vasilevsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe champion (9-1).

READ MORE - Vinny Magalhaes Confirmed for Dec. 10th M-1 Challenge

Palaszewski vs. Shalorus Added to Dec. 16th WEC

By FCF Staff

World Extreme Cagefighting continues to round out the line-up for what will be the promotions last, December 16^th in Glendale, Arizona, before it is incorporated into the UFC. Today a lightweight bout between veterans Bart Palasewski and Kamal Shalorus was confirmed for WEC 53, which will see lightweight champion Ben Henderson fight Anthony Pettis in the main event.

Palaszewksi (35-13) will head into the bout having won four straight; most recently on August 18^th, the International Fight League vet KO’d Zachary Micklewright in the second round.

Shalorus (6-0-2) hasn’t fought since June, when he drew with former lightweight champion Jamie Varner. The accomplished wrestler has gone undefeated in three fights since signing with the WEC.

Some of the other bouts scheduled for WEC 53 include bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz taking on challenger Scott Jorgensen, Donald Cerrone versus fellow lightweight Chris Horodecki, and Shane Roller squaring off with the aforementioned Varner.

The event will be broadcast live on Versus.

READ MORE - Palaszewski vs. Shalorus Added to Dec. 16th WEC

More Bouts Confirmed for Dec. 10th M-1 Challenge

By FCF Staff

M-1 Global has confirmed several more bouts for the promotion’s upcoming December 10^th event in Moscow, Russia. M-1 Challenge XXII, “Gallicchio vs. Zavurov” will see Americas welterweight champion Tom Gallichio fight Eastern Europe champ Shamil Zavurov, to determine who holds the promotion’s world title.

UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti will head overseas to take on middleweight Shahrijar Abassov. Fioravanti (18-8) recently ended a two fight losing skid, as the American Top Team fighter stopped Woody Weatherby at M-1 Global’s recent Americas Finals event in September. The M-1 Global press release has Abassov listed at 23-1.

Other undercard additions for the December 10^th card include Mikhail Zayats (12-5) vs. David ‘Square’ Tkeshelashvili and Daniel Vizcaya (3-1) vs. Victor Nemkov (9-3).

Here is the line-up to date for M-1 Challenge XXII, which will be streamed live on the official M-1 Global website.

Under Card Bouts:

Luigi Fioravanti (18-8) vs. Shahrijar Abassov (23-1) Middleweight

Mikhail Zayats (12-5) vs. David ‘Square’ Tkeshelashvili Light Heavyweight

Daniel Vizcaya (3-1) vs. Victor Nemkov (9-3) Light Heavyweight

Additional bouts to be announced

Championship Bouts

Welterweight Division:

Tom ‘Da Tank’ Gallicchio, M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion (15-5) vs.

Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (12-1)

Middleweight Division:

Magomed ‘The White Wolf’ Sultanakhmedov, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (28-4) vs.

Rafał ‘Kulturysta’ Moks, M-1 Selection Western Europe 2010 champ (5-2) 

Light Heavyweight Division:

Tomasz ‘Giraffe’ Narkun, M-1 Selection Western Europe champion (4-0) vs.

Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Vasilevsky, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe champion (9-1).

READ MORE - More Bouts Confirmed for Dec. 10th M-1 Challenge

Following Weekend Win, Saunders Asks for UFC Return

By FCF Staff; photo courtesy American Top Team

Ben Saunders earned his first, post-UFC victory this past weekend in Kissimmee, Florida, after the American Top Team welterweight was cut from the promotion recently. Competing on World Extreme Fighting’s latest card, Saunders tapped out Elijah Harshbarger in the first round with a series of strikes, to extend the former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor’s record to 9-3-2.

Following his latest win, the following statement was posted on Saunder’s Twitter account:

Won by 1st round tapout due to strikes!!! @UFC what's up! Bring me back baby! ;D

8:23 PM Nov 6th via Twitter for iPhone

Saunders was released from the promotion after dropping back-to-back unanimous decision losses to Jon Fitch, and more recently, Dennis Hallman at UFC 117 in August. Prior to the defeats, Saunders knocked out the veteran Marcus Davis in impressive fashion, at UFC 106 last November.

The ATT fighter exited from the promotion having gone 4-3 in the Octagon.

READ MORE - Following Weekend Win, Saunders Asks for UFC Return