Friday, May 30, 2008

EliteXC “Primetime” Weigh-In Results, Carano Comes in Heavy

EliteXC “Primetime” broadcast on CBS “Saturday Night Fights” Weigh-In Results.

Gina Carano (pic bellow) was 3.5 lbs over the weight limit, she will have to give up 12.5% percent of her purse to Kaitlin Young. This dose not surprise me, as she looked about 180lbs during last weeks CBS media press day.
MAIN CARD

Kimbo Slice (235.5) vs. James Thompson (257)
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Robbie Lawler (184.5) vs. Scott Smith (184.5)*
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Gina Carano (144.5) vs. Kaitlin Young (140.5)
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Jon Murphy (260.5) vs. Brett Rogers (263.5)
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Phil Baroni (185) vs. Joey Villasenor (184.5)
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PRELIMINARY CARD

Carlton Haselrig (263) vs. Carlos Moreno (261)
Jim Bova (160.5) vs. Chris Liguori (161)
Matt Makowski (171) vs. Nick Serra (167)
Wilson Reis (140.5) vs. Justin Robbins (140.5)
James “Binky” Jones (154.5) vs. Calvin Kattar (155.5)
Zach Makovsky (135) vs. Andre Soares (134)
Mike Groves (154) vs. Joe Sampieri (155)

*For the EliteXC Middleweight Belt

WWE's Bobby Lashley signs with American Fight League

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Former World Wrestling Entertainment performer and decorated amateur wrestler Bobby Lashley is the latest signing for the Kentucky-based American Fight League.

A source close to the 31-year-old told MMAjunkie.com that Lashley will be introduced as an AFL signee -- perhaps the organization's biggest to date -- during tonight's "Bulletproof" show at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Rumors of Lashley's possible transition into MMA heated up over the past month, but few expected such a high-profile figure to sign with an organization so new to the national scene.

AFL officials declined to comment today, but one executive said some "major signings" will be announced at tonight's show, which features a main event between AFL lightweight champ and former UFC fighter Diego Saraiva.

Terms of Lashley's contract aren't known, but it's expected to be a non-exclusive deal.

Lashley, a two-time NAIA national wrestling champion while at Missouri Valley College, also won two armed-forces titles while serving in the U.S. Army. He signed with the WWE in 2003 and debuted with the organization in 2005. His character won titles in both the WWE and Extreme Championship Wrestling organizations.

Lashley received some mainstream popularity when he was chosen to represent Donald Trump in a "Hair vs. Hair match" with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in 2007. Lashley won the staged match, so McMahon was forced to shave his head. However, Lashley was released from his WWE contract earlier this year.

Lashley, of course, won't be the first WWE wrestler turned MMA fighter. Former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar signed with the UFC in 2007 and debuted with the organization in February. Lashley is unlikely to match Lesnar's popularity in MMA, but like his fellow WWE alumnus, he's likely to convert some pro-wrestling fans into MMA viewers.

The AFL, a Kentucky-based organization born from the Caged Inferno promotion, has held three events to date. Its first arena show was held in March at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Tonight's "Bulletproof" show (see our event preview) is the first-ever MMA event to take place in Phillips Arena, which is September's rumored UFC 88 host venue.

The AFL's other recent signings include Saraiva, "The Ultimate Fighter 2" cast member Dan Christison, highly ranked featherweight Raphael Assuncao, UFC veteran Junior Assuncao, and highly touted prospect Douglas Lima.

Kimbo Slice vs. Roy Nelson, A Real Possibility?

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According to an interview on FiveOncesofPain, IFL President Jay Larkin spoke with confidence, that a fight between Kimbo Slice and IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy “Big Country” Nelson (13-2) have been discussed. Nelson is a big bruising brawler, with a permanent beer belly, a perfect opponent for Slice. His IFL Heavyweight title will give some credibility to Kimbo who has been trying to shake the “Street Fighter” label since starting in mixed martial arts.

Nelsons only defeat in the IFL came by way of Split Decision to newly signed Adrenaline fighter and former IFL heavyweight champion “Big” Ben Rothwell.

“If Kimbo wins, we’ll make that match (Nelson vs. Slice) without hesitation,….We”ll do in on an IFL card or an Elite card — we don’t care. Promotions working together is the only way for this business to grow.”

Both Larkin and Shaw have worked together for over 20 years and the two were involved with numerous boxing co-promotions while Larkin was the head of SHOWTIME Sports. In fact, both Larkin and Shaw are responsible for the creation one of SHOWTIME’s boxing staples, “ShoBox.”

EliteXC Free Live Stream For Undercard

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The undercard for the first ever CBS EliteXC primetime event will be available for free. ProElite.com, elitexc’s parent company will show the undercard matches in their entirety starting at 7 pm et this Saturday. In order to watch the stream you have to register for an account, which is free(do it now as it could be quite busy on Saturday.) After the entire program airs on CBS there will be an aftershow hosted by Frank Shamrock, who will also be commentating and interviewing for the show. The aftershow will be called “Backstage Pass” and will feature interviews, recaps and even a few special guests. The show takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on May 31.

Here’s the undercard:

Carlton Haselrig (1-0) vs. Carlos Moreno (4-2)
Chris Liguori (7-7) vs. Jim Bova (2-0)
Nick Serra (4-2) vs. Matt Makowski (2-0)
Justin Robbins (8-3-1) vs. Wilson Reis (3-0)
James “Binky” Jones (6-6) vs. Calvin Kattar (2-0)
Zach Makovsky (3-1) vs. Andre Soares (5-1)
Joe Sampieri (0-2) vs. Mike Groves (0-1)

The undercard porition of the show will also be available on CBS Mobile. CBS is showing a strong committment to the card, and to EliteXC as a promotion by airing commercials in good time slots, the primetime slot itself, and by using all the media options at it’s disposal. While CBS has something to lose by the show not performing well, EliteXC is basically hinging it’s survival on the show.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

PureCombat Fighter Ben Davis Suffers Heart Attack

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by Loretta Hunt (sherdog.com)

Heavyweight competitor Ben Davis suffered a moderate heart attack on Monday, forcing his withdrawal from a June 6 bout in PureCombat: Bombs Away at the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, Calif.

Davis, 31, was admitted to Mercy Medical Center in Merced, Calif. after experiencing discomfort en route to a training session. His wife accompanied him to the hospital.

A prison guard lieutenant for the United States Penitentiary in Atwater, Calif., Davis said his condition was brought on by extreme stress. He said he is also embroiled in a custody battle for his three-year-old son.

"It wasn't major," Davis told Sherdog.com from his hospital bed on Tuesday. "I'm planning on making a full recovery and fighting again."

Davis scored an 11-second knockout over Scott Ball at a Pure Combat event last February. He hopes to recover in time to compete on a PureCombat card scheduled for August.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Tapout To Air Special Tonight on Versus

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Tapout Special

The Tap Out crew revisits some of their favorite fighters from season one with a look back at some of the best fights and most outrageous moments. New fight footage, where are they now interviews and a sneak peak at what's ahead for season two - It's all part of this very special Tap Out extravaganza.
Premieres Tonight at 10PM ET/PT

UFC 84 Fighter Payouts

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has released the fighter payouts for UFC 84 “Ill Will” this past Saturday.

UFC 84 Payouts

B.J. Penn ($250,000 to fight and win)
Sean Sherk ($35,000 to fight)
Wanderlei Silva ($150,000 to fight, no bonus)
Keith Jardine ($10,000 to fight)
Goran Reljic ($6,000 to fight and win)
Wilson Gouveia ($18,000 to fight)
Lyoto Machida ($100,000 to fight and win)
Tito Ortiz ($210,000 to fight)
Thiago Silva ($50,000 to fight and win)
Antonio Mendes ($4,000 to fight)
Rousimar Palhares ($10,000 to fight and win)
Ivan Salaverry ($20,000 to fight)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou ($80,000 to fight and win)
Kazuhiro Nakamura ($20,00O to fight)
Rich Clementi ($40,000 to fight and win)
Terry Etim ($10,000 to fight)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida ($12,000 to fight and win)
Jon Koppenhaver ($8,000 to fight)
Dong Hyun Kim ($40,000 to fight and win)
Jason Tan ($3000 to fight)
Shane Carwin ($12,000 to fight and win)
Christian Wellisch ($10,000 to fight)

Total Payout: $1,098,000 - 3.8 Million in just ticket sales

These numbers do not include sponsorships or fight bonuses. Fighter also incur the cost of taxes, medical, licenses, gym dues, and more.

Fighter Bonuses of $75,000 go to:

Fight of the Night: Goran Reljic and Wilson Gouveia
Knockout of the Night: Wanderlei Silva.
Submission of the Night: Rousimar Palhares

Monday, May 26, 2008

Tito Ortiz Not Invited to UFC Press Conference? Crashes It Anyway

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“Dana said I can’t be here,” said Ortiz, as UFC Public Relations director Jennifer Wenk spoke to him and pushed the microphone away, instructing the media not to ask him questions.

“Stay up there Tito,” said Jameson standing off to the side of the stage. “You deserve it.”

As Ortiz spoke to Wenk, he smiled and shook his head as he turned toward the media and said, “I’ve never been kicked out of a press conference before. After 11 years of giving my blood, sweat and tears to make this company what it is I think I deserve to stay.”

Ortiz would sit on the dais for nearly 30 minutes alone as extra security was brought in and Jameson continued to expound on the ridiculousness of the situation. “This is cementing what Tito has been saying for a long time,” she said. “Its freedom of speech, freedom of the press, let him speak.”

Finally White entered the room along with the other fighters, and looked at Ortiz surprised before addressing the media and the situation after I asked him why he didn’t want Ortiz at the press conference. “No, Tito’s welcome to come to the press conference,” said White. “Just as long as he’s not holding his own press conference, I think that’s the issue.”

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Updated PFC 9 card

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PFC 9
FRIDAY night July 18th
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino
Lemoore, CA

TICKETS GO ON SALE JUNE 7TH AT 10AM!!!!!!!!

Confirmed Participants:


Doug "The Rhino" Marshall (7-3-0) vs Mavrick Harvey (8-4-1)


PFC Light Heavyweight Title Fight
Champion
Jorge Oliveira
vs
Challenger
Glover Texeira


Vacant PFC Welterweight Title Fight
Morris "The Cat" Aldaco
vs
Bryan Travers


Heavyweights
Jake O'Brien vs Jeromy Freitag

Middleweights
Jamie Jara vs Marcus Gaines

Light Heavyweight Fight
Ricardo Barros vs TBA

Welterweight Fight
Mickey Martinez vs Jack Morrison

Lightweight Fight
Jeremy "The Project" Luchau vs Juan Lopez:

Lightweight Fight
Dominique "Fallen Angel" Robinson vs Chuck Kim

Flyweight Fight
Ulysses Gomez vs Andrew Martinez


Lightweight Fight
Darren Crisp JR vs Danny Castillo

Welterweight Fight
Joey Cabasez vs TBA

HEATH HERRING TO FACE BROCK LESNAR AT UFC 87

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MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that Heath Herring has agreed to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 on Aug. 9 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its debut in Minneapolis, Minn.

Lesnar was originally slated to face UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman in the main event of UFC 87. Coleman, however, suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in training, which will sideline him for at least six weeks. He was forced to withdraw from the bout with Lesnar due to the injury.

Herring has been on a roller coaster ride since his UFC debut in January of 2007. The former Pride heavyweight title contender has gone 2-2 in the Octagon, most recently defeating Cheick Kongo at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio.

Lesnar had a less than stellar Octagon debut, losing to former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir via kneebar at UFC 81 in Las Vegas earlier this year.

With the withdrawal of Coleman, the UFC acted swiftly, signing a new main event bout with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, fresh off winning the title at UFC 82, making the first defense of his second reign as champion when he faces No. 1 contender Jon Fitch.

Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian will also square off at UFC 87. The bout, according to the promotion’s president, Dana White, will likely decide the next contender to the UFC lightweight title being contested on Saturday night at UFC 84 between current champion B.J. Penn and former champion Sean Sherk.

Friday, May 23, 2008

UFC 84 weigh-ins: official results

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MAIN CARD (TELEVISED)

Champ B.J. Penn (155) vs. Sean Sherk (155)




Keith Jardine (205) vs. Wanderlei Silva (205)

< />by


Lyoto Machida (203) vs. Tito Ortiz (205)




* Thiago Silva (205) vs. Antonio Mendes (203)
* Wilson Gouveia (205) vs. Goran Reljic (205)

PRELIMINARY CARD (NOT TELEVISED)

* Rousimar Palhares (185) vs. Ivan Salaverry (185)
* Kazuhiro Nakamura (206) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (204)
* Rich Clementi (155) vs. Terry Etim (155)
* Jon Koppenhaver (170) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170)
* Dong-Hyun Kim (171) vs. Jason Tan (170)
* Shane Carwin (252) vs. Christian Wellisch (230)

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira meets veteran Vernon White at "Affliction: Banned"

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Recently signed Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3) will meet veteran fighter Vernon White (26-32-2) at the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" event.

White's management team at KO Dynasty today told MMAjunkie that the bout has been finalized.

Nogueira, the twin brother of UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and a longtime PRIDE fighter, was introduced as Affliction's latest signing during a Tuesday press conference in New York City.

"Affliction: Banned," which features a main event between former PRIDE heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC title-holder Tim Sylvia, takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The night's main card airs on pay per view, and a portion of the preliminary card, featuring a Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko bout, airs live on FSN affiliates throughout the country.

Nogueira, 31, had posted an eight-fight win streak in PRIDE from September 2002 to April 2005 to emerge as one of the world's top light heavyweights. However, he's 2-2 in his past four fights. He most recently defeated Canadian veteran Todd Gouwenberg via second-round TKO at a February 2008 Hardcore Championship Fighting event.

White, 36, has fought for the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, Pancrase, the WEC and other top organizations during his 15-year career. He's struggled as of late and has lost five of his past seven fights. However, he earned a victory via disqualification in his most recent bout. Jeremiah Constant was disqualifed for illegal strikes to the back of White's head at an April 5 Xtreme Cage Combat event.

The latest "Affliction" Banned" card now includes:

MAIN CARD (PAY PER VIEW)

* Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
* Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
* Ben Rothwell vs. TBA
* Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Nascimento
* Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Vernon White
* Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
* Ray Lazama vs. Justin Levens
* Mark Hominick vs. Savant Young
* J.J. Ambrose vs. Patrick Speight
* Brett Cooper vs. Mike Pyle

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Lesnar vs. Coleman scratched,St. Pierre vs. Fitch to headline UFC 87

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The UFC confirmed today the Headline bout between Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch, For UFC 87 which takes place Aug. 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis to replace Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Coleman, Coleman reportedly suffered a knee injury, and a new opponent for Lesnar will be named shortly.

St. Pierre, who reclaimed his title and avenged a previous loss to Matt Serra back in April at UFC 83, will now meet the division's top contender.

"He's a very, very tough guy," St. Pierre told UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi. "I'm going to have to train hard and be very well prepared because he may be my toughest fight yet."

Fitch, a former Purdue University wrestler, defeated Chris Wilson in March for his eighth-straight victory in the UFC. No one has matched that streak since UFC hall-of-famer Royce Gracie won eight straight fights from UFC 1 to UFC 3.
After the victory, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Fitch would be next in line for a title shot.

UFC 87 also features a pivotal lightweight bout between contender Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta.

WEC 35: Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell

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In an appearance on the Howard Stern Radio Show on Sirius Satellite Radio, WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann revealed that he will be fighting Steve Cantwell for his WEC belt on August 3.

This will be Stann’s first title defence since defeating Doug Marshall at WEC 33.

Stann was on the show to promote WEC 34 “Faber vs. Pulver” with takes place June 2. He presented a $5000 dollar check for Howard’s “Hottest Chick, Ugliest Scar” contest winner.

Here’s the wrap up of his appearance:

World Extreme Cagefighting’s Brian Stann came in to present Tiffany with the $5,000 prize, and Howard asked him about his two tours of Iraq. Brian said Artie and Gary shouldn’t be concerned about their safety over there during their USO tour, as they’ll be kept far from danger: “The casualty rate is so far down now.” Howard wondered how Brian was able to pleasure himself when he was over there, so Brian explained that he would make arrangements for private moments away from other marines: “That’s the key.”

Brian told Howard about earning the Silver Star in Iraq and once knocking a fellow cagefighter out inside of 16 seconds, so Howard said he felt emasculated by the presence of a real man: “You are so much more of a man than I am. I’m going to go put on a little sundress, heels and a bra.” Brian then congratulated Tiffany on her prize and positive attitude, and Tiffany announced that she’d use the money for driving school.

Cung Le - MMA’s First Trading Card

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Donruss Trading Card Company has announced that they have selected the newly crowned Strikeforce World Middleweight Champion, Cung Le (22-0), to appear in the first-ever mixed martial arts trading card series manufactured by the company.

From their press release:
Slated for release in mid-July, “Ring Kings,” produced as an insert series for the larger Donruss “Americana II” set, will be comprised of approximately 30 different trading cards featuring a collection of the sport’s top superstars. Several editions of the Le card, including an autographed version and a version containing swatches taken from Le’s competition shorts, will be issued.

“We’re excited to be able to include Cung in our program,” said Scott Prusha, Marketing Director for Donruss. “Cung is an extremely exciting fighter and winning the Strikeforce championship was really a big thing.”

Le’s third round TKO of mixed martial arts legend, Frank Shamrock, which aired live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, March 29th, earned the Vietnamese-born fighter the Strikeforce world title and marked his greatest professional victory to date.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

FSN to carry "Affliction: Banned" preliminary card

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The entire fight card for the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" card will be televised thanks to a new deal the upstart fight promotion has reached with FSN.

The main card of the event, which takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., airs via pay per view, and the night's preliminary card will now air on FSN, a collection of cable TV regional sports networks located throughout the U.S.

TAGG Radio, first reported the FSN deal last week, and Affliction officials confirmed it during yesterday's public events in Los Angeles and New York City.

Affliction's debut features a main event of former PRIDE title-holder Fedor Emelianenko vs. UFC champ Tim Sylvia, as well as an undercard full of familiar names. Just yesterday the organization announced the addition of Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko to the fight card.

Affliction also recently announced the signing of former PRIDE fighter Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3), the twin brother of current UFC interim heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

EVANS BOUT SCRAPPED, UFC 85 FINAL AT 11 BOUTS

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Within hours of announcing that Luis Cane would step in for an injured James Irvin to face Rashad Evans at UFC 85 on June 7 in London, the Ultimate Fighting Championship issued another statement, finalizing the fight card and scrapping the Evans bout altogether.

Following more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel, the fight card for UFC 85, according to the promoter, is final with 11-bouts. With the Evans bout being dropped from the card, the UFC moved up the middleweight bout between No.5 ranked middleweight Nathan Marquardt and opponent Thales Leites to the pay-per-view portion of the event.

Prior to announcing the finalized UFC 85 fight card, the promotion had issued a statement on its website saying that Cane would be pulled from his fight with Jason Lambert to face Evans. The Cane vs. Lambert bout has since been restored to the preliminary portion of the card.

UFC 85 Main Card Bouts:
-Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves
-Fabricio Werdum vs. Brandon Vera
-Michael Bisping vs. Jason Day
-Marcus Davis vs. Mike Swick
-Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites

UFC 85 Preliminary Bouts:
-Martin Kampmann vs. Jorge Rivera
-Ryo Chonan vs. Roan Carneiro
-Thiago Tavares vs. Matt Wiman
-Jason Lambert vs. Luis Arthur Cane
-Jess Liaudin vs. Paul Taylor
-Neil Wain vs. Antoni Hardonk

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Luiz Cane replaces James Irvin at UFC 85

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A broken foot has forced James Irvin (14-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) out of his UFC 85 bout with Rashad Evans (11-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC), and the light-heavyweight fighter will be replaced by Luiz Cane (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).

The UFC today confirmed the change to UFC 85, which takes place June 7 at the 02 Arena in London, England. The event, headlined by Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves, airs live on pay per view.

This is yet another blow to the UFC 85 fight card, which has been cursed with constant changes, including the loss of headliners Chuck Liddell and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to injuries and the recent arrest of former main-card participant Chris Leben.

The Evans vs. Cane fight airs on the night's televised main card.

Cane had been scheduled to fight Jason Lambert at the event. Lambert has since been removed from the UFC.com UFC 85 Events page completely.

Evans, the heavyweight winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 2," has since emerged as a top light-heavyweight contender. He remains undefeated in MMA and most recently defeated Michael Bisping via split decision at UFC 78 in November.

Cane, meanwhile, made his UFC debut -- and suffered his first career loss -- to Irvin at UFC 79. The Brazilian was winning the December bout but tagged Irvin with an illegal knee for a disqualification loss.

Emelianenko vs. Buentello added to July 19 Affliction card, Rogerio Nogueira Signed

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A once-rumored match between Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) and Paul Buentello (25-10) is now official for the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" show.

The organization, which will air its main card on pay per view, made the announcement during today's media and fan events in Los Angeles and New York City.

The latest booking further bolsters a fight card that's full of familiar names, including main-event participants Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia.

Aleksander Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor, has bounced around the MMA circuit ever since the demise of PRIDE Fighting Championships, his former home. He's 4-0 in his past four fights, which included stops with BodogFIGHT, M-1 and Hardcore Championship Fighting. He most recently defeated Silvao Santos via first-round TKO at an April 3 M-1 event in Russia.

Buentello, a former UFC heavyweight contender, hasn't fought since a November 2007 loss to Alistair Overeem for the first-ever Strikeforce world heavyweight title. The second-round submission loss was his first defeat in five fights -- and just his second loss in his past 12 fights.

Expect fireworks with the the Emelianenko-Buentello clash. Of the two fighters' combined 38 victories, 24 have come via knockout or TKO.

Affliction also announced the signing of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The brother of UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Rogerio is 13-3 in MMA. He fought most recently in February, stopping Todd Gouwenberg in the second round of a Hardcore Championship Fighting bout in Canada.

It was also announced that the first hour of the event will be aired live on FSN. The pay-per-view will start at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Couture Wins Legal Victory, Judgment Expected on June 2

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Randy Couture wins a legal victory, as a Dallas Judge denied Zuffa’s request to delay or dismiss a legal clarification on the wording of Couture’s contract. It now looks like we might actually get a decision on Couture’s contract by June 2.

Backed by Mark Cuban’s HDNet Fights promotion, estranged UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture nabbed a substantial victory Monday in his ongoing legal dispute against Zuffa.

The District Court of Dallas County, Texas, denied Zuffa’s three motions to stay, delay and/or dismiss HDNet’s challenge of Couture’s promotional contract, on which Zuffa says the fighter still owes two bouts.

The decision opens doors for the court to hear HDNet’s motion for a summary judgment on June 2, a date that could conceivably offer resolution on Couture’s standing as a free agent. Couture contends his promotional contract will expire in July, once the agreement reaches its 16-month conclusion.

Chris Leben Released From Jail Under House Arrest

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According to Jail officials, Chris “The Crippler” Leben has been released on home detention after serving only a portion of his 35 day sentence in lock down. Leben will remain under house arrest until he serves the remaining time on his sentence.

Leben was sentenced to 35 days in prison after turning himself into authorities for violating his probation on an old DUI arrest.

Here’s a clip from Leben’s myspace page:

Hello all, Chris has been released from jail over the weekend. This is all the information I have right now and I’ll be sure to update everyone on his resolved legal issues, immediate plans and the expected date of his next match after Chris gets everything organized.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Gladiator Challenge "NO LIMITS" Results

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Photo and Results by (Topfueldad FUnews.net)

EAGLE MOUNTIAN CASINO
The G.C.HWT Champion came to the reservation! Dave Huckaba returned to action, in Porterville, Ca's Eagle Mountain Casino, and was looking for a fight and local HWT R.J Paulson, gave all he could, however came up short on this night, losing to the HWT Champion in 1:13 of Rd1 by Ko.

Justin Smitley wins by submission (armbar) in 2:02 of Rd1 over Anthony Garcia.

Michael McDonald over Steve Franco by TKO ( ref stoppage due to strikes) in 1:17 of Rd1

George Albanez over Charlie Price by submission (arm triangle) in 2:02 of Rd1

Richie Rodriguez over Ryan Wilbanks by TKO in 4:49 of Rd1

Anthony Avila over Bubba Dodigrouich, by TKO (ankle injury, Dodigrouich was unable to cont.)in:37 secs of Rd1

Chris Bothelo over Teddy Lutz by TKO ( strikes)in :58 secs of Rd1

Sergio Salcido wins by submission (guillotine choke) in 1:30 of Rd1 over Brad Mcgee

Javier Cervantes over Marcus Williams by TKO in 2:57 of Rd 2

Joshua Herrick over Justin Cummings by submission (guillotine choke) in 1:35
of Rd 2

Billy Terry over Art Becerra by submission ( guillotine choke) in :57 secs of Rd

Michael Craddock over Ed Tomaselli. (Tomaselli unable to continue due to knee injury) in 1:53 of Rd1

Steve Watson over Austin Achorn by submission (rear naked choke) in :54 seconds of Rd1

Ofa Mohatam wins by Majority decision over Stan Dressler. (Ofa Mohatam is the New Native American Heavyweight Champion)

Mike Diaz over John Devine by TKO in :20 secs of Rd1

Jose Andrade over Oscar Baltierre by submission (rear naked choke) in 2:07 of Rd2

Emidio Fadio over Oscar Macias by TKO (strikes) in 1:34 of Rd1

Frank Martinez over Pedro Mercado by (verbal tapout) in :46 secs of Rd2

Crystalline Baltierre over Janice Serrano. (Serrano unable to continue, fight ends after Rd1 ) .

Saturday, May 17, 2008

PURE COMBAT BOMBS AWAY!!! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!

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Friday, June 6th, 2008 - PURECOMBAT returns to the Visalia Convention Center with BOMBS AWAY! A night of hard hitting mixed martial arts action returns to downtown Visalia, CA with 10 full contact cage fights. The card is headlined by a Welterweight World Title defense. Champion Brett ‘Fudoshin’ Cooper takes on challenger Dustin ‘the Rooster’ Arden in a main event sure to be fight of the night.

In the main event, PURECOMBAT Welterweight World Champion Brett Cooper makes his first title defense against Terra Bella’s own Dustin ‘the Rooster’ Arden. Cooper is on a 3 fight win streak, including a win over Jason Von Flue in December, when he won the PURECOMBAT title in what Inside MMA called ‘the all-out war of the year’. The challenger, Arden, is known for his ‘never say die’ hyper-aggressive fighting style. He will come throwing bombs, looking to test Cooper’s concrete chin and immovable spirit.


In the co-main event, the Pride of Tulare, Hector Alatorre, Jr, returns to the cage in a rematch with Hanford’s Elvis Franco. Alatorre, holding a 15-3 record as a professional boxer, is the most accomplished boxer to attempt a crossover to mixed martial arts.

His debut in the cage was inconclusive, as he was penalized for illegal strikes, leading to his contest being ruled a draw. Franco, training out of Team Ochoa in Hanford, scored well with kicks and takedowns against Alatorre in their first fight in February. He started and ended the fight strong, and intends to make Alatorre’s career in MMA a rocky one.

Also in the main event, Cruz Gomez battles David Gardner in a lightweight bout. Gomez is a submission specialist training at the Pit in San Luis Obispo under John Hackleman.

The veteran of almost 20 professional fights, Gomez is returning to the cage after a six year retirement. His opponent, Gardner, also a submission expert, fights out of Michigan. He recently won the CXF Lightweight World Title, and now comes to PURECOMBAT to work toward another world title. In this high-level matchup between veteran lightweights, only one man can walk away a winner, and the first man to make a mistake will lose his chance at victory.

Don’t miss a night of explosive mixed martial arts action as 20 of the nation’s best fighters step into the cage in Visalia, CA’s Convention Center. Friday, June 6th, the doors open at 6pm and fights start at 7:30pm.
For tickets, call 559-713-4040 or go online at www. purecombatmma. com.

Nelson, Schultz, Miller Win at IFL Mohegan Sun

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(Photos courtesy of the IFL)

Heavyweight Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) and lightweight Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) defended their respective International Fight League titles while Dan Miller (Sparta, N.J.) scored a victory over defending middleweight champion Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) before 4,530 tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Nelson capped the evening with a victory over Brad Imes (Kansas City, Mo.), after Schultz defeated fellow lightweight Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) to retain his belt.

Nelson started with a blitz of punches right at the start of the first round which Imes was able to recover briefly. Nelson finished the bout with a crunching series of blows for the quick KO.

Schultz and Taurosevicius battled hard, with both surviving near-submissions and solid strikes. Ultimately, Schultz claimed the unanimous decision.

Miller’s was a quick finish, after an exciting first three minutes of the first round in which both competitors maintained a high-energy pace. Miller caught McGivern in a kneebar to win his first title.

The preliminary bouts featured athletes from four MMA camps, including Team Quest, Team Bombsquad, World Class Fight Center and Team Prodigy. Lightweight John Franchi (Cortland, N.Y.) of Bombsquad got the night off to an exciting start with a first-round submission victory over Frank Latina (Middletown, Conn.). Team Quest’s Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) then scored a unanimous decision over Bombsquad’s Lamont Lister (Philadelphia) in a light heavyweight bout. John Howard (Boston) then knocked out Nick Calandrino (Emerson, N.J.) of Bombsquad with a third-round flurry of strikes in an entertaining matchup of welterweights.

The second set of preliminary bouts began with Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) of Team Quest recording a unanimous decision over Joey Guel (Oregon) in a middleweight matchup. Josh Souder (Mason, Ohio) of Team Prodigy then wrapped up a quick TKO over Team Quest’s Zac George (Norman, Okla.), before World Class Fight Center’s Danillo Villefort (Pompano Beach, Fla.) scored a first-round submission victory via kneebar over Mike Massenzio (Paterson, N.J.) of Bombsquad.

The IFL’s next scheduled event is set for August 15 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., when it will unveil its new six-sided ring surface, dubbed “The Hex.”

IFL Mohegan Sun
Friday, May 16, 2008

Preliminary Bouts
155 lbs.: John Franchi (Cortland, N.Y.) def. Frank Latina (Middletown, Conn.) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:19, 1st
205 lbs.: Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) def. Lamont Lister (Philadelphia) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds
170 lbs.: John Howard (Boston) def. Nick Calandrino (Emerson, N.J.) via TKO (strikes), 2:24, 3rd
185 lbs.: Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) def. Joey Guel (Oregon) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds
155 lbs.: Josh Souder (Mason, Ohio) def. Zac George (Norman, Okla.) via TKO (strikes), 0:47, 1st
185 lbs.: Danillo Villefort (Pompano Beach, Fla.) def. Mike Massenzio (Paterson, N.J.) via submission (kneebar) 3:44, 1st

Championship Bouts
185 lbs.: Dan Miller (Sparta, N.J.) def. *Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) via submission (kneebar), 3:36, 1st
155 lbs.: *Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) def. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) via decision (unanimous) after five rounds
265 lbs.: *Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) def. Brad Imes (Sacramento, Calif.), via TKO (strikes), 2:55, 1st
*Defending Titleholder

About the IFL

International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.
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ifl

Friday, May 16, 2008

Affliction hosts signing with Fedor, Barnett, Sylvia and others

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The upstart Affliction fight promotion has booked an autograph signing that features many of the fighters from its debut card.

The event, which takes place this coming Tuesday in Los Angeles, features fighters from the organization's July 19 main card, including Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Ben Rothwell, Matt Lindland, Fabio "Negao" Nascimento, Mike Whitehead, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo and a "fighter to be named."

Multiple published reports have hinted that the mystery fighter may be former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who could sign with Affliction as early as next week.

The May 20 autograph signing takes place at the Century City Mall (10250 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Los Angeles and begins at 12:30 p.m. The first 500 people get a free Affliction T-shirt.

Affliction's debut show takes place July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The pay-per-view main card, which features a heavyweight bout between Emelianenko and Sylvia, begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

EliteXC Lays Out The Welcome Mat For Tito Ortiz

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Click Here for "Full Elitexc Press confrence"



Gary Shaw spoke about EliteXC’s interest with Tito Ortiz at a press conference on Thursday to promote EliteXC “Primetime” on CBS.

“In all my years in the fight game, I can see, touch, feel a superstar….Everytime I see Tito Ortiz, he reeks of stardom. I think when his days in the UFC are over, that I can reincarnate him. Could you imagine Tito and Kimbo Slice in the cage together? I hope when his contract with the UFC is up that he will not be sitting across the table with me, but sitting with me at that table.”

“My door is open. I hope that he’s able to negotiate one day because I would never interfere with a contract. I hope he’s sitting right next to me, not across from my desk, but right with me.”

IFL Fighters Weigh In

Outside the box office at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT it’s beginning to feel like home, as fighters gathered for the weigh-ins of International Fight League’s fourth event at the Connecticut casino, to be held Friday night. Action kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a live HDNet Broadcast starting at 8:30 p.m.

There are six preliminary bouts on the card with three title defenses, making a total of nine fights on the evening.

All went smoothly on the scales until Josh Souder missed weight on his first try. The Connecticut State Athletic Commission allows one hour from the time a fighter initially steps on the scale to make weight. But Souder was anxious to drop his drawers in front of the crowd that had gathered, to quickly cut the remaining ounces. He used his better judgment and kept his Boxer Joes around his waist, then retreated backstage to work off the weight the old fashioned way.

IFL New Blood – New Battles
Friday, May 16th, 2008
Mohegan Sun Arena
Uncasville, CT

IFL Lightweight Title Bout:
Ryan Schultz (154lbs) - Team Quest
VS.
Deividas Taurosevicius (154lbs) – Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
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IFL Heavyweight Title Bout:
Roy Nelson (264.2lbs) – Lion’s Den
VS.
Brad Imes (249.2lbs) – Miletich Fighting Systems
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IFL Middleweight Title Bout:
Ryan McGivern (181.2lbs) – Miletich Fighting Systems
VS.
Dan Miller (180.5lbs) – AMA Fight Club
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Under Card:
Mike Massenzio (185.2lbs) – Team Bomb Squad
VS.
Danillo Villefort (184.7lbs) – World Class Fight Center
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Zac George (155lbs) – Team Quest
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Josh Souder (155.2lbs) – Team Prodigy
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Matt Horwich (185.7lbs) – Team Quest
VS.
Joey Guel (185.5lbs)
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Nick Calandrino (170lbs) – Team Bomb Squad
VS.
John Howard (170.5lbs)
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Lamont Lister (205.2lbs) – Team Bomb Squad
VS.
Aaron Stark (205.7lbs) – Team Quest
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John Franchi (155lbs) – Team Bomb Squad
VS.
Frank Latina (152lbs)
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Dana White: Tito Ortiz ‘Dumbest Human Beings I’ve Ever Met’

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Dana White hits back at Tito Ortiz during a UFC 84 “Ill Will” press conference call.

Tito Ortiz:

You know what it really comes down to is just (UFC president) Dana White. If he learns to shut his mouth and learns to respect me there is a possibility yet. (He needs to) give a public apology for the things that he has done. That is just what it really comes down to, but I want to go with a company that is going to respect me and see me as the champion I am and the ambassador that I am of the sport and not really downplay me or disrespect me on television or anything else.

Dana White Responds:

“Tito is a f—ing idiot,” White said. “He’s one of the dumbest human beings I’ve ever met. Everything that comes out of his mouth makes no sense.”

“I put up with his s— when he was a good fighter,” White said. “He’s not anymore.”

“He’s not in anybody’s Top 10,” White said. “I have no interest whatsoever in being in the Tito Ortiz business. … I’ve never wanted to see anyone get their ass kicked worse than I want to see Tito get his kicked next Saturday night.”

Tito Ortiz isn’t in his prime, but the guy draws huge PPV sales and is always actively promoting himself in the media. He will be gold to any of these up start MMA promotions looking for a big name to headline a card. Now the real question is, can they afford him and still make a profit.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Gary Shaw open to "Kimbo" vs. Mike Tyson bout

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Click Here for "Full Elitexc Press confrence"



EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw said he's had no talks with Mike Tyson or any of his representatives, but he's certainly open to the idea of EliteXC heavyweight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson taking on the legendary boxer.

The website MediaTakeOut.com today reported that Tyson has tentatively agreed to fight Ferguson under the EliteXC banner.

Shaw denied any negotiations for the bout but said he'd "make that fight in a heartbeat."

"I have the media report about Mike," Shaw said during a media conference call today. "I've had no discussions with Mike or anyone around Mike. I know Mike. Yes, I would make that fight in a heartbeat."

Tyson, 41, owns a 58-6 career boxing record and was the world's undisputed heavyweight champion and the youngest man ever to win a world heavyweight title. He won his first 37 fights (with 33 knockouts) but hasn't competed since a June 2005 sixth-round TKO loss to Kevin McBride. It was his third loss in his past four fights.

According to the report, the fight with Ferguson would take place "late this year or early next."

Ferguson, 2-0 in MMA (with an exhibition victory over former boxer Ray Mercer) next fights James Thompson in the main event of a May 31 broadcast on CBS. "EliteXC: PRIMETIME," the first of four "Saturday Night Fights" events, will be the first-ever live MMA event to air on major U.S. network television. "Kimbo" rose to fame as an underground bare-knuckle brawler when his fights were distributed via the Internet.

Urijah Faber open to changing weight classes

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If Urijah Faber gets past Jens Pulver on June 1st and continues to run through the competition in the 145-pound division, the former UC Davis wrestler will be open to changing weight classes.

"I've had talks about going up to 155 and I've had talks about going down to 135," Faber told the ESPN Florida radio show Between The Ropes. "If it's a super fight and for the right money I'll fight anybody. Right now I'm taking it one fight at a time and there are still a lot of challengers out there at 145."

Faber (20-1), the WEC's 145-pound champion, is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, which has often led him to be compared to another lighter weight fighter, and that's Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto (17-1).

"I think it's something that can happen," Faber said. "I hear he's at 135 now. I would have no problem dropping down to 135 to fight the big fights down there. That's a fight that everyone wants to see and I'd love to make it happen."

The likelihood of Faber fighting Yamamoto is a long shot, but it's not entirely impossible. The WEC allowed Rani Yahya, a former WEC bantamweight number one title contender, to fight Yamamoto at "K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!!" last New Year's Eve.

Arlovski could complete deal with Affliction as soon as May 19

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SI.com's Josh Gross is reporting that the UFC has until May 19 to match Affliction's contract offer to former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski.

According to Gross, the deal Affliction has put on the table for Arlovski is a three-fight non-exclusive contract with the first fight paying him in the low-to-mid six-figure range.

Arlovski has already finished out his contract with the UFC, with his last fight a second-round TKO victory over Jake O'Brien at UFC 82.

Another tidbit in Gross' outstanding column is that the presence of George Greenberg from Fox Sports at a forthcoming Affliction press conference may be an indicator that the promotion's July 19 undercard could be televised live on FSN. At this point, however, this is still speculation.

For Gross' full column, including discussion of the UFC's resurgent lightweight division, head over to SI.com

EliteXC autograph signing set for Monday in West Hollywood

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Elite Xtreme Combat has booked some of its most notable fighters for an autograph signing that takes place this coming Monday, May 19, at the La Brea Best Buy store in West Hollywood, Calif.

Scheduled to appear are Gina Carano, Frank Shamrock, Phil Baroni, Nick Diaz and Jake Shields.

The event takes place from 6-8 p.m. PT.

The autograph signing was booked to publicize the debut of the first two EliteXC DVD releases. "Destiny" (two-disc set) showcases Frank Shamrock vs. Renzo Gracie and Gina Carano vs. Julie Kedzie. "Renegade" (two-disc set) features a lightweight championship match of K.J. Noons vs. Nick Diaz and the MMA debut of Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, who takes on Bo Cantrell.

Free, limited-edition EliteXC posters will be available with the purchase of any EliteXC DVD.

The La Brea Best Buy is located at 1015 N. La Brea Ave. in West Hollywood.

EliteXC's next event takes place May 31 as part of the CBS "Saturday Night Fights" series. In the night's main event, Kevin "Kimbo" Slice" takes on James Thompson. It'll be the first-ever live MMA event to air on major U.S. network television.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Matt Hamill the subject of a 2009 movie

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UFC light heavyweight Matt Hamill will be the subject of an upcoming movie entitled "Hamill" about his early life and wrestling career.

Hamill, who entered the UFC via the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter," discussed the flick in a recent interview with UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi.

The movie, which stars Eben Kostbar, has been criticized by the deaf community because it features a non-deaf actor. Hamill confirmed that two casting calls for the film were canceled due to protests but sticks by he decision to support the actor.

Kostbar, who's appeared in a few television roles and in some smaller-budget movies, is fluent in American Sign Language and has wrestling experience -- and he helped co-write the script for the movie -- but he's been targeted by a segment of the non-deaf community that believes a deaf actor should be picked for the starring role.

"I was really shocked by the reaction," Hamill told UFC.com. "I thought the movie would receive positive feedback from the deaf community because this movie is based on a deaf athlete and the life surrounding his deafness. It hurt at first, but I've come to realize that this is a small portion of the deaf community. With positive things, comes the negative things. If anything, it has kept me grounded."

The movie, which is being promoted as "Million Dollar Baby" meets "Rudy," will feature subtitles throughout the film in hopes the it'll appeal to deaf and hearing audiences.

"Hamill" is set for a 2009 release and is being filmed this fall in Los Angeles and Rochester, N.Y. The low-budget movie is produced by K'Dee Miller and will be directed by Joseph McKelheer.

Hamill (4-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) last competed at UFC Fight Night 13, where he posted a second-round TKO of Tim Boetsch. He's recently been working with Matt Serra and UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner to gather political support to legalize MMA in New York State.

Casey Olson HIS MAGAZINE Release

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(His Magazine)
Casey Olson
The Underdog Olson, who trained under Hackelman and Liddell, sets out to inspire

Former Fresno State wrestling star Casey "The Underdog" Olson Is one of the top fighter's in The Palace Fighting Championship in Lemoore, Olson started his mixed martial art's (MMA Training) under John Hackleman and Chuck Liddell at The Pit in San Luis Obispo in his spare time. Soon after, Olson took a leap of faith and left his job to dedicate his life to the sport. Olson's first MMA fight was in August of 2006. it ended in a knockout victory over Rolland Parli.

Olson's career highlight,to this point, Came in October of 2006 when he fought in front of hometown family and friends on a strikeforce card at the Save Mart Center, where he defeated Bobby Sanchez by Guillotine choke.

Olson had to make the best of an ankle injury last July, So he stepped up as a counselor of the Buchanan High School wrestling coaching staff "It was great to be back coaching" he said "My goal in MMA is to help people".

At 27 and already developing into a well rounded fighter. Casey Olson has the drive and determination to have a very successful career. "when I do things I want to be the best". He said "I want to win a championship, I want to help people. I want to inspire people to do better, and I can do that bybeing the best myself".

Check out this event: HIS MAG Release Party with THE UNDERDOG
Hosted By: Casey "THE UNDERDOG" Olson
When: Wednesday May 14, 2008
at 6:00 PM
Where: The Elbow Room ~ Fig Garden Village
731 W.


San Jose Ave @ Palm Ave
Fresno, California|5 93704
United States
Description:
Casey "THE UNDERDOG" Olson