Cole Miller is a former TUF season 5 contestant who is now 2-0 in the UFC. Irish Whip Fighting caught up with Miller by email last week and here are highlights of the interview.
Irish Whip Fighting: Hey man, how's everything going?
Cole Miller: Going alright. Just got through training, so I’m tired.
IWF: What's been your experience training with American Top Team (ATT)?
Miller: Training with them is the best life decision I could’ve made. I'm always around great friends, coaches, training partners, and people.
IWF: Do you like ATT better than your former team, Team Praxis?
Miller: Definitely. There’s no comparison. It’s a bunch of world class athletes and fighters [at ATT]. Training at Team Praxis was fun, [but] it was just time for me to go. I didn’t have much else to learn where I was at.
IWF: On The Ultimate Fighter 5 you played some hilarious pranks. The other fighters also pulled pranks on you. Would you consider yourself a “prankster”?
Miller: I dunno. I mean I just don’t like seeing people down in the dumps. If someone is down I’ll try to make them smile; if they're bored, I’ll try to make them entertained. The house does weird things to your morale. I just wanted to help keep my new roommates and friends as sane as possible.
IWF: I was talking to Jens Pulver not too long ago and he said, "Cole Miller is a well-rounded athlete already. I think he's just got to trim up his heart and his courage a little bit; he needs to believe in himself. Once he does that, he'll be unstoppable. He's destroying people right now. He's got the attributes and the skills, but he needs to believe in himself." Have you taken steps to improve your courage?
Miller: Well, I don’t know about the courage thing, but he is right about believing in myself. Sometimes you're reluctant to do certain moves or techniques because you're not sure if your techniques will work on someone at that level. While I was on the show I had this problem. But not anymore. I look forward to going out to MFS [Miletich Fighting Systems] and possibly helping Jens out with a future fight. I would have [helped] for this one but I had to help my bro for his fight on the same card. But, I would love to show him the steps I’ve made. Jens was a big influence in my life during that period.
IWF: What fighters showed the most potential out of all of the TUF 5 contestants?
Miller: Most potential: Corey Hill; most talent: Nate Diaz.
IWF: You've won both of your official fights in the UFC. Who do you want next? Maybe Joe Lauzon?
Miller: To be honest, I don’t have any interest in fighting anyone from the show unless it gets to contendership status. I wanna fight the guys who’ve already fought in the UFC. I wanna f*** up the guys nobody wants to fight. You wanna talk about courage? I’m ready to take everyone on that will do something for my name. I’m not scared of anyone. I’m a killer and I’m here to kill people. I really wanted to fight Huerta next but that [fight] was given to [Clay] Guida.
IWF: Being only 23 years old, where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
Miller: Black belt in jiu-jitsu, kick boxing, and solid wrestling -- the kind of fighter that can beat anyone in the world on any day and most likely will, when they step in front of me.
IWF: Steroids have become a huge issue in MMA lately. Why are these guys taking them if they know that they'll probably get caught?
Miller: I think these guys are in it for the short run. None of these guys taking juice will be in the UFC in 10 years. I’m all-natural. I’ve never taken stuff like that and never will. I treat my body well because it’s all I have. When it starts to break down I’ll be done. So, I’ll eat right [and] train right. They don’t care if they get caught. If they really cared, they wouldn’t do it. I would love to fight some of these guys on HGH or steroids if they were clean. Another thing I'd like to fight these guys at 155 [lbs.]. All these guys blow up to 185 on fight day. F*** that. They should do same day weigh-ins. Fight me at 155 on the dot.
IWF: I hear that you were a great baseball player. What made you decide to give that up for MMA?
Miller: I gave it up because it wasn’t fun anymore. I found MMA by chance.
IWF: Your younger brother Micah is currently fighting in the WEC, I believe. How is he doing? Does he show signs of potential?
Miller: He's always had potential. Now it’s becoming talent[ed]. He gets better daily [so] I feel bad for his opponents.
IWF: Who do you think will win the following fights?
Miller: Anyone can win on any given day with how crazy things go in MMA but [here is] who I think is most likely to win...
IWF: Jens Pulver vs. BJ Penn 3?
Miller: BJ
IWF: Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Diaz 2?
Miller: Nathan
IWF: Cole Miller vs. Joe Lauzon 2?
Miller: Of course I have to say me.
IWF: Are there any sponsors that you would like to thank?
Miller: Tapout,streetwise.
IWF: Do you have anything to say to your fans?
Miller: Thanks for the support thats what keeps me fighting, and to everyone that hates me; i hate you too and you're also why I fight.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Cole Miller Interview
Monday, November 26, 2007
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Interview
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua joined the UFC this summer after an illustrious career with PRIDE. His first match in the Octagon didn’t go as planned, however, as Rua succumbed to Forrest Griffin. Irish Whip Fighting caught up with Rua to see how he is doing.
Irish Whip Fighting: How is married life working out?
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: It's ok. I'm moving [to] a new home -- an apartment here in Curitiba. There are a lot of things to arrange but I think that [by] Christmas I will be in my new home. Now that I am recovering from the surgery and not training it is good to use my free time to [over]see everything about my new home.
IWF: Can you tell us a little bit about the Forrest Griffin fight? Was he what you prepared for?
Rua: I don´t like to give excuses -- I lost and that's it, period. Nothing went right. I assume this -- the injury -- interfered in my training, in [especially] the kicks and [with running]. I had a lot of new things in my life: [a] wedding and a new home. But no problem, let´s move ahead. I don´t want to talk about the past, let´s see what is coming next. I'm very young and I know that I can get the UFC belt in the future. I will be back better than ever. All the fighters can follow [their] opponents, with the internet and the show[s] on TV. We can see the skills of our opponents -- Forrest was very well trained [and] I respect that.
IWF: How much did the hurt knee affect your ability to train and compete at your top level?
Rua: We are living a very professional moment in MMA [so] the difference between the fighters is very small. [It] was difficult to run and to kick with my injury and when you have some injury your confidence is not the same -- every time you are concern[ed] about it.
IWF: Do you think that you would train differently if you ever got the chance to fight him again?
Rua: For sure, probably in the future we will fight again. Now I'm thinking [about] my [recovery and] go[ing] back to train[ing] and let's see what's happen in the future.
IWF: Would you be interested in a rematch with Griffin in the future or are you looking ahead to Rampage Jackson?
Rua: I had the promise from UFC that with a victory against Forrest I would have a shot for the belt that actually is with Rampage. Unfortunately I lost [so it’s] necessary to review all the plans and I know that I will need to make a new journey for the belt.
IWF: What's been happening with Rampage? He got beat up bad by you and by Wanderlei Silva in PRIDE and now he looks like a different fighter. Would you expect a fight with him to go the same way as it did before?
Rua: Life is funny, no? Quinton Jackson comes to UFC after three terrible defeats in PRIDE ([losing to] me [once] and Wanderlei twice). Now, he has the UFC belt. I think that he has more experience now. After the victory against Liddell he is very confident and [it] is difficult to guarantee that one fight will be the same [as] an old one -- every fight is totally different from [the] other[s].
IWF: I was talking to “Big” John McCarthy not too long ago, and he said that PRIDE and UFC were very different due to the ring size. He said that he noticed that you were having trouble getting to Forrest because of the different angles of the UFC cage. However, when I talked to your brother Murilo, he said that whether it's in a ring or a cage doesn't matter. Who do you agree with here?
Rua: Yes, in the cage the fight is more aggressive -- there [are] no corners to give a break, but I already fought in the cage [so it’s] no problem. My defeat doesn't have any thing [to do] with the cage or ring.
IWF: Why do you think that PRIDE fighters are having such a tough time with UFC fighters?
Rua: [It] is just a coincidence. Just see Rampage -- he has the belt now. Do you think that he is having [a] tough time in UFC?
IWF: Do you prefer fighting in PRIDE or UFC?
Rua: No preference.
IWF: You've defeated most of the top 205-pounders. Which win was the biggest?
Rua: No one [is] the biggest, but there are some very important [wins] in my career. [My victory] against Minotauro [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] was very tough; [my win] against Rampage was very important in that moment; and for sure [my win] against [Ricardo] Arona when I won PRIDE Grand Prix.
IWF: Where do you rank yourself among the 205-pounders?
Rua: I run to be the number one. I want to be with the tops and fight against them.
IWF: Are there any fighters out there you'd like to fight?
Rua: No preference. I never choose opponents. Now that I lost, I can't think about [that]. I must fight and prove that I can have [the] UFC belt, no matter against whom.
IWF: Would you fight Wanderlei if he had the belt?
Editor’s note: Shogun did not respond to this question.
IWF: Who do you think will win the following fight: Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam?
Rua: Ninja for sure. He's training hard; he wants a lot the Cage Rage belt; [and] he deserves it.
IWF: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva?
Rua: Very tough fight. Both are very aggressive and [both are] strikers. I just know that this fight will finish before the second round.
IWF: "Shogun" Rua vs. Forrest Griffin II?
Rua: I want to be back in better shape, well prepared, and I know that I can beat him.
IWF: Alright, well do you have anything to say to your fans?
Rua: I have a lot of emails here from fans supporting me during my recovering, when you come from a defeat is very important to know that (there are) a lot of people that trust you, support you in the good and in the bad moments, I promise you all that I will be back better than ever.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
UFC 79 To Feature Hughes-GSP III For Interim
Exactly one day BEFORE the announcement of the Hughes-St. Pierre Interim Title fight, IWF reported the following: "If I were White, I would consider holding Hughes-St. Pierre III now, with the winner receiving a title shot. Hughes and St. Pierre will fight each other again soon enough, so it could make sense to get it out of the way now." Dana White must read IWF, because hours later, the blockbuster was booked.
In the UFC, when one door closes, another opens, and on December 29th, that adage will ring true once against when Matt Hughes battles Georges St. Pierre for the interim UFC Welterweight Championship in the main event of UFC 79: Nemesis, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
St-Pierre replaces UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra, who was forced to withdraw from his bout with Hughes last week due to a herniated disc in his back.
“Obviously, the loss of Matt Serra was brutal, but the great thing about the UFC is that we can put together great fights like Hughes-St-Pierre at a moment’s notice and bounce right back,” said UFC President Dana White. “I have the utmost respect for both Hughes and St-Pierre for stepping up for this fight, and not only are the fans going to see two of the greatest welterweights of all-time settle their score in a rubber match, but they're going to do it in a five round interim title fight, and the winner is going to face off next year against Matt Serra for the undisputed title.”
Hughes and St-Pierre are no strangers to one another, having fought twice with vastly different results. In their first bout at UFC 50 in October of 2004, Hughes won the vacant welterweight crown with a first round submission victory. In their November 2006 rematch, St-Pierre evened the score with a second round TKO of Hughes to win the 170-pound title. On December 29th, the two will settle matters once and for all.
“I’m so excited to get this fight,” said St-Pierre. “I’m fighting Matt Hughes for the interim title right now, and then after that I’m going to go after Serra. I’ve wanted that rematch against Serra, and this is the best scenario that can happen.”
Waiting in the wings will be the champion, Serra, who will have an odd rooting interest that night.
“I can’t believe the position this puts me in,” said the New Yorker, who won the title from St-Pierre and was looking forward to settling the score with the man he has been coaching against and trading barbs with on the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Hughes. “I’m actually rooting for Matt Hughes so I can beat his ass.”
Saturday, November 24, 2007
New FIGHT! Magazine Features Zeidler Article
The December/January issue of FIGHT! Magazine, one of the most popular MMA mags on the market, features an article by IWF's very own Ben Zeidler. In the article, Zeidler pits MMA Legends against current superstars in the sport (see cover, upper right side). Trainers Greg Jackson, Robert Fallis, and Pat Miletich weigh in on the match ups chosen by Zeidler, sometimes resulting in a consensus...and sometimes not. Read below for the article's introduction. Unfortunately, you'll have to buy the magazine (just $4.99 at any Barnes and Noble or Borders) to see which fights I picked and what the experts have to say.
Anderson Silva has taken on some of the most talented fighters of his time, even knocking out one of the longest-reigning champions on his way to the belt. Unfortunately, the debate over whether or not Silva is the greatest Middleweight of all-time is untouchable because, after all, he can’t fight the champions of decades past. Or can he?
In this segment, FIGHT! Magazine approached three of the most renowned trainers in the sport, Greg Jackson of Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting, Robert Fallis of Team Quest, and Pat Miletich of MFS. Each has worked with numerous champions throughout the years, they’ve seen more fighters come and go than we can count, and they certainly aren’t shy about their opinions.
We asked each trainer how the fight would go if the legend were in his prime and the current superstar was in his current state. They were asked to pick a winner and shed some insight as to why the fight would progress as their expert opinions saw it.
Buy the magazine to read the rest!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Serra Pulls Out Of UFC 79
Due to herniated discs from a training injury, Matt Serra has been forced to pull out of his upcoming bout with former champ Matt Hughes.
Serra was involved in a routine training regiment when he fell to the floor in pain. Later MRIs revealed the herniated discs in his lower back.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” said Serra. “I’ve never had a back injury before; I could hardly get off of the MRI table. There is no way I can train through this, and I’m devastated, especially because this was such an important fight. I was looking forward to fighting Matt Hughes. All my training was going phenomenally until Monday – All I can do now is to get better and to fight again as soon as possible.”
Hopefully, White will book a Welterweight contender against Hughes as to keep Hughes busy and not diminish the excellent star quality of this December card. If I were White, I would consider holding Hughes-St. Pierre III now, with the winner receiving a title shot. Hughes and St. Pierre will fight each other again soon enough, so it could make sense to get it out of the way now.
St. Pierre would be more likely to support this plan than Hughes due to the fact that if Hughes is victorious, Georges is still owed a shot at Serra, and therefore, wouldn't be permanently cut out of the title picture. If St. Pierre is victorious in the third bout with Hughes, it would likely spell the end of Matt Hughes' title contendership.
More than likely, however, White and Joe Silva will opt to either have Hughes fight in a tune up bout, or simply not fight at all.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Henderson To Challenge A. Silva At UFC 82
Ben Zeidler: Do you have any plans to capture the UFC MW belt or do you prefer to fight at 205 lbs now?With the announcement of Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson booked for UFC 82, it appears that the biggest Middleweight bout in UFC history is about to happen.
Dan Henderson: I think it's up to me. The thing that I'm focused on right now is winning this fight, nothing else, whatever happens after that you know, happens.
MMA Junkie is reporting that Silva vs. Henderson was announced during the UFC 78 press conference:
Light heavyweight Dan Henderson will move down to 185 pounds to challenge UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (20-4 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in March.The Middleweight title has only seen five champions in its short history, and no bout has ever matched the hype that this one will create. The champion is the most devastating and dominant fighter his division has ever seen. The challenger is PRIDE's former Middleweight and Welterweight champion, who ended his PRIDE career with a stunning KO of legend Wanderlei Silva. Never before have two men of such impressive caliber met under the auspices of a middleweight title fight. Until now.The announcement was made during the post-event press conference for UFC 78, which took place Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The championship bout will likely take place at UFC 82. As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, UFC 82 will take place March 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Read More...
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Evans And Bisping Turn In Three Round War At 78
Evans squeaked by his TUF counterpart, Houston Alexander got a nasty surprise, and Karo cruised in their respective UFC 78 performances. Quick results below:
Saturday, November 17, 2007
TUF champions Evans and Bisping top off explosive card with style clash
Reality show stars, reality show champions, undefeated fighters, and now headliners, Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping have plenty in common. However, it is their differences that determines who steps up in the 205-pound class. Can Evans notch another dominating ground performance or will Bisping return to England with a longer highlight reel? By Danny Acosta
When two unblemished fighters clash, one leaves defeated. But the last outings of Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping seemingly have defied that truth.
Evans went three rounds with former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in July. The back and forth battle saw the Michigan State University wrestler come up short on the judges score cards. But Ortiz lived up to his “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” moniker by cheating himself out of a victory due to a point deduction. The fight ended in a draw. Evans retained his undefeated record.
Two months later, Bisping picked up a split decision victory over MMA novice Matt Hamill and kept his loss column empty. The decision was controversial enough to turn London’s 02 Arena against “The Count” and for the American. Much like the post-fight fallout of the Evans/Ortiz bout, fans clamored for a rematch, but sequels in those sagas are taking a back seat to the first ever clash of TUF champions.
Evans and Bisping have engaged in battle already from behind keyboards through UFC.com blogs. In New Jersey on Saturday night, no words matter as they enter the Octagon looking for “Validation.” Victory boils down to the classic match-up of wrestler versus striker.
Evans, a former Michigan State wrestler, has employed his stifling top game en route to five victories in the Octagon.
Bisping has the advantage of the fight beginning where he wants the fight to stay. The Cyprus, England native needs to keep his distance and find angles for his punches as a counter to Evan’s jerky head movement. Kicks and knees are dangerous to throw against an explosive wrestler, but pay dividends if timed right. “The Count” likes to put the pressure on—something Evans has never encountered standing from a striker of Bisping’s caliber. If the Wolfslair Academy standout can test his opponents’ grit while keeping the fight standing, his chances for validation increase exponentially.
Bisping struggled against wrestlers in Eric Schafer and Matt Hamill, but has the grit to find his way out of tough spots. The native New Yorker, however, has a deeper gas tank and will persist in controlling the fight on the ground. Bisping has found his success by striking and punishing opponents on the ground from top position. Evans bypasses both offenses simply by employing his game plan.
The Greg Jackson-trained fighter has endured stiffer competition and seen less danger than his British adversary. Evans has the experience over the former Cage Rage champion. And unless Bisping can elevate his wrestling or jiu-jitsu to dictate the fight, Evans will have validation.
The Prudential Center is subject to an earthquake in the featured fight of the night when Houston Alexander stands across from Thiago Silva in a light heavyweight contest. The Nebraskan is untested in the later stanzas of the fight as well as on the ground. That is only because he crumbled Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara in less than two minutes total. Silva is an undefeated Chute Boxe black belt with a strong stand-up game and—whether he likes it or not—will stand with Alexander. He demonstrated a lack of cardio against Tomasz Drwal, but more refined striking than Alexander.
The father of six must follow his explosiveness all the way to victory. Silva can knockout Alexander, but the onslaught the radio host brings to the Octagon is best avoided on the ground—if he can last long enough to get it there.
In welterweight action, Karo Parisyan will test Ryo Chonan in the former Pride fighter’s debut. The judo master is upset he never received a title shot after dropping out of a clash with Matt Hughes. Chonan stands in his way. Octagon jitters and a drop in weight may trouble the “Piranha,” but his standup is going to turn down “The Heat.”
Parisyan must force the fight to the ground and pound out the man responsible for Anderson Silva’s last loss. The resiliency of both these fighters pushes the fight into decision territory. The Armenian has a distinct advantage as long as he watches out for the flying heel hook.
A clear fight of the night candidate before anyone enters the cage is a lightweight challenge between Spencer Fisher and Frankie Edgar. A product of the Miletich Fighting Systems, Fisher has devastating eight-point strikes and an active ground game. Edgar is tireless wrestler with dynamic hands and solid submission defense.
The New Jersey native carries two distinctive advantages into this fight: home field advantage and wrestling, which is Fisher’s weakness. Ground and pound is where he can pull away in this fight. While he lacks experience compared to Fisher, his classic three-round bout against Tyson Griffin highlights Edgar is ready for anything.
If anyone is going to show “The Answer” defeat, it is “The King.” Fisher needs to lay heavy leather on Edgar’s chin and counter takedowns with knees. He cannot depend on Edgar to make a mistake or fatigue—he won’t. Fisher must force the issue en route to a knockout.
Middleweights Joe Doerksen and Ed Herman look to up their stock in the swing bout of the night. Doerksen, fresh off surrendering the WEC’s vacant strap to Paulo Filho, has already defeated “Short Fuse.” But the Team Quest fighter has the ground and pound coupled with three more years of experience to extend the fight to a trilogy. He has the grit to survive and can push the pace to a technical knockout, but only if he can keep his temperament under control in Doerksen’s submission web.
American Top Team’s Thiago Alves steps into the cage against Chris Lytle at 170lbs. His excellent sprawl keeps the fight standing and Lytle does not have the wrestling to change this, nullifying his potent submission game. Alves’ chopping leg kicks are a nice counter to Lytle’s boxing, but “Lights Out” is battle tested against strikers. “The Pitbull” has trouble with good strikers and does not preserve through bad spots. He is either dominating or not. Given the Hoosier’s ability to make fighters look unimpressive, Alves may fold deep in the fight.
Akihiro Gono, Marcus Aurelio, and Joe Lauzon round out the rest of the preliminary action on a night where reality show standouts continue standing in spotlight. As the UFC finally returns to New Jersey, Evans and Bisping must prove themselves as worthy headliners. This is a difficult task on a night with at least three fights of pure fireworks, but the TUF champions have explosiveness of their own.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
UFC Signs Sokoudjou
Despite maintaining he was a free agent as recently as two days ago, Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com is reporting that good friend of IWF Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou has been signed. It appears that he will make his debut at the now "card of the year" UFC 79.
Gerbasi's article:2007 has seen the UFC's Light Heavyweight division become the most talent-rich weight class in the world. At UFC 79, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on December 29th, fight fans will get a glimpse of the newest addition to the 205-pound ranks as “The African Assassin”, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, makes his UFC debut against unbeaten sharpshooter Lyoto Machida.
“Sokoudjou is an explosive athlete with heavy hands and great judo who is coming off huge back-to-back knockout wins over two top ten guys in Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira,” said UFC President Dana White. “Bringing him in just makes the stacked 205-pound division even stronger, and there are endless great matchups for him here in the UFC.”
A highly regarded judoka who won the 2001 US Open, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-1) moved to the United States from his native Cameroon in 2001, and by 2004, he had turned his attention to mixed martial arts. He made his MMA debut in 2006, and by 2007 he was brought in to fight in the PRIDE organization. It was there that Sokoudjou truly made his mark as he knocked out world-class light heavyweights Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona in consecutive bouts, with neither fight making it out of the second minute. A member of the renowned Team Quest in California, the 23-year old Sokoudjou comes to the Octagon with great potential and even greater expectations.
Unbeaten in 11 pro fights, Brazil’s Lyoto Machida is one of the most accurate and technical strikers in the game today. Owner of wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, and Stephan Bonnar, Machida entered the UFC Octagon for the first time in February of 2007 and he has since scored wins over Sam Hoger and David Heath. In September, Machida fought the most impressive fight of his UFC career when he soundly outpointed PRIDE vet Kazuhiro Nakamura. On December 29th, he will be pushed to the limit by the hard-hitting Sokoudjou.
“I’m looking very forward to this fight,” said Machida. “I know Sokoudjou doesn’t have a lot of fights, but the fights he’s had are big, and he has beaten some very big names in this sport. I think this is going to be a great fight, and I am looking forward to winning this fight, and to moving on and fighting for the UFC title.”
“Machida needs to fight a guy who will come right after him, keep the pressure on him, and set the pace, instead of Machida setting the pace,” said White. “Sokoudjou’s that type of guy.”
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Big John McCarthy Interview
“Big” John McCarthy is one of the most familiar faces in MMA. But, he’s not a fighter – he’s a referee and if it’s a big fight, odds are McCarthy is the man officiating the action. Irish Whip Fighting caught up with Big John not to long ago to talk about PRIDE Fighters, Fedor, and much more.
Irish Whip Fighting: You probably have the coolest job in the world. How did you get involved with refereeing for MMA events?
"Big" John McCarthy: [Laughs] I started because I worked out with Rorian and Royce Gracie before the UFC was ever started. When they did the first one, there were some things that happened that Rorian wasn't happy with, and he asked me to do it.
IWF: Is it true that you were involved in fighting but decided not to pursue that career because you didn't want to fight your friend, Royce Gracie?
BJM: Well, they didn't want to put me in there with him. I never had the chance to, which ended up being a good thing. Things worked out better for me the way they went.
IWF: How did you come up with your trademarked phrase, "Let's Get It On!"?
BJM: Art Davie was one of the owners of the UFC. Art was talking to me and said he wanted the fights started in a martial arts way. I said, ‘Well what you want?’ and he said, ‘I don't know -- just say something.’ I said, ‘Well, what do you want me to say?’ and he said, ‘You have to come up with something.’ I figured that with two guys standing on opposite sides of the cage about to beat the hell out of each other, how about ‘Are you ready? Let's get it on!’ Art said that it was perfect, and that's basically how it started.
IWF: In the beginning, UFC had almost no rules. Do you like the old UFC or the new UFC better?
BJM: Oh, there's no comparison, I like the way MMA is today. The athletes are much better; everyone's well-rounded; it's just a much better competition now. I like competition. I'm not into guys with relatively no ability fighting. There's no comparison.
IWF: Where do you see mixed martial arts in 10 years?
BJM: Well, I didn't see it being what it is now. But I think that the way things are going with the UFC getting popular, with other promotions coming up and getting people to understand the sport more, and putting on high quality fights with high quality fighters, I think that it could be as big as the NFL or Major League Baseball. More stars will help as far as getting people into it. There are a lot of incredible fighters out there who aren't with the UFC and once people get to know them they're going to really like them.
IWF: How do you think you would fare as a fighter in the UFC today?
BJM: Today? I'd get my ass whipped. [Laughs] I've been asked that a lot. I'm okay -- I can box and I can wrestle. But I'm 45 years old and I'm smart enough to realize that guys of today are well-rounded and they're very good at what they do. It'd be a miracle for me to come out of the workouts uninjured and able to fight. Either way I wouldn't last. Those days have passed me by and I've realized that. I just enjoy doing what I do.
IWF: Well Randy Couture is 44...
BJM: Randy Couture is a freak. [Laughs] To be at his level at his age…he's an unusual person. His ability to train smart, do things the way he has, and keep himself healthy is amazing. He's an unusual person. You won't see many guys fighting at his age. The older you get you start to tail out, but your mind never changes. I don't know how old you are. Well, how old are you?
IWF: 20.
BJM: 20?! Geez! See? As you get older, 25, 35, or 45, what you do in life affects your body in different ways. What I used to be able to do when I was 35 compared to now 45 is very different. Your ability to recover is different, but your mind never changes. I still believe that I can do the stuff that I could do when I was 25 because my mind tells me that, and everyone thinks like that. But truthfully your timing starts to go away and your reaction time slows. Like when I'm training with guys I'll see punches coming and I'll know when I have to move and everything, but I'll end up getting hit because I just don't react as fast. It happens to a lot of fighters. You watch guys like Ken Shamrock, when he stays on and keeps fighting. It's not so much that he lost it, but his quickness and his reflexes have started to diminish. You get caught with what you didn't get caught with before. That's what happens as you get older.
IWF: What do you think about Fedor Emelianenko? How beneficial do you think it would be to have him in UFC?
BJM: Well, that's two questions. What do I think of Fedor? I think Fedor is a phenomenal fighter. He's extremely well-rounded; he does things really well. He's the best at some things, and what he's not the best at he's good at. He's got very good standup as far as he's willing to throw. He throws a lot of punches from different angles; his wrestling ability is good; his hips are very good; his ability to stay up at times and his hip movement is outstanding; his ground-and-pound is as good as anyone's has ever been; he throws punches from the ground harder because of the way that he turns his hips; and his submission game is good. He's a phenomenal fighter. How would he do in the UFC? I think given time that'd he be as dominant as he was in PRIDE. But I think that if you throw him in against a top guy when he's not used to the cage, the different rules, or the size of the cage, a lot of things would work against him. If he was brought into the UFC I think that he should take some fights to get himself acclimated to it, because there is a difference. I think that'd be a smart thing to do.
IWF: Well, people were talking about throwing him in to an immediate title shot.
BJM: Yeah, if I were Fedor's management I would never do that, because he's coming in at too much of a disadvantage. Not because he's not a great fighter, because he is. And skill-wise he's probably the top guy in the world right now, but he's not used to the things that happen. It's a different atmosphere; it's a different arena. There are things that you can do in that cage that don't work in a ring. Especially against a guy like Randy who uses the cage very well, he's knowledgeable about how it works. Fedor would be putting himself at a disadvantage in his first fight. It would've been a mistake.
IWF: The PRIDE guys really seem to be having a hard time with the UFC guys. Is that due to PRIDE being weaker than people thought, UFC guys being better, or something else entirely?
BJM: I think that it's a lot of what I'm talking about. The ring is different than the cage. First of all the PRIDE ring is smaller. Everyone talks about how big the ring is, but it's only 24 feet. At my gym I have the PRIDE ring and the UFC cage, and there's just a ton of more space in the cage than there is in that ring. When a guy comes over from PRIDE there's going to be a difference no matter what as far as the pace of a fight, the things that will happen, and the use of that cage. When you cut a guy off in a ring, it's different than cutting a guy off in a cage. It's caused Mirko [Cro Cop] a lot of problems, because he's not used to it. He ends up chasing guys at times, or he doesn't cut off the right angle to set himself up because he's just not used to that environment. When Mauricio came in he had problems getting to Forrest when he was trying to cut him off, Forrest was using angles on him where Mauricio couldn't get to him. And that's all part of learning. When you come into the UFC the cage is different -- it's bigger and the pace of the fight is different. No matter what anyone says, it is different. In PRIDE, Japanese fans are different than American fans. They don't push so much for that pace to be at a high level. They're more appeasing of a slow pace as long as they think it's tactical and that the fighters are trying to do something. Whereas in America the fans start to boo, so guys naturally start to press and push the pace. Sometimes that can work against you if you're not used to it.
IWF: Out of all of the fights that you have officiated, what fight stands out in your mind as your favorite?
BJM: It's impossible for me to say. I've done so many fights! [Laughs] But asking what my ultimate favorite fight is could mean what fight recently, or what was the biggest fight as far as coverage and anticipation. But I did the Tyson Griffin-Clay Guida fight in Ireland. I love that fight. I thought it was a phenomenal fight between two great guys. They did everything in that fight that is part of mixed martial arts. I love that fight.
IWF: Do you become friends with a lot of these UFC fighters that you work with?
BJM: Back in the early days we would hang around and work out. But when athletic commissions started getting involved with the sport, things kind of changed. I kinda stay away from the fighters as far as social things. I don't go to any of the after-parties or anything. I take my wife with me everywhere, and she's my friend. [Laughs]
IWF: More and more fighters are getting caught with steroids lately. Why do fighters take them if they know they'll probably get caught?
BJM: Well I think that anytime someone thinks that they can have an advantage and if someone tells them that they have a way around the test then they'll take that chance. Everyone wants that competitive edge, and steroids will give you some of the competitive edge. The advantage of steroids isn't so much in the actual fight as much as the training. You can train longer, train harder, and recover from those longer harder training sessions. To talk about strength and size, that's really not going to be much of an advantage in the fights. The ability to train longer, harder, and recover faster is a huge advantage. Even though they know that they aren't supposed to do it, they'll think that they'll get away with it and that's what happens.
Interview originally conducted for MMAMadness.com
Monday, November 12, 2007
Slow Period For MMA News
It's been a slow month or so for mixed martial arts news, as obscure HDNet and HERO'S results flood the pages of most MMA-dedicated blogs. But it wasn't always like this. As recently as this past summer, it always seemed like a blockbuster match was being announced or a superstar fighter was being signed. Recently, however, the excitement seems to be missing from MMA. And here's why:
Rivalries Resolved
The major rivalries that were responsible for UFC's popularity surge over the last year have been dying out. Interest has waned, one fighter won the majority of the contests, or one fighter so emphatically beat his opponent that there is no clear need for a rematch. Any way you break it down, Liddell/Ortiz, Penn/Pulver, and many others just aren't as fun as they used to be. These rivalries ending wouldn't be a problem (after all, good things do need to come to an end) if they were replaced with equally entertaining rivalries. You can't tell me that I'm supposed to watch Liddell take on Ortiz and Rampage and then enjoy a Keith Jardine fight. It's not happening. From top to bottom in the UFC, eras have come to an end, with the obvious exception of Hughes/GSP which has only taken a detour to the grave due a freak win by Matt Serra. Everything else, however (Couture/Sylvia, Silva/Franklin, etc.) has gone by the wayside in the last few months. It's made for odd match ups, like Ortiz/Evans, that would never have been booked last year.
PRIDE Is Dead
The competition bred by PRIDE was not solely successful in creating a "What If?" atmosphere. It also served to force the UFC to constantly examine what they were doing and how they could make it better. As recently as February of this year, PRIDE held an event headlined by Henderson and Wanderlei in Las Vegas. For the UFC, that was enough warning. They chose to buy out PRIDE before it threatened their stateside hegemony. But when the Ferttitas bought out PRIDE, they also opted out of being forced into making improvements to their own organization. Had PRIDE made the successful jump to the States (and it looked as if they would, with a 2 million dollar gate), White and Co. would have to work overtime to come up with new ways to sell fights, new rivalries, new fighter personas, and everything else it takes to remain afloat in a competitive business environment. Now, they need none of this, instead choosing to move at their own pace and headlining each card with just one super fight instead of many. If PRIDE were still an independent entity, we never would have seen a card like UFC 77, with one main event and countless other battles with little significance. And we would certainly never see a UFC 78, consisting of a main event that deserves to be either a swing bout at a PPV or a main event at a Fight Night. Surely it shouldn't be the main attraction at New Jersey's first event since UFC 53! It is, unfortunately, and this has come about simply because White has the option to make it this way. No one is forcing his hand as PRIDE had started to do earlier this year.
Fighters Signed
Back when the Rampage Jackson/Mirko Filipovic signings were announced, it was as if a bomb had been dropped on the MMA world. Acquiring such free agent talent automatically meant a myriad of new matches in two different divisions. It was exciting and it was new. Then came Nogueira, Henderson, Shogun, and Wanderlei. The novelty was destroyed as essentially every big name was brought under one roof. And while there's something to be said for accumulating the biggest names in order to create the best match ups, there's also an interesting element in having great fighters that exist outside of the world's best organization. With the exception of Fedor, there are very few "What If?" scenarios that are still worth contemplating. The Light Heavyweights have all but been swept up (with the exception of Soukoudjou, who doesn't look like he's going anywhere soon), and the rest of the divisions don't warrant signing (see Kang's recent KO loss and Filho's near-loss). With no free agents left, every fight is a possibility and no fights are impossible. For a sport built on unpredictability, that's a scary thought.
Bad Booking
As a paying customer, I believe that every fight on a PPV card should have title implications or at least be exciting. At the most recent event, UFC 77, other than the title fight and the Sylvia-Vera bout (which I'll agree had title ramifications, but sure as hell wasn't exciting), nothing that was televised was worth an ounce of the fan's time. Stephan Bonnar provided fans with an exciting, unimportant bout, while the two remaining fights on the main card contained neither excitement nor title consideration. Even more frustrating to the fans, the more exciting fighters (Jason MacDonald and Demian Maia) were kept on the under card in Machida-like fashion. The UFC 78 card is so weak that on the website, it specifies "This fight has massive implications!" as though the UFC needs to convince people that the statement is true. The UFC would like you to focus on the fact that both men are TUF winners and are technically undefeated. What you should be focusing on is that most analysts believe Bisping lost his last fight, and Evans stalled his way to a draw with Tito Ortiz. The secondary fight on the card appears to be the Parisyan-Chonan bout, which appears to have absolutely no implications, unless there's some obscure connection I'm missing. If anyone can hype a fight and make it seem worthwhile, it's certainly the UFC P.R. machine. Apparently, when you market events this well, you don't even need to book interesting fights.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it comes in the form of UFC 79. Whether this incredible event is just plain luck, a UFC reaction to bad buys for UFC 77 and UFC 78 (anyone else see the three-pack they've been pushing on PPV subscribers?), or it marks the dawn of the post-PRIDE era, no one can be sure. What the UFC needs in order to make a successful transition in completely unchartered waters is a set of great fights at this event. It was just last December that Liddell v. Ortiz II took place, providing the UFC with enough momentum to remain viable throughout the year. If they can get another blockbuster out of Hughes, Liddell, and Wanderlei, they might just be able to repeat.
Originally written for MMAMadness.com
Sunday, November 11, 2007
IWF Exclusive: The Future Of The UFC
Although we have a set title fight in our sights (Hughes vs. Serra), a slightly deeper look into the ranks of the UFC will give us a more accurate picture of how the sport should shape up over the next six months. While feuds and rivalries culminate in once-a-month events, the sport is built between those events as every member of the roster fights, bargains, and even pleads for a title shot. The following is a look at each division and who is fighting for the title.
Heavyweights: With Andrei Arlovski missing his new contract, Cro Cop dropping fights like he was bought off, and Couture temporarily out of the fight game, the whole division is really up for grabs. It’s unlikely that White would simply award the belt to the winner of an upcoming fight as it wouldn’t make sense for Kongo or Nogueira to receive a title with very little UFC experience under their belts. He could justify giving it to Sylvia as he was the last guy to hold the belt and is fresh off a win, but I doubt he’d give the title to the least marketable guy this side of O.J. Simpson. What is likely is that we’ll see Sylvia take on the Kongo/Nogueira winner in a mini grand prix of sorts. While the best match up for the sport would have been Vera and Kongo, it was spoiled by Sylvia’s yawn-inducing win last month (not that Vera helped to make it exciting, either…). I’d expect to see Nogueira and Sylvia, but the way the UFC’s cookies have been crumbling lately, I’d probably be better off just flipping a coin.
Light Heavyweights: This is obviously the toughest one to call, with the four big names (Liddell, Henderson, Shogun, Wanderlei) being more than one win from a title shot. That leaves us with three guys who can stake a legitimate claim to Rampage’s belt. They are: Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, and Forrest Griffin. It probably won’t be Jardine, because although he’s knocked out Griffin and beat Liddell, he suffered a brutal KO at the hands of Houston Alexander at UFC 71. And while Machida’s been impressive in his UFC fights (3 for 3), two weren’t on the main telecast and he doesn’t have quite enough name recognition or ability to speak English to warrant being one good punch away from a title. He’ll have to win one or two more before getting any serious consideration. The honor, I would bet, will go to Forrest, who the UFC considers the heir apparent to the holy trinity of ratings that is about to retire (Couture, Liddell, Hughes). He fits in with the tough, common man image that has gained the UFC so much popularity and it looks as though he won’t get that fight against Wanderlei due to an injury he’s harbored for quite some time. With Wanderlei looking to fight sooner and Forrest out until early 2008, I don’t think we’ll see Rampage Jackson in action for another 8 months (see: Matt Serra) at which point he and Griffin should meet for an all out war.
Middleweights: Dana White has suggested that the winner of the Okami/MacDonald could potentially get an automatic title shot, but that seems counterintuitive due to what is logical “MMAth.” With Silva’s dominant second win over Franklin, and Franklin’s win over Okami, who in their right mind would want to see Silva run down the food chain to take on a man who will almost surely beat? I’m aware that Okami technically beat Silva via DQ, but that was nearly two years ago and before Silva rattled off six straight wins against some of the toughest competition around. White is clearly having trouble booking anyone against Silva and until he can sign Filho or Kang, he’s going to have to convince Henderson to drop to 185 and take on Silva. Initially against the idea of dropping weight, Henderson has since warmed up to the idea, but would probably take a warm up before tackling The Spider.
Welterweights: Finally, a simple division. GSP will get an automatic title shot at whoever wins the Hughes-Serra fight. And when Matt Hughes destroys Serra, it’ll set up just the third trilogy in UFC history. Is there much else to say? When the dust settles, however, it is more likely that Karo Parisyan would get the title shot instead of Koscheck or Sanchez, who have spent the last year losing and turning in lackluster performances. The St. Pierre-Parisyan feud is one that we could be seeing for the next five years.
Lightweights: This division isn’t as tough as it is downright bizarre. With the title not stripped from Sherk, who is now out of action for a full year, White has wisely decided to move on and book one their biggest moneymakers, BJ Penn, against Joe Stevenson. This is smart booking as Penn and Stevenson have separated themselves from the rest of the pack of Lightweight fighters. Beyond those two, there’s just a ton of really athletic guys who haven’t made that big of a splash. No outrageous personalities, no huge upsets, just about five guys who are all on the same level. The UFC tried to give a few of them title shots (Franca, Florian), but nothing came of it and buys were weak. This is the smartest play considering the situation of the current champion. If the UFC is going to sign anyone now, I’d say that they need to be looking for Lightweights even before Middleweights. If I were Dana White, I’d be throwing a huge contract at Urijah Faber, the Featherweight champion in the UFC-owned WEC. He’d add some star power and charisma to a division which is garnering less and less interest with each passing day..
With more contract disputes, injuries, and signings than ever before, it’s tough to call the future of a sport as dynamic as Mixed Martial Arts, but this guide should serve as a decent start.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Kimbo, Shields Roll In EliteXC Event
Kimbo Slice ended his fight just 19 seconds into the first round while highly-touted Welterweight Jake Shields won with a first round rear naked choke. Nick Diaz lost his 160 pound title fight due to excessive cuts at the end of the first round. Complete event results below...
The following are quick-match results from the EliteXC "Renegade" show, which aired live on the Showtime premium cable network on Saturday, November 10, 2007:
-Jae Suk Lim def. Daniel Pineda via Submission (rear naked choke) at 2:42 of Round 1.
-Brett Rogers def. Ralph Kelly via Submission (strikes) at 1:43 of Round 1.
-Matt Lucas def. Jon Kirk via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after 3 Rounds.
-Yves Edwards def. Nick Gonzalez via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:05 of Round 1.
-Geoff Bumstead def. Robert Ruiz via Submission (rear naked choke) at 1:30 of Round 1.
-Antonio Silva def. Jonathan Wiezorek via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:12 of Round 1.
-Kyle Noke def. Seth Kleinbeck via TKO (cut stoppage) at 4:22 of Round 2.
-Jake Shields def. Mike Pyle via Submission (rear naked choke) at 3:39 of Round 1.
-Kimbo Slice def. Bo Cantrell via Submission (punch) at 0:19 of Round 1.
-K.J. Noons def. Nick Diaz via TKO (doctor stoppage - cuts) after Round 1 to become the EliteXC Lightweight Champion
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Murilo "Ninja" Rua Interview
Murilo "Ninja" Rua lost his EliteXC middleweight title against Robbie Lawler in September. Now, the brother of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is preparing for his next fight at Cage Rage 24. The Irish Whip got the opportunity to talk to Ninja about his upcoming fight, his brother, and much more.
Irish Whip Fighting: Your next fight is at Cage Rage 24 against Xavier Foupa-Pokam. How do you think that you will match up against him?
Murilo "Ninja" Rua: I know that he won his last fight in Cage Rage and I'm coming from a bad result in the EliteXC, but this is my opportunity to finish my year with a good result. Cage Rage promised me that if I win this fight I will have a shot for the belt early in 2008, so I'm going to win.
IWF: Do you think that you will defeat him?
Ninja: Yes, for sure, I know that the Cage Rage belt is available and I want it.
IWF: At EliteXC:Uprising, you were defeated by Robbie Lawler, although you won the first two rounds. Was Robbie different than what you trained for?
Ninja: I watched the fight again on YouTube, and I won the first two rounds but the third one was a disaster. The guy knew my game very well -- he ran from the fight on the ground [and] my jiu-jitsu was a good weapon for me. I trained my jiu-jitsu skills hard, but he knew it and used the right strategy. I trained for a stand up fight, but he has heavy hands.
IWF: Do you think that you could defeat him if you were given another shot?
Ninja: For sure. Now I'm making some wrestling training with a specialist, because it is important to improve other skills and I need more strength in my hands. We will probably meet again in the future.
IWF: Is there a difference at Chute Boxe post-Wanderlei Silva?
Ninja: No, everybody is training the same way, and new guys are coming in all the time. There's a lot of new opportunities for the team.
IWF: Can you talk a little about your fight against Rampage Jackson at PRIDE 29? Many commentators including Bas Rutten felt you won the fight.
Ninja: Yes man, I won that fight. Sometimes it is difficult to live with this when everybody comes to say that I won, but I know that we can´t change the result. It's something that some people forget about me, how many top fighters I've faced in my life.
IWF: What would you call the biggest win in your career?
Ninja: [Defeating Mario] Sperry in PRIDE. It was [a] fantastic win.
IWF: Would you ever consider a jump to the UFC?
Ninja: For sure. Right now, I'm very happy in EliteXC and Cage Rage -- they respect me a lot and I know that EliteXC has [the] potential to grow up in America and Europe.
IWF: Who do you consider the top 185-pounders?
Ninja: The results show that Anderson Silva is one of them, no doubts about that.
IWF: How do you feel you match up against the current UFC champ Anderson Silva, another Brazilian?
Ninja: I respect him, we trained together for some years. We are professionals and one day this fight can happen.
IWF: How is your brother doing? Is his knee healing?
Ninja: He´s fine, the surgery was a success, the knee is "brand new" and it is time to analyze his mistakes and look for the future. I'm sure that he will be the UFC Champion very soon -- this last defeat taught a lot to Mauricio.
IWF: Were you surprised when he lost in his UFC debut?
Ninja: Yes, I think that everybody was very surprised, but now let's move on and he will be in shape [in his] next fight, [and] focus[ed] in training and in the fights.
IWF: Why do you think that PRIDE fighters are having such a tough time transitioning into UFC?
Ninja: I don't know. I'm not sure about that -- see the example of Rampage. I think that he isn´t having tough time in there. Maybe it's the pressure of the cage, a new event, I don't know.
IWF: Your last four fights were in a cage, but before that you fought exclusively in the ring. You seem to have made a great transition from the ring to the cage by winning your first three fights in the cage. How did you adjust for the cage?
Ninja: No problem, we have an octagon here in our Academy. There are some small differences in the rules but the adjustment is simple.
IWF: How much of a role do you think that the ring/cage factor plays?
Ninja: A little. You must be well-prepared for any situation, ring or cage. The training really matters. I think that now the cage will be our playground, as the Americans and Europeans enjoy the cage.
IWF: Steroids have become a huge controversy lately in MMA. Why are some fighters taking them if they know that they can easily get caught?
Ninja: In the high-performance sports the pressure is huge to take steroids, but the results can ruin your career. In Hawaii, to my surprise, there weren't any tests. I don't know why. It is important to guarantee that both guys that get into the ring have the same opportunities.
Originally conducted for MMAMadness.com
Super Bowl Showdown Between Lesnar And Mir Is Set
For Brock Lesnar's first foray into the world's premiere MMA organization, he'll take on former champ Frank Mir on the night before Super Bowl LXI. It's a match up of future vs. past and could end up headlining the UFC 81 card.
Lesnar, a highly decorated collegiate wrestler, made his transition to MMA with the destruction of Min Soo Kim in 69 seconds. Due to this limited introduction, we only know that he has incredible strength and even better take downs. However, this might be enough to beat Mir, who hasn't looked impressive since 2004 when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 50 seconds to win the title.
Following that win, Mir was involved in a motorcycle accident and had to relinquish the title. He's been just 2-2 since then, with both losses coming by first round knockout. Dana White is right. This is an interesting match up. But it's certainly not a blockbuster and shouldn't headline a pre-SB card which could draw huge buys solely on its timing.
The blockbuster, if one exists here, would be Mir from three years ago against Lesnar from three years from now. Now that would be something.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Sherk Not Stripped; Penn-Stevenson For Interim
According to UFC President Dana White, Sean Sherk will not be stripped of his Lightweight title, but BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson will have the opportunity to fight for an interim belt.
Yahoo! Sports reported this:White had vowed to strip Sherk of the title, but said Friday that he no longer plans to do so.
This is an excellent move by Dana White. It would have been a mistake to let an entire division become stagnant for a year simply because the President felt the appeal was not handled properly. Instead, White has correctly decided to allow Sherk to keep his belt, while matching up the two most viable LW contenders in the UFC: Penn and Stevenson.
"The way this whole thing has been handled has been a mess," White said.
He said Penn and Stevenson, who said he learned on Tuesday that he and his wife will have another son, will fight for the interim title as the main event of UFC 80 in Newcastle, England, likely on Jan. 19.
The winner of that bout would then presumably face Sherk once Sherk's status is defined by the commission.
White said heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Fabricio Werdum would meet in the co-main on UFC 80.
White has been known to let champions enjoy long layoffs due to injuries, scheduling difficulties, and a number of other excuses. One only needs to look at the current state of the Welterweight belt, which was defended once at the beginning of the year and once at the end. Compare this to the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight belts which have already had their two defenses this year.
Luckily, White did not make the same mistake this time around. The booking of this match shows that he is committed to having the best fighters face the best fighters in what is the premiere MMA organization today.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Who Wants To Fight Kimbo?
Mike Bourke confirmed to FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) on Wednesday afternoon that he has been forced to pull out of his scheduled Nov. 10 match for EliteXC against Kimbo Slice in Corpus Christi, Texas. A heartbroken Bourke said that he broke his left clavicle during a training session on Sunday when he attempted a takedown. Bourke was looking forward to the opportunity to fight Slice and was already in training for another bout when he was contracted to fight on Nov. 10.
Sam Caplan announced on fiveouncesofpain.com that Kimbos' second scheduled opponent, Mike Bourke, pulled out of their November 10th match due to a training injury.
Following Slice's strong win against Ray Mercer at CFFC 5, Kimbo called former UFC fighter Tank Abbott out. Abbott, a spectator at the event, stood up and accepted the call out. Just a few weeks later, the fight was canceled due to a promotion dispute.
Slice was then booked against Mike Bourke until this report was released today:
Slice has since been booked against Bo Cantrell. Stay tuned for the next bizarre chapter in this story.
