MORE UFC NEWS - STUFF YOU MAY NOT OF HEARD

First off our very own referee at the KINGS is being given an opportunity to goto the UFC - in less that 10 days he must get ready to fight Hermes Franca being replace for this fight was Roger Huerta . Good Luck Joe .
* Former UFC fighter Lightning Lee Murray has been arrested in Morocco in connection with England's largest cash heist. More than $100 million Cdn. was taken from the Securitas depot in Kent last February.
* King of the Cage promoter Keith Crawford has resigned from his post with the company to seek out greener pastures. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of Keith. Best of luck.
"I'd really like to see Rich Franklin go up to light heavyweight," said retired UFC star Randy Couture.
"I think that would be a really good fight."
Franklin, the current middleweight (185 lbs.) champ walks around at light heavyweight (205 lbs.) size and cuts weight before his fights.
Franklin is a fan favourite and has built a solid record of 20 wins and one loss — better than Liddell's 18 and 3 record.
Both are good on their feet, both are good with their fists and both come from well-established fight camps.
Since Couture's departure from the sport after losing a title fight last February to Liddell, the dearth of qualified light-heavyweight challengers hasn't gone unnoticed.
Even UFC president Dana White recently admitted it's getting tough to find good contenders for Liddell.
Liddell will take on Renato 'Babalu' Sobral in a title fight in August.
But there aren't many in Vegas who'd be willing to take the longshot that journeyman Babalu will dethrone superstar Liddell.
The other man Couture thinks may stand a chance against Liddell is The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 coach Tito Ortiz.
"I think Tito (Ortiz) has the skill set to be hard on Chuck," said Couture.
"If he keeps his mind right, trains and finds a way to take Chuck down."
Taking Chuck down, as Couture himself will attest, is no easy feat

NICE GUY

Nice guys don't always finish last.
At this weekend's The Ultimate Fighter 3 finale at the Hard Rock in Vegas, grappling icon Randy Couture was inducted into the UFC Hall-of-Fame.
The former heavyweight and light-heavyweight champ -- the only man to ever win both titles -- accepted the honour with his usual grace.
Speaking from a California movie set where he was filming a bit part in the new Rob Schneider prison comedy last week, Randy told Sun Media that just because he's retired, it doesn't mean his he's putting his feet up reminiscing about old times.
"I'm as busy as ever," says Couture.
In between appearances, movies and Octagon-side commentating duties for UFC 60, Couture is setting up a couple of gyms in Vegas, where he now lives.
His goal is to train top UFC fighters and is already working with Forrest Griffin and Jay Heron among others.
But his ultimate goal is to get a job with the UFC, that doesn't involve bloody knuckles and leg locks.
"I hope that I'm going to able to work for the UFC in some way shape or form," he said.
Couture says he'd love to do more commentating as well as help the UFC's latest front office hire -- former Nevada State Athletic Commision executive director Marc Ratner -- sell the sport to sanctioning bodies in the U.S. and Canada.
"UFC president Dana White and I are talking about a lot of things," he said.
"A lot of ways that I can fit in to the UFC."
Couture, who retired after losing a light-heavyweight title bout to Chuck Liddell in February, leaves the sport with a deceptive 14-8 record.
And the reputation as the classiest man in the UFC.
The soft-spoken, chissel jawed giant with the trademark cauliflower ears, remains a fan favourite.
This weekend, he joined Royce Gracie, Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock as the only members of the prestigious UFC hall-of-fame.
Now, it's not beyond the realm of reason that Couture would return to the Octagon in the future. Gracie has and Shamrock will lace up again in a couple of weeks.
But, having turned 43 last week, Randy says he wants to savour retirement.
"You can never say never, but it's not in the plan right now," he said.

JUNE 22 ND FIGHT NIGHT AT KINGS

First fight of the night was KILE FISHER making a 2nd week return and a victory over RICHIE ATKINSON in round one with ref stoppage due to strikes.
Next also an ever returning fighter JUSTIN HANNABARGER made his opponent JAMIE CAMPBELL tapout in the first round.
Next was fun time ..sumo wrestling with a three fall to win AIMEE SMITH out lasted ASHLEE SCOTT as she was complaining it was too hot, sad, sad, sad, its only belly bucking and rolling around, she quit when the score was 2-2,, she also failed to show for her No Holds fight later that night after she was quoted in saying she "was gonna knock that girls teeth out".
Next also a popular and always coming back fighter TRAVIS CHRIST hit hard and moved in quick to make TONY SHORT end it all by tapping out.
Next our crowd controll guy / bouncer fighter RYAN ANTLE went boxing against MIKE OSBOURNE, they both fought good but RYAN had the advantage and took the win over big MIKE OSBOURNE.
CHUCK NORRIS- yeah you read it ...lol got the victory over KEVIN POWELL due to an injury stoppage , his knee went out or got twisted ...he was in alot of pain for shure.
The last figfht of the night was a very powerful and stocky KYLE CONSIDINE putting the whoop to fighter ARRON KUSTER, after seeing KYLE in action I would have called for the Generals help..! ..ok,ok I was just kidding ...lol....good job to all the fighters ..great show .

MILETICH = TEAM MFS ELITE AND MORE

It’s been a very good year for Pat Miletich (Pictures). Matt Hughes (Pictures) won probably the most hyped UFC event ever. Tim Sylvia (Pictures) pulled off an incredible upset of the “unbeatable” Andrei Arlovski (Pictures). Miletich’s Silverbacks team won the championship in the inaugural IFL tournament on Fox Sports Net, a promotion that is off to a very promising start. His affiliate schools are popping up like Starbucks. He’s launching a new fight promotion company. Oh, and he’s making a comeback against Renzo Gracie (Pictures). In a Sherdog.com exclusive, Pat sat down to discuss his plans. Sherdog.com: Congratulations. Your guys have been on an incredible roll lately. Never mind Matt — have you recovered yet from Tim’s win? Pat Miletich (Pictures): Both of them were incredible fights. We’re really happy with Tim showing as much heart as he did. We expected him to win — we just didn’t expect the emotional rollercoaster of getting dropped, then getting back up, and then putting Arlovski down. That was definitely an emotional rollercoaster. And the tension with Matt’s fight with Royce was big and Spencer Fisher (Pictures) performed incredibly well also. Sherdog.com: We heard that Tim’s effort in preparing for Andrei Arlovski (Pictures) was as great as anything ever seen at Miletich. Is that how you’d characterize it? Miletich: Tim always trains hard for fights; he definitely put a lot of time in. He really wanted to avenge his loss to Andrei and prove to be people that he was the rightful owner of that belt. Sherdog.com: You also told us that Matt was indignant that Royce would even get in the ring with him. Miletich: Matt trained extremely hard, trained quite awhile for that fight — gosh, he trained almost three months. Sherdog.com: Were you surprised at how easy it was? Miletich: No. We thought that Royce was definitely going to give him a little more trouble than that. I pictured a second or third round stoppage. But people — I guess even us — don’t realize how far the sport has come and just how great a wrestler, how technical Matt is at jiu-jitsu and how fast he is, and how strong he is. People just don’t comprehend it until he actually grabs a hold of them for the first time. Sherdog.com: Can you add some color to what these wins mean for Team Miletich, the organization? Miletich: Our Web site hits were quite high before those fights, but they have definitely gone up. It’s definitely piqued some interest in our gym and our affiliate program and everything that is going on with it. We feel that we have a great system for not only putting out great fighters but having many students that are very happy with it, whether it’s a housewife or a businessman that wants to get in great shape like a fighter but not get beat up. We’ve got 21 affiliates in six months and it seems to be catching on quite a bit. Dave Kujawski, our VP of new business development, has been very instrumental in that. He is a very knowledgeable marketing guy, very organized on the business aspect of it. He’s been helping a lot with the support on the business side for the people who get involved in our affiliate program. Sherdog.com: Let’s discuss the affiliate program first. What’s it about? How does it work? Miletich: For people that show interest and want to learn from us and want to take the knowledge that we’ve gained over the years and give that to their students, we’re definitely more than willing to do that. We want to help their schools and help them with the business. Whether it’s the fighting aspect or the fitness aspect we’ll help them on that side also. It’s really a complex thing. I had no idea the can of worms we were going to open up when we started this. But it’s a blast and we’re having a lot of fun with it right now. Sherdog.com: So how does this work? Is this for someone who has an existing school already? Miletich: If somebody has an existing school and wants to see their business succeed or maybe expand, whether it be on the actual martial arts side or the business side, or both, we just fill in the gaps for them any way we can. Sherdog.com: So it’s almost like the school becomes a franchise? Miletich: To a certain extent. Once they submit their résumé of their experience, because I can’t take just a guy who’s done just tae kwon do his whole life or somebody who doesn’t have any experience in martial arts and just let them open up an affiliate school. It has to be somebody who’s been in business quite awhile and has some knowledge of grappling and striking and is decent to begin with. Sherdog.com: So in terms of skill sets and background, who’s the ideal partner for you? Miletich: If they have a fairly well balanced martial arts background, whether it be on the mat and striking, is what we’re looking for, and somebody with an open mind who is willing to keep learning, because that’s our mindset. It’s a never ending evolving, type system. Sherdog.com: If they want to approach you, how do they do it? Miletich: They usually contact us through the MFS Elite Web site.Sherdog.com: So it’s not like someone can call you up and say, “I tried running a school, I couldn’t get any critical mass behind it, can you help me start a new school?” Miletich: We would not go that route. We’re definitely shying away from anything like that. We want somebody to have an existing school in place, and ready to bring us in. Sherdog.com: Once they sign on, are you going to back them by appearing in seminars at their facilities? Miletich: Myself and maybe some of my fighters. Sherdog.com: Do you have a pre-set curriculum? Miletich: We have level 1 through 5 certifications. You can look at some guys and say, “This guy’s incredible on the ground and standing up, he knows a lot, but maybe it’s in the way he delivers it to his athletes or his students. Maybe he’s missing on the functional fitness part of it, to actually build bodies to perform the type of stuff he’s teaching them. There’s no use teaching anybody any techniques if they’re not physically able to do it. You have to build a body that’s able to do it. That’s important. Sherdog.com: Do you have a belt system? Miletich: I rarely do any of that. There’s only eight guys that have expert black belt-type rankings and you can guess who those people are. But yeah, we do rank them. Sherdog.com: From a marketing standpoint: In light of the “McDojo” mentality of “I’ve got to get a belt,” is that an impediment to getting new students? Miletich: For me, people aren’t going to get ranked overnight at all. That’s a 10-year process. For me, people should be very happy just to get to the first level. It’s not my goal to create a bunch of black belts. It’s my goal to make a bunch of people who are very fit, and know how to defend themselves and some great fighters come out of that also. Sherdog.com: So there will be franchise fees from their side? So Miletich gets a recurring revenue stream? Miletich: Exactly. We’re also in the process of starting the fight organization where we will put on events featuring a lot of the athletes from our affiliate schools from around the country. Sherdog.com: At this point, you’ve been approached for affiliate programs not just in the United States but around the world, right? Miletich: We plan on opening one in Greece probably at the end of the year to begin in 2007, possibly Italy. [A school in] Beijing has also contacted me. So we’re looking at several different places. We’ll probably have four in Canada by the end of the year. So we’re excited about that also. Ultimate goal is to open one in Zagreb, Croatia, though. (laughs) Sherdog.com: That would be the toughest school, I’m guessing. Miletich: Yeah. (laughs) Sherdog.com: So the schools will feed up to the new fight promotion company? Miletich: Yes, and it will serve as a great feeder program for guys that eventually want to make it over to our facility to start fighting at a higher level or even from their existing facilities to be able to compete in the IFL or UFC or PRIDE or whatever event it is they end up in. We’re just trying to help as many people as possible get to where they need to be and build a strong group of fighters. We’re going to try to do events in some of the cities where some of those affiliate schools are to help bring notoriety to their schools and advertising and things like that. Sherdog.com: It’s almost like a farm system then. Miletich: Exactly. The main thing is to get guys experience. We never intend for it to actually to make it to TV or pay-per-view level. I don’t want it to grow to that point. Sherdog.com: Why not? Miletich: Because I want it to serve as a feeder program. Sherdog.com: So it will just attract more attention around the name, and even help recruit, even though you don’t do that? Miletich: Right. Sherdog.com: What’s the name of this promotion company? Miletich: We have not finalized the name at all. Sherdog.com: How many fight promotion companies can the sport support? It seems like everybody’s got one. Who’s next? Giant Silva? Miletich: That’s the main reason I have no desire to try and make it big. When you stay in venues that have two- or three-thousand seats, you don’t lose your ass. It’s a good revenue stream, and it’s helping a lot of kids get some good experience. It’s not a risky venture. There’s already several huge organizations out there with the IFL, UFC, PRIDE and WFA. So I have no desire to try and build another huge organization; that’s not my goal. Sherdog.com: Let’s talk about IFL. As predicted your team is doing great right out of the chute. How are the productions themselves going? How are the ratings? Miletich: IFL has done everything and more that they said that they would do. They’ve been incredible to work with. Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus are very sharp businessmen as well as guys that are looking out for the athletes. They understand that the athletes are the sport, so they’ve got to take care of the athletes. They’ll reap the rewards for doing that because the athletes are going to remain very loyal to them. As far as the ratings are concerned, I know that the first show out of the chute blew PRIDE’s ratings on Fox Sports Net out of the water. Sherdog.com: I was skeptical and so were other fans, about the quality of the fights, but they’ve been great. Miletich: The fights were great. The TV production has been incredible. They’ve got guys like Peter Lasser, very experienced guys who really know what they’re doing and have packaged a great product. Sherdog.com: Have you been renewed? Miletich: I don’t get involved in that, we just know that things are pretty secure. FSN seems to be very happy with what they’re seeing, and that’s all that matters to us. Sherdog.com: So when’s the next event after the finals? Miletich: September 9 in Portland, Oregon. And September 23, in Moline, Illinois, where I will be fighting Renzo Gracie (Pictures). Sherdog.com: So you can say it now? How did this fight happen? Miletich: Renzo and I have been friends for quite awhile and he has always been a nice person and I consider him to be, probably the most well rounded Gracie. Very talented on the ground, and he’ll stand up and bang with people, too. That instantly tells me, “He’s a warrior.” Not only that, he’s a standup guy. He’s willing to come and fight me in Moline, Illinois, which is right across the Mississippi river from my hometown. So he’s coming right into the arms of the beast to fight me. That shows he’s very confident, also. So hats off to him. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Out of all the Gracies, I respect Renzo the most. Sherdog.com: Speaking of confidence — this is a lot different from other comebacks these days. … There will be no tune-up fight? Miletich: I plan on jumping right in. If there’s a tune-up fight coming my way in early August, I’ll take it [laughs]. I’m just excited to get back in there. I’m healthy again, I feel great. For me this is also a test. When I had a severe neck injury three-plus years ago, the neurologist told me I’d have to have surgery; I’d never be the same; I wouldn’t be able to function; wouldn’t be able to do anything. But I feel great, I’ve been training with my fighters off and on for two years now. Sherdog.com: So what did you do to overcome the injury? Miletich: Chiropractic care, stretching, lifting. Once I felt strong enough, solid enough, started rolling around and sparring. I feel great. The neck’s not bothering me at all. For me, it’s kind of a battle with myself. I want to be able to tell my body when I want to quit and not the other way around. Just getting in the ring with Renzo is winning a battle. Sherdog.com: Any comments about upcoming fights for the Miletich camp? Miletich: Robbie Lawler (Pictures) is fighting in ICON on July 1. They’re building the hype to fight Jason Miller later this summer. Tim is defending against Andrei on July 8. Sherdog.com: That didn’t take long. Miletich: Well a lot of the champions are injured and Matt just fought so they asked Tim to step up to defend his title because they needed a big fight, a big match-up. So Tim was a bigger man and stepped up.
by Steven Curtis (scurtis@sherdog.com)

TUF FINALE........

Less successful TUF 3 Fighters
The off-TV bouts weren’t bad. Mike Nickels had zero trouble in dispatching Wes Combs (Pictures). Matt Hamill humiliated young gun Jesse Forbes. Kalib Starnes (Pictures) dismantled Danny Abbadi and Rory Singer scored the quickest win of the night, submitting Ross Pointon in a mere 44 seconds. And let’s not forget Team Dagger’s Solomon Hutcherson being knocked out cold from late sub Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures).
Like most of the “cast members” of each Ultimate Fighter series, there are a handful of guys with tons of potential, some with a little potential if they work their butts off and some who have basically no shot of doing anything worthwhile in the sport of mixed martial arts.
I’m not going to pinpoint those few who fall into the latter category, as it is certainly disrespectful to these professional fighters, but anybody who actually sees these cats in action will come to this conclusion on their own.
In keeping with only the season three alum, I am not particularly sold on the likes of Hamill, Nickels or Tait Fletcher (Pictures). I am, however, certain that Starnes, in due time, is a legitimate threat to virtually everybody in the upper echelon of the middleweight division. Granted, he isn’t going to be dethroning champion Rich Franklin (Pictures) any time soon, but the unassuming, laid back and low-key Starnes has all the potential to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming year or so.
And even though it seems like Starnes has to pay 30 bucks every time he smiles or says more than one sentence at a time, the guy is marketable. Why, you ask? Because his fighting style is pleasing and he has that look of a professional fighter. To top it off, his silent-but-deadly demeanor oozes of intrigue.
The rest of the cast, save for the two champions and Ed Herman (Pictures), are in for a long, arduous journey through the ranks. Don’t be shocked when guys like Abbadi, Forbes, Mike Stein and Kris Rotharmel struggle to appear on future Ultimate Fight Night events, let alone the big-time Pay-Per-Views.
And Solomon, whose hilarity both on camera and off is a recipe for a marketing goldmine, is funny, talks serious trash, has some off-kilter comments and slogans like “Dagger!” and he presses the action inside the cage.
The only problem is that Hutcherson apparently can’t take a punch. He’s been knocked senseless from a glancing shin kick and Mario the Plummer’s brother iced him with a short left hook. Can Solomon bounce back and make some noise in this sport with his charisma and appeal? Yes. Will it actually happen? That’s highly doubtful.
Bisping and Grove
Every year at the start of each Ultimate Fighter series, I pick one guy from each weight class and make him my pick to win it all. Every year thus far I have picked one guy correctly and one who gets his head caved in much earlier than the show’s finale.
In season one I chose Diego Sanchez (Pictures) and Bobby Southworth (Pictures) to win it. Season two saw me choose Joe Stevenson (Pictures) and Keith Jardine (Pictures). This season kept my tradition intact as I correctly chose Michael Bisping (Pictures) to win it all. The only downfall is that I predicted that Singer would score the upset and be awarded with the contract.
Bisping didn’t disappoint, tearing through everybody he faced and easily capturing the crown as the light heavyweight champion for this season. Singer, on the other hand, was soundly beaten by Ed Herman (Pictures), who in turn lost to Kendall Grove (Pictures) in the finals. But out of the two champions, Bisping is hands down the more marketable fighter.
That’s not to say that Grove (or Herman, for that matter) don’t have what it takes to be stars in the UFC or to one day have a title belt strapped around their waist. But Bisping flat out has “it.”
Many might ask what exactly “it” is, but it’s something that truly doesn’t have an exact answer. Athletes either have it or they don’t and I can’t put my finger on it. There have been some tremendous pro athletes in America but never amounted to anything marketing-wise or celebrity-wise.
Hakeem Olajuwon was, in his prime, a much better NBA player than Shaquille O’Neal. But who, outside of diehard basketball fans, knows Olajuwon? The same goes for Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. Malone was definitely the better player, but Barkley had it. The same can be said about the NFL’s Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. Woodson was arguably the best cornerback in the history of the NFL, but only Sanders was talked about and only Sanders got the endorsements.
This all falls back into Bisping’s lap. The guy’s athletic ability is superior to 95 percent of the light heavyweights in MMA, he has superb striking ability and his grappling/submissions are good enough to hang with the best of them. He is also a very engaging bloke with a good head on his shoulders. Furthermore, he is a good-looking guy with that English accent, something the vast majority of American women become enamored over (just look at Orlando Bloom and Hugh Grant).
As long as Bisping doesn’t become careless and is served up a brutal defeat in his next three bouts, he can and should become the heir apparent to Chuck Liddell (Pictures)’s supremacy. Now, that’s not to say that Bisping is ready for guys like Liddell, Tito Ortiz (Pictures) or Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) anytime in the next year or so, but when he’s ready look out.
As for Grove and Herman, their epic showdown was one for the ages. It was eerily reminiscent of the thrilling war between Diego Sanchez (Pictures) and Nick Diaz (Pictures). While it fell just a notch short of that masterpiece, it probably landed in the top 15 greatest UFC fights in history, maybe even the top 10.
Dana White, in my opinion, did the correct move by awarding Herman a contract even though he lost on points. There will be a rematch in given time and it should be equally as entertaining, if not more so, than the awesome scrap they treated the fans to on Saturday night.
Kenny Florian (Pictures) will be the first UFC lightweight champion since Jens Pulver (Pictures). Something tells me that with Pulver being back in with the UFC and his alleged presence on season five of TUF (Jens dodged all of my questions at the show), it sets up a wonderful showdown between Pulver, who has never lost inside the Octagon and “Focker” Florian. My money would be on Florian big time. He’s that good. …
as read off sherdog.com

PULVER IS BACK !!!

PULVER BACK IN THE UFC
Boxing has fighters such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao carrying the torch for the lighter weight classes.
Jens “Little Evil” Pulver was one of the pioneers of the lighter weight classes for the UFC.
Pulver, who has an overall MMA record of 21-6-1, was 6-0-1 in UFC matches and became the first UFC lightweight champion. After four years away from the octagon, Pulver is returning to the organization that made him an MMA star. UFC president Dana White announced the signing of Pulver to a promotional contract on Wednesday.
“ He was our first 155-pound champion,” White said. “He beat B.J. Penn (in 2002 at UFC 35), then he took off. He’s been fighting everywhere else. He’s back. He’ll probably be a coach on our next TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) show. Then he’ll be right in the mix to fight for the title.”
Pulver, 30, who has been fighting abroad in PRIDE and other organizations the past four years, said he is ecstatic to be back in the UFC.
“ For me it’s gigantic,” he said. “It’s almost like a dream come true. What it is, more than anything, I really had an empty spot in my soul. I really felt something was missing and incomplete in my career.
“ I just didn’t have the being gung-ho and training ... to the wall. I seen my teammates and everybody really start hitting in the UFC. The UFC started blowing up and I started missing being at home. I’m just so excited. When the offer came, yes. That’s exactly what I want to do. I want to finish what I started.”
Pulver said he is eager to get back into the octagon.
“ The biggest thing is I’m taking aim at anyone that thinks they are putting that gold around their waist,” he said. “That’s the bottom line for me right now. I’m going after anyone that thinks they are going to get it. My manager Joe Silva and Dana White get together and tell me who I’m fighting. I don’t make that decision. I fight who they tell me to fight, when they tell me to fight and I go after him 100 percent.”
Pulver said Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Spencer Fisher are among the top 155-pounders that could make for some exciting fights and shine the spotlight on the UFC’s lightweight division.
“ There really isn’t a name,” he said. “I just want to get back in there and start introducing people to me.
“ I’ve always been an advocate for the little guys. I love the excitement. I think the best fights have been at lightweight. I’ve always considered myself almost the ‘Godfather of the Lightweights.’ I started the division. I had the only title in the division, especially, in the United States. That’s my job. That’s my role. I’m just excited to see the little guys get a shot.”


NOTES
The World Fighting Alliance signed pro wrestling icon Bill Goldberg to be the color commentator for its “WFA: King of the Streets” pay-per-view on July 22 at The Forum in Inglewood. ... Lightweight Rob McCullough of Huntington Beach stopped Ryan Healy on a cut in the first round last week in a WEC event at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Hhighland. It was McCullough’s sixth straight victory. McCullough moves on to the July 22 pay-per-view card at The Forum where he will face Harris Sarmiento in a rematch. ... The International Fight League held its inaugural event, Legends Championship 2006, this past spring on Fox Sports Net. Pat Miletich’s team, the Silverbacks beat out Maurice Smith’s Tiger Sharks, Bas Rutten’s Anacondas, and Renzo Gracie’s Pit Bulls to take home the title. The IFL returns on Fox Sports Net this fall with the World Team Championship, starting in September and ending in December. Miletich, Smith, Rutten and Gracie will be back as coaches and there will be four new teams coached by Matt Lindland, Carlos Newton, Mark Coleman and Antonio Inoki. ...
UPCOMING FIGHTS
At Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas: Lightweight Kenny Florian vs. Sam Stout, Josh Haynes vs. Michael Bisping in Utlimate Fighter Season 3 light-heavyweight final and Ed Herman vs. Kendall Grove in Ultimate Fighter Season 3 middleweight final, Saturday, 9 p.m., Spike TV.
At Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas: “Ultimate Fight Night,” middleweight Chris Leben vs. Anderson Silva, heavyweight Rashad Evans vs. Stephan Bonner, middleweight Jonathan Goulet vs. Luke Cummo, middleweight Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves and middleweight Dave Menne vs. Josh Koscheck, Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Spike TV.
At Saitama Superarena, Saitama, Japan: PRIDE Fighting Championships “Critical Countdown Absolute”, July 2, pay-per-view.
At Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas: “UFC 61: Bitter Rivals,” UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski and Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock, July 8, pay-per-view.
At San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego: “Total Combat,” July 15. Go online at ticketmaster.com or call (619) 220-8497 for tickets ($25-$150).
At The Forum, Inglewood: “WFA: King of the Streets,” light-heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt Lindland, heavyweight Bas Rutten vs. Kimo Leopoldo, heavyweight Ricco Rodriguez vs. Ron Waterman, light-heavyweight Lyoto Machida vs. Vernon White, middleweight Ivan Salaverry vs. Art Santore, lightweight Rob McCullough vs. Harris Sarmiento and welterweight Jason Miller vs. TBA, July 22, pay-per-view. Go online at ticketmaster.com or call (714) 740-2000 for tickets ($50-$350).

JUNE 15TH FIGHT NIGHT REWIND

The most popular place to be on this Thursday night was for sure at the MIDWEST KINGS of the RING in DAVENPORT,IOWA ,it was the best crowd ever to show up yet, lots of fun for this night.

DUSTY GOLD started off the night for us by giving us a round 1 TKO over MIKE EDWARDS.

Next was JON SKINNER getting a referee stoppage in round 2 due to strikes against JOSH ANSPACH .

Next was a submission grappling match between RYAN " DIRTY "ANTLE and MICHAEL MAY, RYAN got the best of MICHAEL as he got choked and had to tap out.

Then JUSTIN HANNABARGER put JUSTIN TINCHER in a rear naked choke and got himself the victory when JT tapped out .

KIEL FISCHER came it strong against an always ready KEVIN POWELL but the match was stopped due to strikes as KIEL wrapped this one up.

Right back at the action was a boxing match . NICK UTTERE put the big hurt to JASON LEWIS and won that match by TKO

Right before the main event JAMIE CAMPBELL ended ZACK BLASCZCYK's night in round 1 due to strikes, but then JAMIE called out another guy TOMMY TAKAS and wanted to fight another fight while he stayed in the ring. Jamie put a good effort into it but 2 fights in a row is alot to ask anyone to do, as much as he went for it , TOMMY TAKAS swooped him and eventually choked him out . This was an awesome match the crowd really was amped for the main event after that.

The main event was a great one TED REYNOLDS JR from Muscatine took on MILETICH trained fighter MATT WILLIAMS as the fight started TED had MATT in a guillotine right off the bat and it was deep, but MATT staying calm worked and pulled to get out of it , and finally he did some more pounding on the ground went on , the n the referee stood them up. Matt was right on target with hard shots to the head of TED..finally he rung his bell and knocked out the very game player . MATT wins by TKO. Conrats to MATT WILLIAMS and thanks to TED REYNOLDS JR for stepping up.Both made for a good fight and a great way to end the show .

JUNE 8th FIGHT NIGHT QUICK TAKE

This Thursday was another night full of action as we started the night off with Justin Hannabarger ( not pictured ) def Zack Blazczk in round 1 by choke .
The man known only as Kyle tapped out Greg Johnson in round one also.
Adam Johnson fell victim to fighter Jeff Morrison.
Joshua Baddorf made Thomas Richardson tap out in round one.
Jamie Campbel took the victory over Daryl Shook this was a really good fight with some really fast paced action.
Zack Mickelwright ( not pictured ) took it hard to KevinPowell with an impressive round one TKO.
Finally Curt Buis ( not pictured ) made Randy Mills tap in round one to end the night for this weeek.
Next week the 15th is Pro fight night again, hope your there ..

EDDIE GOLDMAN TELLS....

Eddie Goldman speaks with six of the coaches in the International Fight League (IFL): Bas Rutten, Pat Miletich, Carlos Newton, Renzo Gracie, Matt Lindland, and Maurice Smith. We caught up with them, mixed martial arts legends and champion fighters all, right after the IFL’s show Sat., June 3, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. We spoke with them about their roles in the IFL, both outside and possibly inside the ring, as well as their assessments of the state of mixed martial arts.
Bas Rutten talks about his coaching plans for the IFL and his return to fighting on July 22 in the WFA against Kimo. Bas's web site is at http://www.basrutten.tv/.
Pat Miletich talks about his victorious Silverbacks team in the IFL's first team championships, his fight with Renzo Gracie in IFL in September, and the UFC fight between Matt Hughes, whom he also coaches, and Royce Gracie. Pat's web site is at http://mfselite.com/.
Carlos Newton talks about his plans to form a Canadian-based team for the IFL. The web site for the academy where Carlos teaches is at http://warriormac.com/.
Renzo Gracie talks about why he will fight Pat Miletich in IFL in Pat's home area, his coaching plans for IFL, and his analysis of why his cousin, Royce Gracie, lost to Matt Hughes in UFC. Renzo's web site is at http://renzogracie.com/.
Matt Lindland, who also fights Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in WFA July 22, talks about his plans for an IFL team based in Oregon as well as why he feels more wrestlers should become mixed martial arts fighters. Matt's web sites are at http://www.sportfight.tv/ and http://www.tqfc.com/.
Maurice Smith evaluates how his IFL team, the Tigersharks, did in the IFL championship finals, and comments on the issues between K-1 and Bob Sapp, whom he recently accompanied to the Netherlands.
The results of the IFL June 3 show have been posted on the Combat Sports News at KingoftheCage.com as well as the IFL’s web page.

DANA WHITE IN JULY PLAYBOY

The Man Behind the UFC Discusses The Ultimate Fighter Reality Show, Why He Credits Senator John McCain for the Existence of the UFC and Why the UFC Crushes the WWEUFC President Dana White is about to add two new pros to his stable of fighters on the June 24th season finale of The Ultimate Fighter 3, the popular Spike TV reality series which features16 fighters who live together as they prepare to compete for UFC contracts. White will then return to television on August 17 as host of The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. The success of The Ultimate Fighter has other networks such as Fox Sports, BET and Oxygen scrambling to develop fight-related series of their own. White is proud of the reality show and how it has turned the UFC around: “We got on TV and suddenly people were watching mixed martial arts without realizing they were watching it because they got caught up in the story lines,” said White in Playboy’s July 20Q (on newsstands Friday, June 9th).
Following are selected quotes from White’s 20Q, conducted by Playboy contributor Jason Buhrmester: On Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter: “You also get to learn about the characters and see that these guys aren’t a bunch of f*cking gorillas who just rolled in off a bar stool. You can see how hard they train and that they have real lives and families.”
On Senator John McCain’s opposition to the UFC: “I’ll tell you what about Senator John McCain. He’s a boxing fanatic and he went after the UFC, and thank god he did. I credit Senator McCain with our having this sport today. The bottom line is this sport needs to be regulated…If it weren’t for McCain, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
On how Mike Tyson would do in a UFC fight: “He would get destroyed. I know it. He’s been getting destroyed in boxing lately. I’m not trying to slam Mike Tyson, because I’m still a huge fan. I like real fighters.”
On why he didn’t become a pro boxer: “I found out early in my career that I didn’t have it. I was about 26 or 27 when the window started closing. For a long time it really messed with me that I hadn’t fought a pro fight. But to fight pro is a lot of work, a lot of money and a lot of sacrifice. I didn’t take that step. I always felt I didn’t have the balls to turn pro.”
On why he hates golf: “I happen to f*cking hate golf. Golf is the most useless f*cking sport of all time. It’s a waste of f*cking time. It’s a waste of f*cking land. It’s a waste of everything. Homeless people are sleeping in the streets, and these rich dicks are out there golfing. Give me a f*cking break. They ought to build houses for the homeless on all the golf courses.”
On why the UFC is better than the WWE: “...Because it’s real. I think the WWE is fantastic. It’s amazing when you’re 12 to 15 years old. But when you hit 16 or 17, you realize it’s fake, and you want to see something real. I was a huge WWE fan as a kid. I got to an age when I got tired of the sh*t. It was just acting.”
On why he doesn’t want his kids to be fighters: “I love my kids so much. Do I want them to be fighters? No way. But I don’t want them to be football players, either. And I don’t want them to stub their toes. I don’t want them to get hurt at all. This is how f*cked up I am, that I sit around and think about this, but I dread the day when they get into a fight at school. I have two boys, so it’s inevitable, but I dread that day.”
On the most vicious thing he’s ever seen during a UFC fight: “Nothing really makes me cringe. I love fighting. But when Frank Mir broke Tim Sylvia’s arm with that arm bar, it was pretty crazy. Hell, we have four f*cking DVD’s of Ultimate Knockouts, so there have been some awesome knockouts.”On what makes a guy want to become a UFC fighter: “It’s the competition. These guys are real athletes and real fighters. It doesn’t matter if they used to be schoolteachers or accountants. They love to compete. It’s great when you’re part of a team and you run out onto the field and the crowd is cheering. But when you walk into a f*cking arena with 17,000 people and your music is playing and everybody is looking at you and going crazy, it’s an amazing feeling. It’s a high you can’t even imagine.”
On whether someone will inevitably get seriously injured or killed in the UFC: “I fear it. I really do. To be honest, I don’t know how I would deal with something seriously happening to one of these guys I f*cking love and care about.”

JUNE 1st FIGHT NIGHT REPORT

This was a full night of MMA action starting with Randy Kephart defeating Arron Schooler in round one by rear naked choke.
Next were 2 girls and Samantha Smith won that match over Alissa Hixson as another match ended in round one also by chokeout.
Randy Mills stepped in next and gave a round one TKO over Justin Leatherman.
Becoming a crowd favorite , Jared "The Pink Passion" Francis took his fighter out in round one when he slammed John Rath to the matt so hard it ended the match.
Next 2 more gilrs , one from before , unimpressed with her previous attempt to fight Alissa Hixson tried it againg,taking it fast and surprising KIng's favorite Lindsay Franks, when she dropped Lindsay right off the bat with a clean headstrike. Lindsay Franks moved into action and stepped up the pace to get her a victory over Alissa with a slam and some good ol ground and pound as the referee stopped the match when her opponent was unable to defend herself from stikes.
Next Daryl Shook took a win as Chris Court chose to end the fight after a massive slam to the matt from Darly , unable to continue due to injury.
The referee was busy stopping fights as Zack Blaszczyk threw strikes to Randy Kedhart until it was stopped early in the fight.
Nathan Ozmon was the winner over Jeff Morrison in round one as Jeff was penalized for an illegal strike.
Our co-main event was a full 3 rounder with Rod Montoya getting a unanimous decision over Chris Walker , this fight was very close and each fight was almost out on there feet at one time or another during this match up.
Speaking of match ups , I don't know who will be able to contain the ferociousness and pure strenght and power that Jason Pierce ( not pictured ) a Miletich Fighting Systems fighter making his pro-debut as our main event of the evening lasted a whole 17 seconds as he put a beating down on Anthony "White Tiger " White that no one could have foreseen. My only words on the mic after this fight was OMG ! OMG ! there was probably 20 punches thrown in those17 seconds and I'm not kidding you Jasons whole body was rippling with muscles you could see across the room as the strikes came with megaton force.This guy could be on the way to the top if he pursues this as a career for sure.
Avery exciting night with actually more people who wanted to fight that we didn't even have time for...see ya next Thursday.

THE RETURN OF PAT MILETICH !

The Mark is being considered as host of IFL event
Long-rumbling Internet rumors that Bettendorf mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighting Championship legend Pat Miletich was returning to the ring were confirmed Saturday night in an announcement made at the International Fight League event at Atlantic City, N.J.’s Trump Taj Mahal.
Miletich will fight fellow legend Renzo Gracie September 23 during an IFL event at an as yet undisclosed location, but there is speculation that The Mark of the Quad-Cities might be the venue of choice for organizers. Scott Mullen, the executive director of The Mark, confirmed Friday afternoon that fight promoter Monte Cox had approached him about the Sept. 23 availability of the arena for an IFL event.
Gracie and Miletich have known for months that they would be fighting each other and originally were set on squaring off June 23 in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, where Miletich Fighting Systems welterweight Matt Hughes knocked Renzo’s brother Royce out in the first round at UFC 60, last Saturday night. That fight fell through when the California Athletic Commission had difficulty getting a K-1 fight approved quickly and ran out of time to do the same with this one, thereby losing the booking at the Staples Center.
Both Gracie and Miletich are coaches of teams fighting in the IFL, and it was their idea to hold the fight in conjunction with a regular-scheduled IFL event.
Miletich already was starting to taper and tailor his training to reach his optimum physical preparedness when he learned that the fight was going to be pushed back three months.