Friday, December 12, 2008

PAT MILETICH GETS SECOND ROUND K.O. OVER DENNY


In a performance reminiscent of his glory days, 40-year-old Pat Miletich (29-7-2) dominated opponent Thomas Denny (26-18) in the main event of Thursday night's Adrenaline MMA II in Moline, Ill.

But while "The Croatian Sensation" earned 18 of his first 28 career victories by submission, it was a stunningly quick set of hands that earned Miletich the knockout victory.

"They say the last thing to go when you're old is your power," Miletich told ring announcer Ron Kruck following the bout. "That's all I was looking for was to land heavy shots and hurt him."

Miletich dropped Denny twice in the opening frame, but was unable to capitalize on the position. Denny held Miletich close from the guard, and the hometown favorite was unable to advance his offense.

It wouldn't matter. A series of right hands early in the second frame left Denny dazed, and a final flurry from Miletich in his first fight in over two years left the outcome unquestionable just 50 seconds into the round.

Following the bout Miletich said he was satisfied before the bout ever began.

"It just feels good," Miletich said. "To be honest with you, win, lose or draw I was saying to myself backstage, 'I accomplished something just getting back in to the shape I am.' I'm an old guy, but these young guys motivate me. I love every one of them at my gym."

The bout was Miletich's first since emerging from the second retirement of his career. His first trip back to active fighting was a one-night gig, but Miletich said this time might be different.

"Actually I'd like to fight somebody like Antonio Tarver or 'Winky' Wright from the boxing world," Miletich said.



Top-ranked heavyweight Ben Rothwell (30-6) rebounded from a July loss to Andrei Arlovski by earning a first-round win over Chris Guillen (13-11).

While undoubtedly effective in victory, "Big Ben" was far from aesthetically pleasing. Rothwell worked the fight to the floor quickly, but then passed on any ground and pound opportunities in lieu of a possible submission. Unable to capitalize after taking Guillen's back, Rothwell would eventually lock in a slow-developing arm bar.

Unhappy with the position, Rothwell transitioned out of the hold and began to rain down elbows and forearms to the head of Guillen forcing the smaller fighter to tap out from the punishment. The loss was Guillen's fifth straight.

The crowd seemed apathetic to the effort, and Rothwell pleaded his case after the bout.

"I hope everybody can appreciate the whole aspect of our sport," Rothwell said. "I've got to keep upping my game and bring all aspects -- show that I'm more than just a stand-up fighter.

"I love to get knockouts, but at the same time I've got to make sure I can fight another day. I tried to do this in the most exciting fashion I could. I hope you appreciate some elbows to the head."

Heavyweight prospect and Adrenaline MMA veteran Mike Russow (11-1) wasted little time in dispatching an overmatched Braden Bice.

Russow shot in quickly for a single-leg takedown and Bice tried to leap out of his grip. The result was a gravity defying slam to the mat with the two heavyweights crashing to the floor. Russow moved quickly from side control into North-South control and applied the choke that would force Bice to tap.

Following the bout, Russow told Kruck the bout went according to plan.

"That's my style, and that's what I work hard on everyday," Russow said. "Keep your hands up, get in close, get the takedown and then search for the submission."

Now on a seven-fight win streak, Russow said he hopes next year will be his chance to break into the sport's biggest shows.

"We're hoping next year is the big year," Russow said. "I've just got to keep training hard and just living my dream."

Earlier in the evening Mike Ciesnolevicz (16-3) weathered an early storm from the less-experienced Derrick Mehmen (2-1) en route to a second-round win.

Mehmen opened up with an offensive outburst -- starting with a brief taunt from the opening touch of gloves. The assault continued, and Mehmen held a 20-1 advantage in strikes landed at one point in the opening round. However, the opening flurry took its toll on Mehmen and the tide quickly turned.

Ciesnolevicz went on the offensive in the latter stages of the first round and nearly earned a knockout in the opening five minutes. The win would have to wait for the second stanza, and Ciesnolevicz took advantage of a lazy takedown attempt by Mehmen to lock in a fight-ending guillotine at 1:46.

Following the bout, the IFL, King of the Cage and Extreme Challenge veteran said he was ready for bigger fights.

"I just want to keep fighting and stay busy," Ciesnolevicz said. "I'm ready to fight anybody. There's not a fight out there at 205 pounds that I would turn down."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Pat Miletich def. Thomas Denny via knockout (punches) -- Round 2, 0:50
Ben Rothwell def. Chris Guillen via submission (strikes) -- Round 1, 3:40
Mike Russow def. Braden Bice via submission (North-South choke) -- Round 1, 1:13
Mike Ciesnolevicz def. Derrick Mehmen via submission (guillotine choke) -- Round 2, 1:46
Dan Loman def. Gabe Lemley via TKO (punches) -- Round 2, 1:54
Ryan McGivern def. Geno Roderick via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 1, 1:27
Pat Curran def. Ramiro Hernandez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Jesse Lennox def. Ryan Williams via submission (triangle choke) -- Round 1, 3:41
L.C. Davis def. Billy Kidd via submission (side choke) -- Round 1, 2:52
Danny Rodriguez def. David Fuentes via submission (rear-naked choke)

Thursday, December 11, 2008

PAT MILETICH ANSWERS A FEW NEW QUESTIONS


Sherdog says,when you’ve been in the game as long as Pat Miletich has, you need to be either training yourself or training someone else for a fight. If you’re not, you feel like something is not right, that the rhythm of life is disrupted. That’s part of why the 40-year-old Miletich (28-7-2), the UFC’s first welterweight champion and founder of the once-dominant Miletich Fighting Systems camp, took a fight against Thomas “Wildman” Denny. The fight on Thursday night will headline the latest offering from Monte Cox’s “Adrenaline” promotion, which airs live from Moline, Ill., on HDNet.

Two years after a swift loss via guillotine choke to Renzo Gracie in the IFL, Miletich, one of MMA’s most tenured sages, spoke to Sherdog about his return, Brock Lesnar, the illness at UFC 35 that allegedly caused accidents and hallucinations in the cage, and the future of his heralded camp.

Q: What moved you to take a fight now?
A: Well, it’s a couple of different reasons. I’m tired of not competing, something I’ve done since I was five years old. It basically drives me insane to not have goals and not work towards things. I love the adrenaline, love fighting, love the crowd, the fans, things like that. I love the camaraderie of training with a lot of guys and everybody working toward a goal.

Also it’s Monte Cox, who has been my manager for my entire career, doing the Adrenaline shows. It’s nice to be part of that. The show probably wouldn’t have taken place here in the Quad Cities, my hometown, had I not fought on the card. And so that would be one less fight that my guys get. It’s a televised bout, it gives those guys more exposure, so hopefully it will help those guys be seen by more eyes and get some contracts for those guys. They’re all very tough, world-class fighters on the card from my gym. I want to see those guys’ careers move on and do great things.

Q: Why Thomas Denny?
A: It was just something that Monte came up with. He just said, “Thomas Denny’s an exciting guy, he comes out, he gets after it, he sells tickets and puts on a good show, and I think you guys can go out and get after it right away and make the crowd stand up,” and I said that’s fine.

Thomas and I have known each other for years. He and I have always been real friendly toward each other. I never, ever had an issue with him. We always have gotten along real well. As far as his fighting style, I think he’s a pretty well-rounded guy. He got two takedowns on Nick Diaz, which isn’t easy to do. And he slugged with him. That first round was going at a pretty high pace. I’m kind of expecting the same type of thing out of him for this fight, to come out and get after me right away. Which is good, because it will wake me up and make me snap out of my ring rust right away.


Renzo’s a guy that I really, really like a lot. Every time I see him we give each other a hug. He’s just that kind of guy. Punching him was actually … he was one of those few people where you’re like, “I really don’t want to hit this guy.” But with Thomas, even though we get along real well, Thomas is the kind of guy that’s going to stand and trade with you. So I’m not going to have a problem hitting Thomas. And I expect to hit him a lot.

Q: Who are your main training partners these days?
A: Jesse Lennox, Ryan McGivern, L.C. Davis, Junior Hernandez, who is an incredible boxer, really good at grappling. I’ve also had the help of Pedro Silveira and Rodrigo Uzeda, both very good jiu-jitsu black belts who have been coaching me on the ground and grappling with me a lot, getting me back to basically the way I used to flow on the ground. I used to feel like I could hang with anyone on the ground.

I’ve never really had anyone coach me and train me for a fight ever in my career. I’ve just been part of a team basically and kind of led the practices and all that sort of stuff as a coach. Kind of like Paul Newman in the movie “Slap Shot” so to speak, kind of a playing coach, a fighting coach. It’s been nice to actually have people spending the time coaching me. It’s something that I’ve never experienced really in MMA.

Q: What’s the state of Miletich Fighting Systems in the wake of some of its top names leaving, like Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler and Jens Pulver? It seems like its dominance has waned.
A: Well, we just have a second generation of monsters who are coming in now who are very well-rounded, very good fighters. Ben Rothwell, Ryan McGivern, Mike Ciesnolevicz, L.C. Davis, Junior Hernandez, Jesse Lennox. Those are the guys that are going to be the champions of tomorrow. It’s just a rebuilding type process. The younger guys are just taking over as the leaders. I was wondering when that was going to happen. I kind of sat around and I waited for it. I did nudge a little bit and tell guys that they need to step it up and become leaders. They’re doing that now. That’s pretty cool to see.

A lot of the older guys have moved on and gotten financial gain from opening their own places and things like that, which you can’t blame people for, for wanting to move out on their own. I mean those guys, all of them were basically with me for 10 years. I was sad to see those guys go, but at the same time guys have to go out on their own. That’s just the natural process of things, and it doesn’t bother me. Matt (Hughes) and I just e-mailed each other the other day and talked and he’s going to be coming up to the Adrenaline fight here in the Quad Cities and hang out with us and stuff. It will be nice see him and Robbie (Lawler).

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

VADIUM FINKELCHTEIN RESPONDS TO DANA'S " CRAZY RUSSIANS"


For over a year now UFC President Dana White has used an open forum to label the management of Fedor Emelianenko, led by M-1 President Vadim Finkelchtein, as “the crazy Russians.”

For much of that time, White has influenced the United States media to reflect his beliefs, as Finkelchtein tended to urgent matters of business — namely promoting his M-1 Challenge and managing fighters such as Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko and Gegard Mousasi - instead of engaging in a war of words.

However, during a recent M-1 Challenge event, Finkelchtein responded to White’s statements in an interview conducted by M-1 executives Joost Raimond (serving as Finkelchtein’s translator) and Jerry Millen (serving as the interviewer).


Thanks to a three-part YouTube series, members of the U.S. MMA media are finally being presented the other side of the story so that they can form an opinion for themselves.

During the interview, Finkelchtein was asked by Millen what he thinks when he’s referred to in the press by White as a “crazy Russian.”

“Dana White has a tendency towards arrogance and everything not Dana White is either crazy or stupid,” Finkelchtein began to respond through Raimond.

“All this stuff about us not wanting to work with UFC is just utterly and completely untrue,” he continued. “We’ve always been completely open to basically working with anybody, including the UFC, because our goal has always been to put the greatest fighters against each other. And if the greatest fighter is a part of the UFC, fine, let’s put him up against our best guy and see how they do.”

Raimond added that Finkelchtein indicated that the UFC is very protective of their market share but that M-1 isn’t looking to take the UFC’s “pie” away, that his promotion simply wants to share some of it.

Finkelchtein also responded to a question from Millen regarding comments made by White during a November press conference in Toronto to promote UFC 94. In the interview, which can be seen on YouTube, White responds to a question from a fan regarding Fedor fighting for the UFC by stating at one point that he has never even met Fedor.

White’s claim that he has never met Fedor is accurate, but it’s also a situation that Finkelchtein is more than willing to rectify.

“The invitation is right there,” Finkelchtein expressed through Raimond. “If Dana wants to sit down at the table, he can come to St. Petersburg — he is very welcomed here. He can meet up with (me), he can meet up with Fedor. It’s not a problem at all.”

Finkelchtein indicated during the interview that he has traveled to Las Vegas in the past to meet with White. And if White does not have time to travel to Russia, Finkelchtein extended him an open invitation to meet the WAMMA heavyweight champion in Anaheim, California before he competes against Andrei Arlovski on Jan. 24 just prior to Affliction and M-1’s “Day of Reckoning” event.

“We’re not going to eat the UFC pie, but we want to share,” said Finkelchtein. “The invitation stands. They are welcome at any point in time, and definitely at the Jan. 24 event. We’ll talk about it (and) discuss it. We’re open to any kind of deal.”

Saturday, November 29, 2008

“THE CROATIAN SENSATION” , PAT MILETICH'S OUTLOOK ON RETURNING TO THE RING


Source: MMAweekly.com

Pat Miletich, founder and patriarch of Miletich Fighting Systems, is tired of watching all the young whippersnappers having fun. He wants back in the ring.

The Davenport, Iowa native had a stutter step in his last return to fighting, a submission loss against former teacher Renzo Gracie in a 2006 International Fight League appearance, but has not lost the competitive burn he feels makes him a threat to anyone in the welterweight division.

Miletich says he’s done extensive rehab on a longstanding neck injury, and feels it’s time to test himself in action. On Dec. 11, he will dip a toe back into MMA waters, facing Thomas Denny at Adrenaline MMA’s second show, in Moline, Iowa, Miletich Fighting Systems’ back yard.

It’s been a long time since “The Croatian Sensation” ran the two-lane roads of his home state, torturing himself outside the cage to make his fights inside them easy. At 40, he’s seen the first generation of his fighters go on to become world champions, stars in their own right.

Miletich himself lead the charge, becoming the first UFC welterweight championship in pre-Zuffa days at “Ultimate Brazil.” He defended the title twice in the organization’s dark days before ceding it to Carlos Newton at UFC 31. The loss ended a dominant period in Miletich’s career, and after losing again to Matt Lindland in a middleweight contest at UFC 36, he decided to hang up his gloves.

In his gym’s recent past, cornerstone fighters like Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Spencer Fisher, and Jens Pulver have slowly moved away from the nest leaving a void in leadership, maybe even in the gym’s spirit. Some of the departures had to do with the business side of the sport, others with fighters’ need to see the world outside MFS walls. Fight teams are ever changing, ever colliding groups of personalities and ideas; they need figureheads and new blood equally to keep them vital.

With over a decade in the fight game, Miletich had seen ebbs and flows in the gym, but never an identity crisis. To the MMA faithful, Miletich Fighting Systems meant work ethic. In a young sport, it was one of the few gyms with an undisputed championship pedigree. There were talented fighters at MFS with years in the game, but they were always overshadowed by the marquee names. Miletich realized he couldn’t be the only role model of the gym’s reputation – he needed to convince the next generation of fighters they were part of its tradition as well.

“Basically, what it was is you need things to wake you up,” Miletich explained. “You’ve got to keep up with the curve. I think it was a phase where the new guys finally realized how good they were and have just started taking over, which was very important. I had been waiting for that to happen and had talked to several of them. The older guys are retiring and moving on and doing this and doing that. (I said), ‘You guys need to step up and become the leaders of the team and be the guys that are the role models of the work ethic, in the void those guys have left.’ They’ve stepped up and done that.”

Somewhere between a kick to the head and the crank of an armbar, Miletich woke up too, realizing he loved competition too dearly to give it up.

He cites fighters like Ben Rothwell, Ryan McGivern, Mike Ciesnolevicz, and LC Davis, all members of his Silverback team from the IFL’s salad days, as the new heart of the gym. Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia also remains, faithful to the man who first introduced him to the world of fighting.

No less than seven of Miletich’s new stars will fight on the Adrenaline card, and the gym appears to be singularly focused on preparation for the event.

In preparation for his fight with Denny, Miletich has re-invested much of his training time into bringing his jiu-jitsu game up to par, working with two Brazilian black belts at the gym.

“I’ve gone back to learning,” he said. “If you ever quit learning, you become so stagnant. And there were times in my career where I had stopped learning, but I sought out and luckily got the help of a couple of very good jiu-jitsu guys. I used to feel that I was real good on the ground, and I’m starting to feel like I flow like that again, which is nice.”

Miletich says the plan, at least for now, is to wear Denny out and finish him in the second round or early in the first. He thinks his championship experience, as well as his daily grind fending off the sharks at the gym, will be the deciding factor. But perhaps because of his last return, he’s a little cautious about making bold predictions.

“I think he’s got a ton of experience, (a) fairly well-rounded guy,” Miletich said of Denny. "(He) looks to slice people with elbows a lot, which I’m not real fold of, but I’ll do my best to avoid. Overall, I think I’ve got better skills that he does, but it’s MMA. You never know what’s going to happen, and upsets are happening all the time in the sport. So I’ve got to be on my toes with him, because he’s experienced enough to do damage.”

As to whether he’s turning over a new leaf in his career, there is equal caution.

“I guess that depends on who offers me a fight,” he commented. “We’ll just take this fight and see how it goes, and work from there.”

One thing he’s certain on, though, is that his time away will not be a factor against Denny.

“Not this time,” he said confidently. “I love to compete, and still feel that if I’m healthy and in shape, I think I can basically hang with anybody out there at 170. So I thought I might as well get out there and have some fun.”

Sunday, November 16, 2008

LESNAR TOOK RANDY'S BELT.


The legendary UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture lost in his comeback to Brock Lesnar in the main event at UFC 91 tonight in Las Vegas, as the younger, stronger man delivered a series of brutal punches and won a second-round TKO.

In the first round, they had a rough, tough wrestling match in which Lesnar spent more time in the dominant position, but neither man did a lot of damage. But in the second, Lesnar landed a brutal punch that knocked Couture down, pounced on him and continued bashing him until the referee had no choice but to step in.

It was the 45-year-old Couture's first fight in 15 months, and he looked rusty, while the 31-year-old Lesnar looked just as big and strong as ever. Lesnar also looked more patient than he had in his previous fights -- he picked and chose his spots and didn't rush into anything.

Couture will always be one of the all-time greats in MMA, but today was probably the last day he'll ever be the owner of a UFC title belt. Couture's record falls to 16-9; Lesnar's record improves to 3-1.

Up next for Lesnar will be the winner of the Frank Mir-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight at UFC 92. Lesnar's battle with Mir or Nogueira will unify the UFC heavyweight title, and will be one of the biggest fights of 2009.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

NEW BOOK AND CALENDAR FOR DEF LEPPARD!








It's been a while since you could buy any official Def Leppard calendars, and it's been even longer since the band released their first (and only) official book "ANIMAL INSTINCT" (1996's "NONE MORE BLACK" photo book was only released in Japan)…..but that is about to change really soon!

In the next few weeks, DefLeppard.com will start taking orders for "SHOTS FROM THE SPARKLE TOUR", a unique and luxury coffee table book that should be in every true Def Leppard fan's collection! Containing 80 pages of app 300 never-before-seen photos taken during their record-breaking "SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE" Tour, this book gives you an insight on what life on the road with Def Leppard is all about.
All photos are taken by photographer Ash Newell and do not only show Def Leppard doing what they do best on stage, but also show the band and their crew backstage and in other candid environments.

This exclusive book, sized 12"x12", is the perfect gift for any Def Leppard fan and will not be availabe in any shops! It can only be ordered through DefLeppard.com. 500 Deluxe Editions will be printed with 250 personally signed by the band. After these 500 sell out, "standard" editions will be available.

Exact pricing info is not yet available but will be posted here as soon as we accept orders. Furthermore, members of the Def Leppard Fan Club (of which the Fan Club will be relaunched very soon as well) will get access to the presales of the book, for which 100 signed editions have been reserved. "SHOTS FROM THE SPARKLE TOUR" promises to be just as much a rare collectible as the 1992-released "ADRENALIZE MAHOGANY BOX" is nowadays, so make sure you get your copy before it's too late.

Furthermore, the band will also release a 2009 calendar! Ordering and pricing info is not yet available for this great item either, but it will consist 12 pages full of live photos, so every month of the year you'll get a fresh new Leppard thing to look at. The Def Leppard 2009 calendar will also only be available through DefLeppard.com.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

TAYLOR SWIFT / DEF LEPPARD VIDEO OUT NOW!



CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Country teen queen Taylor Swift turns rock chick to sing lead with Def Leppard on the band's '80s classic, "PHOTOGRAPH," in a new video that will begin airing Friday on CMT. PEOPLE.com has a first look at the video, where Swift takes center stage on the tune - a hit six years before the 18-year-old was born. The performance is a preview of the upcoming CMT Crossroads special with Swift and the band that will air in its entirety on Nov. 7.

Swift called the Def Leppard collaboration "a dream come true," and said she was introduced to the band when she was still in the womb by her mother, a huge fan. "I was kind of nervous to meet everybody but we met and hugged and jelled right away," she told PEOPLE of their first rehearsal. "They are the coolest guys on the planet."

Sunday, October 19, 2008

UFC 89 RESULTS




Main Card Bouts:
-Michael Bisping def. Chris Leben by Unanimous Dec. 5.00, R3
-Keith Jardine def. Brandon Vera by Split Dec. 5:00, R3
-Luiz Cane def. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou by TKO (Strikes) 4.15 R2
-Chris Lytle def Paul Taylor by Uninimous Dec. at 5.00, R3
-Marcus Davis def. Paul Kelly by Submission (Guillotine) 2:16 R2

Preliminary Bouts:
-Dan Hardy def. Akihiro Gono by Split Dec at 5.00, R3
-Shane Carwin def. Neil Wain by TKO (Strikes) 1.31 R1
-David Bielkheden def Jess Liaden by Uninimous Dec at 5.00, R3
-Terry Etim def. Sam Stout by Unanimous Dec. at 5.00, R3
-Jim Miller def. David Baron by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:19, R3
-Per Eklund def. Sammy Schiavo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:47, R3

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

VETERANS STILL GETTING SUPPORT FROM DEF LEPPARD'S RICK ALLEN


A conference focusing on female veterans will get a little 1980’s star power from Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen.

Allen will lead one of two healing ceremonies at the conference, to be held on Oct. 2 at the Albuquerque Hilton Hotel. The conference, “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Proudly She Served,” will focus on treating women veterans suffering physically, mentally or emotionally from their military service.

Workshops at the event will help veterans understand their medical and educational benefits at the state and federal levels. Allen, and his wife, Lauren Monroe, will perform a healing ceremony celebrating women warriors.

Allen and Monroe founded the Raven Drum Foundation in 2001 to educate, support, and empower veterans and all trauma survivors.

Allen lost an arm in a car accident while at the height of worldwide fame with the rock and heavy metal band. He still tours with the group. Monroe is a practitioner and teacher of energy healing and massage. The two felt they were able to offer soldiers practical healing tools and personal experience about overcoming trauma. For more information on the day-long conference, call (505) 459-0367.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

BIG ASSED DIAMOND FOUND, BUT NOT NEARLY THE BIGGEST EVER.


The diamond was discovered in the Letseng Mine on September 8, the company said in a statement. It has been analyzed by experts in Antwerp and found to weigh 478 carats, with very few inclusions and of outstanding color and clarity.

"It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history," the company said.

Letseng is one of the most productive mines in history -- four of the world's 20 largest rough diamonds have been found at the mine, including the three largest found this century.

Before it is cut into gems it is hard to value the diamond, but a spokesman for Gem Diamonds said a similar weight stone with lesser-quality color and clarity had recently sold for $12 million (around 5.5 million pounds).

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best color and clarity," Clifford Elphick, the chief executive of Gem Diamonds, said in a statement.

The minister for natural resources in Lesotho, an impoverished mountain kingdom in eastern South Africa, praised the productivity of the mine, one of the highest in the world at more than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).

"Once again Letseng has proved its ability to produce extraordinary diamonds and continues to place Lesotho at the forefront of diamond producing countries," Monyane Moleleki said in a statement.

Letseng is 70 percent owned by Gem Diamonds and 30 percent owned by the government of Lesotho.

The world's largest diamond is the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905. It weighed more than 3,100 carats before it was cut into more than one hundred separate gems, many of which are part of the British crown jewels.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

EVAN TANNER FOUND DEAD


Evan Tanner, former UFC middleweight champion and one of MMA’s most popular fighters, has been found dead in the California desert at age 37.

Tanner, who had been camping in the Palo Verde area, sent a text message to a friend on Wednesday, September 3, saying he was out of water and needed help. He was officially reported as missing on Friday, and a search began on Saturday when temperatures in the area reached nearly 115 degrees.

Tanner, a blogger for Spike TV, discussed the trip in an entry dated August 16.

“I’ve been gathering my gear for this adventure for over a month, not a long time by most standards, but far too long for my impatient nature,” Tanner wrote. “Being a minimalist by nature, wanting to carry only the essentials, and being extremely particular, it has been a little difficult to find just the right equipment. I plan on going so deep into the desert that any failure of my equipment could cost me my life.”

In a later entry, he downplayed the danger.

“It seems some MMA websites have reported on the story, posting up that I might die out in the desert, or that it might be my greatest opponent yet, etc. Come on guys. It’s really common down in southern California to go out to the off road recreation areas in the desert about an hour away from LA and San Diego. So my plan is to go out to the desert, do some camping, ride the motorcycle, and shoot some guns. Sounds like a lot of fun to me. A lot of people do it. This isn’t a version of “Into the Wild”. I’m not going out into the desert with a pair of shorts and a bowie knife, to try to live off the land. I’m going fully geared up, and I’m planning on having some fun.”

Tanner, who never considered himself a fighter, fought 42 professional bouts in over 11 years.

“I always thought of myself as the poet, the writer, or the philosopher – I never thought of myself as a fighter,” he chuckled. “But here I am. I always had an idea of the flow of my life, but not exactly what I would be doing day to day. And fighting definitely wasn’t something I thought I’d be doing.”

Tanner’s motorcycle was found at a campsite and the body was found nearby by an Imperial County Sherrif’s Department Deputy on Monday.

The cause of death is not known at this time.

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

COUTURE vs LESNAR FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE !!!! WTF!!!


The legend is back. The five-time UFC champion is back. Randy Couture is back, and he is set to sensationally defend his heavyweight title against Brock Lesnar at "UFC 91"

UFC president Dana White revealed on Tuesday that he would make a huge announcement, and boy has he lived up to his promise.

On November 15, at "UFC 91" in the MGM Grand, Las Vegas - the recognised home of The UFC, Randy Couture will fight The UFC's most controversial new star: Former WWE champion Brock Lesnar.

For anyone who didn't know it, Couture is quite simply legend. A two-time UFC light-heavyweight champion, a three-time and current UFC heavyweight champion, "Captain America's" class is beyond question.

Having already beaten the likes of Vitor Belfort, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz in his illustrious career, Couture saved arguably his greatest story for "UFC 68", when he came out of retirement aged 43 to beat UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia.

One title defence against Gabriel Gonzaga followed, but since then Couture's MMA career has been put on hold due to a legal wrangle that started with the veteran's resignation from The UFC.

However, almost a year to the day of his last title defence, a resolution has been found that sees Couture fight Lesnar, the powerhouse newcomer who is already rocking the heavyweight division.

Brazilian Antonio Nogueira has been the interim UFC heavyweight champion in Couture's absence, and it is believed the two could meet as part of a reported three-fight contract signed between Couture and The UFC.

Nogueira is set to go head-to-head in a coaching capacity against former champ Frank Mir in series eight of "The Ultimate Fighter", a series that can be seen on September 17.

The conclusion will see the pair face-off, with the victor likely to face the winner of Couture v Lesnar.

Couture's career could then end with the much-hyped showdown against Fedor Emelianenko, although that still requires much negotiating by The UFC.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

TITO STILL HAS HIC UFC FOOT IN THE DOOR.


I read recently that Tito supposedly is negotiating with UFC again. If that's the case, how did that come about?

As part of his contract, he goes out and ... I don't know, something to do with his contract, but he's still got his foot in the door with his contract. As part of our business practice in this crazy world these days, we — let me think how I can word this to you.

Take your time.

Yeah, probably going to have to.

I always say, we make this thing look a lot easier than it really is, and we're definitely not going to make it easy for anybody else. We're going to make things tough for other people.

It sounds like you're saying basically you have certain negotiation rights with Tito.

Yup, and I'm going take them.

Given what you guys said about each in the months leading up to his last fight, how realistic is to expect Tito to ever fight in UFC again?

Listen, me and Tito didn't say anything worse than what we said before he came back and became a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. Tito and I do not like each other. We do not. It's 100% real, we don't like each other at all, but it doesn't mean we haven't done business together before.

So you have no problem putting aside personal feelings for business?

Sometimes. We did for a lot of years.

AFFLICTION 3 NEWS


Although the second Affliction show is still over a month away, future plans include a third show that will most likely take place in January of February 2009. One fight that Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio is looking at is one that some fans have been talking about for quite some time.

"In terms of fighters we are looking at Jerome LeBanner, he is interested in doing MMA and apparently him and Tim Sylvia have some history between them so that is something that we are looking at right now."

LeBanner has been very critical of Sylvia going back a few years now when he stated that he wanted to fight Sylvia and he did not think Sylvia was any good. He has called the former UFC champ out numerous times in interviews.

"Geronimo" is a fixture in the K-1 kickboxing circuit where he has made a name for himself. He has always been a top contender for the World Grand Prix Championship.

"We are taking things one step at a time but we will see where it all goes." Atencio said of future shows.

Sylvia's stock has dropped quite a bit, losing three of his last four fights albeit being against three of the top heavyweights in the world in Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Randy Couture.

This fight may not be a headliner fight in the MMA world but for the hardcores out there this is one that has been talked about on and off again for years and could be a big draw in a co-main event slot for the company.

Another fighter that Affliction has been actively pursuing is former Pride star Sergei Kharitonov,

"I would absolutely love to bring Sergei Kharitonov on board. He has had some back injuries that have kept him out of action but I would love to have him. I'm a big fan of Pride."

Kharitonov's last bout came almost a year ago when he KO'd Alistair Overeem in the first round of there former K-1 Heroes (now DREAM) bout.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

UFC 87


My lead source besides me watching it live on PPV were MMAExtreme those guys were first with the results ... heres how it went ...
Georges St. Pierre defeats Jon Fitch via unanimous decision
Brock Lesnar defeats Heath Herring via Unanimous Decision
Robert “Rich Boy Wannabe Thug” Emerson defeats Manvel Gamburyan via strikes in round 1
Kenny Florian defeats Roger Huerta by unanimous decision (domination)
Cheick Kongo defeats Dan Evenson via TKO round 1
Demian Maia defeats Jason McDonald by submission in round 3
Tamdan McCrory defeats Luke Cummo via unanimous decision
Jon Jones defeats Andre Gusmao via unanimous decision
Chris Wilson defeats Steve Bruno via unanimous decision
Ben Saunders defeats Ryan Thomas via Armbar in round 2
Now, my thoughts. Referee Steve Miragliotta still sucks beyond belief. Did he really poke Heath Herring in the eye during the staredown? Give me a break, Miragliotta, how does it feel to be known as the shittiest ref in the sport? In all fairness, I didn’t see the actual eyepoke, I just saw Herring turn away from him, I said “what happened” and then I heard Rogan and Goldberg talking about Dan Miragliotta poking Heath Herring in the eye. WTF.

Also, I noticed Goldberg is keeping more stats on the fighters now. For instance, tonight I learned nobody has ever passed Jon Fitch’s guard in the UFC (prior to tonights fight). Also, GSP has a 80% takedown rate. I think Goldberg even mentioned a takedown defense percentage. Kinda interesting stuff I guess.

Kenny Florian put on a technical clinic for Roger Huerta, and in my opinion, totally dominated the fight.

Brock Lesnar is a giant LNP machine. Ok, maybe thats unfair of me to say, after all, he did try to crush Heath Herring’s ribcage with knees, and he punches like a mule kicks, but was still unable to finish Herring. Props to Herring for being a tough SOB.

I was really hoping to see Manvel Gamburyan break off one of Rob Emerson’s limbs, but oh well, Emerson KO’d him in like 12 seconds. In case you’re not aware, Robert Emerson is the spoiled little rich kid who gangs up on innocent people at gas stations, with 12 of his friends.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

FEDROR vs ALOVSKI COULD BE A WASH - ARLOVSKI vs BARNETT MORE LIIKELY


Drew Smith reporting - It is being reported that a hand injury may hinder the proposed WAMMA heavyweight bout between champion Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski.

The report said Emelianenko has been dealing with the lingering injury and it’s severity makes it very unlikely that the Russian will be ready to compete by the October 11 fight date.

It is not known whether or not his hand was injured before, during, or after his July 19th bout with Tim Sylvia or whether the injury was re-aggravated sometime after the fight.

For now, it seems as if Affliction is going to be replacing the headliner with a bout between Andrei Arlovski and fellow top heavyweight contender Josh Barnett.

Both fighters are coming off impressive victories at Affliction’s debut event on July 19th. Barnett avenged a former loss to Pedro Rizzo with a 2nd round KO and Andrei Arlovski had a great night as well with his 3rd round KO of Ben Rothwell.

Emelianenko had expressed a desire to compete two more times before the end of 2008. With the newly acquired injury concerns surfacing, along with Fedor’s plans to compete in Japan on a New Year’s Eve fight card, chances are the next time the WAMMA Heavyweight champion competes here in the states will be in 2009.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

FINALLY THE REAL PAY DAY INFO FOR FEDOR!


BEFORE WE GET STARTED, THIS IS WHAT 1 MILLION DOLLARS LOOKS LIKE.


Yesterday, a very reliable source informed Fighline.com that Fedor Emelianenko received a "substantial" bonus before his fight with Tim Sylvia. Today, Fightline.com has learned that the bonus was 1.3 million dollars putting Emelianenko's final take at 1.6 million dollars. Quite substantial.

Eyebrows were raised when the California State Athletic Commission released the promotions payouts and it was revealed that Emelianenko ($300,000) received less than half of what his opponent Tim Sylvia ($800,000) received; this after Fedor demolished Sylvia in under a minute.

Emelianenko's bonus plus his base salary coupled with securing advertising for M-1 Global and the rights to his fight footage in Europe possibly represents a very sweet deal for the popular Russian fighter and certainly one of the best deals for a single fight in MMA history.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

ROBBIE LAWLER SEALS SMITH'S FATE RETAINS BELT!


STOCKTON, Calif. -- Hoping to erase the disappointing no-contest that marred Robbie Lawler's EliteXC middleweight war against Scott Smith in May, the pair met again Saturday -- in primetime on CBS -- picking up where they left off.

Tailor-made sluggers with stout chins who don't mind getting hit, Lawler and Smith highlighted EliteXC's first venture on network television before the fight was stopped, when Smith took a finger to the eye. This time, it was a knee to the midsection that told the tale, and again it was Smith who went to the canvas in a heap.

Fighting about an hour south of his hometown of Elks Grove, Calif., Smith came out uncharacteristically fast, following every combination with a kick, including one that glanced off Lawler's left cheek.

"I wanted to dictate the pace and stay in his face and make him work," Lawler said. "He was pressing me, and I didn't want him to press me and then rest; so I just tried to stay there and make him work and hit him at the same time."

The plan paid off big in the second. A bit cute with his punches in the opening five minutes, the southpaw champion unleashed his power in the deciding frame. Smith answered, making for the best moment of the fight, as both men stood and slugged in front of a raucous crowd at Stockton Arena.

Lawler (16-4, 1 NC) remained unscathed, save a cut at the top of his head, eerily reminiscent to an elbow-induced gash from Smith (15-5, 1 NC) in the first fight. With that cut fully healed just two weeks prior to the rematch and the memory of commission doctors moving in to call a halt in their previous encounter, Lawler increased his punching output so referee Herb Dean couldn't find a spot to step in and get it checked.

"He's matured as a fighter," Smith said of Lawler. "He's so much smarter. He knew he was cut, so he knew to stay out of it."

Against the fence, Lawler worked over Smith's midsection and ribs. Then, he came with the knees. The first dug into the challenger's abs and he took it. But two more followed and Smith failed to hold up.

"I do work my stomach," Smith quipped. "I know I've been dropped by body shots, but let Lawler knee you in the stomach and see how you like it."

The challenger scrambled, but the moment he rose Lawler delivered another knee, this time to the head, that finished it at 2:35 of Round 2.
Josh Gross,SI.com

UFC 90 IN CHICAGO TO FEATURE ANDERSON SILVA!!!


Anderson Silva will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title against hard-hitting Canadian Patrick Cote in the main event of UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena in Chicago on Oct. 25.

The news comes from the Chicago Sun Times who cited UFC president Dana White.

Anderson Silva is coming off a first round knockout win in the light heavyweight division over James Irvin on July 19 at UFC Fight Night 14. The bout with Cote will mark his return to the middleweight division and will be his fifth title defense.

Cote is coming off a win over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86.

Ultimate Fighter season one winner Diego Sanchez is expected to take on American Top Team trained Thiago Alves in the co-main event.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

BREAKING NEWS!!! FEDOR VS ARLOVSKI



The French website Fightsport.fr revealed that Fedor Emelianenko's next opponent will be Belarusian fighter Andrei Arlovski.

The source: Fedor himself.

Emelianenko said that he wants to get back in the ring as soon as possible against the best heavyweights in the world and make up the lost time that he spent this year.

Fedor confirmed that he would be fighting in Japan on New Year's Eve, possibly against Mirko Cro Cop.

The next Affliction event is slated to be held in November, but Fedor is pushing for an October date against Arlovski, so that he can better prepare for his December match in the land of the rising sun.

The Russian legend also stated his wish of fighting Josh Barnett in March in America.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

SILVIA SAYS ..."I DON'T THINK HE'S HUMAN!!"


"I know that I'm one of the best in the world, I was amazed at how good Fedor is. He hurt me right away and submitted me. The guy's a stud. I don't even think he's human. That guy hits hard. I've never been hit that hard before."

"I was definitely expecting there to be more of a feeling-out process. My manager says that it's good that [Emelianenko] did that because that means he gives me a lot of respect. He didn't want to go in there and play around. I guess I can kind of take that as a compliment. This guy is unreal. He's incredible, and I don't know if anybody's going to beat him for a while."

Emelianenko remained typically humble in victory, saying: “I was very pleased with my performance. Everything I wanted to do I was able to do.”

AND DANA WHITE SAID....UFC president Dana White has been relentless in his criticism of ex-PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko over the past several years.

White has criticized and mocked the popular Russian for failing to face top competition and taking on inexperienced and even smaller fighters over the past three years.

But upon learning that Emelianenko had submitted ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., in less than a minute, White unflinchingly admitted he was impressed.

“It does (change my opinion),” he conceded. “Tim Sylvia was a real opponent.”

FEDOR IS THE BADDEST S.O.B. ON THE PLANET!...36 seconds...WOW



The first ever Affliction MMA event was Saturday night ,Affliction is likely to have a very bright future ahead with all its major stars.Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson made their entrance to ringside and received an ovation with chants of "Tito" from the surrounding crowd.

The first fight was a "no action" for gamblers since Aleksander Emelianenko was barred from fighting Paul Buentello due to a licensing issue. Instead Buentello took on Gary Goodridge and defeated him by unanimous decision.

Vitor Belfort defeated Terry Martin via KO. Belfort was a pretty significant favorite in this one.

Mike Pyle defeated J.J. Ambrose via submission (rear naked choke).Pyle was the favorite.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Edwin Dewees via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 4:06

Matt Lindland defeated big +350 underdog Fabio Nascimento via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27

Renato Sobral,beat Mike Whitehead by unanimous decision.

Mark Hominick defeated Savant Young via submission (arm bar) -- Round 2, 4:25

Josh Barnett, defeated Pedro Rizzo via KO (punch) -- Round 2, 1:44

Andrei Arlovksi defeated Ben Rothwell via KO (strikes) -- Round 3, 1:13

Fedor Emelianenko has beaten Tim Sylvia badly.Fedor climbed on his back and choked him out early in the first round.

This is what they want to see next!!!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

WHAT THE HELLS WRONG WITH QUINTON JACKSON? NERVOUS BREAKDOWN MAYBE ...


Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, shown in a booking photo, was arrested after allegedly crashing into several cars, roaring over a center divider and driving on a sidewalk, causing pedestrians to flee his truck's path.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the champion mixed-martial-arts fighter who police say tore a chaotic path through local streets this week, was hospitalized for a mental evaluation after his behavior worried friends at his Irvine home, police said today.

Acquaintances of the former light-heavyweight titleholder flagged down officers driving past his home in the 100 block of Whistling Isle about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon.

His friends were concerned by alarming comments and behavior and wanted officers to decide if Jackson was a danger to himself or others, said Irvine police Lt. Rick Handfield.

Jackson, 30, was cooperative when speaking to police, and officers decided to take him to an unidentified local hospital for a mental evaluation.

Handfield could not comment on whether Jackson was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold or if he had been released.

Jackson, known for sporting a heavy chain around his neck before fights, lost his light-heavyweight belt in a major bout earlier this month with Forest Griffin.

He was rattled by the defeat, telling friends Monday at the HB Ultimate Training Center in Huntington Beach that he had barely been sleeping, said "Razor" Rob McCullough, a former World Extreme Cagefighting champ.

Jackson, who is divorced and has four children, spoke of being under heavy pressure and seemed weary of his sport's limelight, McCullough said.

"It sounds like he had a nervous breakdown," McCullough said Thursday. "It all just got to be too much for him."

Jackson was first arrested Tuesday after authorities say he plowed his raised Ford truck into several vehicles on the 55 freeway and Newport Boulevard, crashed across a center divider and roared onto a sidewalk, causing pedestrians to flee.

He was booked on suspicion of hit-and-run driving, felony evading and reckless driving. Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White ended up posting his $25,000 bail.

Also today, authorities backtracked from initial reports that Jackson's tear through the streets of Costa Mesa had not caused any injuries.

Holli Griggs, a 38-year-old Huntington Beach woman who is 16 weeks pregnant, was hospitalized after her Cadillac Escalade was sideswiped on the 55 freeway, said California Highway Patrol officer Denise Quesada.

"I and my unborn baby have sustained injuries, to what extent is still unknown," Griggs said in an e-mail to the Register.

"He had no regard for my life or anyone else's for that matter," Griggs wrote.

Jenny Kimber, a La Habra resident, recalled in an e-mail to the Register that she "was about 6 feet from being run over by 'Rampage' Jackson" while waiting in her car at the intersection of 17th Street and Newport Boulevard.

"When I saw his truck barreling straight towards me, I was more terrified than you can imagine," Kimber wrote. "Thankfully, he swerved to avoid hitting my car, and went back onto the wrong side of Newport (Boulevard). The police were hot on his tail."

"I returned to my work in shock," Kimber added, "went home and counted my blessings for avoiding certain injury or death."

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

QUINTON JACKSON HIT N RUN !!







Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, former light heavyweight champion of the Ultimate Fighter Championships, was arrested on suspicion of felony evading, hit-and-run and reckless driving Tuesday after he allegedly led police on a pursuit from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach, police said.

Jackson, the driver of a lifted, gray pick-up truck left crashed cars, shredded tires and sparks in his wake this afternoon when he led police on a short pursuit from the southbound 55 freeway exit onto Newport Boulevard where he hit at least three cars, police said.

The driver hit two cars at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard, then drove away at about 1:13 p.m., Lt. Paul Dondero said. A Costa Mesa police officer saw the driver southbound approaching 17th Street and tried to pull him over, police said. There, he hit at least one more car before continuing to run, now heading south toward the Balboa Peninsula, Dondero said. Some time after that, the truck blew a tire but continued to drive on its rims, Dondero said.

Jackson eventually gave up, pulled over and was arrested, police said. The whole chase lasted about five minutes, Dondero said.

NEW DREAMFIGHTERS INTERVIEW WITH PAT MILETICH


DreamFighters.com: Pat, thanks for taking the time to speak to me at DreamFighters.com

Pat Miletich: Not a problem at all

DreamFighters.com: You are now the Vice-President for Fighter and Promoter Relations for WAMMA. What does that position entail?

Pat Miletich: Good relationships in any business is important and even more important in MMA than most. This is a people business and I get along well with most in MMA very well. My position with WAMMA serves a couple different purposes I guess.
I am a conduit between the WAMMA executives and the MMA world. I am also serving an advisory role in regards to
many situations that arise as the company grows.

DreamFighters.com: What made you want to join such a group as WAMMA?

Pat Miletich: They are made up entirely of very credible people. Dave Szady is a former heavy hitter with the FBI and the CIA
and is great at running and directing people. He is also a guy with a reputation for not being intimidated or bribed.
This creates a situation that allows fans, fighters, and promoters knowing they can trust this company to do things
above board.

Mike Lynch is a former attorney with the Levin law group and has a large amount of knowledge in the boxing and MMA world. He knows the pitfalls that boxing has fallen into and wants to create a positive situation for MMA.

Kay Stephenson is a former head coach in the NFL and knows how pro sports systems should be run. His knowledge is very important to the success of WAMMA, as well as the success of MMA in the mainstream sports world.

Fred Levin is, well, Fred Levin. A very successful attorney from Florida who has handled the careers of guys like Roy Jones. He see's where the sport of MMA needs help and the purpose WAMMA serves to helping fighters gain
recognition and the amount of money they deserve thru fights and endorsement deals.

Bill Goldberg is a guy that has been in the limelight of the NFL, pro wrestling, and now MMA. he has the vision to help athletes in MMA attain the household name recognition and understands the building blocks of how this is truly
accomplished. He's also a really funny bastard!

Most importantly though is their passion to see MMA avoid the pitfalls that boxing has had and see the fighters and fans get the fights they all want and deserve.

DreamFighters.com: What do you think of Affliction being the first Fight Organization to include the WAMMA belt?

Pat Miletich: I think Affliction has their act together to say the least. They understand the amount of prestige that goes with hosting the first WAMMA undisputed world title bout between Tim Sylvia and Fedor.
Even if Godzilla and King Kong had a fight on pay per view, very few would buy tickets or purchase
the tv show if the bout was for nothing. People would want to know which one was going to be crowned
the ruler of the world, and the WAMMA belt says just that. Affliction has become a big part of the history of how
MMA will be run from July 19th forward. They have a vision and are highly motivated businessmen.
Tom and Todd both get a big thank you from me for personally for understanding how big this moment
in MMA will be for all the fans, fighters, and the promoters. I also really like their clothes!!! haha

DreamFighters.com: As the VP of Fighter and Promoter relations for WAMMA, can you tell us anything on who is next after Fedor/Sylvia to fight for the WAMMA belt? (Maybe in a different weigh class)

Pat Miletich: We are looking at many options and have been working with many organizations to lay the groundwork for the upcoming WAMMA undisputed titles. The heavyweight division has many top fighters that
are part of organizations willing to work with us, so that is a weight division that is front and center for WAMMA.

I would also say that we recognize the amount of talent in all the weight classes in many different organizations
is vast and we plan on seeing many incredible fights for WAMMA belts in the near future.

Adrenaline, Affliction, Strikeforce, EliteXC, M-1, Dream, IFL, Sportfight, etc.... all have a lot of talent
that deserve to have a shot at being named the #1 guy in his weight class and we are going to look to
all of them for huge matchups down the road.

DreamFighters.com: What do you think of the Fedor vs Sylvia match up at Affliction? How do you think your boy Tim Sylvia will do?

Pat Miletich: I think you know the answer to that one. I have trained Tim for almost a decade and obviously
want him to win. Fedor is a monster and he deserves the #1 ranking without a doubt. The Honda center will be absolutely insane on the 19th and it's the biggest and best MMA card ever.

DreamFighters.com: Has Tim been training with your camp full time for this fight? If so, what have you all done in terms of training to better prepare Tim for a fighter like Fedor?

Pat Miletich: Tim has trained for this fight full time here in Iowa. He has been pushed harder for this fight than ever before and we are very confident in his ability to win this fight. Ted Mueller, Pedro Sylviera, and myself have all been working hard getting
Tim ready.

The Ben Rothwell Andre Arlovski fight is also going to be incredible. It's going to be a fight we
feel Ben can dominate. We are also very thankful to Affliction and Monte Cox for making this fight
possible. Ben has worked so hard for this opportunity and is pumped to bang with Andre.

DreamFighters.com: Any news on any of your fighters? (maybe future fights, new fighters, or anything like that Pat)

Pat Miletich: I have new hammers all the time. We don't rebuild, we reload. haha To mention one means I forget a bunch. Trust me when I say we are becoming stacked again.

DreamFighters.com: Are you still very active with you fighting club, Miletich Fighting System Elite ?

Pat Miletich: Yes, I am here almost every day training fighters and running the evening practice.

DreamFighters.com: What is the message you want the MMA world to know about WAMMA?

Pat Miletich: That WAMMA is providing the athletes the ability to truly become the #1 fighter on the planet. Many organizational champs exhist, but there are no undisputed world champs. It's almost like the mythical college football champions. I hate this and I want to know who is the number one team in the land. Fighters and fans
want and deserve to know the same in MMA. These undisputed bouts will build the sport to a completely
different level and give everyone in the sport what they deserve. A true undisputed world champion!

Monday, July 14, 2008

GO JAMES IRVIN GO !! PUT EM TO SLEEP SANDMAN !!!


They say that opportunity doesn’t knock twice. Well, for some people in this world they do. When Chuck Liddell was forced to withdraw from his fight at UFC 85 against Rashad Evans, James Irvin stepped in to take his spot. For Irvin, this was a big fight coming off of his win over Houston Alexander. An opportunity to fight a top ranked contender like Evans was a great opportunity. But following an injury in training, Irvin had to withdraw from the bout.



Luckily for him, the Ultimate Fighting Championship decided to put a free event together for Spike TV on July 19 to counter the debut event of Affliction.



At the promotion’s 14th UFC Fight Night, Irvin will have the opportunity of a lifetime when he will take on the man highly regarded as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, Anderson Silva. Silva, the UFC middleweight champion, will be making his light heavyweight debut, testing the waters at 205 pounds. However, Irvin will look to take the wind out of his sails.



MMAWeekly Radio caught up with James Irvin to discuss his preparation for his upcoming fight. “Everything is going good. I'm just here training my ass off for July 19.”



This Spike TV special was put together very quickly and Irvin is taking the fight on relatively short notice. When he was approached with the fight, he did not hesitate. “First off, they just said Silva,” he explained. “So, I thought they were talking about Wanderlei. We've been asking to fight Wanderlei since he got here. When he said Anderson, I was like 'whoa.’ I was like, 'I'm not an '85er. Is he coming up to my weight class?' He said he was coming up to my weight class. From then on, I've been like 'where do I sign?'”



A lot of respect has to be given to Irvin for taking this fight. Fighting the top fighter in the world on short notice takes guts. However, he feels fortunate that he was able to accept the fight, especially after he was forced to withdraw from his fight with Evans.



“I was really looking forward to the Rashad fight just because I got to fight a Top 5 guy like him, especially since I was working myself up the ladder. But to catapult him to Anderson Silva, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the whole planet... Dana seems to reward people who fight hard, especially ones that knock people out.



“I fight hard, so when I go out there, I'm going to put it all on the line and try my hardest. The last few people to fight Anderson went out there with good intentions and tried to work their game plans and it didn't work out. I think Dana thinks that I'm going to go out there and swing for the fences and put up a good fight.”



Irvin is a gamer and is sure to put on a fun fight win or lose. He realizes how great this opportunity is, and he plans on making the most out of it.



“I don't know what I did to get so lucky,” Irvin said graciously. “I mean this is the biggest fight in my entire life. The only fight that could be bigger is if someday I get to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship belt. Until that happens, this is the biggest moment in my whole life.



“I just can't thank Dana White enough and Anderson Silva. I mean, he's a world champion. He has nothing to prove and he has everything to lose in this fight. I'm just so grateful that he's giving me the opportunity to compete. One thing that I will guarantee, out of respect to him, is he's going to get the very best of me. I called every favor, every coach, every training partner that is pushing me to the limit right now. My coaches are putting me through the ringers right now.”



The one main thing that Irvin believes differentiates him from everyone else that has fought Silva is his dynamic striking and power. He believes it will make a significant difference in the fight, whereas opponents like Franklin and Leben had difficulty striking with Silva.



“They weren't real multi-dimensional strikers. They're real straight forward. Franklin is an awesome striker, but he just didn't match up well with Silva. Mine is definitely more flashy, but at the same time, I'm more Muay Thai based. I'm definitely more of a smash-mouth type of fighter. I'm trying to smash you in the mouth before you smash me.”



While Irvin believes that he has solid Muay Thai, he knows that that this fight could go to a few different areas. However, he is confident on his feet with the Brazilian. “This isn't a Muay Thai fight by any means, but he usually turns it into whatever kind of fight he wants to. When we get in there and it's a straight stand up fight, when we clinch up and knee the hell out of each other, I have a much bigger advantage.”



The clinch seems to be where most of Anderson Silva’s prey has landed in their losing battles. Irvin has noticed this and has made sure that he is prepared for it. “He looks like he always grabs clinch,” stated Irvin. “The only thing he's probably worried about is my right hand or my 1-2 weapon. I'm sure he has 215, 220-pound training partners over there. I don't know what kind of strikers they are.”



Even though many people may feel that Irvin is a severe underdog, he is looking to prove the critics wrong. He wants to show the world that he won’t go down easy and is ready to be among the elite fighters in the world.



“You want to bet against me, go ahead. I have nothing to lose in this fight. This fight is a win-win fight for me. I'm not going to go in there and be anyone's punching bag. I'm not gonna go in there and get myself pushed up against the fence and get his knee in my face and let him bang me up over and over again. I have no problem taking two of his to get one of mine. If we get into a slugfest going back and forth, I guarantee you I'm going to win!”

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Q & A WITH TIM SYLVIA


Affliction has put together an incredible card for "Banned," the biggest mixed martial arts event of the year, which is scheduled to take place July 19 in Anaheim, Calif. Headlining the fight is Fedor Emelianenko, the man who has been considered the top fighter in the world for the past few years. He’s going up against one of the best heavyweights in the world, Tim Sylvia. Sylvia recently left the UFC and become one of the few high profile free agents in the sport. I recently caught up with Sylvia to talk about Fedor, MMA judging, Kimbo Slice, the growth of the sport and more.

MMA Stomping Grounds: How’s the training going for Fedor?

Tim Sylvia: Good, real good. I’m preparing the same way I prepare for anyone else, I train my ass off and may the best man win.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you win against Fedor, do you think you would deserve the title of No. 1 heavyweight in the world?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’ve answered this question a couple times. I just don’t think, in MMA it’s hard to label someone as No. 1. I think the top five guys are all No. 1. It’s just so tough, we’re all so competitive. It’s so close and in MMA anything can happen at any given moment. I don’t care about being ranked No. 1, I care about beating the best guys out there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What appealed to you about Affliction?

Sylvia:They are friends of mine, they had six of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, and with me they have seven. That’s the best place for me to be to fight all the best fighters out there, so I have to be there.

MMA Stomping Grounds: It’s been awhile since Fedor has fought a top heavyweight. Do you think that will factor into this fight at all?

Sylvia: I’ve fought top 10 guys the past three years and he hasn’t. His competition hasn’t been very good. He’s fought fat middleweights or he’s fought freakshows who weren’t good fighters. I think it’s going to benefit me a little bit.

MMA Stomping Grounds: There are some rumors floating around now -- I think Michael Bisping mentioned something about it -- that Fedor may be injured. Do you give any credence to stuff like that?

Sylvia: I don’t give a [expletive deleted] about any of that. We’ve all fought injured. It happens, so when it comes fight-time, if he’s injured, it won’t bother him at all.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Can Affliction compete with the UFC?

Sylvia: I don’t think Affliction is even considering competing with the UFC. They are just looking to put on quality shows, pay the fighters well and have a good time doing it because they can.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you beat Fedor, who would you like to face next?

Sylvia: It doesn’t matter to me. I really don’t want to talk about those questions. Let the fight happen first and then I’ll be happy to talk to you about what’s next.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Down the line, do you see yourself back in the UFC or have you put that behind you?

Sylvia: Yeah, eventually I would like to be back in the UFC. Right now, I have other opportunities and there’s a chance for me to make some money as a free agent so that’s what I’m going to do right now.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you have friends in the UFC who are coming to you with complaints now that you’re currently out of the organization?

Sylvia: I was with the UFC for five years. I have a lot of friends in the UFC, eh, you know what, no comment. I eventually want to fight back there some day and I left on good terms.

MMA Stomping Grounds: If you could change anything about the sport, what would it be?

Sylvia: There’s a couple things. I would like to see knees and foot stomps allowed on the ground and I would like to see all the judges go to classes and get certified and have to re-certify every year. Just like fighters have to apply for licenses. I think judges have to take classes and know more about MMA. You can’t just have boxing refs judge doing MMA. It’s not working and fighters are getting screwed because of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Sylvia: I think people just think I’m mean and hard to approach because I’m big. I’m not, I’m a good guy. I’m just more of a country boy, a redneck and I just like being with my friends and stuff. I find it hard to believe that people just want to get my autograph and get pictures with me. It’s really hard to fathom, even to this day. I’m just fighting for fun and it just happens that they put me on TV now and they pay me to do it. I just love the sport so much, I’m fortunate I guess.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When did you first really notice the fan appreciation and recognition?

Sylvia: After I beat Ricco Rodriguez. Overwhelming, it was overwhelming. I just could not believe it. I had his family taking pictures with me and getting autographs and stuff. It was my second fight in the UFC.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Have you had any weird encounters with fans before?

Sylvia: Oh, God yes. I’ve had fans offer me their wives before and just stupid stuff like that. Fans wanting me to sign their wife's boobs, guys getting tattoos of my signature on their arms. One guy told me was a huge fan of mine, I said ‘thank you’ and he said, ‘can we hang out sometime?’ I said, ‘what do you mean?’ He said, ‘grab a bit to eat, hang out, like friends.’ I’m like, that’s weird, I don’t even know you, man.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s one thing about you that most people might not know but that you think they should?

Sylvia: I’m a huge outdoorsman. A big, big hunter. If I’m not training and fighting I’m in the woods. I’ve got some farmland and I love being in the outdoors. I go to Canada to hunt black bear every year and I go all over the U.S. to hunt all species of turkeys. I’m a huge, huge bow hunter.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you enjoy most about the sport?

Sylvia: Just the level of competition. I used to play semi-pro football. If you lost the football game it was like, 'I lost but I could still kick your ass,' but [MMA] is the pinnacle. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, you know who the best guy is. It’s kind of a male thing, we want to prove our masculinity and see who the toughest guy is, and we really find out in this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Do you ever have guys who try to prove their toughness by starting things with you?

Sylvia: I get guys running their mouths, hoping I’ll smack them and they can sue me and get paid. But, the majority of public knows I’m 6-8 and 250 pounds, and they know if they mess with me they will get their butt beat, but I do get guys trying to make a little bit of money.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What excites you the most about the sport’s growth?

Sylvia: Um, just being mainstream. And big sponsors are going to start coming in and then bigger sponsors and maybe the sport will be in the Olympics. It would be a huge accomplishment and I’d like to think I was a big part of it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: With the Olympics, is that something you hope can happen during your career?

Sylvia: That would be a lifelong dream but it’s not gonna happen while I’m still fighting. I would kill to be in the Olympics. That would be amazing. I think it’s still 10 to 20 years from the Olympics but I think it will be eventually and I will sit back, hopefully in the Hall of Fame then, and I can say I dug the trenches for this sport.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What’s the biggest misconception most casual sports fans have about MMA?

Sylvia: The biggest thing is they think it’s barbaric or they think it's fake. We need more mainstream coverage, bigger shows, bigger events. The UFC eventually getting on prime time, showcasing the superstars they have and not using Internet idiots to produce the sport and publicize it.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Speaking of Internet idiots, what do you think about Kimbo Slice?

Sylvia: I commend him for becoming somebody and making a living for himself. I’m not mad at Kimbo for making a living -- he’s a self-made man. They put his fights on You Tube and then they said, I wanna pay you $300,000 to fight on prime time TV. You can’t get mad at him for that. You gotta get mad at the people putting fights on TV. There are better guys to showcase, guys who have busted ass, who have fought for 200 bucks and had to get stitches and have paved the way for other fighters. A guy like Kimbo can walk in and be on prime time to fight a bum -- it’s not fair to the true mixed martial artists.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What do you think about Brock Lesnar?

Sylvia: I think once again, he’s a guy who it’s not fair to come in and be the co-main event. To have one fight and get half a million, it’s not fair to guys like me and guys like [Antonio Rogerio] Nogueira. I know why they try to do this -- to get more fans -- but there are guys out there who have been loyal to the sport and when stuff like this happens it’s like a slap in the face.

MMA Stomping Grounds: What did you think about the decision in the Forrest Griffin-Quinton Jackson fight? Did you think Griffin won?

Sylvia: No, I didn’t. I love Forrest, he’s a great guy and they are both good friends of mine, but that’s why I was talking about judges. I really believe Forrest won round two and I believe he won five, and Quinton dominated the first round -- maybe a 10-8 round -- and won rounds three and four 10-9, but judges just weren’t educated enough in MMA.

MMA Stomping Grounds: Looking back on your career, do you have any regrets, would you change anything?

Sylvia: Um, no. I’m pretty happy with the way my career has gone and the way I’ve been portrayed and I’m looking forward to the future and my legacy and this next big fight.

MMA Stomping Grounds: When you talk about legacy, do you have a plan in mind for the rest of your career or are you just going to keep fighting until you’re not on top of your game anymore?

Sylvia: Yeah, I’m thinking three, four, five more years. As long as I stay healthy and I’m at the top. If I lose three, four or five fights in a row, I’m going to be done.
Mixed martial arts blog by Mark Chalifoux for baltimoresun.com