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).

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.”

“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.”

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.

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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

31 MINUTE WHY RAMPAGE WENT NUTS!!! IT's A GOTTA SEE THING !!!!

WATCH THE INSANE ONE SPEAK!!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.