Edgar: Jiu-Jitsu Will Help Against Maynard

Frankie Edgar | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Frankie Edgar believes the biggest difference between the fighter he is now and the one he was when Gray Maynard beat him is his team.

Maynard won a unanimous decision over Edgar in April 2008. When the two rematch Saturday at UFC 125, Edgar will have the help of an almost entirely different camp that includes muay Thai trainer Phil Nurse and Renzo Gracie black belts John Danaher and Ricardo Almeida.

The UFC lightweight champion thinks his jiu-jitsu training in particular could counter Maynard’s wrestling.

“When he took me down the first fight, the first couple of rounds I was able to get up. The third round, he did a good job of holding me down,” Edgar said recently during an interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “I didn’t really have the jiu-jitsu that I have today. … Now I have jiu-jitsu techniques that I think will aid me in getting back to my feet.”

In fact, Edgar said he has the ability to land a submission from his back. “I do believe my jiu-jitsu has come a long ways,” he said. “I just haven’t really had a chance to showcase it as much.”

While Maynard’s wrestling ability was pivotal in the first encounter, his size advantage also appeared to play a role. Edgar doesn’t write off his loss to being smaller, though.

“I think it definitely played a part, but I don’t think that was the main reason I lost,” Edgar said. “I don’t think I lost because I was the smaller fighter. I think he just fought a better fight that night, and his game plan worked better than mine. But I was actually a little bit smaller that night than I am now. I packed on some weight since that fight, but he’s still going to be bigger. He’s still going to have the size advantage.”

Edgar expects to weigh around 162-163 come fight time. He figures Maynard will be 175 or as high as 180. The discrepancy has advantages and disadvantages, Edgar said.

“I’m going to be eating Christmas morning, I’ll tell you that for sure,” Edgar explained. “I’m not going to be sucking so much weight the week before, but I’m also going to be giving up some substantial size in the fight.”

Although he will be the smaller fighter again, Edgar won’t be the same opponent Maynard outpointed the first time. Since that meeting, Edgar has gone 5-0, including two upset wins over B.J. Penn.

“I just think my confidence level skyrocketed after that first B.J. fight,” Edgar said. “A win over B.J., who was at the time the best lightweight in the world, was great for me, was great for my confidence, was great for just believing in myself. I think it showed second fight.”

Both Penn fights were tough 25-minute wins. Maynard has never gone past 15.

“I’m sure Gray’s preparing for the [five five-minute rounds], but there’s nothing like having the experience doing it like I have my last two fights,” Edgar said. “I’m hoping to take him in deep water and hoping I can wear him out. In four and five rounds, I’m expecting to hopefully take control.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:33:53) with Edgar, who also discussed Maynard’s strengths.

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Le Banner-Ishii, Kharitonov-Mizuno Official for ‘Dynamite’

Two bouts were added to “Dynamite: The Power of Courage 2010” on Wednesday, as K-1 mainstay Jerome Le Banner will meet Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii, and former Pride star Sergei Kharitonov will square off against Dream light heavyweight grand prix finalist Tatsuya Mizuno.

The matchups were made official at a press conference in Tokyo, where K-1 and Dream parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group also confirmed the participation of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. Also announced was an “IGF special rules” match between Bob Sapp and former sumo Shinichi Suzukawa, which will be produced by Japanese pro-wrestling icon Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation. “Dynamite” will go down on New Year's Eve at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

On Tuesday, FEG added a welterweight MMA attraction between Nigerian kickboxer Andy Ologun and debuting former pro-baseball player Katsuaki Furuki.

Le Banner has not fought under MMA rules since 2006, when he defeated Jimmy Ambriz at K-1 Hero's 4 in Tokyo. His most recent trip inside the kickboxing ring resulted in defeat, as he forfeited his fight against Kyotaro Fujimoto in October after failing to answer the bell for a fourth round at the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 in Seoul.

After winning judo gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Ishii made an unsuccessful MMA debut at last year’s “Dynamite,” losing a unanimous decision to fellow gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida. Since then, Ishii has gone undefeated, submitting two of his last three opponents. Most recently, he submitted Katsuyori Shibata with a first-round kimura at the K-1 World Max 2010 Final on Nov. 8.

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Tweets of the Week - 12/24

Naughty & Nice
IF I get coal in my stocking again this Christmas... I'm gonna be so pissed  -Michael Guymon

Best thing I learned this christmas..order online!! ;)  -Arianny Celeste

Happy Holidays 2 All 4 a prosperous, healthy n fun filled New Year - "IT'S TIME!" To Jump into 2011! http://yfrog.com/gz47732708j  -Bruce Buffer 

125 Countdown
Where there is a will, there is a way - and the NYBA way is a right cross 2 da JAW!  -Phil Baroni

Politwits
I had a couple that unfollowed me and I was their only follower. I must have really annoyed them.  -Shane Carwin

Twitter should have a separate list besides "followers" titled "haters"  -Sean McCorkle

Nice Shirt, Mr. Barry.
WHATCHOUTNAH!!! http://moby.to/kmi4bi -Pat Barry

Taking Over
Re-watch! http://bit.ly/eYIAWq RT @JoeB135 Jus over heard some folks talkin bout "The Kick" in new mexico! Its everywhere! As it should be  -UFC

Normally I dont like it when strangers walk up and ask me why I have a black eye. This time, though, I dont mind at all.   -Daniel Downes

Was n the mall some kid and his mom said u look like Anthony Johnson-they were from Germany. Damn UFC is all over -Anthony "Rumble" Johnson

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WEC 53 Prelims: Roller Choke Submits Ex-Champion Varner

Jamie Varner file photo | Sherdog.com

Former lightweight champion Jamie Varner continued his slide, as the Arizona Combat Sports product was choked out by Shane Roller in the first round of their lightweight tilt at WEC 53 “Henderson vs. Pettis” on Thursday at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

After the two men exchanged jabs to start the fight, Varner threw a high kick and a left hook to his foe’s head. While kick was defended, the punch was not, and Roller’s knees buckled. Still aware of his surroundings, Roller shot a takedown. The Oklahoman took Varner’s back during a scramble, but the one-time titleholder defended well and stood.

However, in a maneuver that ultimately became his undoing, Varner tried to slam Roller. This only allowed the Team Takedown representative to cinch the rear-naked choke, forcing Varner to tap out at 3:55 of the first round. Varner is 0-3-1 in his last four fights.

Roufusport product Daniel Downes spoiled the sophomore effort of Chinese import Tie Quan Zhang, earning a unanimous decision in a lightweight dark match.

In the first round, “The Mongolian Wolf” took the bout to the floor, passing to side control and locking up a straight armbar with his legs. Though Downes yelped in pain, he maneuvered away from the pressure and survived the submission attempt. Zhang then took the American’s back during a scramble and nearly locked up a rear-naked choke. The game Downes again escaped, rolling into his foe’s guard before standing. From there, it was Downes who scored a takedown, but he was again nearly submitted by a Zhang arm bar as the round ended.

Downes fired back in the second round, passing Zhang’s guard and securing back control. Downes locked up a body triangle and attempted a rear-naked choke of his own. Though the Chinese fighter recovered guard, he appeared exhausted, eating an elbow to end the frame. Round three also belonged to Downes, as “Danny Boy” again secured Zhang’s back and looked for the submission.

All three judges scored the bout for Downes, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, as he handed Zhang his first professional defeat.

Pickett took a close decision win.In an early favorite for “Fight of the Night,” American Top Team’s Brad Pickett took a hard-fought unanimous decision over veteran Ivan Menjivar. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Pickett, who has posted 10 wins in 11 appearances.

In the first round, Pickett took the fight to the floor after a Menjivar right cross hit nothing but air. However, the experienced Canadian found a way back to his feet. After trading on the feet, the Brit cut Menjivar before scoring another takedown to end the frame. Round two began with an errant kick to the Menjivar’s groin. After recovering from the shot, the Tristar Gym product fired back standing, as he landed a flurry of punches that put the Englishman on the run. Pickett survived, though, shooting another takedown and attempting to take Menjivar’s back.

The third period brought more action standing but little resolution. As the decision was announced in Pickett’s favor, the crowd was ambivalent toward the ruling.

A grim scene unfolded on the undercard, as former bantamweight king Eddie Wineland knocked out Ken Stone with a violent slam at 2:11 of the first round.

After Stone landed two nice inside leg kicks followed by a spinning back fist, the one-time champion instigated a clinch. Stone pulled guard, looking for a guillotine. It was not to be, however, as Wineland walked his foe to the fence and placed his hands on Stone’s chest. In one swift motion, Wineland slammed Stone to the mat, rendering him unconscious. After several tense minutes, Stone, now awake, was wheeled out on a stretcher.

Team Alpha Male representative Danny Castillo ended Will Kerr’s night early, knocking his fellow lightweight unconscious less than 90 seconds into their bout.

Kerr tried to open the match with a bang, missing with a flying knee. Castillo then scored a takedown but left his neck exposed. Kerr seized the opportunity, trying to apply a guillotine choke. “Last Call” fought off the choke, but Kerr then transitioned to an armbar attempt followed by a try at a leg lock.

Battling to his feet to fight off the hold, Castillo proceeded to drop three heavy rights on his opponent. Kerr lost his bid for a submission and his consciousness at 1:25 of the first frame.

In a preliminary lightweight duel, Yuri Alcantara scored a vicious knockout victory over Ricardo Lamas 3:26 into round one.

Both men worked from their feet from the start, with Lamas pressing the fight into the clinch. Alcantara stalked forward for the duration of the bout and finally found his payoff, landing a huge overhand left to his opponent’s jaw. The Brazilian followed up with several unneeded shots on the ground, as his adversary was already unconscious. In fact, Alcantara actually walked away from his fallen foe before referee Ron Nation stepped in to stop the contest.

The 30-year-old Alcantara has rattled off 11 straight wins, 10 of them finishes.

In the show’s opening bout, Renan do Nascimento Mota Pegado submitted Chris Cariaso with a rear-naked choke at 3:37 of the first round.

After some early back-and-forth stand-up action, Cariaso slipped while throwing a body kick and “Barao” followed him to the mat. The Nova União product worked from Cariaso’s guard, passing to side control before taking the American’s back during a scramble. From there, it was elementary, as the Brazilian cinched the choke and forced the tapout.

Barao has won 15 consecutive bouts since his December 2007 encounter with Claudemir Souza ended in a no contest.

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Joe Charles: Where is He Now?

For a Los Angeles kid raised as the sparring partner for a martial arts-dabbling uncle, Joe Charles got plenty of experience fighting before MMA catapulted him onto the big stage. And he learned early on that the only person that can tell you “no” is yourself.

“When he came home, any time he learned a new kick he’d demo it on us,” says Charles, a veteran of UFC 4, UFC 5 and Ultimate Japan. “I loved the fight game. I was into judo, jiu-jitsu, sambo and wrestling, and I wanted to experience them all before MMA came out. We’d spar, and he’d throw kicks and punches. I kept on getting to the point to where I wanted to learn more. I’d try and practice myself. I got my butt beat in the beginning.”

A talented high school wrestler and judo competitor, Charles was prepping to try out for the 1984 Olympics, slated to be held in Los Angeles, to boot.

“I was at work and was run over by a forklift in 1982. It broke my right femur in half. They told me I’d never fight again,” he says. “I was just trying to walk. I didn’t want to believe that. So from that day on I was working out in the hospital every day. I was doing 1,000 situps a day. I was doing anything and everything I could to keep my confidence up. In fact, one of my doctors told me to do three steps today and do four tomorrow in the sand dunes. I was running on the beach. Every day I’d take another step. It took me until 1986 until I was able to fight. I wasn’t strong enough. When I threw a kick I’d fall straight to the ground. That’s why my ground fighting got better.”

For Charles, the thrill of competition was always enough to get him motivated, seeking the kind of rush that stays with him to this day. And with a crowd watching the stakes go down, it made even a birthday celebration all the more reason to entertain while competing.

“I was one of those crazy guys. Instead of a birthday party, I’d throw a grappling bash,” says Charles, 51. “My biggest one was when I turned 42. It was right after 9/11, in Manhattan Beach. The number of years you were, that’s how many people you had to grapple with. If you were a newcomer, you’d fight for 30 seconds, but if you had been experienced, you got to fight a couple minutes. Michael Buffer came and refereed our matches. We put on a show. I did it two years in a row, and then, the next year, a buddy caught me in an ankle lock in the last two seconds of our match. I kept going, but after that, I realized it was time to be an old man.”

Like many of its earliest competitors, Charles felt the immediacy of MMA and the void it filled for martial artists like himself. They had spent years competing in disparate disciplines, with strategically limited rules, and now the opportunity presented itself in the original “style versus style” billing that defined the earliest days of stateside MMA.

However, he struggled with the scant purses and money available to turn it into a full-time vocation. By the mid-1990s, opposed by a consortium of state commissions, politicians and other opponents, MMA’s explosion on the public consciousness was petering out due to fewer and fewer places to hold events, dwindling pay per view sales and availability on carrier networks.

“I thought it had the opportunity to grow, but they got that controversy [with it]. Everybody was fighting about who’s gonna take over,” Charles says. “I was, like, ‘I need to make a decision. I’m not able to make money and support my family.’ I always felt it had the opportunity to grow. I felt it would be bigger than boxing.”

Charles competed in four of the early UFC events: UFC 4, UFC 5, Ultimate Ultimate 95 and UFC Japan. As an alternate at UFC 4, Charles dispatched Kevin Rosier in 14 seconds via armbar.

“It was a serious rush. Just knowing I had to walk into the ring, I felt like I was untouchable. I wanted to find out what my true skills were, where I can go out and take care of business,” Charles says. “I always felt like I wanted to fight every gangster that was bad in the street. I felt like I was superhero. I was, like, ‘I’m living that dream. I’m untouchable.’ When me and Kevin stepped into the ring, I was like in a whole ’nother world. I let everything go and just had a good time. He hit me [with] a couple punches. I hit him on the chin and then went for an armbar. He tapped out.

“Going into my first match, I always felt like I was a tough guy and had skills. I didn’t realize after winning that match, I was probably the cockiest person in the town,” he adds. “I was like, ‘Well, UFC, these guys ain’t nothin’. I got too cocky, and I’m sitting in the audience with women [at UFC 5], and it’s five minutes till my next fight. I should’ve been humble and all that, paid attention to being in the fight world, instead of paying attention to the fact that people looked pretty.”

Returning to UFC 5, he was submitted by Dan Severn in 99 seconds.

“To me, Dan wasn’t that powerful. I felt like I was having a great time with him, until I made a mistake,” Charles says. “We joked about it after the fight. He put his leg over my head; anything there, I was hitting it. His groin was there, so I did. He told me after the fight I made him piss blood. He just got to the back, got a good back choke on me and just held it. I made my mistake by climbing up the fence. You could grab it back then. It was a perfect move on his part.”

Charles defeated Scott Bessac via arm lock at Ultimate Ultimate 95 and lost to Vitor Belfort by armbar in 1996’s Ultimate Japan. He also fought sporadically from his 1994 debut through 2000, compiling a record of 6-13.

The buzz was what hooked him. It came from stepping into the fight arena, knowing that all eyes were on him and that the ensuing combat to take place was entirely of his own making. It was not an easy addiction to ignore, and he indulged it whenever he could.

It was a serious
rush. Just knowing I
had to walk into the
ring, I felt like
I was untouchable. “I told myself at one point that ‘I really have got to get serious about this. I can’t be training back and forth and then hanging out with people,’” he says. “I loved the fight game. People would call me at the last minute, and, with the opportunities to travel, you felt that was your world in the first place. That’s what I lived for. Whether they cheered you on or booed you down, it was a serious rush.”

He takes the same approach in training people today as a fitness guru turned businessman. For the past decade, Charles has run a fitness program called “GI Joe Boot Camp.” Advertised on his Web site, www.mbbootcamp.com, he is a personal fitness coach and motivator. Pushing yourself physically is a gateway toward obtaining that rush he felt during his fighting days.

“You’re in a whole different world. I try and take people to that same world. A lot of people never got that chance to experience getting past the dark side. You got injuries and bruises and you feel like your life is about ready to go,” Charles says. “Then you get to that other side.”

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Poirer: ‘History Will Remember Me’

Dustin Poirier knows that plenty of people aren't giving him a chance heading into his fight with Josh Grispi at UFC 125, but don’t count “The Diamond” among the doubters.

“I’m more ready for this fight than I have been for any other fight in my life. Naturally I'm a little nervous, but I’m more anxious then anything,” Poirier told Sherdog.com “I know a lot of people are counting me out, but that's because they don't know who I am. I’m mentally strong, and the key for me is that I know who I am.”

Poirier will meet Grispi in a featherweight duel on New Year's Day at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Grispi was initially supposed to face 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo in his first defense of his newly-christened UFC title, but after Aldo was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury, Poirier received the call to fight the division's No. 1 contender in the Brazilian’s place.

“I actually got the call two weeks after I had just fought at WEC 52. I'm a gym rat, so of course I was training when I got the call from my manager,” said Poirier. “He asked me if I wanted the fight, and I [thought] it was a great opportunity for me to make a name for myself in the featherweight division.”

With only nine pro fights to his credit, some might think the 21-year-old naïve for accepting a fight with the division's No. 1 contender, especially since he's never before fought at featherweight. Poirier, however, has a different view of the situation.

“I personally think I was chosen for one of two reasons, Either they really thought I was up to the challenge or they think it's going to be a tune up fight for Grispi, which is a horrible idea in my opinion,” said Poirier. “I'm a gamer, and I definitely won't be an easy fight for anyone. I'm one punch or one submission away from beating anyone in the division, and will prove myself on Jan. 1.”

Poirier won his bout at WEC 52, smashing a game but overmatched Zachary Micklewright in just 53 seconds. Although the Gladiators Training Academy standout landed several hard combinations, a wobbly Micklewright refused to relent until the bitter end.

“He's very tough. I landed some clean shots on his chin, but he stayed on his feet,” said Poirier. “I think I had him hurt from the opening bell, but he was hard to finish.”

In Grispi, Poirier faces a huge featherweight with a penchant for finishing fights via submission. Though “The Fluke” is only 22-years-old, he's been fighting since 2006 -- far longer than Poirier. Additionally, Grispi is undefeated in four WEC appearances, besting Mark Hominick, Micah Miller, Jens Pulver and most recently L.C. Davis. Nevertheless, Poirier remains unfazed by Grispi's resume and abilities.

“Him being a bigger 145 doesn't bother me. I've been fighting gangsters in the [lightweight] division for a couple of years now. I think my fighting style matches up well against his. He's a finisher, and so am I,” said Poirier. “I think my stand up is better than his, and my ground game is as well. Obviously, I have to watch out for his guillotine, but I'm not the kind of fighter that puts his neck on the line trying to get the double-leg. When we hit the ground, it's going to be because I sit his ass down.”

The 21-year-old has only competed as a pro for 18 months. Poirier has gone from relative obscurity to fighting in the biggest show on earth seemingly overnight. Though the call up to the UFC has come sooner than expected, the rapid promotion was not shocking, says the fighter. According to Poirier, his sweat and dedication have earned him his shot at the big time.

“I'm a hard worker, and I knew it would happen, but not this soon. I believe that everything happens for a reason. These kind of opportunities don't come to people waiting on them; they come to people doing the right things, not only in the gym but [in] the way [they] live. This isn't by chance. This is my destiny, and history will remember me.”

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Fistic Medicine: Reader Questions, Feedback

My thanks for your e-mails and questions, as they have made this column more fun and satisfying than I had hoped or expected it could be.

Flexion bridge maneuvers and flexion curls. Any exercise that involves bending the neck forward against resistance. Heavy weights should not be used. This is a good, simple Web site: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/NeckWt.html.

In terms of basic science, there has been no watershed development, but evidence of the dangers of CTE is mounting. The autopsy results of NFL player Chris Henry are concerning: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy present in a 28-year-old wide receiver. UFC heavyweight and former NFL lineman Matt Mitrione says, “I guarantee you I have brain damage.” He would know. An Ivy League footballer commits suicide and shows extensive brain damage at autopsy. Eventually, the evidence will be impossible to ignore.

No one knows but presumably much lower than a professional fighter. Risk of CTE is a function by the number and severity of brain injuries. We assume the timing of repetitive injuries, the parts of the brain affected and an athlete’s genetics play a big role, as well, but no one knows how to quantify these risks for a population or individual. I wouldn’t give up a sport I loved, but I would keep my eyes open. And my chin down.

An October 2009 article in “Dental Traumatology” suggests so. It was a small study, but it came out of a well-reputed university. I’m not entirely sure the proposed mechanism is legitimate, but that is the beauty of science: hypotheses can be supported or debunked in time.

I do. The articles on Staph Aureus, Women’s MMA, Mouthguards and Cauliflower Ear were prompted by readers’ questions. A few others were “prompted” by my editor.

Either because I haven’t gotten to it yet, or, just as likely, because I’m wholly ignorant. I make a point of basing my articles on published research and established science. If I can’t find research to answer a question, I’m hesitant to add just another opinion to the blogosphere.

I have some thoughts on the matter, and there’s a tremendous amount of information about liver injuries in the medical literature. However, to date, I haven’t found articles that address liver trauma from hand-to-hand combat trauma, pain associated with liver trauma or how a liver blow debilitates an opponent so effectively. When I find it, I’ll publish it. In the meantime, I think you’ll appreciate this:

You may be right, possibly on all counts, but I doubt you have the evidence to prove it. The German sport system compiled detailed data on every aspect of athletes’ performance but virtually none regarding their health. We know there are risks to steroid use, but we don’t know -- quantitatively -- what those risks are. If we know there are rocks beneath the surface of the lake, how much more do we need to know before choosing to jump in? A lot of the people jumping are kids.

Stepping into a closed cage with a man willing and able to badly hurt you should evoke a robust sympathetic response. More difficult is controlling it: mental discipline, yoga, visualization, training and experience.

There are canaboid receptors in the brain. During times of stress, the brain releases chemicals that stimulate a sense of calm and well-being, which is vital for an animal whose intelligence is arguably its best hope for survival. Marijuana -- specifically delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol -- exogenously stimulates these same receptors.

Can they fight professional MMA? Yes, clearly. Can they do so safely? This is not a safe sport for anyone who participates in it. As long as promoters match fighters of roughly equal ability, my read of the literature does not suggest women are in greater danger. Can they fight at an “acceptable” level? De gustibus non est disputandum.

As far as you’re concerned, don’t shave immediately before training; shower immediately after; don’t share personal equipment; wear a rash guard; avoid opponents with visible red patches of skin or large red pimples; and avoid opponents with long nails and coarse 5 o’clock shadow that will open microscopic skin wounds. As far as your gym is concerned, clean the mats and gear religiously, and promote a culture of caution that encourages self-policing.

Forrest Griffin is adamant that there is a difference between fighters (like him) and mixed martial artists (like a whole lot of us). Hess is a fighter.

I’m not their doctor. I’m not their friend or family member. I have an opinion, but it’s a fundamentally ignorant opinion -- it doesn’t belong in print.

So do a whole lot of commenters on the Sherdog.com Facebook page. This seems like a great opportunity for Sherdog to set up a dating Web site. Contact Jordan Breen if interested.

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Hornbuckle Out; Okuno to Meet Chonan at ‘Soul of Fight’

Ryo Chonan (left): Daniel Herbertson | Sherdog.com

Less than a week before the event, Dan Hornbuckle has been forced to withdraw from his Dec. 30 bout with Ryo Chonan at Sengoku Raiden Championship’s “Soul of Fight.”

Chonan broke word of the shake-up on Dec. 25 via Twitter. Monday, SRC parent company World Victory Road confirmed that Hornbuckle will not fight due to influenza, and will be replaced by Sengoku welterweight grand prix semi-finalist Taisuke Okuno.

Chonan has emerged victorious in three of his last four bouts. After returning to Japan following an unsuccessful stint in the UFC, the 34-year-old “Piranha” defeated Jutaro Nakao and Andrews Nakahara under the Deep and Dream banners, respectively.

Chonan was knocked out by little-known South Korean Jung Hwan Cha in April, and sought to avenge that loss in October, in the Deep ring However, Cha withdrew from the rematch, and Chonan instead defeated Jun Hee Moon via third-round stoppage.

After spending five years in the Shooto ranks, Okuno made a name for himself in 2010. After dispatching former Deep welterweight champ Hidehiko Hasegawa in February, Okuno entered Sengoku’s welterweight grand prix, where he pulled off an upset against well-traveled veteran Nick Thompson via brutal knockout. However, Okuno was eliminated in his next fight, a unanimous decision loss to tournament favorite Yasubey Enomoto.

The 28-bout “Soul of Fight” takes place at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. The all-day card is populated not only by mixed martial arts, but also kickboxing and grappling contests.

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9 Fights Signed for UFC 127

Carlos Condit | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Carlos Condit will lock horns with a resurgent Chris Lytle in a featured matchup at UFC 127 “Penn vs. Fitch” on Feb. 27 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Nine fights are now official for the event.

Condit has delivered 11 wins in his past 12 appearances. Based at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, the 26-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., native last fought at UFC 120 in October, when he knocked out the world-ranked Dan Hardy at the O2 Arena in London. A potent finisher, Condit has secured 25 of his 26 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Wins over former Icon Sport champion Frank Trigg, Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Jake Ellenberger and Canadian prospect Rory MacDonald anchor his resume.

Spawned by the Integrated Fighting Academy, Lytle will carry a four-fight winning streak into the bout. The 36-year-old Indianapolis native has not competed since he earned a unanimous decision against former welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 119 in September. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with professional boxing experience, he has scored more than half (21) of his 30 career wins by submission. Lytle has earned “Fight of the Night” honors four times.

Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 semi-finalist Nick Ring will make his UFC debut against former Deep middleweight champion Riki Fukuda.

Unbeaten in 10 professional appearances, Ring has not competed since October 2009, when he submitted Yannick Galipeau with a first-round armbar under the Aggression MMA banner. A favorite to win Season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” he reached the semi-finals before a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the competition. Ring has undergone three reconstructive knee surgeries in his career.

Fukuda will enter his Octagon debut on the strength of a seven-fight winning streak. The 29-year-old last appeared in August, when he stopped Ryuta Sakurai on second-round knees at Deep 49 Impact. A Dream, EliteXC and Pancrase veteran, Fukuda holds notable victories over UFC castaway Brandon Wolff, former EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo Rua and Pride Fighting Championships alum Hiromitsu Kanehara. In 21 professional bouts, he has been finished only once.

A welterweight matchup pitting former two-division champion B.J. Penn against American Kickboxing Academy ace Jon Fitch will headline UFC 127, along with a middleweight duel pairing “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping with Jorge Rivera.

B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
George Sotiropoulos vs. Dennis Siver
Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle
Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi
Alexander Gustafsson vs. James Te Huna
Nick Ring vs. Riki Fukuda
Curt Warburton vs. Maciej Jewtuszko
Anthony Perosh vs. Tom Blackledge
* Ross Pearson vs. Spencer Fisher

* Not Official

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Dustin Poirier - The Great Migration

"I know it’s a huge stage to fight on but I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.  Now that I’m here I’m just going to make the most of it." In 1893, Oklahoma opened up two million acres of land for the first ever Land Rush where you literally ran towards open land and could claim up to 160 acres per family.  This was a dramatic and fresh way to open up the territory to people seeking a new home and a bigger opportunity to grow both personally and business-wise.  Due to the Homestead Act of 1862, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, settlers that lived on the land and improved it would eventually receive the title to the land.

Now comes the part where you ask, what does the history of U.S. frontiersmen have to do with mixed martial arts?  The answer now is simply everything, if you look at the world’s biggest stage, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, through the eyes of those who formerly resided in its little brother promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting.  Like that great land rush at the turn of the century, MMA has been blessed with a similar opportunity with the great migration of lighter weight fighters into the UFC.  Fighters both already within the Zuffa system via the WEC and those outside of it longing for their opportunity to shine now have that chance as the UFC folded the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions into its ranks.

Former WEC fighters like Dustin Poirier are elated at the chance to be associated in whole now with the UFC and claim whatever land they may during this new land rush of 2010.

“It just came together perfectly,” said Poirier. “I’m not going to say there’s any added pressure; I know it’s a huge stage to fight on but I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.  Now that I’m here I’m just going to make the most of it; man, I’m just so excited to be there.  This is where every mixed martial arts fighter wants to be, on the main stage, the biggest MMA stage.”

Before the merge, Dustin Poirier’s last fight was at WEC 52 against Zach Micklewright.  The fight was fast, ending in 55 seconds of the first round, and it cemented Poirier’s right to stay and fight under the Zuffa banner yet again.  

“I was a little bit sloppy and my technique wasn’t all there; I just kind of got caught up in the moment.  It was such a huge fight for me I just knew I had to win it by any means so I just went out there and just put it on the line, tucked my chin and started brawling.  I’m definitely more of a technical fighter than that; I just didn’t get a chance to show it that fight.”

Poirier’s previous showing, his first in the Zuffa system at WEC 50, yielded his first professional loss against Danny Castillo.  The fight was an exclamation point on an idea Poirier had toyed with before - to move down in weight from lightweight to featherweight and really dominate.  With the great migration and a chance to stake claim in the now budding UFC Featherweight division, Poirier wasted no time and made his move.

“I knew I was going to go to 145 pounds eventually,” he said. “I was kind of a smaller 155 pounder and at my first WEC fight I was kind of getting out powered by Danny Castillo.  He’s such a good wrestler and a strong guy that it started to make me think that I need to lean towards that 145 pound division because I just think that’s where I’ll be able to compete to the best of my ability.  I don’t think the cut’s going to be too hard; it’s not going to be too big of a weight cut.  I think I was a competitor at 155 pounds, a good competitor, and I think I could be a champion at 145 pounds, so this is definitely my new weight class and I’m excited to show what I can bring to the cage on January 1st.”

The UFC brass also believes that Poirier can handle himself well at featherweight and his next opponent is a testament to such expectations, as he’ll be facing Josh Grispi.  Currently riding a 10-fight win streak, Grispi has dominated by winning nine of those last 10 fights in the first round.  

“I think he’s very athletic, has great timing, he moves well and he seems like he’s very strong,” said Poirier of his foe. “I’ve haven’t really got to see his ground game though. I’ve seen him slap submissions on people and finish it there, but I haven’t really had the chance to see him in transitions.  I haven’t seen him take any damage. He’s real good at moving and circling; he doesn’t get hit a lot and his fights are quick.  I think I’m going to be the one to hit him and hurt him and put him in some bad spots and see how he does down there and see if he can dig himself out of a hole.  I plan on hurting him and just bringing the fight to him.”

Poirier, however, doesn’t see Grispi as a major challenge, and his strategy is based on the little he’s seen since Grispi has entered the Octagon.

“I think his stand-up’s a weakness; like I said I haven’t got to see any transitions too much on the ground so I’m not too sure, but it looks like he’s not too great of a wrestler, he shoots from far out.  His stand-up, he has great timing, he’s long and powerful, but it seems like he has a couple of holes in there. He drops his hands a lot when he throws his kicks, he slaps his punches, he keeps his chin up in the air.  He probably gets away with a lot of that for being so tall at 145 pounds, but beside the (Mark) Hominick fight I haven’t really seen too many guys really walk forward and try to touch him and I’m going to be the guy to do that.”

As the Great MMA Migration of 2010 continues on January 1st, Dustin Poirier seeks to stake his claim and thrive in the UFC featherweight division.  He can only hope, true to President Lincoln’s words to the Land Rush claimants, that he can improve the division and receive his title like the early settlers did in Oklahoma.

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‘Drago’ Vows to Unleash Ground Game Upon Return

Pete Sell: Jeff Sherwood | Sherdog.com

When Pete Sell debuted in the UFC nearly six years ago, he brought with him a 5-0 record and an accomplished ground game.

After shocking Phil Baroni with a guillotine choke at UFC 51, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4 alum dropped five of his next six bouts within the promotion, prompting his release after a technical knockout loss to Matt Brown at UFC 96 in March 2009.

Many vexed observers wonder why Sell has not utilized his formidable jiu-jitsu chops more often. The New York native took three of his first six wins via submission but has not earned a victory by tapout since his upset against Baroni. Sell plans to implement those skills upon his return to the cage.

“I haven’t shown enough of my ground game, which I should do more,” he told Sherdog.com. “I just got a little crazy with getting into the standing up. I took a liking to it, so I started banging people out. Now, I’m definitely looking to use all my attributes. I’m gonna be smarter about my game.”

Sell, a Serra Jiu-Jitsu black belt, attributes his struggles to the price that comes with getting an education in the Octagon.

“A lot of my learning I did at big shows,” he said. “I was 5-0 coming up versus a bunch of different guys, but I got a lot of my experience in the big show. I learned in front of millions of people.”

Included in that stretch were losses to Nate Quarry (twice), Scott Smith and Thales Leites. Sell believes the difference between winning and losing in some of those bouts were minute. His encounter with Smith featured one of the most improbable comebacks in UFC history, as Smith recovered from a brutal body blow to score a one-punch knockout at “The Ultimate Fighter 4” Finale.

“I definitely had some close fights, even with Thales,” he said. “I had Thales in the third round in such a tight guillotine. When he rolled over, his back hit the cage and my arm was stuck under there. It was so close -- inches, you know. With the Nate fight and the Scott fight, I’m banging with the guy the whole time. I’m not trying to play it safe or [not] go for the kill. That’s why I got myself in danger.”

Sell has only recently begun training at full strength after tearing his groin in May. That, coupled with some personal issues, has kept him out of action longer than anticipated.

“I just had a lot of stuff going on,” he said. “I was actually looking to get a fight this past May or June. Then I had that stuff going on in my personal life, and a little bit after that, that’s when I tore my groin. I was feeling like a mess.”

Sell, 28, plans on testing the groin in the gym before making any serious plans about the next move in his MMA career.

“What I want to do is train hard for about a month and see if it holds up, because I don’t want to book something, [and] then all of a sudden I have to pull out because of my groin again,” he said. “I hate doing that -- booking fights and pulling out.”

Like most anyone who has previously been associated with MMA’s most recognizable brand, Sell’s ultimate goal is to return to the UFC. If that day comes, it will be at welterweight instead of middleweight.

“I think I’m gonna be better at 170. The guys that have the reach on me at 185, they’re also humongous, too,” Sell said. “I think it’s the smartest thing to do the 170 thing. I feel like I hit hard for that weight.”

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No Christmas for ‘Feijao’

Rafael Cavalcante: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

Of all those who watched Strikeforce “Henderson vs. Babalu II,” perhaps none was more interested in the main event than Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

The Strikeforce light heavyweight champion knew well in advance of Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral’s showdown -- which ended with a decisive-first round knockout from Henderson -- that the winner was likely to receive a shot at his belt in the coming year.

With his first title defense now lined up, Cavalcante discussed with Sherdog.com his thoughts on Henderson, his cornering of training partners Anderson Silva and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and his plans for the holidays (or lack thereof).

Cavalcante: I expect a war. He’s a tough athlete and has great knowledge of the ring. Thank God we have three guys on our team who have fought with him and we’ll build a strategy. I’m training for this fight for five weeks and certainly will get there prepared. Again, I will defend Brazil and show once again that I am proud of being Brazilian.

Cavalcante: Yes, I will train until the date of the fight. By the end of February, God willing, I’ll be well-prepared. I want to be well-prepared for this fight. Let’s go to war, because this athlete is very tough.

Cavalcante: Christmas, New Year and Carnival are over for me.

Cavalcante: I think he’s a very experienced fighter and knows a lot in the ring. He is a complete athlete and very tough. He is a great wrestler and is showing great evolution in the standup. On the ground, he’s no fool. We have to get there well prepared and never underestimate our opponents. Surely, it will be a tough fight, like all my other fights have been. I want to show that if I’m fighting for the belt or not, I’ll always be thinking about my next fight. That’s my next goal, to defeat Dan Henderson.

Cavalcante: It would be very cool. Hopefully we fight at the same event, doing our preparation and training together. With this team of stars that we have -- me, Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ronaldo Souza, Andre Galvao, who is out of the country, but he is a part of our team and will come here to give me a hand. I will also have Fabio Maldonado, among others. We have a great team and, for sure, with this unity and strength, we will bring another victory.

Cavalcante: This year was very good. I reached another goal and was able to test myself several times. That’s not for anyone else, but for me. I can really see that what I’m doing is working, and I’m improving in some aspects. I corrected several errors and that was most important this year. We have to look back on everything that has happened and fix what went wrong to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I think I’ve been fixing up some things, but I still have a lot to fix. It’s very difficult to train everything together. When you begin to train more boxing, your wrestling worsens. You focus on your wrestling, and then your BJJ gets worse. You have to be constantly fixing. This is very difficult, but we’ll get it.

Cavalcante: I do all my training here at X-Gym in Brazil. We haven’t discussed the strategy yet, but I’ve already more or less formed it in my head. I’ll still sit down with all my training partners and coaches and see what they think. I don’t have anything specific, but I’ll definitely do specific training for him.

Cavalcante: I’ll be there with him and I think this fight will be a great. Vitor is a very dangerous and explosive athlete. It’s gonna be a great fight and I hope that Anderson continues as champion. We have had the opportunity to train together several times. But at the end of the day, it's Team Nogueira. We all wear the same jersey and it’s Team Nogueira’s jersey, and God willing, we're gonna come back only with victories.

Cavalcante: We are training together. We are always together for everything. Rogerio has evolved a lot since his last fight and everyone is talking about it. God willing, he will also get another victory. Tito Ortiz is a tough athlete and is one of the icons of the UFC.

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Gray Matters - Part One

Click below for the first installment of number one lightweight contender Gray Maynard's UFC 125 blog Not long now until my rematch in Las Vegas with Frankie Edgar. It’s been almost three years since I beat him but, on New Year’s Day, the UFC Lightweight World Title will be on the line at MGM Grand.

A lot of people have asked me if I feel like the uncrowned champion, because I beat Edgar and Edgar has to beat me to prove that he’s the ‘real champ’. I appreciate the thought, but there’s no question Frankie is the real champ and I have to beat him next weekend.
In this sport, you don’t have to beat everyone in the division and they work out your won/loss/draw ratio at the end of the season. In this sport, you beat the champion, and that makes you the champion. And Frankie Edgar beat the champion – BJ Penn – twice. That makes him Number One and he has nothing to prove against me at all other than what we have to do in the Octagon on New Year’s Day.

The next thing I get asked about a lot is if I am pissed that Frankie got the title shot ahead of me, even though I beat him. I’m not. I just don’t think like that. It will all work out. I don’t go into this sort of mental second guessing ‘Oh, why did they pass me up? Why did this happen? It’s not right!’ I don’t do that.

Frankie deserved his shot, and I deserve mine.

Some people say ‘But beating BJ Penn for the belt means more than beating Edgar’. Well, OK, really? Because Edgar beat Penn twice, and who knows if Penn will come back down to 155 pounds to fight me when I win the title. I can only pay attention to who I have in front of me; and right now that’s Frank Edgar. I want to hold the belt for years, and beat all sorts of guys, so it will work out.

I am ready. No disrespect to Frankie, he’s a great champion and a gentleman and I respect him professionally and personally. But he’s losing that belt and is going to be ‘one and done’ with the championship.

Nothing personal, it is just the sport. I’m not one of these fighters who feels he has to invent a reason to hate a guy just to motivate himself to drive past the burger bar and to the gym each day. Winning, getting closer to the title, winning the title, defending the title and becoming eventually known as a great in the sport is what motivates me.

I don’t need to know if you’re a bad guy, a good guy, or whatever. If you sign to fight me you are getting the best version of me I can become in the gym, and I will come to beat you as bad as I can, good guy or not.

If someone is an idiot and I want to beat him extra bad, hey, great, but I don’t need to convince myself that someone is an idiot if they aren’t. I train very hard either way and I am always trying to get better.

I think the fans are ready for a big fight between guys like me and Frankie, who don’t smack talk but will go in there and fight their hearts out without stupid and fake smack talk. 

How many letdowns have we seen from these smack-talkers anyway? You can hype a fight up, you can talk a lot of crap, say you’re gonna score a brutal KO, beat someone so bad, but then you gotta go and do all that and if you don’t you look like a clown. How many times have these smack talkers gone out and done nothing like what they kept saying they were going to do?

If you don’t hate your opponent, don’t try to tell the fans that you do just for hype. You just make an ass of yourself, especially if right after the fight you are all ‘Hey, I was just hyping the fight I didn’t mean any of those things I said’. That’s admitting to the fans you lied to them and acted like a clown just for the attention before the fight, that you were following a script you wrote for yourself.

There’s no scripts with me. I hope the sport doesn’t go to where everyone is expected to smack talk. This is the UFC, not Jersey Shore. I’m not a gimmick. I got to the number one contender spot by being me, no frills, just hard work.

And in less than two weeks, I’ll be the UFC Lightweight Champion of the World.

For more info on Gray, visit his website at: www.graymaynard.com

Gray Maynard was talking with Ant Evans

 

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The Many Layers of Antonio McKee

Antonio McKee | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Antonio McKee is a man of contradictions.

A boy brought up amidst poverty and violence has grown into a man with an entrepreneurial instinct and comfortable lifestyle. A boisterous personality in front of the camera, McKee is a markedly different individual behind the scenes. Perhaps most strikingly, he is an athlete keenly aware of the style of fighting which sells tickets, yet one who has developed a reputation for one of the most conservative, inactive styles in the sport.

When you meet Antonio McKee, there is no shortage of initial bluster. The camera or tape recorder goes on, and he enters into full self-promotion mode.

“I’m going to take them out one at a time,” McKee says of the lightweight division within the first five minutes of conversation. “Who’s going to beat McKee at 155? Only way I lose is if I’m not in shape or I get caught. Whose wrestling is better than mine? Gray Maynard? [Jacob] Volkmann? I’m going to make Volkmann look like nothing. We thought Volkmann could wrestle. Volkmann can’t wrestle.”

McKee often speaks of himself in the third person. And, as if his boasts are not bold enough, McKee ups the ante in short order.

“I feel like I’m the Muhammad Ali of MMA,” he says. “I feel like I’m the Don King of MMA. I feel like I’m the Tupac Shakur of MMA. I’m the mouth, the talent, the brains, and I’m also the business side. Where does that put me? That puts me as one of the all-time greatest black mixed martial arts fighters.”

This is Antonio McKee in a sense: brash, cocky, an aggressive self-promoter. But dig a little deeper, and it is not Antonio McKee at all.

Over the course of a two-hour conversation, McKee discusses his philosophy on fighting and his take on the business of MMA. He delves into the realms of political science and history. By the end, a completely different McKee emerges. He is relaxed, and the bluster has vanished.

Meili, McKee’s quiet young daughter, falls asleep on his lap. The news is muted on the flat-screen television. The family’s pet rabbit, Sassy B., hops around the room. McKee, after a life of turmoil and violence, seems at peace.

“A lot of times when people interview me, they provoke me to say the things that I say,” McKee admits, “and I know they’re doing it, so I play the game. That’s why I’m one of the most interviewed fighters in the game. I create controversy, and controversy sells.”

McKee will make his Octagon
Debut against Volkmann (above).Self-awareness is not a trait McKee lacks.

A turbulent childhood shaped him. As his mother struggled with drug addiction, McKee had to take care of himself. He was surrounded by gangsters and drug dealers. A victim of molestation, McKee built up an inner anger that frequently raged to the surface. It is a past he is willing to discuss but only on the surface.

As a teenager, McKee found himself in and out of jail; it was wrestling that turned around his life. McKee began devoting large chunks of his free time to wrestling and excelled at the sport. Initially, his anger was still there. He got into fights during wrestling meets, but, over time, he matured.

McKee developed business interests and suppressed his inner anger. By the time he entered into MMA, he was a different person. Fighting was not an outlet for violence but rather a path to greater security. In addition to his fighting career, McKee engaged in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures. He opened a security company and a gym. He invested in real estate.

Today, McKee lives in Long Beach, not far from the dangerous territory where he grew up. However, he now resides in a nice neighborhood, with an apartment near the ocean. Identification is required not only to enter his luxury apartment building but also to use the elevator. His apartment has the polished and well-kept look of a white-collar professional.

It is the classic American story of a kid from a rough background making good. Ironically, as a fighter, McKee has been criticized for essentially not being violent enough.

MMA is a violent sport -- an inescapable reality for anyone who follows it closely but particularly obvious to the participants. That truth is even more striking to a competitor who has spent much of his life trying to move away from violence.

“Is there someone you love?” McKee asks, rhetorically. “Let’s say they’re a fighter and they’re going to face [Quinton] ‘Rampage’ [Jackson] or Chuck Liddell. When you’re watching that guy knock your loved one out, split them open, choke them unconscious, how does that make you feel as a person?

“All of a sudden you have feelings, because that’s someone you care about. Well, I care about the safety of all fighters,” he adds. “I don’t want to beat a person up to where they’re split open, because somebody loves that person. [Luciano] Azevedo got staples in his head. He’ll never be able to take that scar away, and he was just working, trying to make some money. It hurts me to do that to people, but I can see what the crowd wants.”

Pleasing the crowd has not been a hallmark of McKee’s MMA career.

In early 2010, at nearly 40 years of age, McKee recognized that his window of opportunity in the sport was rapidly closing. He had not lost since 2003, but the UFC wasn’t calling. McKee had developed a reputation as a fighter who would take down his opponents, hold them there and secure safe decision wins.

McKee fights at 155 pounds, a division where speed, reflexes and conditioning are of paramount importance. Once-dominant fighters such as Jens Pulver, Yves Edwards and Rumina Sato have faded at young ages; it is not the domain of the older man.

I feel like I’m
the Muhammad Ali
of MMA ... I’m
the mouth, the
talent, the brains,
and I’m also the
business side. McKee needed to make his move, but it might not have happened had it not been for an unlikely motivator. Guy Mezger got under McKee’s skin.

Mezger, the fighter-turned-commentator for HDNet, called McKee’s fights in Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship and directed pointed criticisms at McKee’s style of fighting. McKee was accustomed to fans’ denigration, but it was jarring to hear it coming from someone who was supposed to be generating interest in his fights.

“He said the truth, but it wasn’t the fact he said the truth. It was the way he said it. As a professional spokesman for a show, I thought your job would be to uplift me as a fighter and make me sound good,” McKee says. “As a commentator, I didn’t understand the negativity he was putting out on a fighter. I’ve never once heard the UFC do something like that. But, Guy Mezger saying what he said made me realize what I needed to do.”

Following victories over Carlo Prater and Derrick Noble in 2009, McKee asked UFC matchmaker Joe Silva what the UFC wanted to see from him in order to eventually be given an opportunity with the organization. Silva told him to finish some fights. In turn, McKee recorded a first-round submission of Rodrigo Ruiz in his next outing. He went a step further for the following bout.

Page Two: An Answer Approaches

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Schaub to Face Struve in March UFC Bout

Brendan Schaub | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Brendan Schaub will be fighting in March, but it won’t be against Frank Mir.

Despite early reports that the “Ultimate Fighter 10” finalist would meet the former heavyweight champion in his next bout, it now appears that Schaub will face Dutch prospect Stefan Struve. Sherdog.com has confirmed that both Schaub and Struve have verbally agreed to the match-up, which was first reported on Monday by Sportsnet.ca.

Although the Sportsnet.ca report placed Schaub-Struve on the UFC’s Versus-televised March 3 show, sources inform Sherdog.com that an event has not yet been decided upon. Other cards which could potentially host the bout include UFC 128 on March 19 and UFC Fight Night 24 on March 26.

Schaub has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon since losing to Roy Nelson at the “TUF 10” finale. Following respective 47- and 67-second knockouts of Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer, “The Hybrid” took a step up in competition against former title contender Gabriel Gonzaga. In a bout which saw Schaub leave the opening round for the first time in his career, the 27-year-old soundly defeated Gonzaga via unanimous decision at October’s UFC 121.

Struve has himself won back-to-back fights since being defeated by Nelson in March. After a dramatic, come-from-behind knockout of Christian Morecraft at UFC 117, the 6-foot-11 “Skyscraper” dispatched of Sean McCorkle via technical knockout earlier this month in the co-main event of UFC 124. Only 22 years old and already with 25 professional bouts to his name, Struve also holds UFC wins over Paul Buentello, Denis Stojnic and Gormley.

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Lightweight Prospect Washington to Sign with MFC

Robert Washington is poised to become the newest addition to the roster of Canadian promotion Maximum Fighting Championship.

Sherdog.com has learned from a source close to the lightweight prospect that MFC has offered Washington a four-fight contract. Though not yet official, the deal is expected to be finalized imminently.

The 27-year-old holds a record of 9-1, with one no-contest. Washington has spent the bulk of his career fighting on and around the island of Guam, where he was stationed with the United States Navy and trained at Melchor Manibusan’s Spike 22 gym. Having recently returned to his native Illinois, Washington has taken up training with Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad.

Washington’s most recent trip inside the cage resulted in a unanimous decision win over Tony Parker on Dec. 10 at a local show in Lawrenceburg, Ind. The win capped off a 5-1 year and served as a rebound for Washington, who suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he was knocked out by Ronnie Borja at PXC 20 in July. Prior to that loss, “The Beast” had reeled off eight consecutive wins, including five by way of stoppage.

Despite competing at welterweight against Parker, Washington is expected to return to 155 pounds under the MFC banner.

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Jeremy Stephens - The Best is Next to Come

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Marcus Davis and I was actually a fan of his. Every time I watched him fight, I was like ‘this guy’s gonna knock somebody out.’"  In the always interesting world of MMA math, one thing is crystal clear: the less you have to worry about on fight night, the better. And if you ask Jeremy Stephens about his upcoming bout with former welterweight contender Marcus Davis, ‘The Irish Hand Grenade’ will have plenty to think about in his lightweight debut.

“It’s not just the weight cut,” said Stephens. “I think his last fight (against Nate Diaz) and the way things have been going for him are gonna kinda wear on him a little bit too. He’s gotta overcome a lot of stuff that’s been going on, like losing and getting beat real bad, and then he’s gotta come down to ’55 and face a real heavy-handed striker that hits like a 170-185 pound guy. I’m aggressive, I’m young, and I’m getting better and better every time I get in there. So is the weight cut gonna affect him, how’s his face gonna look after the first round with him cutting very easily, is he hungry, is he motivated, is coming down here really gonna be a smart decision for him? He’s got a lot of factors at play.”

Weight cut. Dealing with past losses. Fighting a young, heavy-handed striker. Dealing with cuts. Dealing with motivation.

That’s about five worries right there. Stephens?

“I’m looking forward to going in there to scrap.”

In MMA math, Stephens wins 5-1. But everyone, including Stephens, knows that a fight that may play out one way on paper could go in a completely different direction when the bell rings. Case in point, Stephens’ UFC 119 bout with Melvin Guillard last September. On paper, forget about Fight of the Night; this was a Fight of the Year in the making. But after a fast start that saw Guillard miss a wild haymaker and get put on the seat of his pants by a Stephens counter, this visceral war turned tactical, with Guillard pulling out a three round split decision win.

“I came out and in the first ten seconds I dropped him,” recalled Stephens. “He wanted to come out and bang with me, and I think once he got caught, he decided to stick to the Greg Jackson gameplan, which is to run and try to pick his shots and try to score. I was a little more flat-footed, trying to brawl and knock him out. I felt like I won the fight, but it was kind of a weird fight. Sometimes good strikers cancel each other out like that.”

It was almost as if Stephens was like all the fans at Conseco Fieldhouse and those watching at home, waiting and waiting for the Fight of the Year to start. It never did. But Iowa’s ‘Lil’ Heathen’ insists that Guillard’s gameplan didn’t throw him off his.

“I don’t think he took me out of my game,” he said. “I just felt like I was chasing him a lot. I was landing a lot of leg kicks and I know I was hurting him and landing some shots. I stumbled him in the third and I felt like I had the Octagon control the whole time. He’d come in with some shots when I’d raise my hands and tell him to come in and fight – he’d try to sneak in a shot - but I didn’t feel like he was trying to fight me. Maybe I should have gone for a couple more takedowns, but I just learned from it.”

And for Stephens, the key part of learning from the experience was to shake it off in the only way he knows how – by going back to the gym in his new home of San Diego.

“I went back right away and said ‘man, what do I need to work on?’” he said. “I had a bad night in the Octagon and that was probably one of my worst performances, but after the fight I went back and tried to work on some things; my coaches told me that all I had to do was fine-tune and make some adjustments, so I shook it off and I was back in the gym the next week.”

He hasn’t left the gym yet, putting in the hours necessary to rebound from the loss to Guillard, get back to the form that saw him win his two bouts before that against Justin Buchholz and Sam Stout, and to gain the consistency he needs to move to the next level in the lightweight division.

“I feel like I’ve already been taking those steps to reach the next level in all my fights,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better and better every time I step into the ring. I’m developing my game a lot more, so I’m definitely happy with the adjustments I’m making, and I like seeing that I’m getting better. I know that there’s a lot more room for improvement and that’s what I work on so that every time I step into the Octagon, it’s that next step up in competition and my training as well.”

In addition to leaving the snow and cold of his native Des Moines behind, Stephens has also found that San Diego has given him the training environment he needs to move from prospect to contender.

“I have coaches in all specific areas that are top-notch,” he said. “Black belts, good Muay Thai instructors, a good strength and conditioning coach, and I have a yoga teacher and a massage therapist. I have coaches and good people around me that are helping me learn and develop as a fighter in every aspect of the game. That’s probably the biggest improvement.”

And as far as adjusting to life outside of Iowa, he’s made peace with that aspect of his life as well.

“I’m focused on my family and my career and the important things in life,” he said. “I don’t go out as much - I’m getting older and I’m a lot more focused. In my off-time I’m training to get my black belt and making other adjustments in my game, so to be honest it’s a whole new focus out here for me and a lot more dedication and a lot more work that I’m putting in these days.”

He’s just 24 too, an amazing statistic when you consider that he’s a five year vet of the pro game that has compiled 10 Octagon bouts (5-5) since debuting against Din Thomas in 2007.

“I think people get shocked when they ask me how old I am and I tell them,” he said. “I think the beard kinda throws them off nowadays. (Laughs) I’m only 24 and I’ve got a lot of room to grow, but in all my fights, I just keep getting better and keep growing. As you get older, you get wiser and get a lot smarter and better as you grow.”

Stephens expects that this growing wisdom will help him against the 37-year old Davis, a veteran of 30 pro MMA fights and 20 pro boxing matches who is one of the fighters Stephens always made sure he was around to watch on television.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Marcus Davis and I was actually a fan of his,” said Stephens. “Every time I watched him fight, I was like ‘this guy’s gonna knock somebody out.’ He’s a good counterstriker, he’s had a lot of fights, he comes to fight every time, and I think he’s gonna bring out the best in me, and I could bring out the best in him.”

Lesson one - there’s no time to be a fan when the fists are flying by your head. Stephens has this one down.

“I’m gonna be the younger, stronger, faster, better fighter that night and I’m gonna go out there and give them a show and I know he’ll do the same as well,” he said. “I know Marcus won’t be a runner, he’ll come to fight, and I’m looking forward to it.”

As for the final answer to this MMA math equation?

“Everybody’s like ‘what’s your best fight?’ and I always say ‘watch my next one.’”

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GSP’s Manager: Animosity with Koscheck Wasn’t Fake

Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck: Stephen Fernandez / Splash News

Georges St. Pierre embraced Josh Koscheck after beating him at UFC 124 and seemed to dismiss Koscheck’s trash talk as hype for their fight. However, Shari Spencer, GSP’s manager, recently made it clear that the animosity was real.

“I don’t think it was pretend, but I do think it’s behind them, if that makes sense,” Spencer said on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “I think there’s a difference when the hype is simply just for the sake of hype and when it is maybe exaggerated a bit for the sake of hype but yet the animosity is real. It’s behind them after the fight. They move on; they’re professionals. I don’t necessarily agree that it’s all pretend, and so I think that keeps some legitimacy going. I think there was true animosity between the two of them. There’s no doubt about that in my mind.”

St. Pierre dominated the fight, winning a unanimous decision and beating Koscheck for the second time. He has now won eight straight since his April 2007 upset loss to Matt Serra, a defeat that led some to question St. Pierre’s mental fortitude. Those days seem long gone.

“I don’t know that the mental aspect of it was as large as it was played out to be,” Spencer said. “Dana made the comment, I think one time, ‘Which Georges St. Pierre is going to show up?’ Or something along those lines. I think it was overplayed, but I definitely think that as time goes on, it becomes more and more difficult to get inside Georges’ head.”

Despite his dominance since the Serra loss, St. Pierre still has some critics. Detractors point to the four times he’s gone the distance in his last five bouts, suggesting he fights conservatively to avoid another loss. The lack of finishes could be explained by the stellar competition he’s fought, though. Spencer, for one, does not sound worried about the impact of another loss on GSP’s career.

“From a marketing perspective, I think there are many fighters who are extremely marketable but that don’t have the record that Georges’ does and that losses don’t always affect your marketability,” she said. “He’s also said that when he lost to Matt Hughes, he ended up getting many more fans than when he was winning. Randy Couture has a few losses on his record, and he’s one of the best-loved fighters of all time. … I don’t think our corporate sponsors are expecting a win or they’re going to pull out. We don’t feel that weight at all. Not at all.”

Spencer has helped St. Pierre become one of the few mixed martial artists to cross over into the mainstream with sponsors such as Gatorade and Under Armour. She credits his ability to separate himself from conventional views on fighters.

“I think he’s less of a typical stereotype of what the mainstream thinks of MMA and at one point what I thought of MMA -- that it’s mainly testosterone-laden, tatted up, pierced guys,” Spencer said. “That’s what most people still think. Slowly but surely we’re chipping away at that perception. Here you’ve got a good-looking, clean-cut guy, wears a suit at the press conference, doesn’t trash talk. He’s much more mainstream America than the sport is. I think that’s why he has that ability.”

In addition to sponsorship money, St. Pierre also has his own branded merchandise, which is yet another stream of income. Of course he’s still a fighter first and will be receiving a percentage of the pay-per-view revenue UFC 124 generated.

“I haven’t heard any estimates yet on the pay-per-views. I would think they did pretty well given the prefight hype,” Spencer said. “I think I owe Josh Koscheck a really big Christmas present because he did a great job of making everybody want to tune in and see the fight.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 28:24) with Spencer.

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Soto Unmoved by the Threat of a “Ninja”

"I'm going to give him hell when he tries to take me down. I'm going to be coming at him with kicks, punches, knees, I'm going to take him down, grind him out, and finish him.” You didn’t even need to see it happen; you could simply hear it. It was debatable who won the first round. The first five minutes were evenly matched and could be written off as a draw. But the audible watershed moment came in the second when Greg Soto took Nick Osipczak’s back. The TD Garden in Boston, Mass erupted into a frenzy like Larry “Legend” sunk a game winning bucket and began chants of “U-S-A” at top volume.

From there, New Jersey product Greg Soto never relented with pressure on his lanky British opponent on his way to his first UFC victory. “I definitely heard the crowd in the second and it really helped me push and really put it on him,” remembers Soto, noting that the cheering did not fall on deaf ears. “Once I got that position and the crowd was behind me, the win was never in doubt from then on.”

At UFC 118, the Kurt Pellegrino protégé showed off a new side of himself to the UFC fans: a winning side. “It feels good to get a win underneath me, but I'm looking for the finish in my next fight,” asserts Soto, who seemed to throw everything and the kitchen sink at The Ultimate Fighter alum Osipczak. “I would have liked to have gotten the finish, but Nick's tough and resilient. He hung in there even though I was beating on him pretty good.”

The loudest moment of this welterweight fight was Soto taking Osipczak’s back in the second, but Soto’s true crowning achievement was the entirety of the third round. “I was surprised that it wasn't a 10-8 third round,” admits Soto about hearing the scores from the judges concerning his dominance in the final stanza. “I had him in danger and he was literally seconds away from being finished, I think, on a few occasions. I had a deep choke, I was hurting him with elbows, and he didn't mount any offense whatsoever, so I was a little surprised.”

The Monmouth University graduate’s most damaging move in that third round was also his most innovative: an arm-triangle choke and knees to the belly... at the same time. “I'm always looking for where I can do the most damage and be as efficient as possible,” remarks Soto about raining down knees on “Slick” Nick while having him in a mounted choke. “I could hear him wheezing, but I knew I had hit a point that I couldn't finish the choke because he had his arm in such a way it was blocking one side of his neck, so I wanted to take advantage of the fact that his arm was stuck and he couldn't protect his ribs. I'm always looking to maximize damage and it just so happened to be in an entertaining way.”

As impressive as the win was for Soto, it did leave one lingering question - why did it take a round for him to start really winning? “I'm a little bit of a slow starter, so I've been working with my coaches on how to reach that peak performance as quickly as possible,” reveals Soto about closing a hole in his first round fight game that does disappear on its own in the later rounds. “I get more relaxed, find my groove and I get my second wind. I'm actually going to train the morning of this coming fight, so I've gotten my second wind before the first round starts.”

On New Year’s Day in Las Vegas, Soto is looking to use this momentum and new strategy against Daniel Roberts. “Ninja” will be entering the Octagon on a two fight win streak, which was capped off with an ultra slick anaconda choke win over Mike Guymon at UFC 121. The Jiu-Jitsu blue belt is a very game grappler with 8 of his 11 career wins coming by submission. Roberts is also a notorious fast starter with all but one of those submissions happening in the first round.

Greg Soto knows this and it doesn’t scare him. None of it.

“I’m looking forward to fighting Daniel Roberts. I think he is overlooking me. He has a lot of hype behind him, but really I think he has a padded record. He has not fought the caliber of guys that I have fought. I'm going to bring it to him and I'm going to make a statement in the welterweight division on New Year’s.”

The 24 year old’s confidence is at an epic level leading into this January 1st showdown with Daniel Roberts. Even in light of Roberts’ shot-out-of-a-cannon speed in the opening round, Soto is unfazed. “I think that is the only time he is dangerous is in that first five minutes,” says Soto about his opponent’s chances. “His pace drops off, whereas mine gets faster and faster. I'm going to take him into the deep waters and I'm going to drown him.”

There is not much room in Soto’s pre-fight vocabulary for any admiration for his opponent. “He is definitely submission savvy and is a good athlete,” discloses Soto, but the buck stops there as far as any praise. “That is something to keep in mind, but I'm definitely more well-rounded and a more dynamic fighter. I think I'm better than him in his strengths and in other areas I'm far superior. I don't see how he is going to beat me.”

In every stage of a fight, Soto truly believes he is just the greater predator. “In the stand-up, I'm going to mix it up and hit him from different angles,” declares Soto, who has been training four times a week with a new K-1 experienced kickboxing coach, Brian Wright. “And I'm going to give him hell when he tries to take me down. I'm going to be coming at him with kicks, punches, knees, I'm going to take him down, grind him out, and finish him.”

Even the added hurdle of “Ninja” Roberts being left-handed is not cause for a moment of concern to Soto. “The last four fighters I have fought have been southpaw,” Soto explains that Nick Osipscak switches between southpaw and orthodox, so he’s been sparring with southpaws regularly. “Either way, I think his stand-up is pretty much non-existent. I don't think he is dynamic enough or has enough tools to do anything that I haven't seen before.”

Soto’s confidence does not end with their abilities in the cage, but in all manner of physics. “I'm taller than him, I think I have a reach on him and I should be heavier than him,” Soto continues that he thinks he will be superior in each category of the “Tale of the Tape” besides age come fight night. “He's older than me, but I think I'll be considerably stronger than him come fight time. I have been in the gym lifting since a week off my last fight and have been walking around at 193 pounds.”

On January 1st, Greg Soto will enter the Octagon versus Daniel Roberts for the UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2011. “I'm really excited about fighting in Las Vegas at the MGM on this card and I promise I'm going to finish Daniel Roberts,” affirms Soto, all under the watchful eye and barking orders of UFC lightweight and mentor Kurt Pellegrino in his corner. “I've put in the work and the hours and Daniel Roberts is not going to stop me from reaching the top of the welterweight division.”

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Proposed Overeem-Duffee Match ‘50-50’ for New Year’s Eve

Todd Duffee: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com

The rumored participation of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem at “Dynamite: The Power of Courage 2010” was today confirmed by K-1 and Dream parent company Fighting and Entertainment Group, who added the muscular Dutchman to the fight card on Dream’s official website.

While Overeem’s opponent has yet to be named for the Dec. 31 event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, two athletic heavyweight competitors have been discussed as possible foes: onetime pro-wrestler Bobby Lashley and former UFC prospect Todd Duffee.

Speaking with sources close to Duffee, Sherdog.com has confirmed that the 25-year-old has been offered the bout by Dream officials and negotiations are currently underway. According to those sources, Duffee’s scheduled bout on a Jan. 29 Titan Fighting Championships card in Kansas should not interfere with his ability to make the New Year’s Eve date. When pressed on the odds of the matchup coming to fruition, one source asserted that bout with Overeem has a “50-50 shot” of taking place.

About 18 months ago, Duffee was on the fast track in the UFC’s heavyweight division. However, multiple injuries and a knockout loss to veteran Mike Russow at UFC 114 in May quickly derailed the Duffee express train, and the Grudge Training Center product was released by the UFC in September. After several months on the shelf, Duffee was last week confirmed for the Titan FC event, where he will square off against “Ultimate Fighter” vet Abe Wagner.

Overeem is fresh off a masterful performance at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 earlier this month, where he defeated Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki and Peter Aerts in a single night to claim the coveted kickboxing title. His only fight under MMA rules in 2010 came on May 15, when he easily dispatched of Brett Rogers at Strikeforce “Heavy Artillery.” The Dutch “Demolition Man” is 8-0-1 in his last nine fights, with the only blemish being a no-contest against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filopovic at Dream 6 in 2008.

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U.S. Olympian to Make Strikeforce Debut Jan. 7

Four-time national judo champion and 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson will make his promotional debut against Canadian prospect Ion Cherdivara in a featured light heavyweight matchup at Strikeforce Challengers 13 on Jan. 7 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

Ferguson, a black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, owns a Ph.D in education from Capella University in Minneapolis. A cousin of Internet street-fighting sensation and UFC veteran Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, the 35-year-old father of two was named the 2001-02 United States Federation International Senior Male Athlete of the Year. Ferguson, a protégé of Judo Jack Williams, remains the only athlete ever to compete in the Olympics, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships and the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships. Based at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., Ferguson has trained UFC veterans Thiago Alves, Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson and Karo Parisyan, among others.

“I don’t think MMA is ever a natural transition,” Ferguson said in a release. “I did judo. I did BJJ. I’m a strength and conditioning coach and a judo coach for some top MMA fighters. After training these guys for a while, the sport caught me a little bit. I’m 35, but I feel like I still have some stuff in the tank. I’m satisfied with my athletic career, but I wouldn’t mind putting the Strikeforce light heavyweight title belt on my mantel.”

Cherdivara, a former member of the Moldovan national wrestling team, made his professional MMA debut under the Ringside MMA banner in January, as he stopped Aaron Dupuis on first-round punches in Montreal. He trains out of Brazilian Top Team Canada.

“I’m only 1-0 because I’ve had a hard time finding fights in Montreal,” Cherdivara said. “No one wants to fight me. With Strikeforce, I’ll finally be able to face some quality opponents who otherwise wouldn’t dare fight me. I’m looking to face the best light heavyweights Strikeforce has to offer.”

A welterweight showdown between prospects Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine will headline Strikeforce Challengers 13, which will air live on Showtime.

Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyron Woodley
Devin Cole vs. Daniel Cormier
Ron Humphrey vs. Ovince St. Preux
Julia Budd vs. Amanda Nunes
Ion Cherdivara vs. Rhadi Ferguson
Nathan Coy vs. Nate Moore

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