Weekly Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing News – 01/11/2013
By PDG Staff
UFC on FX 7 Brazil – Final Fight Card Announced
Next Saturday’s Belfort vs. Bisping fight card continues to be reshuffled as injuries have forced two more replacements on the Sao Paulo card. Light heavyweight prospect Wagner Prado will now face UFC newcomer Ildemar Alcantara, as original opponent Roger Hollett has been injured. The 17-5 Alcantara is riding a seven-fight win streak, with six of those victories coming via first-round stoppage.
Alcantara’s younger brother, UFC veteran Yuri Alcantara, is also getting a new opponent at the event, as George Roop has also been forced out due to injury. The bantamweight Alcantara will instead meet the 14-1 Pedro Nobre. Nobre was eliminated in the first episode of TUF Brasil last year, but went on to rack up four wins outside the Octagon in 2012.
UFC on FX 7 Brazil: Belfort vs. Bisping
January 19, 2013
Ibirapuera Arena
São Paulo, Brazil
Main Card Bouts (FX):
Vitor Belfort (21-10) vs. Michael Bisping (23-4)
Daniel Sarafian (7-2) vs. CB Dollaway (12-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6) vs. Ben Rothwell (32-8)
Thiago Tavares (17-4-1) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (18-0)
Preliminary Bouts (Fuel TV):
Godofredo Pepey Castro (8-1) vs. Milton Vieira (13-7-2)
Ronny Markes (13-1) vs. Andrew Craig (8-0)
Diego Nunes (18-3) vs. Nik Lentz (22-5-2)
Edson Barboza (10-1) vs. Lucas Martins (12-0)
Wagner Prado (8-1) vs. Ildemar Alcantara (17-5)
Yuri Alcantara (28-4) vs. Pedro Nobre (14-1-2)
Preliminary Bouts (UFC Facebook):
Francisco Trinaldo (11-2) vs. CJ Keith (8-1)
Bellator’s $100,000 Welterweight Tournament Field Set for January 24 Live on Spike
Bellator’s Welterweight Tournament is now complete as the eight man field will battle for a $100,000 Bellator Tournament prize, as well as a guaranteed title shot for the Bellator Welterweight World Title. The Bellator Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinals will begin January 24th from Oklahoma’s WinStar World Casino live on Spike TV and in Spanish language on mun2. The night will also feature the Bellator Welterweight World Title fight between reigning and undefeated Bellator World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren and French submission ace Karl “Psycho” Amoussou, as well as the debut of MMA superstar “King Mo” Lawal.
Fan favorite and Bellator veteran Ben “Killa B” Saunders will return to the Bellator cage as he battles dynamic welterweight Koffi “The Lion King” Adzitso. Training under the tutelage of long time MMA veteran Jeremy Horn, Adzitso is eager to bring his finishing power to the Bellator cage. For Saunders, the always entertaining American Top Team product knows with the bright lights of Spike TV upon him, this is his time to shine.
“I’ve had my sights set on getting back into this tournament for a while,” Saunders said. “Everyone knows what type of energy I bring into every one of my fights, and to have the opportunity to do it on Spike is all I could ask for. I can’t wait to get started on January 24th.”
Former Bellator Tournament Finalist Brent Weedman is back and will look to make another long tournament run when he meets “The Whitemare” Marius Zaromskis in opening round action. With only five decision victories between the two long time veterans, neither fighter is expecting a 15 minute affair.
“Whenever I step into the cage, I’m looking for a finish, and nothing is going to change against Brent Weedman,” Zaromskis said.
RusFighters product Michail Tsarev will bring his impressive arsenal of submission skills to the Bellator cage when he battles top welterweight contender Douglas “The Phenom” Lima in front of a packed WinStar World Casino crowd. Having already navigated his way through a previous Bellator Welterweight Tournament, Lima is fully aware of what it takes to lock up his title shot, and has every intention of getting another shot at the Bellator Welterweight World Championship.
“I’ve been there once, and everything I do is the gym is to get back to that point,” Lima said. “This is what I train for every day, and my only goal to get that $100,000 check and a shot at the belt.”
The tournament rounds out with Bellator newcomer Jose “Zezao Trator” Gomes getting his first taste of The Toughest Tournament in Sports when he takes on the nearly undefeated Raul “Smash Mode” Amaya on January 24th.
“From top to bottom, our welterweight division has a collection of pure finishers that have put on some wildly entertaining fights,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “With a Welterweight World Title fight, the debut of King Mo and a stacked welterweight tournament, January 24th is going to be a huge night from WinStar World Casino.”
GLORY 5 London: Spong vs. Bonjasky – Fight Card Update
Headlined by a heavyweight showdown between superstars Remy Bonjasky (77-15, 40 KO’s) and Tyrone Spong (68-6-1 42 KO’s), the first-ever GLORY show in the UK brings together a host of additional icons for the most stacked kickboxing card ever to grace a British venue.
“When GLORY decided to stage a show in London, we knew we would have to put together a special card for the British capital. Fans have wanted to see a fight between Remy Bonjasky and Tyrone Spong for some time, but the two have never met in the ring – until now,” says Marcus Luer, GLORY CEO. “Bonjasky is an idol to fight fans around the world and Spong has been on a steady rise to the top – he’s a fighter that everybody is talking about right now. They are both incredible athletes with explosive power. Bonjasky’s flying knees and Spong’s hands are capable of stopping a fight in an instant. Don’t blink.”
Known as ‘The Flying Gentleman’, the 1.93 meter/6-foot-3, 108 kilogram/238 pound Bonjasky is a household name among kickboxing fans. His illustrious career has seen him win numerous top honors, including three K-1 Grand Prix championships, but this will be the first time that British fans have the opportunity to see him fight live. One of the most athletic fighters ever to step into the ring, Bonjasky has provided some of the most enduring images of the sport with his flying knee attacks and wide range of dynamic kicks. Among his career achievements are wins over superstar rivals Badr Hari, Peter Aerts, Alistair Overeem and Jerome LeBanner.
Like Bonjasky, Spong, a native of Amsterdam who recently relocated to Boca Raton, Fla. to train with the famed ‘Blackzilians’ fight squad, is a stellar athlete. The 1.88 meter/6-foot-2, 103.5 kilogram/228 pound Spong started his career as a middleweight and has retained his speed and fluidity while gradually moving up to heavyweight. With explosive power in his hands, nearly two-thirds of Spong’s wins have been by stoppage, including his June KO of the legendary Aerts, also a three-time winner of the old K-1 ! Grand Prix tournament series. Prior to moving up to heavyweight, Spong held the light-heavyweight (95 kilograms/210 pounds) title in top European organization It’s Showtime, which GLORY purchased in October 2012.
Jordan Watson (29-5-1, 14 KO’s) and Liam Harrison (67-13-2, 38 KO’s), two of the best kickboxers the UK has ever produced, will both see action on the card. Hailing from the Bad Company gym in Leeds, England, they have fought all over the world and have been among the few foreigners to find success in the fighting rings of Thailand. Harrison faces Mosab ‘Jaguar’ Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KO’s), a Dutch-Moroccan fighter who combines ferocity with exceptional technicality, in a featherweight bout (65 kilograms/143 pounds). Amrani’s skills will provide the toughest test of Harrison’s career to date. Watson f! aces an equally tough test in the shape of Australia’s ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Moxon (29-4-1, 16 KO’s), a KO machine with a sky-high finishing ratio, in a lightweight contest
In other action on the star-studded, 11-bout GLORY 5 London kickboxing card, all-time great Albert Kraus (66-16-3, 39 KO’s), winner of the first ever K-1 MAX tournament, will face the sensational Andy Ristie (43-2, 16 KO’s) in a bout that will help determine a top lightweight (70 kilograms/154 pounds) contender. Light-heavyweight (95 kilograms/209 pounds) Bonjasky protégé Danyo Ilunga (41-4, 34 KOs) will make his UK debut against top French talent and fellow power striker Stephane Susperregui (32-4-1, 27 KOs) in a fight that is very unlikely to go the distance.
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Khamanaev-Taisumov, Weichel-Damkovsky, Duque-Gasanaliev at M-1 Challenge 37
Four elite lightweight fighters and finalists of M-1 Selection welterweight tournament will open the new season of M-1 Challenge tournaments in Orenburg, Russia, on February 27!
One of the most anticipated fights in M-1 between lightweight champion Musa Khamanaev and his fellow countryman Mairbek Taisumov is going to be a great gift for all MMA fans around the world. These two young talents were supposed to fight last November, but the match was postponed due to Khamanaev’s injury. Now Musa is healthy and he is preparing for his first title defense in Rostov, Russia, while Mairbek is having one month training camp in Thailand. One of the best wrestlers in organization versus one of the best and the most dynamic strikers – this match is going to be the real battle for sure!
Two ex-champions of M-1 lightweight division, MMA-Spirit veteran Daniel Weichel and Belorussian Artiom Damkovsky both won their last fight, so the victory in this match may open the way back to M-1 title. In his previous fight Damkovsy won by split decision in a very close fight against Croatian Ivica Truscek, and Daniel was dominating from the start of the fight to the moment of second round stoppage against Bulgarian wrestler Georgi Stoyanov.
Another intriguing matchup at M-1 Challenge 37 is the final fight of M-1 Selection welterweight tournament between talented Spanish fighter Acoidan Duque and fighters from Gorets team Gasanali Gasanaliev. In the first round of M-1 Selection tournament Duque won against Sergei Faustov by rear nacked choke that was recognized the best submission of the night. Gasanali needed less than two minutes to win against Josef Kral by TKO.
UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar – Fight Card Update
Riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak, lightweight Isaac Vallie-Flagg has verbally agreed to make his UFC debut at UFC 156 on February 2 against Yves Edwards, who is coming off a Knockout of the Night win against Jeremy Stephens. Also, Chico Camus will welcome undefeated top prospect Dustin Kimura to the world-famous Octagon in a bantamweight scrap.
UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar
Feb 02, 2013
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
Main Card (PPV):
Jose Aldo (21-1) vs. Frankie Edgar (14-3-1) – UFC featherweight championship
Rashad Evans (17-2-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5)
Alistair Overeem (36-11) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (17-4)
Jon Fitch (24-4-1) vs. Demian Maia (17-4)
Joseph Benavidez (16-3) vs. Ian McCall (11-3-1)
Preliminary Card (FX):
Gleison Tibau (26-8) vs. Evan Dunham (13-3)
Jacob Volkmann (15-3) vs. Bobby Green (19-5)
Edwin Figueroa (9-1) vs. Francisco Rivera (8-2)
Jay Hieron (23-6) vs. Tyron Woodley (10-1)
Yves Edwards (42-18-1) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (13-3-1)
Chico Camus (12-3) vs. Dustin Kimura (9-0)
ONE FC Announces Malaysian National Featherweight Tourney
ONE Fighting Championship has announced the launch of the Malaysian National Featherweight Championship Tournament. Four of the top Mixed Martial Arts prospects in Malaysia will battle it out in the first round of the tournament at ONE FC: Return of Warriors which takes place live on 2 February from the state-of-the-art Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The two fights signed for this historic tournament are Raymond “The Rocket” Tiew taking on Melvin “Overkill” Yeoh and AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor squaring off against Jian Kai “The Headhunter” Chee. By the end of the evening, Malaysians will know who the top two contenders for the National Featherweight Championship title will be.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC is stacked with the largest roster of Asian champions and the Featherweight division is probably the most exciting division. It is time for us to crown National champions in Asia and Tiew, Yeoh, Mansor and Chee have proven that they are the most exciting prospects in Malaysia. We are giving these home-grown champions the chance to earn themselves the right to be called the Malaysian National Champion and rise to the top of the division as the number one contender.”
Raymond Tiew is a Sanshou Champion who has also represented Malaysia at Wushu. He is a stand up specialist with explosive striking which never disappoints the avid MMA fan. Tiew knows that this is his chance to show that he is the top Malaysian Featherweight but first he must get passed the brawler from Johor Bahru, Melvin Yeoh.
Melvin Yeoh has been called the top MMA prospect in Malaysia by international MMA media. A full-time school teacher, Yeoh has received much media attention both outside and inside the cage. He has always kept his gym doors open for kids on the streets looking to better themselves by learning the discipline associated with MMA and the valuable life skills that go along with the sport. This ferocious warrior will carry the weight of the community, gym and country come 2 February.
The second fight of the tournament will be between AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor and Jian Kai Chee. Mansor is the first thoroughbred Silat fighter to ever compete in MMA. His athletic ability earned him the National Silat Champion crown in the past and he will now turn his razor sharp striking toward his opponent, the Muay Thai champion Jian Kai Chee.
Chee has competed against some of the top MMA fighters in the region including Ole Laursen, Arnaud Lepont and Eddie Ng. Chee’s strength is his ability to finish a fight in an instant with punches, kicks, knees or elbows and will be looking to showcase his arsenal of skills at the Malaysian National Featherweight Championship tournament on 2 February in Stadium Putra, KL.
Cui further commented, “This tournament is part of ONE FC’s initiative to continually grow and support the local MMA community. ONE FC already has the very best Malaysian MMA fighters signed to us exclusively and this tournament, which is spread over two events, is a way for us to identify a true Malaysian National Champion.”
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Rousimar Palhares and Joey Beltran Fail UFC on FX 6 Drug Tests
Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, released a statement regarding UFC middleweight Rousimar Palhares and light heavyweight Joey Beltran:
“Rousimar Palhares tested positive for elevated testosterone and Joey Beltran tested positive for nandrolone, following their respective bouts at UFC on FX 6 in Australia. The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. Both athletes have agreed to serve a nine-month suspension retroactive to December 14. They must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to compete again.”
Light Heavyweight World Title Fight Headlines Bellator MMA from New Mexico’s Santa Ana Star Center February 28th
The title fights continue for Bellator MMA as the promotion announced today Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Christian M’Pumbu will put his World title on the line against knockout artist Attila Vegh on February 28th from New Mexico’s Santa Ana Star Center.
M’Pumbu defends the title that he won in the inaugural Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament by storming through the competition, delivering three highlight reel knockouts along the way to capturing the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Title. With previous victories over Richard Hale, Marcus Vanttinen and Stefan Struve, M’Pumbu is primed for another explosive finish on February 28th.
“I am extremely excited about this opportunity to defend my Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship,” M’Pumbu said. “I look forward to getting back in the cage and putting on a show for all of the amazing Bellator fans throughout the world. On February 28th, I will have my hand raised and remain Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion.”
For Vegh, the Slovakian finisher is currently riding an eight fight win streak, including his Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Finals knockout victory over longtime MMA veteran Travis “Diesel” Wiuff. For the man they call “Pumukli”, winning the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Title would be nothing short of a dream come true.
“This fight is all I am focused on,” Vegh said. “I’ve never worked harder for something in my life, and on February 28th, I will hold that belt and become the new Bellator World Champion.”
“Both Christian and Attila made incredible runs through their respective tournaments, and I expect nothing but fireworks on February 28th,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “New Mexico’s own Orthrus Promotions is going to provide Bellator with tremendous support and we’re very excited to begin our partnership.”
UFC on Fuel TV 8 Japan – Fight Card Update
World-class card with former champions, contenders and up-and-coming Japanese stars including:
Mizuto Hirota vs. Rani Yahya
Dong-Hyun Kim vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Riki Fukuda vs. Brad Tavares
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Bryan Caraway
Cristiano Marcello vs. Kazuki Tokudome
Japanese middleweight contender Yushin “Thunder” Okami has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship card scheduled for Mar. 3 at the Saitama Super Arena. The UFC announced that the 31-year-old, from Japan’s renowned Wajutsu Keishukai Gym, will meet former Olympic judo competitor Hector “Lightning” Lombard in middleweight action when the organization returns to Japan.
Okami (29-7-0) holds wins over several UFC veterans, including UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who he defeated via disqualification in 2006. Lombard and Okami, both coming off dominant wins in December, continue their run toward the middleweight title. Lombard (32-3-1), a Cuban-Australian mixed martial artist and former Olympic judoka, has a 4th degree black belt in Judo and is known for his vicious power punching.
Also announced on the main card will be an intense featherweight bout between Rani Yahya and Mizuto Hirota. Hirota (14-5-1), who has never been knocked out in his career, is a veteran of the Sengoku and DEEP organizations in Asia. Prior to his North America debut in Strikeforce last July, he was 4-1 in his past five fights. Brazilian Yahya (17-7) has won all but two of his fights by way of submission and holds notable wins over Mark Hominick and Eddie Wineland.
In a five-round, light heavyweight main event matchup, former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva will step into the Octagon against top contender and decorated U.S. Marine Brian Stann. Brazilian fighter Silva, nicknamed “The Axe Murderer,” is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in knockout or referee stoppage due to strikes. He holds the records for the most wins, knockouts and title defenses, and longest winning streak in PRIDE history. This will be Silva’s first fight in Japan since 2006. Stann, born at the Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, owns a Silver Star for combat in the Marine Corps. The veteran has already accomplished some impressive feats that include winning the WEC light heavyweight title and defeating Chris Leben, Jorge Santiago and Alessio Sakara.
In the co-main event, contenders Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Mark Hunt face off in a hard-hitting UFC heavyweight bout. Making his long-awaited Japan debut, Struve, the tallest fighter in UFC history at seven foot, has won four in a row, with two Submission of the Night and one Fight of the Night awards. Hunt has long been one of the most popular fighters ever to compete in Japan because of his warrior spirit and knockout power. Hunt is on a three-fight winning streak and last fought at UFC 144 in Japan in February 2012, winning via knockout over Cheick Kongo.
The main card also features local hero and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi vs. Diego Sanchezat lightweight, and Korea’s Dong-Hyun Kim vs. knockout specialist Siyar Bahadurzada in a welterweight contest.
Other fights on the card include Japan’s own Riki Fukuda facing off against Brad Tavares at middleweight, Japanese bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki vs. Bryan Caraway, and the UFC debut’s of two Koreans, welterweight Hyun Gyu Lim and bantamweight Kyung Ho Kang, taking on Marcelo Guimaraes and Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres, respectively. Also making his debut is Japan’s Kazuki Tokudome who will take on Cristiano Marcello in a lightweight matchup.
Melvin Manhoef – Complete Career Tribute (2013) – Created by Balint
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