Weekly Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing News – 11/25/2012
By PDG Staff
UFC on Fox 5: Henderson vs. Diaz – Fight Card Update
After lightweight prospect John Cholish suffered a groin injury in training and was forced out of his December 8th bout against Yves Edwards, veteran 155-pounder Jeremy Stephens stepped up to fill in for Cholish in Seattle, thus getting another chance to face Edwards after their October bout in Minneapolis was scrapped on bout day.
UFC on Fox 5
December 8, 2012
Key Arena
Seattle, Washington
Main Card:
Benson Henderson (17-2) vs. Nate Diaz (16-7) – UFC lightweight title bout
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-6) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (14-1)
Rory MacDonald (13-1) vs. BJ Penn (16-8-2)
Mike Swick (15-4) vs. Matt Brown (15-11)
Preliminary Card:
Brendan Schaub (8-3) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-6)
Dennis Siver (20-8) vs. Nam Phan
Ramsey Nijem (6-2) vs. Joe Proctor (8-1)
Yves Edwards (41-18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8)
Daron Cruikshank (11-2) vs. Henry Martinez (9-2)
Scott Jorgensen (13-6) vs. John Albert (7-3)
Tim Means (18-3-1) vs. Abel Trujillo (9-4)
Michael Chiesa (8-0) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (22-6)
Mike Easton (13-1) vs. T.J. Dillashaw (6-1)
Remy Bonjasky vs Tyrone Spong Moves to March 23 To Give Bonjasky Full Fight Camp Following New Year’s Eve Fight
The highly-anticipated showdown between Remy Bonjasky (76-14, 40 KO’s) and Tyrone Spong (68-6-1 42 KO’s) will take place on Saturday, March 23 at the Excel Arena in London, England, it was announced today by Glory Sports International, parent company of the Glory World Series.
The bout had previously been set for February 16 but with Bonjasky being set to participate in the GLORY 4 – TOKYO: GRAND SLAM 16-man mega-tournament on New Year’s Eve, it was decided that February would potentially be too soon for him to get back in the ring. He will now have several more weeks to recover from his tournament bouts and get in peak condition for his first-time meeting with Spong.
“Remy was more than happy to take part in the tournament and then fight again in February,” explains GLORY Chairman Pierre Andurand. “But this is the first time that he and Spong will have fought and there was such huge interest in the match when we announced it that we decided to move the date and give him some time to rest up. It means that he and Spong will be in peak condition when they face each other.”
Marcus Luer, Managing Director of GLORY, added, “The worldwide interest in Spong vs. Bonjasky has been absolutely huge. Within literally minutes of it being announced we were inundated with requests for tickets and broadcast details.
“With this fight being of such magnitude to fans worldwide, we want both fighters to be at their absolute best for this historic first meeting. They now have a few extra weeks to sharpen their weapons for what is expected to be a truly classic encounter.”
‘The Flying Gentleman’ Bonjasky is a household name among kickboxing fans and this will be the first time that British fight fans have the opportunity to see him fight live. One of the most athletic fighters ever to step into the ring, Bonjasky’s flying knees and kicks have provided some of the most thrilling images of the sport and helped propel him to victory in three Grand Prix tournaments in the old K-1 fight series.
An eye ailment forced a temporary retirement on him for nearly three years but, after undergoing surgery, the 1.93 meter (6-foot-4), 108 kilogram (240 pound) fighter was ready to put the gloves back on. Last month he made a triumphant return with a decision win over Brazil’s top heavyweight, Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva.
Amsterdam native Spong, who recently relocated to Boca Raton, Fla. to train with the famed ‘Blackzilians’ fight squad, is a world-class athlete. Standing 1.88 meters (6-foot-2) and weighing 103.5 kilograms (228 pounds), he started his career as a middleweight and has retained that speed and fluidity as he has moved up through the weight classes to heavyweight. With explosive power in his hands, nearly two-thirds of Spong’s wins have been by stoppage, including his June KO of legend Peter Aerts.
Tickets for the March 23 event will go on sale soon and the full card will be announced in the near future. The headliners are supported by a stellar card which includes two of the UK’s top talents taking on strong international opposition.
Jordan Watson (29-5-1, 14 KO’s) and Liam Harrison (67-13-2, 38 KO’s), of the Bad Company team in Leeds, have carved their reputations in the fighting rings of Thailand and around the world. In March, Watson will face the Australian knockout machine ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Moxon (29-4-1, 16 KO’s) while his team mate Harrison faces the Dutch-Moroccan technician Mosab ‘Jaguar’ Amrani (48-7-4, 14 KO’s).
M-1 Challenge 36 – Fight Card Update
M-1 Challenge 36 tournament will take place on December 8 in the Mytishi, Moscow area. The fight card of the tournament includes team match between the members of Golden Team and Russian young talents from around the world, plus five great M-1 Challenge superfights that you simply can’t miss!
Tough Bulgarian wrestler Georgi Stoyanov (12-1) will have his first match on the international scene against always dangerous and well-rounded M-1 ex-champion Daniel Weichel (29-8) from MMA-Spirit team.
Young light-heavyweight talent from Staryi Oskol Viktor Nemkov (15-4) will take on Russian submission specialist Gadzhimurad Antigulov (6-2) in the fight where can be determined the next title contender in this division.
In the match of two very tough and experienced MMA veterans Andrei Semenov (32-9-2) will face a real challenge in Italian middleweight Michele Verginelli (17-9).
Spectacular Russian striker Arthur Guseinov (9-3) will fight against the opponent that will be announced later.
M-1 heavyweight champion Kenny Garner (11-3) will fight against Georgian giant Guram Gugenishvili (11-1) for the third time to determine the final winner of their epic trilogy.
M-1 Challenge 35
December 8, 2012
Ice Palace
Mytishi, Moscow area, Russia
Golden Team vs. Russian MMA teams:
Albert Shogenov vs. Radik Tuyushev
Ratmir Teuvazhukov vs. Bekbulat Magomedov
Ruslan Fomin vs. Ivan Ulyanchenko
Islam Gugov vs. Dzhambulat Kurbanov
Magomed Ismailov vs. Andrey Maslov
M-1 Challenge Superfights:
Viktor Nemkov vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov
Georgi Stoyanov vs. Daniel Weichel
Arthur Guseinov vs. TBA
Andrei Semenov vs. Michele Verginelli
Kenny Garner vs. Guram Gugenishvili – M-1 heavyweight title bout
Thiago Silva Suspended for Positive Marijuana Result
Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, released a statement this week regarding UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva:
“Thiago Silva tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout at UFC on FUEL TV in Macau. The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. Silva has admitted to taking the banned substance and has agreed to participate in an approved drug-rehabilitation program and serve a six-month suspension retroactive to the November 10 event. He must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to fight again.”
Melvin Manhoef Injured, Out of KSW 21
Invicta FC 4 – First Strawweight Title Fight on Jan. 5th Pits Undefeated Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza
Just three months after its first world championship bout, women’s mixed martial arts Invicta Fighting Championships will return to Memorial Hall in Kansas City and crown a champion in its strawweight (115 pounds) division after undefeated sensation Claudia Gadelha (9-0) of Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil battles streaking star Carla Esparza (8-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. for the title in the main event of a 12-bout fight card on Saturday, Jan. 5th.
In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-main event, crowd-pleasing submission ace Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-7) of Sioux Falls, S.D. will go to war with fellow top-ranked star Alexis Davis (12-5) of Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada.
Following her second round (2:19) TKO (punches) of Kaitlin Young at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (4-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will return to action to face a bantamweight opponent to be determined.
Power-punching KO artist Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-2) of Salvador Bahia, Brazil will take on submission specialist Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (6-3) of San Jose, Calif. at bantamweight.
JEWELS star Hiroko Yamanaka (12-2) of Kisarazu, Japan will battle Invicta FC 3 winner Ediane Gomes (8-2) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest.
In the event’s opening main card bout, undefeated Joanne Calderwood (4-0) of Glasgow, Scotland will square off with Invicta FC newcomer Bec Hyatt (4-1) of Brisbane, Australia at strawweight.
After scoring her second consecutive, five-second KO on July 8, Veronica Rothenhausler (0-0) of Reno, Nev. will make her much-anticipated professional debut on the Invicta FC 4 undercard against fellow heavy-handed featherweight competitor Katalina Malungahu (2-1) of Las Vegas, Nev.
Opening Round Matchups Official for New Year’s Eve GLORY 4 Tokyo – Heavyweight Grand Slam 16-Man Tournament
The opening round matches for the highly-anticipated GLORY 4 TOKYO – Heavyweight Grand Slam, one-night, 16-man kickboxing tournament at Saitama Super Arena on New Year’s Eve, were determined via a random draw in the Japanese capital today.
“The tournament draw has made some really interesting matches for the first round, matching the best rising stars with some of the sport’s biggest names. Some of the pairings are absolutely explosive and will be guaranteed wars,” says GLORY chairman Pierre Andurand.
“This is the world’s most prestigious kickboxing tournament and is the single biggest kickboxing event in history. We are extremely proud of this line-up that features fighters from over a dozen nations, and are very excited at seeing the tournament play out,” says GLORY Managing Director Marcus Luer.
“Tens of thousands of fans watched the draw online and it was attended by numerous members of the press both in Tokyo and online, guaranteeing that the eyes of the world will be on the Saitama Super Arena this New Year’s Eve.”
Here are the match-ups:
Semmy Schilt (39-6) vs. Brice Guidon (28-7)
Gokhan Saki (77-15) vs. Raomoru (-)
Daniel Ghita (44-7) vs. Fabiano ‘Cyclone’ Aoki (27-9)
Remy Bonjasky (77-14) vs. Filip Verlinden (38-6)
Peter Aerts (104-30-1) vs. Mourad Bouzidi (73-19)
Errol Zimmerman (76-16-1) vs. Jamal Ben Saddik (22-0)
Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva (32-8-1) vs. Igor Jurkovic (44-5)
Sergei Kharitonov (22-7) vs. Rico Verhoeven (37-6-1)
GLORY tournaments use a seeding system akin to that used in tennis and other tournament sports. The top eight fighters in the official GLORY rankings were appointed seeds one through eight, respectively, in the invitation-only Heavyweight Grand Slam draw, and today’s draw determined which of the remaining eight participants would face them in the first fights of the night.
A total of $600,000 in prize money will be awarded during the GLORY 4 Tokyo – Heavyweight Grand Slam fight card, which represents one-half of the ‘GSI presents DREAM 18 and GLORY 4 Tokyo – New Year’s Eve Special,’ double-header event at Saitama Super Arena.
Reality Check showdown will determine MFC heavyweight title fight Contender
The Maximum Fighting Championship has officially signed one of the biggest heavyweight matchups in organizational history for MFC 36: Reality Check.
Canada’s top two heavyweights will square-off with an MFC title shot at stake when undefeated hotshot Smealinho Rama meets rising star Mike “The Honey Badger” Hackert on Friday, Feb. 15. The bout will be a highlighted matchup on the MFC 36 card airing live on AXS TV Fights emanating from the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. The winner of the bout earns a shot at the MFC heavyweight title later in 2013.
“Canadian fight fans have been wanting to see this fight, and frankly, so have I because this is the kind of fight I wanted when we put the heavyweight division back in play this year,” said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich.
“These two guys are exciting heavyweights. They’re not going to lay there and smother you. They’re going to put on the gloves and just go at it.
“Rama has so much natural talent. He moves incredibly well for a young man of his size, but most importantly, he has risen to the occasion each time and has passed each test with flying colors.
“Hackert demolished Hague in their rematch and left no doubt who the No. 1 heavyweight in Canada is right now. Mike has some of the most incredible hands in MMA today and he can be a very destructive force.
“I have no doubt this will be the best heavyweight fight in Canadian MMA history, and the winner will deservedly get the MFC title shot.”
Rama (5-0) has also agreed to a new, multi-fight contract fresh off his tidy first-round submission victory over Ryan Fortin at MFC 35. The native of Albania, who now fights out of Calgary, Alberta, has not been outside the first round in all five of his outings. In fact, his two knockout and three submission verdicts have all come in under four minutes including his test against Fortin which lasted all of 2:02.
Against Fortin, Rama flashed deceiving quickness along with a decent ground attack from a young fighter who weighed in at 260 pounds. He nearly finished the fight in the early moments with a neatly put together armbar, and ultimately coaxed the tapout with a rear-naked choke.
Hackert (6-1) has just one stoppage to his credit, but it came in his most recent and most important fight of his career thus far. Following up on his stunning upset of veteran Tim Hague this past May, Hackert stepped forward for a rematch then promptly put on a striking clinic and took out Hague with a TKO victory at the 2:27 mark of the first round.
The Comox Valley, B.C., product, who stepped in the ring against Hague for the rematch at a lean 222 pounds, has some of the fastest hands in the heavyweight ranks – an arsenal that quickly put Hague in peril in the much-ballyhooed rematch.
UFC 156 – Super Bowl Weekend – Fight Card Update
The welterweight hits keep on coming for UFC 156 in February, as Brazilian phenom Erick Silva battles veteran Jay Hieron in a compelling 170-pound showdown that was verbally agreed to this week.
UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar
Feb 02, 2013
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
Jose Aldo (21-1) vs. Frankie Edgar (14-3-1) – UFC featherweight title bout
Alistair Overeem (36-11) vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (17-4)
Rashad Evans (17-2-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5)
Jon Fitch (24-4-1) vs. Demian Maia (17-4)
Erick Silva (14-3) vs. Jay Hieron (23-6)
Urijah Faber vs. TBD
Dan Hardy on Training with GSP and New Rivalries
From the PunchDrunkGamer Forums:
* The Ultimate Fighter ‘The Smashes’ – Discussion & Results
* UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez II – Fight Card Updates
* SUPERKOMBAT WGP 2012 Final Announced
* S-Cup 2012 Results and Videos
* Mukai Maromo Signs New Multi-Fight Deal with MFC
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