Weekly Mixed Martial Arts & Kickboxing News – 04/13/2012
By PDG Staff
Jim Miller Signs Multi-Fight Deal with TapouT and Plans to Raise Money for Nephew
Top UFC lightweight Jim Miller has officially signed a long-term endorsement deal with TapouT, the leading apparel company in mixed martial arts. Miller headlines UFC on FOX 3 on May 5 in his home state of New Jersey.
TapouT’s 2012 ‘#MYFIGHTMATTERS’ campaign has been trending recently with supporters Tweeting why their unique struggles are important. In the case of Jim Miller, this notion hits particularly close to home. “My 2 year old nephew, Daniel, suffers from recessive polycystic kidney disease (PKD). I fight everyday to raise money and be there for Daniel so that he has the care and support that he needs. That’s why my fight matters.”
For his May battle against Nate Diaz, TapouT is creating a limited edition ‘MY FIGHT MATTERS’ shirt and will donate a percentage of the proceeds to the Daniel James Miller Foundation. The shirt will be sold exclusively on TapouT.com.
To learn more about the Daniel James Miller Foundation, watch Jim Miller discuss the importance of the charity and the support from the MMA community:
Glory World Series kicks into next gear with GLORY First 16 in the 70kg class on May 26th in the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden
Glory World Series had a great start of the season in Moscow on March 23, 2012 when Errol Zimmerman made it clear to the world that it was no mistake that his 11 fight winning streak with 10 KO’s would not come to an end. He knocked down Jerome Le Banner three times in the first round, getting the TKO win. Sergey Kharitonov from Russia knocked out Mark Miller (USA) with a brutal bullet right punch in the 1st round while Semmy Schilt vs. Brice Guidon was another tough heavyweight fight where credit should be given to Brice Guidon who showed a strong fighting heart throughout.
On May 26, 2012 Glory World Series will see its First 16 – 70kg Championship in Stockholm, Sweden. The fans at the Ericsson Globe Arenas will witness the best line up in the 70kg class ever seen in Sweden and the world. GLORY has signed top fighters including Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy), Albert Kraus (Netherlands), Yoshihiro Sato (Japan), Fabio Pinca (France), Dzhabar Askarov (Russia), Shemsi Beqiri (Switzerland) , Maxim Vorovski (Estonia), Kem Sitsongpeenong (Thailand) and more to come. The Fighters all aim to make it into the GLORY Final 70kg Championship which has a Winners purse of US$ 300,000. The stakes could not be higher in Sweden.
The Superfight on the evening will be Semmy Schilt vs. Errol Zimmerman, another great battle of the Giants. GLORY is planning at least four events before the end of the year, starting with the event in Sweden on May 26th and then the FINAL of the 70kg Championship at the end of August. Two more dates will be set for the Heavyweight Championship which will see a total of US$ 400,000 at stake. Fighters already signed for the heavyweight Class are Peter Aerts (Netherlands), Brice Guidon (France), Jerome Le Banner (France), Semmy Schilt (Holland), Gokhan Saki (Turkey), Errol Zimmerman (Curacao), Sergey Kharitonov (Russia), Jamal Ben Saddik (Morocco), Filip Verlinden (Belgium), Ali Cenik (Turkey), Igor Jurkovic (Croatia) and more. The line up is an A list of today’s top Stand up Fighters.
Line-up for Glory World Series Tournament fights: Final 16 – 70KG – 26th May 2012 Stockholm:
1.) Giorgio Petrosyan (Italy) vs. Fabio Pinca (France)
2.) Max Vorovski (Estonia) vs. Sanny Dahlbeck (Sweden)
3.) Robin van Roosmalen (Netherlands) vs. Dzhabar Askerov (Russia)
4.) Ky Hollenback (USA) vs. Michael Corley (USA)
5.) Yoshiro Sato (Japan) vs. Shemsi Beqiri (Switserland)
6.) Dennis Schneidmiller (Germany) vs. Qi Chenglong (China)
7.) Kem Sitsongpeenong (Thailand) vs. Cosmo Alexandre (Brasil)
8.) Albert Kraus (Netherlands) vs. Mohamed El Mir (Denmark)
Line-up Glory World Series Super Fights – 26th May 2012 Stockholm:
1.) Nieky Holzken vs. Alex Harris (Sweden)
2.) Semmy Schilt (Netherlands) vs. Errol Zimmerman (Curacao)
UFC 149 – Card Updated
This summer’s Calgary fight card has received a dose of star power from two of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division who’ve agreed to face off at UFC 149. Judo black belt Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama will battle BJJ brown belt Thiago “Pitbull” Alves in a matchup between ground specialists who love to stand and trade.
UFC 149
July 21, 2012
ScotiaBank Saddledome
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Jose Aldo vs. TBD
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Thiago Alves
Mitch Gagnon vs. Bryan Caraway
Court McGee vs. Nick Ring
Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen
George Roop vs. Antonio Carvalho
UFC Supports International MMA Federation with Olympic Aspirations
The Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world’s leader in mixed martial arts, applauds the announcement made earlier this week of the creation of the new International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). The UFC wholeheartedly supports this new initiative as well as its leader, IMMAF President August Wallén, who will spearhead the initial growth of this Federation.
UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, who has helped lead the global growth of the UFC, feels that the timing is perfect. “In order to maintain the successful growth of our sport, it is important to invest in resources that will develop and cultivate it at an amateur level. Having anumbrella organization that will oversee and help build the sport on a global level will not only provide advanced and ever-improving safety standards but will also create a unified global model to help introduce the sport to new markets. It is our hope that it will also take us one step closer to witnessing the inclusion of the sport of MMA on the Olympic programme.”
“The creation of this organization is long overdue,” said Marc Ratner, Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs. “MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and we support the Federation’s focus on providing a globally unified set of rules and safety measures to help keep all fighters safe. While there are many obstacles ahead in the formation of this international organization, we are confident of the outcomes and advancements this group will make for the future of our sport.”
The UFC has long been committed to the growth and development of the sport of MMA. With broadcasts in over 150 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages, and more than 30 live events annually worldwide, the UFC has helped introduce the sport to many new cultures and audiences.
The creation of the IMMAF will help to foster the development of the sport at the grassroots level and bolster the work being done by the UFC and all other MMA organizations worldwide, further developing the integrity and legitimacy of the sport.
To learn more about the International MMA Federation visit www.immaf.org.
K-1 RISING 2012 ~ K-1 World Max Final 16 ~ in Madrid
Heated Survival Match of World’s Top Fighters to Compete Over Total Prize Money of Two Million Dollars!
Event Outline and Preliminary List of Participating Fighters!! The first K-1 tournament of the year, “K-1 RISING 2012 ~K-1 WORLD MAX in MADRID” is to be held at the Palacio Vista Alegre in Madrid, Spain, on May 27, 2012.
K-1 WORLD MAX Participating Fighters:
Andy Souwer (Holland)
Mike Zambidis (Greece)
Drago (Armenia)
Artur Kyshenko (Ukraine)
Yasuhiro Kido (Japan)
Yuji Nashiro (Japan)
Su Hwan Lee (Korea)
Abraham Roqueni (Spain)
Chahid (Morocco)
Longern Superpro Samui (Thai)
Harut Grigorian (Belgium)
Chris Ngimbi (Congo)
This commemorative event marks the first of 7 global fight events with total prize money of 2 million dollars. Starting with elimination tournaments for K-1 WORLD MAX FINAL 8, we have put together a thrilling super fight card that marks a touchstone reflecting the coming trend in K-1. SUPERFIGHT with the current and future world’s top heavyweight fighters are also ready to engage in a heated battle!
SUPERFIGHT with the current and future world’s top heavyweight fighters are also ready to engage in a heated battle! SUPERFIGHT fighters and K-1 WORLD MAX fight cards including additional name of participating fighters, will be released very soon!
Six New Bouts Complete Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus II Main Card on May 12
Lion Fight Promotions have announced that it has completed its Lion Fight Muay Thai VI: Schilling vs. Marcus II main fight card at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday, May 12 with six additional full-rules Muay Thai bouts, which will lead up to the highly-anticipated main event grudge rematch between WBC Light Heavyweight (175 pounds) Champion Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (12-2, 10 KO’s) of Los Angeles, Calif. and undefeated top contender Simon Marcus (23-0, 18 KO’s) of Toronto, Ontario Canada.
In the co-main event and a second much-anticipated rematch, Filipino American Romie Adanza (16-3, 7 KO’s) of Irvine, Calif. will face off with Thanit “Boom” Watthanaya (45-12, 12 KO’s) of Vancouver, BC Canada via Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.in a super flyweight (115 pounds) matchup.
Thai superstar Mongkon “Malaipet” Wiwasuk (138-27-5, 26 KO’s), fighting out of Fresno, Calif. will put his WBC national welterweight (147 pounds) strap on the line against aggressive-minded counterpuncher and entertaining showman Justin Greskiewicz (17-8, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, Pa.
Fresh off his rubber match victory over “Coke” Chunhawat, seasoned technician and fast-rising contender Matt Embree (20-3, 9 KO’s) of Toronto, Ontario Canada will return to Lion Fight action and face another tough, highly-experienced adversary in former world champion Nils Widlund (34-1, 12 KO’s) of Stockholm, Sweden.
In a matchup of two experienced, Las Vegas-based MMA competitors who have decided to test their combative skills in the Muay Thai ring for the first time in their respective professional careers, Javier Torres (0-0) will square off with Michael Madrid (0-0) in a 170 pound catchweight fight.
Scotty Leffler (5-2, 3 KO’s) of Las Vegas will take on upstart Artem Sharoshkin (3-1) of San Diego, Calif. via Penza, Russia in a welterweight (147 pounds) affair.
Undefeated rising star Tiffany Van Soest (2-0) of San Diego, Calif. will take on fellow prospect Heidi Otterbein (3-1, 1 KO) of Las Vegas via Vancouver, BC Canada. in a 125 pound catchweight bout.
War of Words Leading up to It’s Showtime 56
Making his It’s Showtime debut, Andrew Tate is not exactly bothered by stage fright. On May 12, he will fight Sahak ‘Hak’ Parparyan at ‘Siam Gym Belgium presents It’s Showtime 56’ in Kortrijk, Belgium, for the It’s Showtime world title 85kg max. This week, Tate made a remarkable and bold statement:
Andrew Tate is willing to bet ‘Hak’ for one thousand Euros that he will beat him!
Tate, 24 years old, won his last 18 fights by way of knockout, and he expects to do the same to Parparyan, the reigning It’s Showtime world champion in the 85kg division. “I’m clever, he’s dumb. I am faster and better conditioned. What’s he got to bring to this? Nothing but my new belt” said Tate. Having an American father, Tate holds a dual passport and even though he lives in Luton, England, he will defend the honor of both the USA and the UK. He even promised to win for the USA as they, according to Tate, “have no top level stand-up K-1 style fighters.”
According to maker of champions and It’s Showtime commentator Vinny ‘Showtime’ Shoreman, Andrew Tate has a “dangerous and weird style” and “‘Hak’ has a hard task ahead of him.”
Tate himself thinks he is being quite nice: “After the fight, ‘Hak’ can get an autograph and picture with me.”
Now it was up to the champion to respond. Will Sahak Parparyan take the bet?…
… and so the answer came quickly from Sahak Parparyan: “Tate, I raise the bet!. I am even willing to bet with Andrew Tate for my entire fight purse, because I will win.”
Parparyan, currently training at Mike’s Gym, said he is in preparation for his world title defense, and it looks like his preparation got fired up by Tate. Parparyan: “He should be happy if he survives 5 rounds with me. And if he does, he needs a visit to the hospital and he’ll have to eat through a straw. Also, after he fights me, he won’t be able to walk for a while.”
Tate has won his last 18 fights by knockout, but Parparyan, the Armenian world champion, is not easily impressed. “Andrew Tate fought nothing but cans. This time he will find out the difference between fighting a champion and fighting a pipsqueak,” said ‘Hak’.
‘Siam Gym Belgium presents It’s Showtime 56’ takes place on May 12, 2012, in Kortrijk, Belgium. The main event will be the fight between It’s Showtime world heavyweight champion Daniel Ghita and Belgian Sebastien van Thielen.
Bellator Heavyweight World Title at the Orleans Convention Center on May 25
The final chapter of Bellator Fighting Championships’ memorable sixth season, which is presented by Harrah’s New Orleans, will take place at the New Orleans Convention Center on May 25. Bellator 70 will feature the long-awaited Bellator Heavyweight World Title fight between explosive knockout artist Eric Prindle and reigning Bellator Heavyweight Champion Cole Konrad. Plus, it’s the Finals of Bellator’s best Middleweight Tournament to date as four fighters remain in this Season 6 race for the title with only one walking away with the $100,000 prize.
The road to Konrad-Prindle has been a bumpy one, as injuries and weight issues have delayed the highly-anticipated matchup. With both fighters healthy and ready to fight, Prindle, the longtime Army Boxing Champion, is ready to battle the two-time NCAA National Wrestling Champion in Konrad.
“I’m really excited to get back into the cage,” Konrad said. “This fight has been a long time coming. Eric is a really good standup fighter, and I have a lot of respect for him. I know what he can do standing up, so I’m not going to deviate from anything that has made me successful in the past.”
“I’m just ready to get into the cage and end this,” Prindle said. “I want to become a champion, and this is my time to do that.”
The night will also feature Louisiana native Rich “No Love” Clementi returning to the Bellator cage after nearly two years. A long time veteran of the sport, Clementi holds notable victories over Melvin Guillard, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Sam Stout, and will be looking for another dominating win at Bellator 70. The remaining fight card, which will be announced shortly, will consist of a bevy of local talent featured in the preliminary fights, streaming LIVE and FREE on Spike.com.
“The state of Louisiana has been a tremendous host, so bringing Bellator back to New Orleans to close out what has already been an incredible season was an easy decision,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “We’re excited to be working with the New Orleans Convention Center and to be hosting a great night of fights for these passionate and loyal Bellator fans.”
Super Fight League Announces Third Event – James Thompson vs. Bobby Lashley
India’s first MMA Organization Super Fight League (SFL) announced the following fights have been confirmed for SFL 3 taking place at the IGI Stadium, New Delhi on Sunday the 6th of May 2012. Bobby Lashley vs. James Thompson (HW/ Main Event), Trevor Prangley vs. Baga Agaev (LH), Doug Marshall vs. Zelg Galesic (MW) and Lena Ovchynnikova vs. Joanne Calderwood (125lb).
Fight fans from all over the world can tune in and watch the event live and free on the official SFL YouTube channel: YouTube.com/SFL.
ONE FC to Host Biggest Asian MMA Summit Ever
ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) announced today that it will host the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 from 1-3 June 2012. This invitation-only summit will be the largest in history for the sport of mixed martial arts in Asia. 150 of the most influential people in Asian MMA are invited for an all-expense paid trip to Singapore at the luxurious S$8 billion Marina Bay Sands, the world’s most expensive resort and casino, to join forces for the benefit of Asian MMA. The region’s leaders from the biggest MMA promotions, the most prominent MMA gyms, the largest global sponsors, the top media companies and government partners, will all be in attendance. Attendees will have an exclusive opportunity to listen to panels of experts from every corner of the Asian MMA industry, discuss the rapid development of MMA in Asia and collaborate to enjoy the benefits of the ONE FC Network.
The two-day agenda for ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 will feature presentations by industry leaders, TV broadcasters, international sponsors, leading gym owners, MMA media influencers and international MMA stars.
CEO and Owner of ONE Fighting Championship Victor Cui said, “In the last six months we have completely changed the game for the sport of mixed martial arts in Asia. This is a result of the synergistic efforts within the ONE FC Network and the outstanding support from the network’s exclusive partners. My vision is to create the best MMA network in Asia by choosing strategic partnerships made up of only the best promotions, gyms, sponsors, and media companies in the region. The ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 is an opportunity for us to come together to share ideas, harness the phenomenal growth of MMA in Asia and create opportunities for all.”
Additionally, in view of the skyrocketing demand for ONE FC events and the recent success of the sold-out ONE FC: War of the Lions event in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship has made the decision to upgrade the size of the venue for its upcoming event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The historic 8,000-seater Stadium Negara has now been chosen as the new venue for ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors. The new, confirmed date for the upcoming event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is 23 June 2012.
Randy Couture and Benson Henderson Complete The MMA Show Live Line-up
It has been confirmed that the star of The Expendables, former 6X UFC Champion Randy Couture and current UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson will complete the star studded line-up for The MMA Show Live, Europe’s largest and most prominent MMA expo. The MMA Show Live is being held May 12 – 13 at The NEC in Birmingham.
According to Liam Fisher, organizer of the event “We are thrilled that Randy Couture and Ben Henderson will be a part of the MMA Show Live, what better way to complete the shows line-up than with two of the sport’s biggest stars! There are more marquee fighters signed up for The MMA Show Live than ever before. This is truly an unmissable event!”
They MMA Show Live gives fans access to more top level UFC and MMA talent than any other MMA show in Europe! The sport of K1 will also be represented at the event, as 4X K1 Grand Prix Champion and PRIDE veteran Semmy Schilt has also been confirmed.
The MMA Show Live is an interactive fan experience dedicated to mixed martial arts from around the World. The show consists of five training areas where some of the biggest names in the business will host special group training sessions. The show also features a huge stage & screen for Q&A sessions, an autograph zone where fans can meet their favorite fighters, exhibition stands where some of the biggest brands in MMA will be selling merchandise and much more!
The Rua Brothers – Ninja & Shogun Highlight Video By Machinemen
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