Fedor Emelianenko At The M-1 Global Challenge XXIII Press Conference In Moscow
M-1 Challenge XXIII Fights will be available live to viewers worldwide on www.MMAMaxim.com
Join us to chat about this fight between rounds at http://www.facebook.com/MMAMaxim#!/home.php?sk=group_146022485450046
Moscow, Russia (January 18, 2011) – Kicking off 2011 with M-1 Challenge XXIII, M-1 Global hosted a press conference in Moscow today to field questions on the main-event bout and the undercard that is getting stronger by the day. Making a special appearance to show his support of the March 5th event taking place at the Crocus City Arena in Moscow, Russia was the great Fedor Emelianenko.
“Having Fedor in attendance certainly added additional excitement to the M-1 Challenge XXIII conference,” says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations of the worldwide mixed martial arts promotion. “Having been in Moscow to finalize his Visa for the February 12th Grand Prix fight against Antonio Silva, Fedor’s timing couldn’t have worked out better. Having our marquee fighter talk about the title fight and the event in general truly is an example of how much Fedor supports M-1’s plans for this year.”
With additional bouts being added to what is progressively becoming one of M-1 Global’s greatest cards in the company’s 13 year history, fans can expect an action-packed event.
Under Card Bouts:
Magomed Sultanakhmedov (28-5) vs. Plinio Cruz (5-3) Middleweight
Daniel Weichel (25-7) vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (16-4) Lightweight
Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (5-3) vs. Alexander Volkov (9-2-1) Heavyweight
* Additional bouts to be announced
Championship Bout
Heavyweight Division:
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Challenge Champion (10-0) clashes with
Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (7-4)
Free broadcast coverage of the entire M-1 Challenge XXIII event will be available live to viewers worldwide on www.MMAMaxim.com
With M-1 Challenge champions established in all five weight classes, a true contenders system will fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.
2011’s full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe are primed to be mega-event spectaculars where Champions defend their titles and contenders jockey for position for a coveted shot at the gold. Feeding the contention system will be two Selection tournaments in 2011 with details being announced shortly.
Who would enjoy watching Fedor fight Randy Couture?
UFC ANNOUNCES OPPORTUNITY FOR FANS TO WATCH UFC® FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS 2 PRELIMS ON FACEBOOK
By Clicking ‘Like’ Button on Facebook.com/UFC, Fans Can View Johnson vs. Guymon and McKenzie vs. Edwards Bouts for FREE
Know someone who needs increased brand awareness and sales? Email us at Info@MMAMaxim.com to tell us your needs as we have sponsorship opportunities with a fighter in the UFC Fight For The Troops & other competitions across the world. UFC Fight For the Troops 2 on SPIKE - Saturday, Jan. 22 - Ft. Hood, TX.
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – The opportunity to watch two live prelim fights for free from UFC® Fight For The Troops 2 is now only a click away. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that fans will have the ability to watch two exciting UFC contests on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT by simply clicking the “Like” button on the official UFC Facebook page.
By liking Facebook.com/UFC, fans will gain access to a live stream of the lightweight battle between Cody McKenzie (12-0) of The Ultimate Fighter® and veteran Yves Edwards (39-16-1), as well as a pivotal welterweight clash pitting TUF alum DaMarques Johnson (16-8) against Mike “The Joker” Guymon (13-4-1). Fans that do not have a Facebook account are encouraged to sign up at www.facebook.com.
“I’m always looking for ways to give fans fights for free and this is just another example of that,” UFC President Dana White said. “Facebook is such a great tool for people to stay connected and we’re excited to put two live fights on our UFC page for free.”
Following these bouts, fans can tune in to Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT to watch the live broadcast of the Fight For The Troops 2 main card from Fort Hood, Texas. The card is headlined by lightweight battle between Evan Dunham (11-1) and Melvin Guillard (44-9-3, 1 NC).
In addition to the live stream of two prelims on Facebook and the broadcast on Spike, UFC is hosting an online auction that will raise funds for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces with traumatic brain injuries. Prizes include the chance to attend the premiere of season 8 of the hit show Entourage, as well as the chance to meet Philadelphia Phillies centerfield Shane Victorino and attend a Major League Baseball game as his guest. For more information on the available prizes, please visit: www.fightforthetroops.com. The deadline for bids is Monday, Jan. 24.
UNBEATEN LYLE BEERBOHM WILL FACE PAT HEALY IN STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS MAIN EVENT FRIDAY, FEB. 18, LIVE ON SHOWTIME AT CEDAR PARK CENTER IN CEDAR PARK, TEXAS
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s Third Event in 21 Days
Go On Sale Friday, Jan. 21; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins This Wednesday
NEW YORK (Jan. 17, 2011) – In a vitally important fight that will bring the winner one step closer to challenging for a world title, undefeated rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Tex. suburb of Cedar Park on Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Beerbohm, of Spokane, Wash., will enter what will be a dangerous-for-both-fighters lightweight (155 pounds) scrap with a record of 15-0. Healy, of St. Louis, is 25-17.
An exclusive pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (www.strikeforce.com/signup.asp) beginning at 10 a.m. CT this Wednesday, Jan. 19, and ending at 10 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 20. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter Tuesday tonight with the pre-sale code.
Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third fight card in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Jan. 21, and will be available at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE's official website (www.strikeforce.com).
The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. .
Both Beerbohm and Healy are highly skilled 155-pounders who are trying to position themselves to contend for a possible shot at STRIKEFORCE World Champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez.
The experienced Healy has faced top quality opposition and is no stranger to a big fight. He showed his ability and tremendous determination in his last start, pushing former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the limit before getting submitted (rear-naked choke) at 4:27 of the third and final scheduled round on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.
All Beerbohm has done is win convincingly.
Beerbohm will be making his fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. This will be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME. In his last outing for STRIKEFORCE, Beerbohm won a split-decision over four-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro on May 15, 2010. It was only the second time one of Beerbohm’s fights went the distance.
A 5-foot-10, three-year pro, Beerbohm, who turns 32 on Feb. 5, has since fought twice, both in his home state of Washington. He is coming off a 2:48, first-round submission (guillotine choke) over Talon Hoffman on Dec. 4, 2010.
Beerbohm literally began his pro career after serving 366 days at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla as a result of felony convictions, all related to a crystal meth addiction. The day he was freed from prison, he visited a Jiu-Jitsu gym. He had his first amateur fight eight days after being released.
Since entering MMA, Beerbohm has found a discipline and determination that was missing in his life. "If I didn't go to prison, I probably would be dead today,” he said. “Because I wouldn't get cleaned up. I wouldn't go to rehab. I wouldn't get off the drugs. I didn't want to get off the drugs. (Finally) I traded one addiction for the other. I traded meth for MMA.”
A top wrestler in high school, Beerbohm is a brawler who can switch between southpaw and orthodox stances. He went 12-0 in the amateurs, in spite of the obstacles he had to overcome. Although the vast majority of his fights have ended early and he’s recorded more KO’s than submissions, he still considers himself a grappler.
Beerbohm, whose nickname is derived from the custom-made, multi-colored trunks sewn by his mother, owns wins over former world Muay Thai champion and STRIKEFORCE and UFC veteran Duane “Bang’’ Ludwig as well as UFC vet Rafaello Oliveira. Beerbohm submitted (bulldog choke) Ludwig in the first round of a non-televised fight at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on June 19, 2009.
“I want to fight the best, I want to fight for the STRIKEFORCE title,’’ said Beerbohm, the head of Washington's Fancy Pants Fight Team. “All I can do is continue to work hard and beat who they put in front of me. This is going to be a very difficult fight for both of us, but I’m confident of winning and moving up the ranks.
“I am very anxious to fight on SHOWTIME and show the fans and STRIKEFORCE what I can do. My goal is to fight for the world title. I want to be the champ. I want a five-round fight. That would be something else.’’
A member of Team Quest, Healy has been an active MMA fighter for nearly a decade. He’s ousted big-name, quality opponents all over the world since turning pro in August 2001, including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.
The accomplished veteran is 1-1 in STRIKEFORCE. Before the Thomson tussle, Healy scored an impressive unanimous decision over Bryan Travers (13-1 going in) during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21, 2010. It was a rare points victory for the well-conditioned, durable wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.
Healy has won three of his last four bouts, and six of eight. “I was disappointed I didn’t quite get it done the last time, but I appreciate getting another opportunity against an up-and-coming fighter,’’ Healy said. “This fight is obviously very important to me. I’ll enter the cage with a lot of confidence.’’
Healy got his start in MMA at the age of 15, shortly after he and a brother stood up to a neighborhood bully and Muay Thai practitioner. Following the altercation, Pat wanted to learn more about technical fighting and sought out MMA gyms for formal training.
To supplement his MMA training regimen, he wrestled in high school, gaining All State accolades and eventually went on to wrestle at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. Following college, Pat knew that he had the potential to do something great and devoted himself fulltime to an MMA career.
Healy believes that cardio is his strength and that it allows him to pressure and break his opponents mentally.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not how he does at times of comfort and convenience, but how he performs at times of challenge and controversy." (Martin Luther King, Jr.). Which martial artist/fighter (male or female) comes to mind when you read this quote?
Titan Fighting Championship Signs UFC Veteran Phil Baroni
By: Press Release | Posted: January 13, 2011 at 11:19am
Kansas City, KS -- The Titan Fighting Championship (www.TitanFighting.com) announced today that it has reached a multi-fight agreement with former UFC and Strikeforce star Phil "The New York Bad Ass" Baroni.
"Since Phil's departure from the UFC, many fight fans have been wondering what Phil's next move would be. I am proud to announce that Phil has signed a multi-fight deal with Titan and will be featured during our March event," Titan Fighting CEO Joe Kelly stated. "Phil has a star quality to him that so few fighters have and win or lose he has always fought with a true warrior's mentality."
"I'm very happy and excited to re-start my career with Titan Fighting in Kansas City," said Baroni. "I have another chapter to write and it starts March 25. The best NYBA 'eva is fighting for Titan... People love a comeback." Baroni is scheduled to debut for Titan on its March 25 show in Kansas City against an opponent yet to be determined.
Considered one of the most exciting and charismatic fighters in the sport, Baroni has been competing since the year 2000 and has recorded notable wins in his career over the likes of Ikuhisha "Minowaman" Minoawa, Yuki Kondo, Amar Suloev, Ryo Chonan, and Kansas City MMA legend Curtis Stout.
In addition to his notable wins competing for promotions such as PRIDE and the UFC, Baroni was involved in a historic feud with Frank "The Legend" Shamrock in a pay-per-view event that attracted one of the largest non-UFC PPV audiences in MMA history. He also competed on the first-ever MMA event broadcast on prime-time network television when he fought Joey Villasenor during EliteXC's "Primetime" card on CBS in May of 2008.
News pertaining to Baroni's opponent as well as additional information regarding Titan's March 25 show will be made available in the coming weeks. The promotion's next event is scheduled for Friday, January 28, at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and will be televised live on HDNet (www.HD.net). The event will be headlined by two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia taking on TUF 10 veteran Abe Wagner. Also featured on the card will be Drew McFedries, L.C. Davis, and Jason High. Tickets are currently on-sale at Ticketmaster.com and the Memorial Hall box office.
For additional informational concerning the Titan Fighting Championship, please visit www.TitanFighting.com; friend Titan Fighting on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/titanfighting; or follow the promotion on Twitter @titanfighting.
ABOUT THE TITAN FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP (www.TitanFighting.com): The Titan Fighting Championship is a Kansas City-based full-time Mixed Martial Arts promotion headquartered out of the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Owned and operated by veteran fight promoter Joe Kelly, the Titan Fighting Championship has promoted events since 2006. The goal of Titan FC is to promote and develop the top up-and-coming fighters in the world and provide a platform allowing them to take their respective careers to the next level. Fighters who have gotten their start with Titan include Mike Johnson, Jay Hieron, L.C. Davis, Rob Kimmons, Lee Gibson, Alan Belcher, Bobby Voelker, Zak Cummings, Rudy Bears, and James Krause.
by Dann Stupp and George Garcia on Jan 12, 2011 at 12:35 pm ET
Junior Dos Santos (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has opened a slight favorite over fellow UFC heavyweight contender Brock Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
Noted MMA oddsmaker and frequent radio guest Joey Oddessa (@MMAOdds) today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) he's set the initial line at -155 in favor of Dos Santos, which gives him an approximately 61 percent chance of defeating Lesnar (+125).
UFC president Dana White recently named Dos Santos and Lesnar as "The Ultimate Fighter 13" coaches, and they're expected to fight in a No. 1 contender's bout at UFC 131.
As MMAjunkie.com first reported earlier this week, UFC 131 is expected to take place June 11 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, though officials still are finalizing the date and venue.
News of the bout of the fight and the fighters' appointments as "TUF 13" coaches came as a big surprise on Tuesday. Officials closely guarded the identity of the coaches, who each will lead a team of welterweight prospects on the reality series. The season debut is set for March 30 on Spike TV, and the live finale takes place June 4, a week before the expected Dos Santos vs. Lesnar bout.
The opening line likely will be picked up by the major sportsbooks and will fluctuate as money comes in on each fighter. UFC 131, though, marks the first time that Lesnar has opened as an underdog in an MMA fight.
Lesnar is a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion and UFC titleholder who lost his belt to current champ Cain Velasquez in October. The former WWE star has emerged as the UFC's top pay-per-view draw, and his inclusion in "TUF" should translate to big ratings.
Dos Santos, meanwhile, recently claimed top-contender status by posting a 6-0 record in the UFC. Recent wins have come over Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga and Roy Nelson.
Officials put together the fight and coaching gigs after current champ Cain Velasquez required shoulder surgery (and a long recovery period) due a shoulder injury he suffered in an October title win over then-champ Lesnar. The UFC 131 winner gets a guaranteed title shot with Velasquez.
For more on UFC 131, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
Top-Heavy: Shane Del Rosario-Lavar Johnson,
Chad Griggs-Gian Villante, Valentijn Overeem-Ray Sefo
At IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Tomorrow/Wednesday
ALL HEAVYWEIGHT CARD SET FOR STRIKEFORCE WORLD GRAND PRIX KICKOFF
SATURDAY, FEB. 12, LIVE ON SHOWTIME
Shane Del Rosario celebrating victory!
The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, Calif.
NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2011) – Six additional hard-hitting heavyweight fighters have been called to action for the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promotion and historic kick-off of the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.
The three fights are: Undefeated top prospect Shane Del Rosario (10-0) of Irvine, Calif., vs. hard-hitting Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3) of Madera, Calif., Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) of Tucson, Ariz., vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) of Bellmore, N.Y., and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) of Amsterdam, Holland, vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0) of Las Vegas.
“This event will showcase the depth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight roster,” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “Shane and Lavar are two products of the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series that has been instrumental in developing new talent. We are proud to welcome them to our championship series for the first time on Feb. 12 and excited to show the world that STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweights on the planet.”
The all heavyweight main card will be highlighted by two sensational quarterfinal bouts in the single-elimination STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament.
Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC), of Stary Oskol, Russia, returns against Brazil’s Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) of Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil in the main event. The co-feature will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8), of Chicago by way of Minsk, Belarus, against Sergei Kharitonov (16-4) of Moscow, Russia. Kharitonov is the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem.
The promising 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Rosario has won nine of his 10 fights in the opening round, including a 3:38 first-round TKO (knees and punches) over Lolohea Mahe during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in his last outing on July 23, 2010, at Everett, Wash. Prior to that, Rosario registered a rare omoplata submission victory over Brandon Cash at 2:27 of the first on Nov. 6, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Fresno, California.
“I’m looking forward to fighting again and fighting Lavar on Feb. 12,” said Rosario, a Muay Thai specialist whose longest fight lasted a total of 4:07. “We’ve both fought on Challengers and now we get to show what we can do on a big show. I’m excited about that. This will be a great fight between two hungry fighters.”
The heavy-handed Johnson has been triumphant in seven consecutive fights, winning all by (T)KO, including three straight on Challengers. This will be his third fight since returning to the cage after he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009. Johnson survived three gunshot wounds from a walk-by shooting that led to the death of his cousin. A father of two boys, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital fighting for his life and several more months rehabilitating.
“I want to be known as a fighter, not as a guy who got shot, and this is my greatest opportunity to do that,” said the 6-foot-3, 33-year-old who stopped Virgil Zwicker at 2:17 of the first round on Oct. 22, 2010. “I feel like I’m ready to move up to the big stage. Fighting a talented fighter like Rosario is a huge step and, with our records, there is no way this cannot be one of the most exciting fights of the night.” Thirteen of Johnson’s 15 victories have come via either knockout or TKO.
Griggs, a winner in four consecutive fights, is coming off a bloody, upset second-round TKO (retirement) over former pro wrestling superstar and previously unbeaten MMA fighter, Bobby Lashley, on Aug. 21, 2010, in Houston, on SHOWTIME.
A fulltime Tucson firefighter and paramedic, the 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Griggs opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye in the first round after getting taken to the ground and ultimately outlasted the previously unbeaten MMA fighter in the second as a still-bleeding Lashley seemed to gas.
The courageous, come-from-behind triumph may have been the most noteworthy for a well-rounded, strong finisher known for quick endings and tricky submissions. Six of Griggs’ victories came in the first round, and he has scored knockouts in eight of his nine victories.
“It was a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and getting a super win in a big fight like that was huge for me,’’ Griggs said. “I appreciate the opportunity to show what I can do again against another tough opponent.”
Villante is a 6-foot-2, 25-year-old grappling stud who was born and raised on Long Island. Before he wrestled and played football at Hofstra University, he was an All-State football player and All-American wrestler at MacArthur High in Levittown, NY.
After trying out with the NFL’s New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, Villante turned to MMA in late 2008. “I got hooked the first time I went to an MMA fight card and saw one of my high school wrestling coaches KO some guy in a few seconds,” he said. “I was still a senior in high school but I got that feeling that I could maybe do this, and it was always in the back of my mind.
“I knew when my dream to play in the NFL ended that this was what I wanted to do. Now, fighting MMA has become more of a dream than football. I’m extremely excited about fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. This is a tremendous opportunity and it is like a home game for me.”
Without the benefit of an amateur career, Villante turned pro on Feb. 20, 2009, and won his initial six fights. His lone defeat came when he dislocated an elbow in a bout halted in the opening round on April 16, 2010. Villante is coming off a 1:03, first-round TKO over Joseph Reyes on Dec. 3, 2010. It was his sixth success in the first round.
The older brother of Alistair Overeem, Valentijn Overeem is a fierce, dangerous striker who has won his last two fights in a combined time of 47 seconds. The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old Dutch Destroyer scored a 40-second KO (knee) over Catalin Zmarandescu on May 21, 2010. In his outing before last, the previous April 17, a head kick finished off Tengiz Tedoradze seven seconds after the opening bell.
Overeem, who injured an elbow during training and withdrew from a match last Dec. 4 against “Big Foot’’ Silva, has several notable victories, including a 0:56, first-round submission over all-time great Randy “The Natural” Couture and a 2:19, first-round submission over former STRIKEFORCE Middleweight Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral. Overeem has only gone the distance twice in a 53-fight career.
A member of Team Golden Glory like his brother, Alistair, Valentijn is a four-time winner in PRIDE Fighting Championship competition. He’ll be making his debut for STRIKEFORCE after signing with the San Jose, Calif.-based promotion last June.
Sefo is one of the most devastating knockout artists in the history of kickboxing and many are excited to see him return to STRIKEFORCE. This will be the native of Auckland, New Zealand’s first MMA start since he defeated (knee injury) Kevin Jordan in his STRIKEFORCE debut during a Challengers event on Sept. 25, 2009.
After turning professional and earning more than a dozen kickboxing championships, Sefo turned his focus to the mecca of kickboxing, K-1, in Japan. While competing under the K-1 banner, Sefo quickly earned a reputation as a power puncher with a penchant for knocking his opponents out. During his time with in K-1, Sefo notched wins over the likes of MMA notables Mark Hunt, Melvin Manhoef, 7-foot-2 Hong Man Choi, Gary Goodridge, Marvin Eastman and Gilbert Yvel along with scores of champion kickboxers.
The 6-foot, 39-year-old Sefo’s level of kickboxing is rarely seen in MMA, yet with just two pro MMA fights in five years he remains a question mark in a heavyweight division regarded as the best in MMA. Sefo, who went undefeated his entire career as an amateur kickboxer, won his MMA debut with a second-round KO (head kick) over Min Soo Kim on July, 6, 2005, in Japan.
A special ticket pre-sale for “STRIKEFORCE Insiders,” begins tomorrow/Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 10 a.m. ET and ends Thursday at 10 p.m. Fans can sign up to become an “Insider” at STRIKEFORCE.com
Junior Dos Santos (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has opened a slight favorite over fellow UFC heavyweight contender Brock Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
