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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Dream Champion Shinya Aoki Breaks The Arm Of Sengoku Champ Mizuto Hirota Then Gives Him The Finger (Dynamite 2009)
Dream Lightweight Champion Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki vs. Sengoku Lightweight Champ Mizuto Hirota K1 - Dynamite!! Power Of Courage 2009.
UFC 125 - Resolution Edgar vs. Maynard Jan.1, 2011 in Las Vegas
UFC Lightweight Championship Re-match between Frankie "the Answer" Edgar vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard. Post your predictions.
Gray "The Bully" Maynard takes on UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar after winning a unanimous decision against Edgar at UFC - Fight Night 13 on April 2, 2008, after 3 rounds. Gray "The Bully" Maynard (During His Last Victory Over Kenny Florian at UFC 118 on Aug. 28, 2010)   | |||||||||||||
10 - 0 - 0 (Win - Loss - Draw) ( 1 NC ) | |||||||||||||
2 (T)KOs ( 20 %) 8 Decisions ( 80 %) | |||||||||||||
5'8" (173cm) | |||||||||||||
156lbs (71kg) | |||||||||||||
1979-09-05 | |||||||||||||
Las Vegas, Nevada | |||||||||||||
United States
MMAMaxim.com Samurai Shirts on Sale to Celebrate   |
Strikeforce & K-1 Champion Alistair Overeem vs Former UFC Fighter Todd Duffee Confirmed
Strikeforce & K-1 Champion Alistair Overeem vs Former UFC Fighter Todd Duffee Finally Confirmed for fans.
FEG's Dynamite!! 2010 show, has finally confirmed that Alistair Overeem, (33-11, 1 No Contest) will be fighting former UFC fighter Todd Duffee (pictured below) Duffee's MMA Record is 6-1. His loss was due to not pacing himself and not changing his plan against Mike Russow whom he dominated by stiking. The overweight Russow knocked out Duffee with one punch in the later rounds at UFC 114 in May, 2010.
Overeem punches and knees much harder than Russow so this will be a great test for Duffee.
Duffee stated he was fighting Overeem on the Dec. 31 card two days ago on his Facebook profile.
"MMA Fighting has confirmed with multiple sources close to the bout that both parties have officially agreed to the fight.
While Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion, was on hand for a pre-fight press conference in Japan on Wednesday, FEG is only expected to officially announce the fight sometime after Christmas.
The 25-year-old Duffee, 6-1, reportedly turned down a chance to fight Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on short notice in St. Louis and who has not fought since losing via knockout to Mike Russow at UFC 114 in May. He was released from the UFC in September."
"The biggest problem I have with Todd Duffee is his attitude," UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting following Duffee's release. "You guys don't see it. You don't know. I deal with tons of guys. We have hundreds of guys under contract and I've had thousands of guys under contract over the last ten years and Todd Duffee, to me, doesn't seem like he wants to be in the UFC. He doesn't like being in the UFC. Let him go fight in the smaller organizations and work his way back up, if he even wants to work his way back up and get back into the UFC. He just came off a knockout. He got knocked out in his fight and he's got a horrible attitude. He's got a horrible attitude. He can still go back and train and fight in these smaller leagues and work on his skills and his attitude."
"Duffee had recently agreed to fight Abe Wagner at Titan Fighting Championship on Jan. 29. He is still expected to honor that commitment, unless he is physically unable to do so after the Overeem fight.
Meanwhile, Overeem, 33-11 (1 NC), won the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals earlier this month in Tokyo. This will mark just his second MMA fight of the year. He successfully defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title, which won't be on the line for this fight, against Brett Rogers in May.
Other fights signed for the traditional New Year's Eve show at the Saitama Super Arena are Jerome Le Banner vs. Satoshi Ishii, Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri. The event will air live in North America on HDNet."
MMAMaxim.com Samurai Shirts on Sale Now
"The biggest problem I have with Todd Duffee is his attitude," UFC president Dana White told MMA Fighting following Duffee's release. "You guys don't see it. You don't know. I deal with tons of guys. We have hundreds of guys under contract and I've had thousands of guys under contract over the last ten years and Todd Duffee, to me, doesn't seem like he wants to be in the UFC. He doesn't like being in the UFC. Let him go fight in the smaller organizations and work his way back up, if he even wants to work his way back up and get back into the UFC. He just came off a knockout. He got knocked out in his fight and he's got a horrible attitude. He's got a horrible attitude. He can still go back and train and fight in these smaller leagues and work on his skills and his attitude."
"Duffee had recently agreed to fight Abe Wagner at Titan Fighting Championship on Jan. 29. He is still expected to honor that commitment, unless he is physically unable to do so after the Overeem fight.
Meanwhile, Overeem, 33-11 (1 NC), won the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals earlier this month in Tokyo. This will mark just his second MMA fight of the year. He successfully defended his Strikeforce heavyweight title, which won't be on the line for this fight, against Brett Rogers in May.
Other fights signed for the traditional New Year's Eve show at the Saitama Super Arena are Jerome Le Banner vs. Satoshi Ishii, Bibiano Fernandes vs. Hiroyuki Takaya, Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Thomson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri. The event will air live in North America on HDNet."
MMAMaxim.com Samurai Shirts on Sale Now
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Strikeforce Diaz vs Cyborg & Souza vs Lawler, Gracie vs Prangley, Walker vs Carson On Jan. 29 In San Jose, CA
NICK DIAZ TO DEFEND WELTERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST EVANGELISTA CYBORG,
San Jose: Diaz vs Cyborg, MAIN CARD
JACARE SOUZA TO RISK MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT AGAINST ROBBIE LAWLER LIVE ON SHOWTIME.
Lawler pictured above during his KO victory over Matt Lindland on Dec. 4, 2010. Monte Cox recently told us not to bring Lawler to a press conference because he would respond to a long question with "yeah!" Lawler's punches talk for him.
Herschel Walker Returns From Injury To Face Scott Carson; We need to do a thousand push-ups per day to celebrate your return.
Roger Gracie To Square Off With Trevor Prangley
TREVOR PRANGLEY
Tickets On Sale Monday, Dec. 27
NEW YORK (Dec. 22, 2010) - STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will make his second title defense when he faces Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in main event action and STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion "Jacare" Souza (13-2, 1 NC) will put his belt on the line for the first time when he squares off with power-punching knockout artist "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) in the co-main event of a stacked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
In other featured televised fights on SHOWTIME, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout. The latest prospect from MMA's first family, undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).
Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec.27, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.co m and Strikeforce.com, and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.
The 27-year-old Diaz, of Stockton, Calif. has been unstoppable of late, winning his last eight fights. In his last effort, the 6-foot-1 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and potent striker settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis K.J. Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion last Oct. 9.
Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA's most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.
Like Diaz, Cyborg, the husband of STRIKEFORCE Women's Middleweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg, possesses tremendous striking abilities, having KO'd 11 of his 18 victims. In his last outing, the 5-foot-10 Cyborg, who hails from Rondonopolis, Brazil, scored a first round TKO (punches) over highly-touted Marius "The Whitemare" Zaromskis at STRIKEFORCE: Live at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last June 16.
Prior to defeating Zaromskis, Cyborg scored a first round-TKO on Daniel Zarate with a head kick and flurry of punches in Curitiba, Brazil on Dec. 12, 2009.
Souza, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, captured the vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight crown last Aug. 21 when he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy at Toyota Center in Houston, Tex. A slick submission specialist who has tapped out 10 of his 13 victims, the 6-foot Souza surprisingly opted to stand and exchange punches and kicks with his opponent for five rounds rather than take the fight to the mat.
A resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Souza, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Dec. 7, earned a crack at the middleweight title by winning his first two STRIKEFORCE starts. In his STRIKEFORCE debut on Dec. 19, 2009, he submitted 1996 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland with an arm triangle choke at the 4:18 mark of the first round. Last May 15, Souza earned a unanimous decision over Joey Villasenor at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Souza's only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi at the DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in Saitama, Japan, in 2008. The showdown with Mousasi came shortly after Souza had claimed victory earlier on the same night over Zelg Galesic with an armbar submission in the first round of a quarterfinal round tournament bout.
Over the course of the 2008 DREAM tournament series, Souza also triumphed over Ian Murphy with a first-round (3:38) rear naked choke and over superstar Jason "Mayhem" Miller via unanimous decision.
The 28-year-old Lawler's title shot will take place less than two months after the former Pat Miletich protégé decimated Lindland with a single punch just 50 seconds into their matchup at Scottrade Center on Dec. 4.
One of the hardest punchers in his weight class, the 5-foot-11 Lawler is a two-time 185-pound world champion who has earned 15 of his 18 career victories via knockout or TKO. Last Jan. 30, Lawler produced a dramatic, come-from-behind, first-round (3:33) knockout over highly regarded, fellow striking machine Melvin Manhoef at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.
After turning pro at age 19 in April 2001, Lawler, who was born in San Diego, Calif., relocated at an early age with his family to Bettendorf, Iowa. He fought for years out of the Miletich Fighting Systems headquarters in nearby Davenport and eventually relocated to Granite City, Ill. His UFC bout with Aaron Riley on May 10, 2002, became the first MMA bout to air on network television (FOX Sports Network).
Lawler took on Scott "Hands Of Steel'' Smith during the first-ever, live primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network. After the bout was ruled a no contest due to an accidental thumb to Smith's eye, Lawler dominated Smith in their live CBS primetime-televised rematch on July 26, 2009, scoring an impressive second-round TKO.
The matchup between Walker and Carson was originally scheduled for Dec. 4, but was postponed after Walker sustained a cut above his eye during a training session.
Healthy, eager and ready to go, the 48-year-old Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is undefeated at 1-0 in his latest athletic endeavor - MMA. A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated's NCAA All-Century Team that year, the 6-foot-1, 220 pound Walker of Atlanta already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.
On Jan. 30, Walker made an impressive professional MMA debut, scoring a third round TKO (punches) over 26-year-old Greg Nagy at Sunrise, Fla.'s BankAtlantic Center. Walker has been training in San Jose, Calif. with Team AKA, one of the most prominent MMA fight camps in the world that is also the home of former STRIKEFORCE world champions Cung Le and Josh Thomson.
The 6-foot-2-inch Carson, a resident of Gardena, Calif., turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the inaugural WEC event on June 30, 2001.
After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson, a former longtime training partner of MMA legend Chuck Liddell, was finally able to fill his desire to get back in the cage last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).
The 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 Gracie, the winner of the coveted ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, holds a second degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He made history by submitting all eight of his opponents during the tournament, a feat that had never previously been achieved.
Not surprisingly, Gracie's highly advanced submission skills have been his key to success in all three of his MMA starts. Last May 15, he made his STRIKEFORCE debut, submitting former UFC Heavyweight Champion and former NCAA National Wresting Champion Kevin "The Monster" Randleman with a rear naked choke in the second round (4:10) at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
A native of Brazil, Gracie resides in West London, England, where he owns and operates The Roger Gracie Academy.
One of the most feared and dangerous fighters in the light heavyweight division, Prangley has proven he is capable of defeating anyone on any given night. Since his pro debut in January 2001, the 6-foot Prangley has fought some of the world's toughest opponents, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion "Babalu" Sobral, Jorge Santiago (his last loss) and Chael Sonnen. Prangley's most significant victory may have come against Sonnen.
Prangley has competed in five STRIKEFORCE events, including Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, the first sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California on November 16, 2007. During the second STRIKEFORCE event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2008, Prangley was victorious over Anthony "A Train" Ruiz by way of unanimous decision.
After winning a national wrestling championship in his native South Africa, Prangley left his homeland for The United States in search of the highest caliber wrestling training, and later established himself as a force in the sport of MMA. He is a member of Team AKA in San Jose.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with "Shamrock vs. Gracie." In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
San Jose: Diaz vs Cyborg, MAIN CARD
23-7-1
170 lbs
6’1″
27
Stockton, California
170 lbs
6’1″
27
Stockton, California
18-13
170 lbs
5’10″
32
Curitiba, Brazil
170 lbs
5’10″
32
Curitiba, Brazil
JACARE SOUZA TO RISK MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT AGAINST ROBBIE LAWLER LIVE ON SHOWTIME.
13-2-1
185 lbs
6’0″
30
Manaus, Brazil
185 lbs
6’0″
30
Manaus, Brazil
20-6-1
185 lbs
5’11″
28
Granite City, Illinois
185 lbs
5’11″
28
Granite City, Illinois
Lawler pictured above during his KO victory over Matt Lindland on Dec. 4, 2010. Monte Cox recently told us not to bring Lawler to a press conference because he would respond to a long question with "yeah!" Lawler's punches talk for him.
Herschel Walker Returns From Injury To Face Scott Carson; We need to do a thousand push-ups per day to celebrate your return.
1-0
220 lbs
6’1″
48
San Jose, California
220 lbs
6’1″
48
San Jose, California
4-1
215 lbs
6’2″
40
San Luis Obispo, California
215 lbs
6’2″
40
San Luis Obispo, California
Roger Gracie To Square Off With Trevor Prangley
3-0
205 lbs
6’3″
29
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
205 lbs
6’3″
29
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
23-6-1
205 lbs
6’2″
38
San Jose, California
205 lbs
6’2″
38
San Jose, California
Tickets On Sale Monday, Dec. 27
NEW YORK (Dec. 22, 2010) - STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (23-7, 1 NC) will make his second title defense when he faces Brazilian powerhouse Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) in main event action and STRIKEFORCE World Middleweight (185 pounds) Champion "Jacare" Souza (13-2, 1 NC) will put his belt on the line for the first time when he squares off with power-punching knockout artist "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (18-6, 1 NC) in the co-main event of a stacked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
In other featured televised fights on SHOWTIME, football legend and MMA upstart, the incredible Herschel Walker (1-0) will return to the cage to face Scott Carson (4-1) in a heavyweight bout. The latest prospect from MMA's first family, undefeated Roger Gracie (3-0), will battle former South African national wrestling champion and MMA star Trevor Prangley (23-6-1) at light heavyweight (205 pounds).
Tickets go on sale Monday, Dec.27, at 10 a.m. PT at the HP Pavilion ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.co
The 27-year-old Diaz, of Stockton, Calif. has been unstoppable of late, winning his last eight fights. In his last effort, the 6-foot-1 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and potent striker settled a three-year old score with arch-nemesis K.J. Noons, out-striking Noons en route to a five-round unanimous decision at HP Pavilion last Oct. 9.
Five months prior to the victory over Noons, the no-nonsense Diaz, one of MMA's most intriguing figures, ventured to Saitama, Japan, to face top-ranked rival Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in a DREAM promoted affair. To the surprise of many, the southpaw Diaz made quick work of Sakurai, submitting the Japanese fighter with an armbar at the 3:54 mark of the first round.
Like Diaz, Cyborg, the husband of STRIKEFORCE Women's Middleweight (145 pounds) Champion Cris Cyborg, possesses tremendous striking abilities, having KO'd 11 of his 18 victims. In his last outing, the 5-foot-10 Cyborg, who hails from Rondonopolis, Brazil, scored a first round TKO (punches) over highly-touted Marius "The Whitemare" Zaromskis at STRIKEFORCE: Live at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles last June 16.
Prior to defeating Zaromskis, Cyborg scored a first round-TKO on Daniel Zarate with a head kick and flurry of punches in Curitiba, Brazil on Dec. 12, 2009.
Souza, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, captured the vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight crown last Aug. 21 when he earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy at Toyota Center in Houston, Tex. A slick submission specialist who has tapped out 10 of his 13 victims, the 6-foot Souza surprisingly opted to stand and exchange punches and kicks with his opponent for five rounds rather than take the fight to the mat.
A resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Souza, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Dec. 7, earned a crack at the middleweight title by winning his first two STRIKEFORCE starts. In his STRIKEFORCE debut on Dec. 19, 2009, he submitted 1996 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland with an arm triangle choke at the 4:18 mark of the first round. Last May 15, Souza earned a unanimous decision over Joey Villasenor at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Souza's only defeats came in his first career match in 2003 and to former STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi at the DREAM 6: Middleweight Grand-Prix Final in Saitama, Japan, in 2008. The showdown with Mousasi came shortly after Souza had claimed victory earlier on the same night over Zelg Galesic with an armbar submission in the first round of a quarterfinal round tournament bout.
Over the course of the 2008 DREAM tournament series, Souza also triumphed over Ian Murphy with a first-round (3:38) rear naked choke and over superstar Jason "Mayhem" Miller via unanimous decision.
The 28-year-old Lawler's title shot will take place less than two months after the former Pat Miletich protégé decimated Lindland with a single punch just 50 seconds into their matchup at Scottrade Center on Dec. 4.
One of the hardest punchers in his weight class, the 5-foot-11 Lawler is a two-time 185-pound world champion who has earned 15 of his 18 career victories via knockout or TKO. Last Jan. 30, Lawler produced a dramatic, come-from-behind, first-round (3:33) knockout over highly regarded, fellow striking machine Melvin Manhoef at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.
After turning pro at age 19 in April 2001, Lawler, who was born in San Diego, Calif., relocated at an early age with his family to Bettendorf, Iowa. He fought for years out of the Miletich Fighting Systems headquarters in nearby Davenport and eventually relocated to Granite City, Ill. His UFC bout with Aaron Riley on May 10, 2002, became the first MMA bout to air on network television (FOX Sports Network).
Lawler took on Scott "Hands Of Steel'' Smith during the first-ever, live primetime network telecast of MMA on May 31, 2008, on The CBS Television Network. After the bout was ruled a no contest due to an accidental thumb to Smith's eye, Lawler dominated Smith in their live CBS primetime-televised rematch on July 26, 2009, scoring an impressive second-round TKO.
The matchup between Walker and Carson was originally scheduled for Dec. 4, but was postponed after Walker sustained a cut above his eye during a training session.
Healthy, eager and ready to go, the 48-year-old Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is undefeated at 1-0 in his latest athletic endeavor - MMA. A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated's NCAA All-Century Team that year, the 6-foot-1, 220 pound Walker of Atlanta already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.
On Jan. 30, Walker made an impressive professional MMA debut, scoring a third round TKO (punches) over 26-year-old Greg Nagy at Sunrise, Fla.'s BankAtlantic Center. Walker has been training in San Jose, Calif. with Team AKA, one of the most prominent MMA fight camps in the world that is also the home of former STRIKEFORCE world champions Cung Le and Josh Thomson.
The 6-foot-2-inch Carson, a resident of Gardena, Calif., turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the inaugural WEC event on June 30, 2001.
After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson, a former longtime training partner of MMA legend Chuck Liddell, was finally able to fill his desire to get back in the cage last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).
The 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 Gracie, the winner of the coveted ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, holds a second degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He made history by submitting all eight of his opponents during the tournament, a feat that had never previously been achieved.
Not surprisingly, Gracie's highly advanced submission skills have been his key to success in all three of his MMA starts. Last May 15, he made his STRIKEFORCE debut, submitting former UFC Heavyweight Champion and former NCAA National Wresting Champion Kevin "The Monster" Randleman with a rear naked choke in the second round (4:10) at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
A native of Brazil, Gracie resides in West London, England, where he owns and operates The Roger Gracie Academy.
One of the most feared and dangerous fighters in the light heavyweight division, Prangley has proven he is capable of defeating anyone on any given night. Since his pro debut in January 2001, the 6-foot Prangley has fought some of the world's toughest opponents, including former STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight Champion "Babalu" Sobral, Jorge Santiago (his last loss) and Chael Sonnen. Prangley's most significant victory may have come against Sonnen.
Prangley has competed in five STRIKEFORCE events, including Four Men Enter, One Man Survives, the first sanctioned MMA tournament in the state of California on November 16, 2007. During the second STRIKEFORCE event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2008, Prangley was victorious over Anthony "A Train" Ruiz by way of unanimous decision.
After winning a national wrestling championship in his native South Africa, Prangley left his homeland for The United States in search of the highest caliber wrestling training, and later established himself as a force in the sport of MMA. He is a member of Team AKA in San Jose.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
DREAM’s Year-End “Dynamite!!” Overeem vs. Duffee; Kyotaro vs Mousasi
FEG's Dream Dynamite!! Updates. December 31, 2010 in Japan. Kyotaro put to the test in fight against Mousasi!! Todd Duffee confirmed he will be fighting Alistair Overeem.
Toyko, Japan (Friday, Dec. 17th) – Producers of the "FieLDS Dynamite!! - The Power of Courage -" announce four more fight cards for the New Year's show. Kyotaro vs. Gegard Mousasi, Hideo Tokoro vs. Kazuhisa Watanabe, Hayato "Mach" Sakurai vs. Jason High, Minowaman vs. Hiroshi Izumi.
Kyotaro: I'm going to win! Win back my honor!
Kyotaro stood toe-to-toe to Sem Schilt in the K-1 WGP Final and now he'll be facing DREAM light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. Apparently he didn't suffer much damage from the Schilt fight and went right in to practice a few days later. Kyotaro said, "I saw Mousasi KO Musashi 2 years ago and now I want to prove that K-1 fighters are stronger." Mousasi replied, "Kyotaro is young and strong, but I'll come right for him and you can expect an exciting fight." Kyotaro knows that Mousasi won't be an easy opponent. "Even though it's K-1 rules, I'll have to go all out or I'll lose."
Watanabe: "I'll make Tokoro my beyatch!"
K-1 Max's Kazuhisa Watanabe will fight Tokoro on DREAM turf. Watanabe says, "I may be fighting an MMA fighter, but the one with the power will win and I have the power to roll him up into a little ball." He continued, "I haven't done any training for MMA. All I need is two weeks and I'll be ready."
Also on the card are "Mach" Sakurai who is training in Seattle at the moment who will be taking on Jason High while Minowaman takes on Hiroshi Izumi in a DREAM vs. SRC battle. This bring the current count up to 10 fights. FEG's Sadaharu Tanikawa predicts the total may go up to 14 or 15 fights. And who will fight Satoshi Ishii? Will there be a heavyweight DREAM title match? With less than two weeks left there's no telling what exciting announcements will be coming up!!
STRIKEFORCE FIGHTER JOSH THOMSON TO FACE TOP-RANKED RIVAL TATSUYA KAWAJIRI AT ‘DYNAMITE!!’ ON DEC. 31 IN JAPAN
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2010) – Josh Thomson will be working on New Year’s Eve.
The exciting former STRIKEFORCE lightweight world champion will meet perennial 155-pound contender and Japanese superstar Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri in a fantastic matchup with world title implications on DREAM’s annual year-end “Dynamite!!” card on Dec. 31 in Japan.
Thomson (18-3, 1 NC), of San Jose, Calif., has won two in a row and 10 of his last 11 starts. A victory keeps alive his chances of facing current STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez for a third time. Kawajiri (26-6-2), of Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan, has been victorious in four of his last five starts.
In his last fight, the 5-foot-10, 32-year-old Thomson recorded a hard-fought, three-round decision over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante on Oct. 9, 2010. (Thomson admitted the fight was closer than the judge's scorecards and criticized the judging openly after the fight; JZ stated he should have won. See our earlier story)
Since March 2006, the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) team member has lost only to Melendez, and that came in a Dec. 19, 2009 rematch in San Jose that was later nominated for Fight of the Year. It was Thomson’s first fight in 15 months. Thomson outpointed Melendez in their initial encounter on June 27, 2008.
“I've wanted this fight forever,’’ said Thomson, who submitted (kneebar) Daisuke Sugie in his debut in the "Land of the Rising Sun" in July 2005. “He’s somebody that excites me.’’
A talented fighter known for strong wrestling and vicious ground and pound, the popular Kawajiri has been a staple in the Top 10 rankings. The 5-foot-7, 32-year-old had won four consecutive fights until suffering a devastating loss via submission (Achilles lock) to DREAM champion Shinya Aoki in his last outing on July 10.
Kawajiri, who upended Cavalcante on points in May 2009, dropped a decision to Melendez in Japan on Dec. 31, 2007.
The matchup between Thomson and Kawajiri is yet another product of STRIKEFORCE’s and DREAM’s cooperation to exchange fighters in order to produce the most competitive bouts possible between the world’s top mixed martial artists.
FEG announced Fight Card for the New Year's Eve, FieLDS Dynamite!! will be held at the Saitama Super Arena.
Venue: Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[ DREAM Welter Weight Title Match]
Marius Zaromskis (Champion / Lithuania / London Shoot Fighters)
VS
Kazushi Sakuraba (Challenger / Japan / Laughter7)
[ DREAM / K-1 MIX Special Rules ]
Shinya Aoki (Japan / Paraestra Tokyo)
VS
Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima (Japan / Sakigake Juku)
[ DREAM Light Weight One Match ]
Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan / T-BLOOD)
VS
Josh Thomson (USA／American Kickboxing Academy)
[ DREAM Feather Weight One Match]
Kazuyuki Miyata (Japan / BRAVE)
VS
Caol Uno (Japan / Freelance)
[ K-1 MAX Light Weight One Match ]
Tetsuya Yamato (Japan / Yamato Gym)
VS
Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura (Japan / STGY)
Friday, December 31, 2010 / Gates Open: 14:00 (2 PM in Japan; 1 AM in Pacific Time Zone in California & 4 A.M. in ET) Start: 16:00 (4 PM in Japan/ 11 AM PT) |
Saitama Super Arena, Japan |
FEG Inc. |
FIELDS CORPORATION |
5pb.Inc. / Unilever Japan |
Saitama Super Arena |
Kyotaro: I'm going to win! Win back my honor!
Kyotaro stood toe-to-toe to Sem Schilt in the K-1 WGP Final and now he'll be facing DREAM light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi. Apparently he didn't suffer much damage from the Schilt fight and went right in to practice a few days later. Kyotaro said, "I saw Mousasi KO Musashi 2 years ago and now I want to prove that K-1 fighters are stronger." Mousasi replied, "Kyotaro is young and strong, but I'll come right for him and you can expect an exciting fight." Kyotaro knows that Mousasi won't be an easy opponent. "Even though it's K-1 rules, I'll have to go all out or I'll lose."
Watanabe: "I'll make Tokoro my beyatch!"
K-1 Max's Kazuhisa Watanabe will fight Tokoro on DREAM turf. Watanabe says, "I may be fighting an MMA fighter, but the one with the power will win and I have the power to roll him up into a little ball." He continued, "I haven't done any training for MMA. All I need is two weeks and I'll be ready."
Also on the card are "Mach" Sakurai who is training in Seattle at the moment who will be taking on Jason High while Minowaman takes on Hiroshi Izumi in a DREAM vs. SRC battle. This bring the current count up to 10 fights. FEG's Sadaharu Tanikawa predicts the total may go up to 14 or 15 fights. And who will fight Satoshi Ishii? Will there be a heavyweight DREAM title match? With less than two weeks left there's no telling what exciting announcements will be coming up!!
STRIKEFORCE FIGHTER JOSH THOMSON TO FACE TOP-RANKED RIVAL TATSUYA KAWAJIRI AT ‘DYNAMITE!!’ ON DEC. 31 IN JAPAN
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Dec. 20, 2010) – Josh Thomson will be working on New Year’s Eve.
The exciting former STRIKEFORCE lightweight world champion will meet perennial 155-pound contender and Japanese superstar Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri in a fantastic matchup with world title implications on DREAM’s annual year-end “Dynamite!!” card on Dec. 31 in Japan.
Thomson (18-3, 1 NC), of San Jose, Calif., has won two in a row and 10 of his last 11 starts. A victory keeps alive his chances of facing current STRIKEFORCE lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez for a third time. Kawajiri (26-6-2), of Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan, has been victorious in four of his last five starts.
In his last fight, the 5-foot-10, 32-year-old Thomson recorded a hard-fought, three-round decision over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante on Oct. 9, 2010. (Thomson admitted the fight was closer than the judge's scorecards and criticized the judging openly after the fight; JZ stated he should have won. See our earlier story)
Since March 2006, the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) team member has lost only to Melendez, and that came in a Dec. 19, 2009 rematch in San Jose that was later nominated for Fight of the Year. It was Thomson’s first fight in 15 months. Thomson outpointed Melendez in their initial encounter on June 27, 2008.
“I've wanted this fight forever,’’ said Thomson, who submitted (kneebar) Daisuke Sugie in his debut in the "Land of the Rising Sun" in July 2005. “He’s somebody that excites me.’’
A talented fighter known for strong wrestling and vicious ground and pound, the popular Kawajiri has been a staple in the Top 10 rankings. The 5-foot-7, 32-year-old had won four consecutive fights until suffering a devastating loss via submission (Achilles lock) to DREAM champion Shinya Aoki in his last outing on July 10.
Kawajiri, who upended Cavalcante on points in May 2009, dropped a decision to Melendez in Japan on Dec. 31, 2007.
The matchup between Thomson and Kawajiri is yet another product of STRIKEFORCE’s and DREAM’s cooperation to exchange fighters in order to produce the most competitive bouts possible between the world’s top mixed martial artists.
FEG announced Fight Card for the New Year's Eve, FieLDS Dynamite!! will be held at the Saitama Super Arena.
5 cards for Dynamite Have Been Announced!
Marius Zaromskis vs. Kazushi Sakuraba, [ DREAM / K-1 MIX Special Rules ] Shinya Aoki vs Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima, [ DREAM Light Weight One Match ] Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Josh Thomson, [ DREAM Feather Weight One Match] Kazuyuki Miyata vs Caol Uno, [ K-1 MAX Light Weight One Match ] Tetsuya Yamato vs. Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura has been announced!Fields Dynamite!! : Additional Fight Card
Date: Friday, December 31, 2010 / Gate Open: 14:00 Start: 16:00Venue: Saitama Super Arena, Japan
[ DREAM Welter Weight Title Match]
Marius Zaromskis (Champion / Lithuania / London Shoot Fighters)
VS
Kazushi Sakuraba (Challenger / Japan / Laughter7)
[ DREAM / K-1 MIX Special Rules ]
Shinya Aoki (Japan / Paraestra Tokyo)
VS
Yuichiro "Jienotsu" Nagashima (Japan / Sakigake Juku)
[ DREAM Light Weight One Match ]
Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan / T-BLOOD)
VS
Josh Thomson (USA／American Kickboxing Academy)
[ DREAM Feather Weight One Match]
Kazuyuki Miyata (Japan / BRAVE)
VS
Caol Uno (Japan / Freelance)
[ K-1 MAX Light Weight One Match ]
Tetsuya Yamato (Japan / Yamato Gym)
VS
Akiyo "Wicky" Nishiura (Japan / STGY)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Playboy Bunnies Celebrating Christmas!
UFC Ringgirl and Playboy Bunny Chandella Powell celebrating Christmas the way we like it.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
WEC Closes Out 2010 With A Bang! Free Tonight On Versus 9PM ET / 6PM PT
| WEC Closes Out 2010 With A Bang Tonight On Versus Ben Henderson defends the WEC lightweight championship against number one contender Anthony Pettis, and Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen battle to become the first UFC bantamweight champion! Live and free at 9pm ET / 6pm PT tonight on Versus | |
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