The EvilMaster Report

David Terrell Out With Injury Again... - 04 Nov 2007 02:42:50am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 10:42 PM CDT

By Sam Caplan

Rumors have circulated within the last 36 hours that middleweight fighter David Terrell will be unable to compete at UFC 78 due to injury. FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed through its sources that Terrell is in fact off the card due to what was termed as a severe ankle injury that was sustained during training.

This is yet another in a long line of setbacks that has limited the talented middleweight to just one fight in the last year and a half. Terrell first took the UFC by storm in 2004 when he upset Matt Lindland at UFC 49 when he knocked Lindland out in just 24 seconds into round one.

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Evans: "I'm better than Bisping" - 04 Nov 2007 01:32:59am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 09:32 PM CDT

By Mark Gilbert

RASHAD EVANS claims he is a far superior fighter to fellow light-heavyweight Michael Bisping. The duo collide at UFC 78 on November 17 in the first UFC headline bout to feature two Ultimate Fighter winners.

But Evans, who has dropped down from heavyweight to light-heavyweight for the clash in New Jersey, reckons he is ahead of Bisping in every department. He said: "I do just about everything better than Michael Bisping.

"I think he's pretty tough but I'm just a better fighter than him."

A win for either fighter will elevate them into the UFC's top five light-heavyweights and closer to a title shot against champion Rampage Jackson. But Evans insists they both have a point to prove following Bisping's controversial victory over Matt Hamill at UFC 75 and his own draw with Tito Ortiz at UFC 73.

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Dennis Hallman vs Sean Salmon @ Strikeforce Nov 16 Event - 04 Nov 2007 01:48:25am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 08:48 PM CDT

By MMA Junkie

Dennis Hallman (37-12-2), a longtime MMA fighter best known for twice defeating former UFC champion Matt Hughes, will take on Sean Salmon (14-4) at the Nov. 16 Strikeforce event in San Jose, Calif.

MMAjunkie.com today learned of the booking from Salmon.

The fight will be the alternate bout for Strikeforce's four-man middleweight tournament — the first ever sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission.

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Notes From The Underdog - 04 Nov 2007 01:20:33am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 08:20 PM CDT

By Ben Fowlkes

It's late at night and I'm sitting in Brent Beauparlant's hotel room. The Canadian middleweight is lounging in bed with the covers pulled over him. He's unshaven, with his arms crossed over his chest in the posture of someone trying to keep himself contained.

The room is cluttered with clothes and training gear, making it clear that Beauparlant has been hiding out here and waiting anxiously for fight time.

I've come up here to ask Beauparlant about his Grand Prix bout with top-ranked middleweight Benji Radach on Saturday night – a bout no one expects Beauparlant to win. It takes about ten seconds for Beauparlant to let me know exactly how he feels about that perception of him: pissed off.

He's upset that the media and the industry insiders seem to think this is a gimme for Radach. He's upset that no one even in his native Canada is rooting for him, despite the fact that his fight will be on the live portion of the Grand Prix broadcast in his home country.

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A Message From Fedor Emelianenko - 04 Nov 2007 12:57:10am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:57 PM CDT

Your wishes come true when you ask for it come New Year's Eve.

Fedor's mail is kind of attacked by Japanses fans sending tons of messages. Since it seems unreal to reply immediately to everyone Fedor asked to publish his open message to everybody concerned.

The point is that during last four years Fedor always fought in the New Year's Eve in Japan giving his fans the opportunitiy to see him perform in the ring. Now that he signed with M-1 Global, Japanese fans are worried they won't see Fedor fight anymore...

But like Russians say: "Hope never dies". Actually no one better than Fedor himself can say it:

"It's always a pleasure to read fans' mail. And it's a great pleasure to receive it from the Japanese fans. It's them who i used to meet New Year with celebrating my victories. They've always inspired me through the toughest moments, hardest bouts of my entire career. Last years i thought a lot about the proverb saying "New Year's Eve defines the whole coming year".

Being in that country is a holiday itself. Exciting culture, one of the richest histories, wonderful traditions. We'd experienced it every year and now me and my team miss it much.

Still if you wish something really bad you don't give up half way through. I contacted M-1 Global direction asking them to keep this tradition. You know what? They fully understood me in my wish to keep fighting in Japan when it's New Year's Eve.

Now it all depends whether it's possible to organise such kind of event we all got used to. That's why i address to all of you fans out there. Me and M-1 Global will do our best to give you one more Championship in this New Year's Eve taking place in Japan. I would be extremely happy if our wishes come true.

Yours faithfully, Fedor Emelianenko.

Source: www.mixfight.ru

Greatest Unkown Fighters Vol 1: Per Eklund - 04 Nov 2007 12:47:53am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:47 PM CDT

By Mark Pickering

He's tasted defeat only twice in 15 fights; he's battled the best fighters on the continent; despite his imposing resume he remains a free agent and competes in relative obscurity; he's devoted years of his life to his love of the sport and to provide for his family.

Meet the 'Scandinavian Die Hard' Per Eklund.

The Stockholm, Sweden native has always had a burning desire to compete in one-on-one competition and initially fueled his appetite by joining his local Thai Boxing club. While nursing a twisted ankle, the fight-crazed Eklund happened to stumble upon an Ultimate Fighting Championship event and was captivated by the action.

And so his journey began.

At the time, professional boxing and other combat sports were banned in Sweden. Undeterred by the adverse conditions and inspired by his prize fighting compatriots who had prevailed internationally despite the domestic ban, he followed his unbridled passion and roving ambitions.

"When I started to train I just did it because I really liked it and that's the big reason why I become successful. I have always competed in other sports so it was natural for me to compete in MMA," said Eklund.

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The Fabulous Moolah Passes Away - 04 Nov 2007 12:39:01am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:39 PM CDT

WWE is saddened by the passing of Lillian Ellison, who was known to sports-entertainment fans as Hall of Famer Fabulous Moolah. She passed away last night in Columbia, S.C.

In the world of women's wrestling, there will always be one irrefutable legend that stands head and shoulders above the rest: The Fabulous Moolah. She was the longest reigning champion in the history of her chosen sport, or any sport for that matter. And with more than 50 years in the business to her credit, she established a legacy that will never be forgotten, making her name synonymous with female wrestling.

Fabulous Moolah photos

Mae Young, Beth Phoenix, Victoria and others remember their friend

Source. WWE.com

Arona: “UFC rules were made for me” - 04 Nov 2007 12:29:19am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:29 PM CDT

By Marcelo Alonso

Still without a contract with a major event, the black-belt from BTT, Ricardo Arona, ensures that the rules of the biggest event of MMA in the world nowadays have been made for his kind of game. "The rules of UFC were made to me. I´ll enter the octagon to stay. Nobody will take me off. The rules, the time zone, everything is perfect for me. These rules where you can use the elbow, vaseline on the face and rounds with five minutes, have been made to me. I´m used to fight 20 minutes. In addition to the rules, is also prohibited the use of bombs, and many people are going out because of that. I never used bomb, so I am thinking that what´s happening is very funny. I´m laughing, because I never had problem with that, "said Arona.

Source: www.tatame.com

"The Goliath" Neil Grove - 04 Nov 2007 12:06:39am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:06 PM CDT

By David West

For a guy who has only had four fights, the excitement surrounding British heavyweight Neil Grove is almost as big as the man himself. Tipping the scales at just under 290 pounds and standing 6' 8", Grove arrived on the radar when he knocked out Pride veteran James "The Colossus" Thompson in ten seconds at Cage Rage 22. His massive size belies Grove's natural athleticism and explosive power. In his last outing, he stream-rolled over Croatian Thai boxer Domagoj Ostojic in 34 seconds with a display of brutal ground and pound. Born in South Africa, but now a naturalized British citizen, Grove is something of an anomaly in Mixed Martial Arts, coming from a background in traditional Goju Ryu karate. Trained by Sensei Gavin Mulholland and representing the Daigaku Karate Kai dojo, the 36 year-old Grove is currently 4-0 in MMA and has only had one opponent survive into the second round. He's currently preparing to make this third Cage Rage appearance on December 1st against the more experienced Robert "Buzz" Berry in a clash of heavy hitters.

FCF: Tell us about your background in martial arts.
Neil Grove: "My background is Goju Ryu karate. I got my black belt in 2005. I came to England in 1996 and the first job I got was working on an Irish nightclub door. From there onwards I worked on the doors and met my Sensei in early 2000 and started training with him. When I quit working a door, last year in March, I felt I needed to do something, I wanted to find out what I was capable of, to see if what I was learning from my Sensei could be applied in the real sense of the world. I wanted to see if it was worth my while carrying on. I was just looking for a local place where I could do my first cage fight, because obviously that's the best way of seeing what you're capable of. I spoke to my sensei about it.

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Marcelo Garcia: "This is what I want for my life" - 04 Nov 2007 12:00:28am

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 07:00 PM CDT

By Luca Atalla

In a good mood, Marcelo Garcia asked: "Is it too late to work?"

In New York, it's already past nine at night on Friday, a holiday in Brazil.

But no, it's not too late to be the first to hear what the three-time ADCC champion has to say about his loss to the Korean Dae Won Kim, in his debut MMA fight, last Sunday. So, we carry on…

"Look, first of all, I want to say that I'm thinking about my next fight already. I think those concerned with me want to know how I faced defeat, and aside from the moment of uncertainty, which lasted a little over an hour after the fight, I already knew this is really what I want for my life.

"And, final result aside, I can say I learned more and am much more prepared for my next fight than if I had managed to submit him early on.

"To be honest, I lacked experience."

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Fighters Weigh In For Tonight's IFL Grand Prix - Video - 03 Nov 2007 11:46:22pm

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 06:46 PM CDT

By Ben Fowlkes

All fighters in the IFL World Grand Prix weighed in successfully on Friday afternoon. The welterweight contests were both changed to catch weight matchups, with Delson Heleno and Gideon Ray agreeing to meet at 175 pounds, and Donnie Liles and Jay Hieron meeting at 177 pounds.

Hieron had MMA legend Randy Couture at his side during the weigh-in, and Couture said afterwards that he has plenty of confidence in his fighter and doesn't expect the weight change to affect the outcome.

"Jay's a professional and he isn't fazed by this stuff like a lot of guys would be," Couture said. "He's been in my corner a bunch of times and it's great to get to return the favor."

Brent Beauparlant (185) vs. Benji Radach (186)
Bart Palaszewski (155.5) vs. Chris Horodecki (154)
Alex Schoenauer (205) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (204)
John Gunderson (155.5) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (155.5)
Gideon Ray (173) vs. Delson Heleno (175)
Shane Ott (264.5) vs. Antoine Jaoude (248.5)
Bryan Vetell (266) vs. Roy Nelson (261.5)
Brian Foster (184.5) vs. Matt Horwich (187.5)
Donnie Liles (177) vs. Jay Hieron (170)

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Mixed Martial Artist Not Resting On His Laurels - 03 Nov 2007 11:30:21pm

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 06:30 PM CDT

By Ted Clarke

Jose Pele Landi-Jons wants to climb to the top of the mixed martial arts world. And from where he's standing right now, the bigtime could well be within his reach.

The 34-year-old Brazilian, who once introduced UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes to la-la land, courtesy a knockout knee to the face, has every intention of becoming a world champion himself.

Landi-Jons has been around long enough to know there are no shortcuts to the top running through the mixed martial arts jungle. His current path has taken him from his current home in Vancouver to Prince George, where he'll run headlong into Jake Ellenberger of Omaha, Neb., the feature fight tonight at Extreme Fighting Challenge 5: Revolution at CN Centre.

Now in his 16th year of MMA, Landi-Jons is healthy, injury-free, and he's revamped his style to become a more patient fighter. The way he figures it, that's going to spell trouble for Ellenberger.

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Cage rattling Ontario - 03 Nov 2007 11:19:58pm

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 06:19 PM CDT

By Jose Rodriguez

There was a time Ken Kupsch was more at home looking through the sights of a six-shooter than through links in a cage. The president of King of the Cage Canada, who is also an expert marksman with numerous international awards, has learned to make room for both passions.

As the top dog of the Canadian chapter of the fight club that helped launch the careers of UFC light-heavyweight champ Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and Diego 'Nightmare' Sanchez among others, Kupsch says he feels an obligation to stage top level fights.

The man who jokingly calls himself a 'Gun Fu' master is proud that he's been able to take his carnival of carnage from coast-to-coast.

"I have a fight two weeks from now in Nanaimo B.C. and December 15 we're in Moncton, New Brunswick," says the Edmontonian, as he prepared for tonight's Battlescar event in Calgary.

But one place King of the Cage -- or any other legitimate fight club -- has failed to penetrate is Ontario.

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MFC hits Viewer’s Choice PPV - 03 Nov 2007 11:11:46pm

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 06:11 PM CDT

By Scott Zerr

The Maximum Fighting Championship will give fans from coast to coast in Canada the chance to get lucky with terrific mixed martial arts action when MFC Lucky 13 hits the pay-per-view airwaves of Viewer's Choice on Saturday, November 3.

"Lucky 13 was definitely one of our best fight cards to date and with the atmosphere in the River Cree Resort and Casino and the production of the show fight fans are going to get a great glimpse of what it's like at a first-class MFC event," said Mark Pavelich, Owner/President of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

From coverage of the Lucky 13 press conference to the post-fight interviews, fans will witness a great night in the history of the MFC. Lucky 13's main event is the showdown between champion Victor "The Matrix" Valimaki and No. 1 challenger Roger "The Hulk" Hollett for the MFC world light heavyweight title.

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Din Thomas Lawyer Denies Client Broke Law - 03 Nov 2007 10:52:51pm

Posted: 03 Nov 2007 05:52 PM CDT

By Will Greenlee

PORT ST. LUCIE — The lawyer for local Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Din Thomas — accused of running "illegal cage fighting" matches — said Friday his client "did not break the law that he is being charged with breaking."

Thomas, 31, faces a felony prohibited competitions charge after a man told police Oct. 19 about a supposed "fight club" at a facility the Delaware native uses in St. Lucie West. A prosecutor has said he's being charged with "promoting an activity that was not sanctioned by the Florida Boxing Commission."

Stuart-based attorney Corey Sucher, a former local prosecutor, said the statute is "extremely vague," and said he viewed what happened as "sparring sessions between teammates."

The state Boxing Commission, which is part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, licenses and regulates professional boxing and mixed martial arts, a combination of boxing, kickboxing and wrestling conducted in a boxing ring or cage, in Florida.

Amateur boxing matches are regulated and licensed by a sanctioning committee that's approved by the boxing commission, but no mixed martial arts fights are allowed at the amateur level.

"Does that mean people can't train?" Sucher said. "These were sparring sessions to get participants experience."

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