| Tune-In To Cage Side Live Tonight! - 09 Nov 2007 06:18:16am Posted: 09 Nov 2007 12:18 AM CST |
| Randy Couture To Speak Before The Green Bay Packers Sat Dec 8th - 09 Nov 2007 06:06:43am Posted: 09 Nov 2007 12:06 AM CST |
| Kimbo Slice Will Appear Live Thursday on 3News at 10pm - 09 Nov 2007 05:58:26am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 11:58 PM CST |
| Doug Evans vs Mark Bocek UFC 79 - 09 Nov 2007 03:20:17am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 09:20 PM CST |
| EliteXC makes bad gamble with Kimbo Slice - 09 Nov 2007 03:10:37am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 09:10 PM CST 
By Todd Martin
Saturday night, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson makes his EliteXC debut. Slice signed a multiyear contract with EXC in the past month and since then has been heavily promoted by the organization.
Why is Slice the most heavily promoted fighter on EXC's upcoming card? He doesn't have an amateur wrestling pedigree. He isn't an accomplished jiu jitsu practitioner. He isn't a Muay Thai standout. In fact, he has only one sanctioned fight, and that was an exhibition against 46-year-old boxer Ray Mercer. Slice isn't being promoted for any of those reasons. Rather, EXC is hoping to capitalize on his fame as an underground street fighter. This is a mistake.
EXC's promotional philosophy is a sound one. It realizes better than most of UFC's competitors that MMA is built around star power. There are plenty of talented MMA fighters, but not all have the charisma, personality, fighting style or life story that can bring in the masses. Stars are needed to attract new fans and garner significant interest. Thus, the company has focused on signing potentially marketable fighters like Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler and Gina Carano.
This philosophy led the company to Slice. Slice's unique look and background make him a novelty. He will never be just another MMA fighter. But the positives are greatly outweighed by the many negatives that come with getting behind Slice.
To begin with, his fame is not as great as many seem to believe. He made his name in Internet message board forums based on online fights, but that community has never been large enough to make a major show profitable. The internet MMA community is small relative to the audience that watches EXC on Showtime, and miniscule relative to the broader UFC audience that EXC hopes to tap into. Slice's fight with Mercer ran on pay-per-view and generated very little interest even with the novelty of Slice's first sanctioned fight. Slice won't bring in a broad audience.
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| Cotto, Mosley: Ready for War! - 09 Nov 2007 02:38:56am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 08:38 PM CST |
| Ken Shamrock Discusses Issues With UFC & More - 09 Nov 2007 02:23:37am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 08:23 PM CST 
Ken Shamrock appeared as a guest on Fight Network Radio on November 7 along with his manager and attorney Rod Donohoo to discuss Shamrock's ongoing contractual dispute with Dana White and the UFC. Fight Network Radio can be heard every Monday through Friday at 3pm EST on Hardcore Sports Radio (Sirius Chan nel 186) and online at www.hardcoresportsradio.com and www.TheFightNetwork.com. The following is a transcript from that interview:
Ken Shamrock: Well, I'll tell you what happened was one, I talked to Dana White when I was fighting with Tito Ortiz on the Ultimate Fighter show and let him know there was an opportunity to get some of the Lion's Den fighters some fights on the team concept in the IFL. Dana kind've flipped out on that, saying he was gonna squash them and kill them, and that they're nothing but scumbags and he was gonna crush 'em. And it just kind of took me off guard, and he was very upset at them. And I guess he took them to court and lost a lawsuit to them, so he was pretty upset about that, because he thought that they had taken some things from him or whatever, but they were found innocent of all that. So, I told him, "You know, it's not like I'm fighting and it's not against my contract to coach my fighters on a show."
And he said, "Well, if you do that, even if it's not in your contract, you will never work for us again." Which I thought was kind of a threat - it had no bearing on my contract and that he was just trying to push me around. And at that point, I went ahead, and - because I didn't want to cause a problem at that point in time - I went ahead and said, "Alright, I'll just wait until I'm done with the fight with Ortiz." So, I finished the fight with Ortiz and then I went ahead and coached in the IFL. At that point, Dana White decided that he was going to go ahead and breach my contract and cut me loose. Since that time, there's been words exchanged back and forth. Dana White - and I'm going to prove that today - Dana White only says things that is going to benefit him and hurt others. And they're not even factual - it's just things that he makes up and that he says. The last interview that Dana White did was an interview to basically hurt me and put me down and hurt my credibility, and were completely, completely lies. And one of them was, Dana White said that Randy Couture makes money for us and Ken Shamrock does not.
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| A Message From Kimbo Slice - 09 Nov 2007 01:22:21am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 07:22 PM CST 
By Kimbo Slice
You may have seen me whooping guys on the street, in backyards, and in boatyards, but this upcoming fight is no joke. I've been training hard with guys like Bas Rutten, and I'm fully ready to make the step up to professional fighting.
EliteXC Renegade is going on this Saturday night in Corpus Christi, Texas and is on Showtime at 10pm ET/PT. Watch me bust up Bo "Red Rum" Cantrell in full HD.
Be sure to check out the live forum chat on Thurday – fighters will be stopping in all day. I'm going to try and stop by and do a little chatting. Plus, they'll have some of the other fighters like Nick Diaz, KJ Noons, Jake Shields, Mike Pyle, and others.
Watch a bunch of other interviews that Mayhem Miller is going to do on Saturday night too on ProElite.com. That boy ain't right.
For the live forum chat, go to: http://www.proelite.com/forums
Interviews and more from EliteXC Renegade: http://excrenegade.proelite.com
--Kimbo Slice
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| Elite XC Press Conference - Video - 09 Nov 2007 12:40:05am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 06:40 PM CST  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| EliteXC "Renegade" Final Press Conference Quotes - 09 Nov 2007 12:25:23am Posted: 08 Nov 2007 06:25 PM CST |
| EliteXC heads to Texas in search of identity - 08 Nov 2007 11:58:00pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:58 PM CST 
By Steve Sievert
It looked like something out of Land of the Lost, not a stage prop worthy of being part of the debut of America's newest mixed martial arts promotion. And, yet, there it was for fans at DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Miss., and for those tuning in on Showtime for EliteXC's premiere show, optimistically called "Destiny."
Fighters made their way to the cage by walking through the mouth of the dragon - destiny indeed.
It was, well, an interesting start back in February for EliteXC, which hoped to make a grand entrance into the consciousness of mixed martial arts fans with two legendary names in the sport headlining its first show. The upstart organization had the backing of a premium cable network in Showtime and the leadership, connections and bravado of longtime boxing promoter Gary Shaw.
However, with the promotion on the verge of its fourth show, which will be held Saturday at AmericanBank Center in Corpus Christi, EliteXC is still searching for an identity and a formula that clicks with the broad MMA fan base.
In its three major shows, EliteXC has been all over the map in its approach. It resurrected the Shamrock and Gracie names, embraced fights among women (as long as one of those women was Gina Carano), teamed with Strikeforce on a co-promotion, and took its show to Hawaii. Through its parent company, ProElite, EliteXC also was part of the circus that was the Dynamite USA show in Los Angeles in June.
Shaw admits that it's been quite a ride.
"One of the low points, I think, was the show we did in June with FEG (Dynamite USA), where we kind of lost control of it. And I wasn't happy with the product, wasn't happy with the production. And I thought it was a real bad co-promotion. To me, that was the low point, because I like to be proud of what we put on. As far as high points, yeah, there are several. I had a high and a low on the same night. On February 10th, our first show ever in Mississippi was a huge high that we pulled it off with Frank (Shamrock) and Renzo Gracie. And the low point was when I looked at that dragon they were walking out of. So, when we make mistakes, I stand up and say we made mistakes. That dragon sucked."
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| Yves Edwards Talks Gonzalez, EliteXC - 08 Nov 2007 11:46:26pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:46 PM CST |
| Shields Predicts Exciting Finish At EliteXC - 08 Nov 2007 11:38:28pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:38 PM CST |
| Born To Brawl - 08 Nov 2007 11:30:38pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:30 PM CST 
By Josh Gross
If it came earlier, he can't be sure.
Nick Diaz can only recall as far back as the first grade, which for him was the time he first felt compelled to "hit and kick butt," thank you very much.
Growing up poor in one of the biggest agricultural centers in the United States, Diaz has what on the surface reads like a classic fighter tale: A significant portion of his life was spent without the presence of his father; he developed a reputation for fighting 18 year olds when he was in the eighth grade; the bullied kid from Stockton, Calif., was more truant than student.
But really, Diaz says even if he hadn't experienced those hardships, something, perhaps the same substance that forced a 7-iron into Tiger Woods' hands, would have driven him into prizefighting.
"Nobody is going to understand that sort of thing: not your friends, not your girlfriend, not your mom, not your family," says Diaz, who steps into the cage against KJ Noons for the vacant EliteXC 160-pound title Saturday in Corpus Christi, Texas. "It's my head that's smashed into the mat."
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| Rickson Gracie "Hopes" for 2008 Return...If the money is right that is... - 08 Nov 2007 11:25:01pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:25 PM CST 
Rickson Gracie fans will have to wait until next year to see the 48-year-old grappling legend return to the ring. Speaking exclusively with Sherdog.com's Denis Martins, Gracie, who turns 49 on Nov. 20, stated that he will be looking for a fight in early 2008 after negotiations for a proposed K-1 Dynamite!! bout on Dec. 31 ceased.
"Even though I feel like I have nothing to prove, I'm still motivated to compete," said Gracie. "Possibly something in the beginning of next year, I hope."
Rickson has not stepped in the ring since choking Masakatsu Funaki into submission in May of 2000.
"If the price is right, I go for the competition," declared Rickson, who has a mixed martial arts record of 11-0-0. "I'm really looking [forward] to my next fight, but [a promoter] will have to pay me what I want."
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| HDNET Fights "Reckless Abandon" - 08 Nov 2007 11:19:55pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:19 PM CST |
| Mark Kerr Ends Seven-Year Drought! - 08 Nov 2007 11:11:54pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:11 PM CST |
| WEC Announces Three Title Fights - 08 Nov 2007 11:06:27pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 05:06 PM CST 
Las Vegas– With three world titles on the line as well as the return of a true mixed martial arts legend, the World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC™) event on Wednesday, December 12th is not only the biggest and best WEC show of the year, it may be the greatest card in the six year history of the organization.
Featuring WEC Featherweight Champion "The California Kid" Urjiah Faber against Jeff "Big Frog" Curran, "The Rhino" Doug Marshall defending his Light Heavyweight title against Cuba's own Ariel Gandulla, Paulo Filho returning to the Cage to defend his WEC Middleweight crown, and former UFC® Lightweight Champion Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver making his WEC debut at 145 lbs. against rising star Cub Swanson, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will be rocked off its foundations by the most explosive MMA action of 2007.
WEC: Faber vs. Curran will be televised live nationally on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT. All live WEC events will be presented in Hi-Definition (HD) where available. For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing area, visit www.versus.com/findversus.
Tickets for WEC: Faber vs. Curran go on sale Sunday, November 11 at noon and are priced at $225, $200, $150, and $75 (not including applicable services or taxes). Tickets are available at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available online through www.wec.tv or www.ticketmaster.com.
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| Riddick Bowe Wants To Try MMA - 08 Nov 2007 10:58:15pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 04:58 PM CST |
| Nick Diaz Says What He Thinks - 08 Nov 2007 10:50:24pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 04:50 PM CST 
By Matt Young
Kimbo Slice came to town with the reputation of being a bit of a wild child, but it was Nick Diaz doing the acting out at Wednesday's EliteXC press conference at the Ortiz Center.
Diaz, who will fight K.J. Noons for EliteXC's 160-pound title in Saturday's main event at the American Bank Center, voiced his opinion on everything from legalizing marijuana to Showtime's mixed martial arts announcers.
After registering the biggest win of his career by beating Takanori Gomi on a PRIDE fight card back in February, Diaz (15-6) tested positive for marijuana. The fight was ruled a no contest and the Stockton, Calif., native was suspended for six months.
The failed drug test hasn't changed Diaz's lifestyle, though.
He came back to win a split decision over Mike Aina on his EliteXC debut in September, and says he hasn't stopped smoking marijuana.
"People can say all they want, 'Oh, he was suspended for marijuana,' but they never say, 'He's pro-marijuana,'" Diaz said. "I don't give a (expletive). I'm not shy about it."
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| Brad "One Punch" Pickett Set For Wembley Bout - 08 Nov 2007 10:40:50pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 04:40 PM CST 
Whitechapel-born Brad "One Punch" Pickett has been named on the bill when the popular mixed martial arts event Cage Rage hits Wembley Arena next month. Pickett, who now lives in Old Ford Road, Victoria Park, will take on Ronnie Mann in a featherweight bout on December 1 as both men work their way towards a shot at the British title next year.
A former semi-professional footballer, Pickett, 28, turned on the style in a smaller-scale Cage Rage Contenders event at the Troxy, Stepney, in August, defeating Vaughn Harvey in three rounds. Cage Rage uses an octagonal arena to stage bouts and is the fastest-growing sport in the UK.
Cage Rage Contenders, meanwhile, returns to the Troxy this Saturday, with 13 high-quality fights scheduled to take place.
For ticket information on these two events, log on to www.cagerage.tv
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| Matt Hughes' Blog - Week Eight - 08 Nov 2007 10:31:13pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 04:31 PM CST 
By Matt Hughes
With Tommy Speer's win this week, I've broken the curse, so to speak, and it feels great, and I really feel like I've got two quality guys (Speer and Mac Danzig) in the quarterfinals. I'm heavily outnumbered, but I really like my guys. They're not just fill-ins, they're quality fighters.
Tommy Speer comes from the mold I came from. I was a wrestler that liked to impose my will and use my strength, and that's what Tommy does. He imposes his will, uses his strength, and there's no quit in Tommy whatsoever.
I did have to get Tommy to show more emotion this week, and even though I'm a poker face when I fight, I'm not just out there doing moves, and if I can use J-Roc (Jared Rollins) as an example, he was a guy out there who looked like he was out there just throwing punches and doing moves. I think if he would have shown a little more emotion and a little more dedication and a little bit more heart, he would have went out there and realized that he wasn't winning on his feet, so maybe he would have tried a takedown or something like that. The mental aspect is what I'm getting at. There's so much more to this sport than just the physical game. I'm a true believer in the fact that the sport is 50% physical and 50% mental.
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| Pulver Bringing a Lil' Evil to the WEC - 08 Nov 2007 10:25:39pm Posted: 08 Nov 2007 04:25 PM CST 
By Thomas Gerbasi
At 32 years old, Jens Pulver could walk away from the sport of mixed martial arts tomorrow and his place in the record books would be secure. The first ever UFC Lightweight Champion, the first man to beat BJ Penn, the first fighter to put the 155-pound weight class on the map, a coach on season five of The Ultimate Fighter, and the list could go on. But for the man known as 'Lil' Evil', it's not time to walk off into the sunset – he still has unfinished business in this sport, and on December 12th, he will begin his quest not only for the WEC featherweight championship, but to do for the 145-pound weight class what he did for the lightweights.
And if anyone can do it, he can.
"I would love to make that attempt, and that's my job and what I'm here to do, said Pulver. "I want to build the WEC and build the 145 pound division and the other lighter weight classes."
Getting respect for fighters below the 170-pound weight class has always been a cause for Iowa's Pulver, who captured the imagination of the fight world in 2001, not only by becoming the UFC's first 155-pound champion by defeating Caol Uno at UFC 30, but by opening his life and heart to fans who were fascinated by his harrowing upbringing as well as his humble nature. And when Pulver delivered in the Octagon with title defenses over Dennis Hallman and the seemingly unbeatable Penn, his legacy was set.
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