ELITEXC ON SHOWTIME VS. BOXING ON HBO

By Michael Swann

The premiere of Pro Elite’s Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC) on Showtime Saturday was a success at least from an aesthetic standpoint. Even if, like me, you are a boxing fan who has yet to master the finer points of mixed martial arts, you have to admit that the event was entertaining.

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The announcing team of Mauro Ranallo, Bill Goldberg, and Jay Glazer were excellent, appropriately descriptive of the action so that we novices could keep our interest. Glazer, an NFL guy, in particular was impressive as the roving reporter.

EliteXC’s innovations get them off to a fast start. The streaming of the undercard on the internet had to appeal to some fans. I think that the idea of the 15 second stand up clock is a plus for fans who don’t always understand what the combatants are doing on the floor and appreciate pushing the action from an apparent lull. If the referee deems that the action has come to a standstill and neither man has an advantage, he gives them a warning then puts them on a 15 second clock after which he stands them up if there continues to be no advantage for either fighter.

Pro Elite had to be pleased with the potential star power generated in the inaugural live broadcast. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett suddenly clocked K.J. Noons with a hook in the first round and it was over. Bennett is a colorful character in and out of the cage, and will be a regular, I predict. The hulking 300 pound Antonio Silva fought Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, known for his strong beard, and stopped him with a flying knee in the first round of their super heavyweight fight. Joey Villasenor dominated the better known David “The Crow” Loiseau with a brilliant display of ground control and won a decision over the former UFC title contender.

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EliteXC Etcetera

By Steve Sievert

-The location of the event, in my opinion, just didn't work. Despite Southaven being a stone's throw from Memphis, the show didn't seem to draw a strong contingent from the market. From a media perspective - and, yes, us reporter types like logistics to be as seamless and simple as possible - the setup was sub par. The host hotel was a solid 45 minutes from the Memphis airport; the civic center was a 30-minute drive from the hotel; there was no formal post-event news conference; fighters were not made accessible at the conclusion of the show; I could go on.

-The UFC was well-represented at the show, with Nate Marquardt, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture and Quinton Jackson all making the trip. Interestingly, when talking with Evans, he said the UFC wouldn't permit him to do an on-the-record interview at a competitor's show.

-Perhaps not surprisingly, Jackson was a bit more forthcoming, and when I congratulated him on his recent victory over Marvin Eastman, he told me that he barely trained for the fight ... very nice!! "Rampage" has a love-hate (most hate) relationship with training, which probably needs to change if he's to seriously challenge Chuck Liddell for a title, which could come at UFC 71 in May.

-The Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni fight will take place under a co-promote banner between EliteXC and Strikeforce later this year. No date set yet, but it will be a pay-per-view show and not part of EliteXC's six-show deal with Showtime.

-The next EliteXC event - location TBA - will take place May 5.

-Lastly, where was Slater? Mario Lopez, of Saved by the Bell fame as the high-school wrestler, Slater, was high-profile in the pre-event promotion, but nowhere to be found on fight night.

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Renzo Gracie Injury Report - Video

Credit: Crazy Zimmerman / The Underground.

How a boxing match turns fatal

By Andrea Thompson

Researchers to put accelerometers in mouthpieces to judge blow's force

Nearly six years ago, in a nationally televised boxing match aboard the former aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid, 26-year-old Beethavean Scottland was knocked out by opponent George Jones’s right-left combination to his chin after 10 rounds of fighting. One week later, he died as a result of the blow to his head.

Though fatal fights don’t occur often in boxing, physicians and officials need better, more objective methods for judging when a fight could become deadly, neurosurgeon Vincent Miele of West Virginia University said. To arrive at such a method, Miele made a statistical comparison of the number of punches thrown in fatal and non-fatal professional fights.

He found that fatal fights had far more punches thrown than “average” matches, but not as many as “classic,” more competitive non-fatal matches. “This approach could provide sufficient data to stop matches that might result in fatalities,” Miele said.

Boxing has some of the same injury risks as other sports, but because the main target areas of punches are the chest and head, boxers are at high risk for brain injuries.

“Any time you get hit in the head, there’s brain damage,” Miele told LiveScience.

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Tito Ortiz vs Dana White and the PPV Numbers for UFC 61 Update

UFC Superstar Tito Ortiz is set to face off against Dana White, The UFC President next month. White is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Ortiz in the UFC, even if it means fighting the dangerous Ortiz.

Reports indicate that White has actually signed that contract. White is so set to keep the popularity of the UFC rising that he is actually willing to take some punches and kicks to enure it.

The last few years have proven to be a boom for the UFC, a sport which now rivals boxing and wrestling in popularity and shows no signs of dying down.

UFC 61: Bitter Rivals scored 775,000 Pay-per-view buys at a price $37.95 to the consumer. It made just shy of $30 Million dollars at $29,413,188.

HERB, GINA & RENZO ON THE RADIO TONIGHT AT 9PM ET

A referee's job is one of the most thankless in any sport, but even more so in the world of mixed martial arts. In MMA, a referee's decision doesn't just determine the position of the ball on the field or whether someone hit a game winning home run or a foul ball. In MMA, a referee's job can determine whether a fighter goes to the hospital or not, whether a fighter is ever able to step into the ring again or not. Because of the consequences at stake, controversy is a fate destined for any referee.

And controversy seems to follow referee Herb Dean wherever he goes, but that's only because he is so good at what he does, he is assigned to handle the fights that have the most eyes on them, the title fights, the main events. He refereed the first ever main event on Showtime, manning the cage between Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie. The outcome wasn't what many wanted, Gracie winning because Shamrock was disqualified for illegally striking him to the back of the head and leaving him unable to continue.

Gina Carano fought Julie Kedzie on the EliteXC card in what Damon Martin named the “Fight of the Night” while Carano took home “Fighter of the Night” honors. Carano talks about what it means to make such a big splash on the debut of MMA on Showtime and all her efforts to get there.

Renzo did win the main event, but experienced a trip to the hospital in the process. Tonight he joins the radio show to discuss the fight, Shamrock’s reaction afterwards, and how he’s doing health-wise following the illegal knees to the back of the head.

Join Damon & Jeff on MMAWeeklyRadio.com tonight to hear what Herb, Gina and Renzo have to say about the first MMA event ever on a U.S. premium cable channel. Listen LIVE tonight at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on MMAWeeklyRadio.com.

Daniel Puder vs. Michael Alden Set For 2/16

Costa Rica Feb 12, 2007 Daniel Puder (4-0) puts his undefeated record on the line once again, locking horns with Michael Alden (3- 0), as Bodogfight.com hosts the ultimate Mixed Martial Arts show in Costa Rica. Puder known for his raw power and technical ground skills, joins the Bodog Fight reality series with 64 of the best MMA athletes from around the world.

When asked about this exciting match up, a determined Puder stated, "I'm excited to be part of a great show. I'm hear to win and showcase my skills to the world." This match up is scheduled to take place this Friday Feb, 16th 2007.

UFC VS. CAGE RAGE, NOTES FROM UK FIGHT WEEKEND

By Jim Burman

“The British Bark” is back following an eventful weekend with Cage Rage 20 “Born 2 Fight.” Myself and Stash Capar were cageside for the festivities, which drew an estimated 7,000 spectators to the Wembley Arena in London. Here are some post-event notes:

UFC VS. CAGE RAGE

The dust has settled and what remains is the date April 21. UK’s leading local promotion in Cage Rage and the Ultimate Fighting Championship, America’s power promotion, have both pitched their tents for separate events on the same night a three hours drive away from one another.

The competition between the two promotions seems to be heating up with a number of occurrences over the weekend making this clear.

First of all, upon arrival at Wembley Central, the Tube (subway) station where most of the evening’s fans would be arriving prior to their prompt walk over to the arena, they were greeted by huge UFC posters proclaiming “UFC: April, Manchester.”

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Tim Sylvia: UFC Fighter Profile

Days Numbered for Tim Sylvia?

Through diligent efforts by the UFC management, the UFC Heavyweight division is experiencing a mass influx of talented fighters unprecedented in years past. Tim “Mainiac” Sylvia stands at the pinnacle of the once waning division where he has comfortably created a home. Although Sylvia has experienced a shake from the top by the efforts of Arlovski, he successfully ended that chapter in July 2006 with the belt around his waist.

Since then, Sylvia has experienced relatively no competition in challenging his title and no prospects to vie for an interesting altercation. However, the beginning of 2007 has injected new life in the division, most notably with the successful debut of Mirko Filipovic and the return of legend Randy Couture to vie for Sylvia’s title. For Sylvia to remain on top, there are many facets of his game he needs to work on.

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The Matt Hughes Report

Monday, February 12, 2007

Had a good time this weekend with my family, was somewhat busy with a camera crew and this and that, but all in all it was a great weekend.

Had been reading a book called The Edge, just a bunch of stories of successful people. Been reading about Dan Gable and he's got a great quote in here:

"When I lifted weights I didn't just lift to maintain my muscle tone. I lifted to increase what I already had and to push to a new limit. Every time I worked I was getting a little better. I kept moving that limit back and back. Every time I walked out of the gym, I was a little better than when I walked in."

I just think it's a great quote, it definitely fits the role of a professional athlete, but I just think it's a great life quote and it could be applied to anything.

Once again, I'll be training for my fight and try to stay healthy as the flu bug is floating around.

-Matt

www.matt-hughes.com

Xyience(R) Launches First Online Video Social Community

LAS VEGAS, NV--(MARKET WIRE)--Feb 12, 2007 -- Xyience(TM), the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®(UFC®), officially launched its MyXenergy(TM) (www.myxenergy.com) video social community and kicked the site off with the "Are you the Next Xenergy Girl? Search Contest" announced in front of millions of people at the UFC 67 fight on February 3. Powered by DAVE Networks' innovative S.O.C.I.A.L.(TM) Platform, the MyXenergy community will allow Xyience users to create profiles of themselves, upload and share videos, message with other MyXenergy members and blog about their favorite Xenergy drink, Xenergy Girls and UFC fighters.

Among the many features on the new MyXenergy community will be fighter profiles of some of the top UFC fighters including Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Matt Hughes, Mike Swick, B.J. Penn, Forrest Griffin, and Sean Sherk. MyXenergy visitors will also have access to exclusive UFC Fighter content, including behind-the-scenes videos and much more. MyXenergy members will be able to take MyXenergy content and syndicate it onto their own blogs and websites using the XyPlayer.

As part of MyXenergy's launch, visitors will be invited to enter Xenergy's "Citrus Clear Girl Search," a contest where women from around the world can upload a video explaining why they should be the next Xenergy Girl. Their videos will be voted on by MyXenergy community members. The top 3 finalists will be flown to Las Vegas to shoot a professional commercial and attend the UFC 69 fight on April 7, 2007. The finalists will be judged that night by a panel of celebrities and the new Xenergy Citrus Clear Girl will be announced at the UFC 69 after-party to be aired live on MyXenergy.com.

myxenergy.com

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Bodogfight St Petersburg Debuts Tomorrow Night!

It's back! Bodog.com Entertainment unleashes its second season of mixed martial arts (MMA) action to fans worldwide in what promises to be an incredible series of fights and behind-the-scenes drama.

On Tuesday, February 13, BodogFight: St. Petersburg premieres the first of eight hard-hitting episodes.

Fans can catch the action online at www.bodogfight.com or on ION Television, available in over 90 million homes throughout the United States, at 11PM/10 Central. Click here (www.ionline.tv/local.php) for local listings in your area.

Episode 1 kicks off with two fights in the 155-pound weight class.

Black Mamba vs. Rodrigo Damm
His real name is Kultar Gill, but he goes by "Black Mamba". This young, highly quotable product of a tough Indian boarding school has dedicated himself not only to excelling in MMA but also to advancing the sport itself. He promised to provide an entertaining fight - win or lose.

Mamba will face Rodrigo Damm, a renowned Jiu-Jitsu expert and the owner and founder of his own gym in Villa Vella, Brazil. He's also the brother of renowned female mixed martial artist Carina Damm.

Yves Edwards vs. Mike Brown
Yves Edwards is a name known in MMA circles. He has fought repeatedly on Pride, UFC, HooknShoot, and in various other leagues. He is the co-founder of Revolution Dojo and the co-creator of the "thug-jitsu" fighting system.

Edwards will take on Mike Brown, who practices with America Top Team as well as with experts from Japan, England, and Brazil.

Biographies of all BodogFight: St. Petersburg fighters, exclusive footage and unedited interviews from the filming in Russia are continuously added to BodogFight's official web site, www.bodogfight.com. Plus, check out the site for weekly contests!

Watch each new action-packed episode Tuesdays at 11PM/10 Central on ION Televison or online at www.bodogfight.com.

Sincerely,

The BodogFight Team
www.bodogfight.com

Collazo suffered broken hand!

Former welterweight champion Luis Collazo made a brief appearance at the post-fight press conference Saturday night where he revealed a hand injury that occurred after he landed a succession of straight lefts in the second and third rounds before losing a unanimous decision to "Sugar" Shane Mosley at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

A post-fight x-ray recommended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission revealed a fracture to Collazo's left hand. He also received seven stitches on his left eyelid caused by an accidental head butt in the fourth round.

Ndou new IBF champion!

It's official. Lovemore Ndou was awarded the IBF's junior welterweight title today, after Ricky Hatton vacated the belt over the weekend. "Had we known on February 4, 2007 that Hatton was not going to defend his title, the Ndou vs Ben Rabah fight would have been for the vacant title," IBF championships Chairman Lindsey Tucker told Fightnews.com.

RITC 91 - Here Comes Jimmy

By John Petrilli

Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, AZ
Saturday Feb 24, 2007

Advance Tickets $30 - $100 ( $5 more if purchased on fight day ) Tickets available only through Celebrity Theater Box Office 602-267-1600 ( Ext 1 ).

Jimmy 'the Titan' Ambriz, from Huntington Beach CA, returns to RITC after a 5 year absence. During this period, this 'Behemoth' has battled notable fighters such as Barnett, LeBanner, Rodriguez, Waterman, Eilers, Bobish, Ivey and Vrbanovic.

In title action, undefeated #1 Challenger Matt Dell will be facing Champion George Roop for the Bantamweight Championship. In contrast to the other Main Event, the combined weight of these two fighters is less than Ambriz. Should make for an interesting night of MMA action.

A very strong supporting card complements these Main Event matchups.

Partial Fight Card:
Jimmy Ambriz ( 300 ) vs Richard Hale ( 230 )
Matt Dell ( 145 ) vs George Roop ( 145 ) Bantamweight Title
George Hartman ( 200 ) vs Mike Ashford ( 195 )
Joe Veras ( 155 ) vs Ray Robinson ( 155 )
Benny Madrid ( 205 ) vs Lars Haven ( 200 )

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Martin Kampmann Talks McFedries Fight & a Possible Drop to 170bs

Martin Kampmann hasn't lost a fight since 2004 which includes two straight victories in the UFC. After defeating Crafton Wallace by rear-naked-choke in the first round of their fight at UFC's Ultimate Fight Night Six, Kampmann followed it up with an unanimous decision victory over UFC newcomer, Thales Leties. Now Kampmann has his eyes set on Pat Miletich fighter Drew McFedries. At UFC 65: 'Bad Intentions', McFedries surprised many when he took a fight on short notice and earned a TKO victory over Alessio Sakara. Find out what Kampmann thinks of McFedries and how he feels Randy Couture will do against Tim Sylvia . Here is the ADCC News Q and A.

ADCC: Martin let’s talk about your last UFC fight with Thales Leties at the Ultimate Fighter Four Finale in November. Were you surprised that he didn't’t go down from all the strikes you landed? MARTIN: Well he did go down once (laughs). But he just kept coming, he was definitely tough. It was a tough fight. He took a lot of punishment. But I was tired in the end too, with not much power left.

ADCC: It seemed as though you were getting exhausted near the end of the third round. Was that more out of frustration or were you winded from striking? MARTIN: I was definitely winded. He knocked me down in the first round and that takes some out of the tank. I had worked so much on getting up from the ground and my take down defense for the fight. I didn't really get my stand up sharp. He caught me too many times, I learned a lot from that fight.

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"KRAZY HORSE" BENNETT RIDES HIGH AGAIN

Whether you love him or you hate him, you can’t deny that Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett is one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. Case in point was Krazy Horse’s dismantling of highly touted KJ Noons at the EliteXC show in Southaven, Mississippi this past Saturday.



Heading into the fight it was clear that the promoters of EliteXC were looking to build Noons’ stature by having him face off against what could be deemed as a “beatable veteran.” After all, Noons had signed a multi-fight MMA and Pro Boxing contract with Gary Shaw Productions and should he win, he could be an easily bankable star heading into future events.

So it was no surprise when Charles Bennett’s name came up. While his unorthodox style could present troubles for KJ, other, more skilled fighters had been able to handle Bennett in the past, as evidenced by his 16-13-2 record, losing six of his previous seven fights heading into EliteXC.

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PRIDE.33 "THE SECOND COMING" PPV commentator, Josh Barnett!

Current PRIDE FC PPV commentator, Frank Trigg, will be returning to the PRIDE ring for the first time in 7years. Josh Barnett has been selected to substitute Frank Trigg as special commentator for PRIDE.33 "THE SECOND COMING".
Here is the comment from Josh Barnett for PRIDE FC fans.

JOSH BARNETT

"I am really excited to come from the ring and get behind the mike for this upcoming PRIDE show in Las Vegas. I hope to bring my insight and expertise from 11 years of pro wrestling and fighting to the booth and most of all, entertain!

I have done some commentary before and have spent many hours in front of the camera and in the ring so I have no worries about being in the commentary booth. I will also look to other great commentators for inspiration like: "Mean" Gene Okerland, Gorilla Monson, Gordon Solie and Jim Ross.

It's going to be a fun time watching fights and hanging out with you fans. Make sure to bring some beers and I'll fire up the barbeque!"

Ultimate Fighting Machines

(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- This would be a particularly awesome time for the Fertitta brothers to finally disagree. That's because the dispute resolution clause in their ownership contract of the Ultimate Fighting Championship states that "in order to resolve a Deadlock among the LLC Members, Frank and Lorenzo shall engage in a Sport Jiu-Jitsu match under the rules as set forth herein."

Those would be three five-minute rounds refereed by UFC president Dana White and "decided by submission or points." Points, of course, being accrued by kicking the other guy in the face.

Having a major business decision decided by an ultraviolent martial arts contest between brothers worth more than $700 million would be cool enough on a normal week, especially since Frank, 44, and Lorenzo, 37, not only are pretty evenly matched but claim not to have had an argument in their adult lives.

But for it to happen right now would particularly kick ass, since both brothers are wearing leg casts after having knee surgery performed on the same day, by the same doctor, in the same hospital, for the same injury - Frank's from soccer, Lorenzo's from sparring.

Right now a disagreement would legally necessitate a fight so disturbingly stomach-churning that UFC fans wouldn't even enjoy it. Or, more likely, would pay twice as much to see it.

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Canadian fighter turning heads

By Neil Davidson

Just 19, Chris Horodecki doesn't look old enough to drive a car let alone kick someone in the head for a living.

But the baby-faced mixed martial arts fighter from London, Ont., has been leaving a trail of bodies in his wake in the International Fight League. The lightweight is 4-0 in the IFL, 8-0 as a pro and was named Breakout Fighter of the Year for 2006 by Full Contact Fighter magazine.

"The whole mixed martial arts world is talking about him right now," said Bas Rutten, the former world champion who coaches him at the IFL's Anacondas. "He's got his looks, he's smart, he's good in interviews. He's got the whole package."

"He's 19 years old and he's tearing it up," added fellow fighter Mark Hominick, a friend and training partner in London.

The five-foot-nine Horodecki (pronounced Horo-deski) is a baby-faced tangle of arms and legs. And when it comes to fighting, he apparently has ice in his veins.

"What makes him special is he is so calm under stress," Rutten said. "For him to go to the store and buy a loaf of bread or go to a fight is exactly the same thing for him . . . he's just unbelievable."

"He is just a handful, that kid," said Hominick. "He's a different breed."

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Alessio Sakara vs. Victor Valimaki at UFC 70

Adding further flavor to an already international fight card, Italian Alessio Sakara (10-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will meet Canadian Victor Valimaki (9-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a light heavyweight bout at the UFC 70 show in England, according to a UFCjunkie.com source close to one of the fighters.

The event is expected to take place April 21 at the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N.) Arena. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is expected to headline the event.

Sakara fought three times in the UFC during the 2006 season. He beat Elvis Sinosic (UFC 57) but suffered a submission loss to Dean Lister (UFC 60) and a TKO loss to Drew McFedries at UFC 65.

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Shamrock delivers stinging blows - from dressing room

Frank Shamrock's best shots of the night against Renzo Gracie during EliteXC's debut Saturday night were of the verbal variety during an impromptu post-fight news conference in his dressing room.

Listen to Shamrock Describing the end of the fight.

Listen to Shamrock discuss how Gracie "took the easy way out."

Shamrock was trailing in the fight and didn't mount much offense through the first round and a half, but said he was setting up Gracie for a third-round KO. Gracie, who won by disqualification from knee strikes to the back of the neck, was taken to a hospital for tests and was left with a concussion.

Both fighters say they want a rematch.

Leave it to the ladies to steal the show. The tussle between Gina Carano and Julie Kedzie produced the fight with the most bell-to-bell action. Kedzie showed tremendous resolve against a stronger, more talented striker.

Carano used early leg kicks to set the table to go upstairs.

Listen to Carano's fight strategy.

The Las Vegas fighter improved to 4-0 and could be ready to return to the cage for EliteXC's second 2007 show May 5.

Dear Don: Advice from "The Predator"

Don Frye has beaten up more men, for more money, in more places than you can even spell. Who better to turn to for advice on love, life, friendship, and more?

In this new feature from IFL.tv, Scorpions coach Don Frye answers your questions, dispensing his own brand of wisdom to make the world a better (or at least more interesting) place. If you have a problem and want Don’s advice, simply email it to deardon@ifl.tv and check back regularly for new installments.

Dear Don,
Valentine's Day is coming up, and this is the first one with my girl. I'm not a real romantic guy and I know she expects something special, besides some half-dead flowers and an overpriced meal, so do you have any ideas/tricks I can use to please my lady and get me some booty this Valentine's?

Here’s what you do. Obviously, you’ve got a computer, so go on the internet and find a place that sells really nice wine. Next, print off a picture of the one the fancy bottles of wine, one of the real expensive ones. Then glue it on top of a cheap bottle.

You see, women like expensive stuff because it means you care enough to spend your dough. My guess is she wouldn’t know a cheap bottle of wine from an expensive one anymore than she’d know a wristlock from a wrist watch. So let her think it cost you a bundle. It’s still got alcohol in it, right?

Once that’s done, do the same thing with a box of chocolates. She’ll like that.

When she comes over to your house you give her the wine and the chocolates. Watch how excited she gets. Once she’s in a good mood you give her two choices: either go out to a strip club or stay in and some watch some fights.

Either way, it should be a pretty good night.

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A Devastating 1-2 Punch: BIOGENETIX Partners with King of the Cage!

BIOGENETIX(TM), engineers of the new, scientifically advanced Total Body Transformation Kit that includes BIOBURN-D2T(TM), CREATINE-D2T(TM) and NO-D2T(TM), is pleased to announce they are joining forces with King of the Cage (KOTC).

Regarded by many as the most extreme and hardcore alliance in all of mixed martial arts, KOTC's partnership with BIOGENETIX makes perfect sense. "BIOGENETIX guarantees a physique enhancing solution through science," says Andrew Smith, Brand Manager for BIOGENETIX. "In fact, BIOGENETIX is all about science...harnessing its power and developing products to help mixed martial artists strike harder and last longer. Since KOTC is every bit as dedicated to its sport as we are to helping its athletes perform at the highest level, joining forces was a natural conclusion. We are thrilled to have the endorsement of world-class athletes such as Aaron Wetherspoon, the current KOTC welterweight champion."

"KOTC is truly an international entity," says Terry Trebilcock, owner of KOTC, referring to their presence in Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA. "KOTC represents The Evolution of Combat," continues Trebilcock. "We take great pride in offering some of the most hardcore and intense mixed martial arts competitions in the world. BIOGENETIX is committed to providing the very best supplements to our amazing athletes, so when the opportunity of teaming up came about, I didn't hesitate."

Both KOTC and BIOGENETIX embody strength, speed and endurance. "It's all about hitting harder and lasting longer," says Nathan Hinks, Assistant Brand Manager for BIOGENETIX. "And the power of Deca-Delivery Technology (D2T(TM)), which every BIOGENETIX formula uses, is definitely a means by which to help KOTC fighters achieve just that."

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LOVEMORE NDOU TO BE NAMED IBF JR. WELTER CHAMP

Marian Muhammad

IBF President Mirian Muhammad told the Australian Associated Press that Aussie Lovemore Ndou will be named Jr. Welterweight champion if reigning title holder Ricky Hatton pressed ahead with plans for a summer superfight with Jose Luis Castillo.

A Castillo fight would violate the IBF’s regulations requiring Hatton next face Ndou, the organization’s mandatory challenger.

The IBF is expected to make its decision concerning the Jr. Welter belt later today.

Pacquiao Bout Changed Again

PACQUIAO BOUT SHIFTED TO SAN ANTONIO, MOVED AHEAD TWO WEEKS

The particulars of Manny Pacquiao’s next fight keep changing, but a report in Monday’s Manila-based Philippine Star states that the Super Featherweight superstar will not be fighting Korea’s In Jin Chi in Macau, China on April 28th, but rather Mexico’s Jorge Solis two weeks earlier in San Antonio, Texas.

The reason behind the shift in dates is that, according to the Star’s Abac Cordero, Pacquiao has his sights set on running in elections slated for May 14th in the Philippines.

Pacquiao, who was recently sworn in as a member of the Philippine’s Liberal Party, is reportedly mulling over vying for the position of Mayor of his hometown of Gen. Santos City, or for the city’s congressional seat.

SCHULTZ & STARK OUT OF WOLFPACK '07 DEBUT

Heading into their third event of the 2007 season, the IFL is experiencing some of the pitfalls of their new, busier schedule. Instead of having events around 90 days apart, the promotion has seen the time between events shrink significantly, meaning teams have a shorter turn-around time than they had last year.

Among the casualties of the shorter schedule is Wolfpack lightweight Ryan “The Lion” Schultz. While physically healthy, he will miss the team’s 2007 season debut in Atlanta, Georgia on February 23rd as confirmed by MMAWeekly with Wolfpack coach Matt Lindland.

Schultz, while healthy, will miss the event because of a mandatory suspension he received from the Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission stemming from his KO loss to Bart Palaszewski of the Silverbacks at the IFL Finals on December 29th.

The 60-day suspension is scheduled to end just hours after Schultz’s scheduled fight with new Dragons lightweight Wagnney Fabiano, so even though he is healthy, Ryan will not be able to compete at the event.

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How Do You Spell “Anticlimax”?

It was supposed to be a memorable and unforgettable evening on Showtime for the inaugural EliteXC event. But sadly, the most important battle was nothing more than, well, forgettable.

Frank Shamrock, hailed by some mixed martial arts experts as the greatest fighter in the sport’s young history, lost for the first time in a decade. What was even worse, though, was that the loss came via disappointing disqualification after a rather uneventful seven minutes of fighting.

It wasn’t supposed to happen that way, that’s for sure.

Shamrock was set to return to past glory by walloping Renzo Gracie and rekindling the magic that made him, when he was tearing up the UFC, a one-of-a-kind fighter.

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Bodogfight: Complete Second Season Episode Guide For BodogFight St. Petersburg

BodogFight: St. Petersburg will premiere Tuesday night at 11:00 pm EST on ION (formerly PAX) and will continue to air in the same timeslot. The episodes will replay Saturday nights at 11:00 pm EST and will also be available at bodogfight.com on Wednesday mornings.

As a bonus, the PPV from the first season, BodogFight: USA vs. Russia, will air on ION on Saturday, February 17, at 8 pm EST.

BodogFight: St. Petersburg Episode Guide

Episode 1 - February 13, 2007
Mike Thomas Brown (13-4) vs. Yves Edwards (29-11)
Rodrigo Damm (3-1) vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill (8-4)

Episode 2 - February 20, 2007
Tyler "TNT" Jackson (7-3) vs. Dmitry Samoilov (2-0)
Steve "Red Nose" Berger (17-15) vs. Jorge "GameBred" Masvidal (9-2)

Episode 3 - February 27, 2007
Kristof "Hurricane" Midoux (5-6) vs. Roman Zentsov (14-10)
Jeremiah Constant (4-0) vs. Cain Velasquez (1-0)

Episode 4 - March 6, 2007
Hitomi Akano (9-2) vs. Tama Chan (12-5)
Shanya Bazler (0-0) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (7-3)
Carina Damm (5-2) vs. Rosi Sexton (5-1)
Amanda Buckner (8-4) vs. Julie Kedzie (6-5)

Episode 5 - March 13, 2007
Diego Gonzalez (7-3) vs. Matt "12 Gauge" Thorpe (6-4)
Jake Ellenberger (14-1) vs. Derrick Noble (19-8)

Episode 6 - March 20, 2007
Khalil Ibrahim (0-0) vs. Bill "the Butcher" Mahood (13-5)
Jeff Ford (2-1) vs. Steve Steinbeiss (0-0)

Episode 7 - March 27, 2007
Jarno Nurminen (1-0) vs. Sang Su Lee (2-3)
Jeff "the Big Frog" Curran (25-8) vs. Roy Nelson (7-0)

Episode 8 - April 3, 2007
Season Recap

Episode 9 - April 6, 2007
BodogFight: St. Petersburg PPV

MIGUEL ANGEL TORRES WINS AT TFC 10

Hammond, Ind. – The main event of Total Fighting Challenge’s 10th Anniversary Show featured Shooto World #3 ranked and current 135lb Total Fight Challenge Champion Miguel Angel Torres taking on Charles “Man of War” Wilson at 145 pounds.

Throughout the fight, Wilson survived multiple submission attempts from Torres on the ground and fought to stay standing while using his unorthodox stance and kicks to keep Miguel at bay. Despite spending most of the 1st and 2nd rounds in triangle and armbar attempts from Torres, Wilson refused to tap and landed several shots as he escaped the holds that bloodied the face of Torres in both rounds. Wilson obviously wanted to keep the fight standing, but in the third round Torres imposed his will and brought the fight into his guard where he locked on a tight triangle choke and forced a very game Wilson to finally tap out at 1:29 of the 3rd round.

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SHAMROCK DQED BY CROWD AND ILLEGAL KNEE, CARANO-KEDZIE CEMENT FEMALES’ ARRIVAL AT ELITE XC

By Loretta Hunt

Despite an anti-climatic conclusion to the latest chapter of the inflated Shamrock-Gracie rivalry, Pro Elite’s Elite XC “Destiny,” held at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi Saturday night, came firmly out of the gate, producing possibly the strongest premiere event for a debuting promotion taking its product directly to the airwaves. Co-produced by the SHOWTIME Network, which aired five bouts live in the U.S. while The Fight Network did the same in Canada, Elite XC oozed of confidence and organization.

Billed as legendary MMA first family versus family, Frank Shamrock’s second fight in under a year was most likely more telling than he wanted it to be. A former UFC Middleweight Champion who had left the sport at the height of his popularity in 2000, many had criticized his “all talk, no action” strategy while he waited for an organization to come around that could match his asking price.

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Marquardt fights outside spotlight

By Steve Sievert

Nate Marquardt is mired in the middleweight shuffle.

Despite a 4-0 record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and 28 pro victories in mixed martial arts, Marquardt has yet to get his ticket punched for a UFC title fight.

After his last performance in the octagon, however, the wait might finally be over.

At Ultimate Fight Night 8 in January, Marquardt dominated submission specialist Dean Lister, knocking him around the cage en route to a unanimous-decision victory. Demonstrating a potent stand-up attack, Marquardt sent Lister to the mat five times in the fight, leading two judges to score the mismatch 30-25.

"That was one of the best-executed game plans I've ever seen," said Greg Jackson, who trains Marquardt out of his Albuquerque, N.M., camp. "He went out and played his game and kept Lister from his. That's what fighting is all about."

Winning is what the 27-year-old Marquardt is all about. A pro since 1999, Marquardt owned the middleweight division of Pancrase, a Japan-based MMA organization, earlier in his career. He's the only fighter to be a seven-time King of Pancrase champion.

Marquardt jumped to the UFC in 2005 and has yet to be challenged in four fights. But while other middleweights such as Chris Leben and Mike Swick have had the bright lights of The Ultimate Fighter reality show to build a following, Marquardt's time in front of the cameras has been limited.

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Shane Mosley: Back up that Mountain

By David P. Greisman

Logic dictates that the career of Shane Mosley should be going nowhere but downhill.

The numbers add up and load the equation. Age? 35. Experience? Twenty-five years in boxing, fourteen as a pro. Weight? 147 pounds. After four years of campaigning at junior middleweight, Mosley is hoping that he can regain his young form in his old weight class. And in attempting to succeed where others have failed, Mosley is taking on the most indefatigable of foes – history.

Mosley, though, is already well acquainted with the situation thanks to years of training camps at Big Bear in California. With altitude comes seclusion, and from isolation comes peace, the lack of distractions while “Sugar Shane” prepares for big challenges and big fights. So for nearly a decade, Mosley has let loose by snowboarding, that rapid rush from the highest peaks to the lowest valleys. He knows what it is to be down. And he is familiar with what it takes to climb back up that mountain.

In 1999, Mosley ventured directly from lightweight to welterweight, a smaller man in the land of the large. He became champion. And then Vernon Forrest gave him his first loss. Undaunted, Mosley looked up at his lengthy foe and went back to climbing. Once more, defeat. Sisyphus never had it so rough.

A wiser man realizes his limits. Wiser men, however, know not how to dream, and they sure as heck never reach the sky.

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Regulation of mixed martial arts events needed

Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth took a stand against economic growth on Friday, when it issued a cease and desist order to Bay City-based Adoreable Promotions, Inc. and owner Arthur P. Dore, the promoter of the Original Toughman Contest. According to Archie Millben, enforcement director for the Bureau of Commerical Services, "Our position has been that ultimate fighting is illegal in Michigan. In some of the bouts, people just box each other. What they're putting on constitutes an unlicensed professional boxing show."

That position is one of sheer ignorance.

For one, there is no such thing as "ultimate fighting." The term is a proprietary one, owned by Zuffa, Inc., the Las Vegas-based promoter of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC. The UFC's ubiquitous popularity in the United States has led many, including Millben, to associate any mixed martial arts (MMA) events - the type of events Ahrens promotes - with ultimate fighting, a distinction that is crucial in this context.

Second, MMA is not boxing. Boxing is an altogether different sport, utilizing an entirely different set of rules and requiring an altogether different athlete. Compare any MMA event with any boxing event - you can watch bouts in both sports for free on websites like YouTube - and the difference will be immediately noticeable once the fight hits the canvas.

Third, MMA is the nation's fastest-growing sport, and in refusing to take it seriously, Michigan is refusing a potentially massive economic stimulant. Michigan needs to at least try to sanction the sport, as there is an immense potential for its growth considering its longstanding and unfair illegality under the banner of "ultimate fighting." Legalizing and sanctioning MMA events will take bouts out of backyards and into Michigan's arenas, which are subject to the state's tax laws and safety specifications. Mixed martial arts events are going to be put on regardless, so if the government has its citizens' best interests in mind, it needs to consider repealing the ban.

And finally, a mature athletic commission will likely attract bigger MMA promotions like the UFC into holding events in Michigan, bringing millions of dollars with them. In addition, the sanctioning of MMA events virtually guarantees the safety of the participants, as the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (which the athletic commissions of over 30 states utilize) specify numerous safeguards to ensure the well-being of the fighters.

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