Archived News Posts - 2009 Q2
Exclusive Interview - Tim Kennedy
Speaking with MMARising.com, decorated U.S. Special Forces member and middleweight MMA standout Tim Kennedy discusses his military career, a recent return to full-time fighting and what he would like to accomplish in the coming months.Having dedicated many of the best years of his life to serving his country, U.S. Special Forces Green Beret Kennedy's new goal is to become a world champion in mixed martial arts. |
Photos From Strikeforce Challengers 2
MMARising.com is pleased to present exclusive photos from the recent Strikeforce Challengers 2 event in Kent, Washington, which concluded with "Smokin'" Joe Villasenor edging out Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in the night's main event.The July 19th card featured 11 great fights, with Joey Villasenor, Tim Kennedy, Jorge Gurgel, Sarah Kaufman and Luke Rockhold all picking up victories on the televised portion of the event. |
Round 5 MMA Series 4 Images Released
Providing a sneak peak to fans, Round 5 MMA has released comparison images for each of the fighters and likenesses included in their upcoming Series 4 collection of figurines, and it is already clear that Series 4 will be another great success.The pictures depict side-by-side comparisons of the fighters and their figurine counterparts. Series 4 is currently scheduled for a late July or early August release, with five figurines total. |
Machida vs Rua At UFC 104
With Quinton "Rampage" Jackson busy coaching on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida will instead look to defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time when he faces Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 104.Rua, who is coming off of a first-round victory over former champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, will aim to become the first person to figure out Machida as he looks to hand him his first loss. |
The Ultimate Fighter 9 Results
Although marred by some dreadful scoring from the judges, the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 9 was otherwise a solid card, with Brits Ross Pearson and James Wilks winning UFC contracts and Diego Sanchez mauling Clay Guida in the main event.Elsewhere on the main card, Chris Lytle had to recover after getting rocked in round one by Kevin Burns, and he came back strong to earn a hard-fought Unanimous Decision. |
Audio Interview With Greg Jackson
Affectionately known as "Yoda" for his stature and wisdom, Greg Jackson has trained some of the best fighters in mixed martial arts. He speaks with MMARising.com about his camp's recent accomplishments and what lies ahead in 2009.Greg discusses Joe Stevenson's fight with Nate Diaz, what lies ahead for Rashad Evans and George St. Pierre, and why he'd like another shot at formulating a plan to defeat Lyoto Machida. |
Audio Interview With Sarah Kaufman
Catching up with female standout Sarah Kaufman, who remains undefeated after a Unanimous Decision win over Shayna Baszler on Friday, MMARising.com gets her thoughts on the fight and her plans to hold Strikeforce gold in the near future.Now 10-0, Sarah discusses the tough fight, including a highly unorthodoxed submission that Shayna used early on, as well as goals for upcoming fights, opponents and championships. |
Audio Interview With Stephen Quadros
Speaking with MMARising.com following Strikeforce Challengers 2 in Kent, Washington on Friday, famed MMA commentator Stephen Quadros, better known to many as "The Fight Professor," discussed the great night of fights and Strikeforce's future.Stephen talks about the stellar card and gives his thoughts on the Strikeforce women's division, undefeated Canadian Sarah Kaufman and a potential 135-Pound Women's Championship. |
Strikeforce Challengers 2 Results
MMARising.com was on-site at the amazing Strikeforce Challengers 2 event in Kent, Washington on Friday, which featured a stellar card that concluded with "Smokin'" Joe Villasenor defeating Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by Split Decision.Also on the main card, former UFC star Jorge Gurgel won a war over Conor Heun, while Canadian Sarah Kaufman remained undefeated with a Unanimous Decision over Shayna Baszler. |
Strikeforce Challengers 2 Preview
Strikeforce invades the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington tomorrow night for the second edition of their popular Challengers Series, and MMARising.com will be on-site to provide in-depth coverage, pictures and interviews from the event.The card is a solid one, featuring a number of talented fighters from the Pacific Northwest as well as many of the top prospects in North America today, including undefeated Sarah Kaufman. |
UFC 99 Results & Recap
While the scoring of some bouts has come under question, UFC 99 was otherwise an excellent event that featured a number of very close fights. In the catchweight main event, Rich "Ace" Franklin narrowly defeated Wanderlei Silva by decision.Elsewhere on the main card, Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy won his grudge match with "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis, while Cain Velasquez used Cheick Kongo as a wrestling dummy. |
UFC 99 Predictions
The Ultimate Fighting Championship enters Germany for the first time at UFC 99: "The Comeback," which is headlined by a catchweight bout between Rich "Ace" Franklin and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva. MMARising.com previews the card.A surprisingly solid main card also features highly-touted prospect Cain Velasquez, while Japanese lightweight sensation Caol "Uno Shoten" Uno makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon. |
World Extreme Cagefighting 41 Results
Persevering after breaking his right hand in round one and suffering a suspected injury to his left hand later on, former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber put on a gutsy performance at WEC 41, but came up short against Mike Brown.In the co-main event of the evening, featherweight phenom Jose "Junior" Aldo defeated Cub Swanson in just eight seconds with a double flying knee that badly cut Swanson in two places. |
Strikeforce: "Lawler vs Shields" Results
Showcasing many of their top fighters, Strikeforce put on a solid show at "Lawler vs Shields," which featured a number of upsets and saw Jake Shields submit "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler in the first round of their main event catchweight bout.Among the upsets of the night, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski was blitzed in just 22 seconds by undefeated knockout artist Brett "The Grim" Rogers. |
Carano vs Santos Set As Main Event
For the first time ever, a women's bout will headline a major North American mixed martial arts event, as superstars Gina "Conviction" Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos square off for the Strikeforce 145-Pound Women's Championship.Carano and Santos will collide on August 15th, in a bout scheduled for five rounds of five minutes each, and the event will air live on Showtime for what is expected to be a very large audience. |
Exclusive Interview - Damon Lau
Rising to the forefront of the world of collectible MMA figurines, Round 5 MMA President Damon Lau and his brother Barron have taken a dream and made it into a reality. Damon speaks with MMARising.com about major plans for the future.As co-founders of Round 5 MMA, Damon Lau and his brother Barron have seen their Markham, Ontario, Canada-based company grow into the leader in collectible MMA figurines. |
Kimbo Slice Joins TUF Season 10
Passing on a chance to compete in Strikeforce, former EliteXC superstar Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson has instead opted to take on an opportunity first given to him in jest by UFC President Dana White, as he joins The Ultimate Fighter.Ferguson (3-1-0), a former street fighter who rose to superstar status in EliteXC on CBS, will join a cast of heavyweights that includes ex-NFL players and former world champions and challengers. |
Ishii Signs With World Victory Road
Ending nearly a year of speculation, 2008 Olympic Gold Medallist in Judo, Satoshi Ishii, has officially signed a two-year contract with World Victory Road and will make his mixed martial arts debut at a "Sengoku" event later this year.One of the most coveted free agents in quite some time, the 22-year-old native of Osaka, Japan made headlines last year by stating intentions to battle #1-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. |
Barnett vs Emelianenko At Affliction III
Confirming months of speculation, Affliction has announced that #1-ranked heavyweight and WAMMA Unified Heavyweight Champion "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko will defend his title against "The Babyfaced Assassin" Josh Barnett at Affliction III.The bout, which pits the #1- and #2-ranked heavyweights against each other, will be a tough test for Emelianenko, as he looks to retain his title against Barnett, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. |
DREAM: Olympia Dream.9 Results
Aside from an unfortunate No Contest in the night's main event, Dream.9 was otherwise one of the best MMA events to take place in Japan since the fall of Pride Fighting Championships, and featured drama, comedy, controversy and great fights.While Joe Warren's shocking defeat of Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto left many in disbelief, Hideo Tokoro's unbelievable Fight of the Year battle with Abel Cullum sent the timid crowd into a frenzy. |
UFC 98 Results & Recap
Though the grudge match between former UFC Welterweight Champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra definitely did not live up to the massive hype, UFC 98 was otherwise a solid event and ended with a bang when Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans.The main card featured a pair of excellent 15-minute wars, as Chael Sonnen used impressive ground-and-pound to defeat Dan Miller, while Frankie Edgar picked up a huge win over Sean Sherk. |
UFC 98 Predictions
For the first time in the promotion's history, two undefeated fighters will battle for UFC gold, as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans defends against Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida at UFC 98. MMARising.com breaks down the card.Also on the event's main card, a years-in-the-making grudge match will finally take place when former UFC Welterweight Champions Matt Hughes and Matt Serra square off to settle the score. |
Round 5 MMA Announcements
After releasing Series 1 of their signature series of collectible MMA figurines in 2008, Round 5 MMA has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the premier manufacturer in the business, and the company has revealed huge plans for its upcoming releases.Headquartered in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Round 5 MMA was co-founded by brothers Damon and Barron Lau, who serve as President and CEO, respectively, of the award-winning company. |
Arlovski vs Rogers Set For Strikeforce
Stepping in on short notice, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski will face undefeated knockout artist Brett "The Grim" Rogers in the co-main event of the upcoming June 6th Strikeforce event, airing live on Showtime.Arlovski (15-6-0) will be looking to get back on the winning track against Rogers (9-0-0), after suffering a first-round knockout loss to #1-ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. |
Jewels: "Third Ring" Results
Picking up right where they left off in February, the all-female Jewels promotion showcased some exciting fights at "Third Ring," which culminated with former SmackGIRL Open Weight Champion Yuko "Hiroko" Yamanaka dominating Shannon Hooper.Earlier in the evening, top star Saori Ishioka defeated Kanako Oka in a Shootboxing match, then requested an MMA bout with #1-ranked female fighter Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii at "Fourth Ring." |
Strikeforce Challengers 1 Results
Showcasing the promotion's future stars, Strikeforce's debut Challengers event ended with a highly controversial finish in the main event between "Iron" Mike Aina and Billy Evangelista, but the women's bout in the co-main event stole the show.Controversy also plagued the opening bout of the televised card, as Bao Quach picked up a Unanimous Decision over Tito Jones, despite being dropped twice in the final round. |
MFC 21: "Hard Knocks" Results
Crowning a new champion, Maximum Fighting Championship's latest event concluded with a war that saw Trevor Prangley capture the MFC Light Heavyweight Championship, while former wrestler Bobby Lashley decimated Mike Cook in just 24 seconds.Also on the main card, former UFC and WEC star John "The Natural" Alessio rebounded after two tough losses by submitting Andrew Buckland with a rear naked choke in round one. |
Nogueira Wins At Jungle Fight: Ceará
Competing in his native Brazil for the first time in his career, Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, twin brother of current UFC heavyweight star Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, picked up an impressive submission victory over Dion Staring.The bout, which took place at a Jungle Fight event in Ceará, Brazil, saw Nogueira dominate the first round with strikes before finishing with a fight-ending triangle choke late in round two. |
Shooto: "Tradition Final" Results
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the promotion's birth, Shooto's "Tradition Final" featured the return of huge stars from years passed and saw Takanori "Fireball Kid" Gomi and "Lion" Takeshi Inoue pick up wins in the night's main events.Also on the card, undefeated #1-ranked female fighter Megumi "Mega Megu" Fujii picked up a quick submission win, while "The Endless Fighter" Mitsuhiro Ishida was shocked by Mizuto Hirota. |
Kaufman Steps In To Face Tate
Following Kim Couture's withdrawal due to her impending divorce from husband Randy Couture, undefeated Canadian standout Sarah Kaufman has taken her place against rising star Miesha "Takedown" Tate at the upcoming Strikeforce Challengers event.The battle with Tate, which will be Kaufman's second fight in three weeks, takes place on May 15th in Fresno, California, and airs live on Showtime in the United States and Super Channel in Canada. |
World Victory Road "Sengoku VIII" Results
In continuing their inaugural Featherweight Grand Prix, World Victory Road put on a phenomenal event at "Sengoku VIII," which saw tournament favourite Hatsu Hioki and perennial underdog Michihiro Omigawa both pick up first-round victories.Another tournament bout, which was easily a candidate for Fight of the Year, saw Masanori Kanehara edge out "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung with a contentious Unanimous Decision. |
Exclusive Interview - John McCarthy
Widely regarded as the "best in the business," mixed martial arts' most famous official, "Big" John McCarthy, talks with MMARising.com about his storied 16-year career, today's officials, broadcasting and his recent return to active duty.John McCarthy, a Los Angeles Police Officer and Tactical Self-Defence Instructor, is perhaps best known as having officiated 535 mixed martial arts bouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. |
Diaz vs Smith Set For June 6th
Immediately returning to action after scoring wins on April 11th, Strikeforce standouts Nick Diaz and Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith will battle each other on the upcoming June 6th Strikeforce card on Showtime, in what is sure to be an all-out war.The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 180 pounds, as Diaz, a former welterweight who has competed as low as the lightweight level, continues his slow climb to the 185-pound division. |
Valkyrie: "Valkyrie 2" Results
The second effort from Greatest Common Multiple's all-female Valkyrie division saw the crowning of the promotion's first champion, as Japanese phenom Yuka "Vale Tudo Queen" Tsuji defeated Kate Martinez to become the Featherweight Champion.In other action, another Japanese star, "Windy" Tomomi Sunaba, fell short in her fight with Kyoko Takabayashi, who submitted her with a rear naked choke in the early stages of round one. |
Kaufman Wins At PFC
After finding herself without a fight for the past 13 months, undefeated Canadian star Sarah Kaufman stepped back into action at PFC: Best of Both Worlds 2, where she scored an impressive TKO victory over Sara Schneider in the second round.The victory brought Kaufman's record to a perfect 8-0-0, with all eight wins coming by a form of knockout. It was her first fight since the demise of Hardcore Championship Fighting last year. |
UFC 97 Results & Recap
Capped off by one of the worst main events in UFC history, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's second trip to Canada at UFC 97: "Redemption" was otherwise a success, and saw Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vanquish Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell in round one.Elsewhere, Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout took a contested Unanimous Decision over "Handsome" Matt Wiman, while Krzysztof Soszynski scored a quick submission win over Brian Stann. |
UFC 97 Predictions
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Canada tomorrow night for UFC 97, and MMARising.com previews the card, which is headlined by a UFC Middleweight Championship bout between champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Thales Leites.The co-main event features one of the most pivotal light heavyweight bouts in recent memory, as Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell both desperately seek a victory. |
Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs Diaz" Results
Capping off a thrilling night of fights, Strikeforce's debut event on Showtime concluded with Nick Diaz coming out on top in his battle with Frank "The Legend" Shamrock, while heavy hitters Scott Smith and Benji Radach engaged in an all-out war.In a highly controversial women's bout, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos's huge weight and strength advantage proved to be too much for the undersized Hitomi "Girlfight Monster" Akano. |
Santos Badly Misses Weight
Continuing a recent trend in North American women's MMA, feared striker Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos missed weight by an astonishing seven pounds for her fight with Japanese star Hitomi "Girlfight Monster" Akano, but the fight will go on.Unlike fellow weight-challenged star Gina "Conviction" Carano, Santos appeared to have made no effort to make the 145-pound limit and originally weighed in at a whopping 152 pounds. |
UFC 100 Fights Announced
Confirming additions to its historic UFC 100 card, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced an exciting middleweight matchup between the recently acquired Yoshihiro Akiyama and Alan "The Talent" Belcher, along with four other fights.The landmark card, which takes place on July 11th, will also feature a light heavyweight contest between rising star Jon "Bones" Jones and wrestler "Irish" Jake O'Brien. |
Damm Steps In To Face Melendez
With the recent injury to Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson, submission ace Rodrigo Damm will battle Thomson's original opponent, former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez, in an Interim title bout.The explosive bout, which will determine a number one contender for Thomson's Lightweight title, will be part of the Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs Diaz" card that takes place on June 11th. |
World Extreme Cagefighting 40 Results
Capped off by a WEC Bantamweight Championship bout that was far closer than most anticipated, WEC 40 was a solid event, and also featured another exciting bantamweight bout between former WEC title challenger Jeff Curran and Joseph Benavidez.Also on the main card, Benson Henderson and Rafael Assuncao picked up big wins, while Anthony Njokuani dominated former IFL star Bart Palaszewski and finished him with strikes in round two. |
DREAM: Olympia Dream.8 Results
Beginning their inaugural Welterweight Grand Prix with a bang, Olympia Dream.8 served as another solid event for the DREAM promotion, but it will be most remembered for Hayato "Mach" Sakurai's quick and brutal destruction of rival Shinya Aoki.In a heavyweight contest, former UFC title challenger Jeff "The Snowman" Monson shocked many by scoring a very quick submission win over former PRIDE star Sergei Kharitonov. |
UFC Fight Night 18 Results
The Ultimate Fighting Championship's first trip to Nashville, Tennessee featured great fights, terrible fans and bizarre judging, with Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann defeating "The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit in the night's main event.Controversy was a central theme of the evening, with Junie Browning on the card, but questionable judging awarded Kampmann and Tyson Griffin with victories that they arguably did not deserve. |
Thomson vs Melendez II Cancelled
Just days before he was scheduled to defend the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship in a rematch with Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez, Josh "The Punk" Thomson has suffered a broken leg during training and will be unable to compete on the card.The injury marks the second time that the proposed Thomson-Melendez rematch has been cancelled, but Strikeforce has announced that Melendez will still compete on the card. |
