MMARising.com Exclusive Interviews & Event Photos

Exclusive Interview With Elena Reid As one of the fastest rising prospects in mixed martial arts, former WIBA and IFBA Women's Flyweight Boxing Champion Elena "Babydoll" Reid is seen by many as the future of the sport. She talks with MMARising.com about her career to date. There are very few mixed martial artists who are touted as the future of an entire division after just two fights, but Reid is one of those few.

Exclusive Interview With Kaitlin Young From first becoming an overnight sensation with three devastating knockouts in one night to later competing on primetime CBS television, Kaitlin Young has made an impact at every step. She talks with MMARising.com about a return to competition. With a smile that belies her vicious knockout power, Young first rose to prominence as the 2007 HOOKnSHOOT Women's Grand Prix Champion.

Exclusive Interview With Jessica Pene Quickly establishing herself as a force in the flyweight division, Jessica Pene is one of the top prospects in women's MMA today. She talks with MMARising.com about her undefeated career to date and preparations for her upcoming fight. Believing that it is key to take gradual steps up in competition, Jessica has compiled a very impressive record of 6-0-0 with four wins by stoppage.

Exclusive Interview With Gray Maynard Already an outstanding wrestler, Gray "The Bully" Maynard has developed into a well-rounded mixed martial artist since his time on the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter. He speaks with MMARising.com about his career and upcoming fight. Using his wrestling to "bully" his opponents around the cage, Maynard has yet to taste defeat and is currently one of the top lightweight prospects in the UFC.

Exclusive Interview With Martin Kampmann After a successful run as a middleweight, Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann has since become a force in the UFC's welterweight division. He talks with MMARising.com about his title aspirations and upcoming fight with Paul Daley at UFC 103. Though the fight with Daley may no longer determine the next UFC Welterweight title challenger, that hasn't affected Kampmann's goal of capturing UFC gold.

Exclusive Interview With Amanda Buckner As one of the top female fighters in the world, Amanda Buckner has competed among the best since her debut in mixed martial arts in 2002. Now focused on joining the Strikeforce roster, she talks with MMARising.com about her future plans. Recently receiving her Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and motivated by the upcoming Strikeforce women's tournaments, Buckner knows that she can be a force in the division.

Exclusive Interview With Roxanne Modafferi Seeking an imminent return to competition from her home in Kanagawa, Japan, multi-time world champion Roxanne Modafferi speaks with MMARising.com about her career accomplishments to date and her aspirations to debut for Strikeforce. Already the holder of numerous championships, Roxanne now has her sights set on competing among the elite in the Strikeforce 135-pound women's division.

Exclusive Interview With Michelle Waterson Eagerly looking to get back into action, former Fight Girls contestant and current mixed martial arts star Michelle "The Karate Hottie" Waterson talks with MMARising.com about her future goals as she continues to shine in the sport. After turning pro in her very first MMA fight, Michelle has tallied an impressive 6-3-0 record and has established herself as a top prospect for the coming years.

Video Interview With Marloes Coenen Following Strikeforce: "Carano vs Cyborg" on Saturday, MMARising.com spoke with new Strikeforce addition Marloes Coenen (19-3-0) regarding her signing with Strikeforce and expected debut against new Strikeforce Women's Lightweight Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. Marloes also discusses other opponents whom she would like to face and clarifies past comments involving fellow recent Strikeforce signee Erin Toughill.

Exclusive Interview With Julie Kedzie Speaking with MMARising.com, 2005 HOOKnSHOOT Women's Grand Prix Champion and former EliteXC star Julie "Fireball" Kedzie discusses the numerous exciting fights from her past and her plans for the future in this entertaining interview. Known as one of the most charismatic and fan-friendly female fighters in mixed martial arts, Kedzie has endured highs and lows in her career, but has always kept a smile on her face.

Exclusive Interview With Shane Carwin As he prepares for the biggest fight of his career against Cain Velasquez at UFC 104, undefeated heavyweight sensation Shane Carwin speaks exclusively with MMARising.com on his preparations for the fight and his goal to become champion. Undefeated at 11-0, former Ring of Fire Heavyweight Champion Carwin will battle Velasquez to determine the #1 contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Exclusive Interview With Dennis Hallman In an exclusive interview with MMARising.com, two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis "Superman" Hallman discusses his fights with Hughes, his UFC title bout, which fighters he would most like to face and why he'd like to return to the UFC. Hallman has competed against many of the biggest names in the sport, including a pair of quick and dominant victories over long-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes.

Exclusive Interview With 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.

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.

Exclusive Interview With 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.

Exclusive Interview With 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.

Exclusive Interview With Denis Kang Taking time to speak with MMARising.com, #5-ranked middleweight Denis Kang discusses the UFC, his career in PRIDE, possible rematches with Kazuo Misaki and Yoshihiro Akiyama, and his preparation for the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix. Kang is one of the best fighters to ever come out of Canada, and has compiled a record of 29-9-1, 2 NC, with just two defeats in his last 26 fights.

Exclusive Interview With Brad Morris Preparing for his UFC debut at UFC 83, MMARising.com talks with up-and-coming Australian heavyweight Brad Morris in an exclusive interview as he gets ready for his bout with highly-touted wrestler Cain Velasquez on April 19th. Cain is a dangerous wrestler who has shown a tenacity for pounding his opponents out. While Cain is the overall favorite, Brad likes it that way.

Exclusive Interview With Sarah Kaufman, Part II In part two of our exclusive interview, MMARising.com speaks again with Hardcore Championship Fighting Women's Bantamweight Champion Sarah Kaufman, following her successful title defence against Molly Helsel this past Saturday. Sarah remains undefeated, now 7-0 with her TKO victory, and has solidified her place as the top female fighter in Canada. Successfully defending her title, she looks ahead to future challenges.

Exclusive Interview With Sarah Kaufman, Part I In the first of a two-part interview, MMARising.com speaks with Hardcore Championship Fighting Women's Bantamweight Champion Sarah Kaufman as she prepares for her upcoming title defence against Molly Helsel this Saturday. In just a short time, Sarah has quickly risen to become the top female mixed martial artist in Canada and one of the best in North America.

Exclusive Interview With John Gunderson The International Fight League presents New Blood-New Battles this Friday, which will be airing LIVE on HDNet FiGHTS! In one of three title fights, John Gunderson will be taking on newly-crowned IFL Lightweight Champion, Ryan 'The Lion' Schultz. Gunderson talks with MMARising.com in an exclusive interview as he discusses plans for the future and his upcoming fight with Schultz.

Exclusive Interview With Mauro Ranallo Taking time from his extremely busy schedule, famed mixed martial arts commentator Mauro Ranallo talks extensively and exclusively with MMARising.com on topics ranging from the many promotions he has worked for to the top fighters of today, and everything in between. Mauro Ranallo is one of the most well-known announcers in mixed martial arts history. Though his schedule is jam-packed, he has kindly taken time for an in-depth interview with MMARising.com.

Exclusive Interview With Ryan Schultz After defeating Chris Horodecki to capture the IFL Lightweight title, Ryan "The Lion" Schultz talks exclusively with MMARising.com about his training, past fights with top competitors and his plans for the coming year in the IFL. Ryan Schultz has had many great battles in his career, and is the only person to hold a credited victory over Roger "El Matador" Huerta, as well as a Draw with Gesias "JZ Calvan" Calvancante.

Photos From Hardcore Championship Fighting's "Destiny" MMARising.com is pleased to provide exclusive photos from Hardcore Championship Fighting's "Destiny" event, which concluded with a punishing series of knees from Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event. Also on the card, rising star Gegard Mousasi picked up a first-round win over feared striker Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, and Mike "Quicksand" Pyle was also victorious.

Exclusive Interview With Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Immediately following his victory over Todd Gouwenberg at HCF "Destiny," MMARising.com caught up with Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira to get his thoughts on the fight, HCF and his future in mixed martial arts. MMARising.com sincerely thanks Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for taking the time for this interview, and wishes him and his brother the best in all of their future endeavours.

Exclusive Interview With Jay Hieron Fresh off of his IFL Welterweight Championship victory over Delson Heleno, "The Thoroughbred" Jay Hieron sits down with MMARising.com for an exclusive interview on fighting, training and what he feels are the keys to success in mixed martial arts. Jay has a professional record of 14-4, and has competed in numerous top promotions and against many of the best welterweights in the world during his career.

Exclusive Interview With Mike Ciesnolevicz Mike Ciesnolevicz is one of the International Fight League's hottest up and coming fighters, and is on the fast track to becoming a serious force in the sport. As a member of the Silverbacks in the IFL, Mike has quickly made a name for himself. Taking time for this interview with MMARising.com, Mike tells us about how his goals for 2008 as he looks to get back into future title contention.