(thanks to mmaweekly)

Shark Fight Promotions announced Wednesday that UFC veteran Brock Larson will face Strikeforce’s Tarec Saffiedine at the Shark Fights 13 pay-per-view event in September. Shark Fights: Jardine vs. Prangley will take place Sept. 11 at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas.

According to Brent Medley, president of Shark Fight Promotions, “We feel that Brock Larson and Tarec Saffiedine are a great addition to our pay-per-view roster. Larson, a seasoned UFC and WEC veteran, was originally slated for the under card, but we feel his bout against Saffiedine is worthy of live pay-per-view coverage. Larson is back on track and determined to make it back into the UFC. He knows that losing is not an option. Standing in his way is Tarec Saffiedine, an explosive MMA fighter that hails from Belgium.”

Medley went on to say, “Saffiedine is a well-rounded fighter and rising star in the Strikeforce welterweight division. He has fought in a number of promotions around the world including DREAM in Japan, and holds notable wins over PRIDE veteran Seichi Ikemoto, James Terry and Nate Moore. Both fighters are hungry for this win. Fans can expect an exciting, action packed fight to kick off the night!”

Brock Larson (29-4), a seasoned UFC and WEC veteran, who trains out of Brooklyn Center, Minn., at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, has his sites on redemption and returning to the UFC. Larson kicked off his fight career in 2002 with an impressive twelve-fight win streak. He now boasts 29 wins in 33 MMA fights and has been featured on several recognized top ten welterweight rankings throughout his career. Larson holds notable wins over top-notch fighters such as Mike Pyle and John Alessio and is currently riding a three-fight win streak.

Tarec Saffiedine (9-2-0) is a black belt in Shihaishinkai Karate, a style of Karate that includes striking, Judo throws, and ground fighting. He also boasts an amateur kickboxing record of 12-1-1. Saffiedine, who began his professional mixed-martial-arts fight career in his native Belgium, now trains out of Temecula, Calif., at Team Quest. He is determined to gain MMA recognition in the U.S. and is well on his way. As a result of Saffiedine’s impressive second-round knockout victory over Nate Moore at the Strikeforce Challengers 8 in Portland, many are referring to him as a breakout star in the Strikeforce welterweight division.

Official Bout Card for Shark Fights: Jardine vs. Prangley

Main Card:
1. Keith Jardine vs. Trevor Prangley
2. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander
3. Paul Daley vs. Jorge Masvidal
4. Joey Villasenor vs. Drew McFedries
5. Brock Larson vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Undercard:
6. Ronnie Mann vs. Douglas Evans
7. Paul Bradley vs. Johnny Reese
8. Aaron Rosa vs. Devin Cole
9. Marcus Hicks vs. Karen Darabedyan
10. Pete Spratt vs. Eric Davila

(thanks to mmaweekly)

Brock Lesnar or Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos is waiting for you.

Holding onto his undefeated UFC record, Junior Dos Santos put on yet another impressive performance as he punished a very game and tough Roy Nelson for three rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory, and now earns a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

Dos Santos was a heavy favorite going into the fight Saturday night, and it looked like the Black House MMA fighter was going to put away Nelson like he had done to several UFC heavyweights before him. The Brazilian used his hands as hammers, and Nelson’s cranium as the nail, pounding him throughout the first round.

Nelson dropped down a couple times from the punishment, but he wasn’t going anywhere, and continued to fire back.

Knowing that Nelson could take punch after punch and still move forward, Dos Santos has to adjust his game a little bit, and slowed down to prevent punching himself out. Tossing in a few kicks as well as some devastating knees, Dos Santos just leveled Nelson over and over during the fight.

Showing an incredible chin, Nelson never backed down, but Dos Santos was clearly the winner, getting the best of the Las Vegas fighter with strikes and stuffing every single takedown attempt he had during the bout.

“This guy is tough, incredible,” Dos Santos said about Nelson. “He trained a lot to be here, but I trained so much too. This victory makes me happy.”

Now the question has been answered as to who will face the winner of the October fight between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez, and his name is Junior Dos Santos.

“This victory now put me to give me the title shot,” Dos Santos proclaimed after the victory.

Dos Santos will likely sit front row and center in Anaheim in October as he finds out whether it’s Lesnar or Velasquez who he will face for his shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

Two-time NCAA wrestling champion Cole Konrad and highly touted European submission specialist Rogent Lloret will face off in an opening-round contest in Bellator’s Season 3 heavyweight tournament on Aug. 19 at the Chicago Theatre.

Konrad and Lloret join a Bellator 25 card that also features the U.S. debut of undefeated Polish heavyweight Damian Grabowski in another opening-round heavyweight tournament fight with Georgia-based ground-and-pound specialist Scott Barrett, and an opening-round fight in Bellator’s women’s world championship tournament between Zoila Frausto and Jessica Pene, as well as five other fights.

“Cole is on one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in the world and Rogent’s jiu-jitsu is at a similar level, so this should be a very intriguing fight,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

“Add this fight to a card that already includes the U.S. debut of Damian Grabowski and a highly anticipated Women’s Tournament fight between Zoila Frausto and Jessica Pene and you have the makings of a great fight night in Chicago.”

Konrad, a protégé and training partner of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, will enter the Lloret fight looking to improve on the unblemished 4-0 record he has compiled since making his pro debut in January.

Dubbed “The Polar Bear” by Lesnar due to his freakish strength during sparring sessions, the six-foot-five-inch Konrad’s two most recent wins came during special “Feature Fights” at Bellator 17 and Bellator 22 in May and June. Previously, he won the NCAA Division I wrestling title at 285 lbs. in 2006 and 2007 while competing at the University of Minnesota and won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Games.

“I think Lloret is going to be the toughest test I’ve faced in MMA up to this point in my fighting career,” Konrad said. “I’m going to be looking to finish him as soon as possible. The goal for this tournament is to get in and get out. I’m looking to finish all of these fights as quickly as possible and get out of there.”

Lloret, a Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and M-1 Global veteran has not lost a fight in more than three years and enters the tournament with a 9-1-1 overall pro record. He is known for his smothering ground game – submitting six of his nine victims, including four by arm triangle choke – but also displayed his striking skills when he KO’d Serbian MMA veteran Miodrag Petkovic with a devastating high head kick this past April.

“I know that he is a good wrestler and he must be super strong too because he weighs way more than me – 22 pounds or more,” Lloret said of Konrad. “The only thing I hope is that my background and my speed are a little on top and that I can keep the fight standing. We are both going to give the best we have and it will be a war.”

Also competing in the Heavyweight Tournament alongside Konrad, Lloret, Barrett, and Grabowski, are Mike Hayes, Eddie Sanchez, Neil Grove, and one yet-to-be named fighter.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” – Sir Isaac Newton

Many people would describe UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones as a natural athlete, a devastating fighter, and a future champion. But only one word seems to truly encompass Jones when speaking with the young 23-year-old from New York.

Humble.

Jones has had praise heaped upon him from other fighters, commentators, and journalists alike for his performances in the UFC, but to hear him tell it, he politely accepts the compliments and then goes back to ask his trainers to teach him to be better than he already is.

“I think once you start to think that you’re the man, and you know it all, and your style is unbeatable and stzuff like that, that’s when you get caught and clipped, and get humbled really fast,” Jones told MMAWeekly Radio in a recent interview.

It’s that realization that allows Jones to win fights, say thank you, and then look back on what he did right and what he did wrong, no matter how many people have crowned him the next big thing.

Don’t mistake Jones’ humility for lack of confidence. Now training out of Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico, he’s gaining maturity and confidence every day. He’s starting to believe in himself more and more, and that’s a dangerous thing for any opponent that steps in the cage with him.

“The biggest thing is that I’m getting more confident with each fight,” Jones explained. “Just becoming more experienced with each fight. It’s just exciting, I can sit home and watch my own fights and realize what I’m not doing good, and what I’m doing good. I’m just a real student of the sport.”

The student is excelling faster than many other fighters in his weight class, but don’t ask Jones how far away he is from a title shot, or when he’d like to face the champion. He’s still happy learning and progressing, and that’s enough for now.

“There’s just so much to learn in mixed martial arts. I haven’t even fought a Top 10 guy yet, so I can’t really start to think that I’ve made it,” he told MMAWeekly.com.

Training with some of the best in his weight class along with those bigger and smaller than him has made Jones the sharpest he’s ever been as he heads into his fight with Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on Versus 2 in San Diego.

“Right now, I feel sharper than ever,” said Jones. “My ground game from the bottom, and ground passes from top, boxing, kicks are more proper, going back to my wrestling. I just feel sharp all around.”

Jones knows that all the hype in the world doesn’t equal victories in the UFC, and it’s that very mindset that has already made him one of the most intelligent and likeable fighters in the game.

He may not be calling himself the best, but Jon Jones seems destined for greatness. He just wants to get there on accomplishment, and nothing else.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

The UFC has long stood for the battle against piracy of their pay-per-view broadcasts. On Thursday the promotion announced that they have settled confidential settlements with over 500 businesses and individuals as a result of the illegal broadcasts.

According to press release by the UFC, the settlements are only part of the company’s continued work to stop piracy, and they will continue to monitor the situation with Federal and State authorities.

“We are committed to standing toe-to-toe with anyone trying to illegally broadcast or stream UFC events,” said UFC President Dana White. “Today’s announcement further drives home the fact that we are fully prepared to pursue any business or individual that steals our programming.”

The company has made no secret in the past that they would pursue legal action against anyone providing an illegal broadcast of their shows, targeting several internet streaming sites that attempted to continue the practice.

The UFC currently has partners in place for internet broadcasts of their pay-per-views, including Yahoo.com, but illegal streams have continued to be a thorn in the side of the MMA promotion.

The announcement on Thursday is just another step in their mission to shut down these illegal operations, and stop piracy.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

In the history books of mixed martial arts, one name that will likely always be synonymous with greatness is Fedor Emelianenko. The almost undefeated heavyweight has plowed through every opponent he’s faced, and reigns atop his division, but does the Russian ever get complacent?

Does a fighter who soars among the eagles ever look down at his competition and think it all looks fairly pedestrian?

According to the fighter himself, there are still challenges ahead and the last thing he will ever do is look past an opponent, regardless of how many people tell him that he’s better than someone else.

As Fedor heads into his showdown with Fabricio Werdum at the Strikeforce and M-1 Global co-promoted event on Saturday night, he’s once again faced with the task of fighting a quality heavyweight, but not a top-five ranked fighter, and not even the heavyweight champion of the organization he competes in. The Stary Oskol native says that there are expectations of him to keep fight, regardless of competition, but he hopes to look back and see great accomplishment when it’s over.

“I do feel that there is a pressure and a demand for me to keep fighting and for me to keep getting back into the ring,” said Fedor recently. “Right now I’m okay with that and after each fight I balance whether I should continue or whether I should stop. Until I feel that I am not effective or not getting out of the sport what I want then I will make the decision to stop.

“I’d like to finish my career without any losses and at that point we’ll see what God has planned for me.”

Many would say Fedor himself defines greatness in a fighter.

“I think what defines a great fighter is someone who performs well in the cage. Someone who makes the right decisions during fights; fights fair and respects the sport and as a result gains the respect and the admiration of true fans of the sport of mixed martial arts,” said Emelianenko. “Someone who shows good skill and technique and preparation for a fight. Not someone who just relies only on his strength and size, but also their abilities in the fights.”

For his upcoming fight with Fabricio Werdum, Fedor could easily take a step back from his humble and soft-spoken behavior, and instead turn his motives to revenge. Werdum submitted Fedor’s brother Alexander in 2006, but the Russian remains stoic.

“It does not matter that he has a victory over my brother,” said Fedor. “I feel no vengeance because of that. I plan on fighting for myself and for my country.”

Fedor will take on that challenge Saturday night when he faces Fabricio Werdum in the main event on Showtime this Saturday night.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

Keith Jardine and David Loiseau have been released from their UFC contracts. Jardine last fought at “The Ultimate Fighter Season 11” finale, losing to Matt Hamill, while Loiseau dropped a second round TKO stoppage to Mario Miranda at UFC 115.

Jardine (15-8-1) has been a staple of the promotion since emerging during the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” His last 13 bouts took place in the Octagon.
Jardine has wins over UFC icons Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin, but has lost seven of his last 11 bouts, including his four most recent bouts.

Loiseau (19-10), despite being just 30 years of age, has been fighting professionally for the past decade. He has been in and out of the UFC over that time. He covets being considered a UFC fighter, but has been unable to sustain any momentum, losing his last four opportunities in the Octagon.

(thanks to mmaweekly)

The subject of Chuck Liddell’s retirement is front and center even though the former light heavyweight champion is just hours away from stepping back into the house he helped build to fight Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in Vancouver.

Still, the statistics of Liddell’s recent performances can’t be ignored. The San Luis Obispo, Calif., fighter still has to answer for those past losses if he wants to get back to the status that saw him as the top 205-pound fighter in the world just a few short years ago.

UFC president Dana White backed off earlier statements that a loss by Liddell on Saturday would lead to his immediate retirement, saying that his longtime friend and employee has made the changes necessary to start a new chapter of his storied career.

“My big beef with Chuck was his lifestyle,” White said. “He’s changed his lifestyle, and again I think Rich Franklin is one of the best fighters in the world. We’ll see what happens on Saturday night.

“We’ll see what happens Saturday, and then I’ll sit down with Chuck and we’ll talk about it. We’ll evaluate it from there.”

Liddell admitted that previous to his recent time off and conditioning program that put him in the best shape he’s possibly ever been in, he never missed a step during prior training camps, but did spend a lot of time just getting in shape instead of learning new tricks.

Liddell says he’s made lots of lifestyle changes and hopes to show off all his hard work when he faces Rich Franklin on Saturday night.

“I needed to change it for sure,” he said about his lifestyle. “Was it bad? No. I came into training camp, I trained hard, and I did everything I was supposed to do once I came into training camp, but I spent much too much time in the off season out and having a little too much fun, and not getting better or letting my body heal when I was in the off season.”

As far as retirement talk, the former light heavyweight champion will simply fight his fight at UFC 115, and then worry about what’s next, but from all signs the “Iceman” isn’t going anywhere.

“I’ll cross the other bridge when it happens,” said Liddell. “After the fight we’ll figure out what’s going on, I plan on going out there and getting a big win and everybody knows I’m looking for the title.”

(thanks to mmaweekly)