Is Mark Ecko In Serious Financial Trouble?
(mmaweekly.com)Possibly, and that's not good for a few notable UFC fighters. Ecko, founder and famed designed of Ecko clothing, is reportedly at least $170 million in debt and may be forced to sell off pieces of his businesses to help financial woes and pay off creditors. Ecko recently started sponsoring MMA fighters including Frank Mir, Michael Bisping, and Nate Diaz.
Lawal To Have ACL Surgery, Out 3 Months
(411mania.com)Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal now has some free time now to admire his "kingdom" from his "throne". He's due to have surgery for a completely torn ACL next week, an injury that apparently was bothering him going into Sengoku 7, and is expected to be out 3 months after surgery and including rehab.
Lashley To Face Ex-NFL Player Next
(411mania.com)Bobby Lashley's next MMA fight, scheduled for April 25 at XFC Regional Conflict in Tennessee, is now set. Lashley will face Marcus Jones (4-2), a former NFL player taken in the first round by Tampa Bay in '96 who played 6 years in the NFL.
Province Off WEC 40, Budnik In
(411mania.com)The injury bug is starting to bite WEC, as there has been another late change to the WEC 40 card. Cole Province, who was to have faced Rafael Dias, is now off due to an undisclosed injury. Mike Budnik is the short-notice replacement.
Royce wants GSP
(fightlinker.com)Royce Gracie was on the Bubba the Love Sponge show yesterday and when asked about his plans to fight again, he said he wanted back into the UFC and was interested in a fight with Georges St Pierre. He even went so far as to tell Bubba to bring it up with Dana when he’s on next week.
Wanderlei Silva Will Show All His Heart On June 13
(mmamania.com)Despite being in a serious slump lately, Wanderlei Silva says he has no plans to retire soon and will keep fighting as long as people say they'll keep watching his fights because they will be good fights. He also says he will show all his heart on June 13 against Rich Franklin and will be there to KO or be KO'd.
This Day In MMA History: March 27
(sherdog.com)March 27 is remembered, by MMA fans, as a day that will forever live in infamy. It marked the day Zuffa made a purchase that was to make UFC the MMA megapower of the world. But it ultimately marked the beginning of the journey that, a few months later, ended with the death of the PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Barnett Confronts Aleks Emilianenko
(cagepotato.com)"If you want a rematch Aleks all you have to do is come up to me somewhere and say something. Talk any kind of sh*t you want and it's on. If you got the guts, we will do it right then and there and I for one will make sure you won't be able to ask for much of anything, let alone a rematch ,when I am done with you."
ShoMMA Coming Soon To Showtime
(411mania.com)With Strikeforce returning to Showtime, plans are in place to bring back the old "ShoXC" program to Showtime under the name "ShoMMA". The events, with the first one tentatively scheduled for May 15 in Fresno, CA, will feature fight cards with prospects and up-and-coming talent.
Vancouver says not yet to MMA
(sportsnet.ca)Mixed martial arts isn't returning to Vancouver; at least not yet.
Council members voted against having the Vancouver Athletic Commission sanction MMA events Thursday. Instead it has asked the province to provide the sanctioning body for the sport just as it did in September 2007 when MMA became effectively banned in the city.
WEC 41 Announced: Brown-Faber Headlines, Not PPV
(mmajunkie.com)Versus today announced WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2, set to take place on June 7 at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The rematch of WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (Mike Brown) vs. Urijah Faber for the title will be the main event, and despite rumors of it being the PPV debut for WEC the event will actually air for free on Versus.
The mysterious stylings of Professor X—Xavier Foupa-Pokam
(ufc.com)“I have a very violent style,” Professor X says from his compound with the Snake Team.
X is Xavier Foupa-Pokam by light of day, and this accounts for his cult following all over his native France, where mixed martial arts are still mostly sort of illegal but cage worship remains in full effect. Obviously, having a violent style doesn’t help assuage the French government’s concerns.
Vince McMahon: UFC Has Hurt Boxing, Not WWE
(mma.fanhouse.com)In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in advance of WrestleMania XXV, McMahon talked about the UFC.
"Most people thought at one point that we would be competitors. But it turns out they are not competition to us at all, or hardly at all. They are sport, we are entertainment; it's a huge difference. The revenue they have cut into is that of boxing."
"King Mo" battled through more than just Kawamura for Sengoku win
(mmajunkie.com)"The problem is I have no PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) already," Lawal said. "And now my ACL may be gone."
While Lawal's performance in the bout with Kawamura certainly paled in comparison to his three prior outings, understanding that two major ligaments in his knee were completely ineffective explains a bit about the fight.
PETTIS OUT; PALASZEWSKI STEPS IN TO FACE NJOKUANI
(mmaweekly.com)A change has been made to the upcoming WEC 40 card in Chicago as lightweight Anthony Pettis has been forced out of his scheduled fight against Anthony Njokuani with an undisclosed injury. Stepping into replace Pettis will be Bart Palaszewski, who accepted the fight on just over one week's notice.
DREAM 8 Card Finalized
(mmajunkie.com)DREAM today has unveiled the final card for DREAM 8 on April 5, to be headlined by round 1 of the Welterweight GP. The card also features Jeff Monson vs. Sergei Kharitonov and Murilo Rua vs. Dong Sik Yoon, among others.
Another Husband-Wife MMA Couple Emerging
(mmajunkie.com)Fighting, both as a fighter and spectator/supporter, has been a big part of Emily Fisher's life. Between operating a gym run by and training with her husband, UFC fighter Spencer Fisher, Emily Fisher is part of a growing subset of MMA fighters, those who don't necessarily fight for the money or the fame but the self-respect and pleasure of accomplishment. The days spent preparing in the gym translate into confidence in other aspects of life, and the exhilaration of a fight simply can't be matched in day jobs or other errand tasks. Emily, 3-1 and preparing for her 5th fight in May, is one of a growing breed of part-time fighters who accept the business of MMA as part of their lives.
