Bobby Lashley Next In Line
(bloodyelbow.com)Bobby Lashley is the next former WWE star to make his way into MMA. He spoke with the Daily Star about it here:
Lashley has his sights set on MMA, and has been training hard, to avoid going in as a typical wrestler. He tells me his kickboxing and striking have come on leaps and bounds - "I want to knock people out on my feet and submit people" - and that he's looking at his debut as early as August, or even on PPV in October.
"I want to be an MMA guy who used to wrestle," he says, but he's not ruling out wrestling. Lashley's great mates Angle and Booker made the switch to TNA and have obviously been bending his ear to get him over there.
The only two companies doing PPV's in October are Affliction and UFC. I could see UFC bringing him in to face Brock Lesnar, because the marketing potential is very obvious. However, it is also clear that companies like Affliction looking for names to draw would be interested in paying him good money too. It's also possible that Elite XC could try to run a PPV in October if the May debut goes well. Kimbo v. Lashley, anyone?
That being said, companies like Affliction and Elite XC should be very wary of signing Lashley to a big contract for his name value. He was never a draw at all in the pro wrestling world, and doesn't have anywhere close to the name value of a Brock Lesnar or Kurt Angle. Without a hype machine like UFC behind his debut, Lashley is not going to draw very much.
Emelianenko vs. Buentello added to July 19 Affliction card Officially
(mmajunkie.com)A once-rumored match between Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) and Paul Buentello (25-10) is now official for the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" show.
The organization, which will air its main card on pay per view, made the announcement during today's media and fan events in Los Angeles and New York City.
The latest booking further bolsters a fight card that's full of familiar names, including main-event participants Fedor Emelianenko and Tim Sylvia.
Aleksander Emelianenko, the younger brother of Fedor, has bounced around the MMA circuit ever since the demise of PRIDE Fighting Championships, his former home. He's 4-0 in his past four fights, which included stops with BodogFIGHT, M-1 and Hardcore Championship Fighting. He most recently defeated Silvao Santos via first-round TKO at an April 3 M-1 event in Russia.
Buentello, a former UFC heavyweight contender, hasn't fought since a November 2007 loss to Alistair Overeem for the first-ever Strikeforce world heavyweight title. The second-round submission loss was his first defeat in five fights -- and just his second loss in his past 12 fights.
Expect fireworks with the the Emelianenko-Buentello clash. Of the two fighters' combined 38 victories, 24 have come via knockout or knockout.
Anderson Silva's "Mother" passes away
(sherdog.com)
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was in Curitiba, Brazil on Tuesday following the death of his aunt. Her name was not immediately available, but a source close to the fighter confirmed that the woman had raised Silva from his youth and that he thought of her as his mother. She passed away Monday.
Frank Trigg: The World’s Toughest Salesman
(cagepotato.com)Frank Trigg is a one-man industry. How many other fighters can claim to train in a gym they own, show up to fight in a shirt they designed, then talk about it the next day on their own radio show? In this exclusive interview, the man behind Triggonomics, TAGG Radio, the R1 Training Center, a handful of truly bizarre TV appearances — as well as some legendary beatdowns in the UFC, PRIDE and Icon Sport — gives us the “Twinkle Toes” perspective on fighter branding, reality television, and why he would kick Robbie Lawler’s ass in a rematch.
Captain America to invade Canada: Xtreme Couture set to open gym in Toronto
(xtremecouture.ca)Xtreme Couture — the mixed martial arts (MMA) training facilities that are affiliated with none other than Randy Couture — is breaking ground in Canada with the opening of a 33,000 sq. ft. facility in Toronto’s west end.
The grand opening is scheduled for May 31.
The state of the art facility is loaded with a 14,000 sq. ft. health club along with a 19, 000 sq. ft. MMA training facility that comes complete with an Octagon and ring. The instructors who are on the roster so far include accomplished fighters such as Mark Bocek, Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick.
The club will open with a bang as Randy Couture will be on hand on the Saturday for an autograph signing and meet and greet with the fans during the grand opening party. The following day, Randy will host a two-hour seminar from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
With the explosion of MMA in Canada, Xtreme Couture is seemingly leading the way with this new facility.
Space is limited for the seminar and the gym will be offering promotional membership fees during the grand opening. For more information please click
UFC 88 To Be Held In Atlanta?
(fightline.com)Tim Boetsch made the following announcement on his official myspace page:
Subject: UFC Sept. 6 Atlanta
Body: The Barbarian returns to the octagon to take out James Lee on Sept 6. Get your tickets! It is going to be a good show!!!!
September 6 falls on a Saturday about a month from UFC 87 which takes place in Minnesota Aug 9. Being that the event's on a Saturday it's sure to be a PPV and given the timing, will likely be UFC 88.
Tim Boetsch (10-2) is coming off of a TKO loss to Matt Hamill at UFN 13. Boetsch informed Fightline.com that he had expected to face Houston Alexander, but appears excited by the prospects of entering the octagon opposite James Lee.
Leben Out Of Jail, In Home Detention
(mmamania.com)Chris Leben was released from jail in Oregon on May 15, and is now finishing his jail sentence under home detention. He was due out May 27. An update on when his next UFC fight will be is expected after all of Leben's legal and personal issues are resolved.
Top Featherweight Loses Title At DEEP
(mmaweekly.com)Top 5 Featherweight Masakzau Imanari failed to live up to expectations at DEEP 35 Monday in Japan, as he lost both a decision and his DEEP Featherweight Title to former UFC fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima. Mishima had been fighting at Lightweight before dropping down.
Machida could make big name - Front page Yahoo!sports
(sports.yahoo.com)The third, and in many ways, key player in Saturday night’s Tito Ortiz-Dana White drama: unbeaten Brazilian-born Lyoto Machida.
Machida, who years ago was groomed for superstar status in Japan but never quite achieved it, may have his career in the U.S. determined largely based on Saturday’s fight.
He’ll either be remembered as the guy who sent Ortiz out of the UFC with his tail between his legs, and in the process put himself in line for a light heavyweight title shot, or he’ll be the guy whose loss led to one of the company’s most embarrassing moments, allowing former light heavyweight champion Ortiz to upstage White, UFC’s president.
White almost never talks about whom he wants to see win a fight, but he’s publicly stated he wants Machida to beat the hell out of Ortiz.
Couture Nabs Victory in Court
(sherdog.com)Backed by Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights promotion, estranged UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture nabbed a substantial victory Monday in his ongoing legal dispute against Zuffa.
The District Court of Dallas County, Texas, denied Zuffa's three motions to stay, delay and/or dismiss HDNet's challenge of Couture's promotional contract, on which Zuffa says the fighter still owes two bouts.
Wiuff-Fujita Added to Sengoku III
(sherdog.com)Travis Wiuff, who bested a field of 16 heavyweights in one night at Yamma Pit Fighting 1 on April 11, has been tapped to face Kazuyuki Fujita at World Victory Road's "Sengoku Battle III" on June 8. The seasoned Minnesota wrestler will square off with the popular Japanese heavyweight at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale in high-def, slotted for three hours
(mmajunkie.com)The finale of "The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest," which features a main event of former UFC middleweight champ Evan Tanner vs. Kendall Grove, will run three hours, and for the first time, will be presented in high-definition.
Spike TV today confirmed details for the June 21 event, including fights for the night's undercard. The televised main card airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Previously reported fights of Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens, Jeremy Horn vs. Dean Lister, Josh Burkman vs. Dustin Hazelett, and Marvin Eastman vs. Drew McFedries were all confirmed today.
The Grove vs. Tanner fight, as well as a welterweight bout between Luigi Fioravanti and Diego Sanchez, were previously announced by the UFC.
The event will also feature the two finalists from the current season of "TUF." The final preliminary bout airs this coming Wednesday, and the cast will then be whittled down to eight remaining quarter-finalists. As with past seasons of the show, the winner earns a six-figure contract with the UFC and an assortment of prizes.
Chuck Liddell eyes fall return, title shot
(mmajunkie.com)Forced to withdraw from the main event of UFC 85 due to a torn hamstring, fan favorite Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (21-5 MMA, 16-3 UFC) is now looking to return to the octagon in early fall. And although an opponent has not been determined, Liddell feels a win would earn him a shot at the light-heavyweight title he lost a year ago.
Liddell discussed his return while a recent guest on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"It wasn't very fun," Liddell said regarding the injury. "But I've been doing rehab on it, and it's been going real well. I'm hoping to be back fighting in late summer, early fall. You know, September or November."
The latest officially announced UFC date is UFC 87, on Aug. 9 in Minneapolis, Minn. Liddell ruled that date out, stating it was "too early."
Once a date has been determined, Liddell and the UFC can work on arranging a match-up. The 38-year-old would still be willing to take on his original opponent, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, provided the Brazilian recovers from his own knee injury in time.
"It's a possibility," Liddell said of the bout. "If he's healthy and I'm healthy, it's a fight that makes sense."
Regardless whom Liddell ends up facing, the ex-champion feels a victory should be enough to earn him a shot to reclaim the title.
"I've been ready to fight the champion for a long time," Liddell said. "(If) I win in the fall, I think I deserve a title shot."
Liddell is also anxious to avenge his two most recent losses, to light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and the rapidly improving Keith Jardine.
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