UFC 95 Video: Joe Stevenson Ready for London

Courtesy of ESPN.com

UFC 95 Video: Diego Sanchez Drops To Lightweight

Courtesy of ESPN.com

Shamrock to Shamrock: Get Over Your Problems

Adoptees Frank and Ken Shamrock haven't much got along since younger Frank stepped out from the elder Ken's shadow.

As Ken's career has entered its sub-twilight phase, Frank has gotten more and more vocal about a possible fight between the two. And according to a conference call announcing his next bout against Nick Diaz on Apr. 11, he still hasn't given up the idea.

"It's a fight I've always wanted to do," he said. "I think it's an exceptionally compelling story. Ken's going through some personal and emotional problems right now, so we're letting him do that. But this fight is something very personal for me, and I think it's very important that we tell the story of the sport and the Shamrock family what type of influence that family had on the sport. But right now, we're putting it on the backburner."

Indeed, with Frank booked for Apr. 11 with assurances to fight Cung Le if he wins against Diaz, the fight could stay on the backburner for a while. Not to mention, Ken is scheduled for a return on Friday in a co-promotion between his company and Wargods in Fresno, Calif. The 45 year-old is set to face the nearly 400lb. fighter Ross Clifton.

Ken's emotional problems may also take the backburner when he's trying to wrestle 400lbs. to the canvas on Friday.

MMA Live Talks Strikeforce Expansion and Reviews UFC Fight Night 17

Diego Sanchez Slams BJ Penn's Cardio

During a media teleconference for Diego Sanchez's lightweight debut against Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 in London, a reporter asked Stevenson who he thought would win in an expected bout between Kenny Florian and BJ Penn.

Stevenson chose Penn--not too surprising given his admiration for "The Prodigy." But he incorrectly assumed Sanchez would mirror his pick.

Sanchez had something else in mind.

"After seeing BJ's performance against St. Pierre, man, I'd say it's a bad time for him to fight anybody right now," Sanchez said. "Man, that guy has zero cardio—and he goes into the biggest fight of his life with that type of cardio and endurance? I've never gotten tired in a UFC fight. I've never gotten caught tired in a fight. And to see this guy be that exhausted after one round? I know GSP is tough, but c’mon. He burned himself out in the first round just defending those takedowns."

But that wasn't all. He gave Florian more than a fighting chance.

"I think its a bad time for him to fight Kenny Florian," he continued. "As long as Kenny Florian lasts past the first, second round, I think he's going to take over with conditioning. I don't care how talented you are. If you don't have gas in the tank—if the Ferrari doesn’t have the gas in the tank, it ain't going to finish the quarter mile, and that's the bottom line."

Stevenson chimed in quickly.

"You make a good point, dude," he said. "I didn't even think about that."

Do All Elite Champs Go To Heaven?

In a conference call announcing Strikeforce's first solo Showtime effort on Apr. 11, CEO Scott Coker said the merging of Elite XC talent with his roster would create possibility for new champions.

"We should give them the ability to come fight and unify the titles at some point in 09," said Coker.

The first fight in that vein would be a bout between Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and former Elite XC champion KJ Noons (Noons never lost the title, but was stripped in a contract dispute with the organization) on the 11th.

"That would be an amazing fight and that's why we're trying to put that together," said Coker.

No word yet on whether Noons--or more accurately, his manager, Mark Dion--has accepted the bout, but on paper, it looks to be a dynamite match-up.

As for Elite's other title holders, like welterweight champ Jake Shields, middleweight champ Robbie Lawler, and heavyweight champ Antonio Silva, the bag is mixed.

Shields has not yet come to terms with his contract's transfer to Strikeforce, reportedly prefers a jump to the UFC, and most important, Strikeforce doesn't have a current undisputed welterweight champion.

Lawler is on board for the transfer, but has a slim to none chance of facing Cung Le until late 2009, and may be second in line to a Le rematch with Frank Shamrock.

Silva is out--Coker opted not to pick up "Giant" in light of his pending suit with the California State Athletic Commission.

One out of four isn't great, but it's a start.

VIDEO: Leonard Garcia on March 1st WEC Title Fight

Coker: Le/Shamrock 2 Will Happen in 09

Cung Le has reportedly earned raves for his acting chops in no less than 3 major motion pictures currently in post production, but truth be told, he misses fighting.

"He's enjoying his movie star career, and he's had some success at it, and he's doing very well," said Scott Coker, CEO of new/old-kid-on-the-block Strikeforce. "We're very happy for him. I talked to him about a week ago and he's itching to get back into the cage."

An elbow injury is currently keeping Le from training, but according to Coker, his schedule is open. Once healed, he should re-emerge in his adopted sport.

"Otherwise, he would be fighting on this show (in April)," said Coker of Strikeforce's Showtime event on the 11th. "But you will see Cung Le back in the cage in Strikeforce at least two times before the end of the year."

Coker also says a rematch with Frank Shamrock, from whom Le took the Strikeforce middleweight title in a fight that broke Shamrock's arm, is inevitable.

"I haven't sat down and talked to Frank about it, but the fight between Frank and Cung, number 2, is a fight that should actually happen before the end of 09," confirmed Coker.

Affliction Entertainment Granted Promoter's License In CA

Squeezed into the "hearing of the century" with plaster-fisted Antonio Margarito on Tuesday in Van Nuys, Calif., the California State Athletic Commission's addressed two small line items in a daylong meeting.

Affliction Entertainment, the muscle behind "Banned" and "Day of Reckoning," was permanently granted the ability to act as the "promoter of record" for its California based shows. Until Tuesday, the company had used the promoter's license of veteran boxing and MMA promoter Roy Englebrecht.

Clifton Chason, CEO of Affliction Entertainment, attended the meeting and was very positive about his company's future. He endorsed a July return for the upstart MMA show, saying "it's a date that's worked for us in the past," and said the company was in the midst of an aggressive expansion of their clothing line.

In other CSAC news, the commission re-formed a committee to "explore" amateur MMA in the Golden State. Advocates in attendance included Juanito Ibarra (who's soon opening his own gym in Orange County), "Big" John McCarthy, and former Elite XC executives JT Steele and Jeremy Lappen. The original push for amateur MMA stalled when its committee, former Executive Officer Armando Garcia, resigned suddenly in November.

Cox Says Carano's Future May Determine Lawler's

In the gold rush of fights being put together for Strikeforce's Showtime cards in April and May, manager extraordinaire Monte Cox is working towards a number of deals with CEO Scott Coker.

One Cox's most high profile clients--and subject of great speculation--is Robbie Lawler, Elite XC's former middleweight champion.

Initially, Cox told MMAWeekly his fighter was not a done deal with the San Jose-based organization, but has since met minds with Coker on Lawler's move.

On Sunday, Coker suggested to MMAInsider a rematch between Lawler and Joey Villasenor, but after Monday teleconference with Cox, that idea was struck down.

"He's not going to fight Villasenor," Cox told MMAInsider. "That I know for sure. We don't have any interest in that."

While Cox says there have been "discussions" for Lawler to face Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef, nothing has been confirmed.

It also remains to be seen which card Lawler will grace--the Apr. 11 card in San Jose, or a possible May card in Tacoma, Wash. According to Cox and other sources close to negotiations, Gina Carano's plans with the organization are not set.

"We don't know when he's going to fight, because they've been waiting on Carano to see when she can get ready," said Cox. "So they'll talk to her and then Robbie will fight either in April or May depending on what she's doing."

If Manhoef is not acquired for the April or May cards, Cox has another suggestion for Coker.

"I like (Kazuo) Misaki," said Cox. "He's ranked in the top 5, he's beat Dan Henderson, he's a legitimate guy, and I think it's a really good match-up for us."

UFC Fight Night 17 Reaches Average of 1.7 Million Viewers

PRESS RELEASE:

Spike TV’s live “UFC Fight Night” in Tampa, FL, the first UFC card in the city’s history, served as a showcase for some of mixed martial arts’ rising stars, and garnered strong ratings in the process. UFC Fight Night on Spike TV ranked #1 in Men 18-49 and Men 18-34 among ad-supported cable for its time period.

The card, which featured Joe Lauzon submitting Jeremy Stephens via armbar in the main event, affirming his spot as a top contender in the lightweight division, drew an average audience of 1.7 million viewers. Overall, the telecast, which emanated LIVE from the USF Sun Dome peaked with a 2.00 rating in M 18-34 and a 1.51 household rating for an average of 2 million viewers during the 10:30 – 10:45 PM quarter hour, which featured the main event.

Overall, the Spike telecast reached 1.7 million people with a 1.60 rating Men 18-34 (462,000 viewers), a 1.55 rating in Men 18-49 (869,000 viewers), and a 1.3 HH rating. It bested huge college basketball matchups on Saturday in key demographics, including ESPN’s men’s college basketball telecasts of Indiana against Michigan State, as well as UConn’s showdown with Michigan.

Versus the same time period from a year ago, UFC Fight Night was up triple digits in key demographics; +319% in Men 18-49, +203% in Persons 18-49, +214% in Men 18-34, and +152% among average audience.

MMA For Dummies: Escaping A Headlock

Kenny Florian, in his latest MMA For Dummies courtesy of ESPN.com, provides that one escape maneuver that we all could have used as kids, let alone in an MMA fight. The escape from a headlock.

Faber vs. Fabiano Not Happening In April

Although there is never a certainty in the business of mixed martial arts, for now former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, Urijah Faber, won't be booking a flight for Chicago for a rumored bout against Brazilian stand-out, Wagnney Fabiano, as confirmed to the MMA Insider's Blog on Monday.

The rumor began to circle after Fabiano stated in an interview with Tatame.com that he thinks "it will be Faber" as an opponent at the April show set for Chicago, Ill.

Sources close to the "California Kid" indicated on Monday that there was no truth to the proposed bout, and all indications are that Faber is waiting for the winner of Mike Brown and Leonard Garcia, who are set to do battle on March 1 for the 145lb title.

Originally, Faber was a candidate to get an immediate rematch with Mike Brown after losing to the American Top Team fighter in Nov 2007, but when Brown suffered a rib injury and had to sit out for a time, the Sacramento native didn't want to wait that long for a fight and opted for a January showdown with Jens Pulver instead.

Faber went onto defeat Pulver and now all signs point to the former champion getting another shot at the gold in early summer barring any injuries to either competitor in the championship bout.

XCF To Raise Money for Inujured UFC Fighter Corey Hill

PRESS RELEASE:

Only days away, excitement for the Dyna-Pep Rumble In Race Town is building to a dull roar... Xtreme Cage Fighting Federation has answered the countrywide requests of MMA fans for this historic event to be broadcast live via streaming video on Saturday, February 14th at 7:30pm. "Not only do we want everyone to have the opportunity of seeing this event live, more importantly, Xtreme Cagefighting Federation wants to help raise money for Corey Hill, by providing him a percentage of the streaming video proceeds." says Doug Bland, founder of Xtreme Cagefighting Federation.

Corey Hill, who fights out of Rob Kahn's Gracie Tampa stable, was a junior college national wrestling champion and is considered by many to be one of the top up-and-coming MMA fighters in his division. While fighting in a UFC event this past December, Hill broke his leg in what many are calling one of the most gruesome injuries in MMA history.

"This is awesome; I can't believe the folks at XCF are putting something like this together for me. The doctors say I could be out for 12-18 months so any kind of money coming in is going to be a huge help for me and my family." says Corey. Rob Kahn, Hill's trainer / manager also commented, "It has been an incredible experience dealing with XCF on the Daytona event, I can't get over the generosity and professionalism the Bland brothers have shown in the promotion of this event."

Fans can access the live video stream at the XCF website by logging onto www.xcfmma.com. The cost to view the live event is $9.95 and can be paid with by Visa, MasterCard or PayPal.

"Xtreme Cagefighting Federation has the deepest appreciation for all MMA fighters. It doesn't matter what organization you are part of or what school you train with, at the end of the day, we all need to better this sport by helping to support each other." said Bland.

Scheduled to fight on the card are former UFC fighters Frank Trigg, Terry Martin, Jesse Taylor and Jeremy May. Also competing is former All-Pro Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive End, Marcus Jones and Daytona residents Todd Cutler and Byron Byrd.

Tickets for the Rumble In Race Town are on sale now via www.Ticketmaster.com by phone at 407-839-3900 or at the Ocean Center box office.

Dyna Pep, makers of the "World's First Supercharged Energy Micro Shot" is the primary sponsor for the Rumble in Race Town, more information at www.dynapep.com. For more information on the event, please visit www.xcfmma.com or call (704) 701-0904.

Jake Shields Not Aligned With Strikeforce Yet

As the dust continues to settle from Strikeforce's acquisition of 42 Pro Elite fighters, CEO Scott Coker is beginning the process of scheduling athletes for 16 plus events due in 2009.

Though Coker says most of Elite's "top 12" fighters have given assurances they will fight for Strikeforce, it's former welterweight champion, Jake Shields, is not yet committed to the San Jose-based promotion.

"We're still in negotiations," Shields' manager and father, Jack Shields, told MMAInsider late Sunday night.

In a December interview with MMAWeekly, Shields repeatedly expressed his desire to free himself of his ProElite contract to fight for the UFC.

"I feel like it's been the top show for a while, and I feel like most of the competition at my weight is in the UFC," said Shields. "The guys I need to fight, like GSP, B.J. Penn, Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez."

As recently as January, UFC president Dana White confirmed his interest in the 30 year-old Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

If he were to return to Elite, Shields said he would want to re-negotiate his contract.

Coker hinted the same might be true for his acquisition of Shields' ProElite deal.

"Out of all the conversations, everything has been positive, except for one athlete that’s I think maybe trying to use this as an opportunity to get a better deal," Coker told MMAInsider.

"Just like with Randy's deal, when he was in the situation with the UFC, to do a declaratory (ruling), it's going to be another six months for these fighters, and then we'll be forced to take them down that path, and the fighter's not going to fight for six months, and the court will rule one way or another.

"My lawyers (who) have looked at the contracts say these are valid contracts, these are contracts that were not going be a problem to be assigned. Either it's a legal resolution, or it’s a business resolution. I'm all about the business resolution. So if we can get these guys going, and put them back to work, then let's do it."

The elder Shields gave no timetable for a possible resolution to the impasse, but said he is committed to finding the best option for his son.

Now, the question appears to be whether Shields will continue their attempts to free himself from the now-Strikeforce contract, or serve its remainder to keep active and bide time for an eventual jump to the UFC.

UFN 17 Medical Suspensions Released

The Florida State Athletic Commission on Monday released medical suspensions arising from "Ultimate Fight Night 17" on Feb. 7 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

A total of 4 fighters were suspended for injuries sustained during their fights.

Leading the list was Denis Stojnic, who is suspended for 30 days following his TKO loss to fast-rising heavyweight Cain Velasquez.

Luigi Fioravanti is suspended for 30 days following his TKO loss to Anthony Johnson.

Matt Grice is suspended for 30 days following his TKO loss to Matt Veach.

Derek Downey is suspended for 30 days for a shoulder injury stemming from his submission loss to Nick Catone.

WEC 38 Medical Suspensions Released

Frank Munoz at the California State Athletic Commission has released medical suspensions arising from WEC 38 held at the San Diego Sports Arena on Jan. 25.

As he previously disclosed to MMAWeekly.com, WEC lightweight Jamie Varner is suspended indefinitely until his right eye is cleared by an opthamologist. A possible fracture to his left foot has earned him an additional 180 days on the bench, unless cleared by a doctor.

Opponent Donald Cerrone is suspended for 60 days due to lacerations to his left eye lid and right check. A doctor must clear him to fight if he wants to fight before the suspension is completed.

Mike Campbell is suspended from contact for 30 days due to his TKO loss at the hands of Villefort, and may not compete for 45 days.

Rolando Perez's TKO loss to prospect Jose Aldo has benched him for 45 days with 30 days no contact, and must clear a cut to the bridge of his nose with a doctor to avoid an additional 60 day suspension.

Edgar Garcia is wrestling with a possible fracture of his right hand in his TKO win over Hiromitsu Miura and will be suspended for 180 days unless cleared by a doctor.

Ian McCall is suspended for 180 days with a possible fracture of his right lower leg and an additional 60 days for a cut under his left eye. He will need doctor clearance for both of the injuries to fight prior to the end of the suspensions.

Blas Avena is suspended from competing for a minimum of 45 days with 30 days no contact for his KO loss to Jesse Lennox. He is also out 60 days for a scalp laceration suffered during the bout unless cleared by a doctor.

Charlie Valencia is suspended from contact and professional competition for 180 days with a possible fracture of his right hand. He will need clearance from a doctor fight before then.

UFC Fight Night 17 Post-Fight Interviews

ESPN.com spoke with several fighters following UFC Fight Night 17, including Joe Lauzon, Cain Velasquez, Josh Neer, and Anthony Johnson.

MFC 20 Full Fight Card Released

PRESS RELEASE:

The Maximum Fighting Championship, one of the elite mixed martial arts organizations in North America, is excited to announce its full card for MFC 20: Destined for Greatness which will take place on Friday, February 20 at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

MFC 20 will be broadcast live throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico on Mark Cuban's HDNet Fights.

"This is unquestionably the best show we've ever put together," said MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich. "I wanted to start 2009 with a bang that the whole world would notice and that has been accomplished in a big way."

In the main event MFC welterweight champion Pat "Bam Bam" Healy (24-14) will make the first defence of his belt against the man he beat for the title – Ryan "The Real Deal" Ford (8-1). The rematch is certain to be as electrifying as the first encounter at MFC 17 when Healy submitted Ford in the third round despite being battered throughout the first two rounds. The loss was the first and only setback of Ford's blossoming career and he badly wants revenge while Healy is determined to show he is the better man by remaining the champ.

For the first time ever, the MFC will put is lightweight title up for grabs as well when Derrick "The Eraser" Noble (24-11) clashes with well-schooled veteran Antonio "Mandingo" McKee (27-3). Noble made a splash in his MFC debut when he defeated Ariel Sexton at MFC 19 while McKee brings a stellar 11-fight undefeated streak into the matchup.

"Derrick Noble is a terrific fighter who is a complete package," noted Pavelich. "But the new and improved Antonio McKee should be extremely dangerous. If it's possible for a title fight to be a showstealer, this is it."

At Destined for Greatness, the MFC will continue its mission to showcase a superfight of international intrigue. There could be no better way to do that than by bringing back devastating welterweight Paul "Semtex" Daley who made an incredible impact at MFC 19 when he knocked out John Alessio. This time around, Daley (19-7) will go head-to-head against another star 170-pounder as he faces Nick "The Goat" Thompson (36-10) who has won 12 of his last 13 fights.

The remainder of the televised card features some major names in the world of MMA as well. The MFC re-ignites its middleweight division with a pair of top-notch battles. Power-packed Bryan "The Beast" Baker (8-1) joins the MFC ranks as he faces Rory Singer (11-8), a member of Team Ortiz from The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Singer's former Ultimate Fighter rival Solomon Hutcherson (10-5) also steps into the MFC spotlight as he faces undefeated newcomer Dave Mewborn (7-0).

And in a much-anticipated light heavyweight tilt, former MFC champ Roger "The Hulk" Hollett (8-2) looks to get back on track as he squares off against David Heath (9-4). Both fighters are coming off losses to new MFC light heavyweight champion Emanuel "The Hardcore Kid" Newton so it is vital that both return to winning ways to stay in the title picture.

Undercard and prelims set
A strong contingent of up-and-coming fighters will get an opportunity to shine in the early bouts of MFC 20. Amongst those encounters is a meeting between two of the MFC's top young lightweights as Simon Marini (6-1) takes on Ryan Machan (9-2). The winner of the matchup will certainly move into the upper echelon of the MFC's 155-pound division.

Other undercard/prelim bouts include:

Donovan Foley (6-2) vs. Josh Russell (2-0), lightweight
Kyle Dietz (13-0) vs. Evan Sanguin (7-2), featherweight
Richard Symonds (1-0) vs. Brad Zazulak (3-0), light heavyweight
Jason Heit (2-0) vs. TBA

MMA For Dummies: Double-Leg Takedown

In the latest MMA For Dummies on ESPN.com, Kenny Florian takes viewers through a double-leg takedown.