"Inside MMA" preview: "Stitch" taps Hieron vs. Goulet as bloodiest fight

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Jacob "Stitch" Duran has seem some cuts during his storied career as a cut man – some really doozies.

And on tonight's new edition of "Inside MMA" on HDNet, he discusses the bloodiest one of all.

"There was a lot of blood, man," Duran said.

The veteran stitcher-upper was talking about a UFC Fight Night 2 bout between Jay Hieron and Jonathan Goulet. The October 2005 bout kicked off the night's preliminary card and was never shown on TV.

And it'll likely stay that way.

Goulet caught Hieron with a knee between the eyes. Hieron's face soon exploded with a flood of red.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Top 10 MMA Bloodbaths

Originally Posted by Cagepotato.com

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6. Edwin Dewees vs. Gideon Ray
(The Ultimate Fighter 4, episode 2; original airdate 8/24/06)

Occasionally, tremendous blood loss will work to a fighter’s advantage. Such was the case with the first middleweight quarterfinal match on The Ultimate Fighter 4, when Gideon Ray elbowed a hatchet-wound into Edwin Dewees’s forehead. After it was determined that a “sudden victory” round would be necessary — and that Dewees could continue fighting, despite already leaving a couple pints on the ground — “Babyface” spent much of the last frame on top of Ray, with blood squirting from his head directly into the nose and mouth of his opponent. Ray was visibly freaked out, and was unable to mount an effective offense; Dewees got the decision win and advanced to the semis. Though most UFC fans have seen this infamous match, videos and photos of it are scarce on the Internet, so if you know of any good links, please share ‘em in the comments section.

4. Chris Lytle vs. Josh Koscheck
(UFC 86, 7/5/08)

What do you get when you mix Koscheck’s formidable ground-and-pound with Lytle’s willingness to fight through copious amounts of blood loss? How about a very slippery canvas and a fight that makes even some hardcore fans cringe. Despite being cut directly above his eye, Lytle was allowed to continue all the way to the final bell, and even managed to put a scare into Koscheck late in the fight. Both men proved that they weren’t the squeamish type, and Lytle seemed no more than slightly annoyed at bleeding into his own eye. Koscheck walked away with yet another decision victory here, though his bleached blonde hair turned plasma pink before it was over with. It was a significant improvement.

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A Look Behind the Scenes of MMA Fighter Edwin Dewees

Professional Strength & Conditioning Coach Chad Ikei goes behind the scenes with Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Edwin “Bam Bam” Dewees at the Affliction-Banned event in Anaheim, CA. Coach Ikei will periodically report on the daily events a fighter goes through the week leading up to the fight.

Introduction
I’ve been a strength coach for over 10 years and have worked with all forms of athletes from the professional to the beginner. But never have I witnessed such intense individuals as MMA fighters. The hours of work needed to put into developing their skills is astronomical, but then you have to add in their strength training, conditioning and recuperative training…now you’re talking about training as a lifestyle. As this sport continues to grow you will see less and less of the old school mentality of running miles and miles to get in shape and performing thousands and thousands of kicks and punches to build fighting endurance. The game is changing and you will see more explosive, stronger and conditioned athletes that can go round after round, making the world of fighting sports exciting and wanting more.

When I was asked by Edwin to travel with him and help work his corner during the fight it was an honor and privilege for me to accompany him. As I drove home after our final training session that evening I thought about how exciting this moment would be for Edwin and myself, being a part of one of the biggest MMA fight cards ever, so I called Edwin and said if it was alright with him I’d like to keep a simple journal of the events that go on behind the scenes of an MMA fight. Edwin agreed and thought it would be fun to educate the fans on the challenge during the week of the fight. So we begin our journey 5 days before the actual fight takes place and I’ll keep updates on each day. Hope our readers enjoy “A Look Behind the scenes of an MMA Fighter.”

Sunday July 13, 2008
All the training has been done and now we have the toughest battle ahead…the waiting game. This is the hardest part of the training program, mental preparation. Insecurities can haunt an athlete during this period of the program. Questions like “Have I done enough cardio? Did I work my ground game enough? Are my hands quick enough? Am I strong enough?” the list can go on and on if you are not confident in your preparation. Even when you are confident in your training, the down time can drive an athlete crazy because you go from training 4-6 hours a day to 1-3 hours tops, the week of competition. Then you have the battle of making weight for those athletes that have to cut to their respective weight classes, which majority of the fighters have to do if they are not in the heavyweight division. Some athletes will drop 40 pounds to make a specific weight class and some of them will do it with minimal time (2-3 weeks).

I have instructed Edwin to wake up at his usual time 6:30 am to keep his internal clock consistent as his daily training routine. This is a day for him to spend with his family and try to focus as much as possible on being a husband and father. However, I did request that he take 90 minutes to roll around, break a sweat, get loose and perform his visualization training. He also has a scheduled power nap between 30-50 minutes sometime after lunch. I think he must have called me between 8-10 times that day and exchanged countless text messages in anticipation for an early morning flight from Phoenix to LA.

As night fall comes around, Edwin once again is instructed to keep on his sleeping pattern and go to bed no later then 10:30 pm. He is reminded to pack all his fighting essentials, as it is common for an athlete to be “in the zone” during the week of the fight and completely forget what to pack and were they need to be. In fact, Edwin calls me at 9:30 pm at night and tells me that he had to run to the store to purchase some groceries for his wife and doesn’t remember what store he went and how he got there and back, as his mind was focused on his fight and his strategies. This is a good sign…thankful he got home safely, but inspiring to know how focused he is going into the fight.

We drive for 45 minutes through LA traffic to San Pedro Medical Center to visit with Affliction’s medical team. Edwin checks in and has to fill out a ton of medical papers, not the normal medical visit paperwork the average person fills out, but pages upon pages of documents. We then are sent on a wild goose hunt from one office to another to get his blood drawn, we literally had to walk from one building past 4 other buildings to another complex up the stairs just to get his blood drawn, then walk back to the main office. Then we were sent to another building where Edwin had to have an eye screening, which included getting his eyes dilated. It was back to the main office and then sent to a third building to have a physical and neurological screening. Finally, we went to the fourth building to perform an EKG to ensure his heart was in functional condition…which it was with a pulse rate of 41 beats per minute after a brief warm-up.

By the time we were done with all the medical evaluations it was 2:30 pm and all Edwin had to eat was breakfast. We were then shuttled to the Affliction Clothing warehouse where we were like 2 kids in a candy store. Boxes and boxes of Affliction Clothing was everywhere stacked to the ceiling. The executive staff came out to introduce themselves to Edwin and then one of the owners came down to show Edwin around and made sure Edwin and myself were taken care of with Affliction Clothing. This was incredible, all the new Affliction gear and we could pick out what we wanted…it was like Christmas in July. The people here were incredibly nice.

After we stocked ourselves up with Affliction gear, we were taken to the hotel (Doubletree) where Edwin had to check-in and pick-up his perdiem money along with his information welcome packet. By this time we were starving and went to eat a late lunch at 4:30 pm. Edwin’s weight is right on target so he will continue to refeul his body as needed. After our late lunch we return to the hotel for a quick power nap, 20 minutes tops. At 8:00 pm we grap a snack for Edwin and head over to LA Fitness to get a quick strength training workout in before the night is over. We then grab some dinner on the way back to the hotel and shut it down a little late at 11:30 pm.

Tuesday July 15, 2008
Edwin receives my wake up call at 7:30 am an hour later then usual since we went to bed a little late. We get downstairs and check his weight before we head to the hotel restaurant. As we enter the restaurant we see Pedro Rizzo eating with his corner men. Edwin and I try to keep to ourselves as he is not here to socialize and make friends but to go to battle, so we get a table in the corner and quietly eat breakfast. We head back upstairs to our room and go over his sparring the weeks before to review his game plan and prepare for his training session in the afternoon.

After 2 hours of watching film, we take a walk over to the mall to take a mental break from the fight. We have fun people watching and enjoy a nice sushi lunch at The Block at Orange Mall. We then spend some time reading some books at Borders before we head back to the hotel to meet up with teammate and corner man Joe Riggs.
At 5:30 pm we head over to No Limits MMA & Fitness Center to do some mitt work and grappling. Edwin and Joe go at it for 75 minutes. Edwin’s hands are looking crisp and powerful and his ground game is explosive. On the way back to the hotel we stop to get some dinner. Back at the hotel we head down to the Jacuzzi and pool to do some contrast heat and cold training. By this time Edwin is relaxed and ready for bed. Tomorrow we have a long day with the media as a press conference is scheduled for 9-12 pm for all fighters and corner men. That means we need to be up early eat breakfast and get loose before we leave for the hotel.

Wednesday July 16, 2008
We were up and eating breakfast by 7:45 am. Edwin’s weight is right on track and he can eat consistently without starving himself like his usual fights at 185. All fighters and corner men were in the lobby to board the bus by 9:15am. It was a typical LA traffic driving experience as we rode in the bus for over an hour and a half to get to the Century Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills. However, it was very entertaining as we got to sit and exchange stories with Tim Sylvia and Mike Whitehead during the commute. Both guys were hilarious and nice people.
Upon arrival at Century Plaza it was a media frenzy for all the MMA fighters. Photographers, TV cameras and fans were there to greet the fighters. As both buses were unloaded, many of them were stopped by fans for autographs and pictures which everyone seemed to enjoy.

A first class press conference was held and what an amazing event this fight is going to be. There sat some of the best MMA fighters in history and they all will be fighting on one card. All 22 fighters were introduced and one by one they came up and gave a brief speech in front of the cameras. Every single athlete new this was a special event and gave thanks and praise to the Affliction family for putting together such a great event and stated that they each will put on a performance like no other event has done before. The excitement and anticipation was deep and could feel the energy building with each athlete that approached the podium. By the time Fedor and Sylvia approached the microphone every media person in there jumped up and started snapping picture after picture.

After this long yet exciting press conference was over, we took our starving bodies to eat a late lunch at 2:45 pm. We then headed back to No Limit MMA & Fitness Center for an hour long training session for Edwin. Joe Riggs who is Edwin’s long time training partner and close friend helped put Edwin through some mitt work as well as focused on explosive kicks. Ed and Joe finished up their workout with some grappling and submission techniques. At the end, I took Edwin through 30 minutes of some flexibility work, opening his hips and posterior chain. By the end of the session it was time to head back to the hotel for a shower and then off to dinner.
We had planned to go to the movie theatre but after dinner Edwin didn’t feel like going as he felt his body was feeling a little flat, so we decided to stay in the hotel and go over his strategy and review footage of his training and opponent. After an hour’s worth of analyzing film, Edwin wanted to settle down and watch one of the movies on TV, so we tuned in and watched Will Smith’s “I am Legend.” A great movie and a nice way to end the evening.

Tune if for more updates as the week continues…the show is only 3 days away with weigh-ins 2 days and counting.

Posted by Ikei Underground at Thursday, July 17, 2008

Monday July 14, 2008
Edwin and I are scheduled for an early flight leaving Phoenix at 7:20 am, therefore, Edwin needs to leave his house at 5:30 am to get him there in time for check-in as his commute is 30 minutes away from the airport. That means he had to wake up at 5:00am in order to make breakfast and eat it in the car ride to the airport.

Edwin and I meet up at the airport and are given VIP treatment through one of his teammates wife who works with the airlines. Our bags are checked and we get to the gate with plenty of time to spare. During the flight several MMA fans come up to Edwin to ask for autographs and pictures which he kindly oblige.

From the moment we arrive (8:45 am), we are greeted by an Affliction representative who takes our bags and brings us directly from the airport to the medical facilities where Edwin will go through a comprehensive medical evaluation. This was a long day for Edwin and myself.

Dewees Set to Make His Mark

By Tom Ngo
(5thRound.com)
July 13th, 2008

Most MMA fans know Edwin “Babyface” Dewees from his stint as a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 reality show. His most memorable moment was when he and Gideon Ray squared off and Dewees’ bleach blonde hair was drenched with his own blood. Dewees now looks to make a different mark on MMA as he will be taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at “Affliction:Banned.”

Don’t let his “Babyface” fool you because with a 35-12 record, Dewees is a MMA veteran. He has bounced around from organization to organization, including an 0-3 mark in the UFC causing him not to be asked back.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure because Affliction immediately stepped in and signed Dewees to a multi-fight contract.

“We definitely had our sites set on Dewees and I am very happy to announce that he has signed a multi-fight deal with us,’’ Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio stated. “He is a great addition to our All-World caliber card.”

Dewees trains out of MMA Legend Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. And through the years, the UFC Hall of Famer has seen tremendous growth in Dewees’ MMA game.

“Dewees is at the top of his game,” stated Shamrock. “He has proven that he has impressive takedown and submission skills, and now, through intense training at the Lion’s Den, he has also become very strong on his feet. Dewees has developed into a very well rounded fighter. He is ready for this fight and will do well.”

After years of struggle, Dewees may have found a home with the upstart Affliction. A quality win over an accomplished fighter such as Nogueira will certainly cement his future in the sport, and Dewees knows it.

“This is obviously a great opportunity for me,” said Dewees. “Affliction has done an unbelievable job in organizing a world class event, with some of the biggest names in the sport on the fight card.”

Edwin Dewees confirms multi-fight deal with Affliction

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 09, 2008 at 7:35 pm ET
As part of his agreement to fill in for Vernon White at the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" event, Edwin Dewees has earned a multi-fight deal the upstart promotion.

Dewees (35-12), who fights former PRIDE stand-out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3) at the Affliction show, trains at Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den in Scottsdale, Ariz., and representatives from the gym today confirmed the signing.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"This is obviously a great opportunity for me," Dewees stated in today's press release. "Affliction has done an unbelievable job in organizing a world-class event, with some of the biggest names in the sport on the fight card."

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, White was scratched from the event after failing a drug test (due to a banned diuretic) following a May 31 Xtreme Fighting Association event in Las Vegas. Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio immediately targeted Dewees a former UFC fighter and cast member from "The Ultimate Fighter 4."

"We definitely had our sites set on Dewees, and I am very happy to announce that he has signed a multi-fight deal with us," Atencio stated. "Dewees was our first choice as a replacement for White. He is a great addition to our all-world-caliber card."

Although the White-Nogueira fight had been slated for the FSN portion of the event, the cable station will now instead air a bout between Vitor Belfort and Terry Martin (in addition to Paul Buentello vs. Aleksander Emelianenko). The Dewees vs. Nogueira fight will take place on the un-aired preliminary card.

Edwin Dewees vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira fight finalized today

by Dann Stupp - www.MMAjunkie.com on Jul 02, 2008 at 2:22 pm ET

Edwin Dewees (35-12) will, in fact, replace a suspended Vernon White and will fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3) at the July 19 "Affliction: Banned" event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Ken Pavia, Dewees' agent, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that his client today received and signed a bout agreement for the fight.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to report that Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio was targeting the former UFC fighter and longtime veteran for the vacant slot.

However, the fight will now appear on the un-televised portion of the event, which airs on FSN before flipping over to pay per view. The Nogueira-White fight had been slated for the FSN portion of the card, but Affliction announced on Tuesday that a light heavyweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Terry Martin would instead get the slot.

Dewees earned a ticket onto the high-profile event after White was pulled from the card after testing positive for a banned diuretic after a May 31 Xtreme Fighting Association event in Las Vegas. White's hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission is set for July 9, according to Atencio, but he couldn't wait for that decision since the Affliction event takes place just 10 days later.

Dewees, a Lions Den fighter who spent two thirds of his career with the Arizona-based Rage in the Cage organization, will instead get the fight. Recently, after winning five of six fights, the 25-year-old fell into a four-fight losing skid. However, he rebounded in April for his most recent win: a first-round submission victory over Richard Blake at a NoLimit Fighting event.

Nogueira, the win brother of UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, returned from a one-year layoff to defeat Todd Gouwenberg (via second-round TKO) at a February Hardcore Championship Fighting event. The 32-year-old spent most of his career in PRIDE before the organization's eventual demise.

Dewees Feels He’s Already Beaten Nogueira

By Steven Marrocco www.fcfighter.com

FCF recently caught up with Edwin “Babyface” Dewees, who confirmed with FCF that he will be facing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Affliction “Banned” on July 19th in Anaheim, California. Dewees replaces Vernon “Tiger” White, who was removed from the card after allegedly testing positive for a diuretic following a kickboxing match in early June.

FCF: When did you first hear that you would be fighting Nogueira?

Dewees: Probably a week ago, I guess. It was an option, and about two days ago was when it was for sure.

FCF: So you’ve signed your bout agreement?

Dewees: Yes.

FCF: What were your first thoughts when you got the option to fight him?

Dewees: I was really excited. This is going to be my first fight at 205, now that I’m bigger, and I wanted to fight somebody good right away. My confidence is higher than it’s ever been and I’m really excited to get an opponent like this to show what I got at 205.

FCF: Earlier, you said this was your “Rocky” opportunity? What do you mean by that?

Dewees: I’m going to be a bajillion to one underdog obviously. I feel—and everyone else that I’ve been training with feels—that I’m going to win. It’s just a huge opportunity. The whole world is going to see me as without a chance to win. I don’t consider it my “Rocky” opportunity, I see it as my “Rocky” moment, because I feel that I’ve already won. My confidence is really up right now.

FCF: What are the keys to winning?

Dewees: I think my keys to winning are going to be stamina, number one. That’s going to be my biggest key to winning. My stamina and my strength are going to be my priority, and I’m going to go to the ground anyways, even though he’s very good on the ground. I haven’t performed as well as I usually do in the gym, in my bigger TV fights. People know that I’m really good on the ground. Obviously, my record shows it, but the general public hasn’t gotten to see it. I believe I’m as good on the ground or better than he is.

FCF: Why do you think you haven’t been able to show your full potential? Has it been fighting on TV?

Dewees: Fighting at 185. I was just listening to the wrong people, trying to be like everyone else. Cutting weight, thinking, as low as I can get down, that’s where I should be fighting. I started to realize that it was just retarded. Everyone around me for years has been telling me, ‘you’re not the same person, you don’t grapple the same, you’re not the same fighter.’ I just assumed they didn’t know what they were talking about. Then I came to realize that I’m not the same person at 185. Now I get to show it.

FCF: But you’re also a lot older, do you think you’ve gotten wiser?

Dewees: Yeah, I definitely have. I’ve been fighting 8 years, and I’m only 25. I grew up. I started listening to myself.

FCF: Well, you’ve taken a lot of fights. Do you plan on slowing down a little bit?

Dewees: Yeah, a little bit. I don’t want to fight three times in one month anymore. The way I train now, it’s not really possible. I won’t be able to train properly to fight every month. To do it properly, to take it as a business, I’m going to have to fight every three months, because I’m going to need some time to rest.

FCF: You mentioned this new strength and conditioning coach. How is he torturing you?

Dewees: In every way possible. He trains Super Bowl football players. The science behind it, and his way of thinking, he’s mimicking exercises that would emulate fighting. I’m embarrassed to admit, I could barely do a pull up, now he has me with 65 lb weights, cranking out pull ups, within three months.

FCF: Does a performance like Sokoudjou’s give you any added hope or confidence? [Author’s note: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou defeated Nogueira with an early knockout at Pride 33]

Dewees: Not really, I think that fight was a fluke. I’m not going to say he has a weak chin, because everybody can get knocked out like that. I mean, I got submitted by Chris Leben, for God sakes. If he takes that into account, he’s totally mistaken. I’m not dumb enough to think that he has a weak chin, so I’m not basing anything on that fight. I actually don’t want to watch that fight.

FCF: Is this a one-time deal for you or is it a three fight deal?

Dewees: They’re working on the three fights right now, it’s not nailed down, but that’s what we’re working towards.

FCF: Are you working on getting a non-exclusive contract?

Dewees: It’s up in the air. I wouldn’t mind fighting exclusively, if they’re going to take care of me and pay me properly. I think after I beat Nogueira, I’m going to have a lot of leeway, a lot of people are going to want me, so we might want to keep it open for the right people.

FCF: What’s your five year plan?

Dewees: To be the best in the world. When I was at 185, I started losing hope of that. I lost so many fights in a row for that one year period. Now that I’m at 205, I’m rejuvenated, and I’m doing so well and I have so much support. I feel the sky’s the limit.

Affliction VP says Edwin Dewees could replace "Tiger" White

by John Morgan MMAjunkie.com on Jun 25, 2008 at 10:08 pm ET

The July 19 "Affliction: Banned" event recently suffered its first card casualty, as K.O. Dynasty Management confirmed that Vernon "Tiger" White had been pulled from the event.

Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the organization now has its sights set on UFC veteran Edwin Dewees (35-12-0) as a possible replacement to face Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3).

"We're interested in Edwin Dewees," Atencio said. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him, but I know somebody's reaching out to him, and hopefully that will work out. But we're in talks right now."

As we reported earlier today, White was pulled from the card after testing positive for a banned diuretic after a May 31 Xtreme Fighting Association event in Las Vegas. Atencio said no sanctions have yet been levied on White, but he also said that Affliction could not wait until a decision was issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

"I haven't talked to [White], but I know that he has a hearing on the ninth of July," Atencio said. "We just can't wait that long to find out what's going to happen to him."

In his place could step Dewees, a Lions Den fighter who spent two thirds of his career with the Arizona-based Rage in the Cage organization. Recently, after winning five of six fights, the 25-year-old fell into a four-fight losing skid. However, he rebounded in April for his most recent win: a first-round submission victory over Richard Blake at a NoLimit Fighting event.

Although he was hardly the biggest name on a star-studded card, the loss of White comes on the heels of the UFC's announcement that it will hold a card featuring middleweight champion Anderson Silva on the same evening as the "Affliction: Banned" event -- and air it on Spike TV for free. Although a portion of the Affliction card also airs on basic cable via FSN, the main card comes with a $39.95 pay-per-view price tag.

However, Atencio remains confident that the drawing power of the evening's fighters will still attract MMA's hardcore fans.

"Anybody that was going to buy our pay-per-view, I think they're still going to buy it," Atencio said. "I think the people that weren't going to buy it, [the UFC event] just gives them something to do now. I don't think it really changed the hardcore fans' outlook."

The Affliction executive also hinted at a still-to-come major marketing push that the organization hopes will bring in the casual audience as well.

"Right now, we haven't even broken water (on marketing) yet," Atencio said. "We're waiting until the push because we know a lot of people, especially the casual fan, they'll forget about it if we push too soon. ... We've sold about 8,000 tickets so far, and that's with minimal advertising."

Featuring three ex-UFC champions, both Emelianenko brothers, and the greatest assembled cast of recognizable names on a card outside the UFC, Atencio believes his card will stand up to any challenges between now and July 19.

"July 19 pay-per-view -- it's going to be the biggest MMA card in history," he said. "There's no denying that."