"A Night of Combat II" salaries: Ramirez, Hieron and Pyle top earners

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

A trio of fighters that included main-event winner Hector Ramirez and Xtreme Couture notables Jay Hieron and Mike Pyle scored event-high $20,000 paydays last week at "A Night of Combat II."

The event, promoted by Superfights MMA and Kim Couture's KC Concepts, took place this past Friday, Oct. 10, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today requested and received the salaries from the Nevada State Athletic Commission

The total disclosed payroll for the event was $160,500.

The full payout amounts included:

Hector Ramirez $20,000 (includes $5,000 win bonus)

Jay Hieron $20,000

Mike Pyle $20,000

Sean Salmon $7,000 (win bonus would have been $5,000)

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Ramirez, Pyle, Hieron Grab Wins

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

From the ashes of a cancelled Affliction card rose a lineup Saturday inside the Thomas & Mack Center that featured up-and-comers and quality veterans from Xtreme Couture. Save for the lackluster main event between kickboxing legend Rick Roufus and UFC veteran Hector Ramirez, every fight on the Night of Combat bill was entertaining.

Roufus, a six-time world champion in kickboxing, did well in the opening round. But once Ramirez took “The Jet” off his feet, it was all downhill for the middle-aged legend. Roufus found it almost impossible to scramble out from being pinned in side control and full mount -- a bad position he found himself in for virtually every second of rounds two and three.

“I watched him through American kickboxing all the time when I was in junior high,” Ramirez said after he was awarded a unanimous decision via three tallies of 29-28. “I knew he kicked hard and I didn’t want to let him get going, so I needed to take him down. He caught me with a good head kick in the first, so I had to be smart and keep him off his feet.”

In the only other match to go three full rounds, IFL champion Jay Hieron pounded last-minute replacement Chris Kennedy to win a lopsided unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three cards. Hieron battered and repeatedly slammed Kennedy -- a replacement for Bryson Kamaka, who had been scratched for failing a prefight urinalysis.
.........

Mike Pyle slipped on a slick armbar to submit Brian Gassaway 4:21 into the first round. Pyle had a surprisingly easy time, as he scored a terrific takedown early and quickly moved to full mount. From there, he peppered his foe with various strikes, and when Gassaway tried to roll out to escape, the arm was there for the taking.

“I had him down, and he was a bit sideways so I got the arm lock,” Pyle said. “I wanted to pound him out a little more and make him quit, but I’ll take the submission. That’s what I’m all about anyway.”

Click here to read the entire article at sherdog.com

Sick Dog Blog: Headliner Hector Ramirez on "A Night of Combat II"

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

by Hector Ramirez on Oct 10, 2008 at 2:15 pm ET

I am a proud to be a Mexican-American "Chicano" born in East Los Angeles and raised in Norwalk, Calif. I was raised by my father, who is from Jalisco, Mexico (the small town of Poncitlan, outside of Guadalajara), and my mother, who is from Armeria, Colima.

The struggles they had in a new country and the hard times they had in raising me are probably the reason I fight today.

My history

The first time I decided to fight was when a good friend by the name of Charlie Valencia, who currently fights in the WEC, approached me and told me I should enter a cage-fighting tournament. I first said no because even though I had wrestled comparatively all my life, I wasn't a big believer in fighting. But, my wife was eight months pregnant with my son, and we needed some new tires for our car. Money was tight, and $1,200 was the grand-prize money.

There was a catch, though: I would have to fight twice in the same night. I took the fight anyway, and I won both fights. My wife was there, so I had to make sure I won convincingly. (I didn't want her to have the baby right there at the show.)

So, that's how it all began.

Tito and Rampage

I met Tito Ortiz and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson when Colin Oyama recruited me to join his team. This was before the days of Team Punishment, and the MMA team back then was called Punch Out. I was able to train, learn and grow with some of the best fighters in the game, especially at my weight class.

I think back to the practices we had and the guys in the room and what they have done in the sport, and it just blows my mind. We were just a bunch of local guys from the neighborhood trying to improve our skills and be tougher.

"TUF" and semi-retirement

Ortiz was one of the head coaches for the popular UFC reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter."

Tito called me and asked me to try out for his team for the show, and since we were good friends, I did. I made it to the final group but wasn't chosen. They said because my personality didn't stack up with the other contestants. I would have smashed them all, and Tito knew that.

I was really disappointed that I wasn't picked and had to make some serious decisions about my future. I said to myself, "Screw fighting. There is no money in this sport until you get to the highest level, and you can't make a living in the meantime, especially with a wife and kids." The real-estate market was on a big upswing, so instead I used some creative financing and I invested in a few fixer houses. My trade is a union construction worker, and I have been in construction my whole life, so I am pretty handy.

I left MMA for a full year and packed on the pounds. Some people like deserts; some people over snack. My weakness is I grew up on and now love beans. It began to show.

A new career

Toward the end of that year, a good friend had passed away at the age of 44 from a heart attack.

He had been a guy I worked with, and he had been a big fan of mine as a fighter. He always encouraged me to fight again. He had taken his son to a fight I had in Las Vegas when I knocked out Kendall Grove. Later, we talked and he said to me that was one of the greatest nights he had ever had with his son. He couldn't wait to take his son to another one of my fight events.

Unexpectedly, my friend died later that year.

When my good friend "Rampage" had a fight at The Forum in L.A., I thought it would be cool if I invited lil' Larry to come see some fights with me and possibly take a picture with Rampage after the event.

I tried to go backstage for some pictures, but there was so much security that I wasn't able to get through. I called Rampage and he told me to meet him at an after-party in Hollywood. We waited outside this club for Rampage to show up, and when he did, he took a picture with lil' Larry.

As we were ready to leave, I saw my old teammate, "Razor" Rob McCullough. He introduced me to a guy by the name of "The Pav," Ken Pavia, and he said to me that he was an up-and-coming fight manager and would be the biggest soon. And he said Pavia was interested in talking to me. I gave him my number.

The next day, he called me and said I had a pretty good MMA record and that he could possibly get me in a big show, maybe even the UFC. Of course, at this point, I was weighing about 250 pounds but hiding it well under baggy clothes. Pavia said "sign with me" anyway.

I told him, "If you get me in the UFC, then I will sign anything you want – that it had always been my dream." A week later, I was setting tile at one of my houses when The Pav called and said there had been an injury.

"You got your UFC fight," he told me.

The first thing that came to my mind was, "Damn, I have to lose 45 pounds in five weeks." I had signed with Pavia, but I don't think it all really hit me until I was walking into Arco Arena in Sacramento for UFC 65 against James "The Sandman" Irvin.

Even though we earned the Fight of the Night bonus, Irvin pulled off the victory with a big punch in the second round after I beat him nearly to death in the first.

Luckily, I was given a second UFC fight, and I fought Forrest Griffin in the co-main event at UFC 82 in Northern Ireland. Griffin was coming off a loss too (a stunning TKO to Keith Jardine), and he fought a smart fight, constantly sticking and moving and not stepping into the pocket with me or going to the ground.

For the fight Pavia got me a bunch of sponsors, but one was Punishment Athletics and I was supposed to wear a beanie. I thought it would be better if I tried to win the Irish fans over, so instead I wore a beanie with a four-leaf clover. And the fans booed anyway. When I got back home, The Pav told me Punishment Athletics was not going to pay because I didn't wear the Punishment Athletics beanie. He told me that because I was fighting Griffin in Ireland, I could have come out in a Lucky Charms leprechaun suit and that the crowd would have still rooted for Griffin.

Sometimes you learn things the hard way.

Anyway, I am proud to say my only three career losses have been to the current UFC champ, the undefeated No. 1 contender Rashad Evans (who won a decision victory over me even though I broke my ankle in the first round), and Irvin. Not a bad trio.

The comeback

After taking some time off, I began suffering some injuries in training that prevented me from going to the gym. There were also the financial pressures that were fueled by the drastic change in the real-estate market.

The Mexican-American fans that have always been so supportive of me always stopped me, no matter where I traveled for my fights or to help teammates, and asked me when I was going to come back and fight again. They always told me there wasn't a good Chicano MMA fighter that represented the people.

My first comeback fight was against UFC and "TUF" veteran Rob "Maximus" McDonald at a Hardcore Fighting show in Canada. This kid was tough and was built like a guy from the movie "300."

While there were a few fight promotions interested in me for some reason, Hardcore was the most aggressive – and that surprised me because I didn't think there was a big Latino market in Canada.

My conerman backed out at the last minute in that fight, so Pavia stepped up to the plate. He did a great job getting me through the fight, and I was determined to win. Losing was not an option. Even though it was brutal and bloody, he would not let me quit and was great in helping to get my breathing under control and seeing openings in the fight.

I got the win, and it was a big one for me.

During the fight I could hear him, and we executed perfectly. Pavia has been the reason I am back in the sport. He has believed in me since the day I met him. He understands the fact that I have three kids to feed, really cares for his fighters like they are his blood, and always makes the right moves that best fit my career.

Fight camp

It's been almost seven months since that fight, and I'm now ready for my next one. I'll be headlining Saturday's "A Night of Combat II" event in Las Vegas. It's a stacked card with guys like John Alessio, Jay Hieron, Salmon and others.

Anyway, I needed to properly prepare for this fight while being away from all distractions, and I had the opportunity to stay at Pavia's house for two weeks to focus on my fight, which is against legendary K-1 champion Rick "The Jet" Rufus.

Razor Rob lives at the house, and they always seem to have fighters passing through and staying in the guest room. It is a great location to train because it is downtown Huntington Beach, and it is a block from the ocean, which motivates you to run and do sand wind sprints. During this time, I trained at HB Ultimate and surrounded my self with pro fighters. I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Zach Light, who was a big help, Benji Radach, Sean Salmon, Ortiz, Razor Rob, Tiki, superstar wrestler Mark Munoz, Josh "The Punk" Thompson, Brady Fink and even Mike Bisping helped as well. We all helped each other with diet, training and generally supported each other with the fighter lifestyle.

I understand that Rufus wants to be a 205-pound champion in MMA some day, but he has "Sick Dog" standing in his way, and he will not make it past me. I have too many reasons to win. While the money is important, I fight for my family. I fight for the Mexican-American fans. I fight for Norwalk, Calif. I fight for La Raza.

It's all the motivation I need.

My thank yous

As a fighter we rely on many factors outside of our control to be successful. The guys at MMAagents.com that support Ken and me are great. Thanks go to Nate, Danny, Julian, Sean, Tony and Joe.

I also have to thank my sponsors. TapouT, So Cal MMA clothing, Gamma O (that stuff really works), Jesus Didn't Tap (that's a tough dude), Kill It (cool logo) and Dr. Kessler have supported me generously for this fight. I would like to thank Randy and Kim Couture for promoting this event and giving me the chance to show my skills as the main event on HDNet.

Most importantly I want to thank my wife, Heather. Without her support and understanding, I would never be able to chase my dreams and represent my people. We have been together for a solid 15 years. She has been a source of strength, and I really appreciate her and my kids.

If you are in Las Vegas on Saturday, come out to the Thomas & Mack Center and check out the fights. If you miss them, the card will be aired on HDNet on Oct. 17. Viva La Raza!

This story originally appeared on es.mmajunkie.com, the Spanish-language version of MMAjunkie.com. Guest columnist Hector "Sick Dog" Ramirez (7-3-1) is a former UFC fighter based in California. In anticipation of his main event fight with Rick Rufus at Saturday's "A Night of Combat II," Ramirez has authored the "Sick Dog Blog" for the Spanish-language version of MMAjunkie.com. His column has been translated for MMAjunkie.com's main site by Karime Gaytan.

THE GREAT FIGHT NORTH

News and Notes from Canada

Originally Posted By Mike Russell (gfn@thefightnetwork.com)

Dave Wallace, manager for Pride, UFC and K-1 veteran Gary Goodridge, attempted this week to explain the circumstances surrounding comments made by his client. Goodridge claimed in a recent interview that he was frustrated with Maximum Fighting Championship promoter Mark Pavelich and was contemplating whether or not to walk away from his contract with the Alberta-based promotion.

Wallace indicated that messages from conversations he’d had with Pavelich were not properly relayed to Goodridge, resulting in what he called “a grave misunderstanding.” Wallace said he was optimistic the situation could be resolved and that Goodridge was prepared to honor his MFC contract, which calls for one fight with an option for a second.

“Some things were not explained to Gary or were not relayed to Gary in the proper manner,” Wallace said. “There was a misunderstanding on Gary’s part that was fully my fault. Gary, being an emotional guy, made some assumptions that were misconstrued. The perception that Gary had of what was going on with MFC was not reflective of reality.”

Wallace said Goodridge would face Eric Pele at MFC 16 “Anger Management,” scheduled to be held on Friday, May 9 at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, Alberta.

“Since speaking with Mark this week and relaying the messages to Gary, this misunderstanding has been rectified, and Gary is willing, able and looking forward to fulfilling his contract with the Maximum Fighting Championship,” Wallace said. “He’s not only looking forward to his fight in May, but he’s also anticipating a fruitful relationship with the MFC past that in the future.”

Goodridge railed against Pavelich in an exclusive interview with The Fight Network, saying Pavelich reminded him of an “ex-wife” and claiming the promoter had badgered him about the details for his promotional debut in May. Goodridge’s complaints stem from Pavelich’s refusal to allow him to compete for another organization three weeks before the MFC 16 show. Although the 42-year-old heavyweight’s contract states he may not compete five weeks prior to a scheduled MFC appearance, Goodridge claimed he could not afford to turn down fights – and money – at this late stage in his career.

Goodridge had been penciled in for two other fights within a five-week time frame. The kickboxer was booked to square off with Eric “Butterbean” Esch at a YAMMA Pit Fighting event on Friday, April 11 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. He had also agreed to fight Tony Lopez at King of the Cage “Fight Night” on Saturday, April 19 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Pavelich said Wallace had assured him that Goodridge would not be competing at either show and had opted instead to fulfill his contractual obligations to the MFC.

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COTE-ALMEIDA BOOKED FOR UFC 86

Patrick “The Predator” Cote will climb another rung on the UFC’s middleweight ladder when he returns to the Octagon this summer. The Fight Network has learned that Cote will face Renzo Gracie protégé Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 on Saturday, July 5 in Las Vegas. Cote – who submitted previously to Joe Doerksen and Travis Lutter – wants to showcase his improved ground skills, a facet of his game many still consider his Achilles’ heel. He will get his chance against one of the world’s best grapplers.

Read the full report HERE.

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‘THE CROW’ READY TO HOST HCF, GET BACK ON TRACK

Hardcore Championship Fighting will make its Quebec debut Saturday in Gatineau when the promotion presents HCF “Crow’s Nest” at the Robert Guertin Arena. A 185-pound match-up between one-time UFC middleweight title contender David “The Crow” Loiseau and the Revolution Fight Team’s Todd Gouwenberg will headline the show.

Loiseau (15-8, 0-1 HCF) has trained hard and believes he’s ready to reclaim his once proud standing in the MMA world, as he aims to earn his way back into the UFC with some wins against quality opposition. A date with Gouwenberg (7-3, 0-1 HCF) comes first.

“When I make it back to the UFC, I want to be a contender; I don’t want to just be a UFC fighter,” Loiseau said. “I want to make sure I’m at the top of my game and that there’s no one who can beat me mentally or physically. Some guys go to the UFC, and they’re just OK fighters. I’m not that fighter. I want to dominate when I go back. You’ll see when I do it.”

Once one of the UFC’s promising young stars, Loiseau saw his career hit a snag when he dropped back-to-back decision losses to then UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin and Mike Swick. Released from the UFC roster, Loiseau spent the last two years competing for various organizations. He admits it has been no easy task.

“You’re only remembered for your last fight,” he said. “If you lose one or two fights, forget it, people turn their backs on you. That’s the way MMA works. It’s all politics. That’s OK. I’ve been working my ass off. I’m taking one fight at a time, and I want to prove myself.”

Although he’s rumored to have signed to face UFC veteran Terry Martin in the co-main event at Combat Fighting Championships 4 on Saturday, May 17 in Newcastle, England, Loiseau said he has yet to agree to the bout since he was only recently made aware of his inclusion on the card. Loiseau spoke to his manager, Ken Pavia, on Monday and was told the CFC was interested in having him compete but that nothing had been agreed to.

“To be honest, I’m kind of pissed off that they’re using my name to advertise the event, and I haven’t even agreed to the fight,” Loiseau said. “I’ll fight Terry Martin, but don’t say I’m fighting him without asking me first. I’m only thinking about my fight Saturday against Gouwenberg right now.”

HCF “Crow’s Nest”
Saturday, March 29
Robert Guertin Arena
Gatineau, Quebec

HCF Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Sarah Kaufman vs. Molly Helsel

David Loiseau vs. Todd Gouwenberg
Rob MacDonald vs. Hector Ramirez
Nabil Khatib vs. Gideon Ray
Brent Beauparlant vs. Amir Rahnavardi
Andrew Buckland vs. Dan Hornbuckle
Bill Boland vs. Michal Hamrsmid
Myles Merola vs. Jameel Massouh
Marcus Vinicios vs. Rodrigo Ruas
Dan Grandmaison vs. Nino Schembri

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CHAMBERS IN FEATURED BOUT AT RITC 29

Dan Chambers will square off with Chester Post in the main event at Rumble in the Cage 29 on Satrurday at the North Pavilion at Exhibition Park in Lethbridge, Alberta. Chambers (12-6, 8-1 RITC) last competed in February, when he submitted to a second-round Kimura from Andrew Buckland at a Hardcore Championship Fighting event. Post (6-10-1) will make his promotional debut.

Rumble in the Cage 29
Saturday, March 29
North Pavilion at Exhibition Park
Lethbridge, Alberta

Dan Chambers vs. Chester Post
Tim Tamaki vs. Chris Desaultels
Neil Berry vs. Mike Gates
Victor Kaminski vs. Shane Landherr
Raphael Bergman vs. Nick Goetz
Tim Chemelli vs. Will Kruger
Mark Aparicio vs. Darryl Stettler
Sean Merkl vs. Trent Rowell
Mike Jones vs. Jesse Kunish
Keirston Gillis vs. Jose Rodriguiz
Peter Neufeld vs. Jeff Lauze
Shay Fortier vs. Steffanie Essensa

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SOSZYNSKI TO HEADLINE UCW SHOW APRIL 11

International Fight League veteran Krzysztof Soszynski will meet Marcus Hicks in the featured bout at Ultimate Cage Wars 11 “Hell in the Cage” on Friday, April 11 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Soszynski (14-8-1) has won back-to-back fights by disqualification. Based out of Team Quest, he holds victories against former TKO champion Icho Larenas and UFC veteran Dan Christison. Hicks (8-9) has won three of his last four fights, and only one of his 17 career bouts has been left to the judges.

UCW 11 “Hell in the Cage”
Friday, April 11
Winnipeg Convention Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Marcus Hicks
Simon Marini vs. Lindsey Hawks
Joey Ayotte vs. Missy Parks
Rory McDonell vs. Kevin Manderson
Ryan Bawn vs. Cory Grant
Matt Dayboll vs. Adam Dowds
Justin Knox vs. Dino Camire
Sam Pascuzzi vs. Isaias Alvarado

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CROES-MARTINEZ SET FOR TKO 33 MAIN EVENT

Johan Croes will collide with Danny Martinez in the main event at TKO 33 “Battle in Paradise” on Friday, April 18 at the Surfside Beach in Oranjestad, Aruba. Croes (1-0, 1-0 TKO), an Aruba native, stopped Mark Fraser on second-round strikes in his first professional bout at TKO 32 in February. Martinez, meanwhile, will make his debut at TKO 33.

TKO 33 “Battle in Paradise”
Friday, April 18
Surfside Beach
Oranjestad, Aruba

Johan Croes vs. Danny Martinez
Steve Bosse vs. Guido Carlo
Derek Gauthier vs. Richard Williams
Yannick Galipeau vs. Jonrick Flanigan
Christopher Hulme vs. Jamiel Werleman
Adrian Wooley vs. Nick Croes
Ben Gallant vs. Greghoulos Oehlers
Scott Wright vs. Evan Nedd

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CANADIAN CALENDAR

• Mar. 29 – Hardcore Championship Fighting “Crow’s Nest,” Robert Guertin Arena, Gatineau, Quebec
• Mar. 29 – Rumble in the Cage 29, North Pavilion at Exhibition Park, Lethbridge, Alberta
• April 4 – King of the Cage “Brawl in the Mall 3,” West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alberta
• April 11 – Ultimate Cage Wars 11 “Hell in the Cage,” Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• April 12 – Phoenix Fight Promotions II, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• April 18 – TKO 33 “Battle in Paradise,” Surfside Beach, Oranjestad, Aruba
• April 19 – UFC 83 “Serra vs. St. Pierre 2,” Bell Centre, Montreal
• April 26 – Iroquois MMA Championship III, Iroquois Lacrosse Arena, Hagersville, Ontario
• May 9 – Maximum Fighting Championship 16 “Anger Management,” River Cree Resort and Casino, Enoch, Alberta
• July 26 – Freedom Fight “Title Quest,” Robert Guertin Arena, Gatineau, Quebec

"Babalu" to HCF for May 10 Event

Originally posted by John Morgan [john-morgan] on MMA Junkie on Mar 19, 2008 at 7:35 pm in

- News -

UFC cast-off Renato "Babalu" Sobral (29-7) will return to action on May 10 for a Hardcore Championship Fighting show to be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. There, 32-year-old will take on fellow Brazilian Mauricio Alonso (4-1).

Ken Pavia, an MMAjunkie.com columnist, broke news of the bout on today's edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), a content partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Sobral will be in Quebec on March 29 for the HCF's "Crow's Nest" event, featuring UFC veterans David Loiseau, Hector "Sick Dog" Ramirez and Gideon Ray, where a formal announcement of the fight card will be made.

Sobral, once regarded among the world's elite in the light heavyweight division, dropped out of the top 10 in most rankings after back-to-back UFC losses to Chuck Liddell and Jason Lambert. The Gracie Barra black belt then returned to winning ways with a hard fought, bloody victory over David Heath at UFC 74. A controversial ending, in which Sobral admitted to holding an anaconda choke on Heath longer than necessary, cost "Babalu" both a $25,000 fine as well as his UFC contract.

The HCF fight will be Sobral's second outside the UFC since the incident.

During the interview, Pavia was unable to confirm, but did little to deny, a rumored match-up between Sobral and UFC veteran Mike Whitehead. It is believed the bout will be contested at the debut event of the new Affliction/Golden Boy co-promotion.

In other interview highlights:

Pavia also mentioned a forthcoming "big announcement" by the UFC regarding welterweight Chris "Lights Out" Lytle. The UFC is expected to soon release information regarding Lytle facing a "very big name" at UFC 86 in July. Pavia felt confident that the match-up would be the co-main event of the card.

According to Pavia, "Razor" Rob McCullough will return to action in the WEC on the as-yet-unannounced June 1 WEC event in Sacramento, Calif. Although McCullough's opponent has not yet been determined, that card is believed to be headlined by Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver. Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia is also expected at the event, and Jeff Curran will also likely compete.
Lastly, Pavia said Joe "Diesel" Riggs was recovering quickly from back surgery after suffering an injury in his latest fight, and should return to action with Strikeforce in late May, when the organization looks to return to Tacoma, Wash.
To hear the full interview, download Wednesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio Network archives.

This story, written by John Morgan, was produced by TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com) specially for MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). The show -- which is hosted by fighter/broadcaster Frank Trigg, Gorgeous George and Goze -- books some of the biggest names in MMA. Download all the former episodes at www.taggradio.com, or tune into TAGG Radio's live shows Monday-Friday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

UFC Vet David Loiseau Headlines March 29 HCF Event

Originally Posted by MMA Junkie on February 25, 2008 at 3:46 pm ET

Former UFC middleweight contender David “The Crow” Loiseau (15-8) will headline next month’s Hardcore Championship Fighting event when he takes on Todd Gouwenberg (7-3), the Canadian-based organization announced over the weekend.

The event, dubbed “HCF: Crow’s Nest,” takes place March 29 at the Robert Guertin Centre in Gatineau, Quebec.

Gouwenberg is a replacement for Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, whose HCF contract was terminated last week because of his planned involvement with an upcoming World Victory Road event.

“It is with a heavy heart we terminate Cyborg’s contract as he is one of my favorite fighters,” HCF president Dave Houshiar stated on the organization’s website. “However, we cannot allow fighters to dictate the terms of contracts to us as this can impact the integrity of our events.“

Loiseau, a 28-year-old French-Canadian who will be fighting in front of a hometown crowd, last competed at a Feb. 1 HCF event and suffered a close split-decision loss to Jason Day. (Just days after the fight, Day was signed by the UFC to fight Alan Belcher at Montreal’s UFC 83 event in April.) Loiseau was once the UFC’s top middleweight contender, but soon after a loss to then-champ Rich Franklin at UFC 58 and another to Mike Swick at UFC 63, Loiseau’s career has taken a nosedive. He’s now lost four of his past five fights.

He’ll look to get back on track against on Gouwenberg, who also competed at the Feb. 1 HCF event. There, he suffered a tough-fought loss to notable Anyonio Rogerio Nogueira, a top-ranked light heavyweight and the brother of UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The 33-year-old Gouwenberg, who will drop to middleweight for the fight with Loiseau, snapped his four-fight win streak with the loss.

In addition to Loiseau vs. Gouwenberg, the March 29 event will include other notables, including former UFC fighters Hector Ramirez, Rob MacDonald and Gideon Ray.

The Pav Says...

The Pav says… 2006 is behind us so I thought it would be appropriate to give out MMAagents awards for accomplishments throughout the year. So without further ado and fanfare, here they are…

Ring Entrance of the Year

The line starts and ends with Mayhem Miller. His ring entrances are often better than the rest of the card. Who needs a warmup when you get a five-minute dance into the ring?

Honorable mention to Razor for always having a matching and organized corner; Steve Byrnes, because, after all, who can’t help but cheer for a Marine that comes out in fatigues and the American flag; and Matt Wiman, for the arrogance he brought into the ring against Spencer Fisher despite long odds.


TKO of the Year

This was a close call, but we have to give it to Wes Sims for his victory in October against Kimo in Hawaii’s X-1. After turning on the blood faucet just seconds into the contest with a right, it appeared the fight was over when the doctor was looking at Kimo in the corner. Wes actually took off his gloves only to realize the fight was still on. After getting taken down and in danger of letting the victory slip away, Wes hit Kimo again in the face, and this time the blood rush was too great and the fight was stopped.

Honorable mention to Razor Rob for opening up a game Ryan Healy, who stood and banged with McCullough to his credit; Ricco Rodriguez for avenging his loss to Ron Waterman and boxing H2O so many times in the face during round one that it was over on the stool; and Ivan Salaverry for his textbook performance and perfectly executed game plan against Art Santore.


Comeback of the Year

Three years is a considerable layoff, even if you are pro wrestling in Japan, working as a stuntman and being Tito Ortiz’s primary training partner. Once back in the ring, Justin McCully did not miss a beat. He disposed of Derek Thornton in a little over two minutes at X-1 and three weeks later beat down Warpath in a little over three minutes at Valor Fighting. Neither fight was ever in doubt. Look for more from the “Insane One” in 2007.

Honorable mention to Chris Lyte for making it to the TUF finals before getting robbed of a decision in “The Comeback” season finale; UFC vet Zack Light for coming back better than ever after a four-year layoff, with an improved physique and conditioning; and Justin Levens for fighting back from a string of tough losses to win two fights in convincing fashion.


Sub of the Year

Mike Pyle’s triangle submission of Shonie Carter for the WEC belt takes the prize. Carter has only been subbed four times in 57 fights and Pyle pulled it off in two minutes of the first round.

Honorable mention to Marin Kampmann’s weathering the storm against Crafton Wallace, beating him on his feet, then taking him down and ending it quickly; Pyle for his 17 second guillotine against John Cole, and Mayhem for a huge sub of Robbie Lawler.


KO of the Year

Quite simply, Razor’s knockout over Olaf Alfonso is one of the best KO’s in MMA history. Olaf is known to have a good chin, but the Razor combo that sent Alfonso’s mouthpiece into orbit and put him to sleep was a thing of beauty.

Honorable mention to undefeated heavyweight Jake O’Brien ending Jay White’s career with a short left hook for a 14-second knockout in the WEC; Niko Vitale for his soccer-kick KO of Tim Williams; and Justin Levens’ big knockout over Justin Hawes.


Prospect of the Year

Heck, he is on the north side of 30, but at 170 look for huge things from Mike Pyle on Showtime. Now that he is back to his natural weight, he will be unstoppable.

Honorable mention to Martin Kampmann, who showed unbelievable potential in 2006 with three big wins; Anthony Torres, who remained undefeated and won his UFC debut, and Steve Byrnes, who made his UFC debut in December.


Fight of the Year

The Karo Parisyan fight with Diego Sanchez was probably the UFC fight of the year and could have gone either way. Karo actually spit his tooth out in the first round, and flipped Diego feet over head a number of times. This was stuff that legends are made of.

Honorable mention to Hector Ramirez for his fight with James Irvin that won UFC fight of the night; Karo’s fight with Drew Fickett, which also won UFC fight of the night; and Martin Kampmann handing Thales Leites his first defeat in 10 fights despite being knocked down in the first round.

Warrior Spirit of the Year

The award goes to Vince Lucero for his willingness to fight any opponent on any notice for virtually any purse, just for the opportunity to compete. Despite being little more than a wrestling coach during a two-year retirement, he stood toe to toe and traded with Eric Pele for three rounds in his comeback fight. He thought it would make for a more entertaining fight. Oh yeah, he took the fight on two weeks notice.

Honorable mention to Alex Stiebling for always answering the call; Zack Light for never saying no to an opponent or weight class; and Ricco Rodriguez for losing 80lbs to get back into fighting shape.


Fighter of the Year

It is hard to pass on Jake O’Brien, who went 6-0 at heavyweight with five finishes, but Razor Rob edges him out with a 4-0 record and three knockouts. Those victories include McCullough avenging his only loss in his last 12 fights with a unanimous decision victory over Harris Sarmiento.

Honorable mention to Jake, who went 2-0 in the UFC during the year; Mayhem for his dominant performances in Hawaii and the WFA; Chris Lytle for making the TUF finals; and Karo Parisyan for an entertaining year, despite fighting injuries throughout.


Best of luck to the boys in 2007, here is hoping that it will be as equally memorable as 2006.