UFC's Chris Lytle undergoes successful knee surgery, expected to be out six months
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
With no surprises or complications, UFC welterweight Chris Lytle today underwent successful knee surgery.
Lytle, who injured his knee while preparing for a UFC Fight Night 19 bout with Carlos Condit, was scratched from the Sept. 16 card earlier this week, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported.
Lytle underwent surgery near his home in Indianapolis. Doctors replaced his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and repaired his medial meniscus, his agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, today confirmed via text message.
Veteran welterweight Dennis Hallman returning to UFC, signs four-fight deal
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Twelve-plus-year veteran Dennis Hallman (41-12-2 MMA, 1-3 UFC) will soon fight in the UFC for the first time in more than four years.
The 34-year-old submission ace, who debuted for the UFC in December 2000 at "UFC 29: Defense of the Belts," recently signed a new four-fight deal with the world's largest MMA promotion.
Hallman's agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, today informed MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the new deal.
Perhaps best known for his two submission wins over former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes – which came in a combined time of 37 seconds – Hallman's UFC 29 win was his only victory in the UFC. The Washington native dropped decisions to Jorge Rivera and Jens Pulver and suffered a TKO loss to Frank Trigg in his other three UFC appearances.
Brad Blackburn signs new four-fight UFC deal, sidelined till early 2010 after shoulder surgery
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
After a 3-0 start in the organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has secured welterweight Brad Blackburn's services by offering the fighter a new four-fight deal.
Blackburn (15-9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who had one fight remaining on his previous deal, inked the new contract on Tuesday, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed with his agent, Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com.
However, it's not all good news for Blackburn; recent shoulder surgery will keep the IFL veteran out of action until at least early 2010.
Blackburn recently underwent the knife for what was expected to be a minor surgery. However, his injury proved more severe than doctors first thought once surgeons began operating on the bothersome shoulder, and Blackburn will now be sidelined approximately six months while he heals.
MMAjunkie.com Radio will today be joined by MMAagents head Ken Pavia, as well as "The Sunday Junkie" winner, Bob Webb.
Pavia, whose management firm handles over 50 clients, will discuss a project close to his heart, the First Annual Ryan Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament, which takes place Aug. 11 at Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, Calif. Bob will also call in to discuss his opinion on why Fedor Emelianenko's recent signing with Strikeforce may have been a positive for the UFC.
Female mixed martial arts fighter, Erin Toughill, will have to wait a little longer to make her Strikeforce debut. Toughill was once slotted to compete on Strikeforce's August 15 card, but the organization's director of communications, Mike Afromowitz, confirmed with FanHouse on Thursday that she is only being reserved as an injury replacement in case Gina Carano or Cristiane Santos get injured prior to their 145-pound title bout scheduled for the same card.
Toughill (10-2-1) is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. According to her agent, Ken Pavia, she was offered a fight against Santos on Strikeforce's April 11 card, but wanted a little more time to train for it and had one fight left on her Palace Fighting Championship contract.
Toughill also has an 8-2-1 boxing career, although she hasn't boxed since 2006. Interestingly enough, she lost to Muhammad Ali's daughter, Laila Ali, in 2005 and fought Joe Frazier's daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, to a no contest in 2002. She also appeared on the second season of "American Gladiators" as "Steel."
Korean Media's Q&A with Super Agent Ken Pavia of MMAagents.com
1. please introduce yourself, and what you do. My name is Ken Pavia and I own www.MMAagents.com the preeminent Mixed Martial Arts Sports Agency. Our US staff including Attorney and Agent Nate Brodnax, Director of Fighter Endorsements Danny Lagafuaina, and Director of Fighter Compliance Julian Gregorio and our four interns represent 54 elite level MMA fighters. For a living we make dreams come true.
2.whats your relationship with john han and what are you & john planning to do? MMAagents has three international branches. Jon Han runs the Korean affiliate. We are very excited to have Jon and his brother as part of the team and are excited to be able to tap into the Korean MMA market. We look forward to working with Jon to bringing Korean fighters to the United States and to bring US televised fights into Korea.
3. how is it like to work as an mma agent worldwide? In 2008 our clients fought in 35 organizations in 8 countries. We have exceeded those numbers already this year. We are very excited to be a part of the international expansion of MMA and it is so rewarding to see fighter get to live their dreams and see other countries and cultures in the process. Despite living out of a suitcase, I really love what I do.
4.give me your best fight. favorite fighter and why. Asking me to choose a favorite fighter is like asking a father to choose a favorite son. But certain fights have given me very emotional responses. Justin McCullys victory over Antoni Hardonk moved me to tear because I had seen Just work as a training partner to Tito Ortiz and Ricco Rodriguez for years. That fight was his opportunity to shine. I also found myself in exuding emotion at fights which is out of character when Razor Rob fought Olaf Alfonso, Phil Baroni won with KOs in Pride, and most recently when Brett Rogers KOed The Pitbull.
5.are we going to see any korean fighter in the ufc or any other events near future? Well we already have Stun Gun, Dennis Kang, and Sexyama and that is a good start. They are representing their nation well. With their success I believe you will soon see Strikeforce and Bellator reaching into the Korean talent pool and the UFC will continue to scout there as well.
6. who do you have in your roster? (not everyone give us names everyone might know) Some of the bigger names as Martin Kampman, Chris Lytle, Anthony Johnson, Phil Baroni, Brett Rogers, Benji Radach, and James Thompson. Please visit out web site for the complete list.
7. heard you are very close to scott coker, ceo of strikeforce, and he is half korean. do you have any plan to have your korean fighter in that show? Scott is a very close friend. He would very much like to have Korean fighters on his show and has even talked about some day doing shows there. His mother is Korean and he was actually born there. He is very proud of his heritage.
8. i give you a word, express what you think of it in a word, or short sentence.
FEDOR- The greatest fighter who has ever lived, but he is ready to lose to a new star (hopefully Brett Rogers!)
DANA WHITE- Very confident and a pioneer of our sport.
TITO- The best at marketing an image that the US market has ever seen.
AKIYAMA(SEXYAMA)- Such a talented person. He will be very successful in the UFC.
UFC- The Gold Standard that all others strive to achieve.
KEN PAVIA- Dedicated to his clients and the sport. And he makes dreams come true… everyday.
9. any last words to korean mma fans? On behalf of MMAagents and in conjunction with Jon Han we are honored to help further the careers of Korean fighters. In the short time we have been involved with Korean MMA it has become evident that there is an enormous amount of talent and fan interest. It is our desire that our talents will be symbiotic and we will be able to bring value and entertainment to the Korean MMA community.
There was a proposed Pavia-Curty last year, but it was scrapped when the card was postponed. Will this fight ever happen? Here's an MMAHawaii.com Exclusive Interview w/Dirty Curty
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida slated for UFC 104 in Los Angeles
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
A bout between Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and fellow welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will take place in October at UFC 104.
A source close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.
UFC 104, which features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and airs on pay-per-view.
Johnson, who's posted back-to-back knockout victories over Luigi Fioravanti and Kevin Burns in his two most recent fights, had been slated to fight hard-hitting Matt Brown at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June. However, Johnson suffered a knee injury prior to the bout and was forced off the card.
Upon his return, the former JUCO national wrestling champion (Lassen Community College) will go for his fourth win in five fights and his fifth consecutive win via knockout.
SD- Erin, speak about your background in combat sports.
ET- I was an athlete my whole life. I started playing soccer at 4 years old then basketball, softball, all at very high levels throughout my adolescence. I started in BJJ with the Gi when I was about 18 or 19. I had been doing low level striking training before that. But I started getting VERY serious when I was about 21, and I had my first pro fight when I just turned 22, in 1999. So I found martial arts a little later in life, but I started fighting way before it was the "cool thing" to do...like it seems to be why people fight today.
SD- When did you start training for MMA specifically
ET- When I was 21. I never knew women did MMA. I was going to kickbox but overseas it was a big thing for women. So my career started there & I never looked back. SD- How has your family reacted to you being a fighter?
ET-My family always, always supported me. My Dad didn't like that his little girl was getting punched in the face lol but he knew I was a go-getter and if I was going to fight, it was so I could be the best. He knew my dedication and he respected that. My mom typically goes to all my fights. My sister and Dad were my biggest fans, and although they're not here physically anymore, their spirits are always with me, pushing me to be the best.
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SD- Thank you Erin. We will continue to monitor your career and look forward to the event on August 15th.
ET- I wanted to thank Neil Melanson and my sponsor, Cage Fighter. Of course MMA Agents and all the boys who work with Ken Pavia and Nate Brodnax. I am just trying to get the casual fan to know me, and I hope I can prove women can bring a great deal to this sport. Go to www.erintoughill.com and myspace.com/erintoughill for info on me.
Fighters Forever Banned From The UFC For Being In EA Sports MMA?
Originally posted on MMAconvert.com
I hate to post anything that originates on a message board, but apparently the source is legit and Ken Pavia confirmed it, so here it goes…
According to user Golden Boy on the UG, the UFC is threatening to forever ban any fighters who sign to be in EA Sports MMA.
I hear that all mma managers were informed that if any of their clients not currently under contract with the UFC….. sign to be a part of the EA game…….the will forever be banned for fighting in the UFC.
MMA agent Ken Pavia:
It’s true. And they told me want the word out.
At this point, this is just a rumor, but if Pavia’s right, it sounds like we’ll be hearing confirmation soon.
Chris Lytle's post-UFC career could include political run in Indiana
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Fulltime firefighter, professional boxer, star mixed-martial-arts fighter, devoted family man.
Could Renaissance Man and UFC welterweight Chris Lytle's list of job responsibilities soon include rookie politician?
On Monday's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), the longtime fighter mentioned interest in entering the political ring once his career in the cage runs its course.
"I've been talking to some people in my state about it, trying to use whatever popularity I have from my name to help me run for some sort of political office," Lytle said.
Lytle, a fan favorite who's stand-and-bang style and no-nonsense interviews have earned him a home in the UFC for nearly a decade, joked about another qualification.
"I can lie with the best of them, my friend," Lytle joked.
Lytle wouldn't be the first well-known MMA fighter to make a run at office. Late last year, former U.S. Olympic wrestler and veteran MMA fighter Matt Lindland won the Republic primary for the Oregon House of Representatives 52nd district by a solid 14 percentage points. However, he fell short to a Democratic candidate in the general election by 16 points.
One Lytle supporter is already making the pitch.
"He could launch his (political) career using the UFC name recognition and obviously using his talents to get him into the office," said Lytle's agent, Ken Pavia. "I think he'd be a great politician."
MMAjunkie.com Radio: TUF9 Finale's Chris Lytle and agent Ken Pavia (in studio), TSJ winner
Chris Lytle, who defeated Kevin Burns at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in a co-"Fight of the Night" bout, is an in-studio guest with his agent, Ken Pavia, on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.
Also slated as a guest is "GP," whose winning entry for The Sunday Junkie focused on "The Ultimate Fighter 9."
Lyle Beerbohm's called shot at Strikeforce just latest chapter in unusual story
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
With a nickname like "Fancy Pants," it's fairly easy to conclude that Lyle Beerbohm (10-0) is not your typical fighter.
At Friday night's "Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg," Beerbohm added another chapter to his quickly growing legend, borrowing a page from baseball history.
Reminiscent of Babe Ruth's pointing to centerfield, Beerbohm picked a finishing move before his preliminary card fight began, then went out and did it, choking out Duane Ludwig (18-9) with a schoolyard choke at 4:27 of the first-round.
The move was actually in answer to a challenge by Beerbohm's equally colorful manager, Ken Pavia, issued while the two talked backstage before the fights.
"I was acting cocky backstage, and I told [Pavia] to name the finishing move," Beerbohm told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) following the bout.
Pavia said he originally suggested a head kick, but then settled on the schoolyard choke after Beerbohm declared the original suggestion to vanilla.
"I picked that move because it was hard to pull off," Pavia said. "You never see that."
Unfortunately for Pavia, he happened to request his client's specialty in the gym – so much so that "Fancy Pants" himself calls it "The Beerbohm Choke."
"If Pavia would have said something else, I would have been in trouble," Beerbohm said. "But it was perfect for me."
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic’s sudden UFC return brought a hero’s welcome from hundreds of Croatian fans perched in Lanxess Arena. The UFC 99 bout’s ending and aftermath were a different story.
In real time, Cro Cop hurt opponent Mustapha Al-Turk with a punch and finished him off against the cage. But after referee Dan Mirgliotta waved the bout off, a replay revealed an inadvertent eye poke had taken Al-Turk out of the game.
Al-Turk’s manager, Ken Pavia, told Fighters Only he would contest the decision.
“We are going to appeal that. We don't think it's right that it should be a TKO,” said Pavia. “The referee should have got onto the eye poke. Look at Henderson vs. Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin. Franklin got a timeout when he got eye-poked.”
UFC drops middleweight Xavier "Professor X" Foupa-Pokam after back-to-back losses
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Xavier Foupa-Pokam, who signed with the UFC earlier this year and went 0-2 in a one-month span, has been released by the organization.
His agent, Ken Pavia, today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the fighter's release from the UFC's roster of middleweight fighters.
The French fighter, a kickboxer better known by his nickname of "Professor X," dropped to 20-11 with the two losses.
Foupa-Pokam first joined the UFC in January when he agreed to meet notable Denis Kang at UFC 97. Facing a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was a tough test for Foupa-Pokam, who is primarily a stand-up fighter. Foupa-Pokam ultimately suffered a unanimous decision loss, but it was only the fifth time in 32 professional victories that an opponent took Kang, a former Spirit MC champion and PRIDE veteran, to a decision.
Despite the three-round fight, Foupa-Pokam agreed to fight again for the UFC just five weeks later at UFC 98. On just three weeks' notice, he replaced an injured James Irvin and suffered a 37-second TKO loss to Drew McFedries. (Foupa-Pokam initially protested the stoppage despite the significant damage he incurred during the fight.)
Pavia said he was initially going to fight to keep Foupa-Pokam in the UFC, but after speaking with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, he realized the fighter's best option would probably be a clean break from the organization.
"I started to request to keep him under contract to the UFC and maybe take some fights outside the organization, but [Silva] reminded me that it's very restrictive with what they allow outside the UFC and that it's probably in a fighter's best interest to be released and to take fights with no restrictions," Pavia said. "The UFC is booking fights six months in advance, so he could have been on the sidelines for a long time. Additionally, even the worst fighter in the UFC is a great fighter, so he'd have a very tough fight when what he really needs is a chance to regain his confidence."
Martin Kampmann vs. TJ Grant In Works For TUF 9 Finale
Originally posted on MMAnews.com
Fresh off his UFC debut on April 18th in Montreal Canada with a win over Ryo Chonan, newcomer TJ Grant will return to action on June 20th at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV and his rumored opponent is Martin Kampmann.
Grant confirmed the bout via his facebook page earlier today while Kampmann's agent, Ken Pavia confirmed the bout was in the works with MMANews.com hours later.
Kampmann is coming off a win of his own, defeating Carlos Condit via a split decision in early April to spoil the WEC stand out's debut in the big show. Both fighters would take Fight of the Night honors that evening.
On April 18, 2009 an ominous Xavier Foupa-Pokam entered the UFC cage for the first time and battled veteran Denis Kang to a decision. On May 23 Xavier Foupa-Pokam, better known as “Professor X”, will make his second appearance inside the Octagon as he takes on Drew McFedries at UFC 98 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
26-year-old Snake Team member “Professor X” is an extremely athletic 6′1″ middleweight from France; a Cage Rage veteran and muay-thai specialist who is also dangerous on the ground. He carries a professional MMA record of 20-9 with 11 (T)KOs and 7 submissions. Rarely will you see a “Professor X” fight go to decision. In 2007 he appeared on the History Channel’s “The Human Weapon” as a Savate instructor.
PRO MMA (promma.info) recently had the opportunity to speak with the Professor about a number of topics including his opinion of his UFC debut performance, his upcoming fight at UFC 98, the Snake Team, MMA in France, the origin of his nickname, the UFC Middleweight Champ, his future, and more. PRO MMA (promma.info) proudly presents the mysterious “Professor X.”
PRO MMA: Xavier, thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at PRO MMA (promma.info). How are you doing and how are your preparations coming along for your upcoming fight at UFC 98 against Drew McFedries? XAVIER: I’m doing very good. I’m still very disappointed of my last fight, so I’m looking forward to this next one to do a better job.
PRO MMA: Have you seen many of Drew McFedries’ fights; what is your opinion of his skill and how do you see yourself matching up with him? XAVIER: I’ve watched some of his fights. He’s a tough guy with heavy hands. But my boxing is faster, more precise and less predictable than his. And if he tries and takes me down, I’ll submit him.
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RO MMA: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans and would you like to thank any sponsors? XAVIER: To my fans, I’d like to say that my last fight was an accident. Just wait and watch the next one. It’s just the beginning of a very long story… I want to thank my manager Ken Pavia and all his MMAagents team. They do a very good job for me. I also want to thank Cyrille Diabate, my trainer, for all he’s doing for me every day and all my guys from the Snake Team; especially Jimmy Riah and Olivier Ancely, our physical conditioners. I want to thank all the guys of the Sankuno; and specially David Pierre-Louis. I also want to thank all my guys from the Team Quest; Dan Henderson, Thierry Sokoudjou Reameau, Kristoph Sozinsky, Jason “Mahyem” Miller, Heith Sims, Lew Polly, Pantcho and all of you guys. Then, I also want to thank the Private Coach centers, Serious Pimp, Hayabusa and Karl Kany for supporting me.
- Heavyweight Brett Rogers is keeping himself ready for a potential fight on the upcoming June 6 Strikeforce event in St. Louis. As of Friday morning, Rogers' involvement on the card is not official, as Strikeforce is looking for a suitable opponent for him. The former EliteXC fighter was once rumored to be fighting current Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, but thus far, no deal has been reached. Right now, there is one slot to be filled on the Showtime portion of the card, as the Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Jared Hamman fight has been moved to the non-televised undercard.
- Former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough, pictured right, underwent a second surgery to repair his broken right hand on Thursday. McCullough injured the hand in his most recent victory against Marcus Hicks at WEC 39 in March. It appears as though he will now be out of action for the remainder of the calendar year.
- Female fighter Erin Toughill returns to action tonight at Palace Fighting Championship 13 in Lemoore, Calif., against Emily Thompson. According to Toughill's agent, Ken Pavia, she has an offer on the table to join Strikeforce's stable of female fighters. "While we're weighing all our options, Strikeforce is a very attractive one," Pavia told FanHouse. Toughill was originally offered to fight Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos on the April 11 Strikeforce card, but wanted a little more time to train for one of the best female fighters in the world.
- And finally, War Machine (born Jon Koppenhaver) is considering an offer from the War Gods promotion to compete on their upcoming June 20 card. The event takes place in San Diego, which is where War Machine currently lives and trains. Since his release from the UFC last spring, he has won his last three fights in a row. No potential opponent has been announced. War Machine fighting on a War Gods card seems like a pretty natural fit.
MMA Agents to hold charity golf tournament on Aug. 11 to benefit the Ryan Bennett Foundation
Originally posted on FiveOuncesofPain.com
MMA is a very political industry with its fair share of cliques. However, there is a cause that never fails to bring unity to the MMA community, and that is the memory of the late Ryan Bennett. Bennett died tragically in a car accident on May 31, 2006 at the age of 36, leaving wife Tonya and four children behind.
A professional sportscaster who worked for several local NBC affiliates and hosted talks shows on sports radio stations such as ESPN 1280 and Sports Radio 570, Bennett is most familiar to MMA fans as the co-founder of MMAWeekly.com and as a former UFC announcer.
On Aug. 11, Ken Pavia’s MMAagents fighter agency will hold its first-ever charity golf tournament at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana,Calif. And Pavia’s agency has chosen a worthy cause for its maiden voyage as proceeds will be donated the Ryan Bennett Foundation.
“Ken has always had tremendous admiration for Ryan Bennett,” said MMAagents Associate Jason House, who is helping organize the event. “They were good friend and Ryan had a tremendous impact on the industry… He was beloved by fighters, promoters, and the entire industry.”
Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions:
MMABay - Ok, so you were last in action in February, defeating Luigi Fiorivanti in the first round. Can you tell us how you felt the fight went for you that night?
Anthony - The fight was ok, it was pretty good, but he had a pretty good game plan, he stayed out of my reach pretty good and I really couldn’t hit him solid like I wanted to. But I still got the result I wanted but not the way I wanted it.
MMABay - Your striking has improved massively over the past year, do you put that down to training with the likes of Cung Le?
Anthony - Cung is helping me out a lot with my striking, my kicks. Overall the whole team and my coaching staff have helped me improve 100%. I still have a lot of improving to do but from the time I first got involved with mixed martial arts to now, improvement with my overall skills has come up tremendously.
MMABay - Many people won’t know this but you did try out for season six of the ultimate fighter, why were you not on the show?
Anthony - I think in my opinion it was just my size overall, they thought I couldn’t make the weight. They didn’t want to embarrass themselves, me and the sport with me not making weight for the show. I don’t think want another repeat of what Gabe Reudiger did and embarrass the show like that. I think they made a good decision.
MMABay - Your next fight is against Matt Brown in what could be one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Do you have a strategy to deal with the type of aggression?
Anthony - I just do my thing and I’m sure Matt is gonna do his thing. I mean my strategy is to just go in there and win and that’s what I plan on doing. I mean I’m me, I’m not really trying to change. I’m trying to improve but not really try to change my thing with my kicks and my striking and my wrestling, I’m not trying to change any of that but I’m just trying to get it better. I’m still gonna kick and punch and do my take downs whenever I want to.
MMABay - Were you impressed by his performance last time out against Pete Sell?
Anthony - Matt keeps improving. He’s one of the fighters I can say keeps improving every time he steps in the ring. His striking has got better his kicks have got better. Matt is tough so I take nothing away from the man I actually like him. He’s aggressive and he makes this sport look good and he shows what hard work and dedication can do for you. It makes you a better person; it makes you a better fighter.
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MMABay - Are there any sponsors you would like to mention before we wrap it up?
Anthony - Yeah, I'd like to thank Tapout, Knox, my agent Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, my team and Cung Le, Josh Thompson and my coach Arron Marravella and Triple X Racing Fuel and anyone whos just supported me and I'd ven like to thank you guys for hitting me up for this interview.
A charity golf tournament on Aug. 11, at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, Calif has been organized as a benefit for the Ryan Bennett Foundation. Ken Pavia’s MMA Agents agency are organizing the benefit and you can learn more about the event by visitng the website at http://mmaagents.com/golf.php
Bennett was known in the MMA world for being a co-founder of the MMA Weekly website as well as with his announcing duties with the UFC. Ryan Bennett died May 31, 2006, and left behind a wife and four children. The Ryan Bennett foundation was started to help support his children.
Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Pat Miletich, Mark Coleman, and Dan Henderson are among the multitude of names that have committed to the event. The wide range of people and personalities looking to contribute to the event are a testament to how highly Bennett was thought of in the MMA community. Bennett was a widely respected and much loved figure in the MMA community and the MMA world lost one if its best with his passing. Please help the cause if possible.
Wimsett: When/Why did you start MMA Agents? What were you doing before and what was it about the industry that appealed to you? Do you exclusively represent MMA fighters or do you have other sports clients?
Pavia: I purchased UFC 1 and became a fan. I was introduced to Ricco Rodriguez soon after he lost to Nog in Japan and he approached me for representation. I was a baseball and hockey agent for 12 years prior. I now only represent MMA fighters.
Wimsett: How many fighters do you represent? Who are your top guys? Do you represent women fighters?
Pavia: I represent 55 fighters. One female. Erin Toughill. They are all top guys…
Wimsett: Do you oversee/coordinate your fighters’ training schedules and programs?
Pavia: I leave the training to the professionals. I seek business opportunities for my clients. They choose which fights to take.
Wimsett: How many different promotions do you work with? Which one is the easiest to work with? What kind of services are you able to provide to a fighter under a UFC contract?
Pavia: In 2007 we sent fighters to 32 promotions in 8 countries. In 2008 we sent them to 35 promotions in 8 counties. We will blow those numbers away this year. We provide compliance support, media support, travel support, sponsorships, PR, legal, appearances and seminars, and fight procurement.
Erin Toughill Part II: ‘Be prepared to be hit, and hit hard’
Originally posted on fiveouncesofpain.com
Once widely respected as one of the best female mixed martial artists and professional boxers at the same time, Erin Toughill has recently rebounded from a two year retirement stint in MMA and expects to cause some serious shock waves in the not so distant future of Strikeforce’s female division.
Much like most of the other mixed martial arts fans that happened to follow the sport way back in 1999, Toughill had no clue that there were actually other females out there that were involved with this type of thing. A true pioneer of female mixed martial arts in very sense of the word, Toughill jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself.
“I actually was not aware women even did MMA,” revealed Toughill in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “I had been watching the UFC from its first show, and thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. I met my first Trainer, Sean McCully, through mutual friends. At eighteen, I had gotten into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but trained with Sean on and off for a while after. He saw something in me and asked if I wanted to fight. I figured I’d be doing KickBoxing, but he asked me to participate in an MMA fight in Aruba when I was barely twenty two. I said, “What the hell!” And it unrolled from there.”
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“I will be signing with Strikeforce this summer and we will see what unfolds. Whether it’s Gina, Cyborg or anyone else, I take no one lightly. When I first started, because of how I looked, people took me lightly. And then when I beat them, they probably thought different. You never know what a person will bring to the ring, but you need to be prepared no matter who it is.” “I would like to Thank Ken Pavia and the rest of the boys at MMAAgents.com. They have all really worked hard for me, and have been a great addition to my life and career. I would like to thank Warrior Wear and GreenMedica.com. I want to thank Brian Rauchback, Josiah & John Marsh, from Lotar, helping me and dedicating their time to me so I can be the best. I want to thank My Mom and friends who have been there for me. Last but not least, I want to thank Mo Lawal who has become a great friend and training partner for me. We’re probably two of the most opposite people [laughs], but we have a great friendship. Go to: www.erintoughill.com and www.myspace.com/erintoughill for pics, bio and info on my career!”
Erin Toughill Part I: “Be grateful, because things can change in a second”
Originally posted on fiveouncesofpain.com
If you aren’t already familiar with the name Erin Toughill you will become extremely familiar very soon. The former top ranked professional boxer recently returned to the cage after a two year retirement stint with a unanimous decision victory over a very tough Jan Finney in November of 2008.
Outside of a disqualification loss due to the illegal use of elbows in 2004, Toughill has not suffered a mixed martial arts loss since her third professional fight way back in 2000.
Toughill recently revealed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that she will be signing with Strikeforce very soon and expects a match -up with the fearsome Brazilian striker Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos sometime in 2009. They say that three’s company, well current female contenders for the Strikeforce championship Gina Carano and the previously mentioned Cyborg can expect company very soon.
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“I would like to thank Ken Pavia and the rest of the boys at MMAAgents.com. They have all really worked hard for me, and have been a great addition to my life and career. I would like to thank Warrior Wear and GreenMedica.com. I want to thank Brian Rauchback, Josiah & John Marsh, from Lotar, helping me and dedicating their time to me so I can be the best. I want to thank My Mom and friends who have been there for me. Last but not least, I want to thank Mo Lawal who has become a great friend and training partner for me. We’re probably two of the most opposite people [laughs], but we have a great friendship. Go to: www.erintoughill.com and www.myspace.com/erintoughill for pics, bio and info on my career!”
Benji Radach shatters right hand in Strikeforce loss to Scott Smith
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
SAN JOSE, Calif – "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz" main-card fighter Benji Radach shattered his right hand and was sent to the hospital following his Showtime-televised loss to Scott Smith on Saturday.
His agent, Ken Pavia, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) after the fight that Radach will likely undergo surgery overnight.
Smith, on the brink of defeat, rebounded and defeated Radach with a stunning third-round TKO in their middleweight match-up at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
"He shattered his hand in the first round," Pavia said. "He'll need surgery tonight."
If Zuffa won’t credential certain individuals backstage as managers, then why not just apply for a second’s license?
Agent Ken Pavia, who has 55 athletes on his roster, said a cornerman is a crucial role that most managers or agents leave up to the pros.
“With the multiplicity of disciplines the fighters must be schooled in, their striking coach, their ground coach are needed in the corner,” said Pavia, who was among those denied. “Their training partner is in the locker room with them, helping them warm up, to break a sweat, to grapple, to pummel, whatever. Often, a full-service fighter will have all three in his corner, which pushes the manager or agent out.”
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Almost all the reps that Sherdog.com spoke to said they’d be comfortable with three licensed cornermen and one managerial figure allowed backstage, which is the setup the UFC and WEC approved until recently. Pavia suggested that promotions institute criteria to ensure only professionals gain entry and don’t abuse the system.
Many reps fear that if they don’t speak up, other promotions will follow Zuffa’s precedent and that many of the smaller companies don’t have the manpower and organizational skills needed to prevent the added problems that will arise.
“There was an event where backstage was so disorganized that all the fighters, not just mine, were worried if this fight was even going to happen, if they were going to get paid,” Pavia said. “There was nobody backstage. There was no water. There were no inspectors in sight. My fighters wanted me there.”
Kizer and Lembo, whose respective commissions handle the bulk of the big-money boxing events in the U.S., said backstage entourages can get out of hand, but they’ve never heard of a boxing promoter denying a manager or an agent a backstage credential.
“One qualified businessperson, that has a relationship with the fighter, serves the purpose backstage,” said Pavia, who boarded a red-eye Monday night to meet his main event fighter, Martin Kampmann, in Nashville.
In Kampmann's corner, six-time UFC champion and mentor Randy Couture, striking coach Mark Beecher and training partner Jay Hieron will undoubtedly provide the Dane with worthy advice.
Meanwhile, Pavia will support his fighter from the audience, hoping his services are not needed backstage.
PRO MMA exclusive - UFC’s Jake O’Brien: Overcoming adversity and looking to be a force at 205
Originally posted on ProMMA.info
PRO MMA: We’ll be seeing you and Jon Jones go at it at UFC 100 in July. After seeing Jones’s victory over Bonnar, did you think it was a possibility that you might be facing him next? Jake O’Brien: After that fight I had a feeling they might put us together. We’re both young, I had a feeling that it would be a good chance it would be me and him, so I’ve actually been thinking about it and I’m pretty excited about it.
PRO MMA: How do you feel about all the hype surrounding Jon Jones following his dominating victory over Stephan Bonnar? He threw Bonnar all over the Octagon, and connected with a variety of strikes. How do you think you will match up against him? Jake O’Brien: Well he kind of just threw Bonnar around you know; there’s no way he’s going to do that to me, my wrestling is a lot better than Bonnar’s is. I think that’s whats going to give Jones trouble, is someone thats got a lot better wrestling.
PRO MMA: You dropped from HW to the 205 division and won your first fight at Light Heavyweight against Christian Wellisch. How hard is it to make that drop down to 205 for each fight? Jake O’Brien: Usually I’m walking around right around 230, low 230’s, so it’s pretty tough, but honestly after the first time, I’ve already done it once, and had no issues. Now I can pretty much eat whatever I want, then once I get a little closer and start dieting, actually here in a few weeks, it should be easier the second time around.
PRO MMA: Did your release from the UFC following the Arlovski loss result in you dropping to 205, or were the events unrelated? Jake O’Brien: No, actually they cut me after the Arlovski fight, but needed someone to fight Cain Velasquez so they re-signed me for that fight. After that fight I decided to cut to 205.
PRO MMA: How much pressure does that add to you as a fighter knowing that the UFC can cut you at just about any time. Jake O’Brien: Yeah, in the UFC you can get cut at anytime. The first time I got cut I had only lost once. [I lost] just once in the UFC after Arlovski and I got cut. You have to perform at your best at all times.
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PRO MMA: Are there any shout outs you’d like to give or any sponsors you’d like to thank? Jake O’Brien: I’d like to thank Ken Pavia and MMA Agents!
MMAagents Aligns with Cutting Edge Neuromuscular Dental Firm
Originally posted on MMA-zone.com
Joe Lear, consultant for Ken Pavia’s MMAagents.com announces the signing of an exclusive agreement with www.fightdental.com, led by two of the United States’ foremost neuromuscular dentists, Dr. Gary Lederman in New York and Dr. David May in Los Angeles. Both dentists are specialists in creating mouth guards that actually increase an athlete’s performance. Using their neuromuscular backgrounds and state of the art tracking devices, Dr. Lederman and Dr. May have increased the productivity of world-class fighters such as Boxing Champion Dmitry Salita and Paulie Malignaggi. Hollywood celebrities such as Mario Lopez have also worked with these dentists to optimize workouts both for strength and endurance. By starting www.fightdental.com both doctors can reach more fighters from coast-to-coast. Look for the www.fightdental.com logo on the shorts of upcoming fighters, as the doctors will begin to work as both technicians and sponsors in MMA.
“The future is now, and by contracting with Dr. Lederman and Dr. May, all of the fighters we work with will now have a huge technological advantage over the competition,” states Lear, when commenting on why a sports agency would sign dentists to their stable.
Dr. Gary Lederman explains one of the benefits of ideal jaw positioning with his neuromuscular bite: “Ideal jaw position is very important inside and outside the cage. It reduces the risk of injury and knockout, and by opening the airway in the throat, improves breathing and oxygen intake. The result: greater endurance, and dramatically more effective and efficient training. The goal is to be prepared to win before the fight begins.”
Dr. David May explains additional benefits of his neuromuscular mouth guard: “Once I capture the perfect bite the athlete will have a noticeable and measurable increase in balance, strength, and flexibility”
With proven results and 40 years of neuromuscular science behind their methods, Dr. Lederman and Dr. May look to change the fight game, one mouth at a time. For more information visit both Dr. Lederman, on the east coast, and on the west coast visit Dr. May at www.fightdental.com.
MMAagents is an industry leader in full service mixed martial arts representation servicing clients in the areas of contract negotiation, legal, sponsorships, media relations, compliance (commission, medical, and travel), and internet relations. With a staff of eight, led by agent Ken Pavia, MMAgents has a roster of over 50 elite level fighters. Visit www.MMAagents.com, and see a client roster, the blog with daily updates on clients, webstore, and more.
Benji Radach ready for April 11 Strikeforce debut - PRO MMA exclusive interview
Originally posted on ProMMA.info
Benji Radach is set to make his Strikeforce debut where he will do battle with Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith on April 11th. The middleweight bout will air live on Showtime as part of the Shamrock vs. Diaz undercard. Both Radach and Smith are known for putting it all on the line and producing exciting fights and this contest should be no different. Benji is riding high after a very impressive knockout victory in October over Chute Boxe star Murilo “Ninja” Rua.
PRO MMA (promma.info) recently had the chance to catch up with Benji and talk with him about many things including his big victory over “Ninja” Rua, his upcoming battle with Smith, his time in the IFL, his future in Strikeforce, and the possibility of a match up with middleweight champion Cung Le somewhere down the line. Check it out!
PRO MMA: Hey Benji, I want to thank you for taking the time to sit down with us. Benji: Sure.
PRO MMA: You really looked awesome last October in your fight against Murilo “Ninja” Rua. Your striking looked sharp and your submission defense looked great. Tell us about that fight. Benji: It was a good fight, it was really exciting. My goal in that fight was to keep him off balance. Those Chute Boxe guys if you let them start coming forward they’re going to do a lot of damage. My goal was to keep him on his heels and stay in his face the whole fight. It created a really exciting fight. His style is to come forward, throw hands and knees, and I knew if I took that away from him he would have trouble. That was my goal, so I did that in the first round. It took a lot of energy from me trying to push, push, and push the whole time. He’s a tough dude; he took a lot of shots and just kept coming and didn’t slow down much. In that second round I had to sit in the back seat a minute and get my breath back. I let him start dictating the pace. He started doing some damage coming forward like he does, so I just started counter punching for a while until I could catch him with something and then finally did.
PRO MMA: Well you looked fantastic. Were you able to come out of that fight good and healthy? Benji: Yes, I came out of that fight good and healthy. I took several months off to just recoup, I went up north and visited the family. Nnow I’ve had to get back to the training. I’m really getting to where I need to be right now. I’ve got another month left and I should be good and strong and fired up by the time the fight starts.
PRO MMA: How’s your training camp going leading up to this fight with Scott Smith? Benji: It’s going pretty good. You know I don’t really have a camp, so I’m kind of like an underdog in a lot of ways. I’m expected to lose a lot of these fights just because of my training. It’s not the best right now because I don’t have a camp but, I am winning and beating these guys. I train in the mornings here at work and then at night I travel around and find the best guys in the area to train with.
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PRO MMA: If you would like to give a shout out to anyone go ahead. Benji: I really want to thank TAPOUT. They’ve really been helping me out the past few fights and in between there too. I want to thank my managers, MMAagents.com and Ken Pavia have been a big help finding me these fights and doing there best to get me sponsorships.
A PreView of Things to Come Installment #1: Sponsorships
Originally posted on FightTicker.com
Here's another article that mentions Ken Pavia of MMAagents.com:
"But my speculation goes beyond the obvious. The UFC will continue to work towards 360 deals, but not many of them will come to fruition (if any) because such deals are bad for the sport and would ultimately lessen the credibility of the UFC. MMA Agents like Ken Pavia would likely not encourage their fighters to sign such deals because of the control the agents and fighters would lose. The UFC would then have to find agents that would let their fighters sign such deals and then, given the UFC's history in other business matters, they would try to block out everyone who would not sign these deals. That would leave the UFC pulling fighters from only a few camps and the level of competition in the UFC would decrease."
With Strikeforce an example, regional promoters walk a fine line
Originally posted on SportIllustrated.CNN.com
Josh Gross mentioned MMAagents in his latest article...
"For promoters, there's no such thing as a shortage of fighters. Ken Pavia, whose MMA Agents group manages an ever-expanding client roster, placed fighters in 35 different organizations in eight countries last year, many of them in a designated "regional" -- or feeder, upstart, even minor league -- role. Fighters can survive financially on this level, Pavia said, but generally only if they possess a "major circuit pedigree." "
UFC Vet Brandon Lee Hinkle Set for Main Event at 4 Bears Casino
Posted by Sean Frank
On March 21st, Brandon Lee Hinkle returns to action in an SNMMA Title Fight against 15-1 Chris Tuchscherer. Hinkle, a UFC veteran, trains out of Hammerhouse and has recently signed with super-agent Ken Pavia of MMAagents.com. For more information check www.4bearsfightclub.com
Jeff Sherwood: Who is, say, the latest fighter you've picked up that you're most excited about? [pause] Ken Pavia: War Machine. [pause] JS: War Machine. KP: I'm excited because I think he's a project. I think he's a genuine, wear-it-on-your-sleeve guy who sometimes needs a little bit of a filter. But I like the kid. I think he's a good kid, he's misunderstood. And I like projects. And War Machine's behind the eight ball right now and we can change that. You know, we're gonna get him some good PR, we're coaching him through some interviews, um... we're telling him not to change, be himself, be War Machine, just don't start too many brawls in gay clubs and you'll be okay.
I swore a personal moratorium on posting anything War Machine, but it's a slow news day. Best of luck, Ken.
Following Strike Box debacle, James Thompson returns at March's Sengoku
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
resh off a disastrous Strike Box fight with Steve Bosse that nearly caused an arena-wide riot earlier this month, PRIDE and EliteXC veteran James Thompson (14-9) will return to action next month at World Victory Road's Sengoku Seventh Battle.
A source close to the fighter told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that WVR officials are close to finalizing an opponent for Thompson. However, Thompson's agent, Ken Pavia from MMAAgents.com, declined to comment.
Tune in to the Sherdog Radio Network at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST to hear MMA agent Ken Pavia respond to comments made by Stephane Patry on last week’s Beatdown program.
Canadian based XMMA has suffered a few high-profile casualties for its Feb. 27 event, "Inferno," but the organization has responded quickly by adding another much-discussed athlete to the card.
Phil Baroni (13-10) and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (6-1) have been scratched from the "XMMA 7: Inferno" in Montreal, while controversial welterweight War Machine (6-2) has stepped in on two weeks' notice.
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Baroni's contract was also recently acquired by Strikeforce, and the "New York Bad Ass" announced on the Underground, a popular mixed martial arts message board, that he would be fighting for the organization in an as-yet-unannounced May event in Seattle.
Stepping in for Baroni on short notice for the bout with undefeated Guillaume de Lorenzi (5-0) is the always-entertaining War Machine.
The oft-discussed War Machine, recently known as much for his ranting MySpace postings, controversial opinions and outside of the cage activities, will look to build on a November 2008 knockout win over David Anderson.
War Machine was recently cut from the soon-to-debut Bellator Fighting Championships, reportedly for his controversial statements regarding President Barack Obama. The 27-year-old has since apologized for the remarks and has now signed with Ken Pavia and MMAagents.com as he looks to rebuild a once-promising career.
"Whoever They Bring to the Table, I Will Be Ready For"
Originally posted on Fighthype.com
"Whoever I have to go against, I'm not thinking about them. They have to worry about me because I'm just trying to do my thing. I have to make sure I become more well-rounded. That way, whoever they bring to the table, I will be ready for whatever they try to do to me. There is nobody specific that I want to fight right now. It used to be Matt Hughes, but after this weekend, I met him, because he was there with his 155-pounder Matt Veach, and he was pretty cool. My little grudge against him is kind of gone; I ain't tripping off of that no more," stated UFC welterweight contender Anthony Johnson as he talked about his future plans after his impressive win over Luigi Fioravanti at UFC Fight Night 17. Check out what else he had to say as he talks more about his win, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn and much more.
PC: Congratulations on the big win my man.
AJ: I appreciate that man.
PC: You were pretty hard on your performance during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Have you had a chance to go back and watch it again?
AJ: Yeah, I watched it. I still think my performance could have been better. I should have been landing more, but you train to fight not to chase people around and make them fight. But that was probably his gameplan, to make me chase him so he could capitalize on whatever mistake I made, so no hard feelings towards him. That's what his camp trained him to do to fight against me; more power to him.
PC: With your striking ability, you're a very hard puncher and your kicks are coming around. Do you think that'll be the norm for you, to chase guys around with fewer guys being willing to bang with you?
AJ: Nah! If I was in his camp…he had a good gameplan. He tried to keep his distance and come in whenever he could. He tried to play the counter game with me and I'm a counter fighter anyway. He tried to dip and dive to get me to react so he could come with his overhand right or whatever. He almost caught me with it a couple of times. Thank God for my height and my reach. He never hit me in my face one time during the whole fight. The only time he hit me was in my chest and in my shoulders.
PC: And in the nuts.
AJ: Yeah! He caught me pretty good in my babies, but they still kicking (laughing).
PC: Was there anything about him that surprised you? I was a little shocked he didn't stand his ground more.
AJ: I'm never really surprised by anybody's gameplan because of my style of fighting. My style of fighting is hard to figure out. I don't think anybody else in my weight class fights like me. Nothing really surprised me with Luigi. I know if he would have had the opportunity to knock me out, he would have. He's a hard puncher and after the fight, my shoulders were hurting. He was constantly hitting my shoulders so every time he swung at me, it was a strike to kill. He had some power behind his punches. That's why I was telling everybody he was tough as nails. I never looked past Luigi at all because I knew he could knock your block off quick.
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PC: Congrats again on the win. As always, thanks for your time my man. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
AJ: I would like to thank all of my sponsors and I have to thank you man for hitting me up and taking the time to holla at me. My sponsors are TapouT, Knoxx and my agents at MMA Agents, Ken Pavia and my team, my coaches, my family and my fans. Without all of those people I just named, I wouldn't be who I am right now.
UFC 94 "Fight of the Night" winner Clay Guida, top welterweight contender Thiago Alves and MMA agent Ken Pavia are all booked for today's TAGG Radio.
Guida will talk about his win over Nate Diaz, Alves will discuss his upcoming title fight with Georges St. Pierre, and Pavia, who will be in studio, will break down client Jake O'Brien's successful light-heavyweight debut at UFC 94, among other topics.
MMAagents Forms Strategic Alliance with Joe Lear, President of Big Boxing, Inc!
PRESS RELEASE
Huntington Beach, CA - Ken Pavia, president of MMAagents, announced today a strategic alliance with Joe Lear, president of Big Boxing, Inc. In 2001, Lear became internationally known for creating and innovating Back Tattoo Advertising in the sport of boxing. Lear’s tattoos grew medium-sized companies, like GoldenPalace.com, into mega industry leaders, while at the same time, injecting millions of dollars of revenue into the sport of boxing. In later years, with the help of Pavia, Lear integrated his advertising tattoos into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts resulting in the same phenomenal results. Now the strategic alliance of MMAagents and Lear plan to introduce several new, recession friendly, marketing and advertising plans to bring new companies and revenue streams into Mixed Martial Arts.
"There is a recession going on and everyone is feeling the squeeze. In response to the current conditions, MMAagents and I have joined forces to create low cost marketing campaigns with extremely high returns. The new, innovative programs include teams of at least 10 fighters, representing a single brand: in the media, in the gym where they train, in their online communities and at special events, for periods of three months or more. This team approach has been done in the past, but never encompassing so many aspects of the MMA lifestyle, with prices starting at a welcoming $5,000 a month."
"Its important for the sport in general, to offer these types of marketing plans. Our innovative plans could be compared to a government stimulus package, bringing new businesses and revenue into the sport," says Pavia. "In times of a recession, it is common practice for companies to cut back their advertising budgets in order to remain in the black. With prices this low and programs spanning several months, and not just event by event, it could be said these are recession-proof plans." Pavia concludes "In the end, everyone wins: new companies can invest with ease, the fighters get great exposure and the sport continues to grow, even in this economy."
For more information: Contact Joe Lear at bigboxing@MMAagents.com or at 310-936-2524
If you are uninterested in receiving additional press releases, kindly respond indicating the same.
Fight Path: How MMA saved the troubled soul of Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Lyle Beerbohm had been in the back of his parents' car for 150 miles when the trio entered Spokane, Wash., in February 2007.
They had come from Walla Walla, Wash., where the elder Beerbohms collected their son from the Washington State Penitentiary, the 540-acre complex that had been Beerbohm's home for a year. It was a derailed path to drugs and other crimes that led the former high school wrestling star to the one-year stay, but a new path was about to begin.
The car turned onto Francis Avenue. Beerbohm looked out the window and spotted a sign for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Spokane, and he quickly asked his father to detour into the parking lot.
The stop began a two-year journey that has made Beerbohm one of the main up-and-coming lightweights in all of MMA. At 9-0 as a professional and 21-0 since his first amateur fight just a week after leaving prison, Beerbohm has proven to be a very quick learner, a tough man to keep down and one of the more passionate competitors onlookers can remember.
"In 23 months, you can't accomplish what I've done," Beerbohm said.
His success is even more impressive when studied through the lens of his past, which is littered with drug use and eight appearances in the Spokane County Superior Court records system.
Now the 29-year-old Spokane resident, nicknamed "Fancy Pants" for his unusual fighting shorts manufactured by his mother, is hoping to make the next step, to continue showing critics and unconvinced observers that his success isn't based on weak opponents or luck. It's based, he says, on talent, an unrelenting spirit and the ability to absorb punishment.
"I have more heart, I have a great chin, and I learn quick," Beerbohm said. "A fight is a fight, and I can win a fight. I've had plenty of them."
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Beerbohm has even considered going after a clothing line as a sponsor to make him a new pair of fancy pants with the sponsor's logo, because, as manager Ken Pavia says, Beerbohm is losing sponsorship opportunities by sticking with the homemade trunks.
Justin McCully vs. Neil Grove Confirmed for UFC 95
Originally posted on MMAweekly.com
A heavyweight bout for UFC 95 in London has been confirmed as Justin McCully will make his return to the Octagon to face British fighter, and UFC newcomer, Neil Grove, on the undercard of the show.
The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly Radio by McCully's agent, Ken Pavia, on Thursday night.
Currently sporting a 2-1 record in the UFC, McCully looks to keep the momentum from his last fight, a win over Eddie Sanchez, going and he has a tough test ahead with his opponent slated for the England show.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was from the event's preliminary card. Veteran Martin Kampmann, who was making his first cut from middleweight to welterweight, had no problems with the drop and actually weighed three pounds under the 171-pound limit. Although he was noticeably slimmer, fans have no reason to worry.
"He got here and started the cut at 173 pounds and just went a little deeper than he needed," his agent, Ken Pavia, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) after the weigh in. "The cut was easy, and he's doing really well. No problems at all."
...At the moment though, it's also under question as to whether or not the new version of EliteXC will still have any fighters to represent it. A group of fighter managers, including Ken Pavia, Ed Soares, and Monte Cox, have banded together as the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association. The MMAFA has written a letter seeking acknowledgment from EliteXC that its promotional agreements have been terminated. The group is hoping to avoid litigation, but they have prepared a draft of complaint and forwarded that along as well. According to the letter, EliteXC has a limited time to voluntarily release all of their fighters, and should they refuse, MMAFA will file a formal complaint.
MMAagents' Help in the Fight to have Elite XC Contracts Terminated
The Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association (“MMAFA”), on behalf of its members, forwarded a demand letter today to EliteXC Live, a California corporation (“EliteXC”). MMAFA seeks an acknowledgment from EliteXC that its promotional agreements have been terminated. While hopeful that litigation will be unnecessary, a draft of complaint has been prepared and forwarded to EliteXC officials. According to the letter, EliteXC has a limited time in order to voluntarily provide the release to all of the fighters, and if EliteXC refuses, MMAFA will file a complaint.
On November 10, 2008, in an action initially spearheaded by agent Ken Pavia, a group of agents, including Ed Soares and Monte Cox, collaborated to “pool resources” to fight the proposed auction of and transferability of EliteXC’s promotional agreements. “The unity of this effort is unprecedented and the message that is being sent is clear,” declared the agents. Recognizing the success of their prior action, a number of agents sought collective action again in resolving contractual issues with EliteXC.
“This situation has gone on entirely too long,” stated agent Ed Soares. “I can’t have my fighters left in the dark and unable to sign with any promotion they choose.”
Nathan Brodnax, Esq., counsel at MMAagents, echoed Soares comments. “We have made every effort to solve this problem outside the courts and have only turned to legal action as a last resort. Unfortunately, such steps have become necessary to protect the interests of our clients and to ensure their continued ability to make a living. We are confident that the courts will uphold our legal claims and request for relief.”
“Unfortunately, individual litigation is cost prohibitive for our members. While it is our intention to reduce any unneeded expense,” stated Rob Maysey, “MMAFA has reached out to and contacted top litigation counsel and is prepared to litigate this matter to a conclusion. Fighters and their families have been put in an unfortunate position and are unfairly bearing the burden of EliteXC’s situation.”
Maysey continued, “MMAFA acts only upon the instruction of our fighter members and their representatives. MMAFA has actively solicited input from agents and their respective legal teams. This initiative is truly collaborative and support has been widespread. At this time, our focus is solely on resolving the EliteXC contractual issue for our members.”
Unlike Cox and Bergmeier, Clark and Stansell always put their fighters under written contracts. So does relative MMA newcomer Ken Pavia, who owns MMA Agents in Huntington Beach, Calif., which represents about 50 fighters, including Phil Baroni, Chris Lytle, Jay Hieron and Joe Riggs.
“I would never do anything on a handshake,” said Pavia, who has verbally sparred with rival Cox on MMA sites. “I’m a law school graduate and I know that you violate a number of provisions by not having it in writing. But second of all, all relationships start good. It’s when the relationship starts to sour that you need a defining document.”
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Pavia, who makes no pretense that he is a manager, said his job as an agent is to “find opportunities and present them and then the fighters make the ultimate determination. I don’t manage them day to day or prepare them for their fights.”
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Pavia, meanwhile, never lacking in self-confidence, has ruffled some of the old guard’s feathers with statements such as, “I’m the best agent. And I’m actually the second best also. Everybody else competes for third.” Brashness aside, Pavia said he does not engage in poaching.
“For the record, I never poached a client from anybody,” said Pavia. “Now, do they come to me? Yeah, they do. I have at least one or two former Monte clients” including Hieron, “and he has some of my former clients. So, you know, it happens. Welcome to the representation business.”
FightNews.com's Interview with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson
Originally posted on FightNews.com
What have you been up to? I’ve been chilling. I went home to Georgia to see my family. Now I’m back training for my fight with Luigi in February.
Are you a Georgia Bulldogs fan?
I like them when they have a good team. I’m one of those guys that if you’re not winning I’m not going to pay attention to you.
What are your thoughts on Luigi Fiorivanti?
He’s tough man. I saw on the forums where people think I’m going to knock him out but Luigi is tough. You saw what he did to Diego, he went toe to toe with him. I think it’ll be a very good fight. He’s going to come in and try to do his thing and I’m going to come in there and do my thing. I don’t take any fight lightly.
How good did it feel to get the KO victory over Kevin Burns?
It felt great. I’m glad I ended it that way. I didn’t want to leave it in the judges hands. I wanted to beat him up and then knock him out. I got my wish for Christmas. I was determined not lose. I knew he couldn’t beat me. I wasn’t dominating him but I beating him better than the first time we fought.
You tried unsuccessfully to get that first fight overturned. Did you ever talk to Dana about it?
No, I didn’t. I said forget it. It is what it is. If that was what the commision wanted then I can’t change their minds. They made their decision and I have that loss on my record. But I should have had my head cleared and knocked Kevin out the first time. I shouldn’t have played around. Kevin did his job he fought me. I held back. I’ll never do that again.
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Anything else you want to say to the fans?
Thank everybody for the support I got from the knockout of Kevin Burns. Without the fans and family I wouldn’t have been able to get back out and train like I was supposed to. My eye has healed up great. I want to thank Ken Pavia and the guys at MMA Agents. Tapout, my coach Cung Lee and Team Bush. Royal Blood Lines Generations, that’s the bloodlines of our pitbulls. A friend of mine actually started the bloodline. Thanks to everybody.
Bloodyknux.com: 1 on 1 with "The Crow" David Loiseau
Originally posted on BloodyKnux.com
[BloodyKnux] Thanks for taking the time to talk to us David. Obviously, you’re excited to be back in the UFC. How does it feel? Did you always know you’d climb back on to the top eventually?
[David Loiseau] Feels great my friend. It feels like Ive left home for a while and now I'm coming back!
[BloodyKnux] Can you tell us what brought you back to the UFC?
[David Loiseau] Hard work from myself and the help of my whole team and manager Ken Pavia.
[BloodyKnux]Are you excited about fighting on the big stage of the UFC in your home town of Montreal?
[David Loiseau] Very. It's very motivating.
[BloodyKnux] The Montreal crowds are pretty crazy, so is there a risk of getting Over-excited?
[David Loiseau] Nah... I'm a professional. This is my job you know!
[BloodyKnux] You sound very focused! We're glad to have you back David. Since the last UFC in Montreal, the local organization – TKO – seems to have died off. What do you think that means for MMA in Quebec?
[David Loiseau] XMMA will take over and will do just fine. A great group of guys running that show. check them out at www.xmma.tv.
[BloodyKnux] So you’re next fight is against Ed Herman, a solid fighter out of Team Quest. This seems like a great match up for you in front of your hometown fans. How do you feel about Herman?
[David Loiseau] He's a very good opponent. He will come ready and so will I. It will be a great fight.
................
[BloodyKnux] Do you have any sponsors or teammates to thank?
[David Loiseau] Everybody at Zahabi MMA, everyone at Team Jackson's, my conditioning coach and very close friend Jonathan Chaimberg, Montreal's wrestling club, WWW.MMAFIGHTSHOP.CA,TAPOUT, MMAAGENTS.com, nakedeye mag, and STAREDOWN fightwear.
Jonathan Goulet’s guide on how to make a grudge match
Originally posted on ProMMA.info
People can say whatever they want about the next big promotion that is going to take down or at least compete with the UFC.
Until recently there was a worthy alphabet soup of contenders that included the IFL, the WFA, and Elite XC, but now there is nothing left but Affliction.
The T-shirt company turned MMA promotion made headlines with its inflated pay scale for the first card, but on today’s MMA scene no promotion provides consistent fight opportunities like the UFC.
An up and down career in the UFC does not guarantee fights in the octagon these days.
Jonathan Goulet felt himself slipping out of favor with the promotion despite putting on multiple entertaining performances in the cage. Instead of sitting back and waiting to for his fate, Jonathan Goulet took action.
Mike Swick was originally scheduled to fight Chris Leben in a rematch of his first career loss. According to Swick, papers were sent to Leben so he could decide at what weight the fight was going to take place. Eventually Leben decided against taking the fight at all, and Swick was left without an opponent.
Around this time, Goulet’s new manager, Ken Pavia, informed his French-Canadian client that the fight was now available. Goulet was immediately interested.
According to Goulet, Swick’s camp informed his management that they were not going to take the fight. He was not willing to take no for an answer.
Ready for War: Jonathan Goulet UFC Fight Night 16 interview exclusive with MMAmania.com
Originally posted on MMAmania.com
In a career that spans over 30 fights, Jonathan Goulet has seen it all. He’s faced some of the best of the welterweight division including Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett and holds wins over UFC veterans like John Alessio, Shonie Carter, Tony Fryklund, Jay Hieron and Luke Cummo.
Most recently, “The Road Warrior” (22-9) added one more feat to his resume: Earning “Fight of the Night” honors (and the whopping $75K that went along with it) for his fantastic performance against Kuniyoshi Hironaka at UFC 83: “Serra vs. St. Pierre II.”
Goulet now hopes to end the 2008 fight year by checking off one more goal on his list: Beating a top contender in the UFC’s stacked welterweight division. He’ll have his chance when he faces Mike “Quick” Swick (12-2) this Wednesday night, December 10, at UFC Fight Night 16: “Fight for the Troops.”
The event takes place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC and airs free on Spike TV starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. It features the main event welterweight fight between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida as well as an exciting lightweight bout between Matt Wiman and Jim Miller.
Goulet and Swick were originally slated to face off at Fight Night 11 back in September 2007 after Goulet had goaded Swick into taking the fight by calling him out on online message board. Swick however had to pull out of the fight due to a rib injury and was replaced by Dustin Hazelett.
We recently caught up with Goulet to ask him about those online taunts, the bad blood (if any) between the two fighters and to find out what he has in store for his fans heading into 2009.
Let’s do this thing.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your UFC 83 fight with Kuniyoshi Hironaka earned “Fight of the Night” honors and $75,000 bonus money. How did it feel to earn the extra scratch, while also getting the nod from the UFC that they liked your fight?
Jonathan Goulet: That was really good. It was good timing because I needed the money, so that was fun for me. And for being honored by the UFC with the “Fight of the Night” is always good. With this, I know that I can keep my job.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You had to pull out of your UFC 85 fight against Paul Kelly. I’ve read that it was due to “undisclosed health concerns,” but I’ve also read that there was not enough time for you to prepare for the fight. What exactly happened there?
Jonathan Goulet: I got injured. I got injured, and because of that, I was unable to prepare myself (in time) for the fight.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Okay, so it was due to injury?
Jonathan Goulet: Yes.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): But you’re healed up now?
Jonathan Goulet: Yes, 100%.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Good. For your next fight, have you been training at Tristar Gym in Montreal?
Jonathan Goulet: Yeah sure. I’m training down there full time. I’m doing Muay Thai, MMA and wrestling.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you brought in any new coaches or training partners to help you prepare for this fight?
Jonathan Goulet: Sure, I had private coaches for Muay Thai, wrestling and MMA. But I also train with my teammates, GSP, David Loiseau, Nordine Taleb and Denis Kang.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you train with Patrick Cote as well?
Jonathan Goulet: Yes, but last time he re-injured himself, so I haven’t been able to train with him for this fight.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What’s it like to train with GSP, Loiseau and those other guys?
Jonathan Goulet: It’s good because they always kick my ass and get me ready in training. Those guys are always helpful. They are strong, fast and have a lot of tools. And I am able to apply some technique on them. I’m very happy. It made my week (training with them).
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You were supposed to fight Mike Swick back at Fight Night 11 in September 2007, however Swick had to pull out due to a rib injury. When you called out Swick on the message boards to get that fight, it was largely seen as you goading him into a fight. Is that the case, or are there any hard feelings between the two of you?
Jonathan Goulet: No, there are no hard feelings. You know, I went on the Web because … you know, when I received a call from my manager, Ken Pavia, he asked me if I wanted to fight Mike Swick. So I said, “Yes.” Then we received a call from his manager, and they did not accept the fight. So my manager called me back, and he told me that (Swick) didn’t accept the fight because I wasn’t as good as they wanted. So between those calls, I talked to David Loiseau and told him that I was going to fight (Swick). So when I received the call from my manager and said that I wasn’t going to fight him, Loiseau told me to write this on the Web … to write things on the Web. So I think one or two hours later, I got the call, because at that time (Swick) was mad at me. He was pissed off and wanted to fight me.
The future of ProElite should be decided by the end of December.
While the struggling promotion has not commented publicly beyond its government filings since shuttering fight operations at the end of October, recent industry speculation suggests that ProElite's assets could be purchased within the next few weeks.
During a recent appearance on TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), agent Ken Pavia said he's learned that there are "three legitimate bids for ProElite," and that the next iteration of the promotion would begin staging fights in the first quarter of 2009. Those bouts would be made with many of the 80 fighters still under ProElite contracts.
King of the Cage founder Terry Trebilcock is one of the names that has surfaced as a potential buyer, with backing from venture capitalists. Trebilcock has the business pedigree from his success with KOTC to convince VCs with deep pockets that a repackaged ProElite would work.
Regardless of what transpires with ProElite, MMA is still very much in the programming plans of both ProElite television partners, CBS and Showtime.
"Showtime and CBS have grandiose visions of what's going to happen in '09 in terms of the number of fights, number of events, and they've been looking for an established organization," said Pavia.
