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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article on MMAjunkie.com

MMAjunkie.com Radio: MMAagents head Ken Pavia

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.

Catch MMAjunkie.com Radio Monday-Friday at 12:05 p.m. EST (9:05 a.m. PST) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino's Race & Sports Book. Listen to and watch the show at www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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.

Your chance to do live radio with the stars of the UFC

Courtesy of Steve Cofield
One of the real class guys in the fight media, Al Bernstein (pictured with 2008 host Floyd Mayweather Jr.) is rolling out his 24-hour talk show to benefit The Caring Place of Nevada. The "longest radio show ever" takes place on July 24th and 25th and honors Nevada's Sportsman of the Year. For 2009, it's UFC president Dana White.

Whether you live in Las Vegas or can be in Sin City that weekend, it's your chance to bid on a hour of radio with the stars of the UFC and the Las Vegas media. The donation is tax deductable and 100-percent of the proceeds go The Caring Place, which is a cancer assistance charity:

To support, educate and empower individuals, children and families on their journey with cancer, in order to enhance their quality of life. The Caring Place provides FREE programs and services designed to complement conventional cancer treatments.
The 24-hours of radio will be broadcasted on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas. Bidding can be done at ESPN1100.com through this Friday July 17th.

Here is the schedule:
10 a.m. - Al Bernstein - Showtime Boxing
11 a.m. - Forrest Griffin - UFC
Noon - UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger and former coach Charlie Spoonhour
1 p.m. - Stephan Bonnar - UFC
2 p.m. - Amir Sadollah - UFC
3 p.m. - Brandon Vera - UFC
4 p.m. - Randy Couture - UFC
5 p.m. - Chuck Liddell - UFC
6 p.m. - Dana White and Kevin Iole Yahoo! Sports - UFC
7 p.m. - Rashad Evans - UFC
8 p.m. - Matt Serra - UFC
9 p.m. - Arianny Celeste - UFC Octagon Girl
10 p.m. - Carlota (KOMP 92.3) and Steph (97.1 The Point)
11 p.m. - Brian Blessing FoxSportsRadio 920
Midnight - Jason Feinberg and Lorraine Blanco FOX 5 Las Vegas
1 a.m. - Las Vegas TV sports anchors
2 a.m. - Fantasy Girls Luxor
3 a.m. - Ball Park Frank FoxSportsRadio 920
4 a.m. - Mitch Moss ESPNRadio1100
5 a.m. - Mitch Moss and Johnny Salami (KOMP 92.3)
6 a.m. - TBA
7 a.m. - Mike Hamrick, UNLV AD and football p-by-p voice Dave McCann
8 a.m. - Mike Swick
9 a.m. - Al Bernstein

The Triangle Choke: Erin Toughill Interview

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.

********

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.

Click here to read the entire article

Exclusive Interview With Dennis Hallman

Originally posted on MMArising.com

In an exclusive interview with MMARising.com, two-time Matt Hughes conqueror Dennis "Superman" Hallman discusses his fights with Hughes, his UFC title bout, which fighters he would most like to face and why he'd like to return to the UFC.

A head trainer at the respected Victory Athletics camp in Washington, Hallman works with many of the sport's future stars and guides them with his 12 years of experience in MMA. He has competed against many of the biggest names in the sport during his storied career, including a pair of quick and dominant victories over long-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. Now refocused and hungry to compete for another major title, Hallman discusses his plans as he looks ahead.


MMARising.com: Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Dennis. To begin, can you provide a bit of background information on yourself and when you first took an interest in competing in mixed martial arts?

Dennis Hallman: I have wrestled since I was 8 years old. I wrestled through high school and won the Washington State 135-pound title in my Senior year. I decided to wrestle at a local community college, but during the preseason training, I broke my leg. The injury sidelined me for the season. December (1995) came and I was healing up from the injury. A guy that attended my high school was sending tapes to Battlecade to get on their show. Being that I was a well-known wrestler in my small city, the guy called and asked if I would fight him.

I was confused, but after a little explaining, I agreed to fight the guy. I won our match by guillotine in 30 seconds. The guy was frustrated with the loss but convinced me that, if I trained a little, I would be good. Three weeks later, I competed in my first exhibition match. I had my first sanctioned "Pankration" match on May 18th, 1996 at a Matt Hume show in Kirkland. I defeated a Japanese guy that was training with Hume at the time.



MMARising.com: Newer fans to MMA may not be familiar with your career, but your 41-12-2, 1 NC record includes fights with many of the sport's top fighters. Still just 33 years old, do you feel that you can make a run at another major title in the future?

Dennis: I have been fighting for a long time and have a lot of experience. I think that, with the right fights, I can re-establish myself as a top contender and maybe get a shot at a title.



MMARising.com: Your nickname, "Superman," has been with you for most of your career. When did people first start calling you that and what initially sparked the name?

Dennis: When I was an amateur, I used to have a lucky sweater that I wore before each fight. A local promoter by the name of Aric Wiseman was promoting an amateur event and put my photo on his event poster with my name simply written as "Superman." I have carried the name ever since.



MMARising.com: While you have battled many of the best, you are still most famous for scoring two victories over long-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes, in a combined total of just 37 seconds. Hypothetically, if you were to face Hughes again, now almost ten years later, would you expect a similar outcome?

Dennis: I will beat Hughes every time we fight. He can never beat me.



MMARising.com: Was there ever any animosity between Hughes and yourself, or was it simply a matter of proving that you were the better fighter?

Dennis: I had no problem with Hughes until he wrote snide comments about me in his book. I mean, what a whiner. He should just accept that he had his ass handed to him and move on.

*********

MMARising.com: Do you have any final comments or shout-outs to sponsors or fans?

Dennis: Thanks to Vicious Fight Gear, MMA Agents, Suplay.com, kirkwhitewrestling.com, Eric Herrholz and Fight.tv. May God Bless everyone.

Click here to read the entire article on MMArising.com

PRO MMA exclusive interview with King of the Cage heavyweight Liron Wilson

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

PRO MMA: How long have you been with MMA Agents and have you noticed a difference since being with them?
LIRON: Just a couple of months now. Yeah, stuff just keeps popping up. The TUF tryouts popped up, this fight popped up, another fight might pop up in a couple of weeks. I mean stuff just starts coming in more and more, faster. So a big thanks to those guys.

PRO MMA: How important is it for a professional fighter to have a manager?
LIRON: If you have the right manager, it’s a great opportunity. If he has the same goals you have, it’s great. If he has other goals than you, there might be problems. I’ve seen it happen in the gym a lot. You have to sit down and talk and make sure you are on the same page when you pick a manager or agent and everything should be great, cause you’ve gotta have the same goals and set the same standards and that’s what you both want. But when you both have different ways of thinking about things, there will be problems between you and the manager.

PRO MMA: I wish you the best of luck in your fight Saturday night. Do you have any final words you want to share or do you want to thank anyone?
LIRON: Yeah, I would like to thank Phil from Cold Forged for sponsoring me, also Mike from Booyaa for getting me this fight and for sponsoring me. I’d like to think Jason, Nate, and all the guys at MMA Agents, all the guys at Millennia MMA who help me train, Matt Durant at the University of La Verne who is my strength and conditioning coach, and anybody else who has helped me out over the years…Logan, everybody.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info.

Aaron Tru with Ken Pavia: Female MMA Tate, Toughill

UFC 98 Spotlight: Xavier Foupa-Pokam “Professor X” - PRO MMA exclusive interview

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

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.

*********

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.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

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.”

Click here to read the entire article at FiveOuncesofPain.com

Anthony Johnson Interview

Originally posted on MMAbay.co.uk

Hi Anthony,

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.

**********

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.

MMABay - Thanks again Anthony

Click here to read the entire interview at MMAbay.com

Ryan Bennett Golf Benefit Being Held

Originally posted on MMApayout.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article at MMApayout.com

Brett Rogers Interview: On Overeem, Werdum, more

Originally posted on MMAfighting.com

"I'm definitely first and foremost trying to hurt you."- Brett Rogers

Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers is one big man. Along with this, he's had to cut weight to get to the heavyweight maximum before every one of his nine victories (all of which came by way of stoppage). In the end, if this undefeated fighter were just big, fighting him wouldn't be so bad. Unfortunately for would-be opponents, Rogers is also a very heavy hitter that showed some takedown defense capabilities in his last fight.

Bad news for all those guys hoping to defeat him with jiu jitsu.

So coming off of his ninth consecutive professional MMA victory, MMAFighting.com's Robert Rousseau got the chance to ask Rogers about his recent battle with Abongo Humphrey, the possibility of fighting Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum, and more. And you won't want to miss his responses.

MMAFighting.com: How are you feeling since the Humphrey fight?

Brett Rogers: You know what, I'm feeling good. No injuries or anything like that. I'm moving on for the next one.

MMAFighting.com: Did that fight go down how you thought it might?

Brett Rogers: Yeah, actually it did. I knew Abongo wasn't going to be somebody just to walk in punch one time and fall down. I definitely respected him as a fighter, you know. As far as everything else goes, the outcome was as expected. I just wasn't expecting it to go into the second round.

MMAFighting.com: You lost a point for hair pulling somewhere in there. What went down to cause that? Was it just that his hair was so long?

Brett Rogers: His hair was long and thick. I have some big fingers, and it's just like a comb, you know? You start using the comb, you're going to pull the hair a little bit, right? It was a bad situation. . .

It's just kind of motivated me even more to knock him out. . .Plenty of situations where a guy in a fight loses a point and it costs him at the end. So I wasn't trying to have that happen.

**********

MMAFighting.com: Anything else you'd like to say to fans? Anything else coming up for you?

Brett Rogers: Put it to you like this, anybody that's out there listening that's gonna try to tangle with me, please believe I'm coming to grab you. I'm not in the game to be around, hang with celebrities and all that there. I'm coming out there to put on a show. I'm definitely first and foremost trying to hurt you. If you don't come in there with your A-game on, might as well sit down, lay down, pretend that you're dead, one of the two. Also, I'm gonna thank Mike Reilly, MMA Agents, Tapout, they've definitely been helping me out. VAS, MRO, thank you much.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAfighting.com

Never has beauty been so dangerous - PRO MMA exclusive with Erin Toughill

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

ina Carano may have been dubbed “the face of women’s MMA” and she gets a lot of attention because of her talent and let’s face it, her looks. Props to her for taking advantage of the opportunities set before her and achieving all she has. However, there are other female MMA fighters who have more experience than Gina, are easily just as pretty, but have not yet garnered the same amount of publicity.

MMA is still young, and as the sport progresses, more of these women who have paved the way and paid their dues will also start to get more recognition. One such lady is Erin Toughill. She is a fighter, MMA trainer, artist, fitness model, and works with charities.

Erin’s first professional fight on record was a Vale Tudo match in Aruba in 1999. Her record now stands at 9-2-1 and she has fought all over the world. She is currently on a three fight win streak and is coming off a first round knockout of Karen Williams at Palace Fighting Championship in February.

Erin is deep in training for her upcoming fight, but thankfully took a few minutes to speak with us at PRO MMA (promma.info) about a number of topics including how she matches up with her undefeated opponent, the current state of women’s MMA, her opinion on Gina and Cyborg, Cyborg’s female problems, and more.

Never has beauty been so dangerous, we give to you Ms. Erin Toughill…

PRO MMA: Hello Erin, thank you for taking the time to speak with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). How are things with you?
ERIN: Really well. I am just focusing on my May 8th fight for the PFC (Palace Fighting Championship).

PRO MMA: I know you have been involved with MMA and combat sports for a long time now. You are a real veteran of the sport and yet you are only 31-years-old, is that correct?
ERIN: Lol, Yes. I had my first pro fight when I just turned 22, in Sept 1999.. As of Sept 2009, I will have been pro for ten years. In June, I turn 32. I would not change it for the world. And the Erin now would beat the crap out of the Erin back then lol.

************

PRO MMA: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). Is there anything we left out you would like to discuss? Any final thoughts? Words of wisdom? - Would you like to thank any sponsors or send a shout out to anyone?
ERIN: There are two motto’s I will always stand by: “Hard Work Pays Off” and “Excellence is Always Rewarded”. I have worked really hard to get where I am, and each year I try to better myself as a person and as a fighter. I believe in giving people the best you have to offer, and the best rewards will come back ten fold. The same goes with the opposite. I fully believe in karma. Thank you so much and please stop by www.erintoughill.com to see what’s new with me. Id like to thank MMA Agents and Palace Fighting Championship for believing in me. Thank you to fans and friends and the people I train with.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

PRO MMA rising star: Kyle Dietz

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

Kyle Dietz is a 22-year-old young man who grew up in Iowa and is living his dream. No, he did not win as a contestant on American Idol and he is not a well-known actor reaping the benefits of fame and fortune.

Kyle Dietz is an undefeated professional mixed martial arts fighter who has finished his last four opponents in the first round with a combined total time of under six minutes. He has fought in the “Extreme Challenge” and “Courage Fighting Championshps” organizations and is currently teaching out of Spencer Fisher’s new Evolution Gym in Moline, Illinois.

He is living the dream of making a living as a professional athlete. Sure, he has not received a multi-million dollar Gatorade endorsement or fought for a UFC Title…yet. But there are whispers a WEC contract could be in his near future and he is definitely in the right camp and has the right people behind him to make things happen. It is for all these reasons Kyle Dietz was our pick for the “PRO MMA (promma.info) Rising Star of the Month.”

PRO MMA: You train out of Spencer Fisher’s camp is that right?
KYLE: Yeah, I used to be at Miletich Fighting Systems but Spencer Fisher just opened his own gym so I’m teaching and training there now.

PRO MMA: What is the name of Spencer’s new gym and where is it located?
KYLE: Evolution MMA in Moline, Illionois.

PRO MMA: Where are you from Kyle?
KYLE: I’m from Davenport, Iowa.

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PRO MMA: How do you think you match up with Miguel Torres?
KYLE: I think stand up wise it will be great, it’ll be a great fight. On the ground he’s a black belt, he’s been on the ground a lot longer than I have. That’s probably where I need the most work. If it was standing up, I think it would be great, it would be a great muay thai match, stand up kickboxing, boxing, I think that would be a great match. We’re both aggressive. We both like to mix it up I would say. Training with Spencer, he teaches a lot of combos normally you wouldn’t see. So I think it would be a great match up.

PRO MMA: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us at PRO MMA (promma.info). Do you have any sponsors you would like to thank?
KYLE: I want to thank Hitman Fight Gear, Bodybag MMA, Iceman RX, Cageside MMA, and MMA Agents.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

Martin Kampmann: Fight Hype Interview

Originally posted on FightHype.com

"I'm glad I won, but I feel like there are a lot of things I could have done a lot better, but I wanted a more exciting fight. I'm happy the victory went my way, but there's a lot more I could have done. It just gives me more stuff to go back to the gym to work on," stated UFC welterweight Martin Kampmann as he talked about his win over Carlos Condit, his future plans and much more. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on the win over Carlos Condit.

MK: Thanks!

PC: How do you feel about your performance my man?

MK: I'm glad I won, but I feel like there are a lot of things I could have done a lot better, but I wanted a more exciting fight. I'm happy the victory went my way, but there's a lot more I could have done. It just gives me more stuff to go back to the gym to work on.

PC: How is the weight cut to 170? You looked very comfortable at that weight.

MK: The weight cut is very easy. I'm still coming in kind of light for 70, so I'm working on putting more muscle on and getting used to fighting heavy. I'm not used to cutting weight. I'm still kind of new to it, so I'm learning all of the proper ways to do it still and I should have it down to a science this year.

PC: Condit was a top 10 welterweight, but we hadn't seen him in the UFC before your fight with him. Were you surprised at how tough he was?

MK: I knew he was tough. I was expecting a war. Like I said though man, it was a lot of stuff that I wanted to do differently. I didn't think my standup was all that well in that fight. I had been working on my wrestling a lot too and that worked well for me, so I was happy about that. I wanted to finish the fight and win decisively. I didn't want to win a split decision, even though that's a way to win and I'm happy it went my way. If we were to fight again, there is a lot of stuff that I would correct. We learn from our mistakes right?

*********

PC: Great fight. I thought you did what you had to do to pull it off in the 3rd. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

MK: I want to thank all of the fans for supporting me. I want to thank Hitman Fight Gear, MMA Agents and Xtreme Couture, and you for taking the time to speak with me.

Click here to read the entire article at FightHype.com

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.”

********

“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!”

Click here to read the entire article at fiveouncesofpain.com

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.

*********

“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!”

Click here to read the entire article at fiveouncesofpain.com

PRO MMA exclusive interview: Zak Cummings, TUF 10 tryouts and beyond

Originally posted on ProMMA.info

Zak Cummings trains out of Springfield Fight Club in Springfield Missouri, and is 9-0 as a professional mixed martial artist. Coming off a big win over UFC veteran Terry Martin this February at XCF: Rumble in Racetown I, fighting eight times in one year, juggling fighting, school, and two jobs, the young fighter is looking to continue to build on his momentum in the fight game.

The undefeated 24 year old fighter is at this time en route to Seattle, Washington to try out for The Ultimate Fighter season 10. He has his mind set on making the house, excelling on the show, and taking his career to the next level as a fighter in the UFC.

Regardless of what happens with The Ultimate Fighter, expect to see Zak Cummings in a major organization in the near future. With a strong wrestling background and an ever expanding well rounded game, Zak has won six of his nine fights by either KO or submission. Zak took some time out of his insanely busy schedule to talk with PRO MMA (promma.info) about The Ultimate Fighter, his career, and his camp:

PRO MMA: Zak, So I understand that you will be flying out soon for a shot at The Ultimate Fighter Season 10…
Zak Cummings: Yeah I’m getting ready to fly out of here Sunday, to see if I can’t get on the show and get a little more exposure out there.

PRO MMA: We’ve all seen multiple seasons of the show by now, and hear from former cast members how difficult and crazy it can be living in that house. How do you think being in the house would be with all those crazy guys?
Zak Cummings: I think it would be fun. I’m one of those that like to have a good time. You’re going to have the characters on there, and I’d probably just sit back and laugh at them, and feed off of them. I don’t really let too much stuff get to me, so you can kind of make fun of me or do what you want, and I’d just give it right back. I don’t really get upset about anything, I think it would be fun actually. I’m sure it could get pretty stressful, away from the outside world for so long, and be in a house with a bunch of testosterone and fighters… I don’t know, I think it would be alright, I’d make the best of it.

PRO MMA: In addition to fighting, you also go to school full time. Tell us a little bit about that.
Zak Cummings: I’m a senior at Missouri State University, majoring in exercise and movement science.

***********

PRO MMA: Zak, thanks a lot for spending so much time with us here at PRO MMA (promma.info). Are there any sponsors you would like to thank, or any shout outs you want to send out?
Zak Cummings: I really want to thank my family for standing behind me and supporting me a whole lot. All my team mates, Springfield fight club, my coaches, we just push each other and feed off each other. I have the most exposure at the gym, but I have a lot of great guys there and they’re all just so tough. I want to thank Joe with Nakato’s Steakhouse and Ken from Boyers Tel-com, they’ve really kind of stepped up and helped me, especially helping me get out to Seattle and they’ve been very supportive of my career so far. Sofa Superstore also helps me out with supplements too. MMA Agents, Nathan Brodnax, I have to thank them for getting me all the exposure. I started with those guys right after the Terry Martin fight, and I feel very confident and feel like good things are going to happen for my career.

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

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.

**********

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!

Click here to read the entire article at ProMMA.info

Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann Exclusive Interview

Originally posted on the theMMAfiend.com

Martin Kampmann (14-2, 5-1 UFC) burst onto the UFC scene back in 2006 as a late replacement against Crafton Wallace at UFC Fight Night 6. Though he took the fight on short notice, the former Cage Warriors Middleweight champion (2005), FB-Submission Wrestling Tournament Champ +77 kg class (2004), Battle of the Vikings Thai Boxing Superfight Champ (2004), and Danish Thai Boxing Champion(2001) finished the fight within the first round by submission.

Following his successful debut Martin put the UFC Middleweight division on notice, defeating current challenger to the belt Thales Leites by unanimous decision at The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale, and submitting heavy-handed Drew McFedries via arm triangle in the first round after a back and forth battle at UFC 68. Martin’s career hit a speed bump, however, when he was forced to pull out of a scheduled headlining fight against former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin at UFC 72. Following a rehabilitation period that had him sitting on the sidelines for over a year, Martin returned at UFC 85, submitting veteran Jorge Rivera by guillotine choke - another submission win in the first round.

But after tough set back to Nate Marquardt at UFC 88, Kampmann decided to drop from the Middleweight division to fight as a Welterweight. No longer would he be one of the smaller guys in the division; at 170, he is huge. He successfully made his Welterweight debut with a dominant TKO victory over Alexandre Barros at UFC 95, and now that he has found his home in the stacked division, he is ready to make a statement.

Martin will have his chance at the upcoming Ultimate Fight Night 18 on April 1st as he welcomes Carlos Condit, who was the WEC WW champ before the organization folded the division into the UFC a few months ago.

We recently caught up with Martin and talked with him about his upcoming fight with Condit as well as how he deals with pressure, what he does for fun when he’s not training like a madman at Xtreme Couture, his opinion on the upcoming super fight between Champion Georges St-Pierre and Thiago Alves, and much more.

The MMA Fiend: Alright, I’ll just get right into it. You mentioned that -

Martin Kampmann: It’s not radio, right?

No, it’s not radio.

Cuz I’m almost done with my burrito here, so I hope you don’t mind if I’m finishing it up.

No, man, go ahead, enjoy. How is your training going for your upcoming fight?

Good, man. I went sparring today, and it’s going down really good.

Without giving away your gameplan, how are you approaching this fight with Condit?

I’m just looking at what he’s good at. He’s got dangerous submissions from the ground, and he’s got dangerous knees in the clinch. And he’s got long, lanky arms and dangerous stand-up. He’s got a long reach. So that’s pretty much what I am trying to work on, you know, to come up with a plan to put him away.


This is your second fight at 170, are you comfortable making the weight now? Is it pretty easy for you?

Yeah, no problem at all, it’s very easy.

************

(laughs) Awesome. Before we go, do you have any sponsors you’d like to thank?

Thanks to Hitman Fight Gear, they give me some cool stuff to wear. Thanks to Xtreme Couture for giving me a cool place to train, and thanks to MMA Agents (mmaagents.com).

Alright, Martin, I appreciate the interview.

Thanks for having me.

Click here to read the entire article at theMMAfiend.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article at MMA-zone.com

In Memory of Charles "Mask" Lewis

We at MMAagents lost a teammate and a friend yesterday in the tragic accident that took the life of Tapout co-founder Charles “Mask” Lewis.

In the tradition of all professional sports, our athletes will place the name “Mask” on their fight attire in remembrance of this true pioneer of our sport.

Charles was an inspiration to anyone that had ambition, focus, and an undeterred hunger for success. With heavy hearts, we mourn his passing.

“Life is full of influences; it’s your application that sets you apart” – Charles “MASK” Lewis

Our Thoughts and Prayers are with Tapout and Everyone Affected by the Tragic Passing of MMA Icon Charles "Mask" Lewis

Tapout.com
Press Release

DEAREST FRIENDS AND FAMILY
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we must regretfully confirm the passing of our beloved friend, brother and co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis following a car accident that occurred last night. We are currently in the process of setting up a memorial service in his honor and will release more details as they become available.

Many thanks to all for the outpouring of blessings and well-wishes during this incredibly difficult time.

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.

Click here to read the entire article at PROmma.info

From the X Games to MMA X-Factor: A 411 MMA Exclusive Conversation with Mike Budnik

Originally posted on 411mania.com

On Sunday night March 1st, Mike Budnik will make his third fighting appearance under the WEC banner. Mike recently took time out of his busy training schedule to sit down with 411 Mania’s Todd Bergman to discuss his X-Games career, being a scratch-level golfer, his obsession with Jiu-Jitsu, his previous fights and his upcoming fight at WEC 39, plus much more.

Todd Bergman: So before talking about your current career in MMA, let's go back to your previous career. You're an X-Games veteran along with being an X-Games medalist. What made you jump from the X-Games to MMA?

Mike Budnik: It wasn't something that I did consciously, like man MMA is cool, let me go do that. I actually jumped from the X-Games type stuff and me and my wife settled down and had kids. I've been in the gym business for awhile and I've ran a lot of gyms all over the country. One of my assistant managers was taking Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and I wrestled back in High School and I was like man that looks like fun let me give that a try. I had the itch to do something and I was getting kind of fat and just wanted to do something so I rolled with him one day and he was a skinny little 135lbs guy and I thought that I was just going to be able to throw him around and beat him up, but he just tooled me for about three hours and I was instantly hooked. I did Jiu-Jitsu for about two years before I took any fights or anything like that. I just kind of started there.

TB: Was learning Jiu-Jitsu something that came easily to you or was it a skill that you really acquired over time?

MB: I wouldn't say that it was easy because there's always that learning curve. I took to it pretty quickly. I had a wrestling background so I was comfortable grappling and I was far enough removed from wrestling that I really didn't have any bad habits like most of the guys who are wrestling currently who go straight into Jiu-Jitsu [and] make a lot of the same mistakes. I hadn't wrestled in fifteen years so it wasn't like I was wrestling everyday. And the next day, I tried Jiu-Jitsu. I had a great instructor who was a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and I learned from day one. Once I got hooked on it, I was gung ho about it. I was going to class something like nine times a week. I was going during lunch breaks, I was going after work, plus I was taking like three private lessons a week. So I dove into the deep end right off the bat.

TB:Now while you were competing in the X-Games and rollerblading, did you ever watch MMA?

MB: Oh yeah. I graduated high school ages ago, back in 1992, which was right about when the original one started with Royce Gracie. Being a littler guy back in high school, I wrestled at 119lbs. I'm sitting there watching the show and there's this guy on TV who weights 160 something pounds fighting a guy that weights 260lbs. and it looks like he's in trouble. I didn't really understand what was going on and out of no where he freaking ends up choking the heavier guy out or breaking his arm or something crazy like that. I've be been a huge fan but there was little time in between the first couple of events to where things started gaining a little bit more popularity that I didn't really follow it, but I was a huge Royce Gracie fan back in the day.

..........

TB: What's your ideal finish for your upcoming fight?

MB: My ideal finish would be a quick KO, but I'm pretty sure that he isn't going to want to stand with me. He's another Division 1 wrestler, so he's probably going to take me down. And since I slipped on my armbar in my last fight, I would love more than anything to redeem myself and possibly snap his arm in half.

TB: Anyone that would like to thank?

MB: My Jiu-Jitsu coaches, Piet Wilhelm from Triton MMA and Mickey Swafford from Chattanooga Jiu-Jitsu, along with MMA Agents for all their support.

Click here to read the entire article at 411mania.com

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."

Click here to read the entire article at FightTicker.com

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." "

Click here to read the entire article at sportsillustrated.cnn.com

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

411 MMA Interview: Into The Crow's Nest - An Exclusive Conversation With David Loiseau

Originally posted on 411mania.com

It's been three long years since "The Crow" David Loiseau was fighting inside the UFC's Octagon. Eye-catching finishes over Gideon Ray, Charles McCarthy, and the late Evan Tanner propelled the French-Canadian fighter to a UFC Middleweight Title shot against UFC poster-boy Rich Franklin. A grueling five-round slugfest against Franklin ended Loiseau's winning streak and, for what some believe, his confidence as a fighter. Two more consecutive loses to Mike Swick and Joey Villasenor added to those beliefs. While most thought that the end of the road had been reached by David, an Art of War show in May of 2005 showed the reemergence of "The Crow."

.......

Todd Bergman: How's your training going leading up to UFC 97?

David Loiseau:Training is going well my friend, I can't complain. Everything is going A-1, can't complain.

Bergman:What are your thoughts on fighting back into the UFC after being gone for a little while?

Loiseau: It's a tough sport man, so it's always tough because the fights are always tough. I'm enjoying it though, you know. I love the sport and I'm enjoying the journey.

Bergman: What are your thoughts on your upcoming fight at UFC 97 in Montreal, Canada? Are you excited to be fighting in Canada again?

Loiseau: Yeah, it's where I'm from, so it's great.

Bergman: This is going to be your second run in the UFC. In what ways have you matured as a fighter since your initial run with the company?

Loiseau: You know, I just matured as a fighter overall. I've grown a lot as a person as well. I understand the game a lot more than I did before. I just really matured as a fighter and an individual both.

.........

Bergman: Anyone that you want to thank?

Loiseau: I would like to thank my sponsors, I have many of them. TapOut, Naked Eye Magainze, Cintron Energy Drink, MMA Fight Shop.ca, Silverstar, MMAAgents.com.

Click here to read the entire article at 411mania.com

"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.

........

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.

Click here to read the entire article at FightHype.com

Strikeforce's Scott Coker on Brett Rogers, Kimbo, Tito, Fedor, Ken Shamrock and Dana White

Originally posted on MMA.fanhouse.com

When will we see Brett Rogers fight for Strikeforce?
We're going to put him to work right away. I talked to his management and we're talking about a couple of events in May. ... We'll do a big fight in May and we'll also do a ShoXC card in May, and we're going to put him to work right away.

Click here to read the entire article at MMA.fanhouse.com

Congrats to Nathan Brodnax

Everyone here at MMAagents would like to congratulate one of our own, Nathan Brodnax, for the birth of his first child this week!

Erin Toughill is Back on Track for PFC

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

After a two-year rollercoaster of a ride both personally and professionally, women’s MMA star Erin Toughill is finally seeing things go her way.

Returning to the sport she helped pioneer for the first time since 2006, Toughill fought to a decision victory over veteran fighter Jan Finney at last November’s Palace Fighting Championship, signaling the return of better times.

“Of course it was super exciting,” she said of her MMA return. “When I was off in 2007 it really wasn’t my choice. It was difficult for me to find opponents. In 2008 I was doing ‘American Gladiators,’ so I kind of took a little time off to do that.

“When I got the opportunity with PFC I was really ecstatic. I had never signed a contract before, and it was great to be back. I wasn’t happy about my performance per say, but I was happy I got the ring rust out and now I’m back – that’s what’s important.”

While some fighters might not relish the grinding process preparing for a fight, Toughill sees getting ready for her PFC return this Friday against Karen Williams a different way.

“It’s great, because it gives me a goal,” she stated. “It gives me something to focus on and spend my time productively and positively on.

“I try to live a healthy life now, as opposed to when I was fighting 10 years ago. I love the two-a-days and sometimes three-a-days. At 32 I’m in the best shape of my life and I love it.”

......

“I want to thank MMAAgents and Warrior Wear,” she closed out. “Take a look at my website, ErinToughill.com, and check out all the pictures, bio and updates.

“Please come to the PFC, this one is going to be a great fight. Whether it goes to the ground or stays standing up, I’m very comfortable. I’ve submitted people and knocked people out, so whichever is fine with me.”

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

Ken Pavia on Today's Tagg Radio

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.

Click here to listen to the entire show at taggradio.com

Reminder: Untelevised Jay Hieron Affliction fight to Air on Inside MMA Tonight at 6 PM Pacific (9 PM Eastern)

Press Release

MMAagents.com is proud to announce that Jay Hieron will be in studio with Tank Abbott and Steve Cantwell for the lastest taping of Inside MMA. Jay will help recap Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" card, including his untelevised highlight reel knockout win over Jason High in its entirety.

Tune in to HDnet and log onto www.MMAagents.com news section for entry in a Jay Hieron trivia contest. The first six contestants to e-mail the correct answers to info@MMAagents.com will receive a prize package, including products from Bulletproof Athletics (www.bulletproofathletics.com), Hoodlum Fight Gear (www.hoodlumfightgear.com), Evo Energy Drink (www.drinkevo.com) as well as Gammo-O (www.gammao.com)

All participants must provide a valid mailing address. Please stay tuned to the News section at www.MMAagents.com for a chance to win and be sure to watch Inside MMA.

About MMAagents: Established in 2005 by long time baseball and hockey agent Ken Pavia, MMAagents is an industry leader in mixed martial arts sports management. MMAagents is a full service sports management agency, providing its clients with fighting opportunities, sponsorships, appearances, legal assistance, commission compliance, media relations, fighter branding, career guidance, and much more. MMAagents philosophy is that fighters should worry about training and fighting while their agent handles everything else. MMAagents boasts a roster of over fifty world class mixed martial arts fighters, forty of which are current or former Zuffa fighters. Each client has fought in an elite organization such as the UFC, WEC, Pride, Strikeforce, Pro Elite, Affliction, or the PFC. In 2008 MMAagents clients competed in thirty five different promotional organizations in eight different countries. MMAagents has a staff of nine including a licensed attorney. The MMAagents team works hard twenty five hours a day, eight days a week, to make dreams come true.

For More Information Contact Joe@MMAagents.com

Untelevised Jay Hieron Affliction fight to Air on Inside MMA

Press Release

MMAagents.com is proud to announce that Jay Hieron will be in studio with Tank Abbott and Steve Cantwell for the lastest taping of Inside MMA. Jay will help recap Affliction: "Day of Reckoning" card, including his untelevised highlight reel knockout win over Jason High in its entirety.

Tune in to HDnet and log onto www.MMAagents.com news section for entry in a Jay Hieron trivia contest. The first six contestants to e-mail the correct answers to info@MMAagents.com will receive a prize package, including products from Bulletproof Athletics (www.bulletproofathletics.com), Hoodlum Fight Gear (www.hoodlumfightgear.com), Evo Energy Drink (www.drinkevo.com) as well as Gammo-O (www.gammao.com)

All participants must provide a valid mailing address. Please stay tuned to the News section at www.MMAagents.com for a chance to win and be sure to watch Inside MMA.

About MMAagents: Established in 2005 by long time baseball and hockey agent Ken Pavia, MMAagents is an industry leader in mixed martial arts sports management. MMAagents is a full service sports management agency, providing its clients with fighting opportunities, sponsorships, appearances, legal assistance, commission compliance, media relations, fighter branding, career guidance, and much more. MMAagents philosophy is that fighters should worry about training and fighting while their agent handles everything else. MMAagents boasts a roster of over fifty world class mixed martial arts fighters, forty of which are current or former Zuffa fighters. Each client has fought in an elite organization such as the UFC, WEC, Pride, Strikeforce, Pro Elite, Affliction, or the PFC. In 2008 MMAagents clients competed in thirty five different promotional organizations in eight different countries. MMAagents has a staff of nine including a licensed attorney. The MMAagents team works hard twenty five hours a day, eight days a week, to make dreams come true.

For More Information Contact Joe@MMAagents.com

MMA Locker: Free Razor Clothing Tees and Hoodies

Click here to enter MMA-Locker.com

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.

Martin Kampmann: “185 or 170, I don’t care”

Martin Kampmann is finally ready to pick on someone his own size. Not that the man nicknamed “The Hitman” has ever made it a habit to pick on smaller men but exactly the opposite.

On Saturday night Kampmann will make his welterweight debut against Alexandre Barros who will be making his first appearance in the octagon. Kapmann had previously campaigned at 185 pounds for the bulk of his career but will be moving down to 170 pounds for the match up with Barros.

Kampann confessed in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com that there are times at the gym that he walks around lighter than some of the guys that compete at 155 pounds. In today’s age of cutting weight, that’s a problem.

“I’ve always been kind of light for a middleweight,” admitted Kampmann. “When I go down to the gym some of the guys that fight at 170 are heavier than me. Even some of the guys that fight at 155, when they’re out of shape, they would be heavier than me. I figured I would give it a try and try the welterweight division out.”

Barros has been in the game for more than a decade, went to the third round with former UFC welterweight Champion Matt Hughes back in 2000 and is currently riding a nine fight win streak. Even considering all of these factors it has been extremely difficult for Kampmann to do any homework on his opponent but he has a pretty good idea of what he can expect.

“I’ve seen a little video on him but not much,” said Kampmann. “I’m just expecting for him to be a really tough guy.”

“He’s been fighting for a long time. He’s been fighting since before I even knew what MMA was. He’s been in the game for a while so I’m expecting a really tough fight.”

..........

“I just want to thank all of my fans back home, Hitman Fight Gear for supporting me and MMA Agents for helping me out.”

Click here to read the entire article at FiveOuncesofPain.com

Fighter Handshake Deals Die as MMA Grows

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

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.”

.............

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.”

.............

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.”

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com

Chris Lytle: “Nobody is above getting knocked out”

Originally posted on fiveouncesofpain.com

Cory Brady: I know that you are a full time fire fighter as well as having to train full time for the UFC. How do you split the two up?
Chris Lytle: I got pretty lucky that I working with the fire department. It’s a really great job as far as allowing me to train. I’ll work a 24 hour shift and then I’ll have 48 hours off, so I’ll do most of my training during those 48 hours that I have off. While I’m at the station I have a chance to do my weight lifting and my cardio and then I do all of my other training during the those two days that I have off.

Cory Brady: How are you feeling in the days leading up to your fight with Marcus Davis?
Chris Lytle: I’m really excited about this fight. I think it’s going to be a really good, exciting fight. It’s the kind of fight that I’ve been looking for. He’s the kind of guy that likes to stand up and trade and put on an exciting show. He’s a pro boxer and I’ve been a pro boxer as well, so I think it’s the exact kind of fight that both of us have been looking for.

Cory Brady: How do you feel you match up with Davis stylistically?
Chris Lytle: I think we match up pretty evenly. Both of our strengths is our stand up. I’ve had a lot of boxing matches and so has he and in addition to that I think that we both have an under rated ground game. If you combine all of those factors I think that we are very similar fighters with the main difference being that he’s left handed and I’m right handed.

...........

Cory Brady: Is there anyone you would like to thank?
Chris Lytle: MMA Agents are always doing good work for me and my boys over at TapouT are always helping me out. Also, Full Tilt Poker, I’m a big poker guy.

Click here to read the entire article at FiveOuncesofPain.com

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.

...........

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.

Click here to read the entire article at FightNews.com

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.

Click here to read the entire article at BloodyKnux.com