July 29, 2010

UFC ‘Jones vs. Matyushenko’ Prelims Preview: Elkins vs. Oliveira

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

by Tomas Rios (trios@sherdog.com) 25936   Elkins (right) file photo: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira Anyone keeping up with the Brazilian MMA scene has been hearing the same two things about lightweight prospect Oliveira for some time now: the first is that he’s clearly talented and the second is that he needs to start mixing some live bodies into his fistic diet. Elkins addresses the latter quite well. He is actually much more of a challenge than many expect since most of the hype on Oliveira is unfounded. Between Oliveira’s sloppy, telegraphed striking and his seeming inability to gauge distance -- an invaluable skill whether you’re pumping a jab or shooting for a leg -- there are clearly craters in his game just waiting to be exploited. What Oliveira does have is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu style that is beautifully tailored to MMA since he is equally effective off his back or from top control. This is where the problems begin for Elkins, who is your classic Midwest product: a hardnosed, well-rounded fighter who doesn’t have any real specialty. It won’t take a stellar striker to clip Oliveira, but Elkins has neither the chin nor the skill to do anything but, at best, break even in exchanges. Far more likely, however, is Elkins trying to work his usual top control-centric style against a superior grappler who might as well be Yoda in comparison to the Indiana native. That leaves a predictable script consisting of the two trading takedowns until Oliveira inevitably proves the new reality in MMA: A jack of all trades still needs a trump card.

Click here to read the entire article.

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July 29, 2010

War Machine Survives First Week in Prison, Hopes to Avoid 'Lame Drama'

Originally posted on CagePotato.com

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July 15, 2010

UFC's Dennis Hallman a new man after long-running allergy problem solved

Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com

MMA veteran Dennis Hallman (41-13-2 MMA, 1-4 UFC) could never figure out why he was so utterly exhausted after training and why his cardio seemed to fail him during fights.

It turns out his own body was attacking him.

Hallman, who faces Ben Saunders at UFC 117, recently discovered he has Celiac disease, which means he is allergic to wheat. He's now cut the grain out of his diet, and told MMAjunkie Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he feels like a new man.

The 34-year-old Hallman earned a fifth UFC contract in late 2009 and was well on his way to an upset of prospect John Howard at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale when he got caught with a barrage of punches that robbed him of a win with five seconds left on the clock.

Hallman didn't attribute the loss to his condition, but he later sought out doctors to find out what was happening to him. After tests, he said they were "troubled" with what they found. His body wasn't producing testosterone or cortisol, two hormones essential to the activity and recovery of an athlete. The wheat in his diet was preventing him from absorbing the nutrients that allowed him to produce the chemicals.

Celiac disease affects over two million people in the U.S. and is often hereditary. It can cause damage to the body's internal organs, though it is not fatal.

Hallman has been off wheat since May and has immediately noticed the difference.

"I have actual cortisol in my body now, so I have recovery time," Hallman said. "When I get tired, I can recover."

And with his schedule, he needs time to rest. The Pacific Northwest native fights, trains, promotes, and he has four kids.

Hallman wanted to put all that exertion to good use and drop to the lightweight class, but the UFC instead offered him Saunders, one of the heavier fighters in the 170-pound division. So for now, he'll use that energy to bulk up.

"I'm kind of the guy who's caught between the weight classes," Hallman said. "My ideal weight would be about 162 (or) 163 (pounds). I'm a little bit big for [155], but I'm small for 170."

Hallman fought Jens Pulver at UFC 33 for the UFC lightweight title and admitted he shed too much weight when he cut 30 pounds to make the weight limit. In an earlier interview Hallman said he won't make the same mistake. Ultimately, though, the decision lies with the UFC.

"I'm just going to play it by ear," he said. "I can make either weight."

He just might win the bargaining chip he needs with a win over Saunders. Wheat-free, he'll surely feel better getting there now.

For more on UFC 117, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

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July 14, 2010

Mike Hayes vs. Hae Joon Yang set for Bellator 26 heavyweight tourney opener

Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com

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July 13, 2010

Bellator adds ... British knockout artist Neil ''Goliath'' Grove to Heavyweight Tournament roster

Originally posted on Bellator.com

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 13, 2010) - Neil "Goliath" Grove - a South African-born former rugby player who fought for the UFC during that organization's visit to his adopted hometown of London last year - will make his U.S. debut as part of Bellator Fighting Championships' upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament.

Grove, who stands six feet, six inches tall and has fought at as big as 280 lbs. in the U.K., has compiled an overall pro record of 8-2-1 since turning pro 3 ½ years ago with all eight of his wins coming via KO or TKO.

He earned widespread recognition throughout Europe early on in his career following a highlight-reel 10-second KO of former EliteXC, Pride and Sengoku headliner James Thompson and followed that up with an impressive TKO of UFC veteran James McSweeney.

Grove is the fourth confirmed participant in Bellator's forthcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament along with undefeated European finisher Damian "The Polish Pitbull" Grabowski, Seattle-area KO artist Mike "300" Hayes and Georgia-based ground and pound specialist Scott Barrett. Additional announcements are expected this week. The tournament begins Aug. 12 on FOX Sports Net.

"I've been telling my manager for a long time that I'd love to fight in America because that's where I think all the best fighters are," Grove said. "I'm looking forward to showing off my skills to the American audience and all the Bellator fans."

Grove grew up in South Africa and played rugby for more than 20 years including a stint as part of one of his native country's top semi-pro teams. He moved to England in 1996 and worked for many years as a doorman at several of London's most popular nightclubs.

After being involved in a brawl with several unruly patrons, the massive heavyweight took an interest in honing his hand-to-hand combat skills and began training at a local Goju-ryu karate dojo. After just a few years, he earned his black belt and began to look at MMA as a natural next step.

He began his pro career in impressive fashion, carving a path of destruction through 2007 that included five first-round knockouts.

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney called Grove "a big heavyweight with knockout power in both hands."

"Neil Grove is a giant man with an impressive record of knocking people out in dramatic fashion," Rebeny said. "He is a solid fit for our tournament and can be a big problem for whoever he draws."

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator. Tickets are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.

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July 10, 2010

McCullough Stops de Jesus, Alessio Chokes out War Machine at TPF

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

Rob McCullough (left) file photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

LEMOORE, Calif. -- After a shaky start, Rob McCullough battered Isaac de Jesus to a first-round 4:31 finish at Tachi Palace Fights “Stars and Strikes” at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino.

McCullough, a former WEC lightweight champion, seemed to be on his way to losing the first round. Late replacement de Jesus was faster and landing the significant punches for the first four minutes, the McCullough caught him with a clean shot and swarmed.

McCullough cut de Jesus with strikes from the top and just kept landing until de Jesus turtled up and the ref was forced to step in.

Welterweight champion David Mitchell had little trouble with challenger Poppies Martinez, putting the local draw to sleep with a triangle choke just 1:32 into the first round.

Mitchell came out and immediately pulled guard, working for a gogoplata before transitioning to an omoplata. Martinez scrambled out, but got caught in the triangle. Martinez looked like he was going to tap, but went out before he could.

UFC veteran John Alessio put War Machine to sleep at 2:24 of the third round in their welterweight feature fight. Alessio controlled much of the bout from back control looking for a rear-naked choke that War Machine, formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, defended for two and a half rounds.

Click here to read the entire article.

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July 09, 2010

Rodriguez: I Was 'Too Risky' for Overeem

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

Ricco Rodriguez file photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

by Tony Loiseleur (tloiseleur@sherdog.com)

TOKYO -- Ricco Rodriguez is sitting in Japan, patiently waiting for a fight at Dream 15, though time is running out.

The former UFC heavyweight champion says he was scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem this Saturday at the Super Saitama Arena. However, the Dutch striker stated this week through his camp that he’d never agreed to the bout.

In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Rodriguez explains the circumstances behind the bout's cancellation, the possibilityof stepping in for an overweight Jake O'Brien as a last-minute replacement against Gegard Mousasi, and seizing opportunities to make a comeback at light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Sherdog.com: Tell us how you got this point -- how you had a fight, then didn't have a fight, then came here to Japan.

Ricco Rodriguez: Behind the scenes, a lot of people need to understand that negotiations are a big part of this business. My thing personally is to stay physically fit and waiting for this opportunity, and at the last minute, I knew it was my only chance of getting a shot at fighting back in Japan. Dream has been nothing but excellent to me. They told me that if I got on this flight and canceled my other fights, that this was definitely going to happen.

It was presented to Overeem a while ago and he accepted the offer. I signed the contract, came down, and was prepared to fight Overeem. Later, I found out through Overeem's camp that they released a formal announcement that they apologized to myself and my camp and that they would not be accepting the fight. Yesterday was the first time I was told that they didn't feel that I was suitable.

And the reality is -- between you and me -- as a fighter, if you are trained to fight and you definitely know you have the upper hand on someone, you know, why not take the fight and put on a great show for the Japanese fans, and also take your purse money?

The reality is that they felt that there was too much risk involved in this particular fight. His camp and himself felt that this was not a good position for him, meaning that if he beats me, it wasn't a big victory, and if he loses to me, he had everything to lose. I felt that Dream was giving me the opportunity to kinda' dust me off and say, ‘You know what, let's give this guy an opportunity. He's hungry and is 7-0.’ That's one thing about the Japanese -- they love watching the comeback kid, and that's why I've loved working with Dream, because they were willing to give me that chance.

I think that Overeem did what was best for his career in this particular situation. Like I said, I have no beef with Dream. They've treated me phenomenally, they've kept their word, they've been awesome. I spoke with Ken Pavia at MMA Agents in the past few days, and finding out what's going on, negotiating, trying to find a new opponent, but the reality is that no one wanted to fight me.

I know I'm not going to be given anything easy at my position and where I am at in my life. I know that the only way that I'm gonna' excel is by taking a fight on the last minute and being able to execute on one of these deals.

Sherdog.com: So when did you arrive in Japan?

Rodriguez: I've been here since Tuesday, and the way I see it, Overeem was all over the posters, all over the media. He should have come here to fight anybody. The fact that he was asking for Arlovski, asking for someone bigger, you know, I don't see that as really working out for him seeing as he's the champion over in Strikeforce. So, I think he's really trying to protect who he is right now and what he's about. And you know, when you're in that position, you have to do that.

Sherdog.com: Did you know ahead of coming to Japan that he wasn't going to be here and that you were potentially just coming over for a vacation?

Rodriguez: Not at all. I actually have two fights lined up in July, fighting in USA MMA and Absolute Fighting Championships out in Indianapolis. By no means would I be coming out here for a vacation. I was coming out here for a fight. They did try to find a suitable opponent for me and everyone declined.

I would not have come out here just for a vacation and just to shake hands, so to speak. Ken Pavia at MMA Agents was promising me X, Y, and Z as an opponent to fight, but we came up short. There's also been talks of fighting Gegard Mousasi, and making 205 or 208 because Jake O'Brien's having a tough time making the weight.

You know how Dream does business -- everything happens at the last minute. Sometimes it's good for the fans and the world to see, and sometimes it's bad when everything falls through.

Sherdog.com: If O'Brien doesn't make weight, do you fight Mousasi? Or if Mousasi doesn't accept, do you fight O’Brien at heavyweight? Which is it?

Rodriguez: Listen, the only thing that would suck is that if I were to fight Gegard, I'd have to cut the weight now and I might not make it. And if I fight Jake, then, you know, I'm prepared to fight anyone. I'm waiting for this opportunity. I came here to fight for Dream, for the Japanese fans, I'm prepared. My goal right now is to be in the best physical shape of my life right now. Like I said, I'm just waiting, for this opportunity, as much as possible.

Sherdog.com: What are you weighing at right this moment?

Rodriguez: Right now I'm walking around at 230 and I'm usually fighting my opponents at 215 or a catch-weight of 220. But you know, if heavyweight is where it's going to be, that's where I'll go. But my goal is to eventually get down to 205. I'm just waiting for an organization to pay me decently to get down to that weight to fight.

Sherdog.com: So it's not a long-term thing with Dream then? Just a one-time deal for this fight?

Rodriguez: Well, I think we have a mutual understanding with each other now, and they see that I'm ready to fight for them and ready to fight whoever they put in front of me. And from what I understand with Ken Pavia and MMA Agents, they are basically negotiating something for September.

Sherdog.com: The Dream 16 card in September?

Rodriguez: Yes.

Sherdog.com: Well, Dream is basically the revival of Pride, who you have history with. How has it been working with them again? Has it pretty much been all the same faces and such?

Rodriguez: It's somewhat new and old faces, but the reality is like I've said in the past -- I've burned a lot of bridges, and people don't remember that I've been fighting since I'm 18 years old. I'm 32 years of age now and the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of bridges that were burned and they're finally cooling down now, and I'm just waiting for this opportunity to step up and showcase my skills. I would like to walk away from the industry on my will, meaning that I want to walk away and leave behind me something bigger and better than the way a lot of people saw it. People have seen my past and the things I went through, my challenges with my weight, you know.

One thing that I love about fighting is that you're able to recreate yourself in this business, and you're able to show what you are really made of if you come up and do the right thing.

Sherdog.com: So you're essentially one fight, one opportunity away from making that “big thing,” having a legacy develop here?

Rodriguez: I believe so. I was really that close this weekend to overcome something huge, and I believe that the reason Overeem and that camp didn't want to take that fight was that once they were doing a little homework on me, seeing how lean I was and seeing that I had seven straight wins, and how almost all of them are KOs or TKOs, you know, they started to think, ‘Is this worth the risk of how much we worked?’

A lot of people don't understand that once you get to this level, at the top, it's one or two fights from either making it or losing everything you worked for. You look at the time Overeem's put into this and he's gotta' protect it. I respect what he's doing, and his camp is doing the right thing.

With Fedor losing, it makes (Overeem) a better champion so to speak. You know, demolishing Brett Rogers, he's sitting somewhat at the top. He is the champion, you know? And that's big for him. It's huge.

And to be honest, I think Overeem was a perfect style matchup for me. I think I would have taken him past the first round and he would have been in trouble. That's my personal opinion.

Sherdog.com: Let's talk short-term and long-term future. Short-term -- like the next two days -- what's going to be happening for you?

Rodriguez: Short-term, I'm going to watch a good show in Japan, and go see my old neighborhood in Musashi-Koyama and go buy some merchandise from Takada Dojo. Eat some great Japanese food, go get a couple mild runs outside, and enjoy my time here in Japan.

Long-term, I think I'm going to build a relationship with Dream and eventually get the opportunity that I would like to receive as a gentleman, and what I mean by that is, ‘Hey Ricco, you're going to fight this person at this time,’ and I'll train and do the right thing. I'm hoping and praying for that, and it would be nice.

If it doesn't, I'm going to go back home, train, and go back to the fights that I had scheduled. I pulled out of one, and I can't really do anything about that one.

Sherdog.com: To make it here?

Rodriguez: No, no, my fights back in the states. I have one fight at USA MMA on July 31 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That one will stay on schedule.

Sherdog.com: Who are you fighting in your next two bouts back in the states?

Rodriguez: I was supposed to fight Bobby Martinez in Absolute Fighting Championship out in Indianapolis, but because of this fight, I had to pull out. Hopefully, we can put something together (with Dream) for September. That's what the talks are. I'm letting my agent and trainer work that out.

Sherdog.com: And that's something you mentioned earlier that you wanted to do at 205? Or would you still be fighting at heavyweight?

Rodriguez: Most of the time, I do a catch-weight of 220, or I fight at heavyweight. You know, I just try not to fight anyone at 265, just because I'm making the cut to 205. But the reality is that no one wants to fight me at 205 on the C and B-levels of MMA.

The reality is that the people that are stepping up to fight me now are the people who want to get that step over Ricco Rodriguez, meaning that, you know, ‘I beat a world champion.’ I'm giving them the opportunity, but I'm not getting the opportunity myself. The only time I got the opportunity was right now with Dream to fight Overeem, and I jumped on it because it would have put me right back in the top 10.

Sherdog.com: How long ago did you receive the offer to fight Overeem?

Rodriguez: Well, to be honest with you, it was on the table once before, and then it went off, and then I got a call about a week ago, and they asked, ‘Do you want it?’ And I said, yeah, I'll take it. And that's when I flew down here, to take the fight. I always knew that this opportunity was going to come. Training with Saul Soliz, we knew it was only a matter of time.

You know, it might not happen this weekend, it might not happen this month, but it's going to come back again. And I'm prepared. And that's the thing I think people don't really understand. I think I really freaked a lot of people out when I came to the weigh-ins today. They all saw how lean I was, they saw how great a shape I've been in.

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July 05, 2010

Despite unique submission win, UFC 116's Chris Lytle still a boxer at heart

Originally posted on MMAJunkie.com

For the second time in his career, UFC welterweight Chris Lytle kept Matt Brown at bay with a second-round submission at UFC 116. And he did it with a hold he's used in competition before.

But despite the unique submissions he pulled out of his hat this past Saturday – and one he fought out of – Lytle didn't give himself much of a pat on the back.

"Those (submissions) were just kind of luck I guess," Lytle said. "I'm not very good on the ground. I'm a boxer, pure and simple."

It was the Indiana firefighter's third consecutive UFC win, and he might have won his fifth straight performance bonus had there not been four submission endings during the blockbuster summer card.

Nearly three years ago, Lytle got a handful from Brown in a hometown United Fight League bout, which came shortly after he won a "Submission of the Night" bonus at UFC 73 with a combination inverted triangle choke and armbar. Experience saved the day at the UFL event, and he tapped out Brown with a guillotine choke in the second frame.

This time around, he was ready for all Brown had to offer, though his 11 years in the game helped too.

"I tell [the UFC] I just want to fight guys that will come after me," Lytle said. "I want guys who are coming in to knock me out or submit me."

In a recent interview with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Lytle spoke of changing his strategy after several high-profile fights in which he called for a stand-up battle and instead found himself mired in a tactical grappling match. The new rule was to take whatever an opponent gave him and keep his fingers crossed for a brawl.

Brown (11-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) did not deny him a chance to throw hands. Much as in their first fight, he came after Lytle (28-18-5 MMA, 8-9 UFC) with straight punches and great control within the clinch. But unlike before, he put the fight on the mat in the first round. Lytle rolled with the punches, so to speak, and brought a wince from Brown when he used his legs to threaten with a gogoplata and segued to an omaplata.

"I have not (pulled a gogoplata off before)," Lytle said. "I figure in the UFC is the best time to try new stuff. That's what I hear."

Brown did not want to be a crash-test dummy and got Lytle's attention when he cinched a D'Arce choke in a scramble. The veteran readjusted his torso to keep his air, but for a moment, it looked like he was in trouble.

"He got me in a really good choke, and I had a good submission I was planning on doing, and I just let him get it in real tight, and I was like, 'Uh, oh,'" Lytle said. "He's getting this a little too tight."

Lytle experience again saved the day, and he returned fire with another near-submission late in the round.

"I was just lucky between the rounds my corner was able to give me some good advice, telling me to land an uppercut," he said.

When the two met for the second frame, Lytle took the words to heart and landed a big shot early on. But instead of pounding away for a TKO, he gave up a valuable mount position for the same inverted triangle choke and armbar combination that stopped Jason Gilliam, his UFC 73 opponent. This time, though, he cranked Brown's arm straight out and forced a tap.

So far, the new rule is working out quite nicely for Lytle.

"If they're going to give me a submission, I'm going to take it," he said. "I tried to do two at once to make sure it worked out, so I was happy with it."

And who knows what Lytle will pull out of his hat next time. How about another gogoplata?

"I think I'll get it next time," he joked. "Maybe I'll do a flying one somehow."

For more on UFC 116, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

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July 03, 2010

UFC 116 Chris Lytle Submits Matt Brown

Originally posted on MMA.Fanhouse.com

By Michael David Smith

In a rematch that went much the same way as their first fight, Chris Lytle forced Matt Brown to submit to an arm bar Saturday night at UFC 116.

Lytle and Brown fought in 2007, with Lytle also winning a second-round submission. The official time of that fight was 2:49 of the second round; this time it was 2:02 of the second round.

The two came out swinging, just as everyone thought they would, but in the first round it actually became more of a tactical ground battle than most people thought. Brown sunk in a D'Arce choke that appeared to be deep, but Lytle refused to tap and Brown eventually let it go to avoid wearing out his arms. Brown also dropped Lytle with a punch late in a first round that Brown definitely deserved to win, 10-9.

In the second round Lytle dropped Brown, mounted him and sunk in a guillotine choke, doing exactly what he did to submit Brown the first time these guys fought, in 2007. This time Brown managed to survive the guillotine, but Lytle transitioned to an arm bar that forced Brown to submit. (Both of Brown's arms were trapped, so he had to verbally submit by saying "tap, tap" to the referee, rather than actually tapping out.)

The Lytle-Brown fight was billed as a likely Fight of the Night contender, and although it wasn't the great battle the UFC promoted it as being, it was a solid fight. And one that showed once again that Lytle comes to fight every time out.

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June 28, 2010

Bellator 23 results: Joe Warren and Alexander Shlemenko win tournament championships

Originally posted on MMAMania.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 24, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships concluded its hugely successful second season with two more thrilling upsets on Thursday as middleweight Alexander Shlemenko scored a stunning TKO and featherweight Joe Warren won a hard-fought split decision to emerge as the Season 2 Tournament Champions in their respective divisions.

The sold-out event at Louisville's Fourth Street Live downtown entertainment district tied a ribbon on Bellator Season 2 in fitting fashion as fans were once again treated to a full card of electrifying fights that also included shocking upsets at bantamweight and in a Women's Feature Fight.

But the night undoubtedly belonged to Warren and Shlemenko, whose victories earned them $100,000 in prize money and the chance to fight reigning Bellator World Champions Joe Soto and Hector Lombard, respectively, in world title fights this fall.

Shlemenko, a 26-year-old army combat fighter known for his reliance on spinning back-fists and leg kicks, came out swinging in his typical style from the opening bell. But it was a far-more-conventional right hook to the jaw that eventually finished the heavily favored Bryan "The Beast" Baker roughly mid-way through Round 1.

The devastating punch left Baker (13-2) dazed and slowly crumpled him to the canvas before Shlemenko moved in for the finish with a flurry of punches. Referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight due to unanswered blows at 2:45 into Round 1.

It was just the second time that Baker had suffered a loss as a pro with the other coming at the hands of UFC star Chael Sonnen more than two years ago.

"We had heard that Alexander Shlemenko was one of the best middleweights in Europe and he definitely proved that here tonight," Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney said afterward. "He beat a very, very talented fighter in Bryan Baker and he's more than earned the right to face our champion Hector Lombard later this year."

Shlemenko, for his part, said the win was also a statement on behalf of all pure strikers in MMA today.

"This victory means that strikers soon will be all over MMA and that Bellator Fighting Championships will be owned by the strikers," he said through his translator.

Click here to read the entire article.

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